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Unemployment (Scotland)

Mr. Welsh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the unemployment rate in each of the areas covered by the pre-1997 travel-to-work areas in Scotland. [123578]

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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 Pullinger to Mr. Andrew Welsh, dated 5 June 2000:

The Director of the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has been asked to reply to your recent question (123578) about the unemployment rate in pre-1997 travel-to-work areas in Scotland. I am replying in the Director's absence.

ONS produces two measures of unemployment. The first is derived from the Labour Force Survey (LFS). It is defined on a consistent and internationally recognised basis set out by the International Labour Organisation (ILO). This counts as unemployed people who are (a) without a paid job (b) available to start work within the next two weeks and (c) have either looked for work in the last four weeks or are waiting to start a job already obtained.

The ONS also publishes the monthly number of people who are claiming unemployment-related benefits also known as the Claimant Count.

The definitions of travel-to-work areas that were used before 1997 are those first used in 1984. LFS data for 1984 travel-to-work areas are not available but figures for the claimant count can be obtained from the Nomis database at the House of Commons Library.

Staff Secondments

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff from his Department were seconded to private sector companies in (a) May 1997 to April 1998, (b) May 1998 to April 1999 and (c) May 1999 to April 2000; and if he will list in each case the companies to which staff were sent, the names and ranks of the staff involved and the duration of the secondment. [123416]

Miss Melanie Johnson [holding answer 24 May 2000]: Secondments and attachments are part of the Interchange Initiative which promotes the exchange of people and good practice between the Civil Service and other organisations. All sectors of the economy are involved: Voluntary, Education, Health, Public and Private. Interchange is a key component of the reform agenda. The Modernising Government White Paper committed us to increasing interchange, in particular by bringing in more people on secondment and sending more of our people out.

The information required is as follows:

1 May 1997 to 30 April 1998	1 May 1998 to 30 April 1999	1 May 1999 to 30 April 2000
Numbers and grades:
Range D x 5	Range D x 4	Range D x 2
Range E x 6	Range E x 4	Range E x 5
	Organisations to whom secondments were made:
Business Incubators Panel	Business Incubators Panel	UK Business Incubation
Price Waterhouse	Price Waterhouse	SIB (now FSA)
PIA (now FSA)	PIA (now FSA)	Ockham Holdings
SIB (now FSA)	SIB (now FSA)	British Cement Association
EBRD	Amerada Hess	HSBC Holdings
Amerada Hess	Ockham Holdings	Council of Mortgage Lenders
Ockham Holdings	British Cement Association	Granada
British Cement Association

5 Jun 2000 : Column: 70W

Departmental Responsibilities

Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what statistics relating to the responsibilities of his Department are collated by parliamentary constituency, indicating the dates covered in each case. [123845]

Miss Melanie Johnson [holding answer 25 May 2000]: The Treasury uses a very wide range of statistics, many of which are collected by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Collection by the ONS is not specifically designed to produce statistics at the level of Parliamentary Constituencies, though statistics that the ONS can often provide at this level include economic status (employed, unemployed, inactive), the claimant count, employee jobs, average earnings, and Census data. Other government departments can also supply some statistics by Parliamentary Constituency. However, a comprehensive list of all statistics used by the Treasury that can be collated by Parliamentary Constituency is not held centrally, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Commission Grants

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will deposit a copy of the latest Annual report on Beneficiaries of Part A Commission Grants in the Library. [123093]

Miss Melanie Johnson: This report is freely available via the internet web-page of the Commission. The House of Commons Library will be able to obtain a copy for the hon. Gentleman.

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what EU funds are distributed to the Christians for Europe Foundation; what assistance has been provided to the organisation by Community organisations for hosting conferences; what is the United Kingdom's share of the costs of such assistance; and if he will make a statement. [123618]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The Commission's funding of such grants is published annually in its Report on Beneficiaries of Part A. This report is freely available via the internet web-page of the Commission, Europa, which can be accessed through the House of Commons Library.

European Integration

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his policy towards continuation of European Community budget line A-3022, European Integration Activities; and if he will make a statement. [123617]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The activities supported by this budget line are financed from the Commission's administrative budget. The UK seeks to keep such expenditure as low as possible.

