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Office for National Statistics

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the estimated expenditure by the Office for National Statistics in compiling regional-level statistics and indicators was in the most recent year for which figures are available. [184977]

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
 
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Letter from Colin Mowl to Mrs. Caroline Spelman, dated 21 July 2004:

The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question concerning what the estimated expenditure by the Office for National Statistics in compiling regional-level statistics and indicators was in the most recent year for which figures are available. I am replying in his absence. (184977)

The estimated expenditure relating to the Regional and Local Division and the Regional Accounts branch of the Office for National Statistics (ONS) was £1.1 million 2003/04. These work areas have responsibility for the production of a range of statistics and analyses at Government Office region level (including sub-regional figures as appropriate).

There is also significant expenditure by ONS on the Neighbourhood Statistics programme, which primarily addresses the need for statistics for smaller local area, to inform neighbourhood renewal initiatives.

In addition, many work areas in ONS produce regional-level statistics as part of their routine statistical outputs. However, an estimate of the total expenditure across ONS on the production of regional-level statistics would be very approximate and could only be produced at disproportionate cost.

The Allsopp Review of Statistics for Economic Policy Making, whose final report was published in March 2004, made a number of recommendations for improving regional statistics in the UK. In the Government's recent 2004 Spending Review ONS was given the objective of implementing the recommendations of the Allsopp Review. As a result a higher level of ONS's resources will be allocated to regional statistics work than has been the case in recent years.

Oil Price

Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made in recent economic forecasts of the price per barrel of oil in each of the next five years; and if he will make a statement. [184744]

Ruth Kelly: The assumption underlying the public finance projections, audited by the NAO is stated in Box C1, page 251 of the 2004 FSBR.

Pension Schemes (Public Sector)

Mr. Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many workers have joined each public sector pension scheme in each year since 1997–98. [185710]

Ruth Kelly: This information is not held centrally and could be collected only at disproportionate cost.

Policy (Environmental Impact)

Mr. Horam: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many new policy proposals or significant changes in policy were produced in (a) 2002–03 and (b) 2003–04; how many of these were screened for their environmental impacts; and how many were the subject of separate environmental appraisals. [185100]

John Healey: Chapter 7 of the 2003 and 2004 Budget books (HC 500 and HC 301) shows how budget measures sit alongside other policies as part of the Government's approach to the environmental elements of sustainable development and sets out the environmental impacts of measures introduced in recent
 
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Budgets that have a significant effect on the environment or which serve an environmental purpose (Tables 7.1 and 7.2).

A Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) is produced for all major Budget measures. From spring this year the RIA includes a requirement to consider environmental impacts.

Regional Productivity Growth

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to measure productivity growth by region following the 2004 Spending Review Key Performance Agreement with the Department of Trade and Industry to make sustainable improvements in the economic performance of all English regions. [185509]

Ruth Kelly: The 2002 Spending Review introduced a joint target for the Treasury, Department of Trade and Industry and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister to improve the growth rate in every English region and over the long term reduce the persistent disparities in growth rates between the regions. In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland regional development is substantially devolved.

The Technical Note published after the 2002 Spending Review, available on the Departmental websites, sets out how this target will be measured, looking at regional Gross Value Added per head figures produced by the Office for National Statistics. The 2004 Spending Review has reaffirmed this target, and an updated Technical Note will be published on 31 July.

It was also announced that the Office for National Statistics will implement the recommendations of the Allsopp Review in full, which in its final report in March, set out the implications of the regional agenda for economic statistics.

In addition, the Treasury and DTI published a consultation document, Productivity in the UK 5, in March on how progress against productivity, and the drivers of productivity, could best be monitored. A full response to Productivity 5 will be made available soon.

