§ Mr. LawsTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the objective of the preliminary technical work on the five economic tests which is being carried out by the Treasury is; and if he will make a statement. [58819]
§ Ruth KellyI refer the hon. Member to the comments 1 made during the adjournment debate on the preliminary and technical work held on the Floor of the House on 5 March 2002,Official Report, column 267.
§ Mr. LawsTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many times the Cross-party Committee on Euro Preparations has met since 7 June 2001; what meetings are planned over the next six months; and if he will make a statement; [58791]
(2) if he will make a statement on the recent work of the Cross-party Euro Preparations Committee. [58792]
§ Ruth KellyThe Cross-party Group on Euro Preparations has met on five occasions since 7 June 2001. The Group continues to hold regular meetings looking at euro preparations from the perspective of different sectors of the UK economy. Recent meetings of the Cross-party Group on Euro Preparations have focused on the cash changeover in the euro area, UK business preparations for working with the euro now, and public sector euro preparations.
§ Mr. LawsTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what meetings(a) he, (b) his Ministers and (c) special advisers have had since 1 January with Conservative hon. Members on the subject of the euro; and if he will make a statement. [58816]
§ Ruth KellyMinisters and special advisers from HM Treasury have had no meetings since 1 January with Conservative hon. Members on the subject of the euro.
570W
§ Mr. LawsTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what estimate he has made of the time it will take to assess whether the five economic tests for euro entry have been met, from the time when the assessment is begun; and if he will make a statement; [58793]
(2) whether it is his policy to make a public statement when the preliminary technical work on the five economic tests for euro entry is completed and the formal assessment of the tests is begun; and if he will make a statement;[58794]
(3) whether he has started the assessment of the five economic tests for membership of the euro; and if he will make a statement. [58807]
§ Ruth KellyI refer the hon. Member to my answer to him on 2 July,Official Report, column 67W.
§ Mr. LawsTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will publish the preliminary technical work so far completed on the five economic tests for the euro; and if he will make a statement; [58798]
(2) if he will make a statement on the recent progress on the preliminary technical work relating to the five economic tests for membership of the euro. [58808]
§ Ruth KellyThe assessment has not yet started, but the preliminary analysis—technical work that is necessary to allow us to undertake the assessment within two years as we promised—is under way. The Government have said that they will complete the assessment within two years of the start of this Parliament. Once the assessment is complete, the Government will publish the conclusions and the report.
§ Mr. LawsTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many individuals within HM Treasury were working on the preliminary technical work on the five economic tests on the latest day for which information is available; and if he will make a statement; [58801]
(2) how many people in the Treasury will be involved in the formal assessment of the five economic tests for euro entry; who they are; and if he will make a statement; [58795]
(3) which (a) units and (b) individuals within HM Treasury will complete the work to establish whether the UK has met the five economic tests for euro entry; and if he will make a statement; [58802]
(4) whether HM Treasury will be involving officials from other Departments in the final evaluation of the five economic tests for euro entry; [58803]
(5) whether HM Treasury is involving officials from any other Government Departments in the preliminary technical work on the five economic tests for euro entry; and if he will make a statement. [58804]
§ Ruth KellyI refer the hon. Member to the comments I made during the adjournment debate on the preliminary and technical work held on the Floor of the House on 5 March 2002,Official Report, column 268.
§ Mr. LawsTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what opinion polling has been carried out by his Department since 7 June 2001 into public attitudes to the euro; what the cost has been of such polling; if he will publish the results; and if he will make a statement. [58796]
571W
§ Ruth KellyNo opinion polling into public attitudes to the euro has been carried out by HM Treasury either since 7 June 2001, or before then.
§ Mr. LawsTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the outside academic work which has been commissioned since June 2001 by HM Treasury as part of the preliminary work on the assessment of the five economic tests for euro entry; and if he will make a statement. [58818]
§ Ruth KellyI refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 6 February,Official Report, column 959W.
§ Mr. LawsTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had since 1 January with Ministers from the Department of Trade and Industry about the Government's plans for the euro; and if he will make a statement. [58797]
§ Ruth KellyThe Chancellor has regular discussions with Ministers in other Government Departments on a wide range of issues.
§ Mr. LawsTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had since 1 January with(a) trade unionists, (b) business leaders and (c) the CBI, about Government policy on the euro; and if he will make a statement. [58817]
§ Ruth KellyThe Chancellor frequently meets representatives from outside organisations to discuss a range of issues.
§ Mr. LawsTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had since 1 January with other EU Governments about British policy on the euro; and if he will make a statement. [58813]
§ Ruth KellyThe Chancellor has frequent discussions on a wide range of issues with his European counterparts.
§ Mr. LawsTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many individuals from the Bank of England are seconded to HM Treasury to work on the preliminary technical work on the euro; and if he will make a statement. [58799]
§ Ruth KellyI refer the hon. Member to the comments I made during the Adjournment debate on the Floor of the House on 5 March 2002,Official Report, column 268.
§ Mr. LawsTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the relative positions in the economic cycle of the United Kingdom in relation to the economy of the euro zone; and if he will make a statement. [58790]
§ Ruth KellyThe Government will not give a running commentary on the five tests. The assessment of the five economic tests has not yet started, but the necessary preliminary analysis—technical work that is necessary to allow us to undertake the assessment within two years as promised—is under way.
§ Mr. LawsTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people are employed within the euro preparations section of HM Treasury; how many were employed on(a) 31 December 2000 and (b) 31 December 2001; and if he will make a statement. [58809]
572W
§ Ruth KellyThe number of staff in the Euro Preparations Unit in the Treasury on the dates requested is as follows:
EPU staffing1 31 December 2000 12 31 December 2001 14 1 April 2002 14 1 Full-time equivalents The aims and objectives of the Euro Preparations Unit were set out in Treasury Press Notice 156/97 of 5 December 1997.
§ Mr. LawsTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made recently of the competitiveness of the pound against the euro; and if he will make a statement [58812]
§ Ruth KellyThe Government do not comment on day-to-day developments in the value of sterling, as they believe this could have destabilising effects. However, a stable and competitive exchange rate is sought over the medium-term.
§ Mr. LawsTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the implications of British membership of the euro for British fiscal policy autonomy; and if he will make a statement. [58815]
§ Ruth KellyThe Government have said that they will complete an assessment of the five economic tests within two years of the start of this Parliament. All relevant economic issues will be dealt with as part of the assessment.