House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 17 Nov 2003 (pt 14)

17 Nov 2003 : Column 518W—continued

CAT Standard

Tim Loughton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many CAT standard products have been (a) launched and (b) withdrawn in each year since the CAT mark was introduced. [138426]

Ruth Kelly: This data is not collected centrally.

Tim Loughton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the CAT standard endorsed products, broken down by category of product. [138427]

17 Nov 2003 : Column 519W

Ruth Kelly: There are CAT standards for equity, insurance and cash ISA products and there is a CAT standard for fixed and variable rate mortgages.

Tim Loughton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many credit card companies have (a) applied for and (b) been granted the CAT standard mark. [138428]

Ruth Kelly: The Government have not adopted a CAT standard for credit cards.

Consumer Debt

Dr. Kumar: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the level of consumer debt; and what estimate he has made of the change in the number of companies offering (a) credit and (b) loans in the last three years. [138832]

Ruth Kelly: The Government's forthcoming pre-Budget report will include an assessment of developments in consumer debt. The Office of Fair Trading's Annual Report contains statistics on consumer credit licences granted and the Financial Services Authority's Annual Report contains statistics on lenders regulated by the FSA (available respectively at www.oft.gov.uk/News/Annual+report and www.fsa.gov.uk/pubs/annual).

Council Tax

Mr. Webb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the average weekly amount of council tax, net of council tax benefit, paid by (a) all pensioner households and (b) pensioner households whose taxable income is below the income tax threshold. [137692]

Ruth Kelly : The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.

17 Nov 2003 : Column 520W

Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Steve Webb, dated 17 November 2003:

As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking for the average weekly amount of council tax and net council tax benefit paid by all pensioners, and pensioners whose taxable income is below the income tax threshold. (137692)

Estimates for council taxes 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 October 21st 2003. The analysis can be obtained from the House of Commons Library or from the National Statistics website at http://www.statistics.gov.uk/taxesbenefits. It includes measures of income inequality for the United Kingdom as a whole based on data from the Expenditure and Food Survey. This is a sample survey covering about 7,500 households in the UK and sample sizes for pensioner households are only sufficient to give approximate estimates. The Family Resources Survey would have been an alternative source with a larger sample size, but the taxes and benefits analysis has been used for consistency with answers to other recent parliamentary questions.

Pensioner households have been defined as those where the Household Reference Person is retired or unoccupied and aged 65 or more and male, or 60 years of age or more and female, and economically inactive.

Detailed information on the definition of the Household Reference Person can be found in Appendix D of the document at the following address: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme social/Family Spending 2001–02 revised/Family Spending revised.pdf

Estimates for 2001–02 are shown in the following table for all pensioner households (single and couples) in Great Britain and for those who did not pay income tax (i.e. their reported income tax was zero). Council tax is not paid in Northern Ireland. The survey does not record the income tax threshold of household members so the absence of recorded income tax has been used as the relevant measure. Net council tax is defined as gross council tax less benefits and discounts, where a household reports taking up a council tax benefit entitlement.

Average weekly amount of Council Tax paid by (a) all single and couple pensioner households and (b) all single and couple pensioner households who did not report paying income tax⁽⁹⁾ for 2001–02: Great Britain£ per week

Single and couple pensioner households	Average net council tax	Average council tax benefit	Average gross council tax
All single and couple pensioner households	10.90	2.80	13.60
All single and couple pensioner households who did not report paying Income Tax	5.70	6.10	11.80

⁽⁹⁾ Income Tax is net of tax relief at source on life assurance premiums

Mr. Edward Davey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much council tax was paid as a proportion of gross incomes for households in each income quintile group in each English region for the last year for which data are available. [138147]

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.

Letter from Colin Mowl to Mr. Edward Davey, dated 17 November 2003:

The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question asking how much council tax was paid as a proportion of gross incomes for households in each income quintile group in each English region for the latest year for which data is available. I am replying in his absence. (138147)

Estimates in the following table are produced from the Office for National Statistics' analysis "The effects of taxes and benefits on household income" produced by the ONS and published on the National Statistics website on October 21st 2003. The analysis can be obtained from the House of Commons Library or from the National Statistics website at http://www.statistics.gov.uk/taxesbenefits. It includes measures of income inequality for the United Kingdom as a whole based on data from the Expenditure and Food Survey. This is a sample survey covering about 7,500 households in the UK and sample sizes for each region are only sufficient to give approximate estimates. The Family Resources Survey would have been an alternative source with a larger sample size, but the taxes and benefits analysis has been used for consistency with answers to other recent parliamentary questions.

The table shows, for 2001–02, the average net council tax paid for all households in each Government Office Region and for each income quintile group within each region where households are ranked by equivalised disposable income. Equivalisation is a standard methodology that takes into account the size and composition of households and adjusts their incomes to recognise differing demands on resources. The net council tax figures are gross council tax less reported council tax benefits and discounts. The table also shows the boundaries between equivalised disposable income quintiles, which have been calculated

17 Nov 2003 : Column 521W

separately for households in each Government Office Region. For example, the 1st quintile boundary is the income level below which one fifth of those households are estimated to lie. The results are

17 Nov 2003 : Column 522W

subject to a high degree of uncertainty due to increased sampling variability arising from small sample sizes, particularly for some regions.

