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22 May 2006 : Column 1442W—continued
Tax Credits
Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average cost per minute is of calling the tax credit helpline number. [70255]
Dawn Primarolo: Information is not available on the cost per minute to callers using the tax credit helpline, they will vary according to their service provider.
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many tax credit claimants have been informed that they were required to repay overpayments in each year since its introduction; how much has been overpaid in total; and how much has been repaid in each year. [72562]
Dawn Primarolo: The number of 2003-04 awards that were overpaid as at April 2004 is shown in the HMRC publication "Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics. Finalised annual awards 2003-04. Supplement on payments in 2003-04". This can be found on the HMRC website at:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-quarterly-stats.htm
The number of 2004-05 awards with overpayments as at April 2005 will be published on 31 May 2006.
Where a family has been overpaid, HMRC will recover the overpayment as explained in code of practice 26 "What happens if we have paid you too much tax credit?", available on our website at http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/leaflets/cop26.htm.
The total amount that was overpaid in 2003-04 and how much of this was recovered in 2004-05 is shown in part two of the "Comptroller and Auditor General's Standard Report on the Accounts of the Inland Revenue 2004-05". This can be found on the HMRC website at http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/about/annual_reps.htm
Information on the amounts recovered during 2005-06 will not be available until the accounts for 2005-06 have been finalised.
Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will extend Table 3 on page 30 of Tax credits: reforming financial support for families (March 2005) so as to show marginal deduction rates of over 50 per cent. and over 40 per cent. (a) before 1998, (b) in 2005-06 and (c) in 2006-07. [67870]
Dawn Primarolo: The following table is an extension of table 4.3 in Tax credits: reforming financial support for families (March 2005).
| Marginal deduction rate (Percentage) | Before budget 1998 | 2005-06 system of tax and benefits | 2006-07 system of tax and benefits |
Figures for the 2005-06 and 2006-07 system of taxes and benefits are consistent with the analysis presented in Table 4.2 of the 2005 pre-Budget report and 2006 Budget report separately.
Figures are cumulative. This table shows marginal deduction rates for heads of working households in receipt of income related benefits or tax credits, where at least one person works 16 hours or more a week, where the head of the household is not disabled, and where higher earnings would lead to reduced benefits or tax credits. They include the marginal effects of income tax and national insurance contributions, and the withdrawal of tax credits, housing benefit and council tax benefit.
This analysis does not take into account the way in which tax credits respond to rises in income. Since April 2006, tax credits only respond to rises in income in the current year of more than £25,000, disregarding the first £25,000 of any rise. This means that recipients will not see their tax credits reduced as soon as their income rises, so reducing the effective marginal deduction in any one year.
As a result of the Government’s reforms, around 500,000 fewer low-income households now face marginal deduction rates in excess of 70 per cent. than did so in April 1998. The increase in the number of households facing marginal deduction rates of between
40 and 70 per cent. is primarily due to the introduction of tax credits, and more recently the extension of support to workers aged 25 or over without children.
Teenage Pregnancies
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many teenage pregnancies there have been in each year since 2000, broken down by ethnic group. [71225]
John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 22 May 2006:
As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many teenage pregnancies there were in each year since 2000, broken down by ethnic group. (71225)
Available figures are estimates of the number of pregnancies that resulted in a live birth, stillbirth or termination.
Number of teenage conceptions in England and Wales from 2000 to 2004 (the most recent year for which figures are available), are shown in the table. Figures for 2004 are provisional. Information by ethnic group is not available.
| Teenage conceptions, England and Wales, 2000-2004 | |
| Number | |
Valuation Office Agency
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Valuation Office Agency's council tax Automated Valuation Model uses (a) a location factor or factors in its multiple regression analysis and (b) geo-spatial statistical analysis in computer assisted mass appraisal. [70674]
Mr. Woolas: I have been asked to reply.
The Valuation Office Agency's (VGA) automated valuation model (AVM) uses (a) location factors in its multiple regression analysis and (b) an element of geo-spatial statistical analysis. The extent of the latter is limited to the use of National Land and Property Gazeteer (NLPG) “X-Y Co-ordinates” for precise location information. No other form of geo-spatial statistical analysis is used.
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what valuation software the Valuation Office Agency purchased from Capgemini in 2005 for the council tax revaluation in England. [70676]
Mr. Woolas: I have been asked to reply.
The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) has worked with Capgemini, its IT supplier through the ASPIRE contract, to procure (a) a server version of OASIS, the automated valuation modelling software developed by Cole Layer Trumble and to develop (b) workflow
software to support automated valuation activity in the VGA's network offices in England.
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a copy of the presentation by Diane Leggo to the managementboard of the Valuation Office Agency at its meeting of 26 May 2005 on council tax revaluation in England. [70678]
Mr. Woolas: I have been asked to reply.
