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CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT
Air Passenger Duty
Mr. Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer regarding Air Passenger Duty. [89548]
Janet Anderson: We have had no discussions with the Chancellor specifically on Air Passenger Duty. However, I am aware of the industry's concerns and have passed these on to the Treasury.
Archaeology
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when he last met and when he next intends to meet (a) the British Archaeological Trust and (b) the Council for British Archaeology. [89406]
Mr. Chris Smith [holding answer 2 July 1999]: My hon. Friend the Minister for Arts met the Council for British Archaeology on 17 November 1998. I have not yet met the British Archaeological Trust. Any future meetings with either body will be arranged as appropriate.
Special Advisers
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list the subject and date of each written briefing prepared by his Special Advisers for all Labour Members since May 1997 and the total number and total cost to date of these. [89990]
Mr. Chris Smith
[holding answer 6 July 1999]: Special Advisers are appointed under terms and conditions set out in the Model Contract for Special Advisers. Schedule 1, Part 1 of the Model Contract sets out the role and duties of Special Advisers. As well as research for Ministers and reviewing papers, contributing to policy planning within the Department and preparing policy papers, speechwriting and liaison with outside interest groups, their role explicitly includes liaising with the Party and helping to brief Party MPs. Records are not held of when such briefings are given. Similar arrangements have applied under successive Governments.
7 Jul 1999 : Column: 548
Mr. Peter Ainsworth:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many films supported by the National Lottery have been released through British-owned distributors; and what proportion this represents of the total number of Lottery-funded films. [89408]
Mr. Chris Smith
[holding answer 2 July 1999]: To date, 53 Lottery-funded feature films have already been released, await release or are in production/post- production with assured distribution. Of these, 31 films have been or will be distributed by British-owned distributors. This represents 58.5 per cent. of that total.
Pensions
Mr. Webb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of people who are currently taking advantage of the option to drawdown capital from their pension fund rather than purchasing an annuity. [89462]
Dawn Primarolo: This information is not collected, but indications from pensions industry sources are that around 30,000 people may have income drawdown arrangements.
Child Poverty
Mr. Chope: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Edgbaston (Ms Stuart) of 24 June 1999, Official Report, column 457, what definition he used for a child in poverty; and, using that definition, what estimate he has made of the number of children in poverty (a) at present and (b) by the end of 2002. [90087]
Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 6 July 1999]: For the definition of child poverty, I refer the hon. Member to the written answer which the Economic Secretary gave to the hon. Member for Northavon (Mr. Webb) on 14 April 1999, Official Report, columns 244-45. The latest data on the number of children living in low income households can be found in "Households Below Average Income, 1979-1996/7", which is published by the Department for Social Security.
Higher-rate Taxpayers
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the percentage of taxpayers who are higher-rate taxpayers (a) in each county in England and (b) in equivalent areas in (i) Scotland, (ii) Wales and (iii) Northern Ireland. [89812]
Dawn Primarolo:
The table shows approximate estimates of the percentage of taxpayers who are subject to higher rate tax for 1996-97, the latest year for which these estimates are available. These estimates are based on a sample survey and the sample size is not large enough to allow separate estimates to be made for some unitary authorities in Scotland and Wales or for Northern Ireland areas other than Belfast.
7 Jul 1999 : Column: 549
Note:
'Rest of country' covers areas where sample sizes were too small to allow reasonable estimates to be made for individual areas.
7 Jul 1999 : Column: 550
Personal Incomes
Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the average personal income levels for each parliamentary constituency. [89713]
Dawn Primarolo: I regret that the information requested is not available.
Sanitary Products (VAT)
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received on reducing the rate of VAT on sanitary products. [89965]
Dawn Primarolo: In the last two years Treasury Ministers have received almost three hundred letters and a few small-scale petitions on reducing the rate of VAT on sanitary products. There have also been two early-day motions on the subject.
Drug Trafficking
Mr. Beith:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for the latest period for which information is available, how many drug trafficking groups which deal primarily in Class A drugs were disrupted or dismantled by enforcement agencies; and if he will make a statement. [87445]
7 Jul 1999 : Column: 551
Dawn Primarolo:
The latest figures from HM Customs and Excise show that 131 and 104 drug trafficking groups were disrupted or dismantled in 1997-98 and 1996-97 respectively. These do not identify Class A drugs separately.
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