---

Land Sales

Mr. Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list the land that her Department is (a) offering for sale and (b) plans to offer in the next 12 months, giving its (i) location and (ii) size. [59056]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: My Department currently has no land for sale and no plans to offer any within the next 12 months.

TREASURY

Sick Leave

Mr. Heald: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many days of sick leave were taken in his Department last year; how many related to employees suffering (a) stress and (b) other mental health problems; and what the cost was to his Department. [56471]

Ruth Kelly [holding answer 14 May 2002]: The latest published information covering 2000 is contained in the annual report "Analysis of Sickness Absence in the Civil Service" published by the Cabinet Office. That report shows an average number of working days sickness absence per staff year of 9.9 days for non-industrial civil servants. The Treasury figure was 3.9 days per staff year. Around 14 per cent of sick absence in 2000 in the Treasury was for mental health conditions (including stress) and around 4 per cent was for stress. Information on costs could only be provided at a disproportionate cost. The Treasury has a legal obligation to provide a safe working environment for all employees and is committed to minimising the number of working days lost generally due to work related injuries and illness.

Pensioner Income

Mr. Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Sheffield, Hillsborough (Helen Jackson) of 9 May 2002, Official Report, column 399W on pensioner income, if he will break down the figure given for the increase in the income of the average pensioner household, by the different tax and benefit changes to which he attributes the increase. [58782]

Dawn Primarolo: The average pensioner household will be around £400 per year better off due to the Government's personal tax and benefit changes

24 May 2002 : Column 663W

announced in the latest Budget and Pre Budget Report. The breakdown by the different tax and benefit changes is as follows:

	£
Pension Credit	320
Winter Fuel Payments	50
Basic State Pension	35

Investment Institutions (Failures)

Chris Grayling: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with the Financial Services Authority on contingency plans for the failure of (a) Equitable Life and (b) other major investment institutions. [59106]

Ruth Kelly: The Financial Services Authority and HM Treasury have regular contacts and discuss a range of regulatory issues.

Savings Gateway

Ms Walley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what assessment he has made of the need for savers in the Savings Gateway to be able to access their funds and the Government's matched contribution to meet unexpected needs; [59021] (2) what estimate has been made of the number of low-income families who will benefit from the Savings Gateway once it is implemented nationally; [58994] (3) what tendering process was used to award Halifax plc partner status in the four Savings Gateway pilot projects; [59019] (4) what plans he has to allow investments in the Savings Gateway to include methods of deposit other than cash; [59020] (5) what role he plans for private sector financial services providers and mutual societies in delivering the Savings Gateway; [58995] (6) what assessment he has made of the (a) open market model and (b) licensed-provider approach in delivering the Child Trust Fund; and if he will make a statement. [59018] (7) what criteria have been used to determine the eligibility of families to participate in the Savings Gateway in the pilot areas of (a) Gorton, (b) Tower Hamlets, (c) Cumbria and (d) Cambridgeshire; [59017] (8) what incentive he will establish for a single service provider of the Savings Gateway to invest in and innovate the service; [59022] (9) what restrictions will be placed on the use of matured assets in the (a) Child Trust Fund and (b) Savings Gateway; [59024] (10) what role he plans for private sector financial services providers and mutual societies in delivering (a) deposit capability, (b) investment management and (c) advice and information when managing the child Trust Fund; [59023]

24 May 2002 : Column 664W

(11) what level of redress there will be for children born before the Child Trust Fund's deadline for tax free saving; and if he will make a statement. [58993]

Ruth Kelly: The Government announced more detailed plans for the Child Trust Fund and Saving Gateway in Delivering Saving and Assets, published in November 2001. This document also raised some questions about the Child Trust Fund for further consultation and announced the Government's intention to pilot the Saving Gateway.

As set out in Delivering Saving and Assets, eligibility for the Saving Gateway is intended to be through a "passport" to an existing working-age benefit, tax credit or measure of income used in a tax credit. The number of people who could benefit from the national Saving Gateway will depend on the exact eligibility criteria chosen. As stated in Delivering Saving and Assets, the Government believes that it is important for low-income savers in the Saving Gateway to be able to withdraw their own savings without restriction, to ensure that they have access to their financial assets in order to meet unexpected needs. For this and other reasons, the Government believes that the Saving Gateway should be a cash-based account, as stated in Delivering Saving and Assets. When a Saving Gateway account matures, it is intended that savers will be able to access the Government's "matched contribution" without restriction. Although methods for making deposits into the Saving Gateway remain to be decided, easy accessibility will be very important. In line with the results from previous consultation, the Government stated in Delivering Saving and Assets that the optimum model for delivering the Saving Gateway would be for a single provider, ideally with a branch network. Such a provider might be either a single financial services or a consortium of providers operating in some form of partnership. Decisions on the respective roles of the private sector, including mutual societies, and arrangements to encourage innovation have not been taken.

Pilots for the Saving Gateway are being established. They will be used to test aspects of the delivery of the Saving Gateway. The pilots require the involvement of a financial service provider with branches to operate the accounts. The Government raised this issue with the British Bankers Association and Building Societies Association, and requested these organisations to ask their members to indicate whether they would be interested in participating. After discussions with a small number of potential partners, the Government accepted an offer from Halifax to provide the required branches, branch staff and account management systems for the pilots. Eligibility for savers to participate in the Saving Gateway pilots in the areas selected will be based on criteria reflecting the intention for the national Saving Gateway to be available through a "passport" to an existing working-age benefit, tax credit or measure of income used in a tax credit.

In Delivering Saving and Assets, the Government states that it sees a key role for private sector financial service providers, including mutual societies, in delivering the Child Trust Fund, including aspects relating to financial education. The document presents two options for the involvement of financial services providers: open market competition and a licensed provider approach. Consultation on these two different models is now closed and the Government will be reporting back on the results of this consultation, including an analysis of these options,

24 May 2002 : Column 665W

in due course. Delivering Saving and Assets indicated that the Government does not intend that the use of assets from a maturing Child Trust Fund at maturity will be restricted. The Government has not taken any decisions about arrangements, if any, for children born before the launch of the Child Trust Fund. Most children in the UK are not liable for income or capital gains tax because they do not earn incomes, from saving or other sources, to take them above the relevant thresholds. Parents can currently save on behalf of their children in a variety of tax-advantaged ways.

Credit Unions

Mr. Tom Harris: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many employer-based credit unions were operating in the UK in (a) 1997 and (b) 2001. [58869]

Ruth Kelly: In 1997 there were 87 wholly employer-based credit unions operating in the UK. In 2000 there were 93. The information for 2001 is not readily available.

Mr. Tom Harris: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many community-based credit unions were operating in the UK in (a) 1997 and (b) 2001. [58870]

Ruth Kelly: In 1997 there were 382 wholly community-based credit unions operating in the UK. In 2000 there were 375. The information for 2001 is not readily available.

---