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7 Mar 2007 : Column 2016W—continued
Mr. Hanson:
The Strategic Investment Board has not been given any role in determining which projects in
Northern Ireland should receive money from the National Development Plan of the Republic of Ireland.
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether planned expenditure on public sector projects in Northern Ireland under the National Development Plan of the Republic of Ireland will be scrutinised by the Northern Ireland Audit Office. [125659]
Mr. Hanson: Questions relating to the Northern Ireland Audit Office’s scrutiny of public expenditure are matters for the Comptroller and Auditor General who will write to the hon. Member on this matter.
Young People: Rehabilitation
Dr. Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much was spent in each of the last three years by each of the Northern Ireland health boards on (a) support and travelling costs and (b) treatment costs for children and young people between the ages of 12 to 20 years being treated in specialist treatment and rehabilitation centres in the UK or Republic of Ireland for psychological and other problems in addition to (i) alcohol and (ii) substance misuse. [125346]
Paul Goggins: The Health Boards advise that they do not commission services in relation to (i) alcohol and (ii) substance misuse for children and young people between the ages of 12 to 20 outside of Northern Ireland. For services delivered within Northern Ireland the information requested is not available at the level of detail required.
Treasury
Annuities: Telephone Services
Mr. Chope: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what date the Retirement Annuity Helpline 0845 366 7868 became operative; how many calls have been received; and what proportion of calls were unanswered in each of the last six months. [124745]
Ed Balls [holding answer 2 March 2007]: The Retirement Annuities helpline opened on 27 March 2006 to coincide with the first issue of annuity letters sent to customers.
With regards to the number of calls received and the proportion of calls unanswered, the information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Child Trust Fund
Mr. Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 27 February 2007, Official Report, column 1304W, on the Child Trust Fund, what his estimate is of the number of children who were eligible to receive a voucher in each quarter since April 2005. [125687]
Ed Balls:
All children born on or after 1 September 2002 are eligible to receive a Child Trust Fund voucher
as long as they are in receipt of Child Benefit, they live in the UK and they are not subject to any immigration restrictions.
All eligible children will automatically be issued with a Child Trust Fund voucher.
The latest set of Child Trust Fund account opening statistics showing the number of vouchers issued was published by HM Revenue and Customs on 4 January 2007 at:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/child_trust_funds/child-trust-funds.htm
Mr. Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 27 February 2007, Official Report, column 1304W, on the Child Trust Fund, how many parents of children whose Child Trust Fund voucher expired by 31 December 2006 have not been written to. [125693]
Ed Balls: The vast majority of parents of children whose voucher expired by 31( )December 2006 have been written to with details of the Revenue Allocated Account opened for them. In cases where vouchers expired in late December parents will be notified by early March, unless the child is looked after and the local authority has deemed it inappropriate for HM Revenue and Customs to write to the parent of that child.
Debts: Zimbabwe
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on Zimbabwe’s repayment of debt to (a) the International Monetary Fund and (b) the World Bank. [122847]
Ed Balls: Zimbabwe has been in arrears to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank since February 2001 and October 2000 (respectively). Following a series of payments, Zimbabwe cleared its arrears to the IMF’s General Reserve Account on 15 February 2006. However, it remains in arrears to the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility—Exogenous Shocks Facility (PRGF-ESF) Trust at the IMF, the World Bank, the African Development Bank and the Paris Club.
As result, Zimbabwe is unable to access any new financing from these institutions and is also unable to vote in the IMF Board. The IMF has urged a comprehensive and sequenced programme of economic reform to tackle the economic crisis and address the desperate situation faced by the ordinary people of Zimbabwe. The UK fully supports that advice.
Guarantee Credit and Savings Credit
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of the amount of (a) guarantee credit and (b) savings credit that will be paid in each year from 2006 to 2052 for people aged (i) 60 to 64 years, (ii) 65 to 69 years, (iii) 70 to 74 years and (iv) 75 years and over. [103511]
James Purnell: I have been asked to reply.
The answer is set out in the following table.
| Projected pension credit expenditure by age band, 2006-07 to 2050-51 | |||||||
| £ million | |||||||
| Aged 60-64 | Aged 65-69 | Aged 70-74 | Aged 75 years and over | ||||
| Guarantee credit | Guarantee credit | Savings credit | Guarantee credit | Savings credit | Guarantee credit | Savings credit | |
| Notes: 1. Estimates are given in £ million, 2006-07 prices. 2. Figures refer to financial years. For example 2006 refers to 2006-07. Estimates for 2051-52 and 2052-53 are not available. 3. All expenditure projections apply to the whole of the United Kingdom. 4. Expenditure is projected under the reforms presented in the Pensions Bill Regulatory Impact Assessment. | |||||||
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