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Halifax/Equitable Life

Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if (a) his Department and (b) the Financial Services Authority is carrying out an investigation into the implications of the proposed acquisition by Halifax plc of the operations of Equitable Life and its implications for policyholders. [150440]

Miss Melanie Johnson [holding answer 15 February 2001]: We understand that the FSA is working closely with Equitable Life and the Halifax to ensure that the proposal meets the FSA's regulatory criteria and that it protects the interests of policyholders.

Children's Tax Credit

Mr. Pike: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families in Lancashire will benefit from the introduction of the Children's Tax Credit. [150629]

Dawn Primarolo: An estimate of the number of families in Lancashire eligible to claim the Children's Tax Credit (CTC) is unavailable, but an estimate of the number of families in North West Government Office Region who will be eligible to claim CTC is 625,000.

Brit Disc

Mr. Redwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) when he plans to introduce the Brit disc on foreign lorries; [150934]

(2) what meetings, correspondence and phone calls his Department has had with the European Commission over the introduction of a Brit disc for continental lorries; [150933]

(3) if he has (a) sought and (b) been granted permission by the EU to introduce a user charge for foreign lorries. [151018]

Mr. Timms: Officials from the Treasury are continuing to discuss with others how a user charge might operate, bearing in mind the experience of other countries that operate similar schemes. European Community law permits member states to introduce user charges for goods vehicles.

Church Repairs (VAT)

Mr. Bob Russell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 7 February 2000, Official Report, column 622W, concerning VAT on church repairs, if he will set out details of the special arrangements to help congregations pay for repairs to listed buildings. [150576]

Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 15 February 2001]: Discussions on the details of the special arrangements to help congregations pay for repairs to listed places of worship are on-going.

26 Feb 2001 : Column: 518W

Pensioners (Tax)

Mr. Rapson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many retirement pensioners are liable to pay income tax; at what rates; and what proportion each group represents of total retirement pensioners. [150065]

Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 15 February 2001]: The numbers of taxpayers of over state retirement pension age are set out in the table.

Estimates for 2000-01	Number of pension age(77) taxpayers (million)(78)	Percentage of pension age(77) population
Starting rate(79)	0.8	7
"Savers" rate(80)	0.6	6
Basic rate(81)	2.7	25
Higher rate(82)	0.2	2
All taxpayers	4.3	40

⁽⁷⁷⁾ Women aged 60 or over, men aged 65 or over

⁽⁷⁸⁾ Estimates rounded to the nearest 100,000

⁽⁷⁹⁾ Taxpayers with a marginal rate at the 10 per cent. starting rate from an extra £1 of earnings.

⁽⁸⁰⁾ Taxpayers with a marginal rate at the 20 per cent. lower rate for savings income or the 10 per cent. ordinary dividend rate from an extra £1 of earnings.

⁽⁸¹⁾ Taxpayers with a marginal rate at the basic rate from an extra £1 of earnings.

⁽⁸²⁾ Taxpayers with taxable income above the higher rate threshold.

Note:

The estimates are based on the Survey of Personal Incomes and consistent with the November 2000 pre-Budget report.

Census Form

Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to include (a) English, (b) Scottish, (c) Welsh and (d) Northern Ireland tick boxes to indicate nationality on the next census form; and if he will make a statement. [151361]

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. Lawrence Robertson, dated 26 February 2001:

As National Statistician and Registrar General for England and Wales I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what the plans were for including English, Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland tick boxes to indicate nationality on the next census form.

As Registrar General for England and Wales I can only comment on the 2001 Census in England and Wales.

The 2001 Census form in England and Wales does not include a question on nationality. All the questions proposed in the White Paper were widely consulted upon and shown to have satisfied certain strategic criteria; such as the need for the information by a substantial number of census users, and that the information was not available from any other source in the detail or area level required.

The 2001 Census form in England and Wales does include a question on country of birth which includes tick boxes for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and a question on ethnic group. The prime purpose of the ethnic group question is to identify areas with high levels of ethnic minority populations, which would help provide valuable baseline information on which to plan and provide services and monitor racial disadvantage and social exclusion. A "write-in" response category within each of the main ethnic groupings provides the opportunity for persons to describe their ethnicity as "English", "Scottish", "Welsh", or "Northern Irish" or in whatever other way they wish.

26 Feb 2001 : Column: 519W

Private Finance Initiative

Barbara Follett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he next expects to publish updated information on the Government's PFI activity. [151633]

Mr. Andrew Smith: Tables containing this information will be published in the Financial Statement and Budget Report on 7 March.

In the course of updating the PFI information, errors in Tables C14, C15 and C16 of FSBR 2000 came to light, arising from mistranscription of data. I am placing corrected copies of these tables in the Library today.

Gold

Sir Peter Tapsell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the individuals, firms and financial institutions to which gold was sold by the Bank of England in auctions conducted since 1 January 1997; and if he will show in each case the amount of gold sold. [151040]

Miss Melanie Johnson: Details of individuals, firms and financial institutions to which gold was sold are commercially confidential. Information on entitlement to bid is set out in the Bank of England's "Information Memorandum: HM Government's Gold Auction Programme 2000-01", published on 3 March 2000, copies of which are in the Library.

Sir Peter Tapsell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the individuals, firms and financial institutions to which the Bank of England loaned and leased gold between 1995 and 1999; and if he will show in each case the amount of gold loaned or leased. [151039]

Miss Melanie Johnson: Details of individuals, firms and financial institutions to which gold was loaned and leased are commercially confidential.

Single Currency

Mr. Gill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what officials were instructed to tell other EU Governments in respect of Britain's national changeover plan for the single currency and its timing. [150889]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The second Outline National Changeover plan was published on 9 March 2000. On 10 March, copies of the plan were sent to the European Commission for distribution to other EU Governments.

European Union

Mr. Gill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer in what currency (a) UK contributions to the EU Budget and (b) EU payments to the UK are made. [150874]

Miss Melanie Johnson: Both the United Kingdom's contributions to the EC Budget and EC payments to the United Kingdom are made in sterling.

Mr. Gill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the net cost per month has been of UK contributions to the EU since January 2000. [150873]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The Government publish details of the United Kingdom's net contribution to the EC Budget on an annual, financial year, basis. The United

26 Feb 2001 : Column: 520W

Kingdom's net contribution in 1999-2000, together with the Government's latest forecast in respect of 2000-01, can be found at footnote 1 to Table B17 of the Pre-Budget Report (Cm 4917) published in November 2000.

Details of the Government's spring forecast of the United Kingdom's net contribution in 2000-01 will be published in the Chancellor's Departmental Report.

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