---

22 Oct 2002 : Column 217W—continued

Mortality Rates

Mr. Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the death rate is for (a) lung, (b) breast, (c) prostate, (d) ovarian and (e) leukaemia cancer patients within the NHS; and what the figures were for each year since 1997. [75785]

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

Letter from John Pullinger to Mr. Gregory Barker, dated 22 October 2002:

The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your question asking what the death rate is for (a) lung, (b) breast, (c) prostate, (d) ovarian and (e) leukaemia cancer patients within the NHS; and what the figures were for each year since 1997. I am replying in his absence. (75785)

The information that is available on deaths from cancer is given in the attached table, and relates to all those occurring in England and Wales in each year. It is likely that the vast majority of these will have had some contact with the NHS during their treatment, but it is not possible to state which were NHS patients.

Age-standardised death rates⁽¹⁾ per million: selected cancers, by sex England and Wales 1997–2000

	Trachea, bronchus and lung (162)	Breast* (174)	Ovary and other uterine adnexa (183)	Prostate (185)	eukaemia (204–208)
Calendar year(3)
Males
1997	649	—	—	277	66
1998	641	—	—	274	66
1999	609	—	—	270	66
2000	590	—	—	257	66
Females
1997	285	336	115	—	43
1998	291	327	117	—	40
1999	289	318	112	—	44
2000	285	310	110	—	39

⁽¹⁾ Directly age-standardised to the European standard population.

⁽²⁾ Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes given in brackets in the table

⁽³⁾ Figures are for deaths occurring in each calendar year

Cm 5570

Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when Her Majesty's Treasury published the correction note to Cm 5570; for what reason it was necessary to make changes to the original document; what action has been taken to avoid such errors in future; and if he will make a statement. [76162]

Mr. Boateng: The note was published on 9 September 2002 to correct a number of typographical errors in the document. The Treasury makes every effort

22 Oct 2002 : Column 218W

to ensure that published documents are fully accurate and will continue to do so. However, where minor errors are identified after publication, it is right that these are corrected publicly.

National Insurance

Mr. Webb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of people using an incorrect national insurance number. [76182]

Dawn Primarolo: The Inland Revenue as part of its normal business checks that people are using the right National Insurance numbers. When an error has occurred, we seek to correct it and inform the individual. It is not possible, except at disproportionate cost, to estimate the number of people who use an incorrect number.

Mr. Webb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many letters have been sent in the last five years to inform people that they have been using an incorrect national insurance number; and if he will make a statement. [76181]

Dawn Primarolo: It is not possible to establish the number of letters sent in the last five years about incorrect National Insurance numbers except at disproportionate cost.

CR74 Computer System

Mr. Webb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the estimated cost is of the CR74 computer system. [76183]

Dawn Primarolo: The Inland Revenue does not have an IT system called CR74. This is the internal name for a series of activities to enable Inland Revenue to manage its records better.

Biofuels

Mr. Boris Johnson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to increase the rebate on biofuels; and if he will make a statement. [75947]

John Healey: The Government's taxation plans are announced in the Chancellor's annual Budget statement.

VAT

Mr. Gordon Marsden: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many businesses (a) registered for VAT and (b) de-registered for VAT there were per 10,000 resident adult population in (i) the UK, (ii) the North West and (iii) Blackpool in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [75977]

John Healey: Customs currently maintain this data on VAT registration and deregistration on a national basis.

The numbers of businesses registered and deregistered for VAT per 10,000 resident adult population in the UK in each of the last five years were:

22 Oct 2002 : Column 219W

Year Ended 30 June	Registered	Deregistered
1997	41	35
1998	43	34
1999	42	36
2000	41	38
2001	40	35

Travel Insurance

Mr. Key: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the impact on the travel insurance industry of recent events in Bali. [74961]

Ruth Kelly: I am not aware of any changes to the position of UK travel insurers following the recent tragedy in Bali.

Equity Release Schemes

Mr. Waterson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what action he proposes to protect retired people in respect of equity release schemes. [75156]

Ruth Kelly: The Treasury is giving the Financial Services Authority (FSA) responsibility for regulating mortgage business, including mortgage based equity release arrangements. In August, the FSA published CP 146 which sets out its approach to regulating mortgage sales including lifetime mortgages (the FSA's term for regulated equity release mortgages). It is expected that regulation of lifetime and other mortgages will come into force in October 2004.

Departmental Websites

Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the website links associated with his Department, including sites now dormant or closed, and indicating whether they are live, dormant or closed; what the start up costs were for each site listed; what the operating costs were in each year since start up for each site; which company hosted each site; what assessment takes place for each site; which company does the assessment; if he will place the assessment reports in the Library; and if he will make a statement. [75579]

Ruth Kelly: As well as the main Treasury web site (www.hm-treasury.gov.uk), the Treasury is also responsible for the following sites:

Site name	Start up costs
www.addingitup.gov.uk	#23,000
www.euro.gov.uk	#9,602
The Government Economic Service's recruitment site (www.ges.gov.uk)	#4,310
Invest to Save web site (www.isb.gov.uk)	#13,098
Whole of Government accounts site (www.wga.gov.uk)	#500
The Commonwealth Finance Ministers Site (www.cfmm2002.org)	#4,175

Figures are exclusive of VAT unless otherwise

indicated.

For information on the start up costs of the recently relaunched main Treasury site, I refer the Hon member to the reply I gave to the member for Arundel & South Downs (Mr. Howard Flight), 19 December 2001, Official Report, column 321W.

The Treasury was the first Government Department to have a web site and over the last eight years has developed and maintained a series of web sites. Complete start up and running costs for all Treasury related sites launched since 1994, including dormant and closed ones, could not be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.

The Treasury's websites are hosted by commercial companies whose contracts are subject to regular review. Anticipated costs on hosting services over the next twelve months will be approximately #40,000 with another #50,000 spent on technical management and support. Information relating to the individual companies hosting the site could not be disclosed under Exemption 7 (Effective Management and Operation of the Public Services) of the Code of Conduct on Access to Government Information. The Treasury has not, to date, commissioned external companies to provide reports on its web sites.

22 Oct 2002 : Column 220W

Penrose Inquiry

Mr. Clappison: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to receive the report from Lord Penrose's inquiry into Equitable Life. [75397]

Ruth Kelly: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Colchester (Mr. Russell) on 15 October, Official Report, column 608W.

---