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14 Jul 2003 : Column 128W—continued

Victoria Climbié

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost was of the Victoria Climbié Inquiry; how long it lasted; and how many days it sat in public. [124335]

Margaret Hodge: I have been asked to reply.

The total expenditure of the Victoria Climbié Inquiry, from its establishment on 20 April 2001 to its report being presented to the Government on 6 January 2003, was £3.8 million.

Other details relating to the Inquiry can be obtained from the Victoria Climbié Inquiry website, www.victoriaclimbie.org.uk.

Waiting Lists/Times

Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in the mid-Essex Hospital Trust area are waiting for in-patient treatment. [124998]

Dr. Ladyman [holding answer 10 July 2003]: There were 8,710 patients waiting for inpatient treatment at Mid Essex Hospital Services National Health Service Trust at the end of May 2003.

Source:

Department of Health monthly monitoring figures.

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TREASURY

Benefits Uptake

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the number of eligible individuals who have failed to apply for (a) working tax credit, (b) minimum income guarantee and (c) child tax credit within the Crosby constituency. [122205]

Dawn Primarolo: No estimates are available for the Child or Working Tax Credit, or the Minimum Income Guarantee, in each constituency.

Biodiesel Duty

Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out the basis for his decision on the rate by which duty on biodiesel is being reduced; what consultations he held with the fuel industry; and what reductions the industry proposed. [124400]

John Healey: I did so in my answer to the right hon. Member for Fylde (Mr. Jack) on 22 May 2003, Official Report, column 882W.

We held a number of meetings and received a number of representations about the level of duty on biodiesel.

Census

Mr. Mark Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if it is his policy to use the one-number census process to determine population in the future. [124747]

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

Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Mark Field, dated 14 July 2003:

As National Statistician and Registrar General for England and Wales I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking if it is policy to use the One Number Census process to determine population in the future. (124747)

In the UK, the mid-year population estimates are based on an internationally accepted and widely employed demographic method. Using this method, estimates are produced by updating from a census base allowing for births, deaths and net migration. This basic method will continue to be employed in the future. However, we are continuing with research into improving our methods of estimating the components of population change between the censuses. The 2001 census showed we need to be much better at this. In particular the Office for National Statistics published on the 9th July a study looking at the future of population statistics; this is available on the National Statistics website at: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/about/Methodology by theme/Dem Stat Ser 21ST Cen.asp

Further, a National Statistics Quality Review on International Migration Statistics is nearing completion and this will make recommendations on improving the accuracy of these statistics, which are the most difficult component of population change to measure accurately.

A research programme, the Census Strategic Development Programme, has been established to co-ordinate the future development of the census. This programme will explore the modifications to a traditional census, taking account of the lessons from the 2001 census and harnessing modern technologies. Other potential options are being explored including: a rolling census, covering successive sections of the population; a sample census, only ever covering a percentage of the population; producing

14 Jul 2003 : Column 130W

statistics from existing person-based data held by government for administrative purposes; or some combination of these. The first phase of this research will result in recommendations in late 2003.

The One Number Census process added considerably to our knowledge of the quality of the census at a local authority level. However, in the future it will be possible to place even more emphasis on producing measures of quality. This will be a critical shift in determining future actions.

Council Tax

Mr. Breed: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average proportion of income paid out in council tax by a pensioner household in the South West of England is. [124620]

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

Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Colin Breed dated 14 July 2003

As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking for the average proportion of income paid out in council tax by a pensioner household in the South-West of England. (124620)

Estimates for council taxes and income are based on the analysis "The effects of taxes and benefits on household income 2001–02" produced by the ONS and published on the National Statistics website on April 11 2003 and in Economic Trends in the May 2003 edition. The analysis can be obtained from the House of Commons Library. This includes measures of income inequality for the United Kingdom as a whole based on data from the Expenditure and Food Survey.

Pensioner households have been defined as those where the Household Reference Person is retired. The Household Reference Person is defined as retired if aged 65 years or more and male, or 60 years or more and female, and economically inactive. The Household Reference Person is identified during the interview and is defined as the member of the household who:

a. owns the household accommodation, or

b. is legally responsible for the rent of the accommodation, or

c. has the household accommodation as an emolument or perquisite, or

d. has the household accommodation by virtue of some relationship to the owner who is not a member of the household.

If there are joint householders, the Household Reference Person will be the householder with the highest income. If the income is the same, then the eldest householder is taken.

The estimated net council tax paid as a percentage of gross income for pensioner households in the South-West of England is 3.6 per cent. Net council tax is derived from gross council tax less benefits and discounts.

Andrew George: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what the average proportion of income paid out in council tax by a non-pensioner household in the South West of England was in 2002–03; [124674]

(2) what the average proportion of income paid out in council tax by a household in the top income decile in the South-West of England was in 2002–03. [124677]

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

Letter from Len Cook to Andrew George, dated 14 July 2003:

As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent questions asking for the average proportion of income paid out in council tax by a household in the top income decile in the

14 Jul 2003 : Column 131W

South-West of England in 2002–03 and the average proportion of income paid out in council tax by a non-pensioner households in the South-West of England in 2002–03. (124674, 124677).

Estimates for council taxes and income are based on the analysis "The effects of taxes and benefits on household income 2001–02" produced by the ONS and published on the National Statistics website on April 11th 2003 and in Economic Trends in the May 2003 edition. The analysis can be obtained from the House of Commons Library. This includes measures of income inequality for the United Kingdom as a whole based on data from the Expenditure and Food Survey (EFS).

Sample sizes for all households in the South-West are only sufficient to allow a breakdown to be given by quintiles of incme distribution and not by decile. The latest analysis from which estimates can be provided is for 2001–02 and results for 2002–03 will not be available until 2004.

Non-pensioner households have been defined as those where the Household Reference Person is not retired. The Household Reference Person is defined as retired if 65 years or more and male, or 60 years of age or more and female, and economically inactive. The Household Reference Person is identified during the interview and is defined as the member of the household who:

a. owns household accommodation, or

b. is legally responsible for the rent of the accommodation, or

c. has the household accommodation as an emolument or perquisite, or

d. has the household accommodation by virtue of some relationship to the owner who is not a member of the household.

If there are joint householders, the Household Reference Person will be the householder with the highest income. If the income is the same, then the eldest householder is taken.

The following table shows: the estimated net council tax paid as a percentage of gross income for all households and non-pensioner households in the South-West, and the percentage paid for all households in the top income quintile (where households are ranked by equivalised disposable income).

The tope income quintile in the South-West includes all households where the equivalised disposable household income is equal to or more than £26,317 per year. Net council tax is derived from gross council tax less benefits and discounts.

Council tax paid as a percentage of gross income for all household and non-pensioner⁽³⁸⁾ households in the South-West, 2001–02 (South-West—Percentages)

	Households	Top quintile(39)	All households
Net council tax(40)	All(38)	1.5	2.5
	Non-pensioner	—	2.2

⁽³⁸⁾ Household reference person is not retired.

⁽³⁹⁾ Households with equivalised disposable household income of or above £26.317 per year.

⁽⁴⁰⁾ Net council taxes after deducting benefits and discounts

Source:

Office for National Statistics, based on the analysis. The effects of taxes and benefits on households income. Published on the ONS website and in Economic Trends No 594 May 2203

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