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6 Oct 2003 : Column 1084W—continued
Advertising Campaigns
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the publicity and advertising campaigns run by his Department since April 2002, specifying the (a) purpose, (b) cost to public funds, (c) number of staff involved and (d) method of evaluation in each case; and if he will make a statement. [124371]
Ruth Kelly: Information in the required format for all Departments for which the Chancellor has responsibility could be provided only at disproportionate cost. HM Treasury has conducted no such campaign since April 2002. Other Departments have carried out publicity campaigns in connection with, for example, their responsibilities for enforcing the law and assisting taxpayers with their obligations. Information about many such campaigns is included in the annual reports published by these Departments. Details were also provided in my answer to the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 5 March 2003, Official Report, column 1062W. Planned expenditure for 2002–03 was provided in the Paymaster General's answer to the hon. Member for Buckingham (Mr. Bercow) on 18 June 2003, Official Report, column 232W.
Debt
Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average (a) unsecured debt per person and (b) annual income per person was in each year since 1997. [129931]
Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell to Dr. Vincent Cable, dated 30 September 2003:
- The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question on unsecured debt per person and annual income per person. I am replying in his absence. (129931) The information
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- requested is shown in the table below. The data for unsecured debt (households' total financial liabilities other than secured debt) and income (households1 gross disposable income) used in the calculations are national accounts series for the combined household and non-profit institutions serving households (NPISH) sectors. The accounts for the household and NPISH sectors are currently combined; separate estimates are not available.
- The average annual disposable income and unsecured debt person can be obtained by dividing the appropriate national accounts totals by the UK population aged 16 and over. These are shown for the years requested in the table.
| Annual Incomeper person (£) | Unsecured Debtper person (£) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 12,400 | 3,540 |
| 1998 | 12,680 | 3,790 |
| 1999 | 13,330 | 4,090 |
| 2000 | 13,980 | 4,470 |
| 2001 | 14,980 | 4,900 |
| 2002 | 15,310 | 5,330 |
Capital Gains Tax
Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of capital gains tax is paid at the 40 per cent. rate of tax; and if he will make a statement. [130144]
Dawn Primarolo: 81 per cent. of the capital gains tax accrued in 2000–01 was paid at the 40 per cent. rate of tax.
Employment Disincentives
Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effects on (a) wage inflation, (b) labour market productivity and (c) the economy of the disincentive for those on low incomes to change jobs because of short term cash flow problems. [129861]
Dawn Primarolo: The Government are committed to making work pay and to supporting low-income households in sustaining employment. The new tax credits help low-income families and working households by providing targeted financial support according to need and are designed to reduce households' uncertainty about their income when circumstances change. The Government are also encouraging low-income households to save more, helping them to deal with short-term cash flow
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problems. No assessment has yet been made of the impact of these policies on wage inflation, labour market productivity or the economy.
Corporation Tax
Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many companies paid corporation tax at (a) the main rate, (b) the small companies rate and (c) a zero rate in each year from 1990–91 to 2003–04; and if he will make a statement. [130546]
Dawn Primarolo: Information on the numbers of companies liable for tax at different rates is published in Table 11.3 available on the Inland Revenue's website: www.inlandrevenue.qov.uk/stats/index. Figures for 2001–02 will be published shortly.
Corporate Venturing Scheme
Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his latest estimate is of the costs of the Corporate Venturing Scheme announced in the March 2000 Budget for each year from 2000–01 to 2005–06; what assessment he has made of the economic effects of this scheme; and if he will make a statement. [130130]
Dawn Primarolo: The estimated cost of tax reliefs for the Corporate Venturing Scheme from 2000–01 to 2002–03 are:
| Tax year | Cost of Tax reliefs |
|---|---|
| 2000–01 | 5 |
| 2001–02(20) | 2 |
| 2002–03(20) | 1 |
(20) Figures for more recent years are subject to revision, as more information becomes available.
With a long-term measure such as CVS the full effects on outcomes such as investment, productivity and output will not become apparent for a number of years, in the meantime we will continue to monitor activity and expenditure.
Customs and Excise
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what seizures were made by Customs officials at (a) Newhaven, (b) Poole and (c) Isle of Wight ports in each of the last five years for which there are records of (i) drugs, (ii) firearms, (iii) pornography, (iv) illegal meat, (v) cigarettes and tobacco and (vi) other goods; and if he will make a statement. [127153]
John Healey: Seizures by number, and where applicable volume, for drugs, firearms, cigarettes, pornography and other goods for the requested ports are as follows. Data for the financial years prior to 2000–01 are not available.
(21) Includes gas canisters and offensive weapons.
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There are no recorded seizures of these commodities from the Isle of Wight ports for the period in question.
Responsibility for illegal imports of meat and animal products passed to Customs on 11 April 2003 from DEFRA. Customs have no recorded seizures of illegal meat from the requested ports for the period in question.
Departmental Employment
Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many jobs under the remit of his Department in (a) the core department, (b) non-departmental public bodies, (c) executive agencies and (d) independent statutory bodies, organisations and bodies financially sponsored by his Department are in (i) Scotland, (ii) each region in England, (iii) Wales, (iv) Northern Ireland and (v) overseas, broken down by (A) whole-time equivalent jobs and (B) the percentage per individual department, body or organisation. [127313]
John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to Table D of the annual publication 'Civil Service Statistics', which is available in the Library of the House.
This information is also available on the Cabinet Office Statistics website: http://www.civil-service.gov. uk/statistics/css.htm.
The Treasury has two advisory non-departmental public bodies and one public corporation:
| NDPB | Staff number | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Statistics Commission | 7 | England |
| Public Services Productivity Panel Unit | No staff(12 members) | n/a |
| Bank of England(22) | 2,187 | England |
(22) Bank of England is a Public Corporation.
Four parliamentary bodies are financially sponsored by the Treasury:
| Bodies | Staff number | Location |
|---|---|---|
| The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association | 7 | England |
| The British American Parliamentary Group | 1 (part-time) | England |
| The Inter-parliamentary Group | 7 | England |
| The British-Irish Inter-parliamentary Body | 1 full-time,1 part-time | England |
Mr. Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) special advisers, (b) press officers, (c) civil servants, (d) advisers to civil servants and (e) permanent staff were working for his Department in each year since 1996. [126486]
John Healey: The Treasury does not employ advisers to civil servants.
6 Oct 2003 : Column 1088W
The staffing figures for permanent staff (civil servants) at HM Treasury since 1996 are published on the Cabinet Office web site at www.civil-service.qov.uk/statistics.
For the number of Press Officers employed by HM Treasury since 1996, I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answers given by my hon. Friend the Financial Secretary to the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 10 February 2002, Official Report, column 614W and the hon. Member for Buckingham (Mr. Bercow) on 10 April 2003, Official Report, column 400W.
The table following lists the number of Special Advisers in each year since 1996. Additionally, the Chief Economic Adviser has been appointed on Special Adviser terms since October 1999.
| Year(23) | HM Treasury Special Advisers(24) |
|---|---|
| 1996 | 2 |
| 1997 | 3 |
| 1998 | 4 |
| 1999 | 3 |
| 2000 | 3 |
| 2001 | 4 |
| 2002 | 4 |
| 2003 | 3 |
(23) At 1 April.
(24) These figures do not include members of the Council of Economic Advisers that was established in 1997.
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