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8 Jun 2004 : Column 366W—continued
Teenage Cancer
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to address problems with fertility amongst teenage cancer sufferers. [172794]
Miss Melanie Johnson: Currently, many teenage girls and boys are advised to consider having their eggs/embryos or sperm stored for future fertility treatment. Fertility problems among teenage cancer sufferers will be included in the upcoming National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidance on child and adolescent cancers.
This guidance is expected to be published in February 2005 and will specifically address specialist follow up for the late effects of treatment, including fertility, along with allied treatment services children and adolescents with cancer may need, such as fertility services.
This guidance will take into account the fertility guidance already published by NICE in February 2004, which recommended early specialist referral when there is a known reason for infertility, such as prior treatment for cancer.
TREASURY
Pensions
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many pensioners there have been in each year since 1979; and how many there are projected to be in each year to 2020, broken down by gender. [177558]
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. David Willetts, dated 8 June 2004:
As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your question concerning the number of pensioners for each year from 1979 to 2020. (177558)
The attached table shows the population over state pension age in England and Wales, broken down by gender. The present state pension age is 65 for males and 60 for females. This will remain the case until 2010, after which the state pension age for females will rise progressively to 65 between 2010 and 2020.
Mid 2002 population estimates are the latest available, therefore projections are shown for mid-2003 to mid-2020.
| Year | Total | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 8,696 | 2,907 | 5,789 |
| 1980 | 8,837 | 2,950 | 5,887 |
| 1981 | 8,928 | 2,970 | 5,958 |
| 1982 | 8,980 | 2,970 | 6,010 |
| 1983 | 8,993 | 2,947 | 6,046 |
| 1984 | 9,016 | 2,936 | 6,080 |
| 1985 | 9,117 | 3,014 | 6,103 |
| 1986 | 9,190 | 3,072 | 6,118 |
| 1987 | 9,250 | 3,123 | 6,127 |
| 1988 | 9,291 | 3,158 | 6,133 |
| 1989 | 9,337 | 3,192 | 6,145 |
| 1990 | 9,363 | 3,217 | 6,146 |
| 1991 | 9,400 | 3,248 | 6,152 |
| 1992 | 9,422 | 3,274 | 6,147 |
| 1993 | 9,435 | 3,297 | 6,138 |
| 1994 | 9,430 | 3,314 | 6,116 |
| 1995 | 9,449 | 3,340 | 6,109 |
| 1996 | 9,465 | 3,365 | 6,100 |
| 1997 | 9,484 | 3,389 | 6,095 |
| 1998 | 9,521 | 3,414 | 6,107 |
| 1999 | 9,543 | 3,433 | 6,110 |
| 2000 | 9,579 | 3,460 | 6,119 |
| 2001 | 9,627 | 3,505 | 6,122 |
| 2002 | 9,689 | 3,552 | 6,137 |
| 2003 | 9,780 | 3,603 | 6,177 |
| 2004 | 9,886 | 3,653 | 6,232 |
| 2005 | 9,999 | 3,703 | 6,295 |
| 2006 | 10,111 | 3,743 | 6,368 |
| 2007 | 10,310 | 3,797 | 6,513 |
| 2008 | 10,514 | 3,878 | 6,637 |
| 2009 | 10,705 | 3,969 | 6,737 |
| 2010 | 10,840 | 4,063 | 6,777 |
| 2011 | 10,864 | 4,162 | 6,702 |
| 2012 | 10,950 | 4,325 | 6,624 |
| 2013 | 11,014 | 4,464 | 6,550 |
| 2014 | 11,051 | 4,577 | 6,474 |
| 2015 | 11,078 | 4,676 | 6,402 |
| 2016 | 11,091 | 4,763 | 6,328 |
| 2017 | 11,104 | 4,846 | 6,259 |
| 2018 | 11,115 | 4,928 | 6,187 |
| 2019 | 11,126 | 5,009 | 6,117 |
| 2020 | 11,174 | 5,085 | 6,090 |
Sources:
Office for National Statistics
Government Actuary's Department
(21) Estimates for 1992–2002
(22) Projections for 2003–2020
(23) State pension age is presently 65 for males and 60 for females. This will remain the case until 2010, after which the pension age for females will rise progressively to 65 between 2010 and 2020.
