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TREASURY
Tax and National Insurance Revenue
Helen Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimates he has made of the average tax and national insurance revenue generated each year by (a) a full-time job and (b) a part-time job. [16895]
Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 20 November 1997]: In 1995-96, the latest financial year for which final receipts are available, the total revenue for income tax was £68,049 million and the total number of income tax payers was 25.8 million, giving an average income tax contribution of £2,640 per annum. The total revenue from national insurance contributions in 1994-95, the latest year for which the number of people paying contributions is available, was £37,863 million and the total number of people who paid contributions was 24.2 million, giving an average national insurance contribution of £1,565. It is not recorded whether these contributions were for full or part-time work.
Mr. Webb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of 13 November 1997, Official Report, columns 620-21, what would be the effect on the number of people of working age who face combined marginal rates of withdrawal of tax, national insurance contributions and means-tested benefits of (a) under 50 per cent., (b) 50 to 59 per cent., (c) 60 to 69 per cent., (d) 70 to 79 per cent., (e) 80 to 89 per cent. and (f) 90 per cent. or above of introducing a 10 pence starting rate of income tax on (i) the first £1,000, (ii) the first £1,500 and (iii) the first £2,000 of taxable income if no other changes were made to the tax and benefit system. [16900]
Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 20 November 1997]: As the Chancellor has made clear, the Government are determined that the working poor should benefit from any move to a 10p income tax rate. They are therefore considering what action is necessary on tapers and other features of the benefit system to ensure that a lower starting rate of income tax benefits all the low-paid.
Mr. Jack: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if tax payers on the basic or higher rates of tax will benefit fully from the reduction in tax to be paid upon the introduction of a 10p starting rate of tax. [18412]
Dawn Primarolo
[holding answer 1 December 1997]: When the Chancellor introduces a 10p rate of tax, anyone whose starting rate of tax becomes 10p will benefit from its introduction.
2 Dec 1997 : Column: 168
Mr. Mitchell:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the regulatory authorities responsible for the licensing and operation of banks and credit institutions in the even of UK entry to EMU. [17523]
Mrs. Liddell:
The regulatory authorities responsible for authorising banks and other credit institutions would not change in the event of the UK joining the single currency.
Mr. Gibb:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of 19 November 1997, Official Report, column 235, what his policy on the use of the veto on the EU Commission's proposals on "A Package to Tackle Harmful Tax Competition" (COM (97) 564).[17584]
Dawn Primarolo
[holding answer 24 November 1997]: Direct taxation is primarily a matter for Member States at national level. Proposals for action at the Community level, including those in the Commission's Communication on harmful Tax Competition (COM (97) 564) are considered on their own merits, but must respect the principles of subsidiarity and unanimity.
Mrs. Ballard:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what conclusions the Office for National Statistics has reached on the presentation of labour market statistics. [18027]
Mrs. Liddell:
The information 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 Mrs. Jackie Ballard, dated December 1997:
Sir Richard Body:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received on the use of interest on European Community pension funds to finance Community activities. [18490]
Mrs. Liddell:
None. The pension scheme for staff of the Community Institutions is unfunded, so there is no accumulated fund earning interest. Payments are charged against the Community Budget, and contributions are treated as revenue, as they occur.
2 Dec 1997 : Column: 169
Mr. Willetts:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will provide a breakdown of the 20 per cent. of working age households who are not working into households made up of (a) students and trainees, (b) disabled people, (c) couples where one person is a pensioner, (d) single parents and (e) others. [18513]
Mrs. Liddell
[holding answer 1 December 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 Hill to Mr. David Willetts, dated 2 December 1997:
Mr. Chidgey:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the number of permanent jobs in the United Kingdom that are (a) directly and (b) indirectly related to the funeral industry. [18294]
Mrs Liddell
[holding answer 1 December 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. David Chidgey, dated 2 December 1997:
Mr. Pond:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list for April 1997 the number and proportion of manual, non-manual and all full-time employees on adult rates earning less than (a) £174.85, (b) £233.13 and (c) £249.97 per week excluding overtime for (i) men, (ii) women and (iii) both sexes for (1) each county and unitary authority in England, (2) each unitary authority in Wales, (3) each London borough, (4) each unitary
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authority in Scotland, (5) Great Britain as a whole, (6) England as a whole and (7) each Government office region. [18277]
Mrs. Liddell:
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. Chris Pond, dated 2 December 1997:
Mr. Chidgey:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list, by regions defined by the boundaries of the regional government offices, the lowest hourly rate paid by his Department to (a) full-time employees, (b) part-time employees, (c) persons employed under personal contract and (d) persons employed by firms undertaking contracted-out services for central government offices, defining the job title in each case. [18109]
Mrs. Liddell:
The Treasury has no offices outside central London. The lowest hourly rates paid to full-time, part-time and short-term appointment employees are as follows:
The Chancellor of the Exchequer has asked me to reply, as the Director of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), to your recent question on the presentation of labour market statistics.
