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Disposable Incomes

Mr. MacShane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the equivalised net disposable incomes, using conventional assumptions of (a) a dual-earner couple with two children under 11, both earning the minimum wage, where one works full-time and the other 16 hours a week, (b) a single-earner couple with two children aged under 11 earning the national minimum wage where one works (i) full-time and (ii) 16 hours a week and (c) a single parent with two children aged under 11 earning the minimum wage and working (i) full-time and (ii) 16 hours a week. [112503]

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is contained in the table:

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Equivalised net disposable income
£ per week

Family type Two children aged 1 and 2Two children aged 3 and 5
Dual earner couple--one working full-time(19), one part-time201.14183.78
Single earner couple--one working full-time(19)180.73165.13
Single earner couple--one working part-time136.69124.89
Lone parent--working full-time(19)260.83229.53
Lone parent--working part-time197.27173.60

(19) full-time assumed to be at 35 hours per week

Notes:

1. Net disposable income is defined as earnings net of Income Tax and National Insurance and includes child benefit and entitlement to WFTC, it does not include entitlement to Housing and Council Tax Benefit.

2. Income has been equivalised using the before housing costs McClements scale.


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New Public Bodies

Mr. Redwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the new public bodies established by his Department since May 1997. [112671]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The Government are committed to keeping the number of NDPBs to a minimum, and to ensuring that those which remain are open, accountable and effective.

The annual Cabinet Office publication "Public Bodies" provides information on a range of public bodies. The 1997 edition lists those public bodies in existence prior to May 1997. The 1998 and 1999 editions list bodies in existence in subsequent years. Copies of these publications have been placed in the Library of the House. Copies are also available on the Cabinet Office website (www.cabinet-office.gov.uk/quango).

Since the 1999 edition was published, the Statistics Advisory Committee was disbanded on 4 May 1999. The Statistics Commission will come into being on 1 April 2000.

The Policyholders Protection Board and the Financial Services Tribunal will be disbanded, subject to enactment of the Financial Services and Markets Bill now before Parliament. The Bill provides for the creation of a Financial Services and Markets Tribunal under the Lord Chancellor's Department, and a Financial Services and Markets Compensation Scheme.

Self-assessment

Mr. Woolas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will introduce a rolling deadline for individuals for the submission of self-assessment tax forms. [112613]

Dawn Primarolo: There are no current plans to introduce a rolling deadline for self-assessment taxpayers.

Local Taxation

Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate for the last 20 years the total revenue yield from local domestic taxation (a) in cash terms and (b) as a share of national income distinguishing between those periods when the revenue base was (i) domestic rating, (ii) community charge and (iii) council tax. [112515]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Director of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to reply.

Letter from John Kidgell to Dr Vincent Cable, dated 6 March 2000:



    Table A shows local government receipts (£ million) from domestic taxation. Since 1989 there have been regional differences in the types of local taxation, so the table shows a split of the receipts into domestic rates, community charge and council tax. Table B repeats this presentation, but shows receipts as a percentage of gross national income.

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Table A--Local government receipts from household taxation
£ million

TotalDomestic rates NMHKCommunity charge NMHLCouncil tax NMHM
19792,8092,809----
19803,5513,551----
19814,3144,314----
19825,0835,083----
19834,9624,962----
19845,2125,212----
19855,7055,705----
19866,5216,521----
19877,2147,214----
19888,3848,384----
19899,4338,810623--
199011,2762,2599,017--
19918,545678,478--
19928,276698,207--
19938,169562,1225,991
19948,50858--8,450
19959,20958--9,151
19969,92362--9,861
199710,75161--10,690
199811,66764--11,603

Table B--Local government receipts from household taxation (as percentage of gross national income (ABMX))

TotalDomestic rates NMHKCommunity charge NMHLCouncil tax NMHM
19791.441.44----
19801.571.57----
19811.721.72----
19821.861.86----
19831.651.65----
19841.611.61----
19851.621.62----
19861.711.71----
19871.731.73----
19881.801.80----
19891.861.740.12--
19902.050.411.64--
19911.480.011.47--
19921.370.011.36--
19931.290.010.330.94
19941.250.01--1.24
19951.290.01--1.28
19961.310.01--1.30
19971.320.01--1.32
19981.360.01--1.35

EU Fines

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the total number of fines (a) owed and (b) paid under Article 228(2) by each EU member state; and how much debt in respect of such fines, broken down by country, has been written off. [112505]

Mr. Vaz: I have been asked to reply.

There have not yet been any fines imposed under Article 228(2) of the Treaty of Amsterdam, nor were there any fines imposed under ex Article 171.

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Drug Smuggling

Mr. Cox: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people were charged with drug smuggling offences in the UK during 1999. [112804]

Dawn Primarolo: 2,271 persons.

Mr. Cox: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) men and (b) women were (i) charged, (ii) convicted and (iii) imprisoned for drug smuggling offences in the UK during 1999. [113083]

Dawn Primarolo: In 1999, 1,813 men and 458 women were charged by Customs and Excise for drug smuggling offences. 1,072 people were convicted and 941 sentenced to imprisonment. A breakdown by gender of those convicted and sentence is not held centrally. The figures for convictions and sentences do not necessarily relate to the same cases as those for charges.

Pay Awards

Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to (a) compensate local authorities for national pay awards above inflation and (b) make an appropriate contribution to the block grant for (i) Scotland, (ii) Wales and (iii) Northern Ireland, to cover them. [112919]

Mr. Andrew Smith: In the Comprehensive Spending Review we provided support to local government which took account of pay pressures. Consequential amounts were allocated to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Government have made it clear that all pay awards will need to be paid from within the spending limits set in the Comprehensive Spending Review. We do not expect to give additional support in the light of national pay awards.

Insurance Records

Mr. Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the numbers of people of working age with (a) no insurance records and (b) incomplete insurance records for each year of the past 30 years; and if he will express these data as a proportion of the working population. [112159]

Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 2 March 2000]: A full answer could only be provided at disproportionate cost. However the following information is available:

The numbers of people with qualifying years for retirement pension in Great Britain for the 18 financial years between 1978-79 and 1995-96 can be found in table 5 of "Contributions and Qualifying Years for Retirement Pension 1995-96--Volume 2", a copy of which is in the Library of the House.

The numbers of people of working age in Great Britain (women 16 to 59: men 16 to 64) are shown in the table.

YearNumber of people of working age
197832,322,300
197932,576,900
298032,740,300
198132,905,600
198233,055,200
198333,311,300
198433,581,700
198533,770,100
198633,930,700
198734,106,100
198834,239,300
198934,359,800
199034,453,000
199134,524,700
199234,575,700
199334,621,200
199434,712,800
199534,863,500
199635,036,000

Source:

Population Estimates Unit, ONS


6 Mar 2000 : Column: 522W

The numbers of deficiency notices issued in respect of each financial year between 1990-91 and 1995-96 for Great Britain are shown in the table.

Number of deficiency notices issued in respect of the tax year
1990-913,391,000
1991-923,422,000
1992-933,544,000
1993-943,747,000
1994-953,970,000
1995-964,360,000

Source:

National Insurance Contributions Office



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