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3 Mar 2003 : Column 838W—continued
Laptop Computers
Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many laptop computers were used by (a) Ministers and special advisers and (b) officials in his Department in each year since 1995; how many were (i) lost and (ii) stolen; what their cost was; and if he will make a statement. [98705]
Ruth Kelly: Current Treasury records simply assign ownership of laptops and other small equipment to Budget centres within the Department, and so a distinction between (a) and (b) is not made.
| Year | Stock | Cost/£ | Stolen |
|---|---|---|---|
| <1995 | 111 | 194,030 | 2 |
| 1996 | +145 | 299,421 | 1 |
| 1997 | +59 | 132,982 | 3 |
| 1998 | +15 | 33,967 | 1 |
| 1999 | +111 | 221,801 | 2 |
| 2000 | +135 | 301,497 | 1 |
| 2001 | +100 | 168,543 | 2 |
| 2002 | +35 | 69,053 | 5 |
Notes:
1. All recorded losses of laptops have been due to theft. The figure for 2002 does not include 16 old and redundant laptops that were removed without authorisation from a temporary stockroom during the move to new accommodation.
2. The totals above indicate acquisitions and do not reflect the actual number in use, which is affected by occasional stock holding and by old equipment being replaced with newer models. At present the number of laptops supported is about 300.
Private Sector Businesses (Forms)
Mr. Yeo: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the forms that his Department requires private sector businesses to complete and return. [98089]
Ruth Kelly: The Treasury does not require private sector businesses to complete and return any forms, although the Debt Management Office, an executive agency of the Treasury, requires the 16 investment banks that act as Gilt-edged Market Makers (GEMMs) to report weekly on their turnover in gilts. This data is then aggregated and sent to the GEMMs so they can assess their gilt market share.
It would be impractical to list all forms the Inland Revenue uses, although Inland Revenue business forms are available on their website: www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk. However, the Inland Revenue database does not
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differentiate between forms for completion and return and material on guidance for operating PAYE and/or tax credits.
In respect of Customs and Excise the information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The information with regard to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) is as follows:
Office for National Statistics-Business Inquiries
Survey of British Enterprise Research and Development
Monthly inquiry into the Production Industries
Monthly inquiry into the Distribution and Service Sector
Quarterly Non Production Stocks
Quarterly Capital Expenditure Inquiry
Quarterly Inquiry into International Trade in Service
Annual Inquiry into International Trade in Service
Corporate Services Price Index
Annual Foreign Direct Investment in the UK
Annual Foreign Direct Investment Overseas
Quarterly Foreign Direct Investment in the UK
Quarterly Foreign Direct Investment Overseas
Motor Vehicle Production Inquiry (Cars)
Motor Vehicle Production Inquiry (Engines)
Quarterly Survey of Financial Assets and Liabilities
Acquisitions and Mergers Inquiry
Quarterly Inquiries into Insurance Companies (QIIC)—Long Term Funds—Transactions in Financial Assets
QIIC-General Funds—Transactions in Financial Assets
QIIC-Long Term Funds—Income and Expenditure
QIIC-General Funds—Transactions in Financial Assets
Annual Inquiries into Insurance Companies (AIIC)—Long Term Funds—Balance Sheet
AIIC-General Funds—Balance Sheet
AIIC-Long Term—Funds Income and Expenditure
AIIC-General Funds—Income and Expenditure
Quarterly Inquiries into Pension Funds—Transaction in Financial Assets
Quarterly Inquiries into Pension Funds—Income and Expenditure
Annual inquiry into Pension Funds—Balance Sheets
Unit Trusts—Assets and Liabilities—Annual
Unit Trust—Transactions—Quarterly
Investment Trusts—Annual Return of Liabilities
Investment Trusts—Quarterly Return of Transactions
Securities Dealers—Overseas Direct Investment—Quarterly
Property Unit Trusts—Assets and Liabilities—Annual
Property Unit Trusts—Transactions—Quarterly
Securities Dealers—Assets, Liabilities and Transactions—Quarterly
Securities Dealers—Income and Expenditure—Quarterly
3 Mar 2003 : Column 840W
Monthly Export Price Index
Quarterly Inquiries into the Distribution and Service Sector
Quarterly Inquiry into the Number of Employees in Local Government
Monthly Producer Price Index—Recruitment
Quarterly Asset Finance Inquiries
Annual Asset Finance Inquiries
Survey onto Business Spending on Capital Goods
Export Prices Inquiry (Recruitment)
Import Prices Inquiry (Recruitment)
Imported Capital Goods Inquiry (Recruitment)
Annual Business Inquiry Part 1 Employment
Annual Business Inquiry Part 2 Financial
Monthly Inquiry of Internet Service Providers
Building Materials Inquiry—Annual Ready Mix Concrete—Monthly Bricks
Quarterly Railway Investment Inquiry
Construction Industry Statistics
Stamp Duty
Mr. John Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received about the number of house buyers who have unnecessarily paid stamp duty because of inaccurate information provided by the Inland Revenue relating to post codes; how many people have been affected; and if he will make a statement. [98547]
John Healey: Relief from stamp duty in disadvantaged areas was implemented by this Government on 30 November 2001, exempting from stamp duty all property transactions below £150,000 in around 2,000 of the most deprived areas of the UK. We intend to abolish this cap for non-residential property this year.
Qualifying areas in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are defined in regulations by reference to electoral wards. As with other tax reliefs, the onus is on the customer to claim this relief. To help customers to
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identify whether they can claim the relief, the Inland Revenue has made available a postcode search facility on its website. The Inland Revenue is aware that there have been some problems with this tool, particularly where properties straddle ward boundaries or are new developments. As soon as the Inland Revenue has become aware of any shortcomings in the system, they have rectified them and any customer who has paid stamp duty and subsequently discovers relief was due may claim a full repayment of the duty with interest from the Inland Revenue. As an indication of the number of people who have not claimed the relief but have subsequently claimed a repayment, the Inland Revenue currently processes around 300 claims for repayment per month.
Suicide
Tim Loughton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many suicides have been recorded in each of the last 10 years for (a) males under 18, (b) females under 18, (c) males over 18 and (d) females over 18. [100549]
Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
Letter from Len Cook to Tim Loughton, dated 3 March 2003:
- As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question concerning how many suicides have been recorded in each of the last ten years for (a) males under 18, (b) females under 18, (c) males over 18 and (d) females over 18.
- The most recent available mortality data are for the calendar year 2001. Figures for each year from 1992 to 2001 are given in the table below.
| Calendar year | Number of deaths(a) males under 18 | (b) females under 18 | (c) males 18 and over | (d) females 18 and over |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 51 | 23 | 4,009 | 1,403 |
| 1993 | 63 | 30 | 3,812 | 1,346 |
| 1994 | 65 | 21 | 3,822 | 1,236 |
| 1995 | 43 | 35 | 3,787 | 1,292 |
| 1996 | 54 | 25 | 3,600 | 1,214 |
| 1997 | 56 | 30 | 3,666 | 1,229 |
| 1998 | 66 | 21 | 3,863 | 1,204 |
| 1999 | 53 | 27 | 3,851 | 1,257 |
| 2000 | 66 | 25 | 3,593 | 1,238 |
| 2001 | 52 | 17 | 3,486 | 1,150 |
(18) The cause of death wad defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes E950-E959 and E980-E989 excluding E988.8 for the years 1992 to 2000, and, for the year 2001, the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes X60-X84 and Y10-Y34 excluding Y33.9 where the Coroner's verdict was pending.
(19) Figures are for deaths registered in 1992 and for deaths occurring in each calendar year from 1993 to 2001.
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