Written Answers to Questions
Friday 16 June 2006
Transport
A127/A13
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people have been (a) killed and (b) seriously injured on (i) the A127 and (ii) A13 between the M25 and Southend in (A) each of the last five years for which figures are available and (B) 2006 to date. [77503]
Dr. Ladyman: The number of people killed or seriously injured in personal injury road accidents that have been reported to the police, on the A127 and A13 between the M25 and Southend in each of the last five years from 2000 to 2004 (the latest year for which figures are available), is given in the following table. Main results on personal injury road accidents reported to the police in 2005 will be published shortly. Figures for 2006 will become available in summer 2007.
Departmental Staff
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many staff in his Department did not achieve an acceptable mark in their annual report in each of the last three years; and what percentage this represented of the total number of staff in each case. [75103]
Gillian Merron: Across the Department for Transport, including its agencies, the number of staff who received markings indicating that performance was not acceptable or that objectives were not achieved were:
| Number of staff | Percentage of total staff | |
| (1) Figures not yet available. | ||
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people over the age of 55 years have been recruited into his Department in each of the last three years. [77420]
Gillian Merron: The Department for Transport and its agencies have recruited the following number of people over the age of 55 over the last three years:
| Number | |
The Crown is an equal opportunities employer and aims to recruit, retain and promote the best available people. Applications are welcome from all qualified individuals regardless of their sex, gender identity, disability, marital status, race, colour, ethnic or national origin, sexual orientation, age, religion or belief, employment status, working patterns, caring responsibility and trade union membership, union office or trade union activities.
Leominster Train Station
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to include Leominster train station on the Access for All Station List; and if he will make a statement. [78366]
Derek Twigg: The Access for All Station List published on 23 March 2006 details the stations that the Government have asked Network Rail to assess for improvement in the first phase of the 10 year Access for All programme up to 2009.
In due course we will draw up a list of stations for the next phase of the programme from 2009-14. Leominster will be assessed for inclusion alongside the other stations which have not been improved as part of the first phase.
M4 Widening
Mr. Rob Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions are under way on plans for M4 widening schemes. [76963]
Dr. Ladyman:
The draft South East Plan contains a proposed infrastructure framework, including a proposal for widening the M4 between Junctions 5 and
8/9. The Highways Agency is in discussion with the South East England Regional Assembly and other regional stakeholders about this.
In the South West the M4 Junction 18 eastbound climbing lane scheme was opened to traffic in November 2005. There are no other widening plans at present, but the Greater Bristol Strategic Transport Study is examining possible widening of the M4 and publication of its recommendations is imminent.
Marine Environment
Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what criteria are used to identify Marine Environment High Risk Areas. [77664]
Dr. Ladyman: I refer the hon. Lady to my answer of 8 March 2006, Official Report, columns 1519-21W to the hon. Member for St. Ives (Andrew George).
Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reasons the Isles of Scilly are no longer a Marine Environment High Risk Area. [77665]
Dr. Ladyman: The Isles of Scilly have never been designated as a Marine Environmental High Risk Area (MEHRA). Although Lord Donaldson’s report “Safer Ships, Cleaner Seas” suggested a number of areas that he felt might be identified as MEHRAs, some of these subsequently did not meet the criteria, based on environmental importance along with accident frequency and pollution risk from shipping. Only those areas which scored highly both in terms of environmental sensitivity and in terms of risk from shipping qualified as MEHRAs.
Consequently, the written statement from the former Secretary of State for Transport on 13 February 2006, Official Report, columns 58-59WS, announcing the locations of the MEHRAs, did not include the Isles of Scilly.
Nuclear Waste
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which London railway lines are used for the transportation of nuclear waste. [75851]
Derek Twigg: The Department does not hold this information. The transport of radioactive material by rail is a highly regulated activity that is carried out in accordance with stringent national and international regulations. The intention of the regulatory system is to ensure that these shipments are safe irrespective of the route chose.
Plymouth-Saltash Travel
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average daily flow of passengers was from Plymouth to Saltash in each of the last five years, broken down by mode of transport. [71885]
Derek Twigg: Information for rail is not collected in the form requested. Based on analysis of ticket sales data, the average number of daily passenger journeys made by train from Plymouth to Saltash in each of the last five financial years is estimated to be as follows:
| Journeys | |
The information requested is not available for other transport modes.
Treasury
Correspondence
Sir Michael Spicer: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will reply to the letter of 12 April from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire on Interest in Possession Trusts. [78041]
Dawn Primarolo: I expect to be in a position to write to the hon. Gentleman in about a week's time in the light of the forthcoming debate in the Finance Bill Committee on inheritance tax provisions to which his letter refers.
