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Newspaper Advertising

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what has been the expenditure of the Lord Chancellors (a) Department, (b) agencies and (c) non-departmental public bodies on newspaper advertising by title for each year since 1997. [26981]

Ms Rosie Winterton: Newspaper advertising is used for a very wide range of public information and recruiting purposes across the national, regional and local press of England and Wales. While some recruitment has been

21 Jan 2002 : Column 638W

handled centrally since August 2001, the bulk is delegated to Communications, People and Learning Centres on behalf of group managers and records of expenditure on advertising are only available from individual court and group managers' offices. A breakdown of advertising per year by title since 1997 could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Crown Court Proceedings

Simon Hughes: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what the annual costs of Crown court proceedings where the defendant has elected trial by jury were in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [28429]

Mr. Wills: This information is not available in the format requested. However, the most recent estimate of the average cost of contested Crown court proceedings is £21,250 per case, falling to £3,550 in proceedings where a guilty plea is entered. 15,500 defendants elected to be tried by a jury in the year to September 2001, and it is known that many who so elect later enter a guilty plea.

Unified Criminal Court

Simon Hughes: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department (1) what assessment he has made of the net change in the number of magistrates which would be needed to implement the creation of a new district division of a unified criminal court and associated changes as proposed in Lord Justice Auld's report "Review of the Criminal Courts"; and if he will make a statement; [28525]

(2) what assessment he has made of the net cost of establishing a new district division of a unified criminal court and associated changes as proposed in Lord Justice Auld's report "Review of the Criminal Courts"; if he will give a breakdown of available figures; and if he will make a statement. [28524]

Mr. Wills: The Government have taken no decisions on Sir Robin Auld's Review report. The period of comment closes on 31 January. The Government will then be considering the recommendations in detail, including assessments of costs, benefits, and associated factors such as the numbers of magistrates needed to implement them. The Government will announce their conclusions by way of a White Paper in the spring.

Census Website

Mr. Edward Davey: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what quality checks were built into the contract between the Public Record Office and QinetiQ. [26803]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The contract between the Public Record Office and QinetiQ Ltd. makes comprehensive provision for quality checks, which are covered by commercial confidentiality. These checks have been carried out, and will continue to be carried out, at the appropriate times.

Mr. Edward Davey: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what the final tender price of the contract won by QinetiQ from the Public Record Office to design, build and maintain the website for the 1901 Census was. [26801]

21 Jan 2002 : Column 639W

Ms Rosie Winterton: The final tender price of the contract is commercially sensitive information, which it would be inappropriate to put into the public domain.

Ministerial Transport

Bob Russell: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when the Lord Chancellor last used the railway service in connection with this official duties; what station he left from and to what destination; and whether it is his intention to make greater use of the railways in future. [28103]

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Mr. Wills: The Lord Chancellor last used the railway service in connection with his official duties on 11 January—the date of his most recent official visit. The journey was between Gatwick Airport and London Victoria. The Lord Chancellor will continue to use the railway for official travel as appropriate. All arrangements for official travel are made in line with the guidance set out in Chapter 7 of the "Ministerial Code", and the accompanying guidance document "Travel by Ministers", using the most efficient and cost effective mode of transport, and bearing in mind security considerations.

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TREASURY

Overseas Dividends

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many taxpayers receive income from overseas dividends; and what was the gross sum received before tax in the last year for which figures are available. [26114]

Dawn Primarolo: It is not possible to provide a reliable estimate.

Income Tax

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of gross income is paid in income tax,

21 Jan 2002 : Column 642W

national insurance contributions and VAT by (a) a married man with a non-earning wife and two children and (b) a married man with an earning wife and two children at (i) half, (ii) one and a half, (iii) two, (iv) three, (v) five, (vi) 10 and (vii) 50 times national average earnings in 2001–02; and what were the comparative figures for 1997–98. [26208]

Mr. Andrew Smith: The available information is given in the table. Estimating the impact of indirect taxes on these very specific family types is meaningless because spending patterns vary considerably between households of the same type and income.

