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South East Asia: Effect of IMF Programmes
Lord Kennet asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether "speculators", however defined, will benefit from the International Monetary Fund's financial rescue operations in South East Asia; whether the governments in question will be
- responsible for repayments to the IMF; and whether a debt crisis is anticipated in South East Asia.[HL42]
Lord McIntosh of Haringey: We are confident that, provided there is full implementation of the adjustment programmes which a number of Asian countries have agreed with the IMF, Asia will recover from its current financial difficulties. These programmes consist of measures to increase transparency, stability and sound economic policies. This is all the more important given today's world of open capital markets in which countries are quickly penalised if they pursue inappropriate economic policies. The aim of the programmes is not, however, to prevent natural market movements; investors will continue to face potential losses and gains in these markets. It is the borrowing country's responsibility to ensure that the Fund receives repayments in accordance with the terms of the agreement.
Domestic Work: Market Value
Lord Kennet asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What is their assessment, for the purposes of Social Trends, of the value placed by the market on a woman or a man:
(a) looking after a small child when the small child is not her or his own, viz, as a nanny or a nursery nurse or an au pair;
(b) cleaning a house;
(c) cooking;
(d) driving a car;
(e) cultivating a garden;
and whether these activities not being marketed or recorded alters their social and value-productive significance; and if so, in what respect.[HL 158]
Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Chief Executive of the Office for National Statistics, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter to Lord Kennet from the Director of the Office for National Statistics, Dr. T. Holt, dated 26 January 1998.
I have been asked to reply to your recent question on the value placed by the market on a woman or a man undertaking several activities.
The article A household satellite account for the United Kingdom, published in the October 1997 issue of Economic Trends, contains all the readily available information on the cost of domestic work, and is available in the House of Lords Library. A copy of this article is also attached for your information.
Lord Hayhoe asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord McIntosh of Haringey: If child benefit were taxed as part of the mother's or lone father's income at the marginal income tax rate, the yield for 1998-99 would be about £700 million. If the benefit were taxed as part of the income of those mothers or lone fathers who were liable to tax at the higher rate of 40 per cent., the yield for 1998-99 would be about £40 million.
Baroness Gardner of Parkes asked Her Majesty's Government:
The Minister of State, Department of Health (Baroness Jay of Paddington): The Secretary of State for Health intends to publish a full analysis of National Health Service Trust appointments very shortly. I will let the noble Baroness have a copy as soon as it is available.
Baroness Cumberlege asked Her Majesty's Government:
Baroness Jay of Paddington: Further to my oral Answer to Baroness Gardner of Parkes on 12 January [H.L. Deb., col. 833], the Secretary of State for Health intends to publish a full analysis of National Health Service trust appointments very shortly. I will let the noble Baroness have a copy as soon as it is available.
Lord Walton of Detchant asked Her Majesty's Government:
Baroness Jay of Paddington: We are considering the need for new legislation across the health sector, including amendments to the Dentists Act 1984, and will make an announcement as soon as possible.
Lord Braine of Wheatley asked Her Majesty's Government:
Baroness Jay of Paddington: Children under 14 are already prohibited from the bar area of public houses, unless a children's certificate is in force. Certificates are granted by licensing justices, who must satisfy themselves that the premises are a suitable environment for under-14s to be present. The Government will address passive smoking in its forthcoming White Paper on tobacco.
Lord Shepherd asked Her Majesty's Government:
Baroness Jay of Paddington: Following Barnet Health Authority's review of local health services to be provided from the Edgware Hospital site, the health authority has now submitted the recommendations from the review. We are pleased that the process of public consultation adopted by the health authority has achieved a considerable degree of local support and a high level of consensus on the range of services to be provided.
The review has produced workable proposals about the general direction and future of the Edgware Community Hospital. Barnet Health Authority and the Barnet Healthcare National Health Service Trust, working closely with representatives of the local community, will now need to develop these proposals in more detail to satisfy the formal approval processes.
The Earl of Carlisle asked Her Majesty's Government:
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Williams of Mostyn): In accordance with Rule 22 of the Young Offender Rules 1988, a library is provided in every young offender institution and every young offender is allowed to have library books and to exchange them. Prison Service operating standards require governors to permit prisoners access to the library once a week for a minimum of 20 minutes. This facility is provided by local public library authorities for all prisons apart from those privately managed prisons which provide a library service directly.
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Williams of Mostyn: Since 1 May 1997, my right honourable friend has personally directed that 25 people be excluded from the United Kingdom on the grounds that their exclusion would be conducive to the public good. The Home Office Press Office does not routinely issue statements to the media in such cases but will confirm, if asked specifically, that an individual has been excluded.
Lord Dholakia asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Williams of Mostyn: The Crime and Disorder Bill does not currently provide for police reprimands and final warnings to be subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. This reflects the existing position in relation to police cautions. However, the Government are considering whether any changes to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act are necessary, in the light of the new arrangements provided for in the Crime and Disorder Bill.
What is the estimated annual yield of income tax if child benefit payments to mothers are taxed:
(a) at the standard rate; and
(b) only, where appropriate, at the higher rate of 40 per cent.[HL137]Further to the oral Answer by the Baroness Jay of Paddington on 12 January (H.L. Deb., col. 833), whether they will confirm the number of elected and currently serving members of local authorities included in their reply and how many of these belong to each political party or serve as independents and how many of those local authority members appointed belong to minority groups on local authorities.[HL157]
How many local authority councillors have been appointed to NHS trust boards as chairman or non-executive directors since 1 May; how many of these were:
(a) Labour councillors;
(b) Conservative councillors;
(c) Liberal Democrat councillors;
(d) of other affiliations or none;
and to which NHS trusts were they appointed.Whether, in the light of assurances previously given to the President and Officers of the General Dental Council, they will soon be in a position to proceed with legislation to amend the Dentists Act 1984.[HL181]
Whether, in view of the danger to a child's health caused by passive smoking, they will introduce legislation to make it illegal for an adult to take a child under 10 years into a public house.[HL185]
What was the outcome of the review of Edgware Hospital.[HL304]
What library facilities will be provided for young people who are in detention centres.[HL73]
In how many cases the Secretary of State has personally directed that the exclusion of a person from the United Kingdom is conducive to the public good since 1 May 1997; and in how many of those cases the Home Office Press Office has issued statements to the media.[HL202]
Whether police reprimands and final warnings for young offenders will be subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 when an employer asks a job applicant to declare a previous criminal record.[HL29]
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