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Pensioners (Amber Valley)

14. Judy Mallaber: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many pensioners in Amber Valley have benefited from the combined impact of Winter Fuel Payments, the Christmas Bonus, free television licences for the over-75s and the age addition for the over-80s. [145806]

Mr. Timms: All 18,000 pensioners in Amber Valley should have benefited from the £200 Winter Fuel Payment this year and from the Christmas Bonus. At least 7,000 of them are also receiving free TV-licences, introduced by this Government, and some 5,000 the age addition for the over-80s.

Children's Tax Credit

15. Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the impact the Children's Tax Credit will have on families in Brent, North. [145807]

Dawn Primarolo: An estimate of the number of families in Brent, North who could benefit from the Children's Tax Credit is not available, but an estimated 475,000 families in the London area could do so.

Mr. Webb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his latest estimate is of the number of families who will benefit from the introduction in April of the Children's Tax Credit; and if he will make a statement. [146320]

Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 22 January 2001]: I refer the hon. Member to page 94 of the pre-Budget report 2000. A copy of which is available in the Library of the House.

Working Families Tax Credit

16. Laura Moffatt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families were in receipt of the Working Families Tax Credit on (a) 1 January 1998 and (b) at the latest date for which figures are available. [145808]

Dawn Primarolo: Working Families Tax Credit was introduced in October 1999. The number of families in the United Kingdom who were in receipt of Family Credit (the precursor to Working Families Tax Credit) at the end of January 1998 was 778,000. At the end of August

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2000--the latest date for which figures are available--there were 1,129,000 families in the United Kingdom receiving Working Families Tax Credit.

Equitable Life

17. Sir Nicholas Lyell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received from interested organisations on Equitable Life. [145809]

Miss Melanie Johnson: I have received representations from a number of groups, including those representing the interests of policyholders as well as those representing the interests of members of occupational pensions.

Employment Forecasts

18. Mr. Ernie Ross: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on his forecasts for employment as a result of the pre-Budget report. [145810]

Miss Melanie Johnson: In line with the convention adopted by previous Administrations, the Government do not publish forecasts for employment and unemployment. However, the 2000 pre-Budget report restated the Government's aim of employment opportunity for all--the modern definition of full employment--and its ambition is that by the end of the decade there will be higher proportion of people in employment than ever before.

Winter Fuel Payment

19. Charlotte Atkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of the effect on pensioner incomes of abolishing the winter fuel allowance. [145811]

Mr. Timms: Abolishing the Winter Fuel Payment would have meant that over 8 million households--with around 11½ million people in them--would have lost out on the £200 we paid this winter: the equivalent of a £4 cut in their weekly income.

Mr. Gordon Marsden: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many pensioner households are entitled to the Winter Fuel Payment. [145798]

Mr. Timms: Every pensioner household in the country--with around 11½ million people--is entitled to the Winter Fuel Payment which this Government introduced, and which we raised from £100 to £200 for this winter.

Euro

20. Mr. Syms: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the total level of expenditure incurred to date by Government bodies in connection with the national changeover plan. [145812]

Miss Melanie Johnson: An update on public sector spending on changeover planning was given in the Treasury's Fourth Report on Euro Preparations, published on 6 November 2000. Copies of the Report are available in the Library of the House.

37. Mr. Swayne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the recent appreciation in value of the euro. [145829]

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Miss Melanie Johnson: It is not appropriate for the Government to comment on day-to-day developments in the foreign exchange markets.

Mr. Wells: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his policy is on British participation in the European single currency. [145793]

Mr. Gordon Brown: The determining factor underpinning any Government decision on joining the single currency is whether the economic case for the UK joining is clear and unambiguous. Because of the magnitude of the decision, the Government believe that, whenever a decision to enter is taken by Government, it should be put to a referendum of the British people.

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if it is his policy to target socially disadvantaged groups in information campaigns on the euro. [147527]

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.

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on information campaigns planned for UK visitors to the Euro Zone. [147461]

Miss Melanie Johnson: I refer the hon. Member to the "Fourth Report on Euro Preparations", copies of which have been deposited in the Library of the House.

Tobin Tax

21. Mr. Alan Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with the World Bank about the introduction of a Tobin tax on speculative capital movements. [145813]

Miss Melanie Johnson: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Huddersfield (Mr. Sheerman) on 2 June 2000, Official Report, column 273W.

Charitable Giving

22. Ms Dari Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what measures he proposes to promote charitable giving. [145814]

Miss Melanie Johnson: In March 2000, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced the Getting Britain Giving package of tax measures to encourage greater charitable giving in the UK. This includes improvements to the Gift Aid and Payroll Giving schemes and a new income tax relief for gifts of shares.

The Government are involved in two significant campaigns to promote the new reliefs. In October 2000 the Government launched a £2 million campaign to promote Payroll Giving and encourage more employers to offer Payroll Giving schemes. The three year campaign is backed by a special 10 per cent. supplement on all Payroll Giving donations.

The Government are also supporting the Charities Aid Foundation and the National Council for Voluntary Organisations in a joint campaign starting in 2001 to promote the charitable giving of both money and time. The Government have pledged £1 million plus a series of Civil Service secondments to the campaign.

25 Jan 2001 : Column: 705W

Tax Changes

23. Mr. Pike: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families he estimates will benefit in (a) the north-west and (b) the United Kingdom from tax changes in the next financial year. [145815]

Dawn Primarolo: My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer will give his tax proposals for 2001-02 in the next Budget but all taxpaying families for that year should benefit from the increase in the personal allowance announced in the pre-Budget report. Additionally, the new children's tax credit to be introduced in April 2001 should benefit around 5 million families in the UK, 625,000 of whom live in the north-west. And over 1.1 million families should benefit from the increase in the rates and thresholds for the Working Families Tax Credit announced on 9 November 2000, Official Report, column 340W, over 160,000 of whom live in the north-west.

EU Convergence Criteria

24. Mr. Evans: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he forecasts that the UK economy will meet his criteria for convergence with the economies of other European Union member states. [145816]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The Chancellor of the Exchequer has said we will make another assessment of the five economic tests early in the next Parliament.

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