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14 Jun 2004 : Column 634W—continued
Premium Bonds
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the minimum size of purchase of Premium Bonds since 1979 in (a) cash terms and (b) constant prices. [177904]
Ruth Kelly: The minimum purchase values for each purchase of Premium Bonds by adults for themselves since 1979 are as follows:
| Date | Cash value | Current value(3) |
|---|---|---|
| January 1979 | 5 | 18 |
| July 1985 | 10 | 20 |
| July 1989 | 100 | 162 |
| May 2004 | 100 | 100 |
(3) Adjusted to May 2004 prices using the RPI.
Sefton
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the mean household income was in Sefton in (a) 2000 and (b) 2003 as a percentage of UK mean household income; and if he will make a statement. [177916]
Ruth Kelly:
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
14 Jun 2004 : Column 635W
Letter from Len Cook to Mrs. Claire Curtis-Thomas, dated 14 June 2004:
As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question on the mean household income in Sefton. (177916)
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) does not compile statistics on mean household income.
ONS has published gross disposable household income (GDHI) at current prices at the NUTS1, 2 and 3 sub-national geographies. These estimates were last published on 26 March 2002. The data for the period 1995 to 1999 are consistent with the 2001 National Accounts. Sefton is a NUTS3 area and forms part of the NUTS2 region of Merseyside, for which GDHI per head figures are available on an annual basis and are given in Table A attached.
For the smaller areas, survey sample sizes are only large enough for ONS to publish estimates of household income on a 3 year average basis. These are presented as indices for Sefton, Merseyside, and the North West relative to the UK average in Table B attached.
| Area | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merseyside | 8,710 | 8,844 | 9,342 |
| United Kingdom | 9,513 | 9,696 | 10,142 |
| Area | GDHI index |
|---|---|
| North West | 93 |
| Merseyside | 92 |
| Sefton | 110 |
(4) Index value is 100 for the UK as a whole.
Tax Credits
Ms Walley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families are benefiting from the working tax credit in Stoke-on-Trent, North; and if he will make a statement. [177629]
Dawn Primarolo: An estimate can be derived from "Child and Working Tax Credit Statistics. Geographical analyses. January 2004", which can be found on the Inland Revenue website at www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/menu.htm. All in-work families receiving these tax credits, except those receiving child tax credit at or below the family element, were benefiting from the working tax credit. The estimates are subject to sampling uncertainty.
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimates he has made of the number of Inland Revenue staff acting as appointees of applicants for tax credits. [177955]
Dawn Primarolo:
This information is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
14 Jun 2004 : Column 636W
DEFENCE
Gibraltar
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Royal Navy ships have called at Gibraltar since 1 January. [161197]
Mr. Ingram: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 24 May 2004 Official Report, columns 1350–52W, to the hon. Member for Romford (Mr. Rosindell).
Alcohol Consumption (Service Personnel)
Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what orders were in force concerning the consumption of alcohol (a) on-base and (b) off-base by British troops based in Baghdad during the Christmas and New Year period in 2003–04. [176334]
Mr. Ingram: In common with all overseas military deployments, orders on the consumption of alcohol would be at the discretion of the individual commanders and will vary with the operational circumstances. When alcohol is permitted, the normal limit is two cans of beer per man per day.
Apache Helicopters
Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 12 February 2004, Official Report, column 1632W, on Apache helicopters, how many AH-64 Apache helicopters have been accepted into service; how many are in storage at RAF Shawbury; when he expects the full complement to be fully operational; and if he will make a statement. [177168]
Mr. Ingram: The Ministry of Defence has accepted delivery of 67 aircraft. There are at present 19 Apache in storage at RAF Shawbury, which will reduce to zero when all three Attack Helicopter Regiments are formed by late November 2006.
Army HQ (Northern Ireland)
Mr. Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the relocation of Army Headquarters Northern Ireland from Thiepval Barracks in Lisburn to Aldergrove; and if he will make a statement. [178854]
Mr. Ingram: There are no plans for the relocation of the Headquarters Northern Ireland from Thiepval Barracks, Lisburn to Aldergrove. Lisburn is listed in the security normalisation annex of the Joint Declaration, as one of the locations where, in the context of a peaceful society, the regular garrison in Northern Ireland might be based.
Asbestos
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 15 March 2004, Official Report, column 44W, on asbestos, what his Department estimated the cost would be of compiling a central register of surveyed buildings occupied by departmental staff including agencies which require remedial work on asbestos or the removal of asbestos. [176798]
14 Jun 2004 : Column 637W
Mr. Caplin: For the defence estate, asbestos information is held locally at each establishment/site. It has been estimated that gathering the current data from within the Department, its agencies and trading funds (including information currently held on each establishment's asbestos register) would cost approximately £45,000.
Civilian Internees (Compensation)
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consultations he has had with the Home Office about the status of British passport-holders who were excluded from the ex gratia compensation scheme for civilian internees of the Japanese. [177808]
Mr. Caplin: The Home Office was consulted by and subsequently represented on the interdepartmental working group chaired by the Cabinet Office when the definition of "British" was being clarified in relation to the eligibility of former civilian internees under the ex gratia payment scheme.
Databases
Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the fields of the (a) Defence Procurement Agency Corporate Management Information Systems, (b) the Civilian Personnel Management Information System and (c) the Long Term Costings database. [176385]
Mr. Ingram: I am placing the information requested in the Library of the House.
Deepcut Barracks Inquiry
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give details of the implementation of each of the recommendations made by Surrey police following their inquiry into the deaths at Deepcut Barracks. [177719]
Mr. Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to my statement in the House on 24 May 2004, Official Report, columns 1306–19.
We are increasing the level of assurance that we have in the way in which the armed forces train, and in managing the risks to which our young recruits are exposed. As a positive and substantive response to the concerns expressed by the Surrey police, we are expanding our relationship with the Adult Learning Inspectorate to provide independent oversight of all armed forces training. Any recommendations they may make and our responses to them will be exposed fully to public scrutiny.
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