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4 Sep 2006 : Column 1997W—continued
“heat stress and dehydration can be serious problems at temperatures above 35ºC so that should be regarded as the maximum reasonable temperature for prolonged periods of time in school classrooms. This temperature is above comfort temperatures but healthy children should be able to cope with this if they are given generous supplies of cool water to drink. More sensitive children may experience problems at much lower temperatures and staff need to watch for signs of heat stress at temperatures above 28ºC.”
We are not aware of any specific guidance issued in respect of temperatures in school buses.
Heat Waves (Pensioners)
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent discussions he has had with the Department of Health on the mortality rates of pensioners during heat waves and if he will make a statement. [88374]
James Purnell: Ministers for both Departments regularly discuss a range of issues of mutual interest. Internal discussions or advice are not normally disclosed.
Post Office Card Account
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has for the migration process for Post Office card account users to a successor Post Office based account in 2010. [89129]
Mr. Plaskitt:
The Department for Work and Pensions and Post Office Ltd. are working together with the best interests of our joint customers in mind as we develop our plans to move people from the Post Office card account. Our priority will be to ensure that this is a straightforward process for our customers and to help the Post Office manage the transition from Post Office card accounts to other products. I have regular
meetings with Alan Cook (Managing Director of Post Office Ltd.) and other senior Post Office officials to discuss the future strategy.
Post Office Ltd. is planning a three-month pilot when it will be writing to 10,000 existing Post Office card account customers to encourage them to open one of its new Instant Saver accounts.
Sure Start
Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many women in (a) the UK, (b) Scotland and (c) Dunfermline and West Fife have received the Sure Start maternity grant since 2001. [89044]
Mr. Plaskitt: The information is not available in the format requested. Information regarding Northern Ireland is a matter for the Northern Ireland Office. Such information as is available is in the following tables:
| Sure Start maternity grants for Great Britain | |
| Number of awards | |
| Sure Start maternity grants for Scotland | |
| Number of awards | |
| Sure Start maternity grants for Fife Social Fund District | |
| Number of awards | |
| Sure Start maternity grants for Fife Jobcentre Plus District | |
| Number of awards | |
| Sure Start maternity grants for area covered by Forth Valley and Fife Jobcentre Plus District | |
| Number of awards | |
Treasury
British Citizenship
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people who had newly acquired British citizenship were contacted by the Inland Revenue in 2004-05. [88384]
Dawn Primarolo: This information is not available.
Clostridium Difficile
Sir John Stanley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many deaths from clostridium difficile there were in the latest year for which figures are available. [88167]
John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated 25 July 2006:
The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many deaths from Clostridium difficile there were in the latest year for which figures are available. I am replying in her absence. (88167)
Special analyses of deaths involving Clostridium difficile are undertaken annually by the Office for National Statistics for England and Wales. These are published in Health Statistics Quarterly (HSQ) . The latest year for which such figures are available is 2004. Information on the numbers of deaths between 1999 and 2004 involving Clostridium difficile was published in HSQ 30 in May 2006.(1) The number of deaths due to Clostridium difficile is difficult to estimate, the HSQ article explains the issues involved. The number of death certificates mentioning Clostridium difficile in 2004 was 2,247 and the number where it was the underlying case of death was 1,245.
(1) Office for National Statistics (2006) Report: Deaths involving Clostridium difficile England and Wales, 1999-2004 Health Statistics Quarterly 30.56-60
Consignment Relief
David Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what assessment he has made of the impact of low value consignment relief on small businesses; [87419]
(2) if the Government will abolish low value consignment relief. [88429]
Dawn Primarolo: Import VAT is not chargeable on commercial consignments of goods with a value below £18 that are imported into the UK from outside the EU. The Government have received a number of representations from stakeholders on this issue, including small businesses, who have provided information on the impact of the relief. The Government continues to keep this relief under review.
Correspondence
Lady Hermon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer why there was a delay of six months in replying to the letter of 21 November 2005 from the hon. Lady for North Down on tax credits. [76401]
Dawn Primarolo: I very much regret the delay in replying to the hon. Lady.
I asked HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) officials to let me have a report and to ensure the hon. Lady's constituent continued to receive their tax credits payments in the meantime. I am sorry to say HMRC's report was delayed and I sincerely apologise for not keeping the hon. Lady in touch with what was happening.
HMRC will write to the hon. Lady again once the problem affecting her constituent's claim is resolved.
Mr. Marsden: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer why the Paymaster General has not replied to the letters addressed to her of 13 October 2005, 21 December 2005, 17 February 2006, 4 April 2006 and 19 May 2006 from the hon. Member for Blackpool South with regard to his constituent Tina Bannister; and when he expects her to do so. [86102]
Dawn Primarolo: I very much regret the delay in replying to the hon. Member’s letters. I have now done so.
Sir Michael Spicer: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Director of the Tax Credit Office will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire of 26 May. [87935]
Dawn Primarolo: The Director of the Tax Credit Office replied to the hon. Gentleman on 21 July 2006.
Insurance Premium Tax Fraud
Gregory Barker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with HM Revenue and Customs regarding insurance premium tax fraud. [89124]
Ed Balls: The Treasury has regular discussions with HM Revenue and Customs on a wide range of issues.
Long-term Unemployment
Willie Rennie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people are in long-term unemployment in (a) the UK, (b) Scotland and (c) Dunfermline and West Fife. [88571]
John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated 25 July 2006:
The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about unemployment. I am replying in her absence. (88571)
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles statistics of unemployment for local areas from the Annual Population Survey (APS) following International Labour Organisation definitions.
Table 1, attached, shows the number of long-term unemployed (more than 12 months), resident in the UK, Scotland and the Dunfermline and West Fife Parliamentary Constituency for the 12 months ending December 2005.
These estimates, as with any from sample surveys, are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
ONS also compiles statistics for local areas of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA). Table 2, attached, shows the number of people, resident in the UK, Scotland and the Dunfermline and West Fife constituency, who have been claiming JSA for more than 12 months, in June 2006 and as a proportion of the resident population of working age (males aged 16 to 64 and females aged 16 to 59).
| Table 1: Number of long-term unemployed( 1) persons, aged 16 and over, resident in the United Kingdom, Scotland and the Dunfermline and West Fife parliamentary constituency: 12 months ending December 2005 | |
| Area | Number (Thousand) |
| (1) Over 12 months. Note: Estimates are subject to sampling variability. Source: Annual Population survey. | |
| Table 2: Long-term claimants( 1, 2) of Jobseeker’s Allowance resident in the United Kingdom, Scotland and the Dunfermline and West Fife parliamentary constituency: June 2006 | ||
| Area | Number | Proportion( 3, 4) of resident population of working age (percentage) |
| (1) Computerised claims only. Data rounded to nearest 5. (2) Over 12 months. (3) Proportion of resident mid-2004 population estimates of working age (males aged 16 to 64 and females aged 16 to 59). (4) Proportion for Dunfermline and West Fife constituency uses denominators based on 2001 Census data adjusted to be consistent with 2001 mid-year population estimates for local authorities. | ||
Office for National Statistics
Mr. Stewart Jackson:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was spent on legal and other advice given to the Office for National Statistics by
Bird and Bird Solicitors in each year since 2001 and if he will make a statement. [88258]
John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated 25 July 2006:
The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how much was spent on legal and other advice given to the Office for National Statistics by Bird and Bird Solicitors in each year since 2001. I am replying in her absence. (88258)
The amounts spent on legal and other advice from 2001 to date are as follows:
| Amount (£) | |
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