Net council tax paid by households within each Government Office Region by equivalised disposable income quintile, 2001–02: England

	North East			North West and Merseyside			Yorkshire and the Humber
Quintile	Income boundary⁽¹⁰⁾(£)	Net council tax (£)	Net council tax as % of gross income	Income boundary⁽¹⁰⁾(£)	Net council tax (£)	Net council tax as % of gross income	Income boundary⁽¹⁰⁾(£)	Net council tax (£)	Net council tax as % of gross income
Bottom		242	3.1		397	4.7		373	4.0
	8,838			9,805			9,941
2nd		419	3.4		430	3.4		372	2.9
	12,551			13,187			13,353
3rd		502	2.6		656	3.3		525	2.7
	17,838			17,667			17,646
4th		707	2.3		755	2.7		647	2.4
	25,843			24,065			23,660
Top		872	1.5		938	1.8		846	1.7

All households in region		548	2.2		635	2.6		553	2.3

⁽¹⁰⁾ Boundary point between equivalised disposable income quintiles

Source:

Office for National Statistics, based on the analysis 'The effects of taxes and benefits on household income'.

Net council tax paid by households within each Government Office Region by equivalised disposable income quintile, 2001–02 (continued): England

East Midlands West Midlands Eastern

Quintile Income boundary⁽¹¹⁾(£) Net council tax (£) Net council tax as % of gross income Income boundary⁽¹¹⁾(£) Net council tax (£) Net council tax as % of gross income Income boundary⁽¹¹⁾(£) Net council tax (£) Net council tax as % of gross income

Bottom 482 5.2 424 4.8 467 5.3

10,265 9,829 10,977

2nd 555 3.5 430 3.4 530 3.4

14,708 13,721 16,010

3rd 675 2.8 604 2.7 722 2.7

19,597 17,811 22,095

4th 724 2.3 777 2.3 779 2.1

26,737 25,179 30,016

Top 785 1.4 781 1.5 891 1.4

All households in region 644 2.4 603 2.3 678 2.2

	East Midlands	West Midlands	Eastern
Quintile	Income boundary⁽¹¹⁾(£)	Net council tax (£)	Net council tax as % of gross income	Income boundary⁽¹¹⁾(£)	Net council tax (£)	Net council tax as % of gross income	Income boundary⁽¹¹⁾(£)	Net council tax (£)	Net council tax as % of gross income
Bottom		482	5.2		424	4.8		467	5.3
	10,265			9,829			10,977
2nd		555	3.5		430	3.4		530	3.4
	14,708			13,721			16,010
3rd		675	2.8		604	2.7		722	2.7
	19,597			17,811			22,095
4th		724	2.3		777	2.3		779	2.1
	26,737			25,179			30,016
Top		785	1.4		781	1.5		891	1.4

All households in region		644	2.4		603	2.3		678	2.2

⁽¹¹⁾ Boundary point between equivalised disposable income quintiles

Source:

Office for National Statistics, based on the analysis 'The effects of taxes and benefits on household income'.

Net council tax paid by households within each Government Office Region by equivalised disposable income quintile, 2001–02 (continued): England

London South East South West

Quintile Income boundary⁽¹²⁾(£) Net council tax (£) Net council tax as % of gross income Income boundary⁽¹²⁾(£) Net council tax (£) Net council tax as % of gross income Income boundary⁽¹²⁾(£) Net council tax (£) Net council tax as % of gross income

Bottom 443 4.6 477 4.8 474 5.4

11,432 12,550 10,609

2nd 567 3.1 637 3.3 565 3.8

17,512 18,002 14,441

3rd 746 2.2 748 2.5 683 3.0

25,609 24,649 19,341

4th 790 1.7 826 1.9 748 2.5

37,913 35,184 26,281

Top 886 1.0 986 1.3 890 1.5

All households in region 686 1.7 735 2.0 672 2.5

	London	South East	South West
Quintile	Income boundary⁽¹²⁾(£)	Net council tax (£)	Net council tax as % of gross income	Income boundary⁽¹²⁾(£)	Net council tax (£)	Net council tax as % of gross income	Income boundary⁽¹²⁾(£)	Net council tax (£)	Net council tax as % of gross income
Bottom		443	4.6		477	4.8		474	5.4
	11,432			12,550			10,609
2nd		567	3.1		637	3.3		565	3.8
	17,512			18,002			14,441
3rd		746	2.2		748	2.5		683	3.0
	25,609			24,649			19,341
4th		790	1.7		826	1.9		748	2.5
	37,913			35,184			26,281
Top		886	1.0		986	1.3		890	1.5

All households in region		686	1.7		735	2.0		672	2.5

⁽¹²⁾ Boundary point between equivalised disposable income quintiles

Source:

Office for National Statistics, based on the analysis 'The effects of taxes and benefits on household income'.

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