	Multiples of median earnings
	50 per cent.	150 per cent.	200 per cent.	300 per cent.	500 per cent.	1,000 per cent.	5,000 per cent.
	Single-earner married couple, two children
1997–98
£ per week
Gross income	160.37	481.10	641.46	962.19	1,603.65	3,207.30	16,036.50
Income tax	11.35	85.12	132.50	260.79	517.37	1,158.83	6,290.51
NICs	11.08	41.54	41.54	41.54	41.54	41.54	41.54
Child benefit (CB)	20.05	20.05	20.05	20.05	20.05	20.05	20.05
	Percentage of gross earnings
Net income tax	7.1	17.7	20.7	27.1	32.3	36.1	39.2
NICs	6.9	8.6	6.5	4.3	2.6	1.3	0.3
Net income tax + NICs-CB	1.5	22.2	24.0	29.3	33.6	36.8	39.4
2001–02
£ per week
Gross income	188.07	564.22	752.30	1,128.44	1,880.74	3,761.48	18,807.40
Income tax	7.85	90.60	156.57	310.39	611.30	1,363.60	7,381.97
NICs	10.11	47.72	48.80	48.80	48.80	48.80	48.80
Child benefit (CB)	25.85	25.85	25.85	25.85	25.85	25.85	25.85
WFTC	79.98	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00
	Percentage of gross earnings
Net income tax	-38.4	16.1	20.8	27.5	32.5	36.3	39.3
NICs	5.4	8.5	6.5	4.3	2.6	1.3	0.3
Net income tax + NICs-CB	-46.7	19.9	23.9	29.5	33.7	36.9	39.4
	Two-earner married couple, two children
1997–98
£ per week
Gross income	160.37	481.10	641.46	962.19	1,603.65	3,207.30	16,036.50
Income tax	0.00	64.86	101.74	175.51	398.57	1,040.03	6,171.71
NICs	6.12	38.19	54.23	75.07	83.08	83.08	83.08
Child benefit (CB)	20.05	20.05	20.05	20.05	20.05	20.05	20.05
	Percentage of gross earnings
Net income tax	0.00	13.5	15.9	18.2	24.9	32.4	38.5
NICs	3.8	7.9	8.5	7.8	5.2	2.6	0.5
Net income tax + NICs-CB	-8.7	17.3	21.2	24.0	28.8	34.4	38.9
2001–02
£ per week
Gross income	188.07	564.22	752.30	1,128.44	1,880.74	3,761.48	18,807.40
Income tax	0.00	67.08	108.46	197.24	470.31	1,222.61	7,240.98
NICs	2.58	39.02	57.83	85.24	97.60	97.60	97.60
Child benefit (CB)	25.85	25.85	25.85	25.85	25.85	25.85	25.85
WFTC	60.08	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00
	Percentage of gross earnings
Net income tax	-31.9	11.9	14.4	17.5	25.0	32.5	38.5
NICs	1.4	6.9	7.7	7.6	5.2	2.6	0.5
Net income tax + NICs-CB	-44.3	14.2	18.7	22.7	28.8	34.4	38.9

Notes:

1. Income tax payments are calculated on the basis that the households receive no tax reliefs other than the standard allowances and only have income from employment. All earners are assumed to pay Class 1 national insurance contributions at the contracted-in rate.

2. Earnings are taken to be the median gross weekly earnings of all full-time employees on adult rates with pay unaffected by absence.

3. In line with the convention in the Tax Benefit Reference Manual, child benefit is treated as negative income tax.

4. For the two-earner family it is assumed that earnings are split 60/40 per cent.

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Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many and what proportion of people of pensionable age are liable for income tax; what the total tax yield from people of pensionable age is; what the average income is of people of pensionable age before and after tax; and what the average percentage of income paid in tax by people of pensionable age is. [26279]

Dawn Primarolo: In 2001–02, 4.3 million (four in 10) people of pensionable age are liable to income tax. Pensionable age taxpayers have a total tax liability of £8.5 billion in 2001–02. The mean before tax income for pensioner taxpayers in 2001–02 is £15,800 pa and the mean after tax income is £23,850 pa. Tax as a percentage of total income for pensionable age taxpayers is 12.6 per cent.

These estimates are based on the Survey of Personal Incomes and are consistent with the November 2001 pre-Budget report. Non-taxable income such as ISA income is excluded from the analysis as individual details are not known.

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