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Metro Systems
Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he compiles comparisons between the performances of the metro systems of major international cities. [5094]
Ms Keeble: My Department does not compile data that would enable comparisons to be made on a consistent basis between the performance of either major underground systems or integrated light rail systems in major cities. However, the data and research which my Department has examined or commissioned have shown that light rail schemes and associated integrated transport policies can play a significant role in improving the attractiveness and quality of public transport and increasing its usage.
Rough Sleepers
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many people were sleeping rough in England in (a) April, (b) May and (c) June. [5228]
Ms Keeble: The Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions is currently collating statistics from independent counts that took place across England over the spring and will publish these figures in due course.
TREASURY
Competitiveness
10. Tim Loughton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the impact on manufacturing competitiveness of changes to the tax burden in the UK and other OECD countries in recent years. [3331]
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- 11. Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the impact of taxation on the competitiveness of the manufacturing sector; and if he will make a statement. [R] [3332]
Mr. Andrew Smith: The Government recognise the difficulties that manufacturers are experiencing because of the slowdown in the world economy and the weakness of the euro. No country can ever insulate itself from world economic events. The Government's primary economic task is to create the right conditions of macro-economic stability within which all businesses, including manufacturers, can develop their potential; the Government keep all taxes under review and the changes to the tax system are considered as part of the normal Budget process, taking into account implications for the UK's international competitiveness.
14. Mr. Fallon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the UK's comparative position in international competitiveness. [3336]
Mr. Boateng: Since 1997 the Government have established the lowest inflation in the EU and highest employment of almost any country in the OECD. We have started a programme of structural reform to strengthen competition and promote enterprise, innovation and skills.
And we will do more—starting with the reforms we have already announced to make our competition regime truly world-class.
21. Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the impact of levels of taxation on the competitiveness of the UK. [3344]
Dawn Primarolo: The Government keep all taxes under review, and changes to the tax system are considered as part of the normal Budget process.
EU Structural Funds
12. Andrew George: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will make a statement on the progress of the delivery of European Union aid to the United Kingdom's Objective 1 regions; [3333]
- (2) what assessment he has made of the progress achieved by (a) Government and (b) the four UK Objective 1 regions in delivering the Objective 1 programmes within the pre-agreed timetable. [5299]
Mr. Andrew Smith: All the UK's four Objective 1 regions are making good progress on their programmes. We are only 10 months into a seven-year programme, and already over 14 per cent. of the total grant available has been approved for projects. In Cornwall, projects to the value of £54 million grant have been approved—nearly
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17 per cent. of the programme's total allocation. In addition, projects with a grant value of also around £54 million—a further 17.6 per cent. of the programme's total allocation—are under appraisal.
Andrew George: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what public match-funds have so far been used to support projects for which European Structural Funds have been offered in each of the four UK Objective 1 regions broken down by (a) public funds and (b) Government Department and by (i) amount offered and (ii) spent so far in each of the four Objective 1 regions; [5302]
- (2) what targets have been agreed with the European Commission for (a) financial commitments to projects and (b) receipt of money by projects to which financial commitments have been made in each of the four UK Objective 1 regions for European financial years ending 2001 to 2006; [5301]
(3) how much of the money offered under (a) ERDF, (b) EAGGF, (c) ESF and (d) other European structural funds in each of the four UK Objective 1 regions has been paid out broken down by project, by (i) the total amount so far, (ii) proportion of total EU budget under that fund for the region's Objective 1 programme period and (iii) proportion of money so far offered; [5303]
(4) what grant offers have been made by (a) number of projects and (b) amount of money (sterling) for (i) ERDF, (ii) EAGGF, (iii) ESF and (iv) other structural funds in each of the four UK Objective 1 regions so far. [5298]
Alan Johnson: I have been asked to reply.
The information requested is not held centrally. My Department is in contact with the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (for the three English Objective 1 programmes) and the National Assembly for Wales (for the West Wales and the Valleys programme), which are the organisations responsible for implementation of the programmes, and I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.
Climate Change Levy
15. Mr. Evans: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the reduction in global carbon emissions resulting from the climate change levy. [3337]
Mr. Boateng: The climate change levy package will deliver emissions savings of an estimated 5 million tonnes of carbon by 2010.
Debt Relief
16. Ms Christine Russell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on recent progress in relieving the burden of debt in the world's poorest countries. [3338]
Mr. Gordon Brown: The HIPC debt relief initiative is currently delivering debt relief of $53 billion to 23 of the World's poorest countries. This will see their debts fall to below the developing country average. The UK's 100 per cent. policy means that countries that reach a decision point receive relief on 100 per cent. of their outstanding debts to the UK. In addition, all payments from countries yet to receive debt relief—for example due
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to conflict—are being held in trust to be returned when the money will go to the poorest, and not on conflict. The UK has called for other countries to follow its lead and demonstrate they too have no financial interest in these historic debts.
28. Mrs. Betty Williams: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the UK's contribution to international efforts to relieve the debt burden of the world's most indebted countries. [3351]
Mr. Boateng: The HIPC debt relief initiative is currently delivering debt relief of $53 billion to 23 of the World's poorest countries. This will see their debts fall to below the developing country average. The UK's 100 per cent. policy means that countries that reach a decision point receive relief on 100 per cent. of their outstanding debts to the UK. In addition, all payments from countries yet to receive debt relief—for example due to conflict—are being held in trust to be returned when the money will go to the poorest, and not on conflict. The UK has called for other countries to follow its lead and demonstrate they too have no financial interest in these historic debts.
Working Families Tax Credit
17. Linda Perham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the impact of the Working Families Tax Credit in London. [3340]
Dawn Primarolo: The Working Families Tax Credit is a success in making work pay for families on low to middle incomes in London.
At February this year the WFTC was helping 92,000 families in London to the extent of £400 million per year. This is 50 per cent. more families and double the cash help than was the case with its predecessor Family Credit.
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what monitoring his Department undertakes of the impact of the Working Families Tax Credit on work incentives for second earners in recipient households; and if he will make a statement. [4454]
Dawn Primarolo: The Government have put in place a comprehensive programme to monitor and evaluate the Working Families Tax Credit. The Working Families Tax Credit is part of a wider package of measures designed to make work pay and thereby help to provide employment opportunity for all. These measures also include the introduction of the National Minimum Wage, the 10p starting rate of tax, and changes to employee and employer National Insurance Contributions. Independent estimates, which are consistent with those produced by the Treasury, suggest that these measures will lead to an increase in the labour supply of second earners.
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