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Inland Revenue/

Customs and Excise Research Programme

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the (a) subjects and (b) terms of reference of the first two research studies undertaken by the Inland Revenue and HM Customs and Excise Joint Compliance Costs Research Programme. [16340]

Dawn Primarolo: The first two research studies undertaken by the Inland Revenue and HM Customs and Excise in the Joint Compliance Costs Research Programme are: (i) a study of the compliance costs of corporation tax for UK businesses; and (ii) a study of the compliance costs of VAT for UK businesses. The terms of reference of the studies were covered by the contract notice in the Official Journal of the European Communities (OJEC) submitted on 26 May 2000.

Railtrack

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the statement made by the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions in the House on 13 November 2001, Official Report, column 724, if he will list the dates, up to one month prior to 5 October, when he sent advice to the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions. [16277]

Mr. Andrew Smith: Treasury Ministers have discussions with a variety of people, including colleagues in other Departments, on a wide range of subjects on a regular basis.

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on which dates, up to one month prior to 5 October, he sent advice to the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, that funds were not likely to be approved to maintain the (a) viability and (b) liquidity of Railtrack plc. [16278]

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Mr. Andrew Smith: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister for Transport, Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions to the right hon. and learned Member for Sleaford and North Hykeham (Mr. Hogg) on 14 November 2001, Official Report, column 735W.

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what date the Office for National Statistics was asked to examine the accounting treatment of the successor organisation to Railtrack; and if he will make a statement. [16593]

Mr. Andrew Smith: The Office for National Statistics was asked to examine the accounting treatment of a possible successor organisation to Railtrack on Wednesday 3 October.

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the briefings his officials have given to newspapers on Railtrack in the last seven days. [15332]

Mr. Andrew Smith: The Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions is responsible for railways policy.

Mr. Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he authorised the payment of £162 million from the Strategic Rail Authority to Railtrack on 1 October. [16162]

Mr. Andrew Smith: The timing of payments to Railtrack via the SRA is a matter for the SRA and the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions.

Mr. Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he (a) has had and (b) plans to have with the Governor of the Bank of England on the effects of and matters arising from the administration of Railtrack. [15932]

Mr. Andrew Smith: Treasury Ministers have discussions with a wide variety of people on a wide range of subjects on a regular basis.

Corporation Tax

Mr. Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total corporation tax receipts were in the last financial year; and what receipts had been expected. [15929]

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is set in the Office for National Statistics publication "Financial Statistics", a copy of which is in the Library. The latest forecasts were published in Budget 2000 and previously in the pre-Budget report 2000.

Consumer Debt

Mr. Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total amount of non-mortgage consumer debt was in real terms in each year since 1992. [15936]

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.

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Letter from John Pullinger to Mr. Howard Flight, dated 20 November 2001:

The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your question about the total amount of non-mortgage consumer debt in real terms for each year since 1992. I am replying in his absence. (15936)

The table below shows non-mortgage consumer debt in nominal terms, which is published in Table 3.2B of Financial Statistics, a copy of which is available in the House of Commons library. The Office for National Statistics does not publish data on non-mortgage debt in real terms. Also included is a time series which shows nominal non-mortgage debt deflated by the retail price index excluding mortgage interest payments (RPIX).

Year	Nominal non-mortgage consumer debt (VZRI) (£ million)	RPIX (CHMK)	'Real' non-mortgage consumer debt (£ million)
1992	53,188	136.4	38,994
1993	52,974	140.5	37,704
1994	57,617	143.8	40,067
1995	67,624	147.9	45,723
1996	76,859	152.3	50,466
1997	87,497	156.5	55,909
1998	101,659	160.6	63,300
1999	114,872	164.3	69,916
2000	126,733	167.7	75,571

Census

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if the Office for National Statistics authorised the use of Government-held personal records about (a) asylum seekers and (b) other categories of people during compilation of the 2001 census returns; [16336]

(2) what guidance was given by the Office for National Statistics to census enumerators about access to information held by the Government about individuals; [16338]

(3) what his policy is on the rules governing the access of census enumerators to individual personal information held by Government Departments. [16337]

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.

Letter from Len Cook to Mr. David Lidington, dated 20 November 2001:

As National Statistician and Registrar General for England and Wales, I have been asked to reply to your recent questions to the Chancellor of the Exchequer asking:

1. whether the Office for National Statistics authorised the case of government-held personal records held about (a) asylum seekers and (b) other categories of people during the compilation of the 2001 Census returns (16336);

2. what his policy on the rules governing the access of census enumerators to individual personal information held by government departments (16337); and

3. what guidance was given by the Office for National Statistics to census enumerators about access to information held by the Government about individuals (16338).

In response to the first question you will want to be aware that the Registrar General is authorised by the terms of the Census Act 1920 to conduct a census in England and Wales.

The Census Order 2000 (Statutory Instrument 2000 no. 744) made under Section 1 of the Census Act, prescribes the persons by whom and in respect of whom the returns are to be made. Returns were required to be made in respect to all persons who are usually resident

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in England and Wales. For the purpose of the 2001 Census a person was regarded as being 'usually resident' in England and Wales if he or she was present at an address in England and Wales on census night and had no other usual address in England and Wales or elsewhere. This would, therefore, generally include asylum seekers, and thus the Census Act imposed a duty on me to collect returns from such people.

The Census Regulations 2000 (Statutory Instrument 2000 no. 1473), made under section 3 of the Act, empowered the making of any such arrangements as the Registrar General thinks fit for the collection of the particulars prescribed by the Census Order to be stated in the returns.

For this purpose, the Registrar General was able to make arrangements where necessary to acquire information from official sources on the location of accommodation that housed asylum seekers and on other population sub-groups (such as rough sleepers), which would enable forms to be delivered and collected in respect of such people who might not otherwise be aware of their statutory duty to make a return or have access to the forms.

In all cases the provision of such information would have been a matter for the data custodian of that information. The subsequent uses of the information for Census purposes were within the terms of the requirements of the Data Protection Act 1998, and the strict confidentiality provisions of the Census Act as amended by the Census (Confidentiality) Act 1991.

In answer to your second and third questions, there were no provisions or arrangements made in the conduct of the 2001 Census for access to any individual personal information held by Government departments or agencies by census enumerators, and consequently no guidance given to enumerators on any such access.

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