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11 Nov 2005 : Column 771W—continued
Mobile Communications
Mr. Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will assess the contribution to the City of London's productivity of mobile communications; and if he will make a statement. [27262]
Alun Michael: I have no information for the City of London that would allow the assessment of the contribution mobile communications has made to its productivity. The mobile network operator, O2 commissioned a study from the Centre for Economic and Business Research in July 2004 to assess how the contribution of mobile phones to the UK economy was likely to change over the next 10 years. A final report on the regional contribution of mobile communications, provided figures broken down by region. For the South East it found that mobile communications contributes 3.23 per cent. of GDP, which is £1,573 per household per year. It also found that mobile communications accounts for 1.15 per cent. of all jobs in the South East.
We have no plans to undertake a further assessment specific to the City of London.
The mobile phone sector contributes to both the UK GDP and Government finances. According to research by the Centre for Economic and Business Research (CEBR), mobile contributed £22.9 billion to UK GDP
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in 2003, 2.3 per cent. of total GDP. Mobile network operator, O2 commissioned a study from CEBR in July 2004 that assessed how the contribution of mobile phones to the UK economy was likely to change over the next 10 years. The report shows how the mobile phone sector now contributes as much to GDP as the total oil and gas extraction industry.
The research shows that the mobile sector is making a major contribution to national productivity both through sustaining a high level of productivity in the sector itself and through enabling higher productivity in the rest of the economy but no specific figures are available specifically for the City of London, although the City probably has the highest concentration of mobile telecommunications use in the country.
Work and Families Bill
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Education and Skills concerning the Work and Families Bill. [25094]
Mr. Sutcliffe: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State regularly speaks to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Skills on a variety of subjects. There have been no specific meetings to discuss the Work and Families Bill.
TREASURY
Birth Rates
Rosie Cooper: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many births there were to women resident in the Cheshire and Merseyside Strategic Health Authority area at (a) individual maternity hospitals, (b) midwife-led units, (c) home and (d) other locations in each year since 2000. [26373]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell to Rosie Cooper, dated 11 November 2005:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your request for the number of births to women resident in the Cheshire and Merseyside Strategic Health Authority at (a) individual maternity hospitals, (b) midwife-led units, (c) home and (d) other locations in each year since 2000. (26373)
The table below relates to babies born in England and Wales to women usually resident in the Cheshire and Merseyside Strategic Health Authority area at the time of the birth. Figures are presented for categories (a) and (b) combined, (c) and (d). Information is not available centrally on which of these institutions are mid-wife led units, so these are not listed separately.
Hospitals where more than 30 live births took place over the period 2000 to 2004 have been shown individually; the remaining ones have been aggregated in the 'Other hospitals' sub-total. Births in the 'Elsewhere' category are mainly those occurring on the way to hospital or at a private residence which is not that of the mother.
(2) There were 115 hospitals/units in the 'Other' category where there was at least one birth in the period 2000 to 2004.
Duty Free Allowance
Mr. Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) men and (b) women were (i) charged with and (ii) convicted of carrying goods above the duty free allowance in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available. [26361]
John Healey: HMRC records do not differentiate between criminal offences concerned with duty-free and duty-paid goods, nor do they distinguish between men and women. However, the consolidated figures for all prosecutions for smuggling of alcohol or tobacco for the years between 1993 and 2000 are:
| Number | |
|---|---|
| 1993–94 | 44 |
| 1994–95 | 515 |
| 1995–96 | 438 |
| 1996–97 | 502 |
| 1997–98 | 531 |
| 1998–99 | 575 |
| 1999–2000 | 645 |
| 2000–01(3)(5508340004) | 884 |
| 2001–02(3)(5508340004) | 431 |
| 2002–03(4) | 429 |
| 2003–04(4) | 484 |
(3) Figures relate to those sentenced for tobacco offence only.
(4) Figures include those sentenced or convicted for fraudulent evasion as well as those guilty of smuggling.
The figures for 2004–05 will be published later this year in the HMRC Annual Report.
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Mr. Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many items confiscated by customs officers as a result of the driver carrying goods above the duty free allowance are disposed of; and if he will make a statement. [26363]
John Healey: Vehicles seized by HM Revenue and Customs when the duty-free allowances are exceeded (or when alcohol and tobacco products are seized from travellers from elsewhere in the European Community) are either sold or, if in poor condition, scrapped in accordance with current environmental requirements. The proceeds from sale are passed to the Treasury. Confiscated alcohol is separated out from packaging and converted into fertilizer or animal feed. Tobacco is shredded and converted into fuel pellets.
Wherever possible, all packaging is recycled.
EC Directives
Mr. Spring: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what discussions he has had with HM Revenue and Customs concerning policy changes for the repayment of VAT under the 8th and 13th EC directives; [27003]
(2) what assessment he has made of the impact on (a) inward investment into the UK and (b) the UK hotel industry of changes to VAT collection under the 8th and 13th EC directives; [27004]
(3) if he will make a statement on the proposed policy changes for repayment under the 8th and 13th EC directives that will come into effect on 1 January 2006; and what assessment his Department has made of the likely effects of these changes on (a) UK companies and (b) non-EU companies. [27053]
Dawn Primarolo: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) have been receiving an increasing number of claims for repayment of VAT under the 8th and 13th EC VAT Directives which have not been supported by all the required documentation, including valid VAT invoices. HMRC have found that the previous controls for dealing with such claims are not sufficiently robust and are being abused. HMRC have therefore decided that they must tighten their procedures and have recently reminded businesses that claims must be supported by all the required documentation, and about what details a valid VAT invoice must contain. These rules apply equally to all businesses and are no different to the rules that apply domestically for businesses seeking to recover VAT incurred on their purchases.
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