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Named Day Questions
James Brokenshire: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will answer named day questions 61459, 61460 and 61461, concerning contracts and tenders with Capita plc., due for answer on 23 March. [83213]
John Healey [holding answer 10 July 2006]: I have done so. I apologise on behalf of the Treasury that the answer to the hon. Member’s questions was delayed.
Net Taxes/National Insurance
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what net taxes and national insurance contributions were, excluding North Sea revenues as defined in footnote three to table C9 of the 2006 Budget report, HC 968, in each year since 1976-77; and what these figures represent as a percentage of gross domestic product in each year. [87533]
Mr. Timms: Data on net taxes and national insurance contributions and North Sea revenues as a percentage of GDP back to 1973-74 can be found in table C1 of the Public Finances Databank (availableon the web at: http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/economic_data_and_tools/finance_spending_statistics/pubsec_finance/psf_statistics.cfm).
Office of Government Commerce
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people have been employed in the Office of Government Commerce efficiency team in each of the last five years. [87456]
John Healey: The OGC Efficiency Team was set up in 2004-05 to implement the findings of Sir Peter Gershon’s Report “Releasing Resources to the Front Line”.
In March 2005, at the end of the 2004-05 financial year, there were 28 staff employed in the Efficiency Team and in March 2006, at the end of the 2005-06 financial year, there were 29 staff employed in the Efficiency Team.
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he has met the Prime Minister to discuss reports received from the Office of Government Commerce efficiency team in the last 12 months. [87457]
John Healey: The Chancellor is in regular and frequent contact with the Prime Minister on a wide range of issues. As has been the practice of successive Administrations, it is not the practice of the Government to provide detailed information relating to discussions between Ministers.
Oxycodone Hydrochloride (Imports)
Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the level of (a) legal and (b) illegal imports of products manufactured from oxycodone hydrochloride from the Republic of Ireland. [80575]
Mr. Coaker: I have been asked to reply.
Legal imports from the republic of Ireland are shown in total figures in the following table:
| Oxycodone hydrochloride (kilogram) | |
No assessment of illegal importation has been made.
Pensions
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what projections in respect of unfunded public sector pension schemes in the 2005 Long Term Public Finance Report would be if allowance were made for (a) the future impact on NHS payscales of the implementation of Agenda For Change and (b) the agreement of new contracts for general practitioners and hospital consultants. [87530]
Mr. Timms: Existing GAD analysis in the technical note “Unfunded Public Service Pension Schemes: 2005 Cash flow Projections: Assumptions and Data” placed in the House of Commons library on 12 June 2006 takes into account the ‘one off’ effect of Agenda for Change. The future impact on NHS payscales or the agreement of new contracts for GPs and Hospital Consultants were not considered. These will be factored in GAD analysis as evidence of their effect comes through in future. Providing detailed updated projections would incur disproportionate costs, although “Total Liability of unfunded Public Service occupational Pension Schemes” placed in the House of Commons Library on 2 March 2006 estimated that the impact during 2004-05 of Agenda for Change and new GP contracts increased the liability of the unfunded schemes by £46 billion.
Personal Debt
Sarah Teather: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the (a) average amount of personal debt per person and (b) total amount of personal debt was in (i) Brent and (ii) London in the last period for which figures are available. [87781]
John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the national statistician, who has been asked to reply.
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question on personal debt in the UK. (87781)
We are unable to provide levels of total personal debt by region. The following table shows estimates for the whole ofthe UK.
| End-year | ||
| Total personal debt (£ million) | Average personal total debt (£) | |
| Note: For
average per head figures, the denominator is population aged
16+. | ||
The estimates of debt and income are national accounts series for the combined household and non-profit institutions serving households (NPISH) sectors. Estimates for households alone are not available. NPISHs are legal entities which are principally engaged in the production of non-market services for households and whose main resources are voluntary contributions by households. Examples of NPISHs are: charities; relief and aid organisations; educational establishments; Trade Unions; Professional Associations, Political Parties and Religious Organisations, and Sports Clubs and Associations.
Further data are available from table A64 in United Kingdom Economic Accounts which is available at the following address: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=1904&Pos=&ColRank=l&Rank=422
Petrol Additives (Tax Subsidies)
John Thurso: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what tax subsidies are available for the use of methyl tertiary butyl ether and other oxygenates instead of high aromatic blend stocks as an additive to petrol. [86860]
John Healey: Methyl tertiary butyl ether is liable to duty at the same rate as ultra-low sulphur petrol (currently 47.1 pence per litre).
Another oxygenated fuel, ethyl tertiary butyl ether, (ETBE) can be mixed with petrol for use as a road fuel. In this case, the proportion of the fuel that is made from ETBE attracts the duty rate applicable to bioethanol (27.1 pence per litre).
