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8 Jan 2007 : Column 416W—continued
Mr. Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which 10 individuals, companies or organisations purchased the highest proportion of central Government assets sold in 2005-06 reported in table B21 of his 2006 pre-budget report; and what total value of assets each purchased. [109996]
Mr. Timms: HM Treasury does not hold information on the purchasers of individual assets from Departments.
Mr. Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his target for £30 billion of surplus asset sales by 2010-11 includes the sale of public sector assets in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. [110029]
Mr. Timms: The £30 billion target for asset disposals includes the sale of public sector fixed assets in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland including those owned by the devolved administrations. However, in Scotland and Wales it is for the devolved Administrations to determine the amount of their asset sales.
Grandparent Carers
Grant Shapps: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he has taken to support grandparents who care for their grandchildren. [112924]
Dawn Primarolo: Where grandparents have the primary responsibility for bringing up their grandchildren, they are entitled to financial support, namely child benefit and child tax credit, on the same terms as a parent, with no effect on pension credit assessments. Child benefit and child tax credit guarantee support for the first child of over £3,000 a year for grandparents with a low income and nearly £1,500 for those with an income of up to £50,000 a year.
Health Statistics
Shona McIsaac: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the incidence rate was for (a) chronic lung disease, (b) coronary heart disease and (c) cancer for (i) men and (ii) women in Cleethorpes constituency since 1997. [110034]
John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 8 January 2007:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what the incidence rate was for (a) chronic lung disease, (b) coronary heart disease and (c) cancer for (i) men and (ii) women in Cleethorpes constituency since 1997. (110034)
The table below provides the age-standardised incidence rate for all cancers registered in Cleethorpes parliamentary constituency for the years 2001 to 2004 (the latest available).
Incidence rates for parliamentary constituencies which do not share boundaries exactly with a local authority can be calculated only from 2001 onwards. Figures on the incidence of chronic lung disease and coronary heart disease are not readily available.
The ward population estimates on which these rates are based are experimental statistics—that is, statistics which are in a testing or consultation phase and are not fully developed—and the figures should therefore be treated with caution.
| Table: Age-standardised incidence rates( 1) of all cancers( 2) registered in the Cleethorpes parliamentary constituency, 2001-04( 3,4) | ||
| Male | Female | |
| (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 C00-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. | ||
HM Revenue and Customs
Mr. Burns: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will reconsider the decision to close down the HM Revenue and Customs compliance office in Chelmsford; why the decision was taken; and if he will make a statement. [109899]
Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 19 December 2006]: I refer the hon. Member to my reply of 27 November 2006, Official Report, columns 451-52W to the hon. Member for Westmorland & Lonsdale (Tim Farron).
Mr. Paul Murphy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received on the closure of HM Revenue and Customs offices in south Wales. [112982]
Dawn Primarolo: As I made clear in a recent Westminster Hall debate (HM Revenue & Customs (Wales), 29 November 2006, Official Report, columns 12-134WH) no decision has been made to close any specific offices in Wales or elsewhere in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Gregory Campbell:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer where queries regarding national compliance and risk assessment accounts within HM
Revenue and Customs for Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales will be dealt with following the review of HMRC offices. [109825]
Dawn Primarolo: HMRC is currently considering the optimum structure and locations of its offices, led by taxpayer and business needs. Final decisions will be subject to consultation.
Mr. David Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many attempts to gain unauthorised access to the computer systems of HM Revenue and Customs (a) were detected and (b) succeeded in each of the last five years. [108318]
Dawn Primarolo: HMRC has detected no successful attempts to gain unauthorised external access to its computer systems in each of the last five years.
Although HMRC actively monitors and protects its systems, the Department does not routinely record unsuccessful attempts to gain unauthorised access, because the high volume of relatively simplistic Internet-based approaches to which any web-connected system is subjected means the gathering of this data is of negligible benefit.
Household Income Levels: Scotland
Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average household income is in (a) the Highland Council area, (b) Glasgow, (c) Scotland and (d) the UK. [113404]
John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 8 January 2007:
The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question on the levels of average household income in Highlands Council area, Glasgow, Scotland and the United Kingdom. I am replying in her absence. (113404)
ONS publishes estimates of Gross Disposable Household Income (GDHI) per head on a regional basis. The latest figures published are for 2004. Regional GDHI data are produced using the official statistical geographies known as NUTS (Nomenclature of Units for Territorial Statistics). Data are not available for the Highlands Council area. Data are provided for the Highlands and Islands NUTS 2 area, along with its six constituent NUTS 3 areas.
