| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
6 Oct 2003 : Column 1092W—continued
Food Expenditure
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was spent on food by his Department and by each of the agencies for which it is responsible in (a) 2001–02 and (b) 2002–03; what proportion of that food by value was produced in the United Kingdom; what guidance he has issued to encourage the procurement of home-produced food; and if he will make a statement. [129368]
Ruth Kelly: The information is not available in the form requested.
Gold
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the world market in gold bullion. [131389]
Ruth Kelly: The Treasury monitors developments in the gold market on a daily basis and receives ongoing advice and analysis from the Bank of England. We are
6 Oct 2003 : Column 1093W
well aware of recent developments, including de-hedging operations by gold producers that have resulted in upward pressure on the US dollar price of gold.
Individual Savings Accounts
Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what his estimate is of the revenue yield from (a) abolishing the tax relief on individual savings accounts and (b) halving the annual subscription limit for ISAs; and if he will make a statement; [130123]
- (2) what his estimate is of the cost to the Exchequer of the individual savings account for each year from 1998–99 to 2005–06; what his estimate is of the effect of the ISA tax relief on total savings; and if he will make a statement. [130148]
Dawn Primarolo: Available estimates of the tax relief on ISAs from 1999–2000 to 2002–03 are contained in the following table.
| Year | Cost of tax relief |
|---|---|
| 1999–2000 | 120 |
| 2000–01 | 420 |
| 2001–02 | 725 |
| 2002–03 | 825 |
(25) From 1999–2000 to 2002–03
The estimates represent the reduction in tax liabilities from investment in ISAs. They do not indicate the yield from abolishing ISAs since in practice this could result in significant and uncertain changes in taxpayers' behaviour because of the range of alternative investment options. Therefore, no estimate is available of this yield.
There is no available estimate of the effect of ISAs on total savings. Overall, ISAs have attracted a wide range of individuals of different ages and income, whose savings experience will vary widely. They have attracted more younger and lower income savers than TESSAs and PEPs.
The relief in any particular year is derived from subscriptions built up over a number of years, including the current year. In 2000–01, the latest year for which estimates are available, contributions in excess of half of the current limits represented around 40 per cent. of the total. Assuming a similar distribution of contributions in every year since the introduction of ISAs would imply that the costs of relief given in the table would have been 40 per cent. lower each year.
Iraq
Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether it is his policy that Iraq's debt should be written off. [129860]
Ruth Kelly: The Government's paper "A Vision for Iraq and the Iraqi People" of 17 March made it clear that we are seeking a fair and sustainable solution to Iraq's external debt problems.
The Government believes the most effective way to deliver a fair and sustainable solution is by asking the International Monetary Fund (IMF), International
6 Oct 2003 : Column 1094W
Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and other responsible international organisations, to make a full assessment of Iraq's needs, resources and obligations. We expect this to be followed by a shared solution through the Paris Club of official creditors and comparable treatment from other creditors. On 14 April the Prime Minister stated in this context that he hopes people will be generous in recognizing Iraq's needs for the future.
We strongly supported the International Monetary and Finance Committee (IMFC) and Development Committee statements about the importance of addressing the debt issue. The IMF and IBRD have started making their assessments.
UNSCR 1483 welcomes the readiness of creditors, including those of the Paris Club, to seek a solution to Iraq's sovereign debt problems, protects oil revenues from seizure until December 2007, and provides a transparent route for settlement of UN compensation claims.
We welcomed the 10 July Paris Club statement that creditors ". . . share the view that they don't expect Iraq to be in a position to resume payments to them before end 2004." We expect this unofficial moratorium to allow sufficient time for the establishment of an internationally recognized, representative Government of Iraq, legally empowered to negotiate and agree an IMF programme and debt treatments with creditors.
Lost Working Days
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of 1 September, Official Report, column 884W, on lost working days and chronic pain, when he will supply the information requested. [131199]
Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Burstow, dated 30 September 2003:
- As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question pursuant to my answer of 1st September, Official Report, column 884W (126352), on lost working days and chronic pain. (131199)
- Unfortunately, due to what I understand was an administrative error, the answer to another of your questions (126506) was printed at the above Hansard reference by mistake. The answer that should have been provided is given below.
- Using data from the Labour Force Survey (LFS), it is estimated that in England, in the twelve months ending in May 2003, there were 89.25 million working days lost due to sickness or injury. The corresponding figure for the previous twelve months was 96.68 million. Comparable data for earlier periods are not available. The LFS does not collect information about the types of illnesses or injuries which cause sickness absence. Therefore, information about the number of working days lost because of chronic pain is not available.
- I apologise for the delay in providing an answer to this question.
Microsoft
Norman Lamb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was paid to Microsoft in licensing fees by his Department and its agencies in each of the last three years; and how much has been budgeted for (a) 2003–04 and (b) 2004–05. [130685]
6 Oct 2003 : Column 1095W
John Healey: The information requested is commercially confidential and is covered by Exemption 13 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.
Mortgage Companies
Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to introduce a statutory obligation on mortgage companies to advise borrowers about the risks of using property and equity release as a vehicle for pension investment when they take on a new mortgage. [131202]
Ruth Kelly: On 1 July 2003, Parliament approved legislation bringing mortgages, including equity release mortgages, within the scope of Financial Services Authority (FSA) regulation with effect from 31 October 2004. The FSA is consulting on rules governing the advice and selling of these products.
National Insurance
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received regarding the status of employers' national insurance contributions for seafarers on ships trading in United Kingdom territorial waters. [129629]
Dawn Primarolo: Since my announcement in April 2003 regarding employer's national insurance contributions for mariners engaged through offshore manning companies, I have received letters from shipping industry representatives and employers affected. I also met industry representatives on 8 September 2003. In the light of the evidence they presented concerning the likely effect of the proposals on the competitiveness of UK shipping in territorial waters, I have decided to restrict the changes I announced to mariners who are employed in inshore waters classified as A, B, C or D under the Merchant Shipping (Categorisation of Waters) Regulations 1992. Regulations were laid before Parliament on 18 September 2003 and the changes will apply from 13 October 2003.
Paul Flynn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much has been lost to the National Insurance Fund by reductions in contributions by employers to compensate for the climate change levy. [129716]
Dawn Primarolo: The reduction in contributions to the National Insurance Fund to compensate for the climate change levy is £1.1 billion for each of the years 2001–02 and 2002–03 and it is estimated to be £1.2 billion for 2003–04. These figures are rounded to the nearest £0.1 billion.
Paul Flynn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the transfer of the contribution to the NHS from the National Insurance Fund matches the total received by the increase of 1 per cent. in national insurance rates. [129726]
Dawn Primarolo: Under the National Insurance Contributions Act 2002, all the proceeds of the 1 per cent. increase in national insurance contributions from April 2003 are added to the amount allocated to
6 Oct 2003 : Column 1096W
the national health service. The effect on the National Insurance Fund of the change in the allocation to the national health service from national insurance contributions, following the National Insurance Contributions Act 2002, is shown in Appendix 5 of the Report by the Government Actuary on the drafts of the Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order 2003 and the Social Security (Contributions) (Re-rating and National Insurance Funds Payments) Order 2003. This was presented to Parliament in February 2003.
Paul Flynn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the amount of the Treasury's supplement to the National Insurance Fund would be if it had been paid at the same rate that prevailed from 1911 to the late 1980s; and what proportion the supplement would now be as a proportion of the total cost of the basic pension. [129866]
Dawn Primarolo: The Treasury Supplement was abolished in 1988–89. It is not possible to say what the amount of the supplement would be for the current year, as the relevant rate used to calculate the supplement varied from one year to the next.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |