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30 Jun 2004 : Column 285W—continued
Departmental Staff
Matthew Taylor:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff were employed in the Department to work in the communications field and what the total expenditure on communications for the Department was, broken down by (a) Government Information and Communication Service staff and
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(b) other staff, broken down by (i) press officers, (ii) special advisers and (iii) others, in (A) 1994–95, (B) 1996–97, (C) 1997–98 and (D) 2001–02. [168672]
Ruth Kelly: The number of staff employed by the Treasury to work on media communications has remained broadly constant at nine in each of the years mentioned, around seven of whom were GICS press officers, with one special adviser employed since 1997.
The number of staff employed to work on Treasury publications, managing the Treasury's external website and related administration has remained broadly constant in each of the years at 12.
For available figures on the costs of these staff, I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answers I gave to the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 31 January 2003, Official Report, column 613W, and on 26 April 2004, Official Report, column 754W, and to the answer given by the Minister for the Cabinet Office to the hon. Member for Yeovil on 31 Jan 2003, Official Report, column 1051W.
Early Retirement
Bob Spink: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many employees in his Department took early retirement, and at what total cost, in the last financial year. [172177]
Ruth Kelly: 62 people took early retirement in the 2003–04 financial year from HM Customs and Excise, HM Treasury and Inland Revenue at a cost of £4,687,634. Departmental accounts have not yet been finalised and may therefore be subject to revision.
Early departures were authorised under the categories set out in the Civil Service Management Code, including restructuring, in support of the Government's efficiency agenda.
EU Budget
Mr. Quentin Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total (a) gross and (b) net contribution made by the United Kingdom to the EU budget has been since accession in (i) current and (ii) constant prices. [180669]
Ruth Kelly: The information requested is set out in the table:
| Current prices | Constant prices 2003–04 | |
|---|---|---|
| UK gross contribution, after abatement (1973–74 to 2003–04) | 122.7 | 181.6 |
| UK net contribution (1973–74 to 2003–04) | 50.9 | 84.6 |
Sources:
Current price figure taken from figures for individual years published by HM Treasury, rounded to one decimal place.
Constant 2003–04 prices figures equals individual year figures converted using latest HM Treasury GDP Deflators.
Finance Bill
Mr. Webb:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to implement the sections of the Finance
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Bill which allow company pension scheme members to draw a company pension while continuing to work for the same employer. [181579]
Ruth Kelly: The measures to enable flexible retirement by allowing people to continue to work while drawing their occupational pension from the same employer are part of the pensions tax simplification measures in the Finance Bill 2004. The measures will come into force, as stated in clause 270 of the Bill, on 6 April 2006.
Income Tax
Mr. Boswell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of income tax paid in 2003–04 was settled in (a) sterling, (b) euros and (c) other foreign currencies. [180790]
Dawn Primarolo: Of the total gross receipt figure for income tax received in 2003–04 0.008 per cent. was settled in euros and 0.003 per cent. was settled in other foreign currencies (primarily US$).
Incomes Surveys
Mr. Moore: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the sample size was for the (a) Survey of Personal Incomes and (b) New Earnings Survey for each year since 2001 in (i) Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale, (ii) the Scottish Borders region and (iii) Scotland. [180961]
Ruth Kelly: The available sample sizes are as follows:
| Tax year | 2001–02 |
|---|---|
| (i) Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale | 340 |
| (ii) the Scottish Borders region | 540 |
| (iii) Scotland | 22,425 |
| Survey date: April | 2002 | 2003 |
|---|---|---|
| (i) Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale | 154 | 189 |
| (ii) the Scottish Borders region | 267 | 280 |
| (iii) Scotland | 14,845 | 14,921 |
Insurance Mediation Directive
Mr. Steen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many respondents from industry declared their support for regulation of motor warranties in the public consultation for the Insurance Mediation Directive; and what rationale the Government used in (a) supporting the inclusion of motor warranties in the Directive and (b) supporting exclusions for (i) travel insurance sold as part of a package and (ii) extended warranties. [180637]
Ruth Kelly [holding answer 29 June 2004]: The Insurance Mediation Directive requires the UK to regulate extended warranties which are contracts of insurance costing more than 500 euros per annum. Extended warranties which are contracts of insurance and cost less than 500 euros are excluded, as are extended warranties which are not contracts of insurance. The Directive does not make specific reference to motor warranties.
The Treasury received around 400 responses to its consultation, which closed on 31 January 2003, on regulating insurance mediation.
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Virtually all respondents agreed with the proposal that all motor warranties that are contracts of insurance should be subject to regulation by the FSA, including those costing less than 500 euros per annum.
Policy implications of the Insurance Mediation Directive were highlighted in the Government's Explanatory Memorandum Number 11686/00—"Proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and Council on Insurance Mediation" issued on 30 October 2000. As noted in the Explanatory Memorandum, the Government's approach to the negotiations was to seek to ensure that the level of regulation proposed was proportionate and consistent with the goals of improving consumer protection and advancing the single market for financial services, keeping any consequent restructuring of the UK's regulatory regime to a minimum.
Job Vacancies
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many job vacancies in the UK have been unfilled in each quarter of the last three years as a result of a lack of skilled applicants. [181030]
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. Stephen O'Brien, dated 30 June 2004:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many job vacancies in the UK have been unfilled in each quarter of the last three years as a result of a lack of skilled applicants. (181030)
The following table shows the total average numbers of job vacancies for each quarter since April 2001. These estimates are taken from the Office for National Statistics Vacancy Survey, and are not seasonally adjusted. Information on the reasons for vacancies being unfilled, such as a lack of skilled applicants, is not available.
| Quarter ending | Number of vacancies |
|---|---|
| 2001 | |
| June | 672.3 |
| September | 669.2 |
| December | 593.9 |
| 2002 | |
| March | 582.3 |
| June | 614.3 |
| September | 620.0 |
| December | 599.4 |
| 2003 | |
| March | 560.4 |
| June | 582.9 |
| September | 607.1 |
| December | 607.9 |
| 2004 | |
| March | 589.0 |
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