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TREASURY
Computers within Reach
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what technical specifications he has set for the computers he plans to be leased to people on income support. [123380]
Mr. Wills: I have been asked to reply.
The specification set under the Computers within Reach initiative for low-income learners and families is for a desktop computer with a minimum of a Pentium 1 processor, preferably a 133 MHz processor or faster, or Apple equivalent. The specification also includes a minimum of 32 Megabytes of RAM, 1 Gigabyte hard disk drive, 20-speed CD-ROM drive, V90 56k modem, an operating system and web browser software. The specification is set at a relatively high level given the intended duration of the initiative until 2002.
Monetary Policy Committee
Mrs. Lawrence: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he plans to change the remit of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee. [124311]
Mr. Gordon Brown: In accordance with Section 12 of the Bank of England Act 1998, I have today written to the Governor restating the MPC's remit and how it will be held accountable for meeting the remit.
My letter has been laid before Parliament and a copy has been sent to the Chairman of the Treasury Committee. Copies are also being deposited in the Libraries of both Houses.
National Insurance
Mr. Webb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many married women actively revoked their decision to pay the reduced rate of National Insurance contributions in each year from 1977 to the present; [120999]
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- (2) what decision he has reached about undertaking a further information campaign to advise married women paying the reduced rate of National Insurance contributions about their options; [120998]
(3) if he will estimate, for the latest year for which data are available, the number of married women currently paying the reduced rate of National Insurance contributions who would pay less in National Insurance contributions if they were to pay the full rate of National Insurance contributions; and if he will provide corresponding estimates for 1990; [121199]
(4) if he will place in the Library a copy of the current version of Form CF383 relating to the certificate of election for married women to pay reduced rate National Insurance contributions, together with a copy of the corresponding form issued in 1978; [122122]
(5) if he will place in the Library a copy of the mailing which was sent in 1989 to all women still paying reduced rate National Insurance contributions alerting them to the impending reform to the structure of NICs; and if he will estimate the number of such letters which were issued. [123882]
Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 5 May 2000]: The number of women who actively revoked their election to pay the reduced rate of National Insurance contributions is not available. A series of the number of women paying at the reduced rate is available in Table 11 of "Contributions and Qualifying Years for Retirement Pension 1995/96-Volume 2", a copy of which is in the Library of the House. However, the year on year reductions in the numbers paying at the reduced rate will be due only in part to those actively revoking their election.
A copy of the 1989 mailshot has been placed in the Library. The mailshot was issued to around 300,000 married women. The coverage went wider than those whose election might have resulted in them paying more NICs at that time.
A copy of a 1978 CF383 and a current version of CF383 have been placed in the Library.
I can confirm that a further publicity exercise will be undertaken later this year. It will be aimed at all women who hold a valid election to pay National Insurance contributions at the reduced rate.
Working Families Tax Credit
Mr. Pike: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received about working families tax credit; what plans he has to make changes in the working families tax credit system; and if he will make a statement. [123280]
Dawn Primarolo: In the Budget, the Government announced their intention to build on the success of WFTC by introducing an integrated child credit and an employment tax credit from 2003.
The integrated child credit will bring together the support for children in WFTC and IS/JSA and the new Children's Tax Credit to create one payment to the main carer. This will create a seamless and transparent system
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of support for children which will further help to deliver the Government's commitment to end child poverty within a generation.
The adult credit element of WFTC will, along with the Disabled Person's Tax Credit and the Employment Credit component of the New Deal 50 plus, form the foundation of a new employment tax credit which will extend the principle of WFTC to people without children. Paid through the wage packet the employment tax credit will form a single visible instrument, underpinned by the national minimum wage, to make work pay.
The budget paper, "Tackling Poverty and Making Work Pay--Tax Credits for the 21st Century", sets out this next stage of reform in more detail.
We have received a number of representations regarding the development of the new credits and we will continue to discuss the proposed reforms with interested parties.
Mr. Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 19 May 2000, Official Report, column 294W, on poverty, if the figure of £2.7 billion extra financial support for children from the working families tax credit given in chart 5.2 of the March 2000 Economic and Fiscal Strategy report includes expenditure on the disabled person's tax credit. [123855]
Dawn Primarolo: The figure for the extra financial support delivered through the Working Families Tax Credit includes the additional expenditure on the Disabled person's Tax Credit for families with children.
VAT (Listed Buildings)
Mr. Greenway: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the annual cost of (a) a 10 per cent., (b) an 8 per cent. and (c) a 5 per cent. rate of VAT on restoration work for listed buildings. [123723]
Dawn Primarolo: Customs and Excise do not have estimates of the costs of reducing the VAT rate on restoration work for listed buildings because reliable estimates of amounts of VAT which have been paid in the past on such work are not available.
EU Environmental Taxes
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which environmental taxes he approves under EU proposals for Common EU environmental taxes. [123792]
Dawn Primarolo: Any EU proposal on tax is considered by Treasury Ministers, and follows the normal process set out in my reply to the right hon. Member of 9 May 2000, Official Report, column 334W.
Child Poverty
Mr. Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 19 May 2000, Official Report, column 294W, on poverty, (a) when 1.2 million children will be lifted above the 60 per cent. of median household income threshold and (b) if this figure is net of those children in households whose income moves below this threshold. [123853]
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Dawn Primarolo: On (a), the estimate that 1.2 million children will be lifted above 60 per cent. of median income looks at the effect of all personal tax and benefit changes announced in the past four Budgets; all of these measures will have taken effect by April 2001. On (b), the estimates given in Box 5.1 of the Economic and Fiscal Strategy Report are net of any children in households whose incomes move below the income thresholds.
Mr. Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 19 May 2000, Official Report, column 294W, on poverty, if the figure of 1.2 million children to be lifted above 60 per cent. of median earnings includes tapering for (a) housing benefit and (b) council tax benefit. [123854]
Dawn Primarolo: The definition of income used in this figure is consistent with that in "Households Below Average Income" and includes Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit. The estimate of 1.2 million children therefore includes the effect of the Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit tapers.
Opinion Research
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library copies of the results of all market and opinion research carried out by his Department, agencies and non-departmental public bodies since May 1997. [123808]
Mr. Timms: I regret that this information is not held centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Landfill Tax
Mr. Loughton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much has been paid from the landfill tax to each of the top 20 recipients among independent environmental trusts; and if he will name them. [123753]
Mr. Timms: Information about which environmental bodies have received contributions under the Landfill Tax Environmental Bodies Credit Scheme and how much they have received is a matter for the Regulator for the scheme, ENTRUST. I have therefore asked them to provide such data as they hold and I will place a copy of their response in the Library.
Mr. Loughton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to make changes to the way landfill tax credits are paid to environmental trusts. [123754]
Mr. Timms: My right hon. Friend the Minister for the Environment will shortly publish the Waste Strategy 2000. This will set out the Government's plans to encourage greater support for sustainable waste management activities through the Landfill Tax Environmental Bodies Credit Scheme.
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