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7 Mar 2005 : Column 1513W—continued
Stamp Duty
Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the revenue impact for each of the next five years of raising the stamp duty threshold in Scotland to (a) £100,000, (b) £120,000 and (c) £150,000. [212355]
John Healey:
A reliable estimate of the revenue impact of raising the stamp duty threshold is not available for countries and regions within the UK.
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Tax Credits
Mr. Drew: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer why people are being advised not to contact their hon. Member if they have sought the adjudication route to deal with a tax credit query. [219785]
Dawn Primarolo: The Inland Revenue's Code of Practice 1 'Putting things right' explains their procedure for handling complaints. It is neither their policy nor practice to advise claimants not to contact their MP.
Mr. Connarty: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the impact of the child tax credit on the income levels of the poorest 20 per cent. of families. [220177]
Dawn Primarolo: Chart 5.1 of the Pre Budget Report 2004 (Cm 6408) shows that as a result of tax credits the average gains to families with children in the bottom two deciles of the overall income distribution will be about £37 per week by 2005. It would not be particularly meaningful to separate the impact of child tax credit from working tax credit, as together they form an integrated system of financial support.
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer in how many of the cases in 2004–05 where the Inland Revenue contacted child care providers to verify the details that had been provided by the claimant, the child care element of child tax credit was (a) reduced and (b) stopped. [220242]
Dawn Primarolo: The information requested will not be available until later this year.
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will introduce a specific tax credit for volunteers during the year of the volunteer. [220085]
Dawn Primarolo: The Home Secretary and the Chancellor have asked Ian Russell, Chief Executive Officer of Scottish Power plc, to propose a new national framework for youth volunteering. His review is due to report to the Chancellor of the Exchequer and Home Secretary shortly. The issue of financial support for volunteers is being tackled as part of that review.
Mrs. May: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what basis his Department estimated the cost of increasing the subsidy rate in the child care element of the working tax credit from 70 per cent. to 80 per cent. in the pre-Budget report 2004. [219803]
Dawn Primarolo: The cost of increasing the proportion of eligible childcare costs covered from 70 per cent. to 80 per cent. was derived using the Department's tax-benefit model, which uses 2002–03 Family Resources Survey calibrated to tax credits administrative data. The figures are consistent with our latest December 2004 administrative data.
UK Population (Immigration)
Sir John Stanley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the likely increase in the population of the UK as a result of immigration in all forms over the next 30 years. [219750]
Mr. Timms:
The latest (2003-based) population projections by the Government Actuary's Department (GAD) were published in September 2004. A note
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detailing the impact of the assumed level of net migration on projected population growth over the 28year period from 2003 to 2031 is available from the GAD website at http://www.gad.gov.uk/Population/2003/methodology/mignote.htm.
EDUCATION AND SKILLS
14–19 Reform
Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the total cost was of the working group on 14–19 reform chaired by Sir Mike Tomlinson; and how much was spent on (a) research and (b) administration costs. [219800]
Mr. Stephen Twigg: The cost of the working group on 14–19 reform, chaired by Sir Mike Tomlinson, was some £1.3 million over the period of 18 months. This figure includes the cost of research, much of which was undertaken by members themselves. In addition, the running costs of the departmental staff supporting the working group amounted to some £400,000.
Broadband Access (Coventry)
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in Coventry South have broadband internet access. [218969]
Mr. Stephen Twigg [holding answer 3 March 2005]: By the end of December 2004, 100 per cent. of primary and secondary schools had broadband connections in Coventry LEA. This compares to 69 per cent. primary schools, 99 per cent. secondary schools and 72 per cent. all schools in England with high speed broadband connections. We are on track to connect all schools by 2006.
Class Sizes
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average class size in (a) primary schools and (b) secondary schools was in 2004 in (i) Greater London and (ii) each Greater London borough. [220176]
Mr. Stephen Twigg: The information requested is shown in the table.
(3)Includes middle schools as deemed.
(4)A sample of classes being taught at a particular point in the school timetable on the day of the Census in January.
(5)Not applicable. No schools of this type.
Source:
Annual Schools' Census
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Classroom Assistants
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) part-time and (b) full-time classroom assistants were (i) recruited and (ii) employed in each London borough in 2004. [220183]
Mr. Stephen Twigg: Information on the number of teaching assistants recruited annually is not collected centrally.
The following table provides the full-time equivalent number of teaching assistants employed in each London local education authority in January 2004. (Separate totals for full and part-time teachers are not available).
Note:
Information is rounded to the nearest 10.
Source:
Annual School Census
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