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8 Mar 2005 : Column 1639W—continued
Council Tax Receipts
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the change to council tax receipts in 2005–06 arising from the business rates revaluation in England. [219944]
Mr. Timms: The new non-domestic rating lists have been published and will take effect on rate bills from 1 April 2005. Revaluation has no impact on aggregate yield from business rates in real terms and is only one aspect of the local authority settlement and therefore will have no impact on council tax receipts in 2005–06.
Croydon, Central
Geraint Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out, with statistical evidence relating as closely as possible to Croydon Central, the effects of the Department's policies and actions on Croydon Central constituency since 1997. [220386]
Mr. Timms: The Government have put in place a broad programme of both macroeconomic and microeconomic reform since our election in 1997 designed to better the economic performance of all parts of the UK. Since these policies were implemented, the economic performance of the Croydon Central constituency has improved considerably. For example, since May 1997, claimant unemployment has fallen by 52 per cent., while long-term unemployment has fallen by 92 per cent. and long-term youth unemployment has fallen by 82 per cent.
The Neighbourhood Statistics Service provides a wide range of statistical information at local authority ward level, taken from the 2001 census and other sources. This service is available on the National Statistics website at http://neighbourhood.statistics. gov.uk./.
Earnings
Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequerwhat the percentage change in earnings was in each region of the UK for 2003–04, in descending order. [219854]
8 Mar 2005 : Column 1640W
Mr. Timms: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Chris Ruane, dated 8 March 2005:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what the percentage change in earnings was in each region of the UK for 2003–04, in descending order. (219854)
Average earnings are estimated from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) and are provided for employees on adult rates of pay whose pay was unaffected by absence during the pay period, by their place of work. This is the standard definition used for ASHE tables. The ASHE does not collect data on the self-employed and people who do unpaid work.
I attach a table showing the percentage change for each region in the United Kingdom for full-time employees.
The ASHE, earned out in April of each year, is the most comprehensive source of earnings information in the United Kingdom. It has a one per cent sample of all employees.
The ASHE publication criteria ensure that all estimates are undisclosive. A number of estimates have been removed from the published tables for these reasons.
(9)Employees on adult rates whose pay for the survey pay-period was not affected by absence.
Source:
Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Office for National Statistics.
Immigration
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate the Government has made of the change in levels of immigration by travellers from the Republic of Ireland into the UK over the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [219877]
Mr. Timms:
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
8 Mar 2005 : Column 1641W
Letter from Len Cook to Mrs. Caroline Spelman, dated 8 March 2005:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your question regarding the levels of immigration by travellers from the Republic of Ireland into the UK over the last five years. (219877)
The phrase 'travellers from the Republic of Ireland' has been taken to refer to all those migrating from the Republic to the United Kingdom, not specifically to Irish Travellers who constitute a subgroup of the populations of both the Republic of Ireland and the UK.
The attached table shows the estimates of total migration between the two countries from 1999 to 2003, the latter of which is the most recent year for which estimates are available. The inflow estimates refer to migrants moving from the Republic of Ireland to the UK; the outflow estimates refer to those moving in the opposite direction; and the balance shows the net effect of these flows on the population of the UK. A migrant is defined as someone who changes his or her country of usual residence for a period of at least a year, so that the country of destination effectively becomes the country of usual residence.
We are unable to provide estimates for Irish Travellers as a population subgroup as we have no means of identifying them in the data sources used to make international migration estimates.
Source:
Estimates of migration between the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland are made using data primarily from the Irish Quarterly National Household Survey. They are agreed between the Irish Central Statistics Office and ONS.
Income Tax (Pensioners)
Mr. Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the (a) number and (b) percentage of pensioner households paying income tax in the UK (i) in total and (ii) broken down by region and country of the UK in (A) 1997 and (B) 2004–05. [220274]
Dawn Primarolo: Estimates of (a) the number and (b) percentage of pensioner households paying income tax in (A) 1997 and (B) 2004–05 in the UK (i) in total and (ii) broken down by region and country is as follows.
Notes:
1.These figures have been estimated using HMT's tax and benefit model.
2.They relate to single and couple households where at least the head of the household is at state pension age or above. The do not include multi-tax unit households.
3.Figures for 2004–05 are based on the Family Resources Survey 2002–03; those for 1997–98 on the Expenditure and Food Surveys for 1995–96, 1996–97 and 1997–98.
4.Regional figures are Standard Statistical Regions.
5.All figures are rounded to nearest 5,000 households.
8 Mar 2005 : Column 1642W
Micro-combined Heat and Power
Mr. Horam: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what data he has from field trials concerning his intention to introduce a reduced rate of VAT for micro-combined heat and power units; what representations his Department has received from industry; and if he will make a statement. [220245]
Dawn Primarolo: The Government have stated their support in principle for a reduced VAT rate for micro-CHP, with any decision taking account of the ongoing field trials. As such, the Government continue to monitor the initial progress of the field trials, which are overseen by Defra and sponsored by the Carbon Trust in partnership with the Energy Saving Trust. The Treasury continues to discuss this issue with interested parties, and has received representations on this issue from industry and stakeholder groups.
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