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Income Tax (Young People)
Lembit Öpik: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he plans to remove 16 and 17-year-olds from the income tax systems; and if he will make a statement. [18015]
Dawn Primarolo: We have no plans to remove 16 and 17-year-olds from the income tax system. However, if their income is below the personal allowance they will not pay tax.
Benefits (Buckingham)
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people received (a) tax credits and (b) means- tested benefits in the Buckingham constituency in each year since April 1997. [17848]
Dawn Primarolo: For figures back to 1998 I refer the hon. Member to the earlier reply by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on 19 November 2001, Official Report, column 153W. I understand from the Department for Work and Pensions that the equivalent figures for Buckingham for May 1997 were:
| May 1997 | Number |
|---|---|
| Income support | 2,100 |
| Jobseeker's allowance (income based) | (27)400 |
| Family credit | (27)300 |
| Disability working allowance | 10 |
| Total | 2,800 |
(27) Sampling error is particularly high for these figures, and they should be treated as a rough guide only
Notes:
1. Apart from DWA, the figures are based on a 5 per cent. sample. They are subject to sampling error and therefore shown to the nearest hundred
2. Recipients of FC or DWA who also receive IS or JSA are included only in the income support and jobseeker's allowance figures. This eliminates double counting in the total
3. DWA figures are for April
Sources:
Income Support Quarterly Statistical Enquiry May 1997
Jobseeker's Allowance Quarterly Statistical Enquiry May 1997
Family Credit Quarterly Statistical Enquiry May 1997
Disability Working Allowance Quarterly Statistical Enquiry April 1997
There were 6,340 recipients of housing benefit and 7,470 recipients of council tax benefit in the Aylesbury Vale district council area at May 1997.
28 Nov 2001 : Column: 1017W
Brazilian Mahogany
Mr. Blizzard: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his policy is on the seizure by Customs and Excise of Brazilian mahogany and mahogany products shipped to UK ports. [17836]
Dawn Primarolo: Where Brazilian mahogany is subject to control under Council Regulation 338/97 on the protection of species of wild fauna and flora, and the necessary documentation is not presented to Customs at importation, then Customs would normally seize the consignment.
Impounded Vehicles
Mr. Heath: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 14 November 2001, Official Report, column 766W, on impounded vehicles, what are the security reasons which prevent the geographical locations of such sites from being published; which officials are responsible for making this decision; and if he will make a statement. [18211]
Dawn Primarolo: The geographical location of storage sites for seized goods, including vehicles, is not published in order to reduce the risk of criminal attempts of theft and damage. In the recent past a vehicle with satellite tracking was deliberately burned and attempts to remove vehicles or parts of vehicles by allegedly armed men have been reported.
The decision not to publish the details of storage sites has been taken by the contract managers in consultation with Customs security officers.
Mr. Heath: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 14 November 2001, Official Report, column 766W, on impounded vehicles, with which bodies Customs and Excise has made contract arrangements to supply storage facilities; when each contract arrangement was made; what the value is of each contract; and if he will make a statement. [18210]
Dawn Primarolo: The contract for the haulage and storage of excise goods and vehicles used to smuggle was signed with P&O Trans European Ltd. in 1996 for three years and renewed for a further two years in 1999. It is not possible to identify the value of this contract in relation to vehicle storage alone.
Departmental Bodies and Reviews
Mr. Fallon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what (a) task forces and (b) policy reviews with external members have been established by his Department since January 2000; and what (i) sub-groups, (ii) working parties and (iii) other subsidiary committees were established by each body. [18159]
Ruth Kelly: Information about task forces, annual reports and ad hoc advisory groups is set out in an annual report, published by the Cabinet Office. Copies of the annual report on task forces and similar bodies have been placed in the Library of the House and the annual report is being made available on the Cabinet Office's website.
Information about sub-groups, working parties and other subsidiary committees established by each body is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
28 Nov 2001 : Column: 1018W
Mr. Fallon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the date of establishment was for all task forces and policy reviews with external members established by his Department since January 2000; which of them have issued their final reports and what the dates of publication were; which of them have been terminated and what the dates of termination were; and for those bodies still in existence, what their expected (a) reporting and (b) termination dates are. [18156]
Ruth Kelly: Information about task forces, annual reports and ad hoc advisory groups is set out in an annual report, published by the Cabinet Office. Copies of the annual report on task forces and similar bodies have been placed in the Library of the House and the annual report is being made available on the Cabinet Office's website.
Foot and Mouth
Mr. Peter Duncan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the outstanding balance is of (a) income tax and (b) national insurance that has been deferred as a result of foot and mouth disease in (i) Dumfries and Galloway, (ii) Scotland and (iii) the United Kingdom. [17390]
Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 23 November 2001]: Between 21 March 2001 and 18 November 2001 the amount of tax and national insurance contributions deferred as a result of foot and mouth disease totalled £108.12 million.
