| Previous Section | Back to Table of Contents | Lords Hansard Home Page |
Written Answers
Monday, 12th February 2001.
Severn Rail Tunnel: Safety Exercise
Earl Attlee asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will place in the Library of the House all reports concerning the most recent safety exercise carried out in the Severn Rail Tunnel this year.[HL591]
The Minister of State, Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (Lord Macdonald of Tradeston): The emergency services (fire and ambulance) and Railtrack are currently holding monthly exercises to familiarise personnel with the Severn Tunnel. There is also a Severn Tunnel Contingency Planning Group which is a multi-agency group facilitated by Railtrack. Its last exercise was a communications exercise on 12-13 August last year. This involved the British Transport Police, the Avon & Somerset and Gwent police forces, and the fire and ambulance services on both sides of the tunnel. Reports on exercises are done internally within each service with joint lessons shared through the group. No reports are published.
Bus Services
Lord Bradshaw asked Her Majesty's Government:
- When they intend to extend the 42-day notice period for termination of a registered bus service to 56 days; and[HL603]
When they intend to abolish the "five minute rule" under which bus operators can vary departure times by up to five minutes without further notification to the Traffic Commissioners.[HL604]
Lord Macdonald of Tradeston: These changes will be brought forward in the spring as part of a package of proposals on changes to the registration regulations. These proposals will also take forward the commitment in the White Paper Our Countryside: The Future--A Fair Deal for Rural England to consult on changes to make it easier to run flexibly routed services and on the notice period for community-based services. It is sensible for all changes to the registration rules to be considered in one package.
Lord Bradshaw asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they have any plans to extend the de minimis ceilings which allow local authorities to negotiate changes to subsidised bus services without re-tendering.[HL605]
Lord Macdonald of Tradeston: We have no immediate plans to change the de minimis limits, which were last increased in October 1998. However, we will keep their levels under review in the light of any representations from local authorities and others.
Archaeological Sites and Monuments Records
Lord Renfrew of Kaimsthorn asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What advice they have received from their statutory advisors (English Heritage) on the desirability of a statutory obligation that local authorities maintain archaeological sites and monuments records.[HL577]
Lord McIntosh of Haringey: English Heritage supports a statutory obligation being placed on local authorities to maintain such records.
Stamp Duty
Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Why the rates of stamp duty on the purchase of residential and commercial property are identical; and[HL519]
Whether the same economic and fiscal arguments apply to changes in the rate of stamp duty on residential property, particularly houses costing over £500,000, as on commercial property; and[HL520]
What practical difficulties of duty assessment or collection would follow a decision to levy stamp duty at different rates on residential and commercial property.[HL522]
Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The stamp duty charge on transfers of land and buildings does not depend on the use made of that property. This has always been the case. The Government examine all the economic and fiscal arguments that apply to residential and commercial property whenever they consider the appropriate rates for stamp duty on property. The administrative implications of introducing different rates would depend on the definitions of residential and commercial property and how the charge would apply to mixed-use properties.
Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What is their estimate of the cumulative net cost, to owner-occupiers of commercial properties worth more than £500,000, of the increase in stamp duty from 1 per cent to 4 per cent since the 1997 general election.[HL521]
Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The information in the form requested is not available.
Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What were the revenue receipts from stamp duty on (a) residential and (b) commercial property transactions in the financial years 1996-97, 1997-98, 1998-99 and 1999-2000.[HL523]
Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The stamp duty revenue receipts for land and property for the requested years are given in table 15.1 of Inland Revenue Statistics 2000. The estimated component of the receipts attributable to residential transactions is given in table 15.2. The estimated stamp duty receipts component for commercial transactions is the difference between these two amounts.
Parliamentary Questions: Cost of Answers
Baroness Rendell of Babergh asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What is their current estimate of the cost of answering a written parliamentary Question and an oral parliamentary Question.[HL709]
Lord McIntosh of Haringey: As at April 2000, the latest date for which data are available, the average cost of answering a written parliamentary Question and an oral parliamentary Question was £123 and £285 respectively.
Self-assessment Tax Returns: Electronic Filing
The Earl of Northesk asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many self-assessment tax returns for the current year were filed electronically up to and including 31 January; and how this compares with the Inland Revenue's target for electronic filing.[HL561]
Lord McIntosh of Haringey: Three hundred and twenty-four thousand, two hundred and ninety-six self-assessment tax returns for the current year were filed electronically up to and including 31 January. The Inland Revenue has not set a target for take-up of electronic filing services.
Unclaimed Agrimonetary Compensation
Baroness Byford asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What is the total agrimoney available that is likely to be lost if it is not claimed by the end of April.[HL612]
The Minister of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Baroness Hayman): We expect the Commission to notify us of the amount of agrimonetary compensation available later this month. Initial estimates suggest that it could be of the order of £200 million across the beef, sheep, dairy, arable and sugar sectors. These estimates should be treated with caution as they are based on 1999 claim data, and the relevant data on market prices in 2000 are not yet available. If these estimates are correct, and the full amount were paid, the cost to the UK taxpayer would be around £170 million.
Smoking Policy in Government Departments
Lord Janner of Braunstone asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will publish in the Official Report, or place in the Library of the House, a table showing the number of designated smoking rooms in each government department; and whether smoking is permitted in the staff restaurant and library of each department.[HL361]
The Minister of State, Cabinet Office (Lord Falconer of Thoroton): Responsibility for policy concerning smoking in government buildings is delegated to departments.
I have asked colleagues in other departments for details and will write to the noble Lord with my findings. I will place a copy of the letter in the Library of the House.
Lord Janner of Braunstone asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will place in the Library of the House copies of progress reports produced by government departments about their internal smoking policies.[HL363]
Lord Falconer of Thoroton: Responsibility for policy concerning smoking in government departments has been delegated to departments. Specific departmental policies are not held centrally. I have asked my colleagues to provide the information requested and will write to the noble Lord with my findings. I will place a copy of the letter in the Library of the House.
In my department we operate a no smoking policy in all of our buildings. Smoking is permitted in designated areas only. I will place a copy of the Cabinet Office policy in the Library of the House.
Millennium Dome: Sale
Baroness Anelay of St Johns asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What deadlines have been imposed by them upon the signing of contracts with Legacy plc for the sale to that company of the Millennium Dome site.[HL326]
Lord Falconer of Thoroton: The Government set a deadline of 14 January for Legacy plc to submit its response to the preferred bidder letter to the Competition Team and a further deadline for exchange of contracts. The Government are continuing to negotiate with Legacy plc.
Next Section
Back to Table of Contents
Lords Hansard Home Page