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24 Oct 2006 : Column 1842W—continued
Gershon Review
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress he has made in implementing the Gershon savings. [95680]
Mr. Timms: The Government have made good progress towards achieving these targets. The Government's July publication, ‘Releasing Resources to meet the challenges ahead: value for money in the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review’, announced that, by the end of March 2006, departments and local authorities had already reported annual efficiency gains of £9.8 billion and gross workforce reductions of 45,547.
Immigration
Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his latest estimate is of the cost to the Exchequer of the April 2003 immigration easement which led to rule 12 verification failures not being investigated. [96524]
Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 18 July 2006, Official Report, column 363W.
Incomes
Harry Cohen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what percentage of families in receipt of in-work benefits and housed by a local authority or social landlord in which (a) one and (b) two parents moved into work from (i) unemployment and (ii) part-time work increased their income in 2005-06; and if he will make a statement; [95921]
(2) what percentage of people in receipt of in-work benefits who moved from unemployment into work in 2005-06 increased their income; and if he will make a statement; [95922]
(3) what percentage of households in receipt of in-work benefits where one parent moved from part-time work, up to 16 hours per week, into full-time work in 2005-06 increased their income; and if he will make a statement; [95923]
(4) what percentage of households in receipt of in-work benefits where one parent moved from unemployment into work in 2005-06 increased their income; and if he will make a statement; [95924]
(5) what percentage of people in receipt of in-work benefits who increased their working hours from up to 16 hours per week to full-time work increased their income in 2005-06; and if he will make a statement. [95925]
Dawn Primarolo: Data sources do not exist with which to answer these questions directly.
Any individual moving into work from unemployment or increasing their gross in-work income by increasing hours worked will see an increase in net income after taxes and benefits if their replacement rate and marginal deduction rates are less than 100 per cent.
Estimated replacement rates and marginal deduction rates for a range of individuals in specific family types are published annually by DWP in "Tax Benefit Model Tables". The latest tables show no meaningful cases where marginal deduction rates for those eligible for in-work benefits are 100 per cent. or more. Replacement ratios likewise are less than 100 per cent. in the vast majority of circumstances.
Departmental Meetings
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what meetings in his Department have been attended by the Chair of the Labour Party in the last 12 months. [94535]
John Healey: Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide range of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.
No. 10 Downing Street (Council Tax)
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he pays council tax on the flat above 10 Downing Street. [94677]
John Healey: The Chancellor pays council tax on the Downing street flat from his own funds.
Official Visit (Nigeria)
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 10 July 2006, Official Report, column 1643W, on Official Visit (Nigeria), if he will place in the Library a copy of the written approval. [94660]
Mr. Gordon Brown: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 10 July 2006, Official Report, column 1643W.
Pensions
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 9 October 2006, Official Report, column 291W, on pension contributions, if he will ensure that those who pay voluntary class 3 National Insurance contributions under the present system are refunded if the proposed Pensions Reform Bill includes provisions cutting the number of years to qualify for the full State Pension to 30 and the additional contributions paid prove unnecessary; and what guidance he plans to provide to people in that situation. [95474]
Ed Balls: There are no plans to refund those who have paid voluntary Class 3 contributions under existing legislation. HMRC has taken steps to alert contributors to the potential impact of the proposed changes and advised that they should obtain a pension forecast before paying any voluntary contributions, if they are due to reach State Pension age on or after 6 April 2010. Information has also been placed on the HMRC website about the changes.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent estimate he has made of the proportion of pensions tax relief which relates to public sector pension schemes; and if he will make a statement. [96014]
Ed Balls: Latest estimates of cost of tax relief on contributions to occupational pension schemes are included in table 7.9 of the HMRC website:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/pensions/menu.htm.
The cost of tax relief relating to public sector schemes is not estimated separately from other occupational schemes.
Private Finance Initiative
Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 9 October 2006, Official Report, column 293W, on private finance initiative, how much has been spent by his Department on private finance initiative projects postponed pending further consideration or stopped in the last 12 months. [96682]
John Healey: The Treasury has no private finance initiative projects that have been postponed or stopped in the last 12 months.
Tax Credits
Mr. Pope: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total cost has been to the Exchequer of overpayments of tax credits which have been written off by HM Revenue and Customs in the Hyndburn constituency in the last three years. [95988]
Dawn Primarolo: Information on overpayments written off is not available at constituency level.
Mr. Laws:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many cases of tax credit fraud have been discovered since 2003 involving economic migrants continuing to receive tax credit payments after they
have returned to their home country; and if he will make a statement; [95994]
(2) what assessment he has made of the extent of tax credit fraud by migrant workers; and if he will make a statement. [96525]
Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to him on 18 July 2006, Official Report, column 362W.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department has investigated fraud by tax credit recipients who are married or are partners but who claim to have separated; and if he will make a statement. [96183]
Dawn Primarolo: Yes. I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave him on 17 July 2006, Official Report, columns 161-62W.
