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Police Funding

Mr. Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what plans he has to alter the formula for funding police forces in England and Wales; [126424]

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(2) what plans he has to introduce a sparsity factor into the process of allocating funds to rural police forces; [126426]

(3) if it is his policy to accept the findings of the ORH study into police funding in respect of the additional costs of policing sparsely populated rural areas; [126423]

Mr. Charles Clarke: The Government set considerable store by stability in the grant system to help police authorities plan ahead. In July 1998, the Government announced a three-year freeze on changes to Standard Spending Assessment funding formulae pending the wide ranging review of the revenue support grant system across local government. In view of the moratorium, my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary decided that it would not be appropriate to make substantive changes to the method of police grant distribution for 2000-01. That position remains unchanged.

The fundings of the Operational Research in Health (ORH) report on policing areas of rural sparsity were considered by a Home Office chaired Working Group, which includes representatives of the police service, police authorities and local authorities. That report was placed in the Library. Implementing the findings of the report would have meant the redistribution of around £30 million of funding almost entirely from the metropolitan forces to shire forces where call response times are longer. There was no agreement in the working group about the best way to proceed.

However, the opportunity has now arisen as a result of additional funds being made available through the budget, for the Government to recognise the special needs of rural policing. My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary has therefore agreed to make £15 million available for the remainder of this year to enhance the policing service in rural areas at no cost to the metropolitan forces. Funding for future years will be considered as part of the spending review 2000 process.

TREASURY

Spectrum Auction

Mr. St. Aubyn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what account under resource accounting rules is to be taken of the right of third generation mobile spectrum licensees to amortise the cost of their licences from the amount of their future taxable profits and of the consequential future reduction in tax revenue. [128071]

Mr. Andrew Smith [holding answer 28 June 2000]: Tax relief for the amortisation of third generation spectrum licence costs will reduce corporation tax yields over the lives of the licences. Currently, the resource accounting rules apply only to departmental resource accounts and not to corporation tax. However, subject to the passing of the Government Resources and Accounts Bill, the same accounting principles will apply in due course to the Whole of Government Accounts, which will include corporation tax revenue.

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Children's Tax Credit

Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the total cost of administering the Child Tax Credit in financial year 2001-02; and if he will make a statement. [128167]

Dawn Primarolo: The administration of the children's tax credit during the financial year 2001-02 will be part of the Inland Revenue's routine work and will not be separately identified in running costs.

Working Families Tax Credit

Ms Glenda Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many people in Hampstead and Highgate benefit from the (a) child care tax credit, (b) Sure Start maternity grant and (c) New Deal for Lone Parents; [127851]

(2) how many families in Hampstead and Highgate receive the Working Families tax Credit; and how many will benefit from changes allowing claims to be made immediately after the birth of a child; [127911]

Dawn Primarolo: For a provisional estimate of the number of recipients of Working Families Tax Credit (WFTC) in Hampstead and Highgate at the end of April 2000, I refer my hon. Friend to my answer given on 28 June 2000, Official Report, column 537W to my hon. Friend the Member for Crosby (Mrs. Curtis-Thomas).

It is estimated that, in a full year, up to 70,000 families could benefit from the reforms to WFTC for mothers of new children announced in this year's Budget. No estimate is available of the number of these in Hampstead and Highgate.

About 10 per cent. of awards of Working Families Tax Credit include a child care tax credit. We are unable to provide a reliable estimate of the number of awards with a child care tax credit in Hampstead and Highgate.

The Sure Start maternity grant has been claimable from 27 March 2000 for babies due on or after 11 June and is gradually replacing the social fund maternity payment. I understand from the Department of Social Security (DSS) that figures are not available by constituency.

I understand from the Department for Social Security that, since October 1998, 40 lone parents in Hampstead and Highgate have found employment as a consequence of the New Deal for Lone Parents, and 21 lone parents have started Training and Education. 174 lone parents have joined the programme.

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families in (a) Coventry, South, (b) the West Midlands region and (c) nationally (i) receive the Working Families Tax Credit and (ii) will benefit from the changes allowing families to make a claim as soon as a baby is born. [127252]

Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 26 June 2000]: The number of families in receipt of the Working Families Tax Credit (WFTC) at the end of April 2000 is provisionally estimated at 1,053,000, of which 107,000 were in the West Midlands region.

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I refer my hon. Friend to my answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Crosby (Mrs. Curtis-Thomas) on 28 June 2000, Official Report, column 537W for the number of WFTC awards in Coventry, South.

It is estimated that, in a full year, up to 70,000 families could benefit from the reforms to WFTC for mothers of new children announced in this year's Budget. No estimates are available of the number of these in Coventry, South or the West Midlands region.

Car Scheme Rates

Mr. Rammell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will authorise a review of the Inland Revenue's fixed profit car scheme rates which were last reviewed in 1997, with special reference to petrol prices for motorists; [128038]

(2) if he will place in the Library details of the methodology used by the Inland Revenue in calculating the motor mileage rates used in the fixed profit car scheme. [128035]

Mr. Timms: Under the current system, authorised mileage rates are calculated by reference to typical tax allowable motoring costs for cars with different engine sizes. The costs include both running costs (petrol, oil, tyres, repairs, replacements and servicing) and standing costs (VED, insurance, depreciation and subscriptions).

The Budget Day 2000 press release REV6 B--"Protecting the environment: reform of company car taxation" announced a review of the authorised mileage rates system which is now under way. The announcement stated that:

The Inland Revenue will be considering how the authorised mileage rates for drivers who use their own cars for business journeys (which underpin the Inland Revenue's fixed profit car scheme) might be improved, on a revenue neutral basis, to send better environmental signals.

The level and structure of the authorised mileage rates will be considered in the course of the review. Comments are welcome and should be sent by 30 September 2000 to:

Kim Linton

Personal Tax Division

Room 81, New Wing

Somerset House

Strand

London, WC2R 1LB

e-mail: [e-mail]

Parliamentary Questions

Mr. Maclennan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many written parliamentary questions tabled to his Department between 19 October 1999 and 20 April have not received substantive answers, citing as the reason (a) commercial and (b) other confidentiality. [128015]

Mr. Timms: Five and eight respectively, either wholly or in part, of the 1,479 answers given.

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Hydro-electric Schemes

Mr. Welsh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what criteria (a) existing and (b) proposed hydro- electric schemes will have to meet in order to be eligible for exemption from the climate change levy; [127150]

(2) if electricity generated by hydro-electric schemes constructed under the non-fossil fuel obligation arrangements will be exempt from the climate change levy; [127149]

(3) if additional renewable energy generating capacity created by the refurbishment and upgrade of existing hydro-electric schemes in Scotland will be exempt from the climate change levy; [127151]

(4) if additional renewable energy generating capacity created by the construction of new hydro-electric schemes will be exempt from the climate change levy; and if he will make a statement. [127152]

Mr. Timms: Electricity generated from hydro-electric installations producing more than 10 MW will be subject to the climate change levy under the normal rules. Electricity from hydro-electric installations producing less than 10 MW will be exempt from the climate change levy if supplied under an approved contract.

This principle applies whether the installations concerned are new, proposed, refurbished, upgraded or constructed under the non-fossil fuels obligation arrangements.

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