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Written Answers to Questions
Friday 4 March 2005
CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS
Gaelic Language
Mr. Alan Reid: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what his Department's policy is on the use of the Gaelic language; and what plans his Department has to prepare and implement a Gaelic language scheme. [217091]
Mr. Leslie: Action to support the Gaelic language is primarily the responsibility of the Scottish Executive.
The Department for Constitutional Affairs attaches great importance to the promotion and protection of the Gaelic language in line with the UK's obligations under the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages.
The Gaelic Language (Scotland) Bill currently before the Scottish Parliament does not extend statutory obligations on UK public bodies in Scotland in relation to the preparation or implementation of Gaelic language plans. However, UK Departments and public bodies which operate in Scotland may—like comparable Scottish public bodies—have a role to play in facilitating the use of the language.
My Department has been working closely with colleagues in the Scotland Office and the Scottish Executive on the role we can play, voluntarily, in securing the status of Gaelic.
Unpaid Fines
Sarah Teather: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many and what value of court-imposed fines have been defaulted on in (a) each London borough and (b) England in each year since 1997. [212370]
Mr. Leslie: Information on fines imposed and collected is provided by the 42 magistrates courts committees (MCCs) with the Greater London Magistrates' Courts Authority (GLMCA) responsible for courts covering the Greater London area.
Data are collected on the value of financial penalties (including fines) imposed and outstanding. It is not possible to separately identify the number and value of court-imposed fines defaulted on in any one year.
Table 1 shows the national position since 1999 when payment rate collection began. There is no comparable data for previous years. Table 2 shows performance and payment rates prior to the establishment of the GLMCA in 2001 for the 22 magistrates courts committees (MCCs) that were subsequently amalgamated into the GLMCA. Data are not available centrally at borough level.
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(1) Prior to 2001 the GLMCA did not exist as a single entity. It was created from the amalgamation of 22 magistrates courts committees (MCCs) on 1 April 2001 and therefore no earlier comparable figures exist. In addition, as a result of changes to the calculation of the payment rate in 2003–04, direct year-on-year comparisons arc not appropriate (see note (2) ).
(3) The Payment Rate is defined as the amount paid into court as a percentage of new amounts owed. As a result of the revisions in the method of calculating the payment rate (detailed as follows), direct year-on-year comparisons cannot be made.
Payment rate (September 1999 to March 2003)
The calculation for the payment rate until March 2003 was:
Payment rate = amount paid divided by new amount owed
(New amount owed includes legally cancelled plus civil plus confiscation orders)
Payment rate (April 2003 to December 2003)
The calculation for the payment rate between April 2003 and December 2003 was:
Payment rate = amount paid divided by new amount owed
(New amount owed excludes legally cancelled plus civil plus confiscation orders)
Payment rate (January 2004 onwards)
The payment rate is currently calculated as follows:
Payment rate = amount paid divided by new amount owed
(New amount owed excludes legally cancelled plus administratively cancelled plus civil plus confiscation orders)
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TREASURY
Correspondence
Mr. Steen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Chairman of the Inland Revenue will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Totnes dated 20 December 2004 with regard to Mr. and Mrs. J Griffin of Brixham. [219812]
Dawn Primarolo: The Inland Revenue replied to the hon. Member on 1 March 2005.
Euros
Mr. Brady: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many euro coins and notes have been produced (a) in and (b) for the United Kingdom in preparation for possible British membership of the euro; and what the cost of production has been. [220230]
Mr. Timms:
No UK euro notes or coin have been produced for a possible changeover to the single currency.
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Further details of the Government's Policy on how a cash changeover would be managed, should there be a UK changeover, is published in Chapter 5 of the "third outline National Changeover Plan, June 2003", which is available in the House of Commons Library.
Bereavement Grants
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether bereavement grants are taxable. [219555]
Dawn Primarolo: Bereavement payment, made under s36 SSCBA 1992, is not taxable but the weekly bereavement allowance, paid under s39 SSCBA 1992, is taxable.
Corporation Tax
Mr. Byrne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much UK corporation tax revenue was collected in each of the last 10 years, broken down by industry. [219439]
Dawn Primarolo: The following table shows the amount of Corporation Tax liability by industry for the last 10 years for which figures are available.
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