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Pension Funds
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average rate of tax relief was on contributions to pension funds for each of the years 1996–97 to 2000–01 corresponding to the rate of 30 per cent. estimated for 2001–02 in Table t7.9 on the Inland Revenue Website. [64125]
Ruth Kelly: The information requested is contained in the table.
| Estimated average rate of tax relief on contributions | |
|---|---|
| 1996–97 | 28 |
| 1997–98 | 28 |
| 1998–99 | 29 |
| 1999–2000 | 29 |
| 2000–01 | 29 |
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has today announced a review of Government statistics on contributions to private pensions involving ONS, DWP, Inland Revenue and external advisers.
PFI Contracts
Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate his Department has made of the payments under PFI contracts for each year from 2002–03 to 2027–28 for PFI deals which are expected to reach preferred bidder stage in the next three years. [65149]
Ruth Kelly: The Treasury has no deals approaching preferred bidder stage at present.
Demographic Change
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the Government projection is for demographic change in (a) London and (b) for all other regions in England over the next (i) five and (ii) 10 years for the age groups (A) 45 to 50, (B) 50 to 55, (C) 55 to 60, (D) 60 to 65, (E) 65 to 70, (F) 70 to 75, (G) 75 to 80, (H) 80 to 85 and (I) 85 years and over. [65143]
Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
Letter from John Pullinger to Mr. Paul Burstow, dated 1 July 2002:
- The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question on what the Government projection is for demographic change in (a) London and (b) for all other regions in England over the next (i) five and (ii) 10 years for the age-groups (A) 45–50, (B) 50–55, (C) 55 to 60, (D) 60–65, (E) 65–70, (F) 70–75, (G) 75–80, (I) 85 years and over. I am replying in his absence. (65413).
- The attached table provides the required information.
Notes:
1. ONS 1996-based long-term projections
2. London is defined as the Government Office Region
3. Figures my not sum due to rounding
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Northern Ireland (Euro)
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the extent of the use of the euro in Northern Ireland, especially in border areas. [65589]
Ruth Kelly: The Government have not made any assessment of euro-based transactions in the UK.
It is entirely a commercial decision for UK business to determine whether or not they wish to accept the euro or any other foreign currency.
EU (Sustainable Convergence)
Denzil Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will include the economies of the applicant countries to the EU in the assessment of whether there can be sustainable convergence between the UK and the economies of the single currency. [66092]
Ruth Kelly: The Government have said that they will complete an assessment of the five economic tests within two years of the start of this Parliament.
Correspondence
Mr. Kaufman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he intends to reply to the letter to him dated 23 May from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. J. Greenhalgh. [66205]
Ruth Kelly: A reply will be sent to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton shortly. As the right hon. Member's constituent's letter points out, there have been a number of international meetings where aid and aid spending have been discussed. We have been awaiting the outcome of these meetings, most notably the G8 summit in Kananaskis, to include the latest information in the reply.
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EU Committees
Angus Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the EU Committee on statistics relating to the trading of goods between member states is next due to meet; whether representatives of the Scottish Executive (a) have been and (b) are members of it; and if he will make a statement. [64910]
John Healey: The Committee on Statistics relating to the trading of goods between member states met on 27 and 28 June, and is next due to meet on 14–15 November 2002. The UK is normally represented by two officials from HM Customs and Excise. The Customs delegates at this committee represent all of the UK.
CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT
School Playing Fields
Mr. Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to her oral statement of 24 June 2002, Official Report, column 599, on the sale of school playing fields, if she will place in the Library the figures available to her Department in respect of sales between 1979 and 1997. [64703]
Mr. Caborn: Statistics on playing field sales were not collected until our playing fields legislation came into force. Public concern about the loss of school playing fields led directly to the introduction in October 1998 of Section 77 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. Before Section 77 was introduced, only grant- maintained schools were required to seek consent from the Secretary of State before selling land, including areas of their playing fields. Local authorities and other schools that owned their own playing fields were free to sell without restriction.
The then Department for Education and Employment estimated that an average of 40 playing fields a month were sold in this way before October 1998. Their estimate
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is based on the number of playing field disposals at grant-maintained schools between April 1996, when the previous Government further encouraged the disposal of playing fields by relaxing the Local Authority Capital Finance Regulations which governed the use of sale proceeds, and 1 October 1998, when section 77 took effect. During this 30-month period, some 64 grant- maintained schools were given approval to dispose of areas of playing field, which is an average of over two a month. Using the proportion of grant-maintained schools at that time compared with the number of other schools, the Department for Education and Skills estimate the total number of playing field disposals each month to have been around 40.
Sport England
Mr. Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport in (a) 2000–01 and (b) 2001–02 what percentages of Sport England's Exchequer grant-in-aid was spent on (i) staff costs, excluding national centres, (ii) administrative expenses, (iii) publicity, promotions and communications, (iv) grants to national governing bodies, (v) grants to Sportscoach UK, (vi) grants to the Youth Sports Trust, (vii) sports science and sports medicine, (viii) national centres, (ix) grants to other national sports bodies, excluding NGBs and (x) regional support. [64846]
Mr. Caborn: The information requested is as follows:
| 2000–01 | 2001–02 | |
|---|---|---|
| Staff costs excluding national centres | 20.56 | 15.56 |
| Administrative expenses | 10.60 | 9.08 |
| Publicity, promotions and communications | 3.29 | 2.37 |
| Grants to national governing bodies | 17.08 | 15.43 |
| Grants to Sportscoach UK | 3.83 | 3.32 |
| Grants to Youth Sport Trust | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Sports science/medicine | 0.71 | 0.23 |
| National centres | 6.79 | 11.08 |
| Grants to other national sports bodies | 8.54 | 7.36 |
| Regional support | 28.60 | 35.56 |
| Total | 100.00 | 100.00 |
Mr. Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list the projections for 2002–03 for the percentages of Sport England's grant-in-aid which will be spent on (a) staff costs, excluding national centres, (b) administrative expenses, (c) publicity, promotions and communications, (d) grants to national governing bodies, (e) grants to Sportscoach UK, (f) grants to the Youth Sports Trust, (g) sports science and sports medicine, (h) national centres, (i) grants to other national sports bodies, excluding NGBs and (j) regional support. [64847]
Mr. Caborn: The information requested is as follows:
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