| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
24 Oct 2006 : Column 1834W—continued
—continuedTreasury
Authorised Press Officials
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people are authorised to represent his views to the press. [95136]
John Healey: The rules governing contact between Treasury officials and the media and Treasury special advisers and the media are set out in the Civil Service Code and Code of Conduct on Special Advisers respectively.
Benefits (EU Citizens)
Mr. Spellar: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer under what provisions citizens of EU states that acceded in 2004 working in the UK are able to claim benefits in respect of families still living in their home countries; how many are claiming; and what the cost of this was in the last 12 months. [96825]
Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 13 September 2006, Official Report, columns 2337-338W, to the hon. Member for Rayleigh (Mr. Francois).
Capital Requirements Directive
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the implementation of the Capital Requirements Directive and its requirements for mortgage lenders. [94681]
Ed Balls: Member states must transpose, and firms should apply, the directive from the start of 2007. During 2007, credit institutions and affected investment firms can choose between the current Basel 1 approach and the simple or medium sophistication approaches of the new framework. The most sophisticated approaches will be available from 2008. From this date, all relevant EU firms must apply Basel 2.
The Treasury is directly responsible for two areas of implementation, where the Financial Services and Markets Act needs to be amended to enable the FSA to carry out its functions. Further details of the Treasury's implementation can be found at: www.hm-treasury.gov.uk
However, the rest of the CRD will be implemented through FSA rules. With respect to mortgage providers, the FSA will be responsible for providing the framework for application of the CRD rules to these activities. In February 2006, FSA published its second and final consultation paper (CP) setting out the latest policy developments for CRD implementation, along with the full set of draft Handbook text. In July 2006, FSA published its feedback statement to the extensive comments received on this CP. These can be found on the FSA's website: www.fsa.gov.uk
The FSA Board will be invited to make the bulk of the FSA rules implementing CRD at its 25 October meeting.
Child Benefit
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people are receiving child benefit in (a) Chorley and (b) each constituency in Lancashire. [96882]
Dawn Primarolo: The number of families receiving child benefit in each parliamentary constituency at 31 August 2005 is published on the HMRC website. These are the latest figures available.
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/child_benefit/geographical.htm
Corporation Tax
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total amount of corporation tax paid by all clubs who are members of the (a) Football Association, (b) Rugby Football Union, (c) Rugby Football League, (d) English Cricket Board and (e) Lawn Tennis Association was in each of the last five years. [96549]
Dawn Primarolo: Data for corporation tax payments by companies with particular membership affiliations are not available.
Departmental Databases
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many confirmed security breaches of computer databases controlled by his Department have occurred in each year since 1997. [95816]
John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for East Dunbartonshire (Jo Swinson) on 11 October 2006, Official Report, column 872W.
Departmental Expenditure
Mr. Heald: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much the Treasury has spent on hiring private accommodation in London for departmental meetings since 1997-98. [96621]
John Healey: The Treasury’s accounting system does not capture this information so the information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Mail
Mr. Weir: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of the Department's mail is shipped using private companies; and what the cost was over the last 12 months. [95146]
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he uses email in the course of his official duties. [94471]
John Healey: IT is used by ministerial offices in the course of their official duties.
Employment
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent steps he has taken to increase employment. [96642]
John Healey: The Government’s measures to increase employment build on a platform of macro-economic stability and economic growth, and include continued investment in the new deal, investment in skills and training, and the national minimum wage and tax credits to make work pay.
Employment is now at a record high, with 2.5 million more people in work than in 1997, and the highest rate of the G7 economies. The national roll out of Pathways to Work, and the other measures set out in the Government’s Welfare Reform Green Paper, will build on this record with ambitious plans to help people move from inactivity to work.
Mr. Laws:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what assessment he has made of the change in the employment rate for men of working age in the UK
between 1976 and 2006; and if he will make a statement; [96118]
(2) what the employment rate was of men between the ages of 16 and 64 years in each year from 1976 to 2006, broken down by age range; and if he will make a statement. [96122]
John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 24 October 2006:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Questions about employment rates by age from 1976 to 2006. (96118,96112)
Table 1 gives the annual employment rates by gender, also showing changes for each year from 1976 to 2006.
Table 2 gives a breakdown of employment rates by gender and age bands from 1992 to 2006. Comparable estimates by age ranges are not available for earlier periods.
Both tables are based on annual averages ending in December for each year.
Estimates are taken from the Labour Force Survey (LFS). As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |