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National Insurance

Mr. Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the dates on which the (a) operational and (b) policy making divisions dealing with national insurance were transferred from his Department to the Treasury. [156073]

Dawn Primarolo: The Social Security Contributions (Transfer of Functions etc.) Act 1999 transferred National Insurance policy functions from the Department of Social Security to the Treasury and operational functions from the Department of Social Security to the Inland Revenue on 1 April 1999. Policy officials and staff in the Contributions Agency transferred into the Inland Revenue on that date. Northern Ireland officials working on National Insurance also transferred into the Inland Revenue on that date.

Income Tax

Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will estimate the gain in (a) cash terms and (b) percentage terms for each income decile of people of pension age from change in the level of the basic rate income tax introduced in April 2000; [151311]

(2) what estimate he has made of the (a) average and (b) median gain to pensioners from cutting the basic and lower rates of income tax on (i) savings income, (ii) dividends income, (iii) pension income, (iv) earnings income and (v) all other income to zero; and if he will make a statement. [151313]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The average (mean) gains to people over state retirement pension age from cutting the starting and basic rates of income tax in 2001-02 are given in the table. The median gains would be zero as some six to 10 pensioners pay no tax at all.

For people of state retirement pension age, cutting basic and starting rates of tax to zero for income from:	Average (mean) annual gains (£)
(i) savings	118
(ii) dividends	22
(iii) pensions	333
(iv) earnings	76
(v) other	7

For people over state retirement pension age in 2001-02, estimates for the gains from a 1p cut in the basic rate of income tax by each income decile are shown in the table.

2 Apr 2001 : Column: 46W

Decile	Gain for each decile group (£ million)	Percentage gain
Lowest	0	0
2nd	0	0
3rd	0	0
4th	0	0
5th	0	0
6th	0	0
7th	Neg	0.5
8th	15	8.5
9th	40	21
Highest	135	70
All	195	100

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

Motorcycling (VAT)

Mr. Todd: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 19 March 2001, Official Report, column 34W, on VAT, if he will extend VAT exemption on motorcycle helmets to vital replacement parts and to the safety clothing worn by motorcyclists. [156112]

Dawn Primarolo: Under agreements with our European partners we cannot introduce a zero rate for accessories to motorcycle helmets or for safety clothing worn by motorcyclists.

Departmental Policies (Luton, South)

Ms Moran: 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 the Luton, South constituency of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [156159]

Miss Melanie Johnson: Luton, South, 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 1,315 or 40 per cent., youth unemployment is down by 85 per cent., and long-term unemployment has fallen by 75 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 966 young people in Luton, South constituency gain valuable skills and experience--386 (40 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, 1,500 families in the constituency were benefiting from WFTC.

2 Apr 2001 : Column: 47W

The Government are also committed to policies that enable pensioners to share in the country's rising prosperity. All pensioners, including 12,900 in Luton, South, 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 7,900 in Luton, South.

Departmental Policies (Great Grimsby)

Mr. Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to the constituency, the effect on the Great Grimsby constituency of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [156241]

Miss Melanie Johnson: Great Grimsby, 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 970, or 22 per cent., youth unemployment is down by 72 per cent., and long-term unemployment has fallen by 74 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 1,974 young people in Great Grimsby constituency gain valuable skills and experience--991 (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, 3,400 families in the constituency were benefiting from WFTC.

The Government are also committed to policies that enable pensioners to share in the country's rising prosperity. All pensioners, including 15,500 in Great Grimsby, 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 10,000 in Great Grimsby.

Retirement Statistics

Mr. Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the numbers of (a) men and (b) women due to retire in each of the next 10 years. [156104]

Miss Melanie Johnson [holding answer 29 March 2001]: The information is given in the following table provided by the Government Actuary's Department. It shows the projected number of men and women who will reach state retirement age in each of the next 10 years. The calculations take account of the change to women's state retirement age from 60 to 65 years which will be phased in between 2010 and 2020.

2 Apr 2001 : Column: 48W

Projected number of males and females reaching state retirement age, United Kingdom

		Thousand
Mid-year to mid-year period	Males	Females
2001-02	271	305
2002-03	275	333
2003-04	276	349
2004-05	273	346
2005-06	258	350
2006-07	279	447
2007-08	304	411
2008-09	319	385
2009-10(10)	316	316
2010-11(10)	321	184

⁽¹⁰⁾ The number of women reaching state retirement age in these years is affected by the change to women's state retirement age from 60 to 65 years which will be phased in between April 2010 and April 2020.

Source:

Government Actuary's Department: calculations based on 1998- based national population projections.

Inland Revenue

Mr. Welsh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) personal computers, (b) servers, (c) printers, (d) fax machines and (e) vehicles were based with the Inland Revenue in (i) Scotland and (ii) the United Kingdom in (A) 1998-99 and (B) 1999-2000. [155309]

Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 26 March 2001]: The information requested is as follows:

	Scotland	UK
1998-99
(a) Personal Computers	7,160	63,173
(b) Servers	105	1,228
(c) Printers	1,497	13,787
(d) Fax Machines(11)	n/a	--
(e) Vehicles(12)	--	1,282
1999-2000
(a) Personal Computers	7,159	63,268
(b) Servers	85	711
(c) Printers	1,408	12,753
(d) Fax Machines(11)	n/a	--
(e) Vehicles(12)	1,653	--

⁽¹¹⁾ No central records are available

⁽¹²⁾ Central records do not give a separate figure for Scotland

Mr. Welsh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much the Inland Revenue spent on education and training of employees in (a) Scotland and (b) the United Kingdom in (i) 1998-99 and (ii) 1999-2000. [155316]

Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 26 March 2001]: A comprehensive breakdown of the total amounts spent on training by the Inland Revenue in Scotland is not available.

The figures for the United Kingdom as a whole were £27,933,596 and £34,308,279 for 1998-99 and 1999-2000, respectively.

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