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Pensioners (Tax Returns)

Mr. Rapson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many retirement pensioners completed a tax return in the most recent year for which figures are available; and what proportion they represent of total retirement pensioners. [150064]

Dawn Primarolo: It is estimated that about 1.3 million (around 12 per cent.) pensioners completed a tax return for 1998-99.

Taxation

Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what he plans to be the national revenue from taxation in each of the next five years. [150119]

Mr. Andrew Smith: Forecasts of tax revenues were published in Tables B8 and B11 of the pre-Budget report. Updated forecasts will be published in the Financial Statement and Budget Report.

Departmental Expenditure Limit

Mr. Russell Brown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if there are any proposals to amend the Inland Revenue Departmental Expenditure Limit and Running Costs Limit for 2000-01. [151115]

Dawn Primarolo: The Inland Revenue Departmental Expenditure Limit for 2000-01 will be decreased by £411,000 from £2,230,571,000 to £2,230,160,000. The Inland Revenue Running Cost Limit will also be reduced by £2,911,000 from £2,373,579,000 to £2,370,668,000.

The reduction in DEL and running cost limit reflect an inter-departmental transfer of £450,000 running costs provision to Customs and Excise to enable Customs to meet its main commitments from the Grabiner report into the hidden economy. This is partially offset by a £39,000 transfer from the Department of Social Development (Northern Ireland) for a bookkeeping service they provide in respect of the national insurance fund.

In addition, there is a further reduction in Inland Revenue's Running Cost Limit of £2,500,000 in respect of an intra-departmental transfer to the Valuation Office agency, to deal with more appeals than anticipated arising from the 2000 revaluation and increased legal costs.

Barbara Follett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what changes are proposed to Her Majesty's Treasury's Departmental Expenditure Limit and Running Costs Limits for 2000-01. [151114]

15 Feb 2001 : Column: 303W

Dawn Primarolo: Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate for Class XVI Vote 1 (HM Treasury) and class XVI Vote 2 (HM Treasury: UK Coinage), the Departmental Expenditure Limit for 2000-01 will be increased by £12,940,000 from £264,023,000 to £276,963,000.

The increase for Class XVI Vote 1 (HM Treasury) is the net effect of the take up of running costs EYF (£3,400,000) to meet the additional costs of the Treasury's planned programme of work, and to cover the custody charges for holding collateral on debt management office's behalf generated as part of the investment of the Spectrum proceeds; provides for the transfer of provision from other current to running costs for payments under the framework agreement for Partnerships UK (£4,000,000); and an increase in running costs of £540,000 to draw down the moneys allocated from the civil service modernisation fund for the Royal Mint Trading Fund. The running costs limit for HM Treasury will accordingly be increased by £7,940,000 from £64,064,000 to £72,004,000.

The increase for Class XVI Vote 2 (HM Treasury: UK Coinage) is the net effect of the take up of other current EYF (£9,000,000), to meet the increased demand for UK coins.

The increases will be offset by transfers or charged to the reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.

Mrs. Lawrence: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if there are any proposals to amend the Office for National Statistics Departmental Expenditure Limit and Running Costs Limit for 2000-01. [151113]

Miss Melanie Johnson: Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate for Class XVI, Vote 12 (Office for National Statistics), the DEL will increase by £5,000,000 from £135,166,000 to £140,166,000 and the Running Costs Limit will increase by £5,000,000 from £132,161,000 to £137,161,000.

The changes in Vote 12 are the result of the take up of £5,000,000 of the end-year flexibility entitlement announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury in Table 7 of the 1999-2000 Public Expenditure Outturn White Paper (CM 4812) published on 18 July 2000.

The overall increase is made up of increases in running costs provision in Section A of the Vote of £5,000,000; increases in running costs provision in Section B of £2,500,000 to reflect increased demand for certificate sales and surveys, which will be fully met by additional receipts of £2,500,000; and increases in anticipated EC receipts in Section C of £500,000.

Mr. Ian Stewart: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what changes are proposed to Her Majesty's Customs and Excise Departmental Expenditure Limit or Running Costs Limit for 2000-01. [151112]

Dawn Primarolo: Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate for Class XVI, Vote 4 (HM Customs and Excise: administration), the Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL) will be increased by £9,319,000 from £886,858,000 to £896,177,000 and the Running Costs Limit will be decreased by £9,219,000 from £860,957,000 to £851,738,000.

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The increase in DEL consists of:

an additional £450,000 running costs transferred from joint provision held by the Inland Revenue to implement recommendations of the Grabiner report into the hidden economy;

an additional £1,550,000 running costs from Customs' share of the civil service modernisation fund; and

an additional £1,538,000 other current and £6,000,000 capital from the take up of part of the Department's entitlement to end-year flexibility.

These increases are partly offset by:

a decrease in running costs of £99,000 transferred to the Home Office for development funding for drug action teams.

The Department is also proposing a number of other changes within its DEL, including increases in expenditure sub-heads which are entirely matched and offset by additional appropriations in aid, as well as virement of £11,000,000 from running costs and £3,000,000 from capital to cover increased legal and investigative expenditure.

There are no changes to the overall levels of public expenditure as a result of this Supplementary Estimate.

Brewing

Mr. Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many jobs in brewing there were in each region and nation of the United Kingdom for each year since 1995. [147009]

Mr. Andrew Smith [holding answer 24 January 2001]: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.

Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Jim Cousins dated 15 February 2001:

As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your question about the number of people employed in brewing in each region of the UK since 1995 (147009).

The Annual Employment Survey (AES) provides information on employment for 1995 to 1998 for each region and nation of Great Britain. The AES may be accessed from the NOMIS database in the House of Commons Library.

Urban Migration

Mr. Pickthall: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of the net migration from urban and suburban to rural areas of England and Wales in the past 10 years. [150359]

Mr. Andrew Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.

Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Colin Pickthall, dated 15 February 2001:

As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question about estimates of net migration from urban and suburban to rural areas of England and Wales over the last ten years. (150359)

The Office of National Statistics produces quarterly estimates of migration using the movement of NHS doctor's between the former Family Health Service Authorities. They should not be regarded as an exact measure of migration particularly because there is variation in the delay between a person moving and registering with a new doctor.

15 Feb 2001 : Column: 305W

The attached table shows migration from metropolitan areas (including London) to shire county areas. Migration estimates are only available for the last ten years for these administrative areas.

Movements⁽⁵³⁾ between London and metropolitan districts and the Shire counties of England and Wales during the years 1989 to 1999

			Thousand
Year	From London and metropolitan districts to shire counties	From shire counties to metropolitan districts and London	Net migration from metropolitan districts and London to shire counties
1989	347.2	277.5	69.6
1990	296.2	235.5	60.6
1991	331.3	254.7	76.7
1992	337.8	260.5	77.3
1993	341.8	257.7	84.2
1994	354.1	266.1	88.0
1995	364.1	282.0	82.2
1996	372.9	279.8	93.1
1997	385.4	282.7	102.7
1998	376.0	289.9	86.1
1999	384.1	285.0	99.2

⁽⁵³⁾ Based on NHS patient re-registration

Source:

Office for National Statistics

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