House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 14 Mar 2006 (pt 24)

14 Mar 2006 : Column 2127W—continued

Bank Accounts

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people in West Lancashire did not have access to a bank account on (a) 31 December 2005 and (b) 31 December 1997. [58427]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: The most recent data available that allow assessment to be made of the number of households with no access to a bank account are the Family Resources Survey from 2002–03. Those indicate that 8 per cent. of households in the United Kingdom had no bank account of any kind. This equated to 1.9 million households containing around 2.8 million adults. The data are broken down to Government Office regional level. This shows 9 per cent. of households in the North West and Merseyside were unbanked.

In 1997–98, the Family Resources Survey was collected on a Great Britain basis, excluding Northern Ireland. 11 per cent. of households in the North West and Merseyside were unbanked at that time compared to 8 per cent. of households in Great Britain as a whole.

In December 2004, the Government and the banks agreed to work together towards the goal of halving the number of adults in households with no access to a bank account of any kind and of making significant progress within two years. The Financial Inclusion Taskforce has been asked to monitor progress and will report to Government shortly.

Nick Harvey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Government plan to take steps to promote the use of basic bank accounts. [57784]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: Following the report of Policy Action Team 14: Access to Financial Services in 1999, the banking industry worked with the Government to introduce the basic bank account which is specifically designed to address the needs of the financially excluded.

In December 2004, the Government and the banks agreed to work towards the goal of halving the number of adults in households with no bank account of any kind and of having made significant progress within two years. The Government established a Financial Inclusion Taskforce to monitor progress towards this goal and to report on what more needs to be done.

The taskforce is due to report to Government shortly and Ministers will consider whether further action may be necessary.

Child Benefit (Northern Ireland)

Dr. McCrea: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people are in receipt of child benefit in each Northern Ireland parliamentary constituency. [58139]

Dawn Primarolo: The number of families claiming child benefit in each of the 18 Northern Ireland constituencies at August 2004 can be found on the HMRC website:

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/child_benefit/cb_geog_aug04_aug05.pdf.

Figures for August 2005 will be published on 28 April 2006.

14 Mar 2006 : Column 2128W

Child Trust Funds

Vera Baird: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what further steps he plans to take to encourage parents to invest their child trust fund vouchers. [57883]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on the floor of the House to the hon. Member for Livingston (Mr. Devine) on 2 March 2006, Official Report, column 392.

Vera Baird: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the merits of introducing tax incentives to encourage poorer parents to invest in trust funds for siblings who are not eligible for child trust fund vouchers. [57884]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: The child trust fund became operational from April 2005. To show we understood the issue of older children the Government backdated the eligibility date to all children born on or after 1 September 2002 to align with school years. It is important to recognise that to realise the success of the child trust fund for future generations we must draw a line somewhere.

There already exists considerable scope for tax-relieved savings for children. All children have their own personal tax allowance and parents are taxed on income generated from contributions to their child's account only when those gifts produce more than £100 gross income per parent per year.

In addition, the market offers a wide range of savings and investment accounts designed especially for children from national savings and investment products to products offered by friendly societies, banks and building societies.

Civil Registration

Mr. Kidney: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will bring forward legislation to give effect to the proposals in the Civil Registration White Paper. [57579]

John Healey: In a written statement on 16 November 2005, I confirmed that the Government remained committed to the modernisation of the registration service in England and Wales, and announced the publication of the position and consultation paper 'Registration Modernisation'. This sets out how the Government intend to take forward the modernisation of civil registration and contains details of the changes to be introduced. Those requiring primary legislation will be taken forward as and when opportunities for legislation arise.

A copy of 'Registration Modernisation' has been placed in the House of Commons Library.

Consultants

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was spent by his Department and its agencies on (a) consultancy and (b) external secondments in each year since 2000–01. [49762]

John Healey: The available figures are set out in the following table.

