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ading Fraud Ms. Glenda Jackson : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people were successfully prosecuted for social security fraud in the London borough of Camden between January and December 1991.
Miss Widdecombe : The investigation of social security benefit fraud is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He wrote to the hon. Member and copies will be placed in the Library and the Public Information Office.
Ms. Glenda Jackson : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what definitions he intends to use and what guidelines he intends to produce to enable his Department's staff to distinguish between a scrounger and a genuine social security claimant.
Mr. Burt : Parliament has laid down the conditions of entitlement to benefit. Decisions on entitlement to benefit are taken by independent adjudication officers. It is for the chief adjudication officer, rather than the Secretary of State, to advise how they should interpret the legislation.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are the totals of money recovered as a result of social security fraud investigations in the past 10 years ; and what sums were recovered in each of the past 10 years expressed as a percentage of the numbers of staff employed to detect fraud.
Miss Widdecombe : The information requested is not held. However, the Benefits Agency fraud investigations in 1991-92 employed 2,853 staff at a cost of £62.7 million and detected fraud to the estimated value of £416 million.
Child Benefit
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, whether he will publish tables similar to those in his answer of 11 May, Official Report, columns 43-44, showing the combined value of child benefit and child dependency increases, including figures for April 1992 and showing equivalent values at April 1992 instead of 1991 prices.
Mr. Burt : The information is in the tables.
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War widows A B C D E -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Uprating date Rate of chEquivalentGross male weekly avEquivalent weekly earnings net of income tax and [NL] Single person Married couple [NL] |£ |£ |£ |Per cent.|£ |Per cent.|£ November 1979 |14.00 |32.25 |114.10 |(12.3) |79.90 |(17.5) |83.60 |(16.7) November 1980 |15.35 |30.66 |135.10 |(11.4) |93.40 |(16.4) |97.80 |(15.7) November 1981 |16.10 |28.73 |149.50 |(10.8) |101.00 |(15.9) |105.40 |(15.3) November 1982 |17.10 |28.71 |160.60 |(10.6) |107.40 |(15.9) |112.50 |(15.2) November 1983 |17.45 |27.95 |172.40 |(10.1) |115.50 |(15.1) |121.30 |(14.4) November 1984 |17.90 |27.32 |187.40 |(9.6) |125.90 |(14.2) |132.50 |(13.5) November 1985 |18.55 |26.84 |199.50 |(9.3) |134.40 |(13.8) |141.60 |(13.1) July 1986 |18.65 |26.55 |210.90 |(8.8) |143.80 |(13.0) |151.20 |(12.3) April 1987 |18.85 |25.70 |224.00 |(8.4) |155.90 |(12.1) |163.00 |(11.6) April 1988 |19.25 |25.25 |245.80 |(7.8) |174.80 |(11.0) |182.00 |(10.6) April 1989 |19.85 |24.10 |269.50 |(7.4) |191.30 |(10.4) |198.90 |(10.0) April 1990 |20.65 |22.91 |295.60 |(7.0) |212.80 |(9.7) |221.10 |(9.3) April 1991 |<1>21.90 |22.84 |318.90 |(6.9) |230.00 |(9.5) |238.30 |(9.2) October 1991 |<2>22.90 |23.53 |330.00 |(6.9) |237.20 |(9.7) |245.50 |(9.3) October 1991 |<3>22.15 |22.76 |333.00 |(6.7) |237.20 |(9.3) |245.50 |(9.0) April 1992 |<2>23.40 |23.40 |337.50 |(6.9) |235.30 |(9.9) |301.30 |(7.8) April 1992 |<3>22.65 |22.65 |337.50 |(6.7) |235.30 |(9.6) |301.30 |(7.5) <1> Where the new higher rate of child benefit for the eldest qualifying child applied, the war widow's child's allowance was adjusted so that the total level of support remained the same for all children. <2> Rate for the eldest or only child. <3> Rate for each other child.
