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4 Nov 2002 : Column 140W—continued
TREASURY
Currency Transfers
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what research he has commissioned regarding the transfer of currency across national boundaries using electronic technology; and if he will publish the results of this research; [79100]
- (2) what research his Department has commissioned into bank charges for the transfer of currency across national boundaries in the European economic area. [79101]
Ruth Kelly: The Chancellor of the Exchequer has not commissioned any research into bank charges for the transfer of currency across national boundaries in the European economic area or the transfer of currency across national boundaries using electronic technology.
Discretionary Trusts
Pete Wishart: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer how many discretionary trusts there are in the UK. [79353]
Ruth Kelly: The information requested is not available.
Economic Cycle
Mr Howard: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what assumption his Department has made regarding the end date of the current economic cycle; and if he will make a statement. [78649]
Ruth Kelly: Budget 2002 (HC 592) included an assessment of cyclical developments, in particular on pages 26 and 190 to 193. This assessment will be updated in the forthcoming pre-Budget report.
Economic Growth
Mr. Clappison: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to amend his growth forecasts in line with the recent forecast from the International Monetary Fund. [78836]
4 Nov 2002 : Column 141W
Ruth Kelly: The Government will publish an updated forecast for the UK economy in the forthcoming pre-Budget report.
Equitable Life
Mr. Clappison: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his Answer of 22nd October, Official Report, column 220W, on the Penrose inquiry, what criteria have been established in respect of decisions to withhold publication of Lord Penrose's report on legal and commercial grounds; and who will apply such criteria. [78892]
Ruth Kelly: It is our intention to make public as much as possible of the results of the inquiry. The presumption is that this will be the full report. However, much of the information being considered by the inquiry is subject to legal and commercial confidentiality restrictions, and such restrictions may also attach to information included in the report of the inquiry. It will not be possible to determine in advance of receiving the report from Lord Penrose whether any such restrictions prevent the report from being published in full.
Treasury Ministers will decide, on the basis of legal advice, whether it is possible to publish the whole of Lord Penrose's report within the restrictions relating to legal or commercial confidentiality.
Euro
Mr. Clappison: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what work is being undertaken by his Department in advance of a decision on whether to join the Eurozone; and if he will make a statement. [78883]
Ruth Kelly: The Government has said that it will complete an assessment of the five economic tests within two years of the start of this Parliament. The assessment has not yet started, but the necessary preliminary analysis technical work that is necessary to allow us to undertake the assessment within two years as promised is underway.
As we set out in the XPaper for the Treasury Select Committee on the Treasury's approach to the preliminary and technical work", issued on 6 September, XA number of supporting studies will be published encompassing the preliminary and technical work . . . When the assessment is complete, the detailed supporting studies will be published alongside, all to be subject to intensive public scrutiny and debate." More detail on the supporting studies is given in the 6 September paper.
4 Nov 2002 : Column 142W
GDP Estimates
Mr. Salmond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) for what reason gross domestic product estimates for the countries and regions of the United Kingdom are two years behind United Kingdom gross domestic product estimates; [79325]
- (2) when gross domestic product estimates will be made for each country and region of the United Kingdom for 2000; [79324]
(3) what the gross domestic product per capita was of each country and region of the United Kingdom in (a) the most recent year and (b) each of the last 10 years for which figures are available. [79323]
Ruth Kelly: The answer requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
Letter from L. Cook to Mr. Alex Salmond, dated 4 November 2002:
- As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your three recent questions on
- (a) the timing of publication of gross domestic product estimates for the countries and regions of the United Kingdom; (79325)
- (b) the date for the publication of estimates of gross domestic product for the countries and regions of the United Kingdom for the year 2000; (79324)
- (c) what the gross domestic product per capita was of each country and region of the United Kingdom in (a) the most recent year and (b) each of the last 10 years for which figures are available. (79323)
- (a) Currently the latest available estimates for the Gross Value Added (GVA*) for the countries and regions of the United Kingdom are for 1999. This publication lag is longer than usual and has been caused by the ONS completing an exceptionally demanding work programme to include a number of new and revised data sources. This additional work led to a deferral of the publication of estimates of GVA from their planned release date in May 2002 and the reasons for this deferral were covered in a ONS News Release of 21 May 2002.
- More usually, estimates of GVA below UK level are published some three to four months after the UK-level estimates are released. One of the main reasons for this delay is to ensure that the sub-UK estimates are consistent with (i.e. add up to) those published in the United Kingdom National Accounts. We plan to meet that goal this year by publishing estimates for the period up to 2001 before the end of 2002.
