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18 May 2004 : Column 883W—continued
Budget Information (Costs)
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the (a) design costs, (b) production costs, (c) distribution costs, (d) number of staff involved in production and distribution and (e) total number produced of the 'What Budget 2004 means for' leaflets for each of the regions and nations of the United Kingdom. [174273]
Ruth Kelly: The 'What Budget 2004 means for . . .' leaflets were produced as part of the wider Budget process within normal staffing duties. The costs of design, production and distribution were met within Departmental Expenditure Limits and amounted to approximately £3,930. 1,500 leaflets were produced for each of the regions and nations of the United Kingdom, that is 18,000 in total.
Budget Report
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the amount raised by each of the revenue categories listed in Table C8 of Chapter C in the 2004 Financial Statement and Budget Report in each of the English regions in each year since 1997. [174274]
Dawn Primarolo: A regional breakdown of all the revenue categories listed in Table C8 of Chapter C in the 2004 Financial Statement and Budget Report is not available. However, estimates of income tax liabilities and stamp duty from residential property transactions by region are available on the Inland Revenue website at http://www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/stats/income distribution/menu-by-year.htm_313 and http://www.inlandrevenue. gov.uk/stats/stamp duty/03IR152.pdf respectively.
Child Benefit
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how long he requires that it takes to transfer child benefit from parents to grandparents when they become the main carer and beneficiary. [172327]
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Dawn Primarolo: Our published target for clearance of all claims for child benefit for 2004–05 was 93 per cent. within 36 working days.
Child Tax Credit
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many child tax credit calculations have resulted in underpayment as a result of computer problems which lead to an incorrect assessment of income; how many people have been affected by such errors; how much has been underpaid as a result; and what steps have been taken to (a) explain and (b) apologise to those affected. [164616]
Dawn Primarolo: The Inland Revenue is not aware of any such issues causing underpayment of child tax credit. The income element of the entitlement calculation is based on figures supplied by the claimant rather than an assessment by the Inland Revenue. The Inland Revenue will be pleased to look into any individual cases where people consider that they have been underpaid tax credits in such circumstances.
Computer File Formats
Mr. Allan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his Department's policy is in respect of the computer file formats used for the (a) distribution and (b) archiving of publicly available documents. [173363]
Ruth Kelly: The information is as follows:
The use of PDF is common to all the main Chancellor's Departments (Office of National Statistics, HM Treasury, HM Customs and Excise and Inland Revenue), along with Microsoft Office applications (typically Word or Excel) though these formats can vary depending on the content of the file. ONS differs from the others in that its internal document management is based on the use of the IBM/Lotus Notes e- mail and collaboration suite and also the Microsoft Office suite. The Departments' individual websites all use HTML, although other applications are also used.
There is no common policy for archiving documents among the four Departments, although each has its own system in place to ensure information is captured. ONS uses an approved Electronic Records Management System; HMCE currently archives material in PDF format but for the future is looking at the use of XML; IR use a Content Management System to archive its internet published documents and the Treasury uses a records management system to store documents.
Council Tax
Peter Bottomley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many households headed by a person of pensionable age were estimated to be paying more in council tax than income tax in (a) 1997 and (b) the most recent year for which figures are available. [171712]
Ruth Kelly:
Recent figures show that there were 5.2 million households in 2002–03 who paid more net council tax than income tax; in 1997–98 there were 4.8 million. The majority of these are pensioner
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households 65 per cent. of whom pay no income tax or only pay income tax at 10 per cent., and all of whom benefit from higher age related income tax allowances. The Government have increased the aged personal allowances by at least 7.7 per cent. in real terms since 1997. No pensioner aged 65 or over will pay income tax on income of less that £131 a week in 2004–05.
Council tax benefit (CTB) exists to help those on low incomes with their council tax bills. However, many of those eligible for CTB do not claim their entitlement. The Government have therefore been running a campaign alongside local councils to boost take-up. A tailored claim form has been introduced for pensioners; the restriction on the amount of CTB for those people living in Band F, G or H properties was removed in April 2004.
Council tax consumes a greater proportion of the incomes of older pensioners—who have little or no opportunity to increase their incomes—than it does for other households. Alongside CTB the Government believe it is right to help older pensioners with their council tax so that pensioner households with someone aged over 70 will this year receive a £100 payment to help with their council tax bills. This is in addition to the winter fuel payment of £200 for all over 60s households, £300 for over 80s households. Furthermore the Government have introduced the pension credit, increased the basic state pension by the higher of 2.5 per cent. or price inflation, introduced free TV licences for households with someone aged over 75 or over—and the free eye test, free prescriptions and concessionary travel for those aged over 60.
Economic Inactivity
Mr. Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Havant (Mr. Willetts) of 26 April 2004, Official Report, column 746W, if he will break down the figures by region, giving (a) total numbers and (b) percentages of the total in each case. [173310]
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. Jim Cousins, dated 18 May 2004:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about unemployment. (173310)
I am placing in the House of Commons Library a table giving estimates of the number and the percentage of men aged 50 to 64 years and women aged 50 to 59 years not in employment for each region. This table covers the three month periods ending February each year from 1998 to 2004, the most recent year for which this information is available.
Estimates are taken from the Office for National Statistics' Labour Force Survey (LFS). As with any statistical sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to sampling variability.
Financial Services Authority
Mr. Drew: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what charges the Financial Services Authority will (a) incur and (b) charge following the introduction of the Insurance Mediation Directive. [173761]
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Ruth Kelly: The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 requires the FSA to publish a cost-benefit analysis of its proposed rules and guidance, which includes the direct costs to the FSA incurred as a result of introducing and implementing the proposals. The FSA has published a cost-benefit analysis in each of its consultation papers, which are available from the website, www.fsa.gov.uk.
The fees charged are a matter for the FSA. Application fees for insurance intermediaries have been set following consultation with the industry and are based on the volume of business undertaken. Up to 50 per cent. discount is offered for an early application together with further discount if the application is made electronically. Smaller intermediaries seeking authorisation could pay a fee of only £500 if they take advantage of the early application deadline of 31 May 2004. If a firm is already authorised by the FSA for other regulated activities, the application fee it would pay for IMD activities is halved. The periodic annual fee which will be charged by the FSA for ongoing supervision of authorised intermediaries following the commencement of regulation has not yet been set and will be the subject of a forthcoming consultation this summer, but the FSA has indicated that the minimum periodic fee for a full year of mortgage/general insurance regulation will be in the region of £750.
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