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Stonehenge
Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many people have visited Stonehenge in each year since 1997. [79979]
Mr. Lammy: The Stonehenge visitor figures for 1996-97 to 2005-06 are given in the table:
| Visitor numbers | |
Prime Minister
Abortion
Mr. Amess: To ask the Prime Minister what recent discussions on abortion he has had with Cardinal Keith O'Brien; and if he will make a statement. [80277]
The Prime Minister: My officials and I have meetings with a wide range of organisations and individuals on a wide range of subjects. Information relating to internal meetings, discussion and advice is not disclosed as to do so could harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion.
Chequers
Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 12 June 2006, Official Report, column 883W, on Chequers, if he will list those persons who gave oral evidence to the Hutton Inquiry, other than hon. Members and Government officials, whom he met at Chequers in (a) 2003 and (b) 2004. [79819]
The Prime Minister: I have nothing further to add to the answer I gave the hon. Member on 12 June 2006, Official Report, column 883W.
Departmental Hospitality
David Simpson: To ask the Prime Minister if he will keep a separate record of the amount spent annually on alcohol for hospitality purposes in his Office. [77316]
The Prime Minister: For accounting purposes my Office forms part of the Cabinet Office. I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office (Hilary Armstrong) today.
Hutton Report
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to the answer from the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs of 14 June 2006, Official Report, column 1268W on the Hutton Report, how many final copies of the Hutton Report were obtained by 10 Downing street; at what price per copy; and to whom they were issued. [79808]
The Prime Minister: I have nothing further to add to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional affairs (Harriet Harman) on 14 June, Official Report, column 1268W.
Mei Eden Mineral Water
Richard Burden: To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the purchase and use of Mei Eden mineral water from the Golan Heights at 10 Downing street. [79033]
The Prime Minister: Mineral water supplied by Eden Springs to 10 Downing street is sourced from within the UK.
Ministerial Meetings
Mr. Soames: To ask the Prime Minister what discussions he had on defence and security issues when he recently met President Chirac. [80192]
The
Prime Minister: I discussed a wide range
of issues with President Chirac during our recent meeting, including
UK/French defence cooperation and European
Security and Defence Policy. I refer the hon. Member to the press
conference I held with President Chirac on9 June 2006. A
transcript of this is available on the Number 10 website and a copy has
been placed in the Library of the
House.
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Prime Minister if he will visit the Royal Shrewsbury hospital maternity unit to meet nurses and hear their views. [80335]
The Prime Minister: I have no current plans to do so.
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Prime Minister if he will meet public sector workers in Shrewsbury to discuss Government plans for pension reforms. [80336]
The Prime Minister: I have no current plans to do so.
Parliamentary Questions
Mr. Amess: To ask the Prime Minister (1) pursuant to the answer of 8 June 2006, Official Report, column 827W, on parliamentary questions, what the reasons were for the time taken to reply to the original question; [80265]
(2) what steps he has (a) taken and (b) plans to take to reduce the length of time taken to answer written parliamentary questions; and if he will make a statement. [80266]
The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave the hon. Member for Monmouth (David T. C. Davies) on 15 February 2006, Official Report, column 2032W.
Sovereign Strategy
Chris Huhne: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 5 June 2006, Official Report, column 120W, on Sovereign Strategy, on how many occasions his official diary shows that he met a representative of Sovereign Strategy during the last 12 months. [80255]
The Prime Minister: I have nothing further to add to the answer I gave the hon. Member on 5 June 2006, Official Report, column 120W.
Treasury
Biodiesel
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will lower the rate of taxation on biodiesel. [79409]
John Healey: The recent Budget announced the extension of the 20p per litre duty differential for biofuels until 2008-09, and set out a range of announcements about the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation, which will begin in 2008-09.
The Chancellor considers relevant economic, social and environmental factors when deciding taxation policy, with any announcements being made in the context of his Budget statement.
Children's Sunglasses
Mr. Davey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received on removing VAT on children's sunglasses; and if he will make a statement. [79371]
Dawn Primarolo: Representations are regularly made to Treasury Ministers and officials on a wide range of issues.
Under agreements with our European partners we can keep our existing VAT zero rates, but we may not extend them or introduce new ones. It is therefore not possible to remove VAT from children's sunglasses.
Construction Industry (Registration Cards)
Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 15 June 2006, Official Report, column 1354W, on construction industry (registration cards), how many temporary construction industry services registration cards (a) have been issued and (b) are in use; and if he will make a statement. [79816]
John Healey: Of the 2.4 million construction industry registration cards (CIS4) issued since the scheme began in 1999, 350,000 are temporary registration cards. This number includes some renewed temporary cards. 240,000 temporary registration cards have been used.
Unused cards are generally attributable to holders of recently issued cards having not yet been paid within CIS or holders that normally work within the domestic sector having applied for a card in case they become involved in CIS work.
Correspondence
Mr. Winnick: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Paymaster General will respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Walsall, North of 23 May 2006, regarding a constituent. [80143]
Dawn Primarolo: I have done so.