Stamp Duty (Residential Property)

Mr. Prisk: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the revenue implication of restructuring stamp duty on residential property sales to charge marginal rates of (a) 0 per cent. on property sales of £120,000 or less, 2 per cent. on sales revenue between £120,000 and £249,999, 5 per cent. on sales revenue between £250,000 and £499,999, 8 per cent. on sales revenue of £500,000 and above, (b) 0 per cent. on property sales of £120,000 or less, 3 per cent. on sales revenue between £120,000 and £249,999, 5 per cent. on sales revenue equal to £250,000, 8 per cent. on sales revenue of £500,000 and above and (c) 0 per cent. on property sales of £120,000 or less, 3 per cent. on property sales between £120,000 and £249,999, 5 per cent. on sales revenue of £250,000 and 7 per cent. on sales revenue of £500,000 and above. [185385]

Ruth Kelly: The estimated revenue cost, in 2005–06, of restructuring stamp duty on residential property sales
 
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according to the three schemes described in the question is given in the following table:

Price of residential property	Tax regime 1 Marginal rates	Tax regime 2 Marginal rates	Tax regime 3 Marginal rates
£0 to £119,999 (percentage)	0	0	0
£120,000 to £249,999 (percentage)	2	3	3
£250,000 to £499,999 (percentage)	5	5	5
£500,000 and above (percentage)	8	8	7
Revenue Cost (£ million)	1,020	430	570

This does not include any allowance for behavioural changes.

Tax Credits

Lynne Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer under what circumstances backpayments of (a) working tax credit and (b) child tax credit are paid as a series of regular payments rather than as a lump sum. [185683]

Dawn Primarolo: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to the hon. Members for Vale of York (Miss McIntosh) and Northavon (Mr. Webb) on 17 July 2003, Official Report, columns 465–66W.

Alan Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the Answer of 13 July, Official Report, columns 1014–15W, on tax credits, when figures for 2003–04 will be available. [185389]

Dawn Primarolo: The timing of complete figures on overpayments in 2003–04 will depend on the timing of the replies to the Annual Review, the time taken to obtain any extra information needed to process them, and the proportion of replies containing provisional income data.

West Sussex (Demographic Population)

Tim Loughton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what is the demographic population breakdown of West Sussex; [185514]

(2) how many people moved into the Adur, Arun and Worthing Primary Care Trust area in (a) 2002–03 and (b) 2003–04; [185515]

(3) what the population of the south-east region is, broken down into those (a) under the age of 20 years, (b) between 20 and 60 years and (c) over the age of 60 years. [185521]

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.

Letter from John Pullinger to Mr. Tim Loughton dated 21 July 2004:

The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Questions concerning the number of people that moved into the Adur, Arun and Worthing Primary Care Trust area in 2003 and 2004 and also the population breakdown of the South East and the demographic breakdown of West Sussex. I am replying in his absence. (185515, 185514, 185521)

 
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Unfortunately I am not able to answer your question regarding the number of people moving into the Primary Care trust, as statistics on population flows for Primary Care Trust areas are not currently available. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) will be publishing population estimates by Primary Care Organisation area for the first time on 21 October for 2001, 2002, and 2003.

The first of the two attached tables shows a demographic population break down for West Sussex based on mid-2002 population estimates. The second table shows mid-2002 population estimates for those who are aged under 20, 20 to 59, and those aged 60 years and over in the South East government office region.

As announced by ONS on 8 July, revised mid-2002 population estimates are due to be released on 9 September. Information about the revisions can be found at: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme population/PEUannouncement 08Jul.pdf

Mid-year 2002 population estimates for West Sussex Thousand

Age bands	Male	Female	Total
0–19	91.4	85.9	177.3
20–59	189.1	197.1	386.2
60+	81.7	110.6	192.4
0–4	21.1	20.3	41.4
5–9	23.4	22.0	45.4
10–14	24.7	23.4	48.2
15–19	22.2	20.1	42.3
20–24	17.7	18.1	35.8
25–29	18.2	19.4	37.6
30–34	23.6	25.7	49.4.
35–39	28.8	29.2	57.9
40–44	26.7	27.3	54.0
45–49	24.6	25.2	49.9
50–54	24.9	26.1	51.1
55–59	24.5	26.1	50.6
60–64	18.7	20.3	39.0
65–69	17.6	20.0	37.6
70–74	16.4	20.1	36.5
75–79	13.2	18.5	31.7
80–84	9.2	15.5	24.7
85–89	4.6	9.9	14.5
90+	2.0	6.4	8.4

Note: Figures may not add exactly due to rounding.
Source:
Office for National Statistics.




Population for the South East, Mid-year2002 Thousand

Age bands	Male	Female	Total
(a) 0–19	1,017.7	959.5	1,977.3
(b) 20–59	2,167.1	2,184.8	4,351.9
(c) 60+	747.5	961.7	1,709.2

Source:
Office for National Statistics.

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