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the long-term consequences of EMU on further European integration in economic areas not presently covered by (a) QMV and (b) European activities; and if he will make a statement. [123621]

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Miss Melanie Johnson: The EC Treaty sets out the legal framework for the operation of Economic and Monetary Union (EMU). Any changes to the Treaty would require the unanimous agreement of all member states.

Economic and Monetary Union

Mr. Redwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what economic and tax information he will need to offer the EU prior to seeking to join the Euro. [123829]

Miss Melanie Johnson: As underpinned by Articles 99 and 104 of the EC Treaty, the UK once a year submits a Convergence Programme as part of the Stability and Growth Pact, and twice a year submits government debt and deficit data as part of the excessive deficit procedure.

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on his policy in respect of the next phase of the information strategy for the euro, with particular reference to (a) sensitive groups, (b) opinion formers, (c) information multipliers and (d) children. [123628]

Miss Melanie Johnson: I refer the hon. Member to the second Outline National Changeover Plan, which was published on 9 March 2000. A copy of the Plan is available in the Library of the House.

Tax Rates

Mr. Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 18 May 2000, Official Report, column 262W, on tax rates, where income tax rates are included in the Table 4.2 on marginal deduction rates in the Budget Red Book (HC 346). [123583]

Dawn Primarolo: Table 4.2 of the Budget Red Book contains estimates of the marginal deduction rates faced by working households in receipt of income-related benefits or the Working Families Tax Credit where at least one person works 16 hours or more a week. Income Tax rates are incorporated into the marginal deduction rate for those households where income tax is paid.

Enterprise Promotion (South-West)

Ms Atherton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what measures he proposes to promote enterprise within disadvantaged areas and groups in the South West Region. [122900]

Mr. Timms: The Government's aim is to help create a supportive environment for entrepreneurial activity in all sections of society. Long-term unemployed people who want to move into self-employment are being helped with support under New Deal options nationally; while the Employment Zone pilot in Plymouth has been helping long-term unemployed adults aged 25 plus to get back into work, including the opportunity to pool benefits, training and job search funds to help with business start-up costs, since April 2000. We will also be offering New Entrepreneur Scholarships in high unemployment areas, to equip potential entrepreneurs with the

5 Jun 2000 : Column: 72W

management and business skills needed to turn their aspirations into successful businesses. A pilot programme will be running in Cornwall (and London and Manchester) later this year, before a national roll-out in September 2001.

Moreover, the Government announced in November 1999 the creation of a new Phoenix Fund, with £30 million to invest over three years in promoting better access to business support and finance in disadvantaged areas. This includes:

a development fund to promote innovative enterprise support in deprived areas, including incubator units;

a national challenge fund to help resource community finance initiatives, and to evaluate the variety of approaches and distil best practices;


loan guarantee support for community finance initiatives borrowing from wholesale sources of finance, so that they can on-lend in disadvantaged areas; and


a network of mentors to pre and early phase business start-ups through a new Business Volunteer Mentoring Association, being run on a pilot basis until April 2001.

The Department of Trade and Industry has lead responsibility for the Phoenix Fund, including the disbursal of funding and business support in the South West.

The Government have also instigated a range of measures in recent Budgets, including cuts in capital gains tax and corporation tax, and enhanced capital allowances, which will benefit many of the 65,000 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in disadvantaged areas and the wider South West region. Moreover, the Government are currently financing a network of regional venture capital investment funds for early-stage SMEs, and contributing to a regional target of £85 million for the South West. The first steps towards this target are being taken now with the regional venture capital competition being run by the DTI.

The Small Business Service is also tasked with the brief of reaching-out to start-up and existing enterprises in disadvantaged communities, to increase accessibility of business support. These principles will also shape the selection and operation of local SBS franchises, operational from April 2001.

We are also bringing schools and businesses closer together, particularly those in high unemployment areas. We have already provided an extra £10 million nationally to boost enterprise skills in our schools. The new National Enterprise Campaign, launched in May, includes a particular focus on our high unemployment areas.

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