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EU Directive (Taxation of Interest)
Mr. Denzil Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the total amount of tax which would have been collected in the fiscal year 1998-99 by paying agents situated in the United Kingdom if the draft EU directive on the taxation of interest payments at the rate of 20 per cent. had been operational and if the UK had opted for the withholding regime. [85833]
Dawn Primarolo: It is not possible to estimate the revenue consequences of the situation described with any degree of certainty.
Working Families Tax Credit
Ms Harman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 10 May 1999, Official Report, column 58, on Working Families Tax Credit, what will be the effect on their eligibility for Working Families Tax Credit of an employee taking unpaid parental leave under the Employment Relations Bill at a time which coincides with the assessment for their next award period. [85832]
Dawn Primarolo: In order to be eligible for Working Families Tax Credit, an employee will need to meet various criteria, which are the same as those for Family Credit, including working 16 hours or more a week at the time of the application or in the period immediately preceding or following the application. Where an employee is on unpaid parental leave, the application will be treated in the same way as any other period of unpaid leave.
Single Currency
Mr. Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer by what means statistics relating to the flow of capital investment for all, or particular, purposes, from the United Kingdom into each of the other member states of the European Union, are collated following the introduction of the single currency; and what assessment he has made of the effect of the United Kingdom joining the single currency on the collation of such statistics. [86228]
Ms Hewitt:
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Director of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to reply.
10 Jun 1999 : Column: 381
Letter from Tim Holt to Mr. Austin Mitchell, dated 10 June 1999:
Ms Lawrence:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement about the recent sale of the Government's holding of debt in British Energy. [86828]
Mr. Milburn:
The sale of HM Treasury's three bonds in British Energy (£109,861,000 5.949 per cent. bond due 2003, £163,444,000 6.077 per cent. bond due 2006, £134,586,000 6.202 per cent. Bond due 2016) was completed on 4 June 1999. Payment will be made to HM Treasury on 11 June. Proceeds from the sale, net of commissions, will total £392 million.
As Director of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your recent parliamentary question on statistics relating to the flow of capital investment.
Data sources for information on UK outward capital investment flows are outlined in National Accounts Concepts, Sources and Methods published in 1998 (in Chapters 24 and 25). The data are collected from regular enquiries by the ONS and the Bank of England. Inquiries of this type will continue should the UK join Monetary Union.
Geographical breakdowns, which include an analysis of flows between the UK and individual member states, are published for direct investment flows but such detailed information is not available for portfolio investment, other investment and reserve assets. Some data are also collected with an EU/Non EU split.
Dental Charges
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will abolish all dental charges for pensioners; and if he will make a statement. [85706]
Mr. Denham: Entitlement to help with National Health Service dental charges is based on the principle that those who can afford to contribute should do so, while those most likely to have difficulty paying should be protected. Pensioners on low incomes are entitled to claim free NHS dental treatment or help with the cost of charges under the NHS Low Income Scheme.
NHS Bodies (Running Costs)
Miss Widdecombe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the estimated annual running costs are for the last financial year of (a) the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation, (b) Local Education Consortia and (c) the Capital Priorities Advisory Group; and if he will make a statement. [86071]
Mr. Denham: For 1998-99, the estimated running costs for the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation and the Capital Prioritisation Advisory Group are £22,000 and £5,000 respectively. These were funded from the Department's running costs (within Vote 2).
The Local Education Consortia costs are estimated at £5.8 million for 1998-99. These were funded from expenditure on hospital and community health services (within Vote 1).
10 Jun 1999 : Column: 382
Miss Widdecombe:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to review the grading of midwives. [85721]
Mr. Denham:
I refer the right hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to the hon. Member for Uxbridge (Mr. Randall) on 8 June 1999, Official Report, column 458.
Electronic Services
Mr. Coaker: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office when he intends to publish information on the target set by the Prime Minister to deliver 25 per cent. of Government services electronically. [86827]
Dr. Jack Cunningham: A report on progress by Departments and their key agencies is being published today. Copies of the report have been placed in the Libraries of the House and it will be published on the site www.citu.gov.uk. The report contains information supplied by Departments on a sample of key dealings between the citizen and business and government.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Benefit Payments (Barcodes)
Mr. Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) if the barcode system to be installed in post offices will be able to record stolen order books; [85861]
- (2) what benefits are planned to be paid through the barcode system to be used in post offices; [85877]
(3) what visible information on order books will be concealed by the barcode technology to be installed in post offices; [85858]
(4) if the barcode technology to be introduced on order books will require Post Office staff to ask a security question. [85860]
Angela Eagle: The barcode system to be installed in post offices will be able to record stolen order books. System-produced order books for the following benefits include a barcode and will therefore be controlled through the use of the Order Book Control System (OBCS) installed in post offices:
- Attendance Allowance
- Child Benefit
- Disability Living Allowance
- Disability Working Allowance
- Earnings Top Up
- Family Credit
- Guardians Allowance
- Incapacity Benefit
- Income Support
- Retirement Pension
- War Pensions
- Widows Benefit.
10 Jun 1999 : Column: 383
No visible information on order books in concealed by barcode technology. Order books continue to include a customer's name, address and National Insurance number. The purpose of the barcode is to hold information which uniquely identifies each order book.
There are no plans for Post Office staff to be required to ask a security question, and the information contained within the barcode would not support any such proposal.
Mr. O'Hara:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the total cost to the Government of paying a SERPS widow's/widower's pension to any person bereaved after 6 April 2000 broken down into the following groups (a) based on 100 per cent. of the amount accrued for any contributions made between 6 April 1978 and the Royal Assent of the Social Security Act 1986, (b) based on 75 per cent. of the amount accrued for any contributions made between the Royal Assent of the Social Security Act 1986 and (i) 5 April 1996 and (ii) 5 April 1999 and (c) based on 50 per cent. of the amount accrued for any contributions made (1) since 6 April 1996 and (2) since 6 April 1999. [86048]
| £ million | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | (a), (b)(i), (c)(1) | (a), (b)(ii), (c)(2) |
| 2000 | 50 | 50 |
| 2010 | 950 | 950 |
| 2020 | 1,650 | 1,700 |
| 2030 | 1,850 | 1,900 |
| 2040 | 1,550 | 1,650 |
| 2050 | 950 | 1,000 |
Notes:
1. The figures are supplied by the Government Actuary's Department.
2. The figures are in 1999-2000 price terms and are rounded to the nearest £50 million. They represent gross costs excluding income-related benefit offsets.
3. The figures include SERPS paid to widows below State Pension age, but do not take account of the proposed bereavement benefit changes currently before Parliament.
4. Real earnings growth of 1.5 per cent. has been assumed.
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