House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 11 Dec 2002 (pt 5)

11 Dec 2002 : Column 324W—continued

Primary Schools, Wycombe

Mr. Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many pupils entered primary schools in the Wycombe constituency in each year since 1997, broken down by ethnic group. [85531]

Mr. Stephen Twigg: The information requested is not available centrally. The table provides the overall number of pupils by ethnic group.

Maintained primary schools in Wycombe parliamentary constituency: number of pupils by ethnic group—position at January in each year

Pupils of compulsory school age and above

White Black Caribbean Black African Black Other Indian Pakistani

1997 5,963 377 22 89 72 1,481

1998 5,920 391 20 97 84 1,524

1999 5,139 335 17 89 76 1,387

2000 5,037 321 29 74 68 1,396

2001 4,867 300 36 89 79 1,365

2002 4,766 270 36 91 76 1,384

Pupils of compulsory school age and above

Bangladeshi Chinese Other Classified⁽¹⁾ Unclassified Total⁽²⁾

1997 21 22 206 8,253 83 8,336

1998 16 18 177 8,247 61 8,308

1999 25 22 174 7,264 11 7,275

2000 29 24 263 7,241 7 7,248

2001 28 24 352 7,140 7 7,147

2002 30 23 276 6,952 83 7,035

	Pupils of compulsory school age and above
	White	Black Caribbean	Black African	Black Other	Indian	Pakistani
1997	5,963	377	22	89	72	1,481
1998	5,920	391	20	97	84	1,524
1999	5,139	335	17	89	76	1,387
2000	5,037	321	29	74	68	1,396
2001	4,867	300	36	89	79	1,365
2002	4,766	270	36	91	76	1,384

		Pupils of compulsory school age and above
	Bangladeshi	Chinese	Other	Classified⁽¹⁾	Unclassified	Total⁽²⁾
1997	21	22	206	8,253	83	8,336
1998	16	18	177	8,247	61	8,308
1999	25	22	174	7,264	11	7,275
2000	29	24	263	7,241	7	7,248
2001	28	24	352	7,140	7	7,147
2002	30	23	276	6,952	83	7,035

⁽¹⁾ Pupils of compulsory school age were classified according to ethnic group.

⁽²⁾ Collection of ethnic group data was made for pupils of compulsory school age and above only.

Source:

Annual Schools' Census

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TRADE AND INDUSTRY

British Energy

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent independent advice she has received on the decommissioning costs of British Energy's facilities. [85646]

Mr. Wilson: The Department's financial and accounting advisers have produced advice on a range of issues affecting British Energy. The company currently makes contributions to a Nuclear Generation Decommissioning Fund owned by the Nuclear Trust whose primary purpose is to pay the legitimate costs of decommissioning British Energy's UK nuclear power stations. The Trust held its first quinquennial review in 2001, taking advice as appropriate, to compare its funds with its assessment of those costs and published its conclusions on 10 December 2001. However, the Trust does not advise the Government on British Energy's decommissioning costs.

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what her estimate is of the (a) discounted present value and (b) undiscounted cost of decommissioning British Energy's nuclear facilities; and what percentage of these will be borne by the Government. [85647]

Mr. Wilson: British Energy's annual report and accounts 2001–02 estimate the cost of decommissioning the company's nuclear power stations as #0.9 billion (discounted) and #4.8 billion (undiscounted). If the proposed restructuring announced by British Energy on 28 November is successful, it represents the best chance of the company meeting these costs itself. The amount Government will pay depends on the company's performance, and it will underwrite these liabilities to the extent that the funds are insufficient to meet these costs when they occur.

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the estimated implication is for (a) public expenditure and (b) revenue receipts over the next five years, of the renegotiated BNFL contracts with British Energy. [85645]

Mr. Wilson: The precise terms of the new contracts between BNFL and British Energy have yet to be agreed. We anticipate that any impact on total Government revenues of the new commercial deal between BNFL and British Energy will be marginal, and entirely consistent with the fiscal projections in the Pre-Budget Report.

