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Ashton-under-Lyne (Statistics)
David Heyes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many people in (a) the UK and (b) Ashton-under-Lyne have been overpaid working tax credits since their introduction; [84850]
(2) how many overpayments of (a) working and (b) child tax credit have been made to claimants in Ashton-under-Lyne since the credits were introduced; what the value of those overpayments was; how many of the overpayments have not been recovered; and what the value was of unrecovered overpayments. [84852]
Dawn Primarolo: For numbers of tax credit overpayments I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to my right hon. Friend the Member for Birkenhead (Mr. Field) on 16 June 2006, Official Report, column 1421W.
We do not produce statistics separately for child and working tax credits.
In answer to the number of overpayments to claimants from Ashton-under-Lyne that have not been recovered, and their value, the information is not available in the format requested.
David Heyes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what measures his Department has taken to reduce poverty in Ashton-under-Lyne since 1997. [84851]
Ed Balls: The Treasury has, in partnership with other Government Departments, tackled poverty and promoted economic opportunity through:
Promoting macroeconomic stability
Supporting work for those who can and ensuring that work pays, through the new deals, a national minimum wage and the working tax credit
Providing financial support for groups at particular risk of poverty, such as child benefit and the child tax for families, and the pension credit for pensioners.
Across the UK, these measures have helped lift more than a million people out of poverty since 1997. Tax credits are benefiting more than 550,000 families in the North West, and in Ashton-under-Lyne claimant unemployment has fallen by 42 per cent. youth unemployment has fallen by 68 per cent. and long-term unemployment has fallen by 88 per cent.
David Heyes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many payments have been made in (a) the UK and (b) Ashton-under-Lyne under HM Customs and Revenue’s code of practice for (i) causing worry and distress to claimants, (ii) delay in answering queries and (iii) costs incurred by the claimant in making contact in each year since tax credits were introduced; and what the annual cost was of payments in each category in each area. [84853]
Dawn Primarolo: The circumstances in which the former Inland Revenue and HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) will make compensation payments to its customers are explained in the Department’s Code of Practice 1 ‘Putting things right’ which is available at www.hmrc.gov.uk/leaflets/cop1.pdf. The Department will pay compensation for reasonable costs incurred as a direct result of their mistakes or delays and to recognise worry and distress caused by those mistakes and delays.
Information about the number of payments made under each category is not available.
For the total number of payments made in 2003-04 and their value I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Hamilton, South (Mr. Tynan) on 20 July 2004, Official Report, columns 191-92W.
For the total number of payments made in 2004-05 and their value I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 4 July, 2005, Official Report, columns 95-96W
In 2005-06 around 15,000 compensation payments were made with a value of around £1.1 million.
Information is not available at constituency level.
Carers (Barnsley)
Jeff Ennis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many carers there are in (a) Barnsley East and Mexborough, (b) Barnsley and (c) Doncaster. [86382]
John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 20 July 2006:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your question asking how many carers there are in (a) Barnsley East and Mexborough (b) Barnsley and (c) Doncaster (86382).
The table below shows the number of people in (a) Barnsley East and Mexborough parliamentary constituency (b) Barnsley Local Authority District and (c) Doncaster Local Authority District on Census day (29 April 2001) who were providing unpaid care. The data for Barnsley East and Mexborough has been taken from table KS08 in the 2001 Census Report for Parliamentary Constituencies. The data for both Barnsley and Doncaster has been taken from table KS08 in Census 2001 Key Statistics for local authorities in England and Wales. Both of these publications are available in the House of Commons Library.
Carter Review
Mr. Arbuthnot: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has accepted the recommendations of the review by Lord Carter into HM Revenue Customs’ Online Services; and if he will make a statement. [86873]
Dawn Primarolo: I refer the right hon. Gentleman to paragraph 5.81 of this year’s economic and fiscal strategy report (HC 968), and the written statement I made on 18 July 2006, Official Report, column 11WS.
Civil Service Relocation
David Heyes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many Civil Service posts have been transferred from London to the Greater Manchester area in the last 12 months; and how many posts are under consideration for such transfer. [85337]
Mr. Timms: In the 2005-06 financial year 96 posts were relocated to the Greater Manchester area bringing the total number of posts relocated to this area under the Lyons programme to over 300. Individual departments are responsible for deciding how best to meet their relocation target and full plans for the remaining 12,200 relocations are not yet finalised.
Consultants
Mr. Heald: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for Leicester, East of 15 May 2006, Official Report, column 761W, on consultants, which Ministers in his Department made use of West Wing Writers in 2005-06; and what the title was of each speech to which they contributed in that year. [85498]
John Healey: Research material was provided for Treasury Ministers on international development and global issues including debt relief and G8, G20 and IMF related matters.