Credit Unions
Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what help his Department has given to the credit union movement in the UK. [79826]
Ed
Balls: The Government welcome the role of the credit union
movement in helping to promote financial inclusion and contributing to
choice and diversity in the financial services sector. The Government
aim to encourage credit unions to be sustainable professional
bodies so they can more effectively meet their members’ needs and
assist the financially excluded on a long-term
basis.
Some of the Government action to facilitate this since 1997 includes bringing credit unions under the regulatory supervision of the Financial Services Authority in 2001, and using a regulatory reform order in 2003 to allow credit unions greater operational flexibility. More recently and following consultation with the sector and consumer groups, the Government introduced legislation increasing the maximum permitted interest rate on loans, from 1 per cent. to2 per cent. per month, in order to provide flexibility to lend to more people on low incomes. In addition, credit unions are now able to offer cash ISAs.
These measures are complemented by a £36 million Growth Fund for credit unions and other community-based lenders announced at PBR 2004, and to be administered by the Department for Work and Pensions from mid-2006.
Data Protection
Mr. Gray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 5 June 2006, Official Report, column 177W, on the Data Protection Act, what longest period of time elapsed between HM Revenue and Customs (a) receiving the administration fee and providing the information requested and (b) receiving a request for information and providing the information requested under the Data Protection Act 1998. [77769]
Dawn Primarolo: HM Revenue and Customs does not charge for access to personal information requested under the subject access provisions afforded by the Data Protection Act 1998.
The average length of time HM Revenue and Customs take to reply to subject access requests is11 days. However, in an exceptional instance, that involved both an appeal and a subject access request under the Data Protection Act, the entire matter took 341 days to process.
Euro-preparation Group
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 5 June 2006, Official Report, column 201W, on the Euro-preparation group, what the date of the autumn meeting is; and which local authorities have been invited. [78315]
Ed Balls: The next meeting between central Government officials and local authorities is provisionally scheduled for 21 September 2006. This is part of the regular programme of activities with stakeholders on euro preparations. On the local authorities involved in this work, I refer the hon. Member to the answer he received on 18 April 2006, Official Report, column 512W, from the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (Jim Fitzpatrick).
Households (Tamworth)
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) single parent households with children under the age of 16 years and (b) single-person households there were in Tamworth constituency in each of the last 15 years; and what estimate he has made of the number of cohabiting couples living in Tamworth constituency in each of the last 15 years. [80127]
John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 26 June 2006:
As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many (a) single parent households with children under the age of 16 years and (b) single-person households there were in Tamworth constituency in each of the last 15 years; and what the estimate is of the number of cohabiting couples living in Tamworth constituency in each of the last 15 years. (80127)
Estimates of these figures are not produced on an annual basis for local areas. Available figures are from the censuses of 1991 and 2001. These are shown in the table below.
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his most recent estimate is of the average income per person in Tamworth constituency. [80128]
Dawn Primarolo: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the national statistician who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 26 June 2006:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about average income per person in the Tamworth constituency. (80128)
The ONS published estimates of household income for regions and local areas of the UK on 9 May 2006. Tamworth is within the NUTS 3 (Nomenclature of Units for Territorial Statistics) area of Staffordshire County Council This is the most detailed level of geography for which estimates are produced.
Table A contains estimates of total incomes per head and gross disposable household income (GDHI) per head for Staffordshire County Council.
| Table A: Staffordshire county council NUTS3 | ||
| £ per head( 1) | ||
| Total income( 2) | GDHI( 3) | |
| (1)
Population measure is based upon mid-year estimate for total
population. (2) All household income including employers’ social contributions, imputed social contributions, social benefits and other current transfers received. (3) Gross disposable household income (GDHI) is the amount of money that households have available for spending or saving after deductions and expenditure associated with income, e.g. taxes and social contributions, and provision for future pension income. | ||
Inheritance Tax
Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will place in the Library the preliminary regulatory impact assessment into the changes in the inheritance tax treatment of trusts announced in the Budget; and if he will make a statement; [77583]
(2) on what date the decision was taken to produce a full regulatory impact assessment into the changes in the inheritance tax treatment of trusts announced in the Budget; whether the document will be publicly available; and if he will make a statement; [77584]
(3) what estimate he has made of the effect on revenue to the Exchequer arising from the changes in the inheritance tax treatment of trusts announced in the Budget in the years 2008-09 to 2012-13; and if he will make a statement. [77585]
Dawn Primarolo: The Red Book contains estimates of the Exchequer consequences of Budget proposals.
The preliminary regulatory impact assessment did no more than identify that, in accordance with Cabinet Office guidance, a full regulatory impact assessment was not required. In line with normal procedure, the preliminary assessment will not be published.
Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was paid in inheritance tax in (a) 1997 and (b) the last year for which figures are available. [79559]
Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is published on the HMRC website as follows:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/tax_receipts/l_2_v2_dec05.pdf. http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/tax_receipts/1_2_apr_06.pdf.
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