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8 Feb 2007 : Column 1146W—continued


Labour Force Survey, in Employment
Thousand (seasonally adjusted)
London South East (excluding London) South West West Midlands North West North East

YCJV

YCJW

YCJX

YCJT

YCJQ

YCJP

March 2004

3,547

4,034

2,448

2,464

3,139

1,114

March 2005

3,570

4,069

2,470

2,525

3,172

1,121


Thousand (seasonally adjusted)
Yorkshire and the Humber East Midlands East of England Wales Scotland Northern Ireland

YCJR

YCJS

YCJU

YCJZ

YCKA

ZSFG

March 2004

2,351

2,061

2,740

1,326

2,423

721

March 2005

2,362

2,083

2,735

1,317

2,451

741


EU Membership Studies

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the studies undertaken by his Department on the costs and benefits of EU membership; how many were (a) begun, (b) completed and (c) terminated before completion; and what the reason was for the termination of each which was terminated early. [108381]


8 Feb 2007 : Column 1147W

Ed Balls: My answer of 25 May 2006, Official Report, column 1909W, gave details of the Treasury’s work on this issue.

The Government’s January 2007 publication ‘The Single Market: A vision for the 21st century’ sets out the economic benefits of the single market, the costs of remaining barriers and the importance of economic reform and greater openness.

Marriage

Lorely Burt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which religions and other groups' representatives are empowered to perform marriages; what the process is for such empowerment; what account is taken of human rights legislation on discrimination in this process; and what representations he has received on this subject. [119004]

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

Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 8 February 2007:

Mortality Statistics

Tony Baldry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 30 January 2007, Official Report, column 232W, on mortality statistics, how many people died as a result of a stroke in (a) 2003, (b) 2004, (c) 2005 and (d) 2006 in (i) Northern Ireland, (ii) Scotland and (iii) Wales. [119232]


8 Feb 2007 : Column 1148W

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

National Debt

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the oldest remaining national debt is in terms of foreign loans. [118743]

Ed Balls: Currently the only foreign currency liability on the UK's balance sheet is a $3 billion five-year eurobond issued by the UK government in 2003. The eurobond was issued in order to finance our foreign currency reserves. This liability is accounted for (along with the amounts for the world war two debts to Canada and the United States that were repaid in December 2006) in the National Loans Fund Account (Note 13). The latest published version, HC 1632, can be found at:

At the end of world war one, debt was owed to and by the United Kingdom. No payments have been made to or received from other nations since 1934 in regard to this debt. For this reason, liabilities and assets arising from WW1 have not been listed on the UK Government's balance sheet since 1944-45.

Small Business

Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether there has been any change by HM Revenue and Customs regarding individual members of the public seeking on site advice and support services available from the small business support team. [120230]

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Rayleigh (Mr. Francois) on 31 January 2007, Official Report, columns 341-2W.

Smith Institute

Mr. Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 1 February 2007, Official Report, column 412W, on the Smith Institute, (1) how many events were held by each charity listed on the Treasury website at Number 11 Downing Street in each year since 1997; [120684]

(2) how many charities had a request for access to facilities at Number 11 Downing Street on a specified date rejected in each year since 1997. [120720]

John Healey: For the list of charities who have held events in Number 11 Downing Street, I refer to the answer I gave the hon. Gentleman and others on 1 February 2007, Official Report, column 412W. Most charities have used Number 11 on one occasion, but some more than once.


8 Feb 2007 : Column 1149W

Wherever possible, and subject to availability, we do try and accommodate all charities who apply to use Number 11.

Mr. Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 1 February 2007, Official Report, column 412W, on the Smith Institute, how many Smith Institute events were held at Number 11 Downing Street between 1997 and 2005. [120685]

John Healey: As I explained in my answer of 1 February 2007, Official Report, column 412W, the Smith Institute was set up in the memory of the late John Smith. It asked in 1997 to use the facility for seminars on a once a month basis and sometimes, when they are conducting a series of seminars, on a more regular basis.

Mr. Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 1 February 2007, Official Report, column 412W, on the Smith Institute, (1) what criteria are used for determining which charities are granted access to facilities at Number 11 Downing Street; [120721]

(2) how much the Smith Institute has reimbursed to his Department for functions held at Number 11 Downing Street in each year since 1997. [120744]

John Healey: I refer to the answer I gave on 1 February 2007, Official Report, column 412W. Any charities who use or want to use 11 Downing Street can apply for access if this is their wish and subject to availability. This is fully in accordance with the Ministerial Code and long standing conventions governing the use of Downing Street as operated by this and previous Governments.

Every external organisation including the Smith Institute who uses Number 11 does so on the same basis: the organisers of events at Number 11 meet all additional costs associated with holding the event in order to ensure that no public funds are used for events held by external organisations.

Smuggling: Fuels

Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many illegal fuel laundering plants were estimated to be operating in Northern Ireland during 2006; and how many were uncovered in that period. [120231]

John Healey: HMRC’s priority is to respond to every piece of intelligence received regarding the operation of an illicit fuel laundering plant through interdiction. The HMRC Annual Report 2005-06 reports that 16 fuel laundering plants were disrupted in Northern Ireland during 2005-06.

The 2006-07 figures will be published in the Annual Report later this year. Estimates of the size of the non UK duty paid market in Northern Ireland can be
8 Feb 2007 : Column 1150W
found in ‘Measuring Indirect Tax Loss’—2006 which was published at the PBR and is available on the HMRC website at: www.hmrc.gov.uk

Tax Burden

Chris Huhne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of gross annual income was taken in tax and national insurance contributions for each decile of the taxable income distribution in (a) cash and (b) real terms in each year since 1997. [119388]

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 February 2007:


8 Feb 2007 : Column 1151W

8 Feb 2007 : Column 1152W
Average income tax as a percentage of gross household income United Kingdom, 1997-98 to 2004-05
Decile groups of all households ranked by equivalised disposable income Percentage
Bottom 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th Top All households

1997-98

3.9

4.0

5.1

7.5

10.1

11.8

13.6

15.1

16.2

19.9

14.1

1998-99

3.4

3.9

4.8

7.3

9.4

11.2

12.4

13.8

15.3

19.8

13.5

1999-2000

2.8

3.4

4.9

7.4

9.3

10.7

12.6

14.0

15.5

19.1

13.4

2000-01

3.2

3.9

6.2

8.1

10.0

11.6

13.4

14.4

16.0

18.7

13.7

2001-02

3.3

3.1

5.2

8.3

9.4

11.0

12.9

14.1

15.9

19.8

13.8

2002-03

2.6

4.1

4.7

7.5

9.4

11.0

12.6

14.1

15.6

20.0

13.5

2003-04(1)

3.5

3.1

4.8

6.8

8.9

10.8

12.7

14.1

15.6

19.9

13.5

2004-05

2.3

3.5

5.2

7.0

9.1

10.6

12.3

13.9

15.8

19.7

13.3

1 From 2003-04 onwards, income tax is shown after the deduction of any tax credits, which offset payments of income tax. Before 2002-03 tax credits treated wholly as social security benefits.
Source:
‘The effects of taxes and benefits on household Income’, ONS

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