§ Mr. Martenasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give an assurance that he will oppose in the Council of Ministers or elsewhere the proposal of the Economic and Social Committee that it spends £11,865 to finance celebrations of its twentieth anniversary.
§ Mr. Joel Barnett, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 15th May 1978], gave the following answer:
This proposal has been accepted by the Council of Ministers on the basis that the necessary money would have to be found from savings elsewhere on the Economic and Social Committee's budget, with no additional appropriations being transferred from the contingency reserve chapter.
§ Mr. Rifkindasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer which categories of cases determined under the consultation procedure laid down in Article 9 of EEC Directive No. 77/799/EEC of 19th December 1977 have been agreed upon by the United Kingdom for regular exchange of information without prior request.
§ Mr. Robert Sheldon, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 15th May 1978], gave the following information:
The consultation procedure provided for in Article 9 has not yet been used by the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. Rifkindasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether it is intended to 140W authorise the presence in the United Kingdom of tax officials of other EEC States as provided for under EEC Directive No. 77/799/EEC of 19th December 1977.
§ Mr. Robert Sheldon, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 15th May 1978], gave the following information:
There is nothing to prevent tax officials of other countries from visiting the United Kingdom for the purpose of giving information to or receiving information from the Commissioners of Inland Revenue or their authorised representative where the exchange of information is itself permitted under double taxation agreements or under the directive.
§ Mr. David Howellasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when it was decided by the Government that the salaries of British Members of the European Assembly would be taxed at United Kingdom rates, following their election in 1979; and when the decision was announced.
§ Mr. Robert Sheldon, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 15th May 1978], gave the following information:
No decision has been needed, since there is no provision in Community law to exempt these salaries and the normal United Kingdom rules therefore apply.