In the summer, ONS launched a wide-ranging public consultation about the future of labour market statistics. The results of the consultation were published in October's edition of the ONS publication Labour Market Trends, a copy of which is available in the House of Commons Library.
As the Director of ONS I am responsible for deciding the form, coverage and timing of release of ONS statistics. I expect to make an announcement about ONS proposals for labour market statistics early in the New Year.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer has asked me to reply, as Director of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), to your recent question asking for a breakdown of workless households into various categories including disabled people.
Regrettably, I am unable to reply immediately because the data concerning disabled people are not yet available.
The focus and number of questions in the health and disability module of the Labour Force Survey (LFS) questionnaire changed in spring 1997 to reflect the provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. As with any significant change in a part of the survey, the results needed to be evaluated before the data could be released. This review is now complete and the data will be publicly available from 17 December.
The new module has introduced a sizeable discontinuity which makes comparisons with earlier periods unsuitable. This is why it would not be appropriate to answer the question with data from the previous quarter (Winter 1996-97).
I will write to you again after these data are publicly released.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer has asked me to reply, as the Director of the Office for National Statistics, to your recent question on direct and indirect employment in the funeral industry.
Information from the Annual Employment Survey show there were 15,200 employees in funeral and related activities in Great Britain at September 1996.
No information is available identifying the number of these jobs which are permanent, nor other jobs indirectly related to the funeral industry.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer has asked me to reply, as the Director of the Office for National Statistics, to your recent question on earnings.
The available information, from the New Earnings Survey April 1997, is given in the attached tables. These tables are voluminous and copies of them are being placed in the Library of the House rather than reproduced in Hansard.
| Lowest hourly rates in £s | |
|---|---|
| Full-time employees | 5.47 |
| Part-time employees | 5.95 |
| Short-term appointments(23) | 4.34 |
(23) Staff on fixed-term appointments and casual staff who are appointed on short-term contracts for periods of up to 12 months.
The rates above are paid to a small number of staff most of whom are engaged on clerical and administrative support work.
The hourly rates for staff employed by firms undertaking contracted out services for the department are a matter for the companies concerned.
Mr. Chidgey:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many employees in each of the regions defined by the boundaries of the regional government offices are paid an hourly rate of (a) less than £1.50, (b) between £1.50 and £2, (c) between £2 and £2.50, (d) between £2.50 and £3 and (e) between £3 and £3.50. [18105]
Mrs. Liddell:
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.
| Government Office Region | Less than £1.50 | Between £1.50 and £2 | Between £2 and £2.50 | Between £2.50 and £3 | Between £3 and £3.50 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North East Region | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 5.9 |
| North West Region | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 1.1 | 4.6 |
| Merseyside Region | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 1.7 | 4.5 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber Region | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 1.3 | 5.2 |
| East Midlands Region | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 1.5 | 4.4 |
| West Midlands Region | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 1.4 | 4.3 |
| South West Region | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 1.3 | 4.4 |
| Eastern Region | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 1.1 | 3.3 |
| London | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 1.4 |
| South East Region | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 2.8 |
| Wales | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 1.3 | 5.1 |
| Scotland | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1.1 | 4.3 |
Notes:
Wage ranges per hour are constructed thus: between £1.50 and £2 means equal to, or greater than £1.50 but less than £2 per hour and so on throughout the distribution.
All employees on adult rates, whose pay for the survey pay period was unaffected by absence.
Source:
New Earnings Survey, April 1997 (GB).
2 Dec 1997 : Column: 171
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