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18 Oct 2005 : Column 923W—continued
Suicide Rate
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the suicide rate has been among (a) men and (b) women in each year since 1991, broken down by (i)socio-economic and (ii) ethnic group. [18377]
John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell to Mr. Andrew Lansley, dated 18 October 2005:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what the suicide rate has been amongst (a)men and (b) women in each year since 1991, broken down by (i) socio-economic and (ii) ethnic group. (18377)
Suicide rates for socio-economic groups are only available for the years 1991–1993 for males aged 20–64.l The available figures are for Social Class (based on occupation) and have only been calculated for this period to ensure consistency with the population information available from the 1991 Census. Deaths were combined for the three-year period to ensure that the figures are sufficiently robust. Rates for England and Wales are provided in the table below.
1 Geographic Variations in Health, Decennial Supplement No. 16. Griffiths C. and Fitzpatrick J. London 2001.
(19)In routine statistics, ONS defines suicides as deaths from both intentional self-harm and 'injury of undetermined intent'. These were defined using the following International Classification of Diseases Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes:
E950-E959—Suicide and self-inflicted injury; and
E980-E980, excluding E988.8—Injury undetermined whether accidentally or purposely inflicted.
(20)Directly age-standardised rates, standardised to the European Standard Population.
(21)Deaths registered in each calendar year.
Tax Credits
Norman Lamb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people in Norfolk received overpayments of (a) child tax credits and (b) working tax credits in 2003–04; what the total sum overpaid was; how much of this has been written off; and how many individuals have requested write off of the amount overpaid. [17311]
Dawn Primarolo:
Estimates for 2003–04 of the numbers of in-work families with tax credits awards, including information on overpayments and underpayments by constituency, based on final family circumstances and incomes for 2003–04 are published in Child and Working Tax Credits. Finalised Awards. 2003–04 Geographical Analysis". This publication and provisional estimates for the number of in-work families by constituency with tax credit awards as at selected dates
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in 2004–05 are available on the HMRC website at: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-geog-stats.htm.
Information about the amounts and numbers written off is not available at a regional level.
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many times hon. Members used the MPs' tax credit hotline in each month from April 2003 to the latest available date. [18046]
Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 14 October 2005]: For the number of calls answered by the MPs' hotline in 2003–04 and for April to December 2004, I refer my right hon. Friend to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Northavon (Steve Webb) on 21 February 2005, Official Report, columns 75–76W. The figures for 1 January 2005 to 31 August 2005 are given as follows.
2005 month | Number of calls to Tax Credit Office MPs' hotline |
|---|---|
| January | 1,730 |
| February | 1,690 |
| March | 1,700 |
| April | 1,411 |
| May | 942 |
| June | 1,234 |
| July | 1,433 |
| August | 1,337 |
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what guidance on clarity and effective communication has been issued to staff at the tax credit office when replying to correspondence from hon. Members. [18254]
Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 14 October 2005]: The Customer Service Manual and Customer Contact Clarity of Writing: 2005–06 Guide has been made available to all tax credit office staff who reply to correspondence.
Mr. David Anderson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the administration of tax credits. [18723]
Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 17 October 2005]: On 26 May I announced six measures that HM Revenue and Customs are taking to improve how the Department communicates with tax credits families; reduce the risk of errors adding to overpayments; and improve procedures for recovering overpayments. I will keep the House informed on the progress of these measures.
Mr. Bone: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the level of overpayment of tax credits in the last 12 months. [19165]
Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given to the hon. Member for St. Albans (Anne Main) on 13 October 2005, Official Report, column 428.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his latest estimate is of the number of tax credit awards overpaid in 2004–05; what the value is of these overpayments; and if he will make a statement. [19177]
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Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given to the hon. Member for St. Albans (Anne Main) on 13 October 2005, Official Report, column 428.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what the administration of tax credits cost in 2004–05; [19181]
(2) what his estimate is of the cost of managing and paying tax credits in (a) 2001–02, (b) 2002–03, (c) 2003–04, (d) 2004–05, (e) 2005–06 (to date), (f) 2005–06 (estimated) and (g) 2006–07 (estimated), broken down by (i) child tax credits, (ii) working tax credits and (iii) other tax credits; and if he will make a statement. [19282]
Dawn Primarolo: The costs of managing and paying working families and disabled person's tax credits are shown in the Inland Revenue Trust Accounts, at note 3 for 2001–02 and at note 4 for 2002–03.
The cost of managing and paying the child and working tax credits in the financial year 2003–04 appear in note 3 to the Trust Statement in the Inland Revenue Annual Report and Accounts for 2003–04. The same costs for the financial year 2004–05 appear in note 3 to the Trust Statement in the Inland Revenue Annual Report and Accounts for 2004–05.
Figures for future years will not be available until the Trust Statement for these years are released.
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people applied for child tax credit in the last 12 months; what percentage of applications were successful; and what the average payment was in each year. [17167]
Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is not available.
Anne Milton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total cost of compensation paid by HM Revenue and Customs to those whose applications for working tax credit have not been processed satisfactorily is for each year since its introduction. [17685]
Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 4 July 2005, Official Report, columns 95–96W, and the hon. Member for Tatton (Mr. Osborne) on 19 Jul 2005, Official Report, column 1698W.
In the five months ending 31 August 2005, compensation payments had been made to tax credits claimants with a value of around £524,000.
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