---

25 Nov 2002 : Column 59W—continued

Vocational Training

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what the total was of receipts from modulation that was budgeted to be spent on vocational training in (a) 2000–01, (b) 2001–02 and (c) 2002–03; [80444]

(2) what amount of the revenue from modulation was spent on vocational training in (a) 2000–01, (b) 2001–02 and (c) 2002–03 to date. [80445]

Margaret Beckett: Modulated funds may be spent only on a limited range of the measures provided for under the EU Rural Development Regulation-the so-called Xaccompanying measures". Training is not one of them. Modulated funds in England are being used to support agri-environment schemes.

TREASURY

Advance Corporation Tax Credit

Bob Spink: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the impact of the abolition of the advance corporation tax credit on private pension schemes. [81302]

Dawn Primarolo: The withdrawal of payable tax credits on dividends was part of a package of reforms that included cuts in corporation tax and the abolition of advanced corporation tax. These changes were designed to improve the climate for long-term investment in the UK. In the long run, this should benefit all investors—including pension funds and those saving for retirement.

Age Statistics

Mr. Webb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the number of (a) men and (b) women in each local authority area not expected to live to the age of 70. [83000]

25 Nov 2002 : Column 60W

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

Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Steve Webb, dated 25 November 2002:

As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your question asking for an estimate of the number of (a) men and (b) women in each local authority area not expected to live to the age of 70. (83000)

The figures requested have been placed in the Libraries of the House. The numbers provided are an estimate of the number of people currently living in each area who would die before age 70 if they were to experience current death rates for the area until their 70th birthday.

These estimates were obtained by using the most recently available life table estimate for each local authority to calculate the probability of dying before age 70 for each age group. The expected numbers dying by age 70 were then calculated by applying these probabilities to the 2001 mid-year population estimates in each group in the area. The life table estimates used are for 1999–2001, based on 2001 population estimates. All the mid-year population estimates used in the calculation are based on the 2001 Census.

An estimate of people dying by age 70 as a percentage of the total population aged under 70 is also presented in the table. The figures reflect mortality among those living in each local authority in 1999 to 2001. They do not reflect what is likely to happen to individuals currently alive in each area, because the death rates are likely to change in the future and because of individuals move between local authorities.

Children's Tax Credit

Mr. Webb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer by what means the female partners of male recipients of the existing children's tax credit will be (a) identified and (b) notified of their entitlement to the proposed child tax credit. [82999]

Dawn Primarolo: To receive their entitlement to tax credits, people need to make a claim. The Inland Revenue is writing to claimants of the existing Children's Tax Credit and inviting claims for the new tax credits. Couples must claim the new Child Tax Credit jointly. Child Tax Credit is to be paid to the person in the family who is mainly responsible for looking after the children. Where a claim to the new tax credits is made jointly, the claimants themselves are asked to identify which of them is the main carer.

Customs and Excise (Shoreham)

Tim Loughton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what activities are undertaken by the H.M. Customs and Excise at Shoreham Harbour. [83259]

John Healey: It is not Customs policy to disclose information on operational deployment of staff at specific locations.

Tim Loughton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people are employed by the H.M. Customs and Excise at Shoreham Harbour. [83260]

John Healey: There are currently some 60 Customs staff based at Shoreham Harbour.

Tim Loughton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what customs checks are regularly carried out on traffic at Shoreham Harbour and Shoreham Airport. [83333]

25 Nov 2002 : Column 61W

John Healey: It is not Customs policy to disclose information on levels of Customs checks and detection activities at specific locations.

Tim Loughton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many local staff are employed in customs inspections on traffic at Shoreham harbour and Shoreham airport. [83334]

John Healey: There are currently no local staff employed permanently in Customs inspections on traffic at Shoreham harbour and Shoreham airport. Flexibly deployed teams of officers attend targeted arrivals according to intelligence and perceived threat or risk. These officers may be from nearby local units, regional or national teams.

Excise Duty Prosecutions (Norther Ireland)

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many successful prosecutions there have been in Northern Ireland for the evasion of excise duty on motor transport fuels in each year since 1997. [83006]

John Healey: Customs do not have figures for prosecutions resulting from all forms of revenue evasion in road fuels for years prior to 2000–01. Figures for 2000–01 and 2001–02 will be published in Customs' annual report for 2001–02.

For figures for the number of successful prosecutions in Northern Ireland for oils smuggling in the years 1996–97 to 2000–01 I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given by the former Financial Secretary to the Treasury to the hon. Member for Hull, North (Mr. McNamara) on 20 November 2001, Official Report, column 271W.

Fuel Smuggling (Northern Ireland)

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) vehicles and (b) litres of fuel were seized by HM Customs for alleged smuggling of petroleum products in Northern Ireland in each year since 1997. [83005]

John Healey: I refer to the earlier answer given by the then Financial Secretary to the Treasury to the Member for Montgomeryshire on 2 May 2002 concerning the numbers of vehicles seized by Customs for alleged fuel smuggling offences in Northern Ireland. Official Report 7 May 2002 column 39W

Figures for the amount of fuel seized by Customs in Northern Ireland in the years 1998–99 to 2000–01 are contained in Tackling Indirect Tax Fraud, published at the time of the pre Budget Report in November 2001, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.

The Government will be publishing figures for fuel seizures in 2001–02 at the time of the forthcoming Pre-budget Report. Figures for vehicle seizures in Northern Ireland for oils fraud in 2001–02 will be published in Customs' Annual Report.

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what measures he is taking to tackle cross-border smuggling of petroleum products into Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement. [83007]

25 Nov 2002 : Column 62W

John Healey: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the document XTackling Indirect Tax Fraud", published at the time of the 2001 pre-Budget report, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House, which explains the Government's action in Northern Ireland to tackle oils fraud. Updated information will be provided at the time of the 2002 pre-Budget report.

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent meetings have taken place between Ministers and officials and their Irish counterparts to discuss the smuggling of petroleum products into Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement. [83008]

John Healey: I refer to the answer given by the then Financial Secretary to the Treasury to the Member for Montgomeryshire (Lembit Öpik) on 2 May 2002 concerning meetings between Ministers and their Irish counterparts to discuss the smuggling of petroleum products into Northern Ireland, 7 May 2002, Official Report column 39W.

Officials regularly hold meetings with their Irish counterparts to discuss the smuggling of petroleum products into Northern Ireland.

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the loss in revenue from petrol and diesel smuggling into Northern Ireland in each year since 1997. [83009]

John Healey: Estimates of the revenue loss arising specifically from smuggling are not available. Estimates of the revenue loss arising from all forms of oils fraud and legitimate cross-border shopping in Northern Ireland for the years 1999 and 2000 are contained in the document Measuring Indirect Tax Fraud,published by HM Customs and Excise in November 2001. An estimate for 1998 is contained in the NAO report The Misuse and Smuggling of Hydrocarbon Oils, published in February 2002. Copies of both of these documents are available in the Library of the House. Figures for 2001 will be published at the time of the pre Budget Report.

---