War widows A B C D E -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Uprating date Rate of chEquivalentGross male weekly avEquivalent weekly earnings net of income tax and [NL] Single person Married couple [NL] |£ |£ |£ |Per cent.|£ |Per cent.|£ November 1979 |14.00 |32.25 |114.10 |(12.3) |79.90 |(17.5) |83.60 |(16.7) November 1980 |15.35 |30.66 |135.10 |(11.4) |93.40 |(16.4) |97.80 |(15.7) November 1981 |16.10 |28.73 |149.50 |(10.8) |101.00 |(15.9) |105.40 |(15.3) November 1982 |17.10 |28.71 |160.60 |(10.6) |107.40 |(15.9) |112.50 |(15.2) November 1983 |17.45 |27.95 |172.40 |(10.1) |115.50 |(15.1) |121.30 |(14.4) November 1984 |17.90 |27.32 |187.40 |(9.6) |125.90 |(14.2) |132.50 |(13.5) November 1985 |18.55 |26.84 |199.50 |(9.3) |134.40 |(13.8) |141.60 |(13.1) July 1986 |18.65 |26.55 |210.90 |(8.8) |143.80 |(13.0) |151.20 |(12.3) April 1987 |18.85 |25.70 |224.00 |(8.4) |155.90 |(12.1) |163.00 |(11.6) April 1988 |19.25 |25.25 |245.80 |(7.8) |174.80 |(11.0) |182.00 |(10.6) April 1989 |19.85 |24.10 |269.50 |(7.4) |191.30 |(10.4) |198.90 |(10.0) April 1990 |20.65 |22.91 |295.60 |(7.0) |212.80 |(9.7) |221.10 |(9.3) April 1991 |<1>21.90 |22.84 |318.90 |(6.9) |230.00 |(9.5) |238.30 |(9.2) October 1991 |<2>22.90 |23.53 |330.00 |(6.9) |237.20 |(9.7) |245.50 |(9.3) October 1991 |<3>22.15 |22.76 |333.00 |(6.7) |237.20 |(9.3) |245.50 |(9.0) April 1992 |<2>23.40 |23.40 |337.50 |(6.9) |235.30 |(9.9) |301.30 |(7.8) April 1992 |<3>22.65 |22.65 |337.50 |(6.7) |235.30 |(9.6) |301.30 |(7.5) <1> Where the new higher rate of child benefit for the eldest qualifying child applied, the war widow's child's allowance was adjusted so that the total level of support remained the same for all children. <2> Rate for the eldest or only child. <3> Rate for each other child.
Benefits
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to substitute selectivity for the principle of universality as the basis for payment of any social security benefits ; and if he will make a statement.
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NATIONAL FINANCE
Ecu Loan
Ms. Harman : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the ecu worth in sterling at the time that the 10 billion ecu loan was negotiated.
Column 179
Mr. Nelson : The revolving credit facility agreed on 4 September was for the equivalent of ecu 5 billion. At the date of the agreement the closing ecu : sterling market rate was 1.3919 to the pound.
Currency Reserves
Ms. Harman : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the level of the currency reserves on (a) 14 September and (b) 18 September.
Mr. Allen : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the level of currency reserves on (a) 14September and (b) 16 September.
Mr. Winnick : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was in the foreign reserves on 14, 15, 16 and 17 September.
Mr. Nelson : The level of the United Kingdom's foreign exchange reserves at the end of each month are published on the second working day of the next month. The level at the end of September was published on Friday 2 October. There are no plans to publish these figures more frequently.
Mr. Allen : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer who audits the use of foreign exchange reserves ; and when they will report on the use of the funds during the period 14 to 16 September.
Mr. Nelson : Transactions affecting the United Kingdom foreign exchange reserves are made through the exchange equalisation account. The EEA is audited by the National Audit Office. The account is not published but is certified each year by the Comptroller and Auditor General, when the accounts of the Consolidated Fund and the National Loan Fund are published.
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the gain/loss from the reserves for each month from April and the total up to and including 16 September.
Mr. Nelson : The overall change in the level of the United Kingdom foreign exchange reserves at the end of each month between April and September 1992 is given in the table :
1992 |$ millions --------------------------------- April |+748 May |+29 June |-104 July |+50 August |-1,300 September |-1,773
There are no plans to publish these figures more frequently.
Foreign Exchange Markets
Ms. Harman : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will now make it his practice to answer questions on the extent to which it has intervened in the foreign exchange markets in support of its exchange rate objectives.
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Sterling
Ms. Harman : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment the Treasury has made as to the causes of the recent pressure on sterling and the degree to which it reflected (a) speculation and (b) underlying economic factors.
Mr. Nelson : The main underlying cause of tensions in the ERM has been the persistence of high interest rates in Germany, imposed to counter the inflationary effects of reunification, combined with the lowest interest rates in 30 years in the USA. Speculation, in the lead-up to the French referendum, caused these tensions to come to a head on 16 September.