The presentation by Diane Leggo to the management board of the Valuation Office Agency on 26 May 2005 includes material prepared as an input to the formulation of Government policy and cannot be made available. The council tax revaluation has since been postponed.
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the conferences to be held in other countries which Valuation Office Agency staff will attend in the next 12 months. [70679]
Dawn Primarolo: The Valuation Office Agency is asked to share its expertise in the field of property valuation by sending delegates to conferences in the UK and overseas. All travel is undertaken in accordance with the provisions of the civil service code.
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what geographical information system data the Valuation Office Agency's council tax automated valuation model uses. [70698]
Mr. Woolas: I have been asked to reply.
The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) does not have a geographical information system (GIS). The only geographical information used within the VGA's automated valuation model (AVM) is the National Land and Property Gazeteer (NLPG) “X-Y Co-ordinate” information, which indicates the precise location of a dwelling.
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what domestic dwelling data the Valuation Office Agency has (a) purchased and (b) intends to purchase from Rightmove; and what the value of the contract is. [70699]
Mr. Woolas: I have been asked to reply.
The Valuation Office Agency (VOA), through its parent department, Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs, has a contract with Rightmove.co.uk plc (Rightmove) for a term of 34 months from 1 June 2005, with an option to extend for a further 12 months. The contract gives the VOA rights to use property records within Rightmove's current and historical database of dwellings that are, or have been, on the property market for sale.
Any future intentions, and the value of the contract, cannot be released into the public domain, as this would prejudice the commercial interests of both the VOA and Rightmove.co.uk plc.
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) whether the Valuation Office Agency's council tax automated valuation model (a) uses and (b) holds data (i) from the Index of Multiple Deprivation and
(ii) on the number of criminal offences committed in an area; [70700]
(2) whether the Valuation Office Agency's council tax automated valuation model (a) uses and (b) holds local authority ward boundaries data. [70701]
Mr. Woolas: I have been asked to reply.
The Valuation Office Agency's (VGA's) automated valuation model (AVM) neither (a) uses nor (b) holds local authority ward boundary data.
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what research the Valuation Office Agency has commissioned in the last five years on the use of geographic information systems for mass appraisal of residential property. [70688]
Mr. Woolas: I have been asked to reply.
The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister commissioned, in 2003, the development of a generalised land use database (GLUD), which identifies the location of nine land use types, including residential. Further details of this ongoing work can be found on the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) website under Research and Statistics, Planning Research and Statistics, Planning Statistics, Generalised Land Use Database (URL: http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1146084).
In addition to GLUD, DCLG have explored, and continue to explore, the suitability of a range of geographic information, including commercial products, new build intelligence from Ordnance Survey and the collation of local authority planning information to improve assessments of residential development.
The Valuation Office Agency has commissioned no research on the use of geographic information systems for mass appraisal of residential property in the last five years.
Office for Government Commerce
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what guidance the Office for Government Commerce issues to local authorities on contract compliance. [70716]
Mr. Woolas: I have asked to reply.
Section 17 of the Local Government Act 1988 prevents authorities from introducing “non-commercial” considerations, such as the political affiliations of contractors, into the procurement process.
There is a range of advice and guidance on good procurement which local authorities can draw on. Sources include the Office of Government Commerce (OGC), the Public Private, Partnership Programme (the 4ps) and the Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA). Specific guidance on local government procurement includes the joint ODPM/Local Government Association ‘National Procurement Strategy for Local Government’. This makes clear
that council requirements can also include social, environmental and other strategic objectives that are relevant to the subject of the contract.
Trade and Industry
Agricultural Trade Liberalisation
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has made to the European Commissioner for Trade about his recent comments on agricultural trade liberalisation; and what assessment he has made of the possible effect those comments will have on the World Trade Organisation trade talks. [69929]
Mr. McCartney: I have not had the opportunity to make representations to the European Commissioner for Trade since my appointment as Minister for Trade, or to discuss his recent comments on the Doha Development Agenda negotiations. However, my predecessors in this post had regular contact with the Commissioner for Trade on a wide range of issues.
The UK remains strongly committed to ensuring an ambitious and pro-development outcome to the Doha Round that provides real benefits to developing countries and an overall stimulus to world trade, in line with the mandate agreed in 2001. In agriculture, this means agreeing to significant reductions in trade-distorting domestic support, the elimination of export subsidies, and significant liberalisation of trade. We have made clear our view that achieving this requires movement from all the main parties, across the whole breadth of the negotiations—including, but not limited to, agriculture. We will continue to press all key parties, in the EU and beyond to show sufficient flexibility in all areas of the DDA negotiations to secure a successful outcome.
Autism
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what research projects into autism are funded by the Medical Research Council. [69402]
Jim Fitzpatrick: Details of research on autism currently funded by the Medical Research Council is provided in the following table:
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