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20 May 2003 : Column 665W—continued
Finance Bill
Mr. Weir: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his policy is on the level of price for a barrel of oil at which he would not introduce on 1 October the annual valorisation of petrol prices set out in Clause 4 of the Finance Bill. [114771]
John Healey: In his Budget Speech of 9 April 2003, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor stated that he was deferring the annual revalorisation of fuel duties until 1 October 2003
"owing to the recent high and volatile level of oil prices as a result of military conflict in Iraq".
"if the current international uncertainties and volatility remain, I will not proceed with the change at all".
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[Official Report, 9 April 2003, col. 278,]
Inland Revenue Consultants
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people have taken retirement from the Inland Revenue since 1997 and subsequently been engaged to carry on (a) consultancy and (b) other work for the Revenue. [114377]
Dawn Primarolo: The Inland Revenue does not hold centrally any information on the previous employment history of those engaged as consultants by its business areas. Figures from 1997 to 2002 would only be available at disproportionate cost.
Interest Rates
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of the annual savings to the Exchequer which would result from lower debt interest costs if United Kingdom interest rates were (a) 0.5 per cent. (b) 0.75 per cent., (c) 1 per cent., (d) 2 per cent. and (e) 3 per cent. lower across the yield curve for 2003–04. [114652]
Mr. Boateng: Reductions in yields across the yield curve will not affect the cost of servicing debt that has been issued at fixed rates, but will affect interest payments made on new debt that is issued and on variable interest rate debt. The following table sets out the estimated debt interest savings that would arise from changes to interest rates:
| Fall in interest rates across theyield curve in 2003–04 | Estimated savings in debt interest in 2003–04 (£ billion) |
|---|---|
| 0.5 per cent. | 0.4 |
| 0.75 per cent. | 0.6 |
| 1 per cent. | 0.8 |
| 2 per cent. | 1.6 |
| 3 per cent. | 2.4 |
KPMG
Mr. Kilfoyle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many contracts his Department has awarded to KPMG since 1997. [113691]
Mr. Boateng: From the start of 1997 to date the Treasury has let eight contracts to KPMG.
Liability Insurance
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the findings of the Office of Fair Trading fact-finding study into the UK liability insurance market will be published. [111031]
Nigel Griffiths: I have been asked to reply.
The Office of Fair Trading intends to publish its fact-finding study shortly.
Net Immigration
Mr. Lilley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what (a) medium and (b) long-term assumptions about net immigration into the UK have been made in each of
20 May 2003 : Column 667W
the population projections produced by the Office for National Statistics since 1990; and what has been the outcome in each year over that period. [113716]
John Healey: National population projections are produced by the Government Actuary's Department at the request of the Registrars General of England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. New projections are normally prepared every second year. The 2000-based, and earlier, projections were prepared before 2001 Census results became available. The interim 2001-based projections take preliminary account of the results of the 2001 Census. A 2002-based set of projections, taking account of the further Census related data which have and will become available during 2003, is provisionally scheduled for publication in the autumn.
The previously published medium and long-term assumptions of annual net migration to the United Kingdom made in national population projections since 1990 are given in Table A as follows.
| Number | |
|---|---|
| 1991-based and 1992-based projections | 50,000 each year from 1997–98 to 2006–07 reducing to zero each year from 2015–16 |
| 1994-based projections | 50,000 each year from 1999–2000 to 2008–09 reducing to zero each year from 2018–19 |
| 1996-based projections | 65,000 each year from 1998–99 |
| 1998-based projections | 95,000 each year from 2001–02 |
| 2000-based projections | 135,000 each year from 2002–03 |
| Interim 2001-based projections | 100,000 each year from 2002–03 |
Source:
Government Actuary's Department
The Office for National Statistics have published an interim revised series of net international migration for 1992 to 2001 that takes preliminary account of the 2001 Census results. The previously published figures are given in Table B as follows. Further revisions to the international migration series will be published in the coming weeks. These revisions will take account of further research.
