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19 July 2006 : Column 521W—continued
http://www.gad.gov.uk/Life_Tables/Period_and_cohort_eol.htm
An explanation of period and cohort expectations of life is also available on the GAD website. Sub-national life expectancy projections are not available.
Maritime and Aviation Intelligence Team
Mr. Drew: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer why the Maritime and Aviation Intelligence Team has been disbanded; and what its replacement is. [86562]
Dawn Primarolo: The intelligence arm of HM Revenue and Customs was re-organised in early 2006 to create a national structure focused on key risk areas. This involved the re-forming of teams, including the Maritime and Aviation Intelligence Team. The staff and their expertise have been retained, in teams that focus on risks posed by different types of transport, and in teams that deal with intelligence gathered from local sources of information.
Oil Prices
Chris Huhne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what effects his Department's econometric model predicts of a sustained $10 per barrel rise in the world oil price in each of the five subsequent years compared with a base forecast on (a) gross domestic products (GDP), (b) GDP growth, (c) consumer price inflation, (d) the unemployment rate, (e) the employment rate, (f) Government borrowing as a percentage of GDP, (g) policy interest rates, (h) balance of trade as a percentage of GDP, (i) the current account of the balance of payments as a percentage of GDP, (j) public debt at end year as a percentage of GDP, (k) the effective exchange rate and (l) the real effective exchange rate; and what other economic assumptions are made in each case. [86640]
John Healey: The effects on the UK economy of a sustained $10 rise in oil prices would depend on the factors driving oil prices—for example, the extent to which prices increased due to demand pressures or supply constraints.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in the Budget that, because of continuing oil market volatility, the annual inflation-only increase in main fuel duties would be deferred until 1 September 2006.
Oil has been trading in recent weeks in a range of $66-$78 per barrel. The risk of oil price volatility
remains high, and the Government will not therefore go ahead with the planned inflation-only increase in main road fuel duties on 1 September—and related increases for rebated oils, biofuels and road fuel gases—and will review the position again at the time of the pre-Budget report.
Parliamentary Questions
Mr. Soames: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will provide a substantive answer to question 82306 on visits to Malawi tabled for named day answer on 4 July by the hon. Member for Mid Sussex. [86448]
John Healey: I answered the hon. Gentleman's question on 17 July 2006.
Red Diesel (Marine Vehicles)
Mr. Drew: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made with negotiations on the derogation from the EU directive on the use of red diesel by marine vehicles. [86393]
John Healey: As required under the energy products directive, the European Commission issued a communication on 4 July stating its position on derogations due to expire at the end of this year, and noting that member states may apply under the normal procedures for renewal of derogations. As announced by Chancellor of the Exchequer at the Budget, the UK will be submitting an application for renewal of the derogation enabling pleasure boats to use red diesel. This application will be informed by the case that the Government set out in the partial RIA published at the Budget and is continuing to build with the cooperation of the boating industry.
Tax Credits
Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many tax credit award notices have been issued in each month since July 2005; and if he will make a statement. [75783]
Dawn Primarolo: Award notices are issued at the following points in the tax credits cycle:
An initial award notice, following a successful claim.
An amended award notice when a claimant notifies HMRC of a change of circumstances or income during a year.
A finalised award notice following the completion of the renewal process.
Where payments are continuing following a finalised award for one year, an award notice is issued to advise of the provisional payments HMRC will be making for the subsequent year.
Award notices issued each month since July 2005 are as follows:
| Award notices issued | |
Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much of the overpayment of tax credits in (a) 2003-04, (b) 2004-05 and (c) 2005-06 was due to software and other computer problems; and if he will make a statement. [76432]
Dawn Primarolo: For 2003-04 I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him and the hon. Member for Edinburgh, West (John Barrett) on 27 October 2005, Official Report, columns 496-497W.
For 2004-05 I refer the hon. Gentleman to the Inland Revenue 2004-05 Accounts published on 10 October 2005 which are available on the internet at: www.hmrc.gov.uk/about/ir-report2005.pdf
Information for 2005-06 is not yet available.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many interviews at home about tax credit fraud have been carried out by claimant compliance officers in each quarter since April 2002; [78376]
(2) how many face-to-face interviews for Living Together as Husband and Wife tax credit claims have been held in each quarter by claimant compliance officers since April 2002. [78377]
Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave on 31 January 2006, Official Report, column 413W to the hon. Member for Newport, West (Paul Flynn).
Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the pre-payment automated risk rules in the tax credits system. [81150]
Dawn Primarolo: All tax credit claims are subject to an automated risk assessment process which looks at the features of a claim against known risks. These risk rules work in combination to identify those claims that are high risk and require further consideration, with the highest risk cases looked at by a compliance team who may undertake a full compliance examination before an award is made.