Mr. Marshall: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people are in receipt of child tax credit in each constituency in Scotland. [96259]
Dawn Primarolo: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 16 June 2006, Official Report, column 1421W, to my right hon. Friend the Member for Birkenhead (Mr. Field).
There is no breakdown of out-of-work families receiving child tax credit by constituency.
Health
IT Programmes
14. Richard Ottaway: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to conduct a review of NHS IT programmes. [95973]
Andy Burnham: We do not think such a review would be helpful.
All aspects of the National Programme for IT are under constant review and scrutiny, through management processes, by the national audit bodies, and by Parliament.
Hospital Mergers (Nottingham)
15. Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will meet hon. Members representing constituencies in Nottingham to discuss budgetary issues related to the merger of the Queens Medical Centre and City Hospital Trusts. [95974]
Ms Hewitt: I would be happy to meet with hon. Members to discuss issues relating to the merger of the Queens Medical Centre and City Hospital Trusts. The hon. Gentleman should contact my office to arrange a suitable date.
Product Distribution
16. Mr. McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment her Department has made of the potential effect on the NHS of the recent decision by Pfizer to make Alliance-Boots the sole UK distributor of its products. [95975]
Andy Burnham: The Department has obtained an assurance from Pfizer that the new arrangements will guarantee an appropriate and continued supply of Pfizer prescription medicines to pharmacists, hospitals and dispensing doctors. My Officials will monitor the new arrangements to ensure that Pfizer honour this commitment and, if necessary, will require the company to swiftly resolve any problems that may occur.
NHS Financial Performance
17. Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of acute hospital finances; and if she will make a statement. [95976]
Andy Burnham: As announced to the House on the 11 August, the Department published the NHS financial performance for the first quarter of 2006-07.
Acute NHS trusts forecast a net deficit of £395 million.
18. Mr. Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of NHS financial performance in 2006-07; and if she will make a statement. [95977]
Andy Burnham: The number of organisations reporting deficits at the end of the first quarter of 2006-07 has fallen to 120, down from 179 from the 2005-06 final audited position.
It is recognised that in a small number of organisations financial management and governance needs to improve. We need to rectify this through a combination of turnaround support and robust processes for board appointments.
19. Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment she has made of the financial position of the NHS; and if she will make a statement. [95978]
Andy Burnham: The financial position reported by the NHS at the end of the first quarter of 2006-07 shows that the NHS as a whole is broadly on track to deliver net financial balance by the end of the current financial year and continues to perform well against key service targets.
24. Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on NHS financial performance in 2006-07. [95983]
Andy Burnham: As announced to the House on the 11 August, the Department published the NHS financial performance for the first quarter of 2006-07.
By publishing NHS financial data on a quarterly basis, we are being more open and transparent about NHS accounts than ever before.
We will be announcing the next quarter performance figures in November.
Hospital Provision (Whitehaven)
20. Mr. Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made on the provision of a new acute hospital in Whitehaven. [95979]
Ms Rosie Winterton: North Cumbria Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is currently developing proposals for a new acute hospital in Whitehaven in the context of the whole system review of health services in Cumbria. The North Cumbria Acute Hospitals NHS Trust expects to carry out public consultation on the new hospital early in 2007.
NHS Dentistry
21. Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment she has made of the level of access to NHS dentistry. [95980]
Ms Rosie Winterton: We estimate that as at the end of March 2006, around 24.7 million people had accessed NHS dental services in the most recent 15-month period, over half a million more than at the same point in 2005. The levels of dentistry now being commissioned by primary care trusts, following the reforms of NHS dentistry in April 2006, already exceed the levels provided in the previous year.
General Practitioners (Blackburn)
22. Janet Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps her Department is taking to increase the number of general practitioners in Blackburn with Darwen Primary Care Trust. [95981]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Blackburn with Darwen Primary Care Trust is carrying out a range of initiatives to increase the number of GPs in the area. These include investment in improved primary care premises and increasing the number of training practices.
NHS Trusts (Performance)
23. John Penrose: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the Healthcare Commission’s recently published performance ratings for NHS trusts. [95982]
Andy Burnham: The Annual Health Check has been the toughest and most comprehensive assessment of the NHS. It takes forward our commitment to provide patients and the public with detailed and easily understandable information about the performance of their local health services.
Continuing Care
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were in receipt of continuing care in 2005-06. [92033]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam (Mr. Burstow) on 4 September 2006, Official Report, column 2073W.
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