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14 Jun 2007 : Column 1275W—continued
World Trade
14. Anne Snelgrove: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the impact on the UK economy of trends in world trade; and if he will make a statement. [142577]
John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend the Chancellor gave to the hon. Member for Ipswich (Chris Mole) on the Floor of the House earlier today.
Intellectual Property
15. Chris Bryant: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to implement recommendations made in the Gowers Report on Intellectual Property. [142578]
John Healey: In the 2006 pre-Budget report, the Government made clear that it intends to take forward all of the recommendations of the Gowers Review for which it is responsible. Significant progress has been achieved since then, and the Government is working to implement the majority of the recommendations by the end of 2008.
Public Expenditure
17. Mr. Martlew: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect on public expenditure of the fiscal rules; and if he will make a statement. [142580]
Mr. Timms: The fiscal rules have enabled the Government to make historic increases to investment in public services—overcoming the decades of underinvestment before 1997 and helping secure improvements in services—while simultaneously delivering a decade of sustained growth alongside low and stable inflation.
Saving Gateway Pilot
18. Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what evaluation he has made of the outcome of the second Saving Gateway pilot. [142581]
Ed Balls: The final evaluation of the second Saving Gateway pilot was published on 25 May.
Overall the evaluation found that the pilots were very successful in generating savings and that the Saving Gateway encouraged some lower income participants, in particular, to save and to reduce their expenditure in order to save.
There was a positive impact on participants' attitudes to saving which was most marked among those who had little or no prior experience of saving. The findings also point overwhelmingly to the success of matching as a targeted incentive for lower income savers.
The pilots have provided a wealth of evidence for future policy development. The Government will need
time to analyse this information and will make further announcements on next steps for the roll-out of the Saving Gateway in the pre-Budget report.
Child Tax Credit and Child Benefit
19. Sir Robert Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the take-up levels are of child tax credits and child benefit. [142582]
Mr. Timms: The latest figures show that in 2004-05 take up of the child tax credit was 82 per cent. with over 90 per cent. of the money available being claimed, higher than any previous system of income-related financial support for in-work families. Precise figures are not available for child benefit, but it is estimated that approximately 98 per cent. of eligible families claim child benefit.
Savings Ratio
20. Mr. Swayne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the trend in the savings ratio. [142584]
John Healey: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for West Suffolk (Mr. Spring) on the Floor of the House earlier today.
Africa: Education for All Initiative
21. Mrs. Hodgson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the Education for All initiative for Africa. [142585]
Ed Balls: With 77 million children out of school, urgent action is needed to achieve universal primary education. The UK has made a long-term £8.5 billion commitment and is working with developing countries and other donors to develop and fund the long-term plans needed. The EC, World Bank, France, US, and Australia have all joined the international effort by committing new funds to education and private sector companies are working with African countries to support their efforts. Progress is being made: Enrolment in school in sub-Saharan Africa increased by 27 per cent. between 1999 and 2004. But more needs to be done.
Children
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many and what proportion of children under (a) three, (b) five, (c) 10 and (d) 14 years old were being brought up by (i) two parents who were both unemployed, (ii) two parents with one in full-time employment and one not in paid employment, (iii) two parents with both in full-time work, (iv) two parents with both in part-time work and (v) two parents with one in full-time work and one in part-time work in each year since 1979 for which figures are available. [141689]
John Healey:
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 14 June 2007:
The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many and what proportion of (a) children under three, (b) children under five, (c) children under 10 and (d) children under 14 years were being brought up by (i) two parents who were both unemployed, (ii) two parents with one in full time employment and one not in paid employment, (iii) two parents with both in full-time work, (iv) two parents with both in part-time work and (v) two parents with
one in full-time work and one in part-time work in each year for which figures are available. I am replying in her absence. (141689)
A table showing the information requested is attached. The figures in the table are estimates from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) for the three months ending in June of 1997, 1999 and 2001-2006. Comparable information for 1998 and 2000 is not available.
As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
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