It would be inappropriate to give specific details as this could aid those seeking to gain through fraud.
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list in date order the written ministerial statements on tax credits which have been made since 1997. [86510]
Dawn Primarolo: Written ministerial statements made by Treasury Ministers, and indeed oral statements and other announcements made in the House of Commons, are a matter of public record.
Valuation Office Agency
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many full-time equivalent press officers the Valuation Office Agency employed in 2005-06. [86841]
Dawn Primarolo: In 2005-06 the Valuation Office Agency employed the equivalent of one full-time press officer to deal with media inquiries
Minister for Women
Prize Money
Mr. Sarwar: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality if she will introduce legislation making it illegal for sporting bodies in the UK to award prize moneys that are different for men and women. [84890]
Meg Munn: The Government are committed to promoting equality between women and men, but there are no plans to introduce legislation on this specific issue. A review of Great Britain's discrimination law is currently under way, covering the Sex Discrimination Act and the Equal Pay Act. We will publish our findings around the turn of the year.
Constitutional Affairs
British Democracy
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what form her response to “Power to the People: An Independent Inquiry into Britain’s Democracy” will take. [86057]
Bridget Prentice: The response to this report took the form of Baroness Ashton’s speech at the House of Lords debate on the Power Inquiry on 15 June 2006.
Deportation Appeals
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many appeals against deportation orders to Asylum and Immigration Tribunals have been made in each year since their creation; in how many appeals the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal allowed the appeal; and in how many cases where the appeal was allowed the Home Office appealed that decision. [86060]
Bridget Prentice: The Asylum and Immigration Tribunal (AIT) does not currently collate information on the volume of appeals it receives from notices of intent to deport, the number of these appeals allowed nor the number of allowed appeals where the Home Office applies for the Tribunal to reconsider its decision.
Checks made with the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) of the Home Office confirm that this type of information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost by examination of individual case records.
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs (1) in how many cases before Asylum and Immigration Tribunals applications for bail pending termination of the appeal were made in each of the last five years; and in how many cases where a bail application had been made pending a deportation order the Home Office opposed the application for bail in each of the last five years; [86061]
(2) To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in how many cases before asylum and immigration tribunals applications were made for bail pending termination of the appeal in each of the last five years[86062]
Bridget Prentice: Information shows that in each of the last five financial years the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal (AIT) and its predecessor the Immigration Appellate Authority (IAA) received the following volume of bail applications:
| Number of applications | |
The AIT does not collate information on the volume of bail applications arising from particular appeal types nor the number of applications opposed by the Home Office. Such information could be obtained only by incurring disproportionate costs.
Electoral Review
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs (1) what opportunities there will be for public consultation and involvement following the publication of her Department’s Review of Electoral Systems; [86056]
(2) what the next stage of the Government’s electoral reform policy will be following the publication of the review of electoral systems; [86071]
(3) whether her Department’s review of electoral systems will be placed in the public domain. [86074]
Bridget Prentice: The DCA internal review of voting systems introduced for the devolved administrations, the European Parliament and London Assembly elections being conducted by officials within my Department is under way. The review is desk based and is examining a range of existing publications and materials. Any decisions on next steps including publication and consultation will be taken in due course.
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs (1) when her Department’s review of electoral systems is expected to report; [86067]
(2) what progress has been made with her Department’s Review of Electoral Systems. [86073]
Bridget Prentice: Work is ongoing on the Department’s internal review of voting systems of the new electoral systems introduced for the devolved Administrations (the Northern Ireland Assembly, the National Assembly for Wales and the Scottish Parliament), the European Parliament and Greater London Assembly. Decisions on any next steps will be taken in due course.
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what form her review of electoral systems took; and what evidence was submitted by interested organisations. [86365]
Bridget Prentice: The Department for Constitutional Affairs internal review of voting systems is desk based and is examining a range of existing publications and materials. No submissions have been sought.
Youth Court
Mr. Wallace: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many 10 to 17 year olds have appeared at the youth court in Lancashire in each year since 1997. [81761]
Mr. Sutcliffe: I have been asked to reply.
Data from the Court Proceedings Database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform showing the number of 10 to 17 year olds prosecuted for all offences at youth courts in Lancashire from 1997 to 2004 are provided in the table.
Figures for 2005 will be available in the autumn of 2006.
| Number of people aged 10 to 17 prosecuted for all offences in the Lancashire youth courts, from 1997 to 2004( 1) | |
| Proceeded against | |
| (1) These data are on the principal offence basis. Source: RDS—Office for Criminal Justice Reform. | |
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