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4 Dec 2003 : Column 139W—continued
Consumer Prices (Harmonised Index)
Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to link index-linked government securities to the harmonised index of consumer prices; and what estimate he has made of the change in debt servicing obligations which would result. [141730]
Ruth Kelly [holding answer 3 December 2003]: The Chancellor of the Exchequer said in his statement on Economic and Monetary Union on 9 June that, in the event that the government confirms it will move to an
4 Dec 2003 : Column 140W
inflation target based on the harmonised index of consumer prices (HICP) in the pre-Budget Report on 10 December 2003, there will be no change from the use of the general index of retail prices (RPI) for calculating the inflation uplift on index-linked gilts.
Economic Growth (St. Helens)
Mr. Woodward: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of economic growth in the St. Helens area for each year since 1992. [141305]
Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Woodward, dated 4 December 2003:
- As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question on economic growth in the St Helens area for each year since 1992. (141305)
- The nearest geography for that area for which a measure of economic activity (that is gross value added (GVA)) is East Merseyside; this includes St Helens and Knowsley.
- The estimates in tables A and B are based on the regional GVA estimates published in August and October 2003 for regional (North West) and sub-regional (Merseyside) data and April 2001 for the local area (East Merseyside) data. These are available on the National Statistics website at http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vink=7359.
- Growth rates are normally calculated on the basis of data at constant prices. However, regional Gross Value Added (GVA) data are only available on a current price basis, in the absence of regional deflators or volume measures. The growth rates shown in the table below will therefore include the effects of inflation.
- Estimates for East Merseyside consistent with the sub-regional data up to 2001 will be published on 11 December 2003.
| 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom(20) | 536,475 | 564,781 | 597,002 | 626,703 | 663,148 | 705,851 | 749,688 | 781,847 | 816,111 | 851,408 |
| North West | 58,078 | 60,954 | 64,159 | 66,887 | 69,905 | 73,670 | 77,698 | 80,836 | 84,058 | 87,584 |
| Merseyside | — | — | — | 10,781 | 11,308 | 11,985 | 12,733 | 13,215 | 13,692 | 14,221 |
| East Merseyside(21) | — | — | — | 2,328 | 2,477 | 2,526 | 2,759 | — | — | — |
(15) NUTS (Nomenclature of Units for Territorial Statistics) is a hierarchical classification of areas that provides a breakdown of the EU's economic territory.
(16) Estimates for GVA at NUTS 1 level are consistent with those published on 20 August 2003. Data from 1997 onwards are provisional.
(17) Estimates for GVA at NUTS 2 level are consistent with those published on 31 October 2003. Data from 1997 onwards are provisional.
(18) Includes taxes less subsidies on production.
(19) Components may not sum to totals due to founding.
(20) Excluding GVA for Extra-regio, which comprises compensation of employees and gross operating surplus which cannot be assigned to regions.
(21) Data at Nuts 3 level are provisional and consistent with those published on 26 April 2001.
Source:
Office for National Statistics
| 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom(22) | 4.4 | 5.3 | 5.7 | 5.0 | 5.8 | 6.4 | 6.2 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 4.3 |
| North West | 4.5 | 5.0 | 5.3 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 5.4 | 5.5 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.2 |
| Merseyside | — | — | — | — | 4.9 | 6.0 | 6.2 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 3.9 |
| East Merseyside(23) | — | — | — | — | 6.4 | 2.0 | 9.2 | — | — | — |
(22) Excluding GVA for Extra-regio, which comprises compensation of employees and gross operating surplus which cannot be assigned to regions.
(23) Data at Nuts 3 level are provisional and consistent with those published on 26 April 2001.
Source:
Office for National Statistics
4 Dec 2003 : Column 141W
Identity Cards
Mr. Webb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the implications of the introduction of compulsory identity cards for his Department. [141413]
Ruth Kelly: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave to him on 19 November 2003, Official Report, column 1095W.
Income Tax
Sir Paul Beresford: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much additional revenue would be raised from the residents of each of the district councils in Surrey for every penny increase in the basic rate of income tax. [142034]
Dawn Primarolo: The requested information is given in the following table.
| District councils in Surrey | £ million |
|---|---|
| Elmbridge | 8.7 |
| Epsom and Ewell | 6.1 |
| Guildford | 10.1 |
| Mole Valley | 5.0 |
| Reigate and Banstead | 9.1 |
| Runnymede | 5.0 |
| Spelthorne | 6.4 |
| Surrey Heath | 7.4 |
| Tandridge | 5.3 |
| Waverley | 8.6 |
| Woking | 6.2 |
Estimates are based upon the 2000–01 Survey of Personal Incomes. The effects of the illustrative changes can be scaled up or down over a reasonably wide range. The results exclude any behavioural response to the tax change.
Tax Credits
Richard Burden: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether caps will be set on the amount of recovery sought from individual claimants arising from overpayment of tax credits. [141294]
Dawn Primarolo: I refer my hon. Friend to the Inland Revenue's Code of Practice "What happens when you have paid too much tax credits". The code was placed on the Inland Revenue web site on Tuesday 11 November. A copy can be found in the House of Commons Library.
4 Dec 2003 : Column 142W
Tobacco (Tax)
Mr. Barron: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of the purchase price is paid in taxation for an average (a) packet of 20 cigarettes, (b) 250g of hand-rolling tobacco, (c) packet of five cigars and (d) 250g of pipe tobacco in each country in the European Union. [141530]
John Healey: Information on retail price and taxation for a packet of 20 cigarettes in each country in the European Union can be found in the HM Customs and Excise 'Tobacco Factsheet' page 15, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.
The following table shows the proportion of the purchase price that is paid in taxation for a packet of 20 cigarettes in each country in the EU. The information requested on other tobacco products is not available.
| Total tax as percentage of RSP | |
|---|---|
| Austria | 76.3 |
| Belgium | 78.0 |
| Germany | 76.9 |
| Denmark | 86.7 |
| Greece | 75.5 |
| Spain | 74.0 |
| Finland | 79.6 |
| France | 81.0 |
| United Kingdom | 81.2 |
| Ireland | 96.0 |
| Italy | 78.0 |
| Luxembourg | 72.1 |
| Netherlands | 76.0 |
| Portugal | 80.8 |
| Sweden | 74.9 |
Note:
Figures for France and Ireland have been updated with later information to take account of recent rate changes and correct an error, respectively.
Source:
European Commission Excise Duty Tables: September 2003
Mr. Barron: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the amount is in (a) pounds sterling equivalent and (b) percentage of purchase price of (i) specified excise duty, (ii) ad valorem excise duty and (iii) VAT and other sales tax levied on an average packet of 20 cigarettes in each country in the European Union. [141535]
John Healey: The amounts and percentages of specific duty, ad valorem and VAT on a packet of 20 cigarettes in each of the European Union countries are given in the following table:
Note:
Figures for France and Ireland have been updated with later information to take account of recent changes and correct an error, respectively.
Source:
European Commission Excise Duty Tables: September 2003
4 Dec 2003 : Column 143W
Mr. Barron: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much revenue was raised from each of the taxes payable on each category of tobacco product in the last year for which figures are available. [141537]
John Healey: Excise duty and estimated VAT revenue for tobacco can be found in the HM Customs and Excise Tobacco Factsheet' pages 1 and 2, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.
Figures showing revenue raised from duty on each category of tobacco are available up to the year 2002–03. Estimates for VAT raised are only available for tobacco products as a whole and the most recent year is 2001–02.
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