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what consultations took place between officials of her Department and the European Competition Commissioner in advance of her statement on the future financing of British Energy on 28 November 2002; and if she will place copies of notated (a) correspondence and (b) minutes of meetings in the Library. [86170]

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Mr. Wilson: Since the Government notified the financial support to British Energy on 10 September 2002, there have been a number of contacts between officials of my Department and officials of the European Competition Commissioner. Correspondence and minutes relating to these meetings contain commercially sensitive information, and as such, are exempt from disclosure under Exemption 13 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Door-to-door Lenders

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what measures the Government is taking regarding extortionate interest rates used by door-to-door lenders. [85802]

Miss Melanie Johnson: In July last year I announced a review of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 and in August this year I published a report on the progress of the review, which included emerging ideas on how to increase protection for consumers against extortionate credit. I will be consulting on more detailed proposals in the early part of 2003. The review is also looking at ways of improving the current licensing regime to ensure better regulations of lenders.

Annual Statutory Audits

Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what assessment she has made of the cost to small business over the past two years of the increase in the turnover threshold above which a business must undertake on annual statutory audit; and if she will make a statement; [84261]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The Department of Trade and Industry is carrying out work to analyse the information that is available to assess the impact of the last increase that raised the audit threshold limit to #1 million.

My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer stated in his Pre-Budget Report that we will shortly announce a programme of research to assess the impact of the increase before making a decision on further increases, inviting key stakeholders and other interested parties to contribute their views and experiences. In the light of conclusions drawn from the assessment, the Government will consult by summer 2003 on whether the audit exemption threshold should be increased or maintained at the current level.

Debt

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment he has made of the proportion of debt to income of different socio-economic groups in the United Kingdom. [75759]

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Miss Melanie Johnson: The Department of Trade and Industry commissioned a household survey into the cause extent and effect of over-indebtedness. The report was published on the 27 November 2002 and contains data on consumer credit repayments as a proportion of gross monthly income.

The following table suggests that for non-pensioner households the lower the income the greater the likelihood that they will be paying 25 per cent. or more of their income on repayments (excluding mortgages).

Non-pensioner households—Repayments as per cent. of monthly income (excluding mortgage)

Household income (#) Owes nothing (per cent.) 0–25 per cent. 25 per cent. plus

Under 5,000 44 25 20

5,000–7,499 42 38 14

7,500–9,999 43 45 8

10,000–14,999 39 49 2

15,000–24,999 42 45 7

25,000–34,999 36 55 2

Over 35,000 44 46 6

Household income (#)	Owes nothing (per cent.)	0–25 per cent.	25 per cent. plus
Under 5,000	44	25	20
5,000–7,499	42	38	14
7,500–9,999	43	45	8
10,000–14,999	39	49	2
15,000–24,999	42	45	7
25,000–34,999	36	55	2
Over 35,000	44	46	6

Pensioner households show similar patterns to non-pensioner households, but the proportions repaying credit are smaller.

Pensioner households—Repayments as per cent. of monthly income (excluding mortgage)

Household income (#) Owes nothing (per cent.) 0–25 per cent. 25 per cent. plus

Under 5,000 8 0 14 3

5,000–7,499 78 18 2

7,500–9,999 80 15 2

10,000–14,999 75 20 —

15,000–24,999 65 24 3

25,000–34,999 53 48 —

Over 35,000 84 16 —

Household income (#)	Owes nothing (per cent.)	0–25 per cent.	25 per cent. plus
Under 5,000	8 0	14	3
5,000–7,499	78	18	2
7,500–9,999	80	15	2
10,000–14,999	75	20	—
15,000–24,999	65	24	3
25,000–34,999	53	48	—
Over 35,000	84	16	—

Energy Review

Mrs Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the (a) engineers and (b) scientists that have provided responses to the Energy Review. [85449]

Mr. Wilson [holding answer 9 December 2002]: The Government are currently undertaking an energy review with a view to publishing a White Paper in the New Year. As part of that review the Government carried out a wide-ranging consultation exercise.

A substantial number of professional engineering and scientific bodies responded to this consultation including the Research Council UK; the Royal Academy of Engineering; the Council of Science and Technology; the Institute of Mechanical Engineers; the University of Sheffield (Immobilisation Science Laboratory); Nuclear Physics Group of the Institute of Physics; the University of Leeds (School of Chemistry);

11 Dec 2002 : Column 328W

and the Institution of Chemical Engineers. A list of responses to the Energy Review is available on the DTI's website at www.dti.gov.uk/energy/developep/responses.shtml

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