Student Loans
Mr. Swayne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the amount of outstanding student loans that will be written off over the next 30 years; and if he will make a statement. [75865]
Bill Rammell: I have been asked to reply.
Borrowers are required to repay student loans only when their income reaches the relevant income threshold; and loans are written off when borrowers reach the relevant age threshold, after 25 years, become permanently unfit for work, or die.(1)
At the end of the 2004-05 financial year our estimate was that, in England and Wales, £620 million of the £12.4 billion of outstanding income contingent maintenance loans and £420 million of the £1.5 billion of outstanding mortgage style loans would be written off. We do not estimate write offs which will occur specifically within the next thirty years as loans (particularly where borrowers do not reach the threshold) could have a longer lifetime.
(1) Income contingent loans will be written off after 25 years (instead of at age 65) for students receiving them for the first time from September 2006. Mortgage style loans will not be written off while arrears remain outstanding except in the case of death or disability.
Sunscreen (VAT)
Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost in VAT revenue forgone of reclassifying sunscreen as a preventative medicine rather than a cosmetic. [77526]
Dawn Primarolo: The VAT treatment of sun protection products is no different from the VAT treatment of medicines. VAT is not charged on medicines and sun protection products when dispensed by a pharmacist on the prescription of a registered doctor. When otherwise supplied by retail sale they are chargeable with VAT at the standard rate.
Tax Credits
Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of new tax credit claims, renewals and change of circumstances were decided within five working days of receipt in each year from 2003-04. [75773]
Dawn Primarolo: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has Service Delivery Agreement targets for deciding tax credits claims, renewals and changes of circumstance within five working days. The performance for 2003-04 was published in the former Inland Revenue's Annual Report for 2003-04 and HMRC's Annual Report for 2004-05. These Reports are available on the HMRC website, www.hmrc.gov.uk. Indicative results for 2005-06 will be published in the spring Report in due course.
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many claims there have been for tax credits in Birkenhead constituency at the latest available date; and how many were (a) overpaid and (b) underpaid. [78022]
Dawn Primarolo: Estimates for 2003-04 and 2004-05 of the numbers of in-work families with tax credits awards, including information on overpayments and underpayments by constituency, based on final family circumstances and incomes for 2003-04 and 2004-05 are published in “Child and Working Tax Credits. Finalised Awards 2003-04 Geographical Analysis” and the “Child and Working Tax Credits. Finalised Awards 2004-05 Geographical Analysis”. These publications and provisional estimates for the number of in-work families by constituency with tax credit awards as at selected dates in 2005-06 are available on the HMRC website at: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-geog-stats.htm
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the average tax credit overpayment in each region of the United Kingdom in 2005-06. [78126]
Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is not available.
Estimates of numbers and values of overpayments or underpayments for 2005-06 awards at 5 April 2006 will not be available until after family circumstances and incomes for 2005-06 have been finalised.
Jenny Willott: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many people in Wales have received overpayments in (a) child tax credits and (b) working tax credits in (i) 2004 and (ii) 2005; what the average overpayment was to such people; and if he will make a statement; [78289]
(2) how many people in Wales have received underpayments in (a) child tax credits and (b) working tax credits in (i) 2004 and (ii) 2005; what the average underpayment was; and if he will make a statement. [78297]
Dawn Primarolo: Estimates for 2003-04 and 2004-05 of the numbers of in-work families with tax credits awards, including information on overpayments and underpayments, based on final family circumstances and incomes for 2003-04 and 2004-05 are published in “Child and Working Tax Credits Finalised Awards. 2003-04. Geographical Analyses” and the “Child and Working Tax Credits Finalised Awards. 2004-05. Geographical Analyses”. These publications and provisional estimates for the number of in-work families by region with tax credit awards as at selected dates in 2005-06 are available on the HMRC website at: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-geog-stats.htm.
We do not produce statistics separately for child and working tax credits.
Jenny Willott: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many overpayments of (a) child tax credits and (b) working tax credits to people living in Wales were clawed back in (i) 2004 and (ii) 2005; and if he will make a statement. [78298]
Dawn Primarolo: The information is not available in the format requested.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his latest estimate is of the amount of tax credit overpayments in (a) 2003-04 and (b) 2004-05 which will be recovered in each year from 2004-05 to 2012-13; and if he will make a statement. [78411]
Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave him on the 8 June 2006, Official Report, columns 861-62W.
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