14 Mar 2006 : Column 2129W

£000

2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05

(a) Consultancy⁽¹⁹⁾

HM Treasury 1,667 1,160 ⁽²⁰⁾3,030 6,160 4,910

Office of Government Commerce ⁽²¹⁾— ⁽²¹⁾— ⁽²¹⁾— 4,218 5,712

OGCbuying.solutions ⁽²²⁾— ⁽²²⁾— ⁽²²⁾— ⁽²²⁾— ⁽²²⁾—

Debt Management Office 890 319 560 525 768

HM Revenue and Customs 39,917 76,671 54,907 69,005 ⁽²³⁾105,490

Valuation Office Agency 45 335 825 1,645 1,420

National Savings and Investments 1,427 4,630 2,827 1,617 1,400

Office for National Statistics 4,473 4,286 ⁽²⁴⁾6,729 11,761 27,118

Government Actuary's Department 97 48 64 15 19

Royal Mint 529 273 388 219 235

(b) External secondments⁽²⁵⁾

HM Treasury ⁽²²⁾— ⁽²²⁾— 1,038 1,658 1,110

Office of Government Commerce ⁽²¹⁾— ⁽²¹⁾— ⁽²¹⁾— 1,233 2,945

OGCbuying.solutions ⁽²²⁾— ⁽²²⁾— ⁽²²⁾— ⁽²²⁾— ⁽²²⁾—

Debt Management Office 308 281 206 118 12

HM Revenue and Customs ⁽²²⁾— ⁽²²⁾— ⁽²²⁾— ⁽²²⁾— ⁽²²⁾—

Valuation Office Agency ⁽²²⁾— ⁽²²⁾— ⁽²²⁾— 176 128

National Savings and Investments 19 125 111 nil 34

Office for National Statistics ⁽²²⁾— ⁽²²⁾— ⁽²²⁾— ⁽²²⁾— 896

Government Actuary's Department nil nil nil nil nil

Royal Mint nil nil 52 78 32

⁽¹⁹⁾ Consultancy costs in the table do not include capital spending.
⁽²⁰⁾ Treasury's spending on consultants includes, since 2002–03, fees to Partnerships UK for their work providing project and policy support to the Treasury and other public bodies on the development, procurement and implementation of public private partnerships.
⁽²¹⁾ Information on OGC's own consultancy and secondment spending for years prior to 2003–04 could be disaggregated from costs of services engaged on behalf of other bodies only at disproportionate cost.
⁽²²⁾ Information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
⁽²³⁾ Figures are the aggregate of the former Inland Revenue and HM Customs and Excise. The increase in costs in 2004–05 is largely related to expenditure on the Lorry Road User Charge programme.
⁽²⁴⁾ The increase in ONS's consultancy expenditure from 2002–03 is in respect of the major development programmes of work by the department, e.g. Neighbourhood Statistics, Statistical and Technology Modernisation. Most of this expenditure relates to IT systems expertise. Nearly £3 million of the 2004–05 expenditure related to Value Added Tax, which the Department ceased to be able to recover on these services in that year.
⁽²⁵⁾ Secondments or loans from other Government Departments are excluded.

	2000–01	2001–02	2002–03	2003–04	2004–05
(a) Consultancy⁽¹⁹⁾
HM Treasury	1,667	1,160	⁽²⁰⁾3,030	6,160	4,910
Office of Government Commerce	⁽²¹⁾—	⁽²¹⁾—	⁽²¹⁾—	4,218	5,712
OGCbuying.solutions	⁽²²⁾—	⁽²²⁾—	⁽²²⁾—	⁽²²⁾—	⁽²²⁾—
Debt Management Office	890	319	560	525	768
HM Revenue and Customs	39,917	76,671	54,907	69,005	⁽²³⁾105,490
Valuation Office Agency	45	335	825	1,645	1,420
National Savings and Investments	1,427	4,630	2,827	1,617	1,400
Office for National Statistics	4,473	4,286	⁽²⁴⁾6,729	11,761	27,118
Government Actuary's Department	97	48	64	15	19
Royal Mint	529	273	388	219	235

(b) External secondments⁽²⁵⁾
HM Treasury	⁽²²⁾—	⁽²²⁾—	1,038	1,658	1,110
Office of Government Commerce	⁽²¹⁾—	⁽²¹⁾—	⁽²¹⁾—	1,233	2,945
OGCbuying.solutions	⁽²²⁾—	⁽²²⁾—	⁽²²⁾—	⁽²²⁾—	⁽²²⁾—
Debt Management Office	308	281	206	118	12
HM Revenue and Customs	⁽²²⁾—	⁽²²⁾—	⁽²²⁾—	⁽²²⁾—	⁽²²⁾—
Valuation Office Agency	⁽²²⁾—	⁽²²⁾—	⁽²²⁾—	176	128
National Savings and Investments	19	125	111	nil	34
Office for National Statistics	⁽²²⁾—	⁽²²⁾—	⁽²²⁾—	⁽²²⁾—	896
Government Actuary's Department	nil	nil	nil	nil	nil
Royal Mint	nil	nil	52	78	32

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