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Shipping: Pollution
Lord Hunt of Chesterton asked Her Majesty's Government:
Which environmental policies for shipping they will press for at the 10 to 14 November meeting of the International Maritime Organisation Council
10 Nov 2008 : Column WA112
The Minister of State, Department for Transport (Lord Adonis): The Government will continue to press for a global maritime carbon emissions trading scheme in the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). We will also continue to facilitate agreement on a package of technical measures and operational improvements to reduce carbon emissions from ships, which is currently under discussion. We played an active role in the IMO work which culminated, in October, in a global agreement on measures to reduce air pollution from ships.
Work on greenhouse gas emissions will continue to be taken forward in a working group of the IMO's Marine Environment Protection Committee, the next meeting of which will take place in March 2009. Council meetings are concerned with the overall supervision of the effective functioning of the IMO.
Stock Exchange: Russia
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will ask the regulatory authorities to review listings of Russian companies on the London stock exchanges; and whether they will ask that future issues only be approved if it can be shown that companies (a) are genuine commercial businesses, (b) do not have large state holdings in their equity, and (c) have valid title to all their assets. [HL5958]
The Financial Services Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Myners): The standards for admission to listing on stock exchanges are mainly established in EU directives—the listing directive, the prospectus directive and the markets in financial instruments directive. The FSA is responsible for applying and enforcing these standards for the admission of companies to the UK official list. The financial advisers and other advisers for any issue will also assess the accuracy of the company documentation with the company prior to listing. The standards are largely based around disclosure. For example they require discussion of the nature of the company, disclosure of significant shareholders and the company's historic financial information.
The precise standards vary depending on which routes an overseas company is using to access the UK market and the FSA has recently consulted on changes to ensure greater clarity about which listing route a company has chosen.
Taxation: Residential Development
Lord Campbell-Savours asked Her Majesty's Government:
What information they collect on taxation receipts arising out of rental income from residential development. [HL6045]
10 Nov 2008 : Column WA113
The Financial Services Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Myners): Unincorporated taxpayers are required to declare aggregated details of their rental income and associated expenses on the self-assessment tax return. Similarly, corporate taxpayers are required to declare their income from land and property.
Taxpayers are not required to report the type of property giving rise to rental income.
Tobacco
Lord Taylor of Holbeach asked Her Majesty's Government:
In relation to the proposed European Union restrictions on the use of pesticides suspected of being carcinogenic, whether they are pressing the European Union to ban the cultivation and import of tobacco. [HL5947]
The Minister of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change & Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): Although a non-producer, the UK has concerns about the cost and health implications of the EU tobacco regime and we have been working to eliminate the EU subsidies on the production of tobacco. Reforms of the regime have now introduced decoupling into the tobacco sector, which means that the direct link between production and support is broken. This will apply progressively until 2010 when direct EU support for tobacco production will cease altogether. Already there has been a significant reduction in EU tobacco production as a result.
We are not however pressing the European Union for an outright ban on the cultivation and import of tobacco.
Transport: Illegal Drivers
Lord Bradshaw asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by Lord Adonis on 7 October (WA 13—4), what steps they are taking to ensure custody facilities at police stations are adequate to deal with the increased number of drivers being apprehended as a consequence of technological advances. [HL5684]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord West of Spithead): It is a matter for the chief officer of each police force to ensure that adequate cell accommodation is available in his or her force area.
10 Nov 2008 : Column WA114
Transport: Public Expenditure
Lord Bates asked Her Majesty's Government:
What was the average public expenditure on transport per head of population between 2001 and 2007 for each region in the United Kingdom. [HL6106]
The Minister of State, Department for Transport (Lord Adonis):Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses 2008 (HC489) provides a breakdown of identifiable public expenditure on services by function, country and region from 2002-03 to 2007-08. Table 9.11 of that publication provides this information per head.
The following table gives the transport spending figures
| £ per head | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 |
Figures for earlier years were reported in previous editions of PESA, but may not be comparable owing to changes in definitions and data methodologies.
Weeds
Lord Greaves asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have assessed the environmental effects of the spread of Himalayan balsam (Impatiens glandulifera); and whether they have issued advice on its control and eradication. [HL5935]
The Minister of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change & Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): An assessment of the impacts of Himalayan balsam is currently in progress using the UK non-native species risk analysis mechanism. This mechanism was established as part of the invasive non-native species framework strategy for Great Britain.
Advice on the control of Himalayan balsam is published on the GB Non-Native Species Secretariat website as well as information on how to identify the species.
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