Iraq
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the Answer of 6 December 2006, Official Report, column 487W, on Iraq, on what date he asked for approval from the Prime Minister; on what date he received such approval; and if he will place in the Library a copy of (a) the request and (b) the approval. [109949]
John Healey [holding answer 18 December 2006]: I have nothing further to add of 6 December 2006, Official Report, column 487W.
Iraq and Afghanistan
Mr. Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the reason is for the change in the amount he allocated to fund operations in Iraq and Afghanistan between the 2006 Budget and the 2006 Pre-Budget Report. [109998]
Mr. Timms: The costs of military operations are met from the reserves (including both the capital and resource reserves). They are subject to fluctuation as a result of operational developments and other factors. Budget 2006 announced £800 million of provision in the special reserve to help meet the resource costs of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and other international commitments.
The Ministry Of Defence has drawn down provision in its winter supplementary estimate for the current additional estimated costs.
Ministerial Travel
Bob Russell: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the occasions since he has held his present office when he has used (a) rail services, (b) the London Underground, (c) tram or light railway services and (d) buses in connection with his ministerial duties. [101990]
John Healey: Treasury Ministers, including the Chancellor, have used various forms of public transport in the course of their ministerial duties over the last year.
Ministerial Vehicles
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the (a) make and (b) model is of the car he most regularly uses in the course of his official duties. [102867]
John Healey: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Rayleigh (Mr. Francois) on 29 November 2006, Official Report, column 725W.
Missing Trader Intra-Community VAT Fraud
Mr. Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the value is of assets confiscated as a result of investigations into missing trader intra community (MTIC) VAT fraud in each year since 2000-01. [113663]
Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Twickenham on 7 November 2006, Official Report, column 1050W.
National Insurance Contributions
Norman Lamb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people were given incorrect information on the level of their National Insurance contributions by HM Revenue and Customs in 2006; how many people HM Revenue and Customs has informed of such an error; and if he will make a statement. [105460]
Dawn Primarolo: HM Revenue and Customs have sent 3.2 million letters to customers advising them of a potential shortfall in their national insurance paid during 2004-05 and will send up to 1.5 million more over the next few weeks. Some may contain incorrect information due to the late processing of employers, 2004-05 returns.
HM Revenue and Customs have contacted many employers who sent in their returns using our electronic data interchange or magnetic media service to tell them about the difficulties with their returns, but it has not been possible to identify or contact all employers affected. They have also explained the position in detail to the key representative bodies.
National Insurance Deficiency Notices
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many national insurance deficiency notices have been distributed since (a) 30 November 2005 and (b) 25 May 2006; and how many of those notices were sent to individuals who would reach state pension age on or after 6 April 2010. [112919]
Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 27 November 2006, Official Report, column 352W. The updated figure for the number of deficiency notices issued since 25 May 2006 is now 3.2 million. The information on the numbers of these notices sent to individuals who reach state pension age on or after 6 April 2010 is not readily available.
National Insurance Fund
Chris Huhne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what revenue was generated from the surplus of the national insurance fund in each of the last three years. [112848]
Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is in the national insurance fund accounts which are published by the Stationery Office and are in the House of Commons Library.
Chris Huhne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what purposes the surplus of the national insurance fund may be used. [112849]
Dawn Primarolo: When the national insurance fund is in surplus it is invested in gilts.
Chris Huhne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer by how much the national insurance fund is in surplus. [112850]
Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Gentlemen to paragraph 4 of the report of the Government Actuary on the drafts of the Social Security Benefits Up- rating Order 2006 and the Social Security (Contributions) (Re-rating and National Insurance Funds Payments) Order 2006.
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect on income tax levels of a halt to Government borrowing from the national insurance fund. [109481]
Dawn Primarolo: The Government have no plans to change the investment strategy of the national insurance fund.
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what the revenue raised from gilts purchased using the surplus in the national insurance fund is spent; and if he will make a statement. [109484]
Dawn Primarolo: Details of the income from investments of the national insurance fund can be found in the annual accounts of the national insurance fund published by the Stationery Office. A copy of the most recent account, “National Insurance Fund Account 2004-05”, is available in the House of Commons Library.
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