You are here: Parliament home page > Parliamentary business > Publications and Records > Hansard > Commons Debates > Commons Debates by date > Commons Debates - previous sessions > Bound Volume Hansard - Written Answers
Previous Section Index Home Page

Tax Credits

Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 21 July 2000, Official Report, column 346W, on employment tax credit, what estimate he has made of total expenditure on the (a) adult component and (b) other components of the Working Families Tax Credit in each month since it has been introduced; and if he will make a statement. [133037]

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Havant (Mr. Willetts) on 27 March 2000, Official Report, column 48W.

Mr. Letwin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effects of widening the criteria for child tax credit to include NNEB-qualified nannies working in the parents' home. [131528]

Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 20 July 2000]: The rules in the Working Families Tax Credit and the Disabled Persons Tax Credit about eligible child care ensure that the help provided goes to safe, good quality, child care. Help through the Childcare Tax Credit is mainly available for child care that is inspected, registered and supported by local authorities. There is no comparable system of inspection, registration or support for child care providers--whether qualified or not--who are paid to look after children in their own home. We are continuing to monitor and evaluate all aspects of the tax credits, including the criteria underlying eligible child care.

Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the distribution of changes in net incomes due to child tax credit by (a) gross income bands, (b) equivalised gross income bands and (c) equivalised net income bans of recipient families using (i) each band of £5,000 up to £40,000 and (ii) over £40,000; and if he will make a statement. [128098]

Dawn Primarolo: I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Mr. Michael J. Foster: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families in (a) Worcester and (b) Mid Worcester have benefited from the Working Families Tax Credit. [133765]

Dawn Primarolo: The number of families in receipt of the Working Families Tax Credit at the end of May 2000 is provisionally estimated at 1,056,000. For the numbers in the Worcester and Mid Worcestershire constituencies, I refer my hon. Friend to my answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Northampton, North (Ms Keeble) on 24 July 2000, Official Report, column 487W.

Mr. Ennis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families in Barnsley, East and Mexborough have received the Childcare Tax Credit. [133743]

Dawn Primarolo: Nationally, it is estimated that about 10 per cent. of awards of the Working Families Tax Credit (WFTC) include the Childcare Tax Credit. There are too few awards falling into the 5 per cent. sample used for these analyses to provide a reliable estimate for the Barnsley, East and Mexborough constituency. For an estimate of the number of families in receipt of WFTC in the constituency, I refer my hon. Friend to my answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Northampton, North (Ms Keeble) on 24 July 2000, Official Report, column 487W.

28 Jul 2000 : Column: 1038W

Mr. Peter Bradley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of families in The Wrekin likely to benefit from the introduction of the children's tax credit. [133194]

Dawn Primarolo: An estimate of the number of families in The Wrekin who could benefit from the children's tax credit is not available, but an estimated 450,000 families in the West Midlands Government Office region could do so.

Mr. Peter Bradley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families in The Wrekin have benefited from the working families tax credit. [133195]

Dawn Primarolo: The number of families in receipt of the Working Families Tax Credit at the end of May 2000 is provisionally estimated at 1,056,000. For the number in The Wrekin constituency, I refer my hon. Friend to my answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Northampton, North (Ms Keeble) on 24 July 2000, Official Report, column 487W.

Mr. Michael J. Foster: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of families in (a) Worcester and (b) Mid Worcestershire, who will benefit from the introduction of the children's tax credit. [133770]

Dawn Primarolo: I regret that estimates of the number of families in Worcester and Mid Worcestershire who could benefit from the children's tax credit are not available, but an estimated 450,000 families in the West Midlands Government Office region could do so.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Press Releases

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Solicitor-General how many press releases were issued in (a) 1997, (b) 1998, (c) 1999 and (d) this year to date; and what the total cost of the production and issuing of these press releases was in each year. [132757]

The Solicitor-General: In 1997 the Law Officers Department issued 15 press releases. In 1998 the Law Officers Department issued 21 press releases. In 1999 the Law Officers Department issued 13 press releases. This year to date the Law Officers Department has issued seven press releases. The Law Officers Department press office is small (15 per cent. of one person's total workload) and due to the low number of press notices and the limited circulation, the total cost of production and issuing of these press releases is negligible.

