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Savings Ratio
Mr. Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his forecast is of the savings ratio for the next two quarters. [20997]
Ruth Kelly: The household saving ratio can be very volatile from quarter to quarter, so the Government do not publish quarterly forecasts. Annual forecasts can be found in the pre-Budget report (Cm 5318).
New Deal
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people are employed by the Department under the new deal for young people; and at what cost to public funds. [21328]
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Ruth Kelly: Specific information is not available in the form requested for HM Treasury and Customs and Excise.
The available information on the number of people specially recruited under the new deal for young people is as follows. As at 1 April 2001 Inland Revenue employed 19 people and the Office for National Statistics employed one person. These recruits took up existing vacancies so extra costs are limited to the subsidy, where appropriate, and any additional training and development which may be needed. The cost of the latter cannot be readily identified.
Absence
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many days were lost due to sickness absence in the Department in each of the last four years. [21338]
Ruth Kelly: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the right hon. Member for Penrith and The Border (David Maclean) on 20 July 2001, Official Report, column 563W.
Public Service Agreements
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the saving to public funds in 2000–01 from achievement of the Public Service Agreement target for the reduction of surplus buildings on the Government Estate. [21273]
Mr. Andrew Smith: £23.8 million.
Productivity Growth
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the level of productivity growth in (a) the UK and (b) other members of the G7 and the OECD over the last three years. [22036]
Ruth Kelly: The Government make regular assessments of trends in productivity growth both within the UK and compared to other G7 member countries. The most recent assessment was published in the pre-Budget report 2001.
Climate Change Levy
Mr. Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 2 July 2001, Official Report, column 66W, on the climate change levy, if the CCL will lead to additional VAT receipts of about £30 million per annum; and if this VAT revenue will be recycled via a reduction in employees national insurance. [22201]
Mr. Boateng: The CCL is estimated to generate additional VAT receipts of, at the most, £30 million per annum. This represents the portion of VAT on fuel inputs which cannot be reclaimed. All revenues resulting from the introduction of the CCL, including VAT receipts, are recycled via a reduction in employers national insurance contributions and funding of energy efficiency measures.
Unemployment
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will provide a breakdown for each of the last two Parliaments of the change in the number of 18 to 24-year- olds unemployed for over six months. [20462]
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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. John Bercow, dated 11 December 2001:
- As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking for a breakdown for each of the last two parliaments of the change in the number of 18 to 24 year olds unemployed for over six months (20462).
- The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles statistics for unemployment from surveys following the internationally standard International Labour Organisation definition.
- ONS also compiles statistics of claimants of unemployment- related benefits. The claimant count consists of all people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance or National Insurance credits at Employment Service local offices. They must declare that they are out of work, capable of, available for and actively seeking work during the week in which the claim is made.
- The table provides a breakdown of the available figures.
| Number | ||
|---|---|---|
| ILO unemployment(2) 6 months or more duration | ||
| LFS reference period(3) | ||
| March to May 1992 | 364,000 | |
| April to June 1997 | 189,000 | |
| May to July 2001 | 104,000 | |
| Change March to May 1992 to April to June 1997 | -175,000 | |
| Percentage | -48.1 | |
| Change April to June 1997 to May to July 2001 | -85,000 | |
| Percentage | -45.0 | |
| Claimant count(4),(5) claiming for 6 months or more | ||
| Claimant count reference month(6) | ||
| April 1992 | 358,114 | |
| May 1997 | 169,498 | |
| June 2001 | 40,089 | |
| Change April 1992 to May 1997 | -188,616 | |
| Percentage | 52.7 | |
| Change May 1997 to June 2001 | -129,409 | |
| Percentage | -76.3 | |
(2) Seasonally adjusted
(3) As asked for in the question, the periods shown are centred around the General Election dates. It would be more useful to make comparisons are made between consecutive 3 month periods.
(4) Not seasonally adjusted
(5) Monthly claimant count data by age and duration are on the basis of all claims for April 1992 and computerised claims only for later years.
(6) For data that is not seasonally adjusted comparisons should normally be made between data for the same month each year. For this reason, comparisons between different months should be used with caution.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of people over the age of 16 in rural areas had been unemployed for over 12 months in June of each of the last four years. [22034]
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. John Bercow, dated 11 December 2001:
- As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question about unemployment in rural areas (22034).
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- The Labour Force Survey (LFS) provides estimates of unemployment, based on the International Labour Organisation (ILO) definition. However, it does not currently provide estimates of unemployment on an urban/rural basis.
- The ONS is aware of the growing need for statistics and information to be available for rural and urban geographies. To this end, we are playing an active role in a cross-government group, led by the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, which is developing guidance on common definitions of rural and urban areas. These definitions will then form the basis of developing statistics for those geographies.
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of people between 16 and 60-years-old in rural areas had been unemployed for (a) six, (b) 12 and (c) 18 months in (i) 1996, (ii) 1997, (iii) 1998, (iv) 1999, (v) 2000 and (vi) 2001. [20910]
Ruth Kelly [holding answer 6 December 2001]: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
Letter from Len Cook to Malcolm Bruce, dated 11 December 2001:
- As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question about unemployment in rural areas (20910).
- The Labour Force Survey (LFS) provides estimates of unemployment based on the International Labour Organisation (ILO) definition. However, it does not currently provide estimates of unemployment on an urban/rural basis.
- The ONS is aware of the growing need for statistics and information to be available for rural and urban geographies. To this end, we are playing an active role in a cross-government group, led by the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, which is developing guidance on common definitions of rural and urban areas. These definitions will then form the basis of developing statistics for those geographies.
Capital Assets
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 20 November 2001, Official Report, column 270W, on capital assets, what his estimate is of the contribution to public sector net investment made by PPPs in each financial year from 1997–98 to 2003–04. [19187]
Mr. Andrew Smith: Public Private Partnerships (PPP) cover a wide range of projects. They have been set up in most central Government Departments and local authorities, and in some public corporations. No information is held centrally on their total value.
In many cases the private sector owns the capital assets used in PPPs. In most of these cases the capital expenditure would not count as public sector net investment because it is private sector expenditure. The exceptions are when a PPP involves a lease of an asset by the public sector, and the accountants classify it as a finance lease. In those circumstances the capital expenditure, and the depreciation of the asset, would be part of the calculation of public sector net investment.
Although private sector investment does not usually count within public sector net investment, it is included as part of the total investment in our public services. This year, it is estimated that private sector investment through PFI will be £4.4 billion out of total investment of £34.2 billion.
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Figures for estimated private sector investment through PFI can be found in tables c17 and estimated payments by Departments in table C18 of Budget 2001. Private sector investment in off-balance sheet PPPs does not score as public sector net investment.
The vast majority of total investment in public services is funded by the public sector—this year over 85 per cent. of total investment in public services will be funded in this way.
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