Office for National Statistics (Hansard, 20 November 2002)

§ Ruth Kelly

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.

Letter from L. Cook to Mr. Matthew Taylor, dated 20 November 2002: As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question on the recommendations that ONS has made on each project that the Public Sector Classification Committee (PSCC) has considered since 1 January. (80117) In some cases decisions are taken on projects that are confidential or market sensitive and these can not be revealed. There are other cases that the PSCC considers relating to issues raised internally. Where these do not lead to any advice being offered to other government departments I have not included them. Decisions on New Tax Credits and Network Rail and its borrowing are fully described on the National Statistics website (www.statistics.gov.uk). There were three decisions of this type. The other projects on which ONS's PSCC has offered advice are listed below with a description of the advice offered. Support for insurance of terrorist risks to aviation industry Troika is classified as a public financial corporation until 1 November 2001, when it is reclassified as a private insurance corporation. Government guarantee is a contingent liability. Government receipts should be counted as dividends, payments as capital transfers. The Government's decision to temporarily waive fees gives rise to an imputed subsidy, but amounts involved were de minimis. Electricity Companies Renewables Obligation ONS intend to classify the amounts redistributed to generators as imputed tax receipts and subsidy payments. The general issue will be referred to Europe for discussion. Diamond Synchrotron Classification as a public corporation. Offshore Petroleum Licensing—20th round Receipts of fees and royalties follow usual classification as rents. Guarantees for loans to Railtrack plc in administration Upon specified conditions being met, the guarantees would be classified as contingent liabilities. The fee received by government is classified as a service fee and netted off government consumption. An imputed subsidy will be recorded for the benefit that arises from the guarantee.

191W

OFCOM

Classified as central government, part of its income classified as quasi-corporate. Salvaged property (HMS Sussex) Goods classified as valuables. At the time the government was informed of the discovery an economic reappearance of an asset occurs. The value of these assets may later change when more information is known about them. Government payments to the salvage company are recorded as consumption. Receipts from sales are classified as disposal of valuables and recorded at price received, after deducting commissions/fees paid to auctioneers. If payments to the salvage company are made in the valuable rather than currency, it would still be treated as consumption, but balanced by an imputed sale of the valuable.