- (b) The ONS announced in the August edition of Updates that Regional Gross Value Added is to be published for the years 2000 and 2001 on 17 December 2002.
- (c) The estimates of GVA per head for the countries and regions of the United Kingdom for the period 1989 to 1999, consistent with the National Accounts data published in 2000 are shown in table A.
- *While the estimates have been historically referred to as Gross Domestic Product (GDP), under the new European System of Accounts 1995 (ESA95) they are more correctly referred to as Gross Value Added (GVA) at basic prices. From 2002 onwards, the term GVA is being used.
4 Nov 2002 : Column 143W
| United Kingdom | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South East | South West | Wales | Scotland | Northern Ireland | Excluding Extra Regio | Including Extra-Regio and stat. Discrepancy | |
| 1989 | 8,805 | 7,297 | 6,624 | 7,544 | 5,893 | 7,888 | 8,053 |
| 1990 | 9,586 | 7,917 | 7,080 | 8,321 | 6,300 | 8,535 | 8,712 |
| 1991 | 9,866 | 8,183 | 7,450 | 8,814 | 6,787 | 8,880 | 9,050 |
| 1992 | 10,242 | 8,547 | 7,632 | 9,217 | 7,163 | 9,236 | 9,404 |
| 1993 | 10,834 | 8,927 | 7,978 | 9,614 | 7,610 | 9,671 | 9,852 |
| 1994 | 11,441 | 9,311 | 8,393 | 10,168 | 8,114 | 10,170 | 10,372 |
| 1995 | 11,918 | 9,828 | 8,900 | 10,818 | 8,654 | 10,619 | 10,842 |
| 1996 | 12,761 | 10,351 | 9,240 | 11,162 | 8,964 | 11,185 | 11,462 |
| 1997(26) | 13,634 | 11,008 | 9,562 | 11,429 | 9,507 | 11,871 | 12,118 |
| 1998(26) | 14,510 | 11,447 | 10,063 | 12,117 | 9,754 | 12,548 | 12,750 |
| 1999(26) | 15,098 | 11,782 | 10,449 | 12,512 | 10,050 | 12,972 | 13,213 |
(26) Provisional
National Insurance (Armed Forces)
Mr. Webb: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the periods in the last 30 years where the National Insurance Contributions regime for armed forces personnel were different to those that applied to ordinary employees, listing in each case (a) whether such arrangements were (i) voluntary and (ii) compulsory, (b) what rates of contribution applied, (c) whether separate rules applied to (i) men and (ii) women and (d) what benefits accrued in respect of these contributions. [77867]
Dawn Primarolo: [holding answer 29 October 2002]: Prior to 6 April 1996 serving members of Her Majesty's Forces paid National Insurance contributions at a reduced rate. The contributions paid built up entitlement to all contributory benefits although Contributory Jobseekers Allowance and Incapacity Benefit are not payable to serving members of Her Majesty's Forces. The amount of the reductions, which were compulsory, are shown in the table below.
| Reduction in weekly primary (flat rate) NICs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dates | Men over 18 | Women over 18 | Men under 18 | Women under 18 |
| 2 October 1972 to 30 September 1973 | 0.11 | 0.08 | 0.06 | 0.05 |
| 1 October 1973 to 4 August 1974 | 0.09 | 0.07 | 0.05 | 0.04 |
| 5 August 1974 to 5 April 1975 | 0.07 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.04 |
4 Nov 2002 : Column 144W
| Percentage Reduction in Primary NICs | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dates | Standard Rate | Reduced Rate |
| 6 April 1975 to | ||
| 5 April 1978 | 0.8 | 0.2 |
| 6 April 1978 to | ||
| 5 April 1982 | 0.7 | 0.15 |
| 6 April 1982 to | ||
| 5 April 1984 | 1.05 | 0.5 |
| 6 April 1984 to | ||
| 5 April 1988 | 0.9 | 0.9 |
| 6 April 1988 to | ||
| 5 April 1989 | 0.8 | 0.8 |
| 6 April 1989 to | ||
| 5 April 1990 | 0.65 | 0.65 |
| 6 April 1990 to | ||
| 5 April 1991 | 0.7 | 0.7 |
| 6 April 1991 to | ||
| 5 April 1992 | 0.6 | 0.6 |
| 6 April 1992 to | ||
| 5 April 1993 | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| 6 April 1993 to | ||
| 5 April 1995 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| 6 April 1995 to | ||
| 5 April 1996 | 0.4 | 0.4 |
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