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20 Jun 2005 : Column 705W—continued
Inflation (Council Tax)
John Hemming: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the inflation rate has been in each year since the creation of the council tax. [4953]
John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Colin Mowl to Mr. John Hemming, dated 20 June 2005:
The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what the inflation rate has been in each year since the creation of the council tax. I am replying in his absence. (4953)
The attached table shows the annual average index and the corresponding percentage changes in the annual average index for the all items retail prices index (RPI) for the years 1993–2004 (council tax was introduced on 1st April 1993). The consumer prices index (CPI) which is the main domestic measure of inflation for macroeconomic purposes does not include council tax.
This data is available on the National Statistics website www.statistics.gov.uk and through the House of Commons library.
Knauf UK GmbH
Derek Wyatt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when Knauf UK GmbH in Sittingbourne and Sheppey constituency will receive a certificate from the Inland Revenue Stamp Duty Land Tax Centre that its stamp duty has been paid. [5791]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The rules of taxpayer confidentiality do not permit HM Revenue and Customs to disclose this information in published form, but I will write to the hon. Member.
Non-taxpayers
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of people in the United Kingdom who are non-taxpayers; and how many people he estimates use form R85 which allows the payment of interest on accounts with banks and building societies to be paid free of income tax to non-taxpayers. [5731]
Dawn Primarolo:
On the number of non-taxpayers, Irefer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Torbay (Mr. Sanders) on 16 June. HM Revenue and Customs estimate that around 15 million people, including children under 16, use form R85.
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Public Sector Debt
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to change fiscal rules relating to the cap on public sector debt. [5134]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The sustainable investment rule states that public sector net debt as a proportion of GDP will be held over the economic cycle at a stable and prudent level. Other things being equal, net debt will be maintained below 40 per cent. of GDP over the economic cycle.
There are currently no plans to change the fiscal rules, however as noted in the Government's response to the TSC report on the 2004 pre-Budget report, the Government, of course, keep the fiscal framework under review to ensure it remains at the forefront of international best practice.
Race Relations
Keith Vaz: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many and what percentage of staff in his Department have received training on the general and specific duties of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000, broken down by (a) ethnicity and (b) grade. [3529]
John Healey: Race awareness is integral to Treasury's diversity training, which is mainstreamed into the management and employment learning and development for senior managers and all staff. The Treasury has held events on race to address learning needs and to role model the need to promote equality across all diversity strands. In 2003 presentations were given to all Treasury directorates on the duty to promote race equality. In 2004 a seminar 'Raising our Sights on Race' was conducted with the Treasury's Ethnic Minority Advisory Group to raise awareness with representatives across all directorates of duties under the Act and the experience of ethnic minority staff in the Department.
In 2005 a Department-wide seminar involved all directorates in designing approaches to fulfil our obligations under the Act and meet our wider aspirations on diversity. The Treasury has also identified a need to provide a short summary of duties under the Act for new entrants.
Ethnicity and grade data for staff attending training on the general and specific duties of the RRA are not currently available. The Treasury has, however, recently introduced a computerised learning management system which will automatically capture data on the ethnicity and grade profiles of staff who receive training in the future. These data will be made available annually on the race equality section of the Treasury's website from spring 2006.
Keith Vaz: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what arrangements are in place to ensure that bodies within the responsibility of his Department comply with the requirements of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000. [3530]
John Healey:
The Treasury is the sole shareholder of the Bank of England and the Royal Mint, and the majority shareholder of Partnerships UK. The Bank is itself a listed public authority under the Act and has its own responsibilities under the General duty to promote race equality in all that it does. It is also bound by the
20 Jun 2005 : Column 707W
employment duties under the Act in relation to its own staff but does not have a specific duty to publish a race equality scheme. The Royal Mint and Partnerships UK are not listed under the Act. In exercising its ownership duties the Treasury will ensure that race equality issues are considered where relevant.
The Treasury has two agencies. The Office of Government Commerce has fully delegated accounting officer arrangements and will publish its own arrangements for meeting the duties under the Act. The Debt Management Office is covered by the Treasury's arrangements and the Treasury will ensure that when exercising its sponsorship duties race equality issues are considered where relevant.
Second World War
Mr. Willis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the outstanding loan repayments due to the US Administration that arose as a result of the Second World War; and if he will make a statement. [5317]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: I refer the hon. Member to the answer the Financial Secretary gave the hon. Member for Castle Point (Bob Spink) on 14 October 2003, Official Report, column 150W.
Tax Deductibility (Overseas Companies)
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether (a) commission payments and (b) consultancy fees paid by companies operating overseas are tax deductible under Inland Revenue rules. [4885]
Dawn Primarolo: Commission payments and consultancy fees made by UK companies operating overseas are deductible in computing taxable profits if (a) they are incurred wholly and exclusively for the purposes of their businesses and (b) no other provision of the Corporation Tax Acts denies a deduction for the payments and fees concerned.
Testicular Cancer
Mr. Iain Wright: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the incidence of testicular cancer per 1,000 men has been in (a) England and (b) Hartlepool in each year since 1990. [4330]
John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Colin Mowl to Mr. Iain Wright, dated 20 June 2005:
The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what the incidence of testicular cancer per 1,000 men has been in (a) England and (b) Hartlepool in each year since 1990. I am replying in his absence. (4330)
The most recent available incidence figures are for the year 2002. Age-standardised incidence rates (directly standardised to the European standard population) per 100,000 males for testicular cancer in England in each year since 1990 are given in the attached table.
The numbers of cases of testicular cancer in Hartlepool Unitary Authority in individual years are very small: over the whole period 1990–2002 there was a total of 30 such cases. The corresponding age-standardised incidence rate for this period is 5.3 per 100,000 males.
(6)Age-standardised rates per 100,000 population are directly standardised to the European standard population. In detailed analyses of trends in incidence and mortality over time for a particular cancer, ONS use age-standardised rates. These control for differences in the size and age structure of the population and allow unbiased comparison of rates over time.
(7)From 1990 to 1994, international classification of diseases, ninth revision (ICD-9) code 186; from 1995 to 2002, international classification of diseases, tenth revision (ICD-10) code C62.
Source:
Office for National Statistics
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