Mr. Heald: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for Leicester, East of 15 May 2006, Official Report, column 761W, on consultants, how much was paid to (a) West Wing Writers, (b) Opinion Leader Research and (c) International Survey Research in each year from 1997-98 to 2004-05. [85499]
John Healey: The following sums were paid to these organisations:
| £ | |||
| 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | |
As a result of changes in the accounting system in 2002-03 the cost of identifying details of payments, if any, in the earlier years would be disproportionate.
Crown Estate
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate the Crown Estate has made of the value of the seabed in each of the last five years. [86063]
John Healey: I refer the hon. Gentleman to page 15 of the Crown Estate annual report 2006 which was laid before Parliament on 13 July 2006.
Customs Officers
Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many customs officers have left HM Revenue and Customs on the grounds of ill-health in each year since 1997. [86053]
Dawn Primarolo: The total number of customs officers retired on the grounds of ill health in each calendar year since 1997 are:
| Number of ill health retirements | |
FIFA World Cup
Mr. Hands: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which matches (a) he and (b) other Ministers in his Department attended at the FIFA World Cup 2006 in Germany in their Ministerial capacity; at what cost to public funds; and with what contributions from third party organisations. [83624]
John Healey: Details of Treasury Ministers’ attendance at FIFA World Cup 2006 matches were set out in the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s written answer of 20 June to my hon. Friend the Member for Alyn and Deeside (Mark Tami) on 21 June 2006, Official Report, column 1899W.
The Chancellor travelled on 20 June to Brussels for a European meeting and then to Cologne where he met trilaterally with the German and Swedish Finance Ministers to discuss the European economy and a joint economic reform initiative.
As a guest of the German Government, which provided the ticket, the Chancellor also attended the England vs. Sweden FIFA World Cup 2006 match in Cologne on 20 June.
The Chancellor travelled by train from London to Brussels (cost of £174.50) and then by train to Cologne (£44.70). He returned by plane from Cologne (£282.30).
The Chancellor stayed overnight after attending the game and met his own accommodation costs.
Free ATMs
John Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps the Government are taking to ensure that the free cash machine network is preserved. [86974]
Ed Balls: The Government takes seriously the issue of free access to cash, especially for those on low-incomes. According to the latest figures from LINK, there are now more than 33,000 free ATMs in the UK, accounting for 96 per cent. of withdrawals made at ATMs. During the first quarter of 2006, there has been a net increase of over 100 free ATMs across the UK.
The working group on ATMs, chaired by John McFall MP, is expected to look at the evidence on the location and growth of free and surcharging ATMs, in order to reach a shared analysis on this issue.
John Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the Government will take steps to ensure that clear signage indicating whether ATMs are free or fee charging is well placed for customers to see before they withdraw their cash. [86975]
Ed Balls: The Government believes that this is a matter for industry. LINK'S new transparency rules are a good step forward. It is expected that the ATM working group, chaired by John McFall, will consider issues related to the transparency of signage on ATMs.
John Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the Government will press for a commitment from all banks to ensure that they do not sell off any of their free ATM network. [86976]
Ed Balls: How banks manage their ATM networks is a commercial matter. The Government welcomes the fact that all the major banks have made a public commitment to their free ATM networks.
Leukaemia/Multiple Myeloma
Mr. Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the death rate from (a) leukaemia and (b) multiple myeloma were in each decade from 1976 to date. [86209]
John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 20 July 2006:
As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what the death rates from (a) leukaemia and (b) multiple myeloma were in each decade from 1976 to date. (86209)
Cancer death rates are published on the National Statistics website at:
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_health/CancerTrendsUpdates.pdf
Marine Estate
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of the income from the marine estate is paid to his Department; how many (a) disposals and (b) acquisitions have been made in the marine estate in each of the last five years; and what the total value is of these transactions. [86107]
John Healey: The proportion of the income from The Crown Estate’s Marine Estate paid to HM Treasury in 2005-06 was 92.4 per cent.
Summary of contribution for the Marine Estate
Gross contribution (i.e. direct receipts minus direct expenditure) from the marine estate for the last five years:
| £ million | |
Summary of marine acquisitions for 2002-06
Value of acquisitions and disposals including professional fees and stamp duty land tax for the past five years:
| Acquisitions | Disposals | |||
| Number | £ | Number | £ | |
Markets in Financial Instruments Directive
Michael Gove: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how the Government voted when the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive was adopted on 21 April 2004 by the European Council. [86471]
Ed Balls: On 7 April, the Council adopted, by written procedure, the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive. The UK supported the adopted text.
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