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22 Nov 2006 : Column 98W—continued


(b) The value of firearms varies widely and will increase if supplied with ammunition. Factors affecting price include relationship between buyer and seller, model, previous association with crime and reliability. We have the following range for 2005:

We do not have street prices for firearms for the last five years.

(c) Price of counterfeit alcohol products varies. Good quality counterfeit products such as spirits can be sold in cash and carry or retail outlets at the same price as the legitimate products.

(d) Duty free alcohol products diverted on to the home market can be sold in cash and carry warehouses and smaller shops. They are generally sold at the same, or slightly less than the price of legally sourced products.

(e) Street prices for smuggled cigarettes have remained steady at around £25 for 200 over the last five years.

(f) Street prices for smuggled hand rolling tobacco over the last five years has varied from just under £4 to £4.50 for 50 grams.

Customs Seizures

Robert Key: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how the £100 million allocated for custom officers and new technology to tackle illegal and prohibited materials from entering the UK was spent. [100794]

Dawn Primarolo: £100 million has been spent by Programme Cyclamen on the recruitment and training of additional Customs Officers and on the installation of radiological scanning technology at ports and airports in the UK.

Customs Travel Expenses

Robert Key: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what total travel expenses were paid to customs officers in (a) the UK and (b) the South region in (i) 2004 and (ii) 2005. [100796]

Dawn Primarolo: Information on travel expense payments made to customs officers is not available.

EU Membership

Mr. Gauke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of jobs in the UK dependent upon the UK's membership of the European Union. [101867]

John Healey: The Government estimate that around 3 million jobs in the UK may be linked, directly and indirectly, to the export of goods and services to the European Union.

Green Heat

Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to introduce fiscal incentives to stimulate the market for green heat from renewable energy technologies. [100605]

John Healey: The Government have already introduced a number of measures in support of heat generating renewable energy technologies. A reduced rate of VAT has been extended to all existing microgeneration technologies and Budget 2006 announced a further £50 million to enable installation of these technologies through the Low Carbon Buildings Programme. In addition, the Government have also introduced enhanced capital allowances to encourage businesses to invest in energy-saving technologies.

All decisions on tax are made by the Chancellor and announced as part of the Budget process.

HM Revenue and Customs

Robert Key: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the future of Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs. [100800]

Dawn Primarolo: There have been a number of statements in recent years about the creation and future of HM Revenue and Customs. I refer the hon. Gentleman to paragraph 5.80 of the 2004 Economic and Fiscal Strategy Report (HC 301) and my right hon. friend the Chancellor’s Budget Statements that year, Official Report, 17 March 2004, column 331, and this year, Official Report, 22 March 2006, Column 300.

HM Revenue and Customs report regularly on progress, most recently in their spring departmental report 2006 (Cm 6832).


22 Nov 2006 : Column 99W

Irish Corporation Tax

Mr. David Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect on the UK economy of corporation tax rates in the Republic of Ireland. [101617]

Dawn Primarolo: No specific Government study has been undertaken into the impact on the UK economy of corporation tax rates in the Republic of Ireland.

Surveys by respected international bodies consistently show that the UK is successful at providing a business friendly environment and a competitive tax system. For example, the World Bank’s study of 145 countries—“Doing Business in 2006”—placed the UK ninth in the world for ease of doing business, with the Republic of Ireland behind in 11th place. The World Economic Forum’s 2006 “Global Competitiveness Report” ranked the UK 10th out of 125 countries in its index of international business competitiveness. The Republic of Ireland was ranked 21st.

Mortality Rates

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the (a) diagnosis and (b) mortality rate was for (i) chronic lung disease, (ii) coronary heart disease and (iii) cancer in each ward in Worsley constituency in each of the last 15 years. [101185]

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.

Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 22 November 2006:


22 Nov 2006 : Column 100W
Table 1: Age-standardised cancer incidence rates( 1,2) , Worsley parliamentary constituency, 2001-04( 3, 4)
Cases per 100,000

2001

370

2002

349

2003

391

2004

416

(1 )Age-standardised cancer registration rates per 100,000 population, standardised to the European Standard Population. Age-standardised rates are used to allow comparison between populations which may contain different proportions of people of different ages.
(2) International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes COO-C97 excluding code C44: non-melanoma skin cancer.
(3) Using local authority ward boundaries as of 2005 for cancer registrations for all years shown.
(4) The ward population estimates used to calculate the ward incidence rates are experimental statistics, and are consistent with the published local authority mid-year estimates for the relevant year.

