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Banking Licences

Keith Vaz: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which banking licences have been (a) granted and (b) refused since 1 May 1997. [65387]

Ruth Kelly: The information is as follows:

(a) In the period between 1 May 1997 and 30 November 2001, a total of 42 institutions were granted banking licences under the Banking Act 1987. Since 1 December 2001, one firm has been authorised as a bank

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under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, and it appears on the Financial Services Authority's public register. A detailed list of these 43 firms follows.

(b) In the period between 1 May 1997 and 30 November 2001, a total of three institutions applied for authorisation under the Banking Act 1987 but did not proceed through to authorisation. In the period from 1 December 2001, no applications for banks have been formally refused. The names of firms which apply for authorisation have at all times remained confidential between the firm and the relevant supervisor, until the firm has been authorised.













































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Economic Growth

Hywel Williams: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the most recent estimates are for GDP growth for (a) the UK, (b) England, (c) Scotland, (d) Northern Ireland, (e) Wales and (f) each EU Objective 1 area. [66165]

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.

Letter from Karen Dunnell to Mr. Hywel Williams, dated 8 July 2002:






Table 1: Gross domestic product, current basic prices, £ million Year-on-year percentage increase

Provisional
1996199719981999
United Kingdom(28)5.76.56.13.8
Countries of the United Kingdom(28)
England6.17.16.23.9
Scotland3.02.36.03.1
Wales4.03.75.53.9
Northern Ireland(29)4.56.83.43.0
Objective 1 areas
Merseyside4.44.65.0(30)
South Yorkshire6.67.14.7(30)
Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly8.07.65.7(30)
West Wales and the Valleys5.04.04.6(30)
Transition areas
Highlands and Islands1.32.84.7(30)
Northern Ireland(29)4.56.83.43.0

(28) Excluding Extra-Regio and the Statistical Discrepancy

(29) Northern Ireland is both a NUTS-1 and NUTS-2 area

(30) n/a


Departmental Energy Use

Mr. Stunell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the estimated (a) level and (b) cost of energy use in his Department and associated agencies was in each year since 1997; what proportion of energy was generated from renewable sources; and if he will make a statement. [65956]

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Ruth Kelly: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 3 July 2002 by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State, Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Office for National Statistics

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on which projects the public sector classification committee of the Office of National Statistics has been asked to comment since 1 January. [66718]

Ruth Kelly: The answer requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.

Letter from Karen Dunnell to Mr. Taylor, dated 8 July 2002:

















Education Maintenance Allowance

Ms Buck: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what evidence there is from the evaluation of the education maintenance allowance pilots of the effect on family income of replacing child benefit on participation in education by young people aged 16 to 19 years. [67528]

Mr. Boateng: The Government are piloting an educational maintenance allowance in 56 local education authorities. EMAs provide financial support for 16 to 19 year olds to continue in education through provision of weekly payments and bonuses for retention and achievement. The Department for Education and Skills published the latest evaluation of the pilots on 3 July. Copies of this are available in the House Library.

Individual Savings Account

Mr. Peter Duncan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) mini and (b) maxi ISAs were purchased in the last tax year. [67229]

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Ruth Kelly: Estimates of the number of mini and maxi ISA accounts receiving subscriptions and the amount of these subscriptions for 2001–02 are contained in table 9.4 of Inland Revenue Statistics. The latest version is on the Inland Revenue's website: http://www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/ stats/isa/isa—t01–1.htm


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