---

TREASURY

Bowel Cancer

Sir Julian Critchley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many new cases of bowel cancer were diagnosed on average in each of the last 10 years; and how many people died of carcinoma of the bowel in 1995. [10833]

Mrs. Angela Knight: The number of deaths that occurred in England and Wales in 1995, together with aged standardised rates per 100,000 population, and the data on new cases of bowel cancer are given in the following tables:

The numbers of deaths that occurred in England and Wales in 1995 (together with age standardised rate per 100,000)

	Males		Females
	Numbers	Rate(8)	Numbers	Rate(8)
Malignant neoplasm of small intestine, including duodenum (ICD(9) 152)	116	0.4	98	0.3
Malignant neoplasm of colon (ICD(9) 153)	5,178	18.1	5,636	13
Malignant neoplasm of rectum, rectosigmoid junction and anus (ICD(9) 154)	2,813	9.9	2,122	4.9
Bowel cancer (ICD(9) 152-154)	8,107	28.5	8,107	28.5

(8) The male and female rates have been directly standardised against the (same) European Standard Population so that the mortality for males can be compared with that for females.

(9) International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision.

21 Jan 1997 : Column: 538

Incidence of bowel cancer (ICD9 152, 153 and 154), numbers and rates per 100,000(10), England and Wales, 1982-91: males and females ((10)directly age standardised using European standard population)

	Male		Female
Year	Numbers	Rate	Numbers	Rate
Malignant neoplasm of small intestine including duodenum (ICD9 152)
1982	154	0.6	145	0.4
1983	182	0.7	157	0.5
1984	178	0.7	167	0.5
1985	205	0.8	171	0.5
1986	168	0.7	175	0.5
1987	189	0.8	175	0.5
1988	181	0.7	196	0.5
1989	177	0.7	193	0.6
1990	178	0.7	191	0.5
1991	216	0.8	185	0.5
Malignant neoplasm of colon (ICD9 153)
1982	6,837	27.3	8,633	23.7
1983	6,955	27.8	8,709	23.6
1984	7,020	27.5	8,651	23.0
1985	7,399	28.7	9,066	24.1
1986	7,163	27.6	9,016	23.9
1987	7,679	29.3	9,323	23.8
1988	7,714	29.1	9,413	24.1
1989	7,802	29.1	9,102	23.0
1990	8,024	29.8	9,316	23.5
1991	8,069	29.5	9,403	23.7

	Male		Female
Year	Numbers	Rate	Numbers	Rate
Malignant neoplasm of rectum, rectosigmoid junction and anus (ICD9 154)
1982	5,364	21.4	4,541	12.7
1983	5,543	21.9	4,641	12.9
1984	5,564	21.9	4,549	12.4
1985	6,028	23.3	4,693	12.7
1986	5,659	21.7	4,554	12.3
1987	5,644	21.6	4,553	12.1
1988	5,849	22.2	4,587	12.3
1989	5,690	21.4	4,565	12.0
1990	5,898	22.1	4,474	11.9
1991	5,826	21.6	4,441	11.8
Bowel cancer (ICD9 152-4)
1982	12,354	49.4	13,319	36.8
1983	12,681	50.4	13,506	37.0
1984	12,763	50.1	13,367	35.9
1985	13,632	52.8	13,931	37.3
1986	12,990	49.9	13,746	36.7
1987	13,512	51.7	14,051	36.5
1988	13,745	52.1	14,196	36.9
1989	13,669	51.2	13,860	35.6
1990	14,100	52.6	13,981	35.9
1991	14,111	52.0	14,029	35.9

(10) The male and female rates have been directly standardised against the (same) European Standard Population so that the mortality for males can be compared with that for females.

Landfill Tax

Sir David Steel: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to permit a temporary exemption to landfill tax for those local authorities which are forced to dispose of unsold paper for recycling, which was collected to meet the Government's target for recycling waste by 2000. [11165]

Mr. Oppenheim: I have no plans to do so.