Planning Policy
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what representations his Department has made on planning policy to the Department of Communities and Local Government or the then Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in the last 12 months; [86838]
(2) how many civil servants in his Department work on planning policy; [86839]
(3) what role his Department plays in the development of land-use planning policy and planning policy guidance. [86840]
John Healey: The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) leads on planning policy. Treasury officials work closely, on an ongoing basis, with the DCLG on land-use planning policy and planning policy guidance issues.
The Housing and Urban Team in the Public Spending Directorate leads on liaising with DCLG on a range of spending and policy issues, including planning policy, it has 14 members of staff. The Treasury also supplies the secretariat for the Barker Review of Land Use Planning. This has six members of staff from the Treasury.
PSA Targets
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many PSA targets set in SR2002 (a) have and (b) have not been achieved. [87458]
Mr. Timms: Departments report on progress against their PSA targets twice yearly in their Departmental and Autumn Performance Reports. It is not possible to provide a full tally due to lags in departmental data and the fact that some targets are still ongoing, with an end date in the future. However, when departments provided summary assessments for a majority of SR2002 targets in their latest Autumn Performance Reports over 80 per cent. of those targets were reported to be met or on course.
Public Relations Companies
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which public affairs and public relations companies (a) his Department and (b) agencies of his Department have used since 1997. [83784]
John Healey: The Treasury and its agencies have reviewed their supplier and expenditure records for the past four financial years and found no suppliers which they know to be public affairs or public relations companies.
Registration On-line Computer Systems
Mr. Djanogly: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the reasons for the delays and backlog resulting from the purchase and installation of the Registration on-line computer system at register offices in England and Wales. [87860]
John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated 24 July 2006:
The Registrar General has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what assessment he has made of the reasons for the delays and backlog resulting from the purchase and installation of the Registration On-line computer system at register offices in England and Wales. I am replying in her absence. (87860)
Civil partnership legislation took effect in England and Wales on 5 December 2005 and was available to those wishing to make use of it from that date, without delays. To avoid any risk of delay or inconvenience, Civil Partnerships were initially recorded on a manual system with the Registration On-line (RON) computer system coming into use on 6 March 2006. An exercise to capture details of the manual notices and registrations for ceremonies prior to 6 March, and put them on the RON database, is nearing completion.
Use of RON for registration of births, still births, and deaths is expected to commence later this year, with marriages following in 2007. This will take account of the experience of using RON to date, and will progressively replace existing systems in Register Offices across England and Wales.
Sir David Varney
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how much Sir David Varney is being paid to act as a senior adviser on Transformational Government; and who is meeting the cost; [88214]
(2) whether Sir David Varney will be employed as (a) a civil servant and (b) a special adviser in his role as senior adviser on Transformational Government; [88215]
(3) how many people in the Treasury are working on the Transformational Government project, broken down by grade; and what the total salary cost is. [88217]
John Healey: The Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in the 2006 Budget the appointment ofSir David Varney to advise him on opportunities for transforming the delivery of public services. Details of Sir David's work are set out in “Releasing the Resources to Meet the Challenges Ahead: Value for Money in the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review” (Cm 6889). He will report to the Chancellor on his findings in time to inform the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review.
Sir David will work full time as the Chancellor's senior adviser on transformational government until December 2006 and will be employed on civil service pay and conditions. His remuneration will be included in Her Majesty’s Treasury's 2006-07 Resource Accounts.
Sir David's work on transformational government forms part of the work of Her Majesty’s Treasury. No additional staff have been recruited and costs will be met from within existing budgets.
Small Business Investment Companies
Mr. Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how much was spent on the creation of British small business investment companies in each year since 2003; and if he will make a statement; [84806]
(2) how many British small business investment companies were created in each year since 2003. [84807]
Margaret Hodge: I have been asked to reply.
There is no small business investment company (SBIC) programme in the United Kingdom. The SBIC programme was created in the United States in 1958 and exists to provide equity finance to small businesses in the start-up and early growth stages of their business development.
Enterprise Capital Funds have recently been introduced to the United Kingdom and while based on the SBIC model have significant enhancements. Government investment of up to £106.5 million, subject to legal agreement, in the first six of these funds was announced between March and June 2006. Legal firms are currently being finalised, so no investment has yet been made.
Small Change Big Difference
Mr. Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 20 June 2006, Official Report, column 1857W, on Small Change Big Difference, what therapies are available to employees of his Department; how many people have made use of them; whether the therapies provided are subsidised by his Department; and what the total cost is to his Department of providing these therapies. [83493]
John Healey: All services are purchased privately by staff. No services are subsidised and there is no cost to the Department in providing them.
Tax Credits
Mrs. Dorries: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) individual and (b) late payments of working tax credits were made in each week in March and April 2006, up to the last period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [64468]
Dawn Primarolo: Individual payments made for each week in March and April are shown in the following table:
| Number | |
There is no record of payments being made late during those weeks.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the tax credits e-portal was re-opened. [76419]
Dawn Primarolo: The tax credit e-portal has not yet been re-opened. DWP access to the e-portal was reinstated on 24 April 2006 and the “Do I qualify” element was restored on 31 May 2006.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many fraudulent tax credit claims have been made over the telephone since April 2004; and if he will make a statement. [76488]
Dawn Primarolo: A claim for tax credits cannot be made over the telephone.
Lynne Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average payment in family credit, working families tax credit and their successors was in each applicable year at current prices; and what the (a) total expenditure and (b) expenditure net of tax receipts was in each year. [80066]
Dawn Primarolo: The following table shows the total expenditure and average finalised award for family credit, working families tax credit and their successors since 1991-92.
| Expenditure in nominal terms (£ billion) | Average award at current prices (£ per family per week) | |
| (1)
Excluding disability working allowance. This was phased out between
October 1999 and March 2000. (2 )Excluding disabled
person’s tax credit. This was phased in between October 1999 and
March 2000 and ceased in early April 2003. (3
)Working families tax credits ended 7 April 2003, therefore only
small amount of expenditure
recorded. | ||
Information on annualised average awards for families benefiting from child and working tax credits in 2003-04 and 2004-05 are published in table 1.1 of the ‘Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics. Finalised Annual Awards 2003-04’ and ‘Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics. Finalised Annual Awards 2004-05’, which is available on the HMRC website at:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-quarterly-stats.htm
Net expenditure of working families tax credits between 1999 and 2003 are as follows:
| £ billion | |
Total expenditure of new tax credits for 2003-04 is published in the Department of Inland Revenue Accounts 2003-04, Note 3 of the Trust Statement. The net expenditure for 2004-05 is calculated by removing the negative tax figure published in the PBR 2005 report from the net expenditure figure published in the Department of Inland Revenue Accounts 2004-05, Note 3 of the Trust Statement.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what estimate has been made of the number of multiple separate cases of tax credit claims from the same address; how much fraud has been uncovered; and if he will make a statement; [78406]
(2) what action he has taken to reduce tax credit fraud by screening all multiple tax credit claims from a single address; and if he will make a statement. [81417]
Dawn Primarolo: HMRC have measures in place to tackle such indication of possible fraud. However, it would be inappropriate to disclose detailed information relating to HMRC action to reduce tax credits fraud as to do so could provide assistance to those engaged in criminal activity.
Anne Main: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his assessment is of the ability of the tax credits computer system to recalculate tax credits payments to surviving spouses and families; and if he will make a statement. [81526]
Dawn Primarolo: The tax credit computer does not recalculate tax credits payments in these circumstances. A new claim is made by the surviving partner.
Anne Main: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff have been employed (a) full-time and (b) part-time in administering the tax credit system in each year since its inception; and how many hours overtime were paid in each of those years. [81527]
Dawn Primarolo: For the approximate number of staff deployed to tax credits work in 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06, I refer the hon. Member to the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General published on11 July 2006 which is available at http://www.nao.org.uk/home.htm Given that HMRC constantly monitor and balance the needs of their various work areas and deploy their resources accordingly, figures about the number of staff in HMRC who are working on tax credits at any one time can vary.
Separate information relating to the number of staff across HM Revenue and Customs working full-time or part-time in administering tax credits, and information on the number of hours of overtime paid for those staff, is not available.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether there have been (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful organised frauds of the tax credit system since 1 December 2005; and if he will make a statement. [81754]
Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to the HMRC publication “Tackling error and fraud in the Child and Working Tax Credits” available on the HMRC website at www.hmrc.gov.uk/news/index.htm and to HM Revenue and Customs 2005-06 Accounts: the Comptroller and Auditor General’s Standard Report, Part 2, available at http://www.nao.org.uk/pn/05-06/05061159.htm
Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people received tax credits while unemployed in each year since 2001-02; and if he will make a statement. [83904]
Dawn
Primarolo: Working families tax credit awards, which were
payable in 2001-02 and 2002-03, were not available to families who were
out of work at the start of the award. Children’s tax credit
benefited only taxpayers and therefore were also only available for
in-work families. No information is available on the number of families
who received working families tax
credit or children’s tax credits that included an adult who was
out of work for all or part of the year.
Estimates for 2003-04 and 2004-05 of the average numbers of out of work families receiving child tax credit in finalised awards, or equivalent support via income support or income based job seekers allowance, are published in “Child and Working Tax Credits. Finalised Awards 2004-05”. This publication, and estimates of the equivalent numbers in provisional awards as at selected dates up to April 2006, are available on the HMRC website at:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-quarterly-stats.htm
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