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5 Jun 2007 : Column 480W—continued
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles statistics of unemployment from the Annual Population Survey (APS) following International Labour Organisation definitions. This is an annual survey, and hence results are not available for each month.
Table 1, attached, shows the number of unemployed aged 16 to 24 in, and the corresponding unemployment rates for, the Peterborough constituency, for the 12 months ending September 2005 and September 2006 (the latest available data).
As these estimates are for a subset of the population in a small geographical area, they are based on very small sample sizes, and
are therefore subject to large margins of uncertainty. In this case, the sample sizes are not sufficient to give an accurate estimate of even the direction of the change over the period.
ONS also compiles statistics for local areas on numbers of claimants of Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA). These data are available monthly, but are not seasonally adjusted, and will, therefore, be subject to seasonal influences. Table 2, attached, shows the number of people, aged 18 to 24, resident in the Peterborough constituency, claiming JSA in the months January 2005 to April 2007. Corresponding rates are not available, as population estimates by age group are not available for parliamentary constituencies.
| Table 1: Unemployed persons, aged 16 to 24, resident in the Peterborough constituency | ||
| Thousand | ||
| 12 months ending | Level | Rate( 1) ( P ercentage) |
| (1) Unemployed as a percentage of the economically active population of the age group. 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: Number( 1) of claimants of Jobseeker’s Allowance aged 18 to 24, resident in the Peterborough constituency | |
| Month | Number |
| (1) Data rounded to nearest 5. Source: Jobcentre Plus administrative data | |
Unemployment: Shrewsbury
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average monthly level of unemployment in Shrewsbury and Atcham was in (a) 2004, (b) 2005 and (c) 2006. [140222]
John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply
Letter from Dennis Roberts, dated 5 June 2007:
The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what the average monthly level of unemployment in Shrewsbury and Atcham was in (a) 2004, (b) 2005 and (c) 2006. I am replying in her absence. (140222)
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles statistics of unemployment from the Annual Population Survey (APS) following International Labour Organisation definitions.
Table 1, attached, shows the numbers unemployed, and the unemployment rates for the Shrewsbury and Atcham constituency, for the 12 months ending December 2004 and December 2005 (data for January to December 2006 are not yet available).
As these estimates are for a subset of the population in a small geographical area, they are based on small sample sizes, and are therefore subject to large margins of uncertainty. Estimates of change from year to year should be treated with particular caution.
ONS also compiles statistics for local areas on numbers of claimants of Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA). Table 2, attached, shows annual average numbers of people resident in the Shrewsbury and Atcham constituency, claiming JSA in 2004, 2005 and 2006. Table 2 also shows these numbers of claimants as percentages of the resident working age population.
| Table 1: Unemployed persons, resident in the Shrewsbury and Atcham constituency | ||
| 12 months ending | Level ( T housand) | Rate( 1) ( P ercentage) |
| (1) Unemployed as a percentage of the economically active population of the age group. Notes: 1. Estimates are subject to random variability. 2. Changes in the estimates over time should be treated with particular caution. Source: Annual Population Survey. | ||
| Table 2: Annual average number of claimants of Jobseeker’s Allowance, resident in the Shrewsbury and Atcham constituency, and the number as percentage of the working population | ||
| Number | Proportion ( P ercentage)( 1,2) | |
| (1) Number of claimants expressed as a percentage of the resident working-age population. (2) Proportions for parliamentary constituencies are based on 2001 Census data adjusted to be consistent with 2001 mid year population estimates for local authorities. | ||
VAT: Financial Services
Mr. Mark Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consultation his Department undertook with businesses within the City of London ahead of the change in policy in July 2006 which ceased the right of claimants from outside the European Union in the financial services and insurance sectors engaged in the supply of services to non-EU customers to recover value added tax incurred on goods and services from UK suppliers. [139049]
Ed Balls: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 19 December 2006, Official Report, column 1729W.
In order to minimise the risk of forestalling, no pre-announcement was made and businesses were not consulted about the change. However, HM Revenue and Customs officials are discussing the issue with a number of representative bodies.
Welfare Tax Credits
Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what estimate he has made of the number of people who received (a) overpayments and (b) underpayments of working tax credit and working family tax credit in (i) 2004-05 and (ii) 2005-06; what estimates he has made of those numbers in 2007-08; what percentage of the total number of people in receipt of credit these figures represented; how many people later had their overpayments disregarded in each year; what criteria were used to determine the disregard; how many people had their underpayments (A) corrected and (B) disregarded in each year; and what criteria were used to determine each; [140166]
(2) what percentage of tax credit customers in 2005-06 received (a) overpayments and (b) underpayments; and what percentage of underpayments were subsequently corrected. [140184]
Mr. Timms: Information on the number and proportion of families with an overpayment or underpayment in 2004-05 and 2005-06 is available in the publication “Child and Working Tax Credit Statistics. Finalised annual awards 2005-06. Supplement on payment in 2005-06.” This is available on the HMRC website at:
HMRC does not have information on the number of people who had overpayments or underpayments written off in each year. Information on the amount of overpayment written off in each financial year is
available in table 8.2 of the trust statement in the HMRC 2005-06 accounts. This is available on the HMRC website at:
http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/channelsPortalWebApp.portal?_nfpb=true&;_pageLabel=pageVAT_ShowContent&propertvType=document&columns=1&id=HMCE_PROD1_025710
The criteria for writing off an overpayment is set out in “Code of Practise 26—What happens if we have paid you too much tax credit?” which is available on the HMRC website at:
HMRC does not forecast the number of people who receive an overpayment or underpayment, however we expect the package of reforms announced in the 2005 pre-Budget report to have a significant effect on reducing overpayments from 2007-08 onwards. Working families tax credit was replaced by working tax credit and child tax credit in April 2003.
Welfare Tax Credits: Northern Ireland
Lady Hermon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of those eligible in Northern Ireland for tax credits have been in receipt of such credits in each year since their introduction, broken down by type of credit; and what steps he is taking to increase the takeup of tax credits in Northern Ireland. [139702]
Mr. Timms: Estimates of the take-up rate of tax credits for in-work families in Northern Ireland are currently available for 2003-04 and 2004-05. These figures are presented in table nine of the annual publications “Child and Working Tax Credit. Take-up rates” which are available on the HMRC website at:
For information regarding measures taken by HMRC to promote the take-up of tax credits, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Rayleigh (Mr. Francois) on 14 May 2007, Official Report, column 566W.
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