Ms. Harman : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will now accept the recommendations of Session 1988-89 from the third report of the Treasury and Civil Service Committee on international monetary co- ordination (HC 384) about making public the amount of the intervention, gains and losses to the United Kingdom Exchequer of measures to support the pound sterling.
ECOFIN
Ms. Harman : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was discussed at the last meeting of ECOFIN ; and if he will make a statement.
Sir John Cope : The Economic and Finance Council met twice in formal session during the Recess. The meeting on 27 July was reported to the House by means of a report deposited in the Library. The Council also met on 28September in Brussels with the Chancellor presiding. I represented the United Kingdom. Members of the Council also met informally in Bath on 4 to 6 September.
On 28 September, the Council discussed the future financing of the Community. A majority of member states made clear that they continued to believe that the Commission's proposals were excessive and the Council was close to a consensus on the need to make cuts in the Commission's proposals for internal spending and for administration. But wide divergences of opinion remain on major items such as agriculture, cohesion, the structure of own resources, and thus the overall level of spending. There was also some discussion of the Commission's report on the United Kingdom abatement. I made clear that we would not accept any adverse change to the abatement. The Council agreed to establish a working group of officials with the aim of enhancing the fight against fraud against the Community budget and to report back to ECOFIN in November. The Council also set a work programme for officials to examine the proposed carbon/energy tax and to report back to ECOFIN in December.
A balance of payments loan to Bulgaria was also discussed but without agreement.
The Council also discussed recent monetary events in preparation for the Special European Council.
Currency
Ms. Harman : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what matters relating to currency he discussed at the meeting he attended in Brussels on 12 and 13 September.
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Mr. Nelson : The Chancellor did not attend any meetings in Brussels on 12 and 13 September.
Privatisation
Mr. Keith Hill : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much money was spent on advertising of privatisation sales for each sale since 1979.
Mr. Dorrell : The table shows the cost to the Government of advertising in each privatisation by flotation or secondary share sale since BT. Information on the advertising costs of earlier sales is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Advertising costs in privatisations
£ million
Share Offer |Year |Advertising cost
|(ex. VAT)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BT |1984 |9.7
Britoil |1985 |3.0
Cable & Wireless |1985 |2.2
British Aerospace |1985 |1.7
British Gas |1986 |21.4
British Airways |1987 |2.8
Rolls-Royce |1987 |1.6
BAA |1987 |4.9
BP |1987 |18.3
British Steel |1988 |4.9
Water |1989 |15.3
Regional Electricity Companies |1990 |14.2
Generating Companies |1991 |5.6
Scottish Electricity Companies |1991 |5.3
BT |1991 |17.1
Mr. Kieth Hill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total amount of debt written off in each privatisation and sale of Government assetts since 1979 for each company privatised.
Mr. Dorrell : I refer the hon. Member to the Chancellor of the Exchequer's answer of 3 March, Official Report , col. 124 .
Mr. Keith Hill : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the current number of shareholdings in each of the companies privatised since 1979.
Mr. Dorrell : The table shows the number of shareholdings in each of the companies privatised since 1979. Where Her Majesty's Government retained a shareholding on privatisation, together with the size and date of any subsequent share disposals, this has also been shown.