| Net migration to the United Kingdom | |
|---|---|
| 1992 | -41,600 |
| 1993 | -41,600 |
| 1994 | 31,600 |
| 1995 | 30,700 |
| 1996 | 13,800 |
| 1997 | 10,800 |
| 1998 | 96,300 |
| 1999 | 100,500 |
| 2000 | 99,600 |
| 2001 | 125,700 |
Source:
Office for National Statistics
Public Assets
Mr. Cox: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate his Department has made of the income received from the sale of publicly owned assets since May 1997. [114853]
20 May 2003 : Column 668W
Mr. Boateng: Since April 1997, central and local government have realised some £26.2 billion from the sale of fixed assets.
Tax Credits
Mr. Weir: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many complaints have been received concerning the operations of the public helpline for tax credits since its introduction. [114010]
Dawn Primarolo: I would refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for North Norfolk (Norman Lamb) on 28 April 2003, Official Report, column 161W.
Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of 7 May, Official Report, column 689W, on tax credits, if he will hold discussions with the Child Poverty Action Group on passported benefits available with the child tax credit. [114529]
Dawn Primarolo: The Government discuss passported benefits attached to the new tax credits with a wide range of organisations.
Mr. Webb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many standard letters the Inland Revenue has issued (a) in total and (b) in the last month to tax credit applicants, asking them to confirm their name, address, date of birth and National Insurance number. [114569]
Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 19 May 2003]: Standard letters seeking to confirm name, address, date of birth, national insurance numbers—and other details—relevant to tax credit claims are issued as part of normal day to day claims processing and compliance activity.
Figures on the number of standard letters issued are not readily available and could only be compiled at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of 7 May 2003, Official Report, column 689W, on tax credits, if he will put details about the passported benefits available with tax credits on the application forms; and whether the leaflet described in his response will be sent to all those in receipt of tax credits. [113347]
Dawn Primarolo: The notes that accompany the tax credit claim form already refer to other help—such as free prescriptions—that maybe available.
The new leaflet (WTC6) is now available on the Inland Revenue website and will soon also be available on request from Inland Revenue Enquiry Centres.
Mr. Dhanda: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to provide a freephone number for people (a) making enquiries about and (b) following up claims for the (i) child tax credit and (b) working tax credit. [113731]
Dawn Primarolo: The Tax Credits Helpline, along with other helplines operated by the Inland Revenue, are charged at local call rates. The telephone response line—0800 500222—featured in the advertising campaigns since September 2002 providing general information on eligibility and claim packs is a freephone number.
20 May 2003 : Column 669W
Mr. Tynan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average time taken by the Inland Revenue children's and working tax credits helpline to deal with calls has been since August 2002; how many calls were lost or terminated before being answered by a helpline operator; and how these figures compare with the targets set for the helpline. [107555]
Dawn Primarolo: For the Great Britain helpline, over the period August 2002 to March 2003 inclusive, an average time of about 4 minutes and 40 seconds elapsed between an adviser answering a call and their ending any immediate post-call action on that case.
In the same period, out of a total of 5,701,108 calls received, 4,594,743 were answered by a helpline operator, with 1,106,365 calls where the caller was put in a queue to speak to an adviser, following the selection of an option from the call steering menu, but the call was lost or terminated before the caller spoke to the adviser.
There were no service delivery targets for either figure for this period.
Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many persons in London, broken down by borough, have applied for working tax credit; and if he will make a statement; [114961]
- (2) what the average time has been for dealing with applications in London for working tax credit, broken down by borough; and if he will make a statement; [114962]
(3) what the average period of time has been since the introduction of working tax credits from application to first payment in London, broken down by borough; and if he will make a statement. [114960]
Dawn Primarolo: Figures for applications received for Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit are not available below the national level. Statistics on awards of these tax credits will be published in August.
For the time taken to process applications, I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for North Southwark and Bermondsey (Mr. Hughes) on 28 April 2003, Official Report, column 161W.
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