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Departments: Surveys

David Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff surveys his Department undertook in the last 12 months; and at what total cost. [145267]

John Healey: HM Treasury conducts an annual staff attitude survey and quarterly management surveys. Information relating to the costs of these surveys is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

EC Budget

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what financial contribution (a) the UK and (b) each other member state is expected to make to the European Union in 2008. [145546]

Ed Balls: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove) on 31 January 2006, Official Report, columns 398-400W, which gives an estimate of United Kingdom gross and net contributions to the EC Budget in 2008.

Updated calendar year estimates for the United Kingdom’s contributions to the EC Budget will be published annually in the Government’s ‘European Community Finances’ White Paper. The 2007 edition of this White Paper (Cm 7090) was published on 22 May 2007.

HM Treasury does not, as a matter of course, forecast the gross and net contributions of all the other member states as this is a matter for their respective Governments. Figures for the 2008 gross contribution of each member state will be included in the 2008 EC adopted budget which will be published in the European Commission’s Official Journal, L (Legislation) series, in due course.

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much the UK contributed to the Central European Fund in 2006; and what the contributions made by other European member states were in that year. [145551]

Ed Balls: I am unaware of the Central European Fund. However, figures for the United Kingdom’s gross contribution, after taking account of the UK abatement, to the EC Budget in 2006 can be found in Table 3 (page 47) of the European Community Finances White Paper (Cm 7090) published on 22 May 2007. European Commission estimates of all member states’ gross contributions, after taking account of the UK abatement, to the 2006 EC Budget can also be found in this White Paper (Tables 2A (€ million), page 45, and 2B (£ million), page 46).

Employment: Graduates

Mr. Boris Johnson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the employment rate is of (a) women and (b) men of (i) white, (ii) Afro-Caribbean and (iii) Asian ethnicity who graduated in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [145397]


25 Jun 2007 : Column 378W

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

Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 25 June 2007:

Employment rates( 1) for graduates( 2) of working age( 3) by ethnic origin, gender and year of graduation—United Kingdom
12 months ending December 2005 (percentage)
Year of graduation All persons Men Women

2000

White

93

95

91

Asian or Asian British(4)

91

98

83

Black or Black British(5)

96

100

91

2001

White

94

94

94

Asian or Asian British(4)

85

88

81

Black or Black British(5)

69

87

59

2002

White

91

93

89

Asian or Asian British(4)

78

84

71

Black or Black British(5)

73

83

67

2003

White

85

84

86

Asian or Asian British(4)

82

68

95

Black or Black- British(5)

77

65

84

2004

White

85

85

85

Asian or Asian British(4)

76

73

80

Black or Black British(5)

82

79

86

(1) Total in employment as a percentage of all persons in the relevant ethnic group.
(2) People whose highest qualification is degree level or above.
(3) Men aged 16 to 64 and women aged 16 to 59.
(4) Includes people of Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi origin.
(5) Includes Black-Caribbean, Black-African and Black-other.
Source:
ONS Annual Population Survey (APS)

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Employment: Lancashire

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people in West Lancashire were recorded as being in full-time employment in the financial year ending (a) March 1997 and (b) March 2007; and how many were women in each case. [144973]

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

Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 25 June 2007:

Employment: Warrington

Helen Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many Warrington residents were in employment (a) in April 1997 and (b) at the latest date for which figures are available. [145468]

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

Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 25 June 2007:


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First-time Buyers

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department is taking to help more first-time home buyers. [145549]

John Healey: The Government recognise concerns over housing affordability, particularly amongst first-time buyers, and is acting to alleviate these pressures on various fronts including by tackling supply constraints; bringing forward public sector land for development; increasing the starting threshold for stamp duty land tax; building more social housing; and helping people into home ownership through supporting shared equity schemes. The Treasury is working with Departments across Government in support of this agenda.

Foundation Degrees

Mr. Boris Johnson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the employment rate is of those who completed foundation degrees and did not go on to higher education in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [145396]

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

Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 25 June 2007:

Employment rates( 1) of people of working age( 2) who have completed foundation degrees( 3) and not continued with higher education, 2004 to 2006—United Kingdom, not seasonally adjusted
Percentage
All persons Men Women

2004

88

92

82

2005

90

92

87

2006

87

86

87

(1) Total in employment as a percentage of all people of working age who completed foundation degrees.
(2) Men aged 16 to 64 and women aged 16 to 59.
(3) Includes some people who after studying for a foundation degree, then went back to studying for a lower qualification or other vocational qualification.
Source:
Labour Force Survey (LFS)

HM Revenue and Customs: East Kilbridge

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the local office of HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is required to be able to give definitive advice to Arun (a) district council as grantor and (b) councillors as grantees on the tax position relating to the take-up of the £500 council grant for members towards the purchase of a personal computer
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for council work; what targets the office has been set for technical experts returning calls; when the HMRC employers' Contact Us and Send An Email webpage will cease to display the message that an email service cannot be offered; when Arun district council will receive a response from HMRC East Kilbridge Glasgow office's compliance officers; if he will take steps to ensure that HMRC resolves the matter with Arun district council; and if he will make a statement. [144414]

Dawn Primarolo: HMRC has customer service targets across all of its main lines of business. For post, the target is to deal with 80 per cent. of correspondence within 15 days and 95 per cent. within 40 days. Since you asked your question HMRC has been in touch with Arun district council and the issue is being dealt with.

The HMRC website tells its customers the services which are available including the latest position on which services are offered by email. The website is updated regularly.


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