Size of share
register
Company |Date of |Initial |Highest since |Current |Proportion of shares
|Privatisation |Privatisation<3> |retained by HMG
|percentage
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
British Petroleum |December 1977<2> |n/a |550,821 |51
|(31 Dec 91) |Sep 83:
British Aerospace |February 1981 |27,179 |120,200 |87,700 |48.43
|(Dec 86) |(31 Dec 91)
Cable and Wireless |October 1981 |27,320 |210,994 |166,179 |50.64
|(31 Mar 86) |(31 Mar 90)
Amersham International |February 1982 |10,051 |5,243 |nil
|(29 May 92)
NFC |February 1982 |10,300 |60,000 |nil
|(Feb 92)
Britoil |November 1982 |37,257 |245,556 |owned by BP |49.0
|(31 Dec 85)
Associated British Ports |February 1983 |37,205 |14,694 |48.5
|(26 June 92)
Enterprise Oil |June 1984 |13,695 |14,166 |10,811 |nil
|(June 85) |(31 Dec 90)
Jaguar |July 1984 |125,000 |owned by |nil<5>
|Ford
BT |November 1984 |2,139,520 |2,931,570 |2,758,996
|(1 Feb 92) |(26 Aug 92)
British Gas |December 1986 |4,407,079 |2,285,325 |3.3
|(31 Mar 91) |90
British Airways |February 1987 |1.2m |314,039 |2.5
|(15 May 90)
Rolls-Royce |May 1987 |1,988,966 |640,055 |0.4
|(31 Dec 90)
British Steel |December 1988 |650,553 |335,224 |0.05
|(30 Mar 91)
Water and Sewerage |December 1989 |2.65m<6> |1,106,564<7> |1.62
Companies |(27 June 91)
Regional Electricity |December 1990 |8.86m<6>
Companies
|(7 Aug 92) |n/a
|Generating Companies|March 1991 |1.91m<8> |1.7m<7>
|(Jan 92)
Scottish Electricity Companies |June 1991 |1.81m<9> |1.6m<7> |3.5
|(June 92)
<1> For single company privatisations, these figures are not an exact guide to the number of shareholders because some shareholdings are held jointly in
more than one name (e.g., for members of employee share schemes only the trustees are shown on share registers).
<2> HM Government obtained a majority holding in 1914 but this never reached 100 per cent. The 1977 sale is shown as the first disposal of recent times.
<3> Where the largest register of shareholdings was not immediately following privatisation (this usually followed a secondary offer).
<4> These proportions do not sum to 51 per cent because of rights issues.
<5> Subsidiary of BL plc.
<6> The offer allowed for holdings by individuals in any or all of the companies in the offer and therefore holders may appear on more than one register.
<7> Shareholders may appear on the register of more than one company.
<8> The offer required pulic applicants to apply for shares in both companies and the figure shown is that of allocations in the offer.
<9> The offer required non-customer public applicants to apply for shares in both companies and the figure shown is that of allocations in the offer.
Mr. Keith Hill : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give a breakdown of administrative costs set out in a similar manner to that in his answer to the hon. Member for Chelmsford (Mr. Burns) of 5 March, Official Report, column 244 , for the share offers relating to (a) British Gas, (b) the electricity generating companies, (c) the electricity distribution companies, (d) the two Scottish electricity companies and (e) the water companies. Mr. Dorrell : I refer the hon. Member to page 18 of the report by the National Audit Office on the sale of British Gas (House of Commons paper 22 published June 1987) and to the replies given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy on 31 January 1992 at column 723 ; by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Scotland on 31 January 1992 at column 722 ; and by my hon. Friend the Minister for the Environment on 3 April at column 570-71 .
European Central Bank
Mr. Cash : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what measures will be required to ensure uniformity of European central bank notes under article 16 of the protocol to the Maastricht treaty on European central banks.
Mr. Nelson : There is no requirement under article 16 for uniformity of bank notes, whether issued by the European central bank or other banks within the Community. Article 16 requires the ECB to respect as far as possible existing practices regarding the issue and design of bank notes.
Mr. Cash : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what rules and practices the Government propose to change in the field of statistical collection pursuant to article 5 of the protocol to the Maastricht treaty relating to European central banks ; and what will be the role of the European central bank.
Mr. Nelson : No proposals have yet been made to ministers on the statistical requirements relating to the role of the European central bank. The role of the ECB in this area would be as set out in Article 5 of the protocol to the treaty on the statute of the European system of central banks and the European central bank.
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Mr. Cash : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans the Government have to make the Bank of England independent under article 7 of the protocol to the Maastricht treaty relating to European central banks.
Mr. Nelson : The Government have no plans at present to make the Bank of England independent under article 7 of the protocol to the Maastricht treaty setting out the statute for the European central banks. According to the protocol to the Maastricht treaty on certain provisions relating to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, article 7 would only apply to the United Kingdom if, at some future date, the United Kingdom were to notify the Council of Ministers that it wished to move to stage 3 of the European economic and monetary union.
Deregulation
Mr. Sproat : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what financial provisions, and how much, he has made within his Department in order to look at the potential for deregulation of each of the regulatory measures for which he has responsibility.
Mr. Dorrell : The Chancellor's departments have a number of staff dedicated to looking at the potential for deregulation throughout the economy. These total 11 at an annual salary cost of about £340,000. In addition, other staff also spend some of their time working on deregulation issues as part of their duties. It is therefore not possible to quantify exactly the total effort devoted to this subject.
