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5 Dec 2005 : Column 911W—continued
Child Benefit
Helen Goodman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what the cost would be of raising the rate of child benefit for (a) the second and (b) the third child from £11.40 per week to £17.00 per week; and how many children would benefit in each case; [34573]
(2) what the cost would be of raising child benefit to £20 per week for all children. [34574]
Dawn Primarolo: The cost of raising the rate of child benefit for the second and third child from £11.40 per week to £17.00 per week is shown in the following table, in addition to the number of children benefiting in each case.
Note:
Based on a 5 per cent. sample of administrative data on child benefit recipients at 31 August 2005
The annual cost of raising child benefit to £20.00 for all children is around £3.7 billion. This would benefit around 13.2 million children.
Code of Practice 26
Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) when a new version of Code of Practice 26 will become available; [18640]
(2) whether HM Customs and Revenue has completed its review of Code of Practice 26; and whether he plans to introduce a statutory test for the recovery of overpayments with a right of independent appeal. [19298]
Dawn Primarolo:
I refer to my evidence to the Treasury Sub-Committee on 26 October in which I stated that HMRC will be discussing Code of Practice 26 with the voluntary sector and other interested parties with a view to introducing a new version by the end of this year.
5 Dec 2005 : Column 912W
Death Duties
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list assets accepted in lieu of death duties since 1997. [34371]
Dawn Primarolo: Acceptances up to 31 March 2005 are shown in the Acceptance in Lieu Reports published by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council and available at http://www.mla.gov.uk/action/cp/00ail.asp. Details of acceptances since then are given in press releases issued by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council on 2 September (http://www.mla.gov.uk/news/press_article.asp?articleid=844) and 13 October (http://www.mla.gov.uk/news/press_article.asp?articleid=860); by the Scottish Executive on 13 July (http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2005/07/13125910): and by the Welsh Executive on 31 October (http://www.wales.gov.uk/servlet/PressReleaseBySubject?area_code:140COB).
Enterprise Education
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the evidential basis is for his statement of 14 November in the Financial Times that half of all schools now offer enterprise education and that every school will do so by 2006. [34695]
John Healey: Responding to the 2002 Howard Davies report and following an evaluated pathfinder round in 2003–04 and 2004–05, new Department for Education and Skills funding of £60 million a year was rolled out in September 2005, which will support a new focus on enterprise education in every school" for all key stage 4 pupils. This includes the equivalent of five days' enterprise activity for every pupil (such as running a real, or realistic, business) alongside existing work-related activities like work experience.
This new funding builds on funding for a third year of the Enterprise Advisors service. Adding the Pathfinder schools of 2003–04 and 2004–05, this means that less than two years since the Davies report, more than 50 per cent. of English secondary schools had Department for Education and Skills or Learning and Skills Council funded interventions on enterprise, preparing for national roll-out in September 2005.
Financial Statistics (South East England)
Mr. Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the South East's percentage share of (a) UK public expenditure, (b) UK population and (c) UK gross domestic product was in each year between 1995 and 2005. [33714]
John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the national statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 5 December 2005:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about public expenditure, population and gross domestic product for the South East compared to the total for the UK. (33714)
The tables below show the South East Government Office Region per cent share of UK public expenditure, population, and Gross Value Added (GVA) 1 . Comparable data is shown for all available years from 1995.
| Percentage | |
|---|---|
| 1998–99 | 11 |
| 1999–2000 | 11 |
| 2000/01 | 11 |
| 2001–02 | 11 |
| 2002–03 | 11 |
| 2003–04 | 11 |
Estimates in Table A are based on Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses (PESA), and are available in table 8.1 on the HM Treasury website at: http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/economic_data_and_tools/finance_spending_statistics/pes_ publications/pespub_pesa05.cfm
Identifiable expenditure (approximately 85% of Total Managed Expenditure) is that which can be recognised as having been incurred for the benefit of individuals, enterprises, or communities within particular regions.
Non-identifiable expenditure is that which is deemed to be incurred on behalf of the UK as a whole, e.g. defence expenditure.
| Percentage | |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 13.4 |
| 1996 | 13.4 |
| 1997 | 13.5 |
| 1998 | 13.5 |
| 1999 | 13.6 |
| 2000 | 13.6 |
| 2001 | 13.6 |
| 2002 | 13.6 |
| 2003 | 13.6 |
| 2004 | 13.6 |
Estimates in Table B are based on mid year population estimates, available on the National Statistics website at: www.statistics.gov.uk/popest
| Percentage | |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 14.9 |
| 1996 | 15.0 |
| 1997 | 15.2 |
| 1998 | 15.4 |
| 1999 | 15.5 |
| 2000 | 15.7 |
| 2001 | 15.7 |
| 2002 | 15.6 |
| 2003(9) | 15.6 |
The estimates in Table C are based on the regional Gross Value Added 1 (GVA) estimates published in December 2004. These are available on the National Statistics website at: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=7359
2 Public Expenditure estimates are only available on a comparable basis from 1998–99. 3 Provisional.
Lord Turner Letter
Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which official is leading the investigation into the leak of his letter to Lord Turner, Chairman of the Pensions Commission; and if he will make a statement. [33700]
5 Dec 2005 : Column 914W
John Healey: The Chancellor has asked Nicholas Macpherson, Permanent Secretary to the Treasury, to lead an inquiry into the leaking of the letter sent to Lord Turner and its reply.
Solar Photovoltaics Programme
Alan Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the benefits to the UK economy of a 10 year solar voltaics programme in line with that of Germany and Japan. [29979]
Malcolm Wicks: I have been asked to reply.
The Department has supported photovoltaics since 2000 through the PV Field Trials Programme and also through the £31 million Major Photovoltaics Demonstration Programme. These programmes have contributed to the development of the microgeneration industry in the UK, including an installer base. We plan to continue support for photovoltaics and other building scale renewables through a low carbon buildings programme, which is currently under development. This was recommended in the Renewables Innovation Review (February 2004), which looked at the viability of photovoltaics and other renewable technologies. It suggested that the environmental benefits in buildings could be maximised by developing an appropriate mix of building integrated renewables and energy efficiency. The new programme will have a budget of £30 million over three years and will start in April 2006 subject to EU state aids clearance.
The new programme and the wider microgeneration strategy currently under development will aim to introduce further measures to help develop a sustainable market for all the buildings renewable technologies. In addition PV installations are eligible for support under the renewables obligation. The current renewables obligation review is looking to simplify the way in which small-scale generators can claim renewable obligation certificates. International reports on photovoltaics, including developments in Japan and Germany, are undertaken by the International Energy Agency, www.iea.org.
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