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Income Tax
19. Mr. Sumberg: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received in respect of his policy on the rates of income tax. [18540]
22. Mr. Garnier: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received on his policy in respect of income tax. [18543]
Mr. Jack: I receive a steady flow of representations regarding all aspects of the tax system.
24. Mr. Pawsey:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his policy on the basic rate of income tax. [18545]
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Mr. Jack:
It is our policy to reduce the basic rate of income tax to 20 per cent. when it is economically prudent to do so. The last Budget took another major step towards this goal by reducing the basic rate to 24 per cent.-- 10 per cent. lower than it was in 1978-79.
26. Mr. Riddick:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the changes in the standard rate of income tax since 1967. [18547]
Mr. Jack:
This information is published in table 1.5 of the "Tax Benefit Reference Manual 1996-97", a copy of which is available in the Library.
20. Mr. Sutcliffe:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to increase productivity in the United Kingdom. [18541]
Mrs. Angela Knight:
There has been a significant improvement in the UK's productivity performance over the last 15 years, compared both with other countries and with the UK's performance in the 1970s. The UK's productivity performance is benefiting from a more stable economic environment, with continued health growth and low inflation, and from the Government's supply side reforms which have contributed to increased labour market flexibility, strengthened competition and market forces, and improved industrial relations. The improvement should continue over the rest of the 1990s as the impact of supply side reform continues to be felt.
21. Mr. Clifton-Brown:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the economic impact of windfall gains arising from (a) the demutualising of building societies and (b) takeovers of life assurance companies. [18542]
Mrs. Angela Knight:
Experience and recent surveys suggest that most of the payouts will be saved rather than spent. Therefore, I expect them to have a relatively small impact on consumers' expenditure this year.
Mr. Dover:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received on the legality of a windfall tax on privatised companies; and if he will make a statement. [19424]
Mr. Jack:
No such representations have been received.
23. Sir David Knox:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many representations he has received (a) for and (b) against fluctuating exchange rates during the past three months. [18544]
Mrs. Angela Knight:
I have received many representations during the past three months both for and against the recent appreciation of sterling.
25. Mr. John Marshall:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he last met his EU counterparts to discuss economic growth. [18546]
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Mrs. Angela Knight:
My right hon. and learned Friend last met his European Union counterparts at the Council of Economic and Finance Ministers on 17 February 1997, where among other issues they discussed the general economic situation in the European Union. My right hon. and learned Friend outlined the continuing success of the UK economy with five years of growth combined with low inflation and falling unemployment.
Mr. Matthew Banks:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the estimated outturn general government expenditure on (a) education and (b) unemployment benefits for 1995-96. [17438]
Mrs. Angela Knight:
The estimated outturn for general government expenditure in 1995-96 on (a) education is £35.9 billion and (b) unemployment benefit is £1.1 billion.
These are the most recently published figures for these parts of general government expenditure and have been taken from "Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses 1996-97", published in March 1996. Revised figures will be available in PESA 1997-98, which is due to be published shortly.
Mr. Redwood:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much the EC spent on public relations and publicity in 1995-96. [18102]
Mr. Oppenheim:
Payments from the European Community Budget in 1995 on information and communications amounted to 47,701,477 ecu or £35,373,732 1 . Figures on a UK financial year basis are not available.
Mr. Salmond:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will provide a definition of the term "retail premises" as used in VAT legislation and the Finance Bill; and if he will make a statement. [18652]
Mr. Oppenheim
[holding answer 4 March 1997]: The question concerns a proposed amendment to clause 37 of the Finance Bill which will not now be tabled. I refer the hon. Member instead to the amendment laid on 4 March, and to my press statement that day.
Mr. Sheerman:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when his Department established its Internet site; what representations he has received and what data he has collated on the use and utility of the site; and what steps he is taking to increase the amount of information available via the site. [19143]
Mrs. Angela Knight:
The Treasury established its Internet site on 14 November 1994, and was one of the first Government Departments to do so. The site offers a wide range of material which continues to grow. It includes Budget documentation, Treasury press releases, ministerial speeches and the minutes of the Chancellor's
13 Mar 1997 : Column: 321
monthly monetary meeting. Use of the site has climbed dramatically since its launch, with about 33,000 accesses in the 1994 Budget week, about 250,000 in the 1995 Budget week and about 400,000 in the 1996 Budget week. Accesses for a typical week currently run at about 15,000. The site was nominated by the public and chosen by a panel of industry experts as a finalist in the 1996 UK web awards--Yell--for best non-commercial site. We are committed to expanding and improving the site further.
Mr. Spearing:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 4 March, Official Report, column 552, concerning the scoring of future investment in London Underground Ltd. in respect of the obligations imposed by the treaty on European union, if he will set out the differences between the criteria determining whether public investment contributes to (a) the general government deficit and (b) the public sector borrowing requirement. [19204]
Mr. Kenneth Clarke:
The capital expenditure of bodies in general government--central and local government--scores in the calculation of the general government financial deficit. The capital expenditure of public corporations does not affect the GGFD, as public corporations are not part of general government. However, if public corporations' capital expenditure is financed by general government capital grants or subsidies, this expenditure will score as general government expenditure and thus increase the GGFD. All borrowing by general government and public corporations scores in the PSBR.
Mr. Bayley:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what advice has been given to his Department by the Government Actuary about (a) the likely uptake and (b) the cost to the Exchequer of introducing private partnership insurance for long-term care; and if he will place in the Library the figures and papers received from the Government Actuary. [19309]
Mr. Waldegrave
[holding answer 10 March 1997]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Secretary of State for Health on 10 March 1997, Official Report, column 113. The Treasury received no figures or papers from the Government Actuary.
Ms Harman:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) men and (b) women aged (A) 50 to 54, (B) 55 to 59, (C) 60 to 64 and (D) 65 to 69 years were (i) in full-time work, (ii) in part-time work, (iii) unemployed, (iv) long-term sick and disabled and (v) retired in each of the last 10 years. [19244]
Mrs. Angela Knight
[holding answer 10 March 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.
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Letter from Tim Holt to Ms Harriet Harman, dated 13 March 1997:
Mr. Milburn:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) men, (b) women and (c) men and women are employed in (i) Great Britain, (ii) each standard region of England, (iii) Wales (iv) Scotland for each major group of the standard occupational classification. [19585]
Mrs. Knight
[holding answer 10 March 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.
1 Converted at the rate £1 = 1.3485 ecu, the rate holding at 31 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 how many men and women, by varying age groups, are in full-time work, part-time work, unemployed, long-term sick and disabled and retired in each of the last 10 years.
This information is available from the Labour Force Survey database which can be accessed by the House of Commons Library.
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