Developing Countries (Debt Relief)
Mrs. Clwyd : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what additional foreign exchange savings would accrue to developing countries if the Trinidad terms originally proposed by the Prime Minister had been accepted by the Paris club compared to the terms currently in use ;
(2) what foreign exchange savings have been achieved by developing countries whose debt has been processed by the Paris club under the Trinidad terms.
Mr. Nelson : The debt reduction provided under Trinidad terms is assessed in present value terms and this
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cannot be reliably translated into estimates of foreign exchange earnings. Trinidad terms are designed to deliver up to 50 per cent. reduction in the present value of debts consolidated under the agreements. It is not possible to anticipate the outcome of consideration of reduction of the whole stock of debt, which creditors are committed to undertake provided that certain conditions are met.The debt relief agreed to by creditors at the Paris Club is informed by and related to an independent estimate of the future foreign exchange financing needs of individual debtors.
Mrs. Clwyd : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list, for each country benefiting from debt relief under the Trinidad terms, (a) how the debt to be dealt with is calculated, (b) the percentage of total external debt of each country that this constitutes and (c) the level of relief and rescheduling that has been given.
Mr. Nelson : The details of individual debtors' positions are confidential to the country concerned. Debts eligible for Trinidad terms debt reduction are medium and long term bilateral official debt which are contracted before a specified cut-off date and which have not previously been subject to a concessional debt restructuring agreement at the Paris Club. The amount of relief provided is dependent upon the distribution of debt between individual creditors and the method of debt relief chosen by each creditor.
Mrs. Clwyd : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many developing countries have benefited from the Trinidad debt relief terms ; which countries are due to be dealt with by the Paris Club ; and when such action will be taken.
Mr. Nelson : Eight countries have so far benefited from Trinidad terms debt reduction at the Paris Club. The future programme of the Paris Club is driven by requests from the debtor countries.
Developmental Public Bodies
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he has yet issued guidance to Departments about the general responsibilities of the boards of new developmental public bodies, pursuant to the note to the Public Accounts Committee [PAC 69] dated 28 February ; and if he will place a copy in the Library.
Mr. Dorrell : Some guidance on the responsibilities of boards of non -departmental public bodies (NDPBs) is already contained in the recently revised NDPB Guide for Departments. A copy has been placed in the Library. As noted in the Treasury minute, on the 11th report of the Public Accounts Committee, which is being laid before Parliament today, it is proposed to provide additional guidance shortly. The Treasury is currently consulting departments on content and coverage.
Canary Wharf
Mr. Peter Bottomley : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many Treasury, Inland Revenue and Customs and Excise jobs he proposes to move to Canary Wharf.
Mr. Dorrell : Customs and Excise plans to relocate the 130 staff in its Stratford excise and VAT office to Docklands, but not necessarily Canary Wharf, in August 1993.
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London Transport
Mr. Peter Bottomley : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the net effect on the public sector borrowing requirement of £100 million extra funding of capital investment by London Transport, including tax receipts, national insurance payments, and reductions in social security payments ; and if he will estimate any crowding out.
Mr. Portillo : It is not possible to provide reliable estimates of the net effects.
Public Service Pensions
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will specify which categories of public servants and service men with preserved pension rights have the right to transfer to personal pension plans and indicate from which earliest date of leaving public service employment that entitlement stands.
Mr. Nelson : All former public servants and members of the armed forces whose last day of pensionable service was on or after 1 January 1986 may transfer their preserved public service pension rights to an appropriate personal pension plan.
Those in post on or after 6 April 1988 who choose to opt out of their occupational pension scheme without leaving public service employment or the armed forces may transfer their preserved rights in respect of service from 6 April 1988 to an appropriate personal pension plan. If they subsequently leave the public service or the armed forces, they may transfer the value of any benefits remaining in their occupational scheme to an appropriate personal pension plan.
These arrangements are fully in accordance with the Social Security Acts 1985 and 1986.
Civil Servants
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table giving the number of officials in the top four grades of the civil service in the Department of Trade and Industry, the Ministry of Defence, the Treasury, the Foreign Office, Inland Revenue, the Home Office and the Departments of the Environment, Employment, Transport, Health, Social Security and Education, and the number and percentage in each case from Oxbridge colleges and the number of women and of disabled people in each case.
