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4 Nov 2004 : Column 412W—continued
Schools (Maintenance Work)
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the backlog was of (a) high priority and (b) other maintenance work in the schools estate in Northern Ireland at (i) 31 March 2001, (ii) 31 March 2002, (iii) 31 March 2003, (iv) 31 March 2004; what the backlog is now; and if he will make a statement. [195436]
Mr. Gardiner: The information is as follows.
(a) Estimates of maintenance work are identified through ongoing condition surveys of the schools' estate. High priority maintenance is defined as work required on buildings in either a poor or very poor condition. The estimated cost of addressing the high priority maintenance backlog in the school estate at the dates requested is as follows:
| Backlog at 31 March | £000 |
|---|---|
| (i) 2001 | (10)139,400 |
| (ii) 2002 | 131,980 |
| (iii) 2003 | 126,200 |
| (iv) 2004 | 123,800 |
| (v) Estimated figures at 31 October 2004 | 125,704 |
(10) The first set of condition surveys was not fully completed by 31 March 2001. The total estimate for 2001 is based on an estimate of £114.4 million as calculated at the time plus £25 million subsequently identified once the surveys were completed.
(b) Other maintenance—no information is currently held on the estimated costs of "other maintenance".
Over the period April 2001 to March 2004 some £41.5 million was spent on addressing high priority maintenance work.
Temporary Classrooms
Mr. Lidington:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many temporary classrooms
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there are in schools in Northern Ireland; how many there were at the end of each financial year since 2000–01; and if he will make a statement. [195435]
Mr. Gardiner: The Department of Education has recently carried out a survey to ascertain the number of temporary classrooms currently in use. The outcome of the survey indicated that at 31 March 2004 there were 2,964 temporary classrooms in the school's estate.
Similar surveys were not undertaken in previous years so it is not possible to provide comparative figures for those years. The number of temporary classrooms in use changes in line with the resources available and schools' needs. Over the three year period from April 2001 to March 2004 a total of 369 temporary classrooms were removed from the schools' estate, and 69 classrooms were added. There are plans to remove 165 temporary classrooms in 2004–05 and 746 in subsequent years based on investment already planned for the schools' estate.
Tsar Appointments
Mr. Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many tsars have been appointed with responsibilities which cover part of the work of his Department; and if he will make a statement. [191924]
TREASURY
Equity Release Schemes
Lynne Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 28 October 2004, Official Report, column 1381W, on equity release schemes, what plans he has to change the inheritance tax rules which impact on equity release schemes. [195726]
John Healey: We have no such plans.
Income Tax (Pensioners)
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many pensioners paid (a) no income tax, (b) 10 per cent. income tax, (c) basic rate income tax and (d) higher rate income tax, in England, in (i) 1997 and (ii) the latest year for which figures are available. [194688]
Dawn Primarolo: I refer to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Havant (Mr. Willetts) on 2 July 2002, Official Report, column 288W.
The numbers of pensioner taxpayers over state retirement age in the UK for the year 2001–02 are given in the table.
| 2001–02 | Number (Thousand) |
|---|---|
| (a) No tax(11) | 6,070 |
| (b) Starting rate tax | 1,000 |
| Savers rate | 550 |
| (c) Basic rate | 3,020 |
| (d) Higher rate | 210 |
(11) Source:
ONS mid-year population estimates and GAD population projections
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The estimates are based upon the Survey of Personal Incomes.
Working Tax Credit
Mr. Denham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of cases in which errors in the calculation of working tax credit were caused by mistakes by staff in the last period for which figures are available. [195917]
John Healey: I refer my right hon. Friend to the reply my right hon. Friend the Paymaster General gave to the hon. Member for North Norfolk (Norman Lamb) on 22 March 2004, Official Report, column 666W.
WORK AND PENSIONS
70-plus Payment
Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate how many people will need to make a claim for the one-off 70-plus Payment; how many claims have been received; and whether there is a deadline before which a claim needs to be submitted to ensure payment before 25 December. [194696]
Malcolm Wicks: It is impossible to estimate with confidence how many people will have to claim the one-off 70-plus payment but we think very few indeed of the approximate 6.4 million pensioners who are entitled will have to claim. One person has claimed so far but this pensioner would have been paid automatically. The deadline for claiming is 30 March 2005. Any who claim will be paid as soon as possible.
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost was in 2003–04 of benefits payable because the beneficiary had a medical condition or disability; and how much of that sum constituted payments for which the beneficiary qualified because of chronic pain. [194983]
Maria Eagle: In 2003–04, total Disability Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance payments amounted to some £11 billion and of this sum an estimated £4.1 billion was paid to people for whom their recorded main disabling condition was one usually associated with chronic pain.
Benefit Payments (Pensioners)
Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the value of expenditure (a) in cash terms, (b) at current prices and (c) as a share of gross domestic product on (i) retirement pensions, (ii) winter fuel payments, (iii) means-tested benefits for pensioners, (iv) all other benefits for pensioners and (v) free television licences in each year from 1992–93 to the end of the public expenditure planning period. [193664]
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Malcolm Wicks: The information is in the following tables.
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Notes:
1. Figures are consistent with Spending Review 2004.
2. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as at 30 June 2004.
3. All expenditure figures are rounded to the nearest million.
4. Table 1—contributory and non-contributory retirement pension or equivalent benefit paid to those over state pension age.
5. Table 2—includes over-80s payment from 2000–01–2005–06.
6. Table 3—includes income support over 60/minimum income guarantee/pension credit and housing benefit and community charge/council tax benefit.
7. Table 5—includes contributory and non-contributory Christmas bonus, severe disablement allowance, Over-70 payment (2004–05 only) and pensions compensation board.
Source:
All tables: Benefit Expenditure Tables 1 and 2, published on the internet at http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/expenditure.asp
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