21 Jan 1997 : Column: 539

Bathability Services

Sir Cranley Onslow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations have been received by HM Customs and Excise about the application of VAT to bathability services; and if he will make a statement. [11585]

Mr. Oppenheim: Supplies of bathing services in the home when provided by a public body as a welfare provision otherwise than for profit are not liable to VAT. One representation has been received by HM Customs and Excise.

Inland Revenue Office, Salisbury

Mr. Key: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement about the future of the inland revenue local office in Salisbury. [11008]

Mr. Jack [holding answer 20 January 1997]: The board of Inland Revenue is currently considering reorganisation proposals from its network controllers which include the creation of a new-style office in Salisbury.

Insurance Premium Tax (Holiday Insurance)

Sir Peter Fry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the revenue forecast from the imposition of a rate of insurance premium tax of 17.5 per cent. on holiday insurance sold by travel agents; and what account it takes of switching of the purchase of holiday insurance from travel agents to insurance brokers in order to incur the lower rate of insurance premium tax. [11451]

Mr. Oppenheim [holding answer 20 January 1997]: Around £70 million of the estimated £235 million revenue yield in 1998-99--published in the 1997-98 "Financial Statement and Budget Report"--is from charging the higher rate of insurance premium tax on travel insurance; the remaining £165 million is from charging the higher rate of insurance premium tax on mechanical breakdown insurance of various types and insurance sold with TV and car hire. The travel insurance costing incorporates assumptions about changes in behaviour in response to the increased rate of IPT and this includes the option to buy travel insurance direct from insurers or through insurance brokers.

Sir Peter Fry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what submissions or correspondence he has received from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in respect of holiday makers going abroad uninsured as a result of the proposed 17.5 per cent. rate of insurance premium tax on holiday insurance sold by travel agents; and if he will place copies of such submissions or correspondence in the Library. [11452]

Mr. Oppenheim [holding answer 20 January 1997]: No such submissions or correspondence have been received.

Sir Peter Fry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the VAT currently lost to the Exchequer as a result of travel agents selling higher margin insurance with a high holiday discount instead of a low holiday discount and a lower insurance margin. [11453]

21 Jan 1997 : Column: 540

Mr. Oppenheim [holding answer 20 January 1997]: VAT lost to the Exchequer is not dependent on the practice of holiday price discounting by travel agents. The usual pricing structure of the industry is that low margins are applied to holidays and high margins are applied to the associated sales of VAT exempt insurance.

Sir Peter Fry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment has been made by his Department of the commercial impact on travel agents of the proposed imposition of a higher rate of insurance premium tax on holiday insurance sold by travel agents than on similar insurance sold by insurance brokers and agents. [11679]

Mr. Oppenheim [holding answer 20 January 1997]: Current pricing differentials and marketing practices in this sector, coupled with the fact that insurance provided free by travel agents will not be subject to the higher rate of insurance premium tax, suggest that the proposed tax differential in favour of other insurance agents and brokers is unlikely to have a significant effect on purchasing behaviour.

Work Force (Barrow)

Mr. Hutton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the size of the work force in the Barrow travel-to-work area in (a) 1990 and (b) 1996. [11022]

Mrs. Angela Knight [holding answer 16 January 1997]: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the chief executive of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Tim Holt to Mr. John Hutton, dated 21 January 1997:

The Chancellor of the Exchequer has asked me to reply as the Director of the Office for National Statistics to your recent question on the size of the workforce in the Barrow-in-Furness travel-to-work area in 1990 and 1996.

The workforce is made up of the workforce in employment (employees, self-employed, armed forces and government-supported training participants) plus the claimant unemployed. However, information at travel-to-work area is available only for employees in employment and for claimant unemployment. The available information, closest to the dates requested, is provided in the following table:

Barrow in Furness travel-to-work area (at September)

	Employees	Claimant unemployed
1989	42,700	2,452
1991	36,100	3,749
1993	32,500	4,921

Source:

ONS.

1995 information for travel-to-work areas is expected shortly, and I will write to you when it is available.

---