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30 Jan 2006 : Column 142W—continued
General Insurance Regulations
Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what assessment his Department has made of the effects on consumers of the general insurance regulations introduced in 2005; [45468]
(2) what assessment his Department has made of the overall regulatory cost burden on insurance intermediaries following the introduction of general insurance regulation in January 2005. [45469]
John Healey: The FSA commenced regulation of the selling of general insurance in January 2005. The FSA will begin a review of the effectiveness of the general insurance regime in April 2006. This will include seeking feedback from firms and consumer research.
Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the (a) scope and (b) timescale is of the forthcoming Financial Services Authority's effectiveness review of general insurance regulation. [45473]
John Healey: The FSA will begin a review of the effectiveness of the general insurance regime in April 2006. Findings are expected to be available towards the end of 2006.
The review will focus on how far the FSA conduct of business requirements for general insurance firms are delivering the intended outcomes for consumers.
Pre-Budget Report
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effects on Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency of measures in his pre-Budget report. [45694]
John Healey: The pre-Budget report set out a range of measures to build a strong economy and a fair society for all constituencies in the UK, including Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland. The Government set out the impact of the PBR on the North East in 2005 pre-Budget report: 'What the Pre-Budget Report means for the North East'. This is available on the HM Treasury website.
Tax Credit
Mr. Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the latest estimate is of the amount of tax credit payments which were fraudulently obtained via the HM Revenue and Customs website; and if he will make a statement. [44799]
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Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 23 January]: HMRC are currently undertaking a programme of work on finalised 2003–04 awards—the first year of working tax credit and child tax credit—to provide more information on the level of claimant error and fraud. This is due to be completed in spring 2006.
HMRC use a number of sophisticated tools to help detect fraudulent claims made for tax credits. Whenever possible this is aimed at stopping fraudulent claims from being paid but they also monitor payments to detect known traits of organised fraud.
I also refer the hon. Member for Rayleigh (Mr. Francois) to the answer I gave on 18 January, Official Report, column 1357.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on tax credit fraud using Network Rail employees' identities. [46413]
Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member for Yeovil to the statement I made on 18 January 2006, Official Report, column 1357W in response to his earlier question.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many awards of tax credits have been stopped because of suspicion of fraud in each month since 2003–04. [38557]
Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 10 January 2006, Official Report, column 557–58W. Figures by month could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Paul Goodman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many tax credit claimants appealed (a) successfully and (b) unsuccessfully to (i) the Adjudicator, (ii) the parliamentary ombudsman and (iii) by judicial review an unsuccessful appeal through the HM Revenue and Customs complaints procedure against a decision to change the amount paid in each year for which figures are available, broken down by (A) type of tax credit and (B) region. [43751]
Dawn Primarolo: HM Revenue and Customs' (HMRC) tax credits appeals procedure is explained in its leaflet WTC/AP How to appeal against a tax credits decision or award". The Department's complaints procedure is explained in its Code of Practice 1 Putting things right—How to complain". The Adjudicator's leaflet AO1 also explains that her office does not look at matters which can be considered on appeal or complaints that have been, or are being, investigated by the ombudsman.
(i) The Adjudicator cannot become involved in appeals against tax credits decisions. For the number of tax credits referrals to the Adjudicator's Office, I refer the hon. Member to the Adjudicator's Office Annual Report for 2005.
(ii) The parliamentary ombudsman, Ann Abraham, is an independent office-holder. She operates under the provisions of the Parliamentary Commissioner Act 1967 (as amended). The parliamentary ombudsman publishes information about the number of investigate complaints she has received in her annual report to Parliament. Her 2004–05 Annual Report, HC 348, was published on 20 July.
(iii) An appeal is a separate matter to a judicial review as described in HMRC guidance available at www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/immanual/im5201.htm
Three tax credit claimants have issued proceedings in the Administrative Court. All had been in, but had not exhausted, HMRC's complaints process before issuing proceedings. One was settled by consent, one was withdrawn and one was settled in part and the remainder withdrawn.
Travel Insurance
Annette Brooke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received about age discrimination in the pricing of travel insurance by UK companies; and if he will make a statement. [46386]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: HM Treasury has received a small number of representations from organisations working on behalf of older people. Officials have also discussed this issue with the Association of British Insurers.
The Government does not prescribe the terms and conditions that insurance companies may set when offering insurance. It does not intervene in the decisions of insurance companies when determining whether or not to offer cover. As a rule, insurers use their claims experience and other industry-wide statistics to set the terms on which they offer insurance cover.
