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VED (Lorries)
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how the transitional payments for vehicle excise duty for lorries differ from those to be introduced next year. [140651]
Mr. Timms: A consultation document asking for views on how lorry vehicle excise duty should be reformed was published alongside the pre-Budget report. As a transitional arrangement, the Chancellor also announced that up to 50 per cent. of lorry vehicle excise duty paid in this financial year will be rebated. The Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions has announced further details of the transitional arrangements in News Release 698 dated 14 November 2000.
Married Couple's Allowance
Mr. Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the cost to the Exchequer in the 2001-02 tax year of re-introducing the married couple's allowance, without its related allowances, at (a) the April 1993 rate up-rated to 2000-01 prices, (b) the April 1995 rate up-rated to 2000-01 prices and (c) the April 1998 rate up-rated to 2000-01 prices. [140342]
Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 27 November 2000]: The full year costs of re-introducing the married couple's allowance in 2001-02 would be, approximately:
- (a) £5.0 billion;
- (b) £2.6 billion; and
- (c) £2.6 billion.
These estimates are based on the Survey of Personal Incomes and are consistent with the November 2000 pre-Budget Report.
Ultra-low Sulphur Fuel
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 22 November 2000, Official Report, column 246W, on ultra low sulphur fuel, for what reason he is unable to provide estimates of costs for future years. [140779]
30 Nov 2000 : Column: 949W
Mr. Timms: As announced on page 127 of the pre-Budget Report, the announced cuts in ultra low sulphur road fuels are
- conditional on the oil companies guaranteeing nationwide access
to ultra low sulphur petrol (ULSP). The cost of the cuts will depend on the speed with which the oil companies now respond. An indicative estimate of the likely cost in 2001-02 was contained in the pre-Budget Report. Costings for 2001-02, 2002-03 and 2003-04 will be published in Budget 2001, if the cuts are implemented.
G3
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer at what time and on what date (a) the Treasury and (b) the Bank of England were informed of the intention of the G3 group of countries to intervene in support of the euro on 22 September. [140780]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The United Kingdom took part in the G7 intervention on 22 September 2000. Full details were set out in the Treasury press notice of 4 October and the Pre Budget Report (Cm 4917) on 8 November.
Capital Gains Indexation
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answers of 9 November 2000, Official Report, column 343W and 21 November 2000, Official Report, column 144W, concerning capital gains tax indexation, if he will make a statement on capital gains tax indexation for future years. [140547]
Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 28 November 2000]: An update of the answers will be available after the Budget forecast in spring 2001.
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost of capital gains taper relief to the Treasury for the five financial years from 2001-02. [140487]
Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 28 November 2000]: The costs of structural reliefs (including capital gains tax taper) for 1999-2000 and 2000-01 are given in the Tax Ready Reckoner and Tax Reliefs, which was published on 9 November 2000. These are £130 million and £310 million respectively. Estimates for future years are highly dependent on assumed growth in asset values.
The capital gains tax taper was introduced in Budget 1998 and amended in Budget 2000. The capital gains tax taper and associated changes in Budget 1998 were introduced on a broadly revenue neutral basis. The costs of the changes in Budget 2000 are given in the Financial Statement and Budget Report 2000.
Pensioner Price Indices
Dr. George Turner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will list for the period which determined the changes in the rate of the state pension, the annual movement in (a) the RPI and (b) the Pensioner Price Indices in each of the last five years; [140671]
30 Nov 2000 : Column: 950W
(3) what steps he has taken to ensure that the items included within the Pensioner Price Indices reflect the needs of the average pensioner. [140673]
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. George Turner, dated 30 November 2000:
- As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your three recent questions asking:
- 1) for the annual movement in (a) the RPI and (b) the Pensioner Price Indices in each of the last five years, for the period which determined the changes in the rate of the state pension;
- 2) when items included in the Pensioner Price Indices were last reviewed; and
- 3) what steps have been taken to ensure that the items included within the Pensioner Price Indices reflect the needs of the average pensioner.
- In response to question one, it is the annual percentage increase in the September RPI that is used to uprate state pensions. The Pensioner Prices Indices are only published quarterly so I have chosen to list figures for the third quarter, that is the quarter July to September. Pensioner Indices are only calculated for one person pensioner households and two person pensioner households.
| Percentage annual increase in | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| RPI | One pensioner household | Two pensioner household | |
| Year ending | September to September | Q3-Q3 | Q3-Q3 |
| 1996 | 2.1 | 2.2 | 2.5 |
| 1997 | 3.6 | 1.0 | 1.6 |
| 1998 | 3.2 | 1.3 | 1.6 |
| 1999 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 1.5 |
| 2000 | 3.3 | 1.1 | 1.5 |
In response to question two, the items contained in the basket of goods, which is used to calculate both the RPI and the Pensioner Price Indices are reviewed annually.
In answer to your third question, the Pensioner Price Indices relate to pensioner households whose income is mainly (at least 75%) dependent on state benefit. The Pensioner Price Indices are effectively a subset of the RPI as the same price data is used to produce both, however the Pensioner Price Indices exclude certain items that the RPI includes, such as housing costs, school meals and NHS prescription charges. For items where pensioners receive special rates (such as rail and bus fares), we produce special pensioner indices that differ from those in the RPI. In addition, there are various items and sections where pensioner expenditure patterns differ greatly from those used in the RPI--these include milk, soft drinks, footwear, fees and subscriptions, takeaways, T.V. licences, beer and wine sales (both 'on' and 'off'), tobacco, domestic services, chemists' goods, maintenance of motor vehicles, and books and newspapers. The weights used to construct the Pensioner Price Indices are therefore adjusted accordingly to take these different spending patterns into account.
Dr. George Turner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what (a) representations and (b) consultations he has had on the Pensioner Price Indices. [140674]
Pay
Mr. Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer by what percentage the pay of (a) manufacturing and (b) service industry employees has changed in each of the last 20 years. [141214]
30 Nov 2000 : Column: 951W
Miss Melanie Johnson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
Letter from John Pullinger to Mr. Chris Ruane, dated 30 November 2000:
- The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question about the percentage change of earnings in the manufacturing and service sectors in the past 20 years (141205). I am replying in his absence.
- The Average Earnings Index (AEI)is the Office for National Statistics preferred method for measuring changes in average earnings. The attached table shows annual growth rates in average earnings for each of the past 20 years in services and manufacturing.
Census Data
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will publish the census data collected in 2001. [141137]
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. Mark Oaten, dated 30 November 2000:
- As National Statistician and Registrar General for England and Wales I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking when the 2001 Census data will be published (141137).
- Mid 2001-population estimates for local authority areas for England and Wales, based on the 2001 Census, are planned to be published in late summer 2002.
- More detailed figures from the 2001 Census are planned to be released towards the end of 2002 and during 2003. These will provide information for the local parts of the country and up to national level.
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