We do not have specific figures for Dumfries and Galloway but out of the total amount of tax and NIC deferred, £11.56 million relates to Scotland and £96.56 million to the rest of the UK.
We do not yet have enough information to give a reliable figure of the net current balance outstanding.
ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS
Rural Affairs
Mr. Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to her answer of 21 November 2001, Official Report, column 320W, on rural parishes, if she will list those parishes deemed to be (a) vibrant, (b) active, (c) barely active and (d) sleeping. [18779]
Alun Michael: A list of parishes (just over 6,000) deemed to be (a) vibrant, (b) active, (c) barely active, (d) sleeping will be made available in the Library of the House. This is based on information collated from parish clerks through the Countryside Agency's Rural Services Survey.
Mr. Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to her answer of 21 November 2001, Official Report, column 319W, on the rural White Paper, if she will list the measures she will be using to determine the indicator. [18780]
28 Nov 2001 : Column: 1019W
Alun Michael: I refer to my answer of 21 November 2001, Official Report, column 319W. The research will review existing baseline and trend data to give an assessment of their suitability for use in compiling an indicator. Data sources to be considered include: Agricultural Census; National Inventory of Woodland and Trees; Countryside Survey 2000; Land Use Change Statistics; cultural heritage monuments, buildings and field patterns; perceptual and aesthetic characteristics such as tranquillity and noise mapping. At this stage in the research it is not possible to say which measures will eventually be used to determine the indicator.
Business Start-ups
Mr. Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to her answer of 21 November 2001, Official Report, column 321W, what work (a) has previously been done and (b) is being done to measure information on business start-ups. [18675]
Alun Michael: The Countryside Agency has adopted an indicator on business health. This necessitates the collection of a range of business data including business registrations and de-registrations (business registrations only include those businesses above the VAT threshold). The Countryside Agency use the number of business registrations as a proxy indicator of total business start-ups. However, in their 2001 State of the Countryside report they presented data from the Office for National Statistics on the total number of businesses, proportion of business by employee sizeband and VAT registrations and de-registrations.
The Countryside Agency are working with the Office for National Statistics to procure accurate and up-to-date information from the Inter-Departmental Business Register for 2001. In addition they are working with the Small Business Service in looking at the broader picture of "business health" in England, in particular those businesses beneath the VAT threshold. For the 2002 State of the Countryside Report they will again publish data for rural areas on business start-ups as measured by registration and de-registration to give an accurate picture of business activity in the Countryside. This may be supplemented by data collected from a local research project.
Mr. Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to her answer of 21 November 2001, Official Report, column 327W, how much of the £92 million outlined in the Rural White Paper for the Rural Bus Challenge and Rural Transport Partnership programme was spent in (a) 2000–01 and (b) 2001–02; and how much each individual initiative has received. [18782]
Alun Michael: A total of £21 million was allocated to new Rural Bus Challenge projects in 2000–01, spending over a number of financial years. Expenditure in that year on all Challenge projects, including those begun in previous years, was £11 million. There is £20 million available for awards in this year's Rural Bus Challenge competition, decisions on which will be announced shortly. Forecast expenditure in the current year on all projects is £23 million.
28 Nov 2001 : Column: 1020W
The Countryside Agency's Rural Transport Partnership Programme spent £4.8 million in 2000–01. For this financial year, formal grant offers total £7.1 million to date, of which £2.9 million has been spent.
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to her answer of 21 November 2001, Official Report, column 321W, on rural employment, if she will list the jobs by (a) category and (b) proportion that people have done in rural areas in (i) 1996, (ii) 1997, (iii) 1998, (iv) 1999, (v) 2000 and (vi) 2001. [18783]
Alun Michael: The table lists rural employment by category and the percentage of people employed.
| 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy and Water | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Manufacturing | 20.3 | 20.0 | 20.3 |
| Construction | 4.2 | 5.0 | 5.5 |
| Distribution, Hotels and Restaurants | 24.8 | 24.4 | 25.1 |
| Transport and Communications | 5.3 | 5.1 | 5.0 |
| Banking, Finance, Insurance etc. | 13.9 | 14.6 | 14.5 |
| Public Administration, Education and Health | 25.2 | 24.4 | 24.5 |
| Other services | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.5 |
Source:
ONS Annual Employment Service
Information for 1999, 2000 and 2001 is not currently available but I undertake to write to the hon. Gentleman with this information as soon as it is to hand.
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to her answer of 21 November 2001, Official Report, column 322W, on civic amenities, how many (a) food shops, (b) post offices, (c) cash points, (d) primary schools and (e) GP surgeries within 4km of rural households (i) opened and (ii) closed in 2000. [18777]
Alun Michael: The Countryside Agency's Rural Services Survey in 2000 researched the geographical availability of a range of services. This was the first year that a survey of this type had been undertaken at the household level across rural England. Full postcoded lists of services were used in the survey to calculate their availability to rural households within specified distances. The survey provides information on services available at a point in time. Future surveys will therefore provide a comparison with the base figures rather than reflecting the number of the openings and closings of services.
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