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Television Licences

Mr. Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will review the guidelines for enforcement by the Television Licensing Authority of television licence payments. [151462]

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Janet Anderson: No. Statutory responsibility for the administration and enforcement of the television licensing system rests with the BBC. TV Licensing carries out the day-to-day administration and enforcement as agent for the corporation. It is for the BBC, as licensing authority, to keep under review the guidelines under which TV Licensing operates.

TREASURY

EU Stability and Growth Pact

Mr. Cash: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library the Opinion of the Council made under Council Regulation EC No. 1466/97 and Article 99 EC. [151118]

Miss Melanie Johnson [holding answer 26 February 2001]: A copy of the Opinion has been deposited in the Library of the House.

Departmental Policies (Bolton, West)

Ms Kelly: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to the Bolton, West constituency, the effects on Bolton, West of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [150602]

Miss Melanie Johnson: Bolton, West, along with the rest of the United Kingdom, is benefiting from the long-term action we have taken to build economic stability and secure high and stable levels of growth and employment. Since the General Election, claimant unemployment in the constituency has fallen by 439, or 33 per cent, youth unemployment is down by 67 per cent. and long-term unemployment has fallen by 66 per cent.

Macro-economic stability is being complemented at the micro-economic level by the Government's policies to ease the transition from welfare into work and to make work pay. To the end of December 2000, the New Deal for 18-24-year-olds had helped 447 young people in Bolton, West constituency gain valuable skills and experience--238 (53 per cent.) of whom had moved into employment. The Working Families Tax Credit (WFTC), introduced in October 1999, is helping to make work pay for low and middle income families. In August 2000, 1,700 families in the constituency were benefiting from WFTC.

The Government are also committed to developing policies which enable all pensioners to share in the country's rising prosperity. As a result of the recent Pre-Budget Report, all pensioners, including 14,500 in Bolton, West, will receive an above-inflation increase in the basic state pension from April 2001. Single pensioners will receive an extra £5 a week, and couples will receive an extra £8 a week. All pensioners aged 75 or over have also been entitled to a free TV licence since November 2000--including around 9,700 in Bolton, West.

Child Care

Dr. Starkey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will review the types of child care costs taken into consideration in the payment of the Working Families Tax Credit. [150519]

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Dawn Primarolo: The child care tax credit in the Working Families Tax Credit supports the National Child Care Strategy not only by making child care more affordable but by ensuring that the help we give goes to those using safe, good quality, child care. By the end of August 2000, 124,000 working families were getting money towards their child care costs through the Working Families Tax Credit. This is far in excess of the 47,000 families who received child care help at the high-water mark of family credit.

Departmental Policies (Hull, North)

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to the Hull, North constituency, the effects on Hull, North of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [150616]

Miss Melanie Johnson: Hull, North along with the rest of the United Kingdom, is benefiting from the long-term action we have taken to build economic stability and secure high and stable levels of growth and employment. Since the General Election, claimant unemployment in the constituency has fallen by 998, or 22 per cent., youth unemployment is down by 72 per cent., and long-term unemployment has fallen by 34 per cent.

Macro-economic stability is being complemented at the micro-economic level by the Government's policies to ease the transition from welfare into work and to make work pay. To the end of November 2000, the New Deal for 18 to 24-year-olds had helped 2,434 young people in Hull, North constituency gain valuable skills and experience--1,160 (48 per cent.) of whom had moved into employment. The Working Families Tax Credit (WFTC), introduced in October 1999, is helping to make work pay for low and middle income families. In August 2000, 2,800 families in the constituency were benefiting from WFTC.

The Government are also committed to developing policies which enable all pensioners to share in the country's rising prosperity. As a result of the recent pre-Budget report, all pensioners, including 12,300 in Hull, North, will receive an above-inflation increase in the basic state pension from April 2001. Single pensioners will receive an extra £5 a week, and couples will receive an extra £8 a week. All pensioners aged 75 or over have also been entitled to a free TV licence since November 2000--including around 8,000 in Hull, North.

Tax and Dividend Income

Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what the (a) mean and (b) median taxable income of pensioners was in the most recent year for which information is available; [151639]

(2) if he will estimate the annual cost of exempting non-taxpayers from the abolition of payable tax credits on dividend income; [151642]

(3) what estimate he has made of the gains in income decile of cutting the basic and starting rates of tax on savings and dividends income to zero; and if he will make a statement; [151641]

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(4) what estimate he has made of the gains (a) in absolute terms and (b) as a percentage of income by income decile, of increasing age- related personal allowances for all people aged over 65 years by £2,000; [151637]

(5) what estimate he has made of the (a) cost and (b) absolute and relative gain by income decile of increasing the amount of income subject to basic rate income tax by £6,000; and if he will make a statement. [151643]

Dawn Primarolo [holding answers 1 March 2001]: An analysis by range of income decile for increasing tax age-related allowances by £2,000 in 2001-02 is in the table:

Decile of total income	Gains (£ million)	Gain as a percentage of income
Bottom 7	90	(26)--
8	310	2.6
9	380	2.8
Top	220	0.8
All	1,000	(26)--

⁽²⁶⁾ It is not possible to provide a breakdown of the bottom deciles as the survey of personal incomes can only provide reliable estimates for the income of taxpayers.

Note:

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

In 2000-01 the mean and median taxable income for people of state retirement pension age are £3,700 and £0 respectively, where taxable income is defined as income above the appropriate personal allowance.

An analysis by range of income decile for cutting the basic and starting rates of tax on savings and dividends income to zero in 2001-02 is in the table:

Decile of total income	Gains (£ million)
Bottom 7	490
8	780
9	830
Top	1,010
All	3,000

Note:

The estimates are based on the Survey of Personal Incomes and consistent with the November 2000 pre-Budget report. It is not possible to provide a breakdown of the bottom deciles as the survey of personal incomes can only provide reliable estimates for taxpayers.

The cost of exempting non-taxpayers from the abolition of payable tax credits on dividend income is around £50 million in 2001-01 before allowing for behavioural effects.

An analysis by range of income decile for increasing the income tax basic rate limit by £6,000 in 2001-02 is in the table:

Decile of total income	Gains (£ million)
Bottom 9	0
Top	2,500
All	2,500

Note:

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

5 Mar 2001 : Column: 90W

Debt Relief

Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with the Italian Government about debt relief discussions at the forthcoming G8 Summit; and if he will make a statement. [152296]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The UK has discussed debt relief and development issues extensively with the Italian Government, who are currently chair of the G7. In particular the UK is working closely with the Italian Government to build on announcements made at an international conference on Child Poverty hosted by the UK on 26 February, aimed at improving the access to drugs and vaccines for the world's poorest children.

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