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24 Jan 2007 : Column 1859W—continued


Mr. Evennett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of young people in (a) the London borough of Bexley and (b) Bexleyheath and Crayford were unemployed in each year since 1997. [117288]

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 January 2007:


24 Jan 2007 : Column 1860W
Table 1: Unemployed persons, aged 16 to 24 resident in the London borough of Bexley and the Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency
Bexley Bexleyheath and Crayford
12 months ending: Level (Thousand) Rate( 1) (Percentage) Level (Thousand) Rate( 1) (Percentage)

February 1997

3

12.9

(2)

(2)

February 1998

2

10.6

1

13.9

February 1999

2

11.0

1

10.9

February 2000

2

11.8

(2)

(2)

February 2001

1

5.3

(2)

(2)

February 2002

1

7.6

1

11.0

February 2003

1

6.1

1

7.7

February 2004

1

7.8

(2)

(2)

March 2005

1

6.9

1

12.8

March 2006

3

16.3

(2)

(2)

(1) Unemployed as a percentage of the economically active population.
(2) Sample size too small to provide estimates.
Notes:
1. Estimates are subject to random variability.
2. Changes in the estimates over time should be treated with particular caution.
Source:
Annual local area Labour Force Survey; Annual Population Survey.

Table 2: Annual average number of claimants of jobseeker’s allowance, aged 18 to 24 resident in the London borough of Bexley and the Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency
Bexley Bexleyheath and Crayford
Level Proportion( 1) (Percentage) Level

1997

1,295

7.9

450

1998

935

5.7

320

1999

745

4.5

260

2000

615

3.7

215

2001

540

3.3

175

2002

605

3.6

190

2003

690

4.0

225

2004

750

4.2

260

2005

795

4.4

290

2006

915

5.0

330

(1) Proportion of official population estimates. Not available for parliamentary constituencies.
Notes:
1. Claimant count data by age includes computerised claims only.
2. Dataset rounded to the nearest 5.
Source:
Jobcentre Plus administrative data.


24 Jan 2007 : Column 1861W

Valuation Office Agency

Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what research projects have been (a) initiated and (b) commissioned by the Valuation Office Agency in the last five years. [114369]

Dawn Primarolo: In the last five years the following research projects have been both (a) initiated and (b) commissioned by the Valuation Office Agency:

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many visits representatives from the Valuation Office Agency have made to Hong Kong in the last five years; and for what purpose. [116204]

Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 16 January 2007]: Valuation Office Agency (VOA) staff have made seven visits to Hong Kong in the last five years. One visit was to a property tax conference. The remainder were to the Rating and Valuation Department, Hong Kong (Special Administrative Region). This destination was inadvertently omitted from my answer on 30 November 2006, Official Report, column 854W.

VAT

Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) whether it is HM Revenue and Customs' policy to apply (a) extended verification and (b) other supplementary VAT procedures in respect of (i) certain industrial sectors, (ii) selected companies and (iii) more generally; [117323]

(2) whether his Department has informed traders in the mobile telephone and computer-chip industries when they can expect to receive the VAT repayments that are under extended review; [110601]

(3) for what reason his Department has placed VAT repayments for traders in the mobile telephone and computer-chip industries under extended review. [110602]

Dawn Primarolo: HMRC has a duty to protect tax revenues, including taking steps to counter inaccurate, fraudulent or abusive repayment claims. HMRC is entitled to verify VAT repayment claims to ensure that they are properly payable. Decisions to verify repayment claims or take other action to improve taxpayer compliance are made on the basis of perceived risk and are applied across the whole VAT register.

Given the very complex nature of missing trader intra-community-MTIC-fraud, HM Revenue and Customs needs time to pursue inquiries and consider the consequences of all that they find. As soon as a VAT repayment claim is selected for verification HM Revenue and Customs fully explains the verification process in writing. Updates are also provided on a regular basis throughout the process. Only when inquiries are completed will HM Revenue and Customs advise claimants of the outcome.


24 Jan 2007 : Column 1862W

Last year the level of VAT repayment claims from those suspected of trading in supply chains associated with MTIC fraud rose very rapidly, without known economic or commercial reason. As a result, HMRC is verifying a greater proportion of VAT repayment claims from businesses dealing in goods, such as mobile phones and computer chips, and with other sectors known to be associated with MTIC fraud. In order to ensure that its action is proportionate, HMRC has deployed an additional 600 staff to enable these verification checks to be carried out efficiently and effectively.

World Economic Forum

Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which member of the Government will represent the UK at the World Economic Forum in Davos in July. [113849]

Ed Balls: At the World Economic Forum in Davos in January 2007, the UK will be represented by the Prime Minister, the Chancellor of the Exchequer and other Ministers.

Work and Pensions

Child Maintenance Payments

Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) if he will estimate the number of children that will be lifted out of poverty by increasing the benefit disregard with regard to child maintenance payments across all child support cases to (a) £15, (b) £20, (c) £25, (d) £30, (e) £35, (f) £40, (g) £45 and (h) £50 in each year from 2008-09 to 2015-16; [113530]

(2) if he will estimate the cost to the Exchequer of increasing the benefit disregard with regard to child maintenance payments across all child support cases to (a) £15, (b) £20, (c) £25, (d) £30, (e) £35, (f) £40, (g) £45 and (h) £50 in each year from 2008-09 to 2015-16. [113531]

Mr. Plaskitt: The number of children lifted out of poverty and cost of increasing the levels of the child maintenance disregard in income support, jobseekers allowance, housing benefit and council tax benefit in 2009-10 are shown in the following table:

Level of disregard Number of children lifted out of poverty Cost in extra benefit expenditure (£ million)

£20

n/a

50

£30

30,000-40,000

100

£40

40,000-50,000

140

£50

50,000-60,000

170

n/a = not available
Notes:
1. Number of children lifted out of poverty is defined here as the number of children in households lifted above 60 per cent. of equivalised median household income before housing costs by increasing the level of the disregard.
2. Estimates provided are indicative and should only be used to give some idea of scale, since there is uncertainty over future distributions of earnings and maintenance receipts, and figures are sensitive to the assumptions used and drawn from a sample of data.
3. Figures for the number of children lifted out of poverty by a £20 disregard are not available due to a small sample size.
4. Poverty figures are based on analysis of 2004-05 Family Resources Survey and are rounded to the nearest 10,000.
5. Costs are calculated to the nearest £10 million and are based upon a combination of DWP administrative and survey data.

24 Jan 2007 : Column 1863W

Information for other years and other levels of disregard are not currently available and could be supplied only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the estimated cost is to the Exchequer in each year from 2008-09 to 2013-14 of extending the £10 benefit disregard to cases on the original child maintenance scheme in accordance with the proposal contained in the White Paper ‘A new system of child maintenance.' [113532]

Mr. Plaskitt: The estimated cost of extending the £10 benefit disregard to cases on the original child support scheme, assuming that the introduction takes place towards the end of 2008 is shown in the following table:

Estimated cost (£ million)

2008-09 (part year)

10

2009-10

20

2010-11

15

Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest £5 million.

Precise costs for years after 2010-11 are not currently available and could be produced only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what criteria are planned to be used to identify those described on page 25 of the White Paper, A new system of child maintenance, as those non-resident parents who are most at risk of not paying maintenance. [113535]

Mr. Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is the matter for the Chief Executive. He will write to the right hon. Member with the information requested.

Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 24 January 2007:


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