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VAT (Fuel)
Mr. David Stewart: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on (a) the level of VAT receipts received in the current financial year to date from petrol and diesel sales and (b) the level of sales projected by his Department for that period. [136316]
Mr. Timms: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the right hon. Member for Wokingham (Mr. Redwood) on 31 October 2000, Official Report, columns 410-11W.
Forestry
Mr. HomeRobertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what additional funding is being made available for (a) that section of MAFF responsible for forestry in England, (b) the Scottish Executive and (c) the National Assembly for Wales in respect of (i) the decision not to proceed with the sale of cutting rights in Forestry Commission forests and (ii) the consequences of falling world timber prices on Forest Enterprise; and if he will make it his policy to ensure that the Scottish Executive and the National Assembly for Wales are given access to support from the UK Treasury on a basis equivalent to what is proposed for the English part of the Forestry Commission, and that the extent of forestry in each country is taken into account. [137093]
Mr. Andrew Smith: The Forestry Commission in England is a Government Department distinct from MAFF. Spending Review 2000 set provision for the Forestry Commission in England and its Great Britain core functions. The allocation of Spending Review 2000 provision for Scotland and Wales is a matter for the Scottish Executive and the National Assembly for Wales.
The Statement of Funding Policy published in July 2000 sets out the funding policies for the devolved Administrations.
The implications of the current income shortfall are being reviewed with the Forestry Commission, the Scottish Executive and National Assembly for Wales.
6 Nov 2000 : Column: 90W
Employment Rates
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the contribution to GDP which would result from employment rates in each of the age groups (a) 45-50, (b) 50-55, (c) 55-60, (d) 60-65, (e) 65-70 and (f) over 70 years being the same as the employment rates in the age group 40-45 years. [136076]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Paul Flynn, dated 6 November 2000:
As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question on estimates of the contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which could result from employment rates in certain age groups being the same as employment rates in the age group 40-45 years.
This information is not available. In order to make this calculation it would be necessary to make assumptions about the characteristics of those entering employment and the jobs they would be doing. In particular predictions would have to be made as to what the hours worked and earnings would be of people moving from inactivity to employment. While simplistic assumptions could be made it might prove misleading to assume, for example, that these factors would be the same as for those already in employment.
Public and Voluntary Sector Funding (Walsall)
Mr. Winnick: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what total additional funding has been allocated for use by public and voluntary sector organisations in the Walsall borough since May 1997; and if he will list the Government Departments from whose budgets such funding was paid. [136847]
Mr. Andrew Smith: Figures giving total funding across all public and voluntary sectors in the borough are not readily available, and would involve disproportionate cost to acquire.
6 Nov 2000 : Column: 91W
SOCIAL SECURITY
Winter Fuel Payments
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what checks are made to ensure the validity of claims for backdated winter fuel payments. [134561]
Angela Eagle: The administration of winter fuel payments is a matter for Alexis Cleveland, the Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. She will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Alexis Cleveland to Mr. David Willetts, dated 6 November 2000:
The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what checks are made to ensure validity of claims for backdated winter fuel payments.
As with all claims to benefit, checks are made to validate any claim before payment is considered. This is completed by various means, including but not restricted to, reference to existing Departmental records and National Insurance data.
For making Winter Fuel Payments in respect of previous years, use has been made of address matching software. Before validating any payments for retrospective claims, records have been cross-matched with previous years Winter Fuel Payments to ensure that payments are made only to those entitled and at the correct amounts.
I hope this is helpful.
Mr. Wigley: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many households will benefit this winter from the winter heating allowance in each county in Wales. [135991]
Angela Eagle: The information requested is not available because forecasts of winter fuel payment recipients and the number of households in which they live are only produced for Great Britain as a whole. For each unitary authority in Wales, the estimated number of people (rather than households) who benefited from the winter fuel payment in the winter--1999-2000 is shown in the table.
Note:
The table is based on 5 per cent. samples of administrative information and therefore subject to a degree of sampling error.
6 Nov 2000 : Column: 92W
Household Incomes
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many (a) pensioners and (b) children in each of the past five years have lived in households with less than 60 per cent. of median income. [134558]
Mr. Bayley: The information is in the tables.
| Including self-employed | Excluding self-employed | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Before housing costs | After housing costs | Before housing costs | After housing costs |
| 1994-95 | 2.0 | 2.5 | 1.9 | 2.3 |
| 1995-96 | 2.1 | 2.4 | 2.0 | 2.3 |
| 1996-97 | 2.0 | 2.5 | 1.9 | 2.4 |
| 1997-98 | 2.1 | 2.6 | 2.0 | 2.5 |
| 1998-99 | 2.2 | 2.6 | 2.0 | 2.4 |
| Including self-employed | Excluding self-employed | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Before housing costs | After housing costs | Before housing costs | After housing costs |
| 1994-95 | 2.9 | 4.0 | 2.3 | 3.3 |
| 1995-96 | 2.7 | 4.0 | 2.2 | 3.4 |
| 1996-97 | 3.3 | 4.4 | 2.7 | 3.9 |
| 1997-98 | 3.2 | 4.3 | 2.7 | 3.8 |
| 1998-99 | 3.1 | 4.2 | 2.6 | 3.7 |
Notes:
1. All figures are estimates and are taken from the Households Below Average Income (HBAI) data set which is derived from the Family Resources Survey (FRS). The FRS does not include Northern Ireland, and 1998-99 is the latest year for which data are available.
2. The estimates are sample counts, which have been adjusted for non-response using multipurpose grossing factors that control for region, Council Tax band and a number of other demographic variables. Estimates are subject to both sampling error and to variability in non-response. All numbers are rounded to the nearest 100,000.
3. The income measure used is weekly net (disposable) equivalised household income (that is to say income that is adjusted to reflect the composition of the household). While the number of individuals below various income thresholds may be sensitive to the precise way in which incomes are equivalised, changes shown over time generally are not.
4. The estimates are presented on both a Before Housing Costs (BHC) and an After Housing Costs (AHC) basis in line with HBAI conventions. Figures are also provided including and excluding the self-employed, as research suggests that, for self-employed people, income as reported in surveys is often a poor indicator of living standards.
Source:
Family Resources Survey
6 Nov 2000 : Column: 93W
We have pledged to halve the number of children living in poverty in 10 years and eradicate child poverty in 20 years and we have already made significant progress. Estimates of the impact of the last four budgets are that the tax and benefit measures announced will lift 1.2 million children above the 60 per cent. median threshold after housing costs.
Also, past changes in pensioner incomes reflect the fact that many pensioners have simply lost out on the opportunity for all people of working age to build a second pension. We are also determined to provide security for all of today's pensioners. The minimum income guarantee provides that security for pensioners with low incomes and our national take-up programme will encourage those entitled to claim.
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