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Net Cash Requirement

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the difference between the central Government net cash requirement forecast for 2000-01 in the pre-Budget report and the equivalent figure in the Financial Statement and Budget report (HC 279). [153389]

Mr. Andrew Smith: Table C20 of the Financial Statement and Budget Report (FSBR) for March 2001 shows that the central Government net cash requirement

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(CGNCR) is forecast to be a repayment of £34.3 billion in 2000-01. This compares with the pre-Budget report forecast of the CGNCR of a repayment of £28.1 billion in 2000-01. The difference in these forecasts largely reflect differences in the forecasts of net borrowing, which are fully explained in Tables C6, C8 and C12 and paragraphs C26 to C57 of the FSBR.

Departmental Policies (Jarrow)

Mr. Hepburn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out, with statistical information, relating as directly as possible to the constituency, the effects on Jarrow of his Department's actions since 2 May 1997. [153544]

Miss Melanie Johnson: Jarrow, 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 736, or 22 per cent., youth unemployment is down by 75 per cent., and long-term unemployment has fallen by 63 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 to 24-year-olds had helped 1,544 young people in Jarrow constituency gain valuable skills and experience--728 (47 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, 1,900 families in Jarrow constituency were benefiting from WFTC.

The Government are also committed to policies which enable pensioners to share in the country's rising prosperity. All pensioners, including 15,600 in Jarrow, 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 free TV licence since November 2000--including around 9,900 in Jarrow.

Departmental Policies (Don Valley)

Caroline Flint: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to Don Valley constituency, the effects on Doncaster of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [153527]

Miss Melanie Johnson: Don Valley, 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 1,427, or 48 per cent., youth unemployment is down by 86 per cent., and long-term unemployment has fallen by 80 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 to 24-year-olds had helped 1,164 young people in

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Don Valley constituency gain valuable skills and experience--577 (50 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, 2,200 families in Don Valley constituency were benefiting from WFTC.

The Government are also committed to policies which enable pensioners to share in the country's rising prosperity. All pensioners, including 16,000 in Don Valley, 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 free TV licence since November 2000--including around 9,700 in Don Valley.

Bank Notes

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what estimate he has made of the number of old £20 notes which were not returned to banks before they ceased to be legal tender; [152864]

(2) on what basis £20 notes which are no longer legal tender can be exchanged for new ones; and if he will make a statement. [152879]

Miss Melanie Johnson: Legal tender status was withdrawn from the old style £20 notes on 28 February 2001. After this date, most banks will continue to accept these notes and, as with all genuine Bank of England notes which are no longer legal tender, they will remain payable at the Bank of England for all time, at face value.

Imports (Israel)

Dr. Starkey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 6 March 2001, Official Report, column 156W, if (a) Ahava cosmetics since 11 August 2000, (b) dates since 31 October 2000, (c) carpets from Barkan since 17 August 2000, (d) wines since 13 November 2000 and (e) other items, as listed, since 20 November 2000 have been imported from Israel. [153097]

Dawn Primarolo: The following number of Customs declarations have been made since the dates in question:

(a) Cosmetics: 5

(b) Dates: 71

(c) Carpets from Barkan: 9

(d) Wines: none

(e) Other items: None for brandy and liqueurs; three for pencils; 35 for plastic household items; 77 for key blanks and locks; none for electric products; and 13 for other bath and skincare products.

Some of these products may be exported prior to Customs clearance. Further verification inquiries will be initiated as appropriate.

Budget

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on (a) the expected impact of the 2001 Budget and (b) the combined impact of the 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000 Budget measures on (i) women and (ii) men. [152856]

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Dawn Primarolo: By October 2001, as a result of personal tax and benefit measures:

on average women will be £85 a year better off and men will be £80 a year better off from Budget 2001, compared with an indexed Budget 2000 base;

on average women will be £440 a year better off and men will be £225 a year better off from measures introduced over the Parliament as a whole, compared with an indexed 1997 base. For households, the average gain will be £590 a year.

In addition, families with children will gain from the maternity package announced in Budget 2001, including raising maternity pay to £100 a week and extending it from 18 weeks to 26 weeks by April 2003. As a result of these reforms:

All 360,000 mothers getting maternity pay a year will gain up to £1,200 extra;

maternity pay, together with the extra £10 in the Children's Tax Credit for families with children under one, will mean up to £2,200 extra in the first year for families with a new baby;

most women who worked beforehand will be guaranteed a minimum income of £200 a week for up to six months after the birth;

over 350,000 working fathers could be entitled to two weeks paid paternity leave after a birth, at the same flat rate as maternity pay;

adoptive parents will be able to take paid leave at the same flat rate and for the same period as maternity pay, when adopting a child.

WALES

Forestry

Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has for additional transfer of responsibilities for forestry to the National Assembly of Wales. [150648]

Mr. Paul Murphy: The Government and the National Assembly for Wales are currently considering the transfer of financial responsibility for the Forestry Commission in Wales to the National Assembly.

Policy and Strategy Units

Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when his policy unit was established; which of its reports are placed in the public domain; how many departmental or non-departmental special advisers participate in its work; how many regular (a) non-departmental and (b) departmental staff participate in its work; and how many of these work for the unit on a full-time basis. [150374]

Mr. Paul Murphy: The Wales Office does not have a separate policy unit. Three policy branches advise respectively on: Social Affairs Policy (five policy staff); Economic Affairs Policy (four policy staff); and Finance, Administration, Reserved and Constitutional Policy (three policy staff).

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