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13 Dec 2006 : Column 1223W—continued
Mr. Burns: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) deaths and (b) births there were in West Chelmsford constituency in each year since 1996. [108551]
John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 13 December 2006:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many (a) deaths and (b) births there were in West Chelmsford constituency in each year since 1996. (108551)
The table below provides the number of (a) deaths and (b) births in West Chelmsford parliamentary constituency for the years 1996 to 2005 (the latest available).
| Table 1: Deaths( 1) and births( 2) in West Chelmsford parliamentary constituency( 3) , 1996 to 2005 | ||
| Number | ||
| Deaths | Births | |
| (1 )Deaths registered in each year. (2 )Births occurring in each year. (3 )Using boundaries as of 2005 for all years shown. | ||
Pre-Budget Report
Mr. Harper: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he intends to seek parliamentary approval for the £600 million increase to the defence budget announced in his pre-Budget report 2006 speech. [108766]
Mr. Timms: The MOD sought parliamentary approval for the forecast cost of operations for 2006-07 in its Winter Supplementary Estimate.
Mr. Harper: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his statement on the pre-Budget report 2006, whether the £600 million additional expenditure to fund operations in Afghanistan and Iraq is additional to the expenditure increase in the Winter Supplementary Estimates. [108873]
Mr. Timms: The £600 million is included in the increase for operational expenditure in the MOD’s Winter Supplementary Estimate.
Productivity Levels
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the effects of the level of unemployment on productivity; and if he will make a statement. [107886]
John Healey:
The Government's estimate of trend productivity growth is based on trends in the employment rate rather than the unemployment rate,
because it is workers employed in the labour force that determine productivity growth. When adjusting trend productivity growth for changes in the employment rate an assumption is made regarding the productivity of new workers relative to the average worker.
In the light of new evidence published since Budget 2006, the Treasury has reviewed its trends output projections. Analysis of the new evidence, set out in ‘Trend Growth: new evidence and prospects’, was published alongside the pre-Budget report on the6 December 2006.
Public Sector Employees
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of the population in each region are employed in the public sector; and what the proportion was in 1997. [108090]
John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 13 December 2006:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what proportion of the population in each region are in public sector employment; and what the proportion was in 1997. (108090)
The latest available estimates, which are based on annual averages of quarterly public sector employment estimates and the appropriate mid-year population estimates, are shown in the attached table. Figures by region are not available earlier than 1999.
The regional estimates of public sector employment are based on returns from public sector organisations, combined with approximate breakdowns from the Labour Force Survey for Wales and the English regions. As these figures are partly based on sample surveys, they are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
| Public sector employment as a percentage of resident population by region, 1999 and 2005 | ||
| Government office region | 1999 | 2005 |
| Sources: Labour Force Survey, returns from public sector organisations (ONS, Scottish Executive and Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment for Northern Ireland) | ||
Retirement Age
Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer from the Parliamentary Secretary in the Cabinet Office to the hon. Member for Blackpool, South (Mr. Marsden) of 4 December 2006, Official Report, columns 189-90W, on the retirement age, what his Department’s policy is for the setting of retirement
ages for staff below the senior civil service under the Civil Service (Management Functions) Act 1992. [107998]
John Healey: Treasury’s retirement age for staff below the senior civil service is 65, in line with the National Default.
Saving Gateway Scheme
Jon Cruddas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to extend the Saving Gateway scheme. [105500]
Ed Balls: The Saving Gateway aims to encourages saving among lower-income households and promote engagement with mainstream financial services.
The second Saving Gateway pilot is currently underway and a final evaluation report is due to be published in spring 2007. An announcement on the next steps for the scheme will be made in summer 2007.
Supporting People Strategy
Jon Cruddas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will ensure that financial capability sessions and advice are offered in (a) Sure Start children’s centres and (b) as part of the Supporting People Strategy. [105499]
Ed Balls: The revised Sure Start children’s centres practice guidance, published on 30 November 2006, highlights the importance of financial capability in enabling people to participate in society and to manage their finances effectively. It advises that children’s centres should consider providing financial education to parents as part of their support services.
In developing the Supporting People strategy an extensive consultation was conducted with their stakeholder community. The issue of financial capability was not explicitly raised, but the Department for Communities and Local Government are content to consider how it might be reflected in the strategy.
The Government will shortly publish its long-term strategy on financial capability.
Tax Credits
Anne Main: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families in St. Albans constituency are in receipt of (a) working tax credit and (b) child tax credit, broken down by ward. [106936]
Mr. Timms: I refer the hon. Lady to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Leicester South(Sir Peter Soulsby) on 29 November 2006, Official Report, column 735W.
Uniform Business Rate
Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the (a) total and (b) average uniform business rate being paid by businesses employing fewer than (i) 10, (ii) 50, (iii) 250, (iv) 1,000 and (v) 5,000 people; and if he will make a statement. [105490]
Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is not available.
VAT Registration Numbers
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average time taken was for processing an application from a business for the issuing of a VAT registration number in (a) the last year for which figures are available and (b) 1997. [108095]
Ed Balls: The average time taken to process an application for VAT registration for the period from 1 April to 31 October 2006 was 30 days. No figures are available for either the last financial year or for 1997.
Welsh Language Services
Hywel Williams: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions his Department has had with the Welsh Language Board on the provision of telephone services in Welsh by his Department. [108573]
John Healey [holding answer 12 December 2006]: Officials are in discussion with the Welsh Language Board about a proposal for a Welsh Language Scheme. The Treasury has not, however, had any discussions with the Welsh Language Board on the provision of telephone services in Welsh.
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