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the proportion of people over 75 years with a personal pension who will take up the option in the proposed reform of pension taxation of an alternatively secured pension. [176823]
Ruth Kelly:
The proposed Alternatively Secured Pension (ASP) will be a way of providing a secure retirement income after age 75. It will be attractive to
8 Jun 2004 : Column 368W
those with personal pensions who, on religious or other grounds, object to the pooling of mortality risk in an annuity. We do not anticipate significant numbers of people will choose this option.
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his latest estimate is of (a) the assets and (b) the liabilities of occupational pension schemes. [177547]
Ruth Kelly: The Government does not monitor the level of liabilities in occupational pension schemes. The Government Actuaries Department's 11th Survey of occupational pension schemes for the year 2000 estimated total occupational scheme assets to be around £860 billion.
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of corporation tax revenue forgone on employer contributions into pension schemes in each year since 1997–98; and what projections he has made for the future. [177561]
Ruth Kelly: No estimates are available.
16 to18-year-olds
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many 16 to 18-year-olds there were in the UK in each three month period ending in November in each year since 1997; and how many of those were not in full-time education, training or work in each of those periods. [177554]
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. David Willetts, dated 8 June 2004:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about 16 to 18 year olds who are not in employment. (177554)
The attached table gives estimates of the levels of young people aged 16 to 18 resident in the United Kingdom who were not in full time education and were not working or on Government-supported training schemes for the three months ending each November from 1997 to 2003.
As with any statistical sample survey, estimates from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) are subject to sampling variability.
| People aged 16–18 | People aged 16–18 who are not in full-time education, not working or on Government training schemes | |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 2,130 | 230 |
| 1998 | 2,124 | 243 |
| 1999 | 2,107 | 239 |
| 2000 | 2,114 | 238 |
| 2001 | 2,195 | 263 |
| 2002 | 2,253 | 288 |
| 2003 | 2,290 | 304 |
Source:
ONS-Labour Force Survey
Accounting Officers
Dr. Cable:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on how many occasions since 1 July 2003 he has been informed of a Minister issuing a direction to an
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accounting officer as set out in paragraphs 14 to 17 of the Treasury document, The responsibilities of an accounting officer; on which grounds the note of dissent was issued; and if he will make a statement. [177235]
Ruth Kelly: The Treasury has not been informed of any directions issued by Ministers to Accounting Officers under this guidance, since the reply I gave the hon. Member on 5 March 2004, Official Report, column 1211W.
African Debt
John Barrett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much is owed to the UK in bilateral debt by countries in Africa, broken down by country. [177418]
John Healey: Most of the debt owed to the UK Government by other sovereign Governments arises from defaults on export contracts guaranteed by the Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD). These debts usually become the subject of Bilateral Debt Agreements entered into under the auspices of the Paris Club of official creditors. The following table shows the debt owed to the UK Government as at 30 September 2003 under Paris Club Arrangements.
The UK Government have already announced their commitment to providing 100 per cent. irrevocable debt relief for all countries eligible for the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative on their reaching Completion Point. In addition, for eligible HIPC countries yet to reach Decision Point, the UK does not ask for, or expect to receive, payments. Any debt payments that are made are held in trust until they can be returned to fund poverty reduction.
The debts of Benin, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Niger, Senegal, Tanzania and Uganda were all cancelled when they reached the HIPC Completion Point.
(26) Includes principal outstanding plus any arrears.
(27) At Decision Point of the HIPC Initiative.
(28) Eligible for the HIPC Initiative, but not yet at Decision Point.
(29) Graduated from the HIPC Initiative and had all debt irrevocably written off since end-September 2003.
(30) Eligible for HIPC Initiative but currently deemed sustainable without HIPC treatment.
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