Unemployment
Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the rate of (a) unemployment, (b) long-term unemployment, (c) youth unemployment and (d) economic inactivity was in (i) Denbighshire and (ii) Vale of Clwyd constituency in each of the last 20 years. [46069]
John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 30 January 2006:
The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about unemployment and economic inactivity. I am replying in her absence. (46069)
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles statistics of unemployment and economic inactivity for local areas from the annual local area Labour Force Survey (LFS) following International Labour Organisation definitions.
Table 1 shows rates and levels for all persons unemployed and youth (aged 16 to 24) unemployed resident in the Denbighshire Unitary Authority from the annual local area LFS for each 12 months ending February 1995 to February 2004. Table 2 shows similar data for persons resident in the Vale of Clwyd Parliamentary Constituency. Sample numbers are insufficient to provide estimates of long-term unemployment.
Table 3 shows the rates and levels of economically inactive persons of working age resident in the Denbighshire Unitary Authority and resident in the Vale of Clwyd constituency from the annual local area LFS for each 12 months ending February 1995 to February 2004.
These estimates, as with any from sample surveys, are subject to a margin of uncertainty. Changes in the estimates from year to year should be treated with particular caution.
ONS also compiles statistics for local areas of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA). Table 4 shows the annual average number of ISA claimants, and as a proportion of the resident working age population, those claiming for over 12 months and claimants aged 18 to 24, resident in the Denbighshire Unitary Authority since 1986. Table 5 shows similar data for claimants resident in the Vale of Clwyd constituency since 1996. Proportions for the 18 to 24 age group are not available for parliamentary constituencies.
(32) Percentage of the economically active resident population.
(33) Estimate not available, sample size less than three could be disclosive.
Source:
Annual local area Labour Force Survey.
(34) Percentage of the economically active resident population.
(35) Estimate not available, sample size less than three could be disclosive.
Source:
Annual local area Labour Force Survey.
30 Jan 2006 : Column 146W
Source:
Annual local area Labour Force Survey.
n/a—not available
(36) Computerised claims only. Data rounded to nearest 5 for disclosure control.
(37) Proportion of the resident working age population.
Source:
Jobcentre Plus Administrative system
(38) Computerised claims only. Data rounded to nearest 5 for disclosure control.
(39) Proportion of the resident working age population. Denominators based on 2001 Census data adjusted to be consistent with 2001 mid-year population estimates for focal authorities.
(40) Proportions for 18 to 24 group are not available for parliamentary constituencies.
Source:
Jobcentre Plus Administrative System
Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the rate of (a) unemployment, (b) long-term unemployment and (c) youth unemployment was in Milton Keynes in each year since 1997; and how many individuals this represented in each case. [45427]
John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell dated 30 January 2006.
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your parliamentary question about unemployment. (45427)
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles statistics of unemployment for local areas from the annual local area labour force survey (LFS) following international labour organisation definitions.
Table 1 shows rates and levels for all persons unemployed and youth (aged 16 to 24) unemployed resident in the Milton Keynes unitary authority from the annual local area LFS for each 12 months ending February 1998 to February 2004 and from the annual population survey for the 12 months ending March 2005. However, for the Milton Keynes unitary authority sample numbers are insufficient to provide estimates of the levels of long-term unemployment.
These estimates, as with any from sample surveys, are subject to a margin of uncertainty. Changes in the estimates from year to year should be treated with particular caution.
ONS also compiles statistics for local areas of people claiming jobseeker's allowance (ISA). Table 2 shows the annual average number of ISA claimants, and as a proportion of the resident working age population, and the annual average number of ISA claimants aged 18 to 24, and as a proportion of the resident population aged 18 to 24 and the annual average number of those claiming for over 12 months in the Milton Keynes unitary authority since 1997.
(41) Estimate not available, sample size less than three could be disclosive.
Source:
Annual local area Labour Force Survey; Annual Population Survey.
30 Jan 2006 : Column 148W
(42) Computerised claims only. Data rounded to nearest five for disclosure control.
(43) Proportion of the resident working age population.
(44) Proportion of the resident population aged 18 to 24.
(45) Data for claimants of job seeker's allowance is provided as a 12-month average (January to December) for each year from 1997 to 2005. Proportions for long-term claimants are not provided as for all but one year, the proportion is less than 0.5 per cent. and thus rounded to zero.
Source:
Jobcentre Plus Administrative system
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