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CM (M693939)
Mr. Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when a decision will be made in the case of CM (M693939); and for what reason there have been delays in processing the case since 26 October 2000. [150694]
Mrs. Roche: As HIV/AIDS cases involve careful consideration due to their compassionate nature, I am unable to give a definitive date for completion of this application.
Due to the fact that guidelines in dealing with HIV/AIDS cases have until recently been under review, there has been a delay in the handling of such applications. I am sorry that my hon. Friend was not made aware of such a likely delay in the handling of this application in the reply he received.
Asylum Seekers
Ms Glenda Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what plans he has to change conditions of eligibility for asylum seekers to apply for maternity provision; [150967]
- (2) in which languages advice for asylum seekers making an application for maternity benefits is published; [150963]
(3) what plans he has to change the provision afforded to asylum seekers who apply for maternity grants; [150966]
(4) what assistance is afforded to asylum seekers wishing to make an application for maternity benefits. [150962]
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Mrs. Roche [holding answer 26 February 2001]: In line with the maternity grant paid from the social fund to those on low incomes, the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) on 13 November 2000 introduced a maternity payment for eligible asylum seekers. The mother or father completes an application form within the time scale to qualify. The voluntary sector one-stop shops will assist asylum seekers to complete the maternity payment application form if required.
There are no plans to change the conditions of eligibility. We consider that the NASS application time scale is reasonable. This allows asylum seekers to apply for the maternity payment between one month before the estimated date of delivery and two weeks after the birth. Additionally, a payment may be made if a child was born outside the United Kingdom to a person who, on application, qualifies for NASS support and the child is three months of age or less.
Written advice on applications for the maternity payment is available from the NASS in English. The voluntary sector one-stop shops are funded by the Home Office to provide relevant advice in other languages to asylum seekers if required.
There are no plans at present to change the NASS maternity provision. However, the Government are currently reviewing the operation of the NASS voucher scheme. If serious problems are found they will be properly addressed.
Immigration Controls (Eurostar)
Miss Widdecombe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in relation to his plan to introduce juxtaposed entry controls at Eurostar terminals, when the first immigration officers will be stationed in France; if the scheme requires new manpower for the Immigration Service Ports Directorate; from which areas officers will be redeployed to staff the scheme; and if he will make a statement. [151211]
Mrs. Roche [holding answer 28 February 2001]: We intend to introduce juxtaposed entry controls on Eurostar trains arriving from Paris, Lille and Calais-Frethun as soon as legislation will allow. The timing of the deployment of United Kingdom immigration officers will depend upon ratification by the French Parliament of the Additional Protocol to the Sangatte Protocol governing the control of international traffic through the Channel Tunnel. We understand this will now take place in early summer 2001.
The United Kingdom Immigration Service proposes to staff juxtaposed controls from within its agreed staffing allocations for 2001-2002. It will have 1,000 more operational staff, (Assistant Immigration Officers, Immigration Officers and Chief Immigration Officers) in post in May this year than it did in April 2000. Waterloo will provide the immigration officers to operate the juxtaposed controls at Paris and Lille. Controls at Calais-Frethun will be conducted by staff deployed at the Channel Tunnel site at Coquelles. We do not intend to use staff from other areas of the Home Office.
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TREASURY
Working Families Tax Credit
Ms Kelly: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much families have benefited from the Working Families Tax Credit, by parliamentary constituency, in Northern Ireland, broken down by gender of claimant. [151002]
Dawn Primarolo: The following table provides estimates of the number of recipients of the Working Families Tax Credit (WFTC) in each constituency at the end of August 2000, based on the postcodes as captured from the application forms.
| Gender of applicant | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Female | Male | All | |
| Belfast, East | 1.4 | 0.2 | 1.5 |
| Belfast, North | 2.2 | 0.2 | 2.4 |
| Belfast, South | 1.1 | 0.1 | 1.2 |
| Belfast, West | 2.6 | 0.2 | 2.9 |
| East Antrim | 1.6 | 0.2 | 1.8 |
| East Londonderry | 2.0 | 0.3 | 2.3 |
| Fermanagh and South Tyrone | 1.9 | 0.3 | 2.3 |
| Foyle | 2.4 | 0.4 | 2.8 |
| Lagan Valley | 1.5 | 0.2 | 1.7 |
| Mid-Ulster | 1.9 | 0.3 | 2.2 |
| Newry and Armagh | 2.2 | 0.3 | 2.5 |
| North Antrim | 2.0 | 0.3 | 2.4 |
| North Down | 1.2 | 0.2 | 1.4 |
| South Antrim | 1.9 | 0.3 | 2.1 |
| South Down | 2.0 | 0.3 | 2.3 |
| Strangford | 1.6 | 0.3 | 1.9 |
| Upper Bann | 2.2 | 0.3 | 2.5 |
| West Tyrone | 2.0 | 0.3 | 2.4 |
| Unknown | 0.8 | 0.1 | 0.9 |
| All | 34.4 | 5.0 | 39.4 |
Note:
Based on an analysis of all awards, using the 2000 Version 1 Postcode Directory supplied by the Office for National Statistics, which allocates postcodes to constituencies according to their definitions at January 2000. Cases with incomplete postcodes are allocated if the constituencies are nevertheless indicated with certainty.
Ms Kelly: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give a breakdown of all Working Families Tax Credit awards to those in (a) couple families showing the gender of the recipient of the payment and (b) couple families with children aged under one, showing the gender of the recipient of the payment. [151004]
Dawn Primarolo: In couple families the applicants receive the Working Families Tax Credit (WFTC) payments in their wage packets, or into accounts nominated by them, or as order books which can be cashed by either partner. It is estimated that, in the 548,000 couples receiving WFTC at the end of August 2000, 412,000 of the applicants were female and 136,000 male.
116,000 of these couples had at least one child aged under one year at the application dates of the awards. 85,000 of the applicants in these couples were female and 31,000 male.
Ms Kelly: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion families receiving Working Families Tax Credit are also entitled to (a) Housing Benefit and (b) Housing Benefit and Council Tax benefit. [150999]
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Dawn Primarolo: Applicants for the Working Families Tax Credit (WFTC) are not required to supply information on Housing Benefit (HB) and Council Tax Benefit (CTB). Claimants for HB and CTB are however required to supply information on WFTC, and I understand from the Department of Social Security that estimates of the numbers involved are expected to be available in the coming months.
Mr. Sarwar: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the take-up level of the Working Families Tax Credit in (a) Glasgow, (b) Scotland and (c) the United Kingdom. [151616]
Dawn Primarolo: Estimates of the number of families in each of these areas in receipt of the Working Families Tax Credit (WFTC) at August 2000 appear in the WFTC Quarterly Enquiry, a copy of which is in the Library.
Family Taxation
Ms Kelly: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of families with children aged three or under pay the highest rate of income tax. [150998]
Dawn Primarolo: Of families with children aged three or under it is estimated that 15 per cent. pay higher-rate tax.
Mr. Sarwar: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the changes to the tax system that have benefited working families since 1997. [151618]
Dawn Primarolo: The Government have put in place a series of measures aimed at families with children, including: record increases in Child Benefit, with a 26 per cent. real increase in the rate for the first child since 1997; the new Children's Tax Credit, worth up to £442 a year for around 5 million families from April 2001; the introduction of the Working Families Tax Credit in October 1999, to make work pay for low and middle income working families with children.
These measures, together with the new 10p income tax band, the cut in the basic rate of income tax to 22p and reforms to National Insurance Contributions, mean that by April this year the tax burden on the typical family will be at its lowest level since 1972.
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