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15 Mar 2006 : Column 2362W—continued
Truancy
Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of truancy levels in schools in (a) West Lancashire, (b) Lancashire and (c) England. [58487]
Jacqui Smith: The Department does not hold data on the levels of truancy. However, the 2004/05 figures for the percentage of half days missed due to unauthorised absence (of which truancy forms a part) in maintained mainstream schools can be found as follows.
| Primary | Secondary | |
|---|---|---|
| West Lancashire | 0.4 | 1.1 |
| Lancashire | 0.34 | 0.93 |
| National | 0.43 | 1.23 |
TREASURY
Civil Service Pension Schemes
Mr. Philip Hammond:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what the rates of withdrawal have been from (a) the NHS, (b) teachers and (c) principal civil service pension schemes, broken down by age, sex and duration of service, in each year since 1997; [54232]
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(2) pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Havant (Mr. Willetts) of 8 November 2005, Official Report, column 330W, on pensions, whether the estimate of the proportion of public sector pensionable payroll in future years that relates to scheme members who join after April 2006 was made on the assumption that the probability of leaving service was independent of the length of service; what the evidential basis was for the assumptions underlying the estimate; and what rates of withdrawal from service were assumed. [54464]
Mr. Des Browne: Information is not available in the form requested without disproportionate cost. A note on the actuarial assumptions on future rates of withdrawal from active membership in the occupational pension schemes for the NHS, teachers and civil service will be deposited in the Library including that information which is readily available on recent experience of withdrawal from these schemes. These assumptions were used to estimate the proportion of the combined pensionable payroll relating to scheme members who joined after April 2006.
Inheritance Tax (Northern Ireland)
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on how many estates in Northern Ireland inheritance tax was payable in (a) 1994 and (b) 2004. [58062]
Dawn Primarolo: In 2004–05, inheritance tax was due on approximately 500 estates in Northern Ireland. The corresponding figure for 1994 is not available.
International Monetary Fund
Mr. Iain Wright: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the recent comments by the Governor of the Bank of England on reform of the International Monetary Fund. [57887]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Government believe that strong and effective international institutions make an essential contribution to supporting global stability and growth in the context of the changing global economy. The Government welcome the contribution of the Governor of the Bank of England to the debate about the future of the institutions. As the Chancellor has said for some time, reforms to the International Monetary Fund are needed to ensure it continues to be relevant and effective in ensuring the stability of the international monetary system and of the global economy.
Specifically, IMF surveillance must be reformed to make it credible and authoritative so that it can have maximum impact on countries policies. There must be no possibility of conflict of interests between the IMF's surveillance and lending roles and no perception of political interference with the IMF's surveillance judgments. The Government will make proposals for the IMF to sponsor independent and transparent surveillance of national monetary and fiscal policies.
John Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received on reform of the International Monetary Fund. [58849]
Mr. Ivan Lewis:
Representations are made to Treasury Ministers and officials on a wide range issues as part of the process of policy development and
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analysis. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all submissions made to the Treasury.
The Government continues to believe that strong and effective international institutions make an essential contribution to supporting global stability and growth in the context of the changing global economy. We will continue to work with others to pursue this agenda.
Parents
Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what the average age of the mother when a child is born to a lone parent was in the last period for which figures are available, broken down by region; and what research he has conducted on the equivalent figures in (a) EU and (b) G8 countries; [57841]
(2) what proportion of children born to lone parents had the name of the father registered at birth in the last period for which figures are available. [57842]
John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 15 March 2006:
The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions concerning the proportion of children born to lone parents where the name of the father was registered at birth, in the last period for which figures are available and the average age of the mother when a child is born to a lone parent in the last period for which figures are available, broken down by region, and what research has been conducted on the equivalent figures in (a) EU and (b) G8 countries. I am replying in her absence. (57841, 57842)
Information on the family status of the mother and father is not collected at birth. Although there is no direct count of births occurring to lone mothers, ONS use the number of births that are registered solely in the mother's name, or registered jointly where the parents live at different addresses, as indicative of lone parenthood at the time of birth.
In 2004, just over 111,800 births in the United Kingdom were either sole-registered, or jointly registered at different addresses (16 per cent. of all births). Of these, 55 per cent. were jointly registered, that is, they included the name of the father.
The table shows the mean age of mothers for live births that have been sole-registered or jointly registered to parents living at different addresses.
ONS have not conducted any research on the equivalent figures for the EU or G8 countries. However, you may be interested in an article by the academic, Kathleen Kiernan, entitled 'Childbearing outside marriage in Western Europe' which can be found in Population Trends 98. This was published in Winter 1999 and can be downloaded at the following web address. http://www.statistics.gov.uk/poptrends
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Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what proportion of (a) male and (b) female lone parents are in (i) part-time and (ii) full-time employment; [57843]
(2) what proportion of (a) male and (b) female parents who are cohabiting with a partner, whether married or not, are in (i) part-time and (ii) full-time employment; [57844]
(3) how many (a) male and (b) female parents are who are cohabiting with a partner, whether married or
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not, of working age are in (i) part-time and (ii) full-time employment. [57845]
John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 15 March 2006:
The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Questions about lone parents and parents in couples in employment. I am replying in her absence. (57843, 57844, 57845)
Table 1 shows the levels and percentage of lone parents with dependent children in full-time and part-time employment by gender.
Table 2 shows the levels and percentage of married or cohabiting parents with dependent children, by whether working full-time or part-time by gender.
Table 3 shows the levels of parents in couples of working age with dependent children, in by full-time or part-time employment, by gender.
All 3 tables are covering the latest available period, which is the three months ending November 2005.
Estimates are taken from the Office for National Statistic's Labour Force Survey (LFS). As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
(52) Refers to people who are not married or cohabiting and have dependent children, who are defined as 0 to 15-year-olds, or 16 to 18-year-olds in full-time education.
(53) Based on respondents self-assessment.
(54) As a percentage of all lone parents.
(55) Includes those who did not state whether they worked full or part time.
Source:
ONS Labour Force Survey
(56) Refers to people who are married or cohabiting and have dependent children, who are defined as 0 to 15-year-olds, or 16 to 18-year-olds in full-time education.
(57) Based on respondents self-assessment.
(58) As a percentage of all parents in couples.
(59) Includes those who did not state whether they worked full or part time.
Note:
Number of male and female partners are unequal because in some cases respondents supply information for only one of the partners.
Source:
ONS Labour Force Survey
(60) Refers to people who are married or cohabiting and have dependent children, who are defined as 0 to 15-year-olds, or 16 to 18-year-olds in full-time education.
(61) Men aged 16 to 64 and women aged 16–59.
(62) Based on respondents self-assessment.
(63) As a percentage of all parents in couples of working age.
(64) Includes those who did not state whether they worked full or part time.
Note:
Number of male and female partners are unequal because in some cases respondents supply information for only one of the partners.
Source:
ONS Labour Force Survey
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