Page 5201 - Week 17 - Thursday, 13 December 1990
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
In relation to the independent testing of the branch laboratory results, a set of slides and/or laboratory staff are sent about once a month to Pickford Consulting in Sydney for checking. Pickford Consulting is one of the leading laboratories in the country for this kind of analysis, and the slides the branch sends to them represent the more complex samples which the branch has tested. This independent laboratory has also provided training and refresher courses for the branch laboratory staff.
As far as the general competence of the laboratory staff goes, Mrs Grassby may be interested to know that the branch laboratory analysts are tested themselves every six months by the National Association of Testing Authorities. She can rest assured that all required standards are being met.
Liquor Licence Fees
MR DUBY: Mr Speaker, on 20 November Ms Follett asked the Treasurer: What is the estimated one-off gain to revenue in the first year of quarterly liquor licence payments and, secondly, what is the estimated interest benefit to the Territory in subsequent years? As this matter falls within my portfolio, the Treasurer referred it to me for response, and the answer is as follows:
The Government acted last September to change collection arrangements for liquor licence fees to overcome substantial bad debt problems. The Government has now modified these arrangements to ease the move to the new scheme.
Licensees will now be given three years to make payments in respect of their 1990-91 fees. In addition, the quarterly licence fee in respect of "off licence" establishments will be reduced from 10 per cent to 8 per cent of purchases.
With these arrangements in place, the estimate of revenue from liquor licence fees in the first year of the quarterly scheme, that is 1991-92, has increased from $10m under the current arrangements to $10.4m, an increase of approximately $400,000 - for the benefit of Ms Follett.
In 1992-93 a further net increase of $1.6m is expected as a result of the new arrangements, with payments towards the 1990-91 fees being partially offset by reduced ongoing quarterly payments. A further net $1.5m is expected in 1993-94.
As to the second part of the question - "What is the estimated interest benefit to the Territory in subsequent years?" - the answer is as follows:
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .