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TREASURY
VAT (NHS Trusts)
Mrs. Laing:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total performance-related pay received by staff in HM Customs and Excise offices responsible for recovering VAT from NHS trusts in each year since 1990. [20000]
17 Dec 1997 : Column: 190
Dawn Primarolo:
All pay awards made to all Customs and Excise staff are performance related. No central record is kept of the staff who carry out VAT assurance work on NHS trusts.
Mr. Colman:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 24 November 1997, Official Report, columns 359-60, to the hon. Member for East Ham (Mr. Timms), if Departments and agencies will be able to use receipts generated from asset sales to support investment under PFI schemes. [21656]
Mr. Vaz:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the names of all those people whom he has appointed to public bodies since 1 May, indicating the positions to which they have been appointed, and whether they receive remuneration. [19970]
Mrs. Liddell:
The information requested is as follows:
17 Dec 1997 : Column: 189
| Public body | Names | Position | Whether remunerated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private Finance Task Force | Mr. Adrian Montague | Chief Executive | Remunerated |
| Financial Services Authority | Ms Dierdre Hutton | Directors | All remunerated |
| Mr. Christopher Rodrigues | |||
| Mr. Robert Smith | |||
| Mr. Stephen Thieke | |||
| Mr. Brian Williamson CBE(9) | |||
| Financial Services Tribunal | Ms M. E. Black | Members of Tribunal | All unremunerated (but fee paid per sitting) |
| Mr. R. G. Burnett | |||
| Ms J. Castiau | |||
| Mr. K. W. Emery | |||
| Mr. W. R. Gemmell | |||
| Mr. R. C. H. Jeens | |||
| Miss M. S. Lai | |||
| Mr. R. Leighton | |||
| Mr. I N. Mokhtar | |||
| Mr. N. M. Moore | |||
| Mr. J. Parsloe | |||
| Mr. P. Purewal | |||
| Mr. J. C. Ritchie | |||
| Mr. I. L. Rushton | |||
| Mrs. L. M. Salisbury | |||
| Mr. M. E. Tuke | |||
| Mr. W. D. Walker OBE | |||
| Ms V. Ward | |||
| Mr. P. D. Williams | |||
| Mr. B. R. Wordsworth | |||
| Board of Banking Supervision | Sir Alan Hardcastle(17), (18) | Independent Member | Remunerated |
| VAT and Duties Tribunal | Mr. John Davidson | Part time lay Members | All unremunerated (but fee paid per sitting) |
| Mr. Alex McLoughlin | |||
| Mrs. Joanna Neill | |||
| National Savings | Mr. Roy Heape | Non-executive directors | Remunerated |
| Ms Judy Lowe | |||
| Mr. James Turner |
(9) Re-appointment.
(10) Joint appointment by the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Governor of the Bank of England.
17 Dec 1997 : Column: 191
Economic and Monetary Union
Mr. Ian Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer by what date the Inland Revenue systems will be capable of handling the Euro; and when the Treasury will instruct the Inland Revenue to prepare for sterling joining economic and monetary union. [20317]
Dawn Primarolo: The Inland Revenue already accept payments in foreign currency and this facility will be extended to the euro. The Inland Revenue, along with other departments, has already started to consider what should be done to prepare for the option of the UK joining the single currency in the next Parliament.
Mr. Ian Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment the Inland Revenue has made of the impact on its activities of sterling joining economic and monetary union. [20319]
Dawn Primarolo: The Inland Revenue is reviewing the implications which would arise if the UK were to adopt the single currency.
Declarations of Origin (Israel)
Dr. Starkey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if Customs and Excise's inquiries into the true origin of products imported from Israel includes (a) dairy products, (b) other agricultural products and (c) manufactured products; and what other products are included; [20348]
- (2) when EC officials will meet Israeli representatives to seek a solution to the problem of false origin declarations. [20350]
Dawn Primarolo: Customs and Excise are currently awaiting replies from Israel in relation to inquiries concerning textile waste and telecommunications equipment. Israel has undertaken to verify the originating status of orange juice exported to the Community since June 1995 and to complete these inquiries by 10 March 1998. Further inquiries relating to a range of manufactured goods have been suspended following undertakings given by Israel at a meeting with EC officials on 28 November to resolve the doubts concerning the validity of preferential certificates.
Dr. Starkey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when Customs and Excise experts from the Member States of the European Communities will meet to co-ordinate further measures on verifying Israeli; origin declarations. [20349]
Dawn Primarolo: Meetings took place on 28 November and 10 December 1997. A further meeting to agree a common policy is scheduled for 12 January 1998.
Dr. Starkey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when Customs and Excise will report the results of their inquiries into the true origin of products imported from Israel. [20347]
Dawn Primarolo: It is normal procedure for Customs to inform importers when inquiries are sent to Israel. As soon as a response is received the importer is advised.
Green Minister
Mr. Dafis:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the current priorities of the Green Minister within his Department. [20512]
17 Dec 1997 : Column: 192
Dawn Primarolo:
As the Treasury's Green Minister I am committed to 'greening' the Department's operations, to integrating environmental considerations into other policy areas, and to improving the economic analysis underpinning the Government's environmental initiatives.
The statement of intent on Environmental Taxation, issued with the July Budget, committed the Government to the delivery of sustainable growth. In line with that statement, we are exploring the scope for using the tax system, where appropriate, to deliver environmental objectives. Key current priorities were indicated in the Pre-Budget Report.
Mr. Vaz:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many students have committed suicide in the current academic year. [20890]
Mrs. Liddell:
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Chief Executive of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Tim Holt to Mr. Keith Vaz, dated 17 December 1997:
Mr. Mitchell:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what competence the Governing Council or Executive Board of the European central bank will have for requiring its component national central banks to apply common criteria or rules for licensing and supervision of their respective national banks and credit institutions; [21225]
Mrs. Liddell:
None. Article 105(6) of the Treaty would allow the ECB to carry out specific tasks concerning policies relating to the prudential supervision of credit institutions but only after legislation by the Council, acting unanimously, had conferred these functions on the ECB. No such legislation has been proposed by the Commission. Under Article 105(5) the European System of Central Banks, including ECB itself, will have an obligation to contribute to the smooth conduct of policies pursued by Member States' competent authorities, relating to the prudential supervision of credit institutions.
17 Dec 1997 : Column: 193
Mr. Gill:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of British export business was conducted in (a) US dollars, (b) German marks, (c) French francs, (d) other EU currencies and (e) other world currencies in each of the last five years. [21200]
Mrs. Liddell
[holding answer 16 December 1997]: I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave the hon. Member for Woodspring (Dr. Fox) on 4 November 1997, Official Report, columns 101-02, on 13 November 1997, Official Report, columns 625-26, and on 24 November 1997, Official Report, columns 358-59.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer has asked me to reply, as the Director of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), to your recent questions on suicides by students.
In the period 1 September 1996 to 31 July 1997, there were a total of 114 suicides recorded to persons aged 16 and over in England and Wales who were described as 'students' at the time their deaths were registered. These are the latest figures available which approximate to a completed academic year and include deaths where the underlying cause of death was coded as suicide or undetermined injury.
(2) pursuant to his answer of 2 December 1997, Official Report, column 168, if he will make a statement on the treaty responsibilities of the European Central Bank in respect of the licensing and supervision of national banks and credit institutions in the event of UK entry into EMU and its consequent duties in respect of actions of national banks. [21004]
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