§ Mr. Campbell-SavoursTo ask the President of the Board of Trade on what date the Radio Communications Agency was last subject to an audit by the National Audit Office. [24687]
§ Mrs. Roche[holding answer 26 January 1998]: The National Audit office undertook an audit at the Radio Communications Agency during 1997. The assignment, which involved auditing the Agency's annual accounts for 1996–97, was completed prior to the issue of the Certificate and Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General to the House of Commons on 7 November 1997 (prepared in accordance with the Agency's Accounts Direction of 21 July 1993). The Agency Annual Report and Accounts for 1996–97 containing these audited accounts is available in the Libraries of the House.
§ Mr. Campbell-SavoursTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what(a) rental, (b) leased and (c) freehold property assets are held by the Radio Communications Agency. [24689]
§ Mrs. Roche[holding answer 26 January 1998]: The following figures are the latest available for a full financial year. This information covers only properties for which the Agency was then required to disclose asset details in its audited balance sheet. At that time, the Agency did not include in its balance sheet capital values for freehold, long leasehold or rented properties or related land which it occupied, except where it had incurred capital costs itself in acquiring or improving those properties. At 31 March 1997, the carrying value of such costs was £2,420,000, relating almost exclusively to fitting out its leased temporary headquarters at London Blackfriars.
The position will change with effect from 31 March 1998 when PRS rents are abolished. Property values will subsequently be included in the balance sheet where the Agency is the sole or major occupier. The fixed asset carrying values of such properties that would have applied at 31 March 1997, if PRS rents had already been abolished, was £819,000.
200WThe details have been taken from the Agency's Annual Report and Accounts 1996–97 which is available in the Libraries of the House.
§ Mr. Campbell-SavoursTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what proportion of the budget of the Radio Communications Agency is spent on overseas visits. [24688]
§ Mrs. Roche[holding answer 26 January 1998]: The following figures are the latest available for a full financial year.
£000 1996–97 Overseas travel spend 715 Total Agency spend 40,587 Overseas travel spend % 1.76%
§ Mr. Campbell-SavoursTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the total annual revenue raised by the Radio Communications Agency; and from what sources. [24691]
§ Mrs. Roche[holding answer 26 January 1998]: The following are the latest available figures for a full financial year:
Sources Income £000 Licensing: Statutory (see breakdown below) 36,127 Interdepartmental 3,838 Other: Examination work 383 Typing testing and certification work 477 Miscellaneous income1 1,783 Total Income 42,608 Licensing: Statutory breakdown Aeronautical 937 Amateur and Citizen's Band 1,579 Broadcast 4,179 Fixed Services 5,886 Maritime 1,987 Private Business Radio 10,922 Programme making and special events 1,070 Public mobile communications 7,248 Space services 2,224 Technology Development 98 Total 36,127 1 Miscellaneous income consists principally of income from investigation of domestic interference complaints. These figures are taken from the Agency's Annual Accounts and Reports for 1996–97, a copy of which is available in the House's library.