Glenn Howard

Mr. Cohen: To ask the Solicitor-General what conclusions the Crown Prosecution Service has reached concerning the case of Glenn Howard following its receipt of a transcript of the inquest. [133447]

The Solicitor-General: Following its receipt of a transcript of the inquest, the Crown Prosecution Service is reviewing the case again in the light of the evidence given at the inquest. Once this further review has been completed, the Crown Prosecution Service will inform the

28 Jul 2000 : Column: 1039W

victim's brother and the Metropolitan police of the outcome. The CPS hopes to complete this review by the middle of August.

Drink Driving

Mr. Garnier: To ask the Solicitor-General if he will make a statement on his Department's policy on the law relating to the compulsory supply of a sample of (a) breath, (b) urine and (c) blood by a person suspected of driving or being in charge of a motor vehicle while above the statutory alcohol limit following (i) the ruling of Judge Peter Crawford at Birmingham crown court in the case of R. v. Amesh Chauhan and Dean Hollingsworth and (ii) the Scottish case of Brown v. the Procurator Fiscal. [132633]

Mr. Hill: I have been asked to reply.

The Government's Road Safety Strategy "Tomorrow's Roads--Safer for Everyone" stated that it is our intention to examine police powers with respect to testing drivers for alcohol, with a view to taking new legislation as necessary.

The cases of Brown v. PF Dunfermline and R. v. Amesh Chauhan and Dean Hollingsworth relate to the determination of the identity of the driver. They raised issues about specific points in those cases and are not considered to have a bearing on the requirement to give samples of breath, blood or urine.

EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT

Performance Tables

Mr. Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Blyth Valley (Mr. Campbell) of 20 July 2000, Official Report, column 306W, if pupils from overseas also will not be counted in relation to any information collected and published about Key Stage 3 SATs. [133465]

Jacqui Smith: The Government do not publish school level information about Key Stage 3 test results and teacher assessments. Schools and governing bodies are required to publish such information on a basis which includes pupils from overseas--in Governors' annual reports, school prospectuses and individual pupil reports. They may, if they wish, publish additional information, including information about test results and teacher assessments which excludes pupils from overseas.

National level information about test and examination results and teacher assessments at all Key Stages will continue to be calculated on the same basis as in previous years, with overseas pupils included.

Teacher Dismissals

Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many teachers have been dismissed from their employment at schools in the Greater London area for poor teaching ability during the last 12 months. [133546]

Ms Estelle Morris: The information is not collected centrally.

28 Jul 2000 : Column: 1040W

School Funding

Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, pursuant to his answer of 21 July 2000, Official Report, column 332W, if he will (a) list the 120 schools which benefited from projects supported by the Private Finance Initiative in 1998-99 and (b) the 230 schools that are benefiting from projects supported by the Private Finance Initiative in 1999-2000. [133411]

Jacqui Smith: The following schools are benefiting from projects allocated credits through the Private Finance Initiative in each of the last two years:


















In addition to the above, 104 schools in Dudley are benefiting from a grouped information communication technology programme.

























28 Jul 2000 : Column: 1041W



































In addition, large grouped repair and refurbishment projects are benefiting 126 schools in Stoke-on-Trent and 47 schools in Tower Hamlets.

Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many applications from schools for (a) assistance through the Private Finance Initiative and (b) funding from the New Deal for Schools were refused by his Department in each of the last two years. [133387]

Jacqui Smith: Since May 1997, the Government have made available over £1.3 billion of PFI credits to school projects and over £1.2 billion of New Deal for Schools funding.

In 1998-99, the Department received 37 applications for Private Finance Initiative credits on behalf of school projects expected to sign contracts during 1999-2001, of which six were not supported. In 1999-2000, 66 applications were received, of which 45 were not supported.

In 1998-99, 7,059 applications were made for assistance through the New Deal for Schools, of which 5,717 could not be supported; and in 1999-2000, 4963 applications were received of which 3,008 could not be supported.

28 Jul 2000 : Column: 1042W

Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the criteria by which his Department determines application for funding and the New Deal for Schools. [133388]

Jacqui Smith: The criteria, notified to local education authorities, to enable the Department to support applications for funding in the last round the New Deal for Schools programme were:


A full copy of the guidance issued to Local Education Authorities is available from the Library.

Next Section Index Home Page