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25 Feb 2005 : Column 839W—continued
EU Financial Services Action Plan
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which of the remaining measures of the EU Financial Services Action Plan not yet implemented into UK law are considered to be minimum harmonisation directives for which the Government may choose to impose additional requirements. [217805]
Mr. Timms: The Government's record and approach to implementing the EU Financial Services Action Plan was set out in detail in "The EU Financial Services Action Plan: Delivering the FSAP in the UK", published jointly by the Treasury, FSA and Bank of England in May 2004.
Taxation
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) of 9 February 2005, Official Report, column 1598W, on taxation, if he will re-state Table 4.2, page 88, of the December 2004 pre-Budget report, Cmnd 6408, to include figures for the marginal deduction rates of over 40 per cent. [217499]
Mr. Timms:
The table shows estimates of the numbers facing marginal deduction rates (MDRs) in excess of 40 per cent.
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Figures are cumulative. This table shows marginal deduction rates for working households in receipt of income related benefits or tax credits, where at least one person works 16 hours or more a week and where higher earnings would lead to reduced benefits or tax credits. They include the marginal effects of income tax and national insurance contributions, and the withdrawal of housing benefit and council tax benefit.
This analysis does not take into account the way in which the new tax credits will respond to rises in income. The new tax credits only respond to rises in income in the current year of more than £2,500, disregarding the first £2,500 of any rise. This means that recipients will not see their tax credits reduced as soon as their income rises, so reducing the effective marginal deduction in any one year.
As a result of the Government's reforms, almost half a million fewer low-income households now face marginal deduction rates in excess of 70 per cent. than did so in April 1998. The increase in the number of households facing marginal deduction rates of between 40 and 70 per cent. is primarily due to the introduction of tax credits, and more recently the extension of support to workers aged 25 or over without children.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Burglary
Ms Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the detection rates for domestic burglary in Northamptonshire were in (a) October 2003, (b) March 2004 and (c) November 2004. [203833]
Ms Blears: The available figures show that the detection rate for domestic burglary in Northamptonshire in 2003–04 was 15 per cent. Detection rate figures for individual months are not provided as they are potentially misleading. This is because many crimes are not detected in the same month that they are recorded. Detection rates are therefore estimated on the basis of those detected in that month. This tends to provide reliable estimates only for longer periods than one month, and the Home Office therefore prefers to provide figures for twelve month periods at least.
Graffiti
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the timescale for the introduction of graffiti removal notices under the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003. [217720]
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Ms Blears: The graffiti removal notice powers have been available on a pilot basis to 12 local authorities since April 2004. A consultation on the pilot exercise finished on 31 December 2004. The responses are still being analysed and a regulatory impact assessment of the powers is being produced. A decision on the introduction of the powers nationally will consider the consultation, the regulatory impact assessment, and an announcement will be made shortly.
International Labour Organisation Report
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what plans he has to commission an investigation into the findings of the International Labour Organisation report, Forced Labour and Migration to the UK; [216378]
(2) whether (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department were involved in the preparation of the International Labour Organisation report, Forced Labour and Migration to the UK; [216379]
(3) whether (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have read the International Labour Organisation report, Forced Labour and Migration to the UK. [216380]
Mr. Browne: The Government currently are responding to the International Labour Organisation on the content and recommendations of the draft report they commissioned on forced labour and migration. We will consider any further necessary action once these discussions are complete and the report is finalised. Officials in my Department and I have seen the draft report, but we were not involved in its preparation.
Police Custody (Mental Health Care)
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to improve the training given to police officers in dealing with mentally ill people in custody. [216166]
Ms Blears: The National Learning Requirement for the police service sets out the priorities for training and development for the police service and is agreed by the Home Office, the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and the Association of Police Authorities (APA). ACPO is undertaking a review of the National Learning Requirement for mental health awareness training in the light of a report on "Mental Health and Social Exclusion" published by the Social Exclusion Unit in June 2004.
A cross-agency group—Justice and Offenders Service, Health, Education and Development (JOSHED) was established in December 2003 to develop cross-agency national occupational standards and accredited training on health awareness issues, including mental health awareness. A scoping study was commissioned by the group in January 2004 to identify common training needs across the criminal justice and correctional services agencies, including the police. The study considered mental health training provision. It identified and made recommendations for the improvement of training which are under consideration by ACPO.
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WORK AND PENSIONS
Child Support
Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for what reason the average weekly assessments for child support maintenance are different to the average weekly payments made under (a) the old scheme and (b) the new scheme. [200469]
Mr. Pond: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
Letter from Mike Isaac to Mr. Steve Webb, dated 25 February 2005:
In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive. As he is currently on leave I am replying on his behalf.
You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reason the average weekly assessments for child support maintenance are different to the average weekly payments made under (a) the old scheme and (b) the new scheme.
The average weekly amount assessed is derived from the total value of all assessments. It is calculated by dividing that sum by the number of cases with a non-zero assessment. This includes those cases, for which maintenance is being received on behalf of the Secretary of State, and others which are low in value, plus those that are currently inactive. This definition applies to both new and old scheme figures.
The average weekly payment is derived from the total value of payments received in the period. It is calculated by dividing that sum by the number of cases that have made a payment in the period.
Clearly the information is not directly comparable because of discrepancies in the way it is collected and collated for the two different schemes.
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