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Engagements
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library his official diary for July 2001. [32508]
Ruth Kelly: During July 2001 my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer attended a number of meetings with ministerial colleagues and others, carried out duties in the House of Commons, gave several speeches and undertook a number of engagements in his constituency.
Tobacco Revenue
Mr. Roy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much revenue was raised through tobacco sales in each year since 1999. [32468]
Mr. Boateng: Excise Duty receipts from tobacco products were £3,695 million in 1999, £7,760 million in 2000 and £7,708 million in 2001.
Estimated VAT receipts from the sale of tobacco products were £1,755 million in 1999 and £1,856 million in 2000. An estimate of VAT receipts from the sale of tobacco products in 2001 is not yet available.
Tax Receipts
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the proportion of total receipts from income tax, VAT and national insurance paid by the top (a) 1 per cent., (b) 5 per cent. and (c) 10 per cent. of tax payers in (i) 1997–98 and (ii) 2000–01. [26217]
Mr. Andrew Smith: The available information is given in the table. It is not possible to estimate amounts of VAT paid by taxpayers in different parts of the distribution.
| Income tax | National insurance contributions | |
|---|---|---|
| 1997–98 | ||
| Top 1 per cent. | 19 | 2 |
| Top 5 per cent. | 37 | 9 |
| Top 10 per cent. | 47 | 18 |
| 2000–01 | ||
| Top 1 per cent. | 23 | 2 |
| Top 5 per cent. | 41 | 9 |
| Top 10 per cent. | 51 | 19 |
4 Feb 2002 : Column 702W
Reputational Externalities
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 15 January, Ref. 27602, on reputational externalities, for what reason he has not undertaken to place his Department's internal guidance on reputational externalities in the Library; and if he will make a statement. [28934]
Mr. Andrew Smith: The Treasury offers advice to other Departments in making appraisals, taking into account the specific circumstances of individual cases. Exemption 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information provides for the confidentiality of internal opinion, advice, recommendation, consultation and deliberation.
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to his letter of 11 December 2001, to the hon. Member for Truro and St. Austell, for what reason his Department used reputational externalities as a justification for the choice of discount rate recommended in "Appraisal and Evaluation in Central Government"; and if he will make a statement. [28933]
Mr. Andrew Smith: Reputational externalities have not been used in this way; and my letter of the 11 December does not say that they have been used in this way.
Geoffrey Spence
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 16 January 2001, Official Report, column 296W, on Geoffrey Spence, if he will place a copy of Mr. Spence's (a) terms of reference, (b) terms and conditions and (c) job description in the Library; and if he will make a statement. [29691]
Mr. Andrew Smith: Mr. Spence has been appointed by Partnerships UK to provide professional advice to the Treasury on PFI and PPP and, as necessary, on current policy issues and projects. His terms and conditions are a matter for Partnerships UK.
Arthur Andersen
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on how many of his Department's PFI contracts Arthur Andersen has been an adviser; and if he will make a statement. [31722]
Departmental Underspends
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 17 December 2001, Official Report, column 27W, on departmental underspends, whether he estimates that underspends will be higher in 2001–02 than in 2000–01. [32085]
Mr. Andrew Smith: Table B16 of the pre-Budget report (Cm 5318) assumes that the outturn for total Departmental Expenditure Limits will be at the planned level. A revised position will be published on total DEL outturn in the Budget.
4 Feb 2002 : Column 703W
Minimum Wage
Mr. Cox: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people working in the Greater London area receive the national minimum wage. [32123]
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. Tom Cox, dated 4 February 2002:
- As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question about the number of workers in Greater London who receive the National Minimum Wage (NMW). (32123)
- The estimated number of jobs in the United Kingdom with pay below NMW rates in April 2001 was 320,000. Of these 50,000 relate to 18–21 year olds and 270,000 relate to 22 year olds and over.
- The National Statistics website contains estimates for the numbers and proportions of jobs paid at below NMW rates for Government Office Regions for all persons. However, for Greater London the estimates are not available because the survey sample sizes are too small to provide reliable information. Figures are posted at: http:// www.statistics.gov.uk/themes/labour_market/pay_and_earnings/ measuring_low_pay.asp
ECOFIN
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on what his policy will be during discussions on Germany's projected budget deficit at ECOFIN on 12 February. [33185]
Ruth Kelly: These issues will be discussed at ECOFIN on 12 February. The process is set out in the treaty, and the regulations regarding the operation of the Stability and Growth Pact.
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER
Overseas Trips
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list each of the overseas trips made by himself and other members of his ministerial team in each of the last four years, specifying the purpose and cost of each trip. [30177]
The Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State: For details of Cabinet Ministers' visits overseas costing more than £500 and the annual cost of all Ministers' visits overseas since 2 May 1997, I refer the hon. Member to the answers provided by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 17 June 1999, Official Report, columns 196–97W, 28 July 2000, Official Report, column 969W and 20 July 2001, Official Report, column 467W. The Government are committed to publishing this level of information on an annual basis, and information for 2001–02 will be published as soon as possible after the end of the current financial year. In view of this commitment which involves a significant amount of work and cost, the Government have no plans to widen the scope of the annual list to include junior Ministers.
Civil Defence Grants
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the settlement for civil defence grants for 2001–02, broken down by authority. [31239]
4 Feb 2002 : Column 704W
Mr. Leslie: A list broken down by authority showing the amounts of civil defence grant paid to each eligible authority in England and Wales for this financial year, 2001–02, has been placed in the Library. This amounts to 90 per cent. of the approved grant. The balance will be paid in financial year 2002–03 and depends on the actual expenditure incurred in accordance with the provisions of the civil defence grant regulations.
Terrorism (Contingency Plans)
Valerie Davey: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how the Government plan to consult external scientists to ensure that contingency plans for responding to a terrorist attack using chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear material are scientifically robust. [33648]
Mr. Leslie: The Government's chief scientific adviser has been asked to consult on a regular basis with appropriate scientists and expert advisers to ensure that contingency plans reflect the latest scientific knowledge. He reports on a regular basis to the CBRN sub-committee chaired by the Minister of State, Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Southampton, Itchen (Mr. Denham).
Departmental Leave Entitlements
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what has been the average annual leave entitlement of staff in his Department in each of the last four years. [31746]
Mr. Leslie: Annual leave entitlements for Cabinet Office staff in grades below the senior civil service in each of the last four years have been as follows.
| Grade | On entry | After 10 years service | After 20 years service |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bands A and B2 | |||
| 1998 | 25 | 30 | — |
| 1999 | 25 | 30 | — |
| 2000 | 25 | 30 | — |
| 2001 | 25 | (15)— | 30 |
| Bands B1 and C | |||
| 1998 | (16)22 | 27 | 30 |
| 1999 | (16)22 | 27 | 30 |
| 2000 | 25 | 30 | — |
| 2001 | 25 | (15)— | 30 |
(15) Rising by one day each year up to a maximum of 30 days
(16) 25 days after one year
The annual leave entitlement for the senior civil service is set centrally by the Cabinet Office at 30 days, and has been so for the last four years.
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