Register of Engineers

HC Deb 23 November 1982 vol 32 cc419-20W

Mr. Trotter

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what progress has been made to achieve the transfer of the register of engineers from the Council of Engineering Institutions to the Engineering Council.

Mr. Butcher

Before the register of engineers can be transferred to the Engineering Council it will be necessary to amend the charter of the council of Engineering Institutions. I am pleased to say that on 11 November the board of the Council of Engineering Institutions voted by the necessary two-thirds majority in favour of amending the charter to enable the transfer to take place. This will now require the confirmation by a two-thirds majority of those voting in a postal ballot of chartered engineers on the register. I understand that the necessary document will be issued in mid-December, and that replies will be required by 7 February.

The assumptions on which the tabulated figures are based are set out in the notes to the tables given in answer to the hon. Member's questions on economic policy answered today.

It should be noted that the reductions in the basic rate of income tax shown for each family would leave that family better off than it was in 1978–79, especially if, as in the upper half of the table, the cut in basic rate were such as to leave tax payments constant in real terms at their 1978–79 levels over a period when real gross incomes had risen by some 8¼ per cent. Cutting the basic rate so as to leave the proportion of income taken in tax constant, as in the lower half of the table, would also leave families better off, but less markedly so.

Hypothetical calculations of this type do not of course carry policy implications. Reducing the basic rate of income tax would be a relatively inefficient way of helping those on low earnings since they have relatively little taxable income.

In addition to the background information contained in the document the Board of the Council of Engineering Institutions is arranging for branch meetings throughout the country during December and January. I hope that the necessary majority will be forthcoming so that the Engineering Council will be able to make progress on the lines of their recent policy document.