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22 Nov 2005 : Column 1907W—continued
Financial Ombudsman Service
Justine Greening:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many complaints were made to the Financial Ombudsman Service in relation to life
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insurance policies in each year between 1997 and 2005; and how many were resolved (a) at the assessment stage, (b) after investigation by an adjudicator and (c) by final decision of an ombudsman in each case. [29874]
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Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 21 November 2005]: The Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) gained statutory powers on 1 December 2001. Composite data for life insurance related disputes (incorporating complaints about both whole of life policies and endowments other than those linked to mortgages) are only available from the year ending 31 March 2001.
Also, FOS statistics do not record a distinction between the assessment stage and the initial investigation by an adjudicator.
The percentages for life insurance cases resolved from this date at the assessment and investigation and the ombudsman stages are as follows:
Insurance Premium Tax
Gregory Barker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps are being taken to combat fraud by insurance companies paying the insurance premium tax. [29815]
John Healey: HM Revenue and Customs continues to develop its risk-based compliance strategy for all taxes to ensure that resource is targeted most effectively at key risk areas.
Gregory Barker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to reform the insurance premium tax. [29820]
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John Healey: The Government keeps all taxes under review.
Low-income Households
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he uses (a) income before housing costs and (b) income after housing costs when calculating the number of children in relative low income households for the purposes of measuring performance against 2004 PSA Target 7. [30058]
Mr. Des Browne: The methodology for measurement of 2004 PSA target 7 is set out in the technical note for the target, published by HM Treasury in July 2004. This is available online at:
Media Relations
Mr. Salmond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department spent on external media relations in each year since 2001. [29613]
John Healey: HM Treasury has not spent any money on external media relations in the years from 2002–03 through to 2004–05. Due to a change in accounting system, information on spending, if any, on external media relations in earlier years could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Ministerial Decisions (Dissent)
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the instances since 1990 when an accounting officer has passed a Note of Dissent to the Comptroller and Auditor General in respect of a ministerial decision. [28099]
John Healey: The following table lists the ministerial directions that the Treasury has been informed of since 1990.
Note:
This table consolidates all of the information given by Treasury Ministers in written answers on the subject of ministerial directions since the answer given by former Chief Secretary on 23 October 2000, Official Report, column 74W.
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Ministerial Visit
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 17 November 2005, Official Report, columns 1519–1520W, if he will break down the total cost by individual and mode of transport; whether the costs include the costs incurred for the travel arrangements of special advisers; whether (a) his flights from Ramallah to the UK and (b) the subsequent return flight were (i) chartered flights, (ii) RAF flights and (iii) private flights; and if he will make a statement. [31183]
John Healey: I set out the costs in my answer of 17 November 2005, Official Report, columns 1519–1520W. These costs related solely to scheduled flights leaving and returning to Tel Aviv. No costs were incurred by special advisers.
Non-EU Immigration
David Davis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total net immigration from non-EU countries was in each year since 1997. [30795]
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. David Davis, dated 22 November 2005:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the total net immigration from non-EU countries in each year since 1997. (30795)
Table 1, attached below, shows estimates of net immigration from non-EU countries by all citizenships. These data are only available up to 2003. The equivalent figures for 2004 will be published in spring 2006.
+ denotes a net inflow figure.
- denotes a net outflow figure.
(18) Data for 1997–2003 are based mainly on data from the International Passenger Survey. Includes adjustments for (1) those whose intended length of stay changes so that their migrant status changes; (2) asylum seekers and their dependants not identified by the IPS; and (3) flows between the UK and the Republic of Ireland.
(19) Figures for all years show the non-EU as constituted at 1 January 1995. Therefore, up to and including 2003, the non-EU grouping includes the 10 accession countries of Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia.
(20) Includes EU citizens coming in from non-EU countries.
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