Table 2: Age-standardised mortality rates for chronic lung disease, coronary heart disease and cancer( 1, 2) , Worsley parliamentary constituency, 2001-04( 3, 4)
Deaths per 100,000
Chronic lung disease Coronary heart disease Cancer

2001

37

154

211

2002

42

142

216

2003

47

138

194

2004

34

126

181

(1 )Age-standardised mortality rates per 100,000 population, standardised to the European Standard Population. Age-standardised rates are used to allow comparison between populations which may contain different proportions of people of different ages.
(2) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes J40-J47 for chronic lung disease, 120-125 for coronary heart disease, and COO-C97 for cancer.
(3) Using local authority ward boundaries as of 2005 for deaths for all years shown.
(4) The ward population estimates used to calculate the ward mortality rates are experimental statistics, and are consistent with the published local authority mid-year estimates for the relevant year.

Neonatal Deaths

Tim Loughton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many neonatal deaths occurred in each of the last five years. [101825]

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.

Letter from Jil Matheson, dated 22 November2006:

Number of neonatal deaths in England and Wales, 2001 to 2005
Number

2001

2,137

2002

2,126

2003

2,264

2004

2,209

2005(1)

2,220

(1) Provisional.

22 Nov 2006 : Column 101W

Poole Customs Officers

Robert Key: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer where customs officers working in the Port of Poole on 31 August were based. [100798]

Dawn Primarolo: HMRC Officers are flexible and mobile and are deployed in line with risk and intelligence assessments.

Information by location cannot be disclosed as this would provide information of value to those seeking to circumvent HM Revenue and Customs’ controls, thereby prejudicing the prevention of crime.

Research and Development Tax Credits

Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people he expects to work in the Glasgow satellite office of the new research and development tax credit offices. [100508]

John Healey: The satellite office in Glasgow will initially be staffed by one dedicated R and D specialist inspector with support provided by other staff at that location.

The position will be kept under review and further resources will be allocated in the future if necessary.

Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what specialist training is planned for HM Revenue and Customs staff to work in one of the new research and development tax credit units. [100509]

John Healey: The specialist R and D units' staff received additional training over a three-day period at the beginning of October 2006. This included training on the scope and purpose of R and D tax credits, current and emerging technical issues and specialist training on software R and D claims. In addition, HMRC will ensure the continued professional development of the specialist units' staff.

Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what criteria he used to decide the locations of the new research and development tax credit units. [100510]

John Healey: The location of the units takes into account existing concentrations of HMRC staff, the availability of staff who have already had substantial experience of R and D tax credits, and the key areas of R and D activity throughout the UK. This approach is designed to enable HMRC to meet its obligation to assist customers with claims whilst maintaining a reasonable geographic spread.


22 Nov 2006 : Column 102W

Red Diesel

Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress is being made in negotiations to extend the derogation from EU regulations to enable pleasure boats to use red diesel. [102352]

John Healey: Under the EU Energy Products Directive, the UK holds derogations to allow reduced or exempt rates of duty on fuel used by private pleasure craft and aircraft, and waste oils reused as fuel. We submitted applications for renewal of all three derogations to the European Commission in October, and we await the Commission's response.

Tax Credits

Dr. Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of how many people in Northern Ireland who are eligible for working tax credit are not receiving it. [101812]

Dawn Primarolo: Information on the number of working families with children eligible for, but not receiving, tax credits broken down by country and Government office region is available in table 9 of the 2003-04 tax credit take-up rates publication at:

A similar breakdown for those without children is not available.

Dr. Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer why tax credits are not backdated in circumstances where eligibility for them is clear. [101850]

Dawn Primarolo: An award to tax credits can be backdated to a maximum of three months from the date of the claim providing eligibility requirements are met at the earlier date.

Dr. Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many single people are receiving working tax credit in Northern Ireland. [101854]

Dawn Primarolo: Provisional estimates for the number of single people with working tax credit awards in Northern Ireland, as at April 2006, are published in "Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics. April 2006". This is available on the HMRC website at:


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