Mr. Lamont : The table gives the total number of staff and the number of women in grades 1-4 in the selected Departments. Complete information relating to colleges attended and the number of disabled people in these grades is not held centrally.
Grades 1-4 staff in post at 1 April 1992, by selected
department
|Total|Women
------------------------------------------------------
Department of Trade and Industry |62 |6
Ministry of Defence |103 |3
HM Treasury |39 |2
Foreign and Commonwealth Office |143 |6
Inland Revenue |65 |-
Home Office |42 |9
Department of the Environment |77 |8
Department of Employment |24 |2
Department of Transport |42 |-
Department of Health |66 |18
Department of Social Security |31 |6
Department of Education and Science |31 |3
Ministry Objectives
Mr. Sproat : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether each division and branch in the Treasury is given individual specific annual objectives along the lines of those specified in the MINIM system in the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.
Mr. Nelson : Although the Treasury has no equivalent to MAFF's MINIM system, the Treasury's internal annual resource allocation system requires each group and division to set objectives for their future work programmes. These objectives are drawn up within the framework of the roles and strategic objectives for the department as a whole and which are published on pages 14 to 21 of the 1992 Departmental Report for the Chancellor's Departments--CM 1918.
Mr. Cash : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how statistics relating to the consumer price index of the member states of the European Community are to be adjusted so as to take into account differences in national definitions under the protocol of the convergence criteria referred to in article 109j of the treaty establishing the European Community.
Mr. Nelson : The European Community Statistical Office (Eurostat) is planning to set up a working party of representatives of member states statistical offices to consider the technical issues involved in producing harmonised consumer price indices.
Tilbury/Gravesend Ferry
Mr. Mackinlay : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will, in accordance with section 1(4) of the Crown Estate Act 1961, use his good offices to determine the dispute about the ancient rights of ferry between Tilbury and Gravesend, between the Crown Estate Commissioners and Whitehorse Ferries Ltd.; and if he will direct the restoration and continuation of the service until such times as the dispute has been resolved.
Mr. Lamont : The service was restored by Whitehorse Ferries Ltd. within a few days and I understand that the Crown Estate Commissioners and Whitehorse Ferries Ltd. reached agreement on the ferry franchise in early August.
Crown Estate Commissioners
Mr. Mackinlay : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the Crown Estate Commissioners are subject to value added tax in respect of all revenues they accrue and transactions they enter into from leases, licences and rents relating to property they control and manage in respect of the Crown estate.
Mr. Lamont : The Crown Estate Commissioners are registered for value added tax for their business activities. They account for VAT according to the normal rules, which would include transactions involving land and property.
Column 188
VAT
181. Mr. Chisholm : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if it remains Government policy to retain permanently the ability to apply a zero rate of VAT to books, newspapers and periodicals.
Sir John Cope : Yes. The Government remain committed to the permanent retention of the right to maintain all existing zero rates.
Third-world Debt
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the total tax relief for banks against written-off third-world debt in each of the last five years ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Dorrell : Provisions for doubtful sovereign debt by banks operating in the United Kingdom are estimated to have reduced corporation tax receipts in the last five years by the following amounts :
|£ million
------------------------------------------
1987-88 |240
1988-89 |550
1989-90 |360
1990-91 |720
1991-92 (provisional) |180
I regret that further information is not available centrally.
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the total level of bad debt to the private sector in the third world ; and what are the comparative figures for the past five years.
Mr. Nelson : Information requested is not readily available and could only be provided at a disproportionate cost. Information on provisions made by British banks for their exposure to problem country debtors is contained in the Bank of England's annual Banking Act report, copies of which are available in the Library.
National and Provincial Building Society
Ms. Janet Anderson : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received concerning the claim by the National and Provincial building society for the repayment of £29 million allegedly overpaid as tax on savings in 1986 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Dorrell : A number of representatives have been received. The issues were fully considered during the Finance Bill debates.
Interest Rates
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer by how many points United Kingdom interest rates have been reduced (a) since leaving the ERM and (b) between joining the ERM and August 1992.
Mr. Nelson : Between joining the ERM and August 1992, United Kingdom bank base rates were reduced by 5 points, from 15 to 10 per cent. They have since been reduced to 9 per cent.
Column 189
National Lottery
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to close down the premium bond draw on the introduction of the national lottery ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr Nelson : I have no such plans.
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