House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 24 Oct 2005 (pt 13)

24 Oct 2005 : Column 50W—continued

Game Rearing Farms

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 10 October 2005, Official Report, column 292W, on game rearing farms, what estimate he has made of the amount of revenue which is lost because game farms are not accurately registered for non-domestic rates. [21103]

Dawn Primarolo: The Valuation Office Agency (VOA), whose valuation officers are responsible for maintaining non-domestic rating lists, do not hold any statistics relating to the loss of revenue due to any game farms not being identified and entered into the relevant lists. The VOA believes that any significant game farms have already been identified either by the Agency, billing authorities (who are responsible for notifying the Agency) or via inquiries by animal rights organisations or the Game Farmers Association. In general, game farm assessments produce relatively low rateable values. This is because the average operation is on a relatively small scale, the area of land utilised for the actual operations is often no more than a field or part of a field, often this is transient (which may mean the operation is not treated as rateable due to the de minimis provisions relating to the exemption of agricultural land) and any rateable buildings are poorly located, minimal and of agricultural quality.

The VOA has undertaken various initiatives over recent years to identify commercial game farms and to enter them in the non-domestic rating lists. Where the valuation officer is aware of a property that may be operating as a commercial game farm and it is not assessed for non-domestic rates, then the circumstances will be investigated by the valuation officer and action will be taken to assess the game farm, if appropriate.

Hospital Births

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many births to women resident in (a) Fareham, (b) Gosport, (c) Portsmouth and (d) Havant local authority areas took place in (i) Blackbrook maternity unit, (ii) the Mary Rose Unit, St Mary's hospital Portsmouth, (iii) other Portsmouth hospitals NHS trust, (iv) other NHS hospitals, (v) at home and (vi) elsewhere in (A) 2003 and (B) 2004. [20373]

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. Mark Hoban, dated 24 October 2005:

As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your parliamentary question concerning the number of births to women resident in (a) Fareham, (b) Gosport, (c) Portsmouth

24 Oct 2005 : Column 51W

(d)

24 Oct 2005 : Column 52W

The latest period for which data are available is 2003. A table is provided . The statistics relate to maternities, whether leading to a live-birth, a still-birth, or a multiple birth. (A multiple birth counts as one maternity and maternities before 24 weeks gestation are not registered.)

Maternities to residents of Portsmouth UA, Fareham CD, Gosport CD and Havant CD by place of occurrence 2003

Mother's local authority of residence

Portsmouth Fareham Gosport Havant

(i) Blackbrook Maternity unit ⁽¹³⁾— 112 ⁽¹³⁾— ⁽¹³⁾—

(ii) Mary Rose unit, Portsmouth 2,100 632 613 1,001

(iii) Other Portsmouth NHS trusts ⁽¹³⁾— ⁽¹³⁾— 212 ⁽¹³⁾—

(iv) Other NHS hospitals 44 273 24 194

(v) At home 47 20 22 22

(vi) Elsewhere ⁽¹³⁾— ⁽¹³⁾— ⁽¹³⁾— ⁽¹³⁾—

Total 2,196 1,051 876 1,221

⁽¹³⁾ Cells with fewer than 5 maternities are suppressed for disclosure reasons. It has also been necessary to apply further suppression to avoid disclosure by differencing from the total.

	Mother's local authority of residence
	Portsmouth	Fareham	Gosport	Havant
(i) Blackbrook Maternity unit	⁽¹³⁾—	112	⁽¹³⁾—	⁽¹³⁾—
(ii) Mary Rose unit, Portsmouth	2,100	632	613	1,001
(iii) Other Portsmouth NHS trusts	⁽¹³⁾—	⁽¹³⁾—	212	⁽¹³⁾—
(iv) Other NHS hospitals	44	273	24	194
(v) At home	47	20	22	22
(vi) Elsewhere	⁽¹³⁾—	⁽¹³⁾—	⁽¹³⁾—	⁽¹³⁾—
Total	2,196	1,051	876	1,221

Ministerial Correspondence

Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether (a) he or (b) any other Minister in his Department uses (i) an automated signing machine and (ii) a stamp for ministerial correspondence purposes. [19859]

John Healey: Guidance on handling ministerial correspondence is set out in 'Handling Correspondence from Members of Parliament, Members of the House of Lords, MEPs and Members of Devolved Assemblies: Guidance for Departments' copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House. Treasury Ministers do not use automated signing machines or signature stamps for ministerial correspondence.

Mortgage Products

David Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he next plans to review the range of mortgage products on the market. [19973]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: The UK benefits from a diverse and competitive mortgage market, which offers consumers a wide choice of products. FSA and HM Treasury officials maintain ongoing contact with market participants in order to keep abreast of product innovations.

At present there are no plans for a formal review of the range of mortgage products available.

Pensions

Chris Huhne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will break down the tax relief given on approved pension scheme contributions in 2004–05 by decile of the pre-tax income distribution; [20936]

(2) how much of the tax relief given on approved pension scheme contributions in 2004–05 was given to taxpayers with a taxable income of more than £100,000 a year; [20938]

(3) how much of the tax relief given on account of approved pension scheme contributions in 2004–05 was given to (a) taxpayers paying the 40 pence higher rate of income tax and (b) taxpayers who would have been paying the 40 pence higher rate of income tax were it not for this relief. [20951]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: Estimates of the cost of tax relief on contributions to approved pension schemes are published on the HMRC website: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/pensions/7_9_sep05.pdf.

It is not possible to break these estimates down by decile or taxable income bands. However, for relief on individual and employee contributions, a broad estimate of the proportion of relief split between higher rate payers, those that would be higher rate in the absence of the relief, and others is given as follows.
Percentage of tax relief on individual and employee pension contributions

Marginal income tax rate Percentage of tax relief

Higher rate 55

Those that would be higher rate without the tax relief 5

Others 40

Marginal income tax rate	Percentage of tax relief
Higher rate	55
Those that would be higher rate without the tax relief	5
Others	40

This distribution is based on the 2002–03 Survey of Personal Incomes projected to 2004–05. It is not possible to provide such a breakdown for employer contributions.

Pre-owned Asset Regulations

Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the Written Statement of 21 July 2005, Official Report, column 111WS, on pre-owned asset regulations (double charges), when he plans to publish the regulations. [19426]

Dawn Primarolo: HM Revenue and Customs are currently finalising the regulations.

Private Members' Bills

Mr. Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what occasions since 1997 Ministers from his Department have (a) authorised parliamentary counsel to assist in preparing amendments to private Members' Bills on behalf of other private Members and (b) authorised officials to instruct parliamentary counsel to prepare amendments which were subsequently passed to private Members. [20134]

John Healey: The information is not available.

24 Oct 2005 : Column 53W

Public Sector Pensions

Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will produce an annual estimate of the unfunded liabilities of public sector pension schemes; and if he will make a statement. [20660]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Wimbledon (Stephen Hammond) on 10 October 2005, Official Report, column 306W.

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