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28 Jun 2007 : Column 872W—continued


Roads: Construction

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much has been allocated for the construction of the proposed Bexhill to Hastings link road; and if he will make a statement. [146075]

Gillian Merron: The Bexhill to Hastings link road scheme was granted Programme Entry in December 2004 with an agreed departmental funding contribution of £47.12 million. In July 2006, we accepted the South East region’s advice that the scheme was a priority for the region at an increased cost of £48.5 million. However, it has since been reported that the estimated total cost of the scheme has increased to around £89 million. As a result, the South East region will need to decide whether it still wishes to prioritise funding for this scheme at its higher cost within its regional funding allocations. Should the region formally advise that the scheme continues to be a priority, it will then be subject to a re-appraisal and value for money assessment in accordance with the Department’s guidance before a final decision is taken on whether to provide additional funding for the scheme.

Treasury

Departments: Recruitment

Mr. Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department and its agencies paid to recruitment consultants in each year since 1997. [140028]

John Healey: With the following exceptions, the information for the Chancellor's Departments and their agencies could be provided at disproportionate cost only. Information on spending on recruitment consultancy is not held in a format whereby it can be separated out from other external management consultancy, or from the cost of agency staff. The Government Actuary's Department has provided a nil return, the Valuation Office Agency can confirm that it did not use recruitment consultants during 2006-07, and the Royal Mint and the Debt Management Office have been able to provide the following figures for recruitment consultancy fees.


28 Jun 2007 : Column 873W
Royal Mint Debt Management Office

1997-98

61

1998-99

70

(1)

1999-2000

91

(1)

2000-01

89

(1)

2001-02

70

(1)

2002-03

70

57

2003-04

34

22

2004-05

83

29

2005-06

125

99

2006-07

182

69

(1) Figures for years prior to 2002-03 could be provided at disproportionate cost only due to a change in accounting system in that year.

Departments: Taxis

Mr. Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department spent on taxis in 2006-07. [139999]

John Healey: Use of a taxi at the Treasury's expense is not an entitlement and official journeys should
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wherever possible be made on public transport. However, when there is no reasonable and cost-effective alternative, for example when travelling home after working late into the night, the Treasury may justify the use of a taxi. Expenditure in 2006-07 was £188,000.

Mid-Essex Hospital Trust: Childbirth

Mr. Burns: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many babies were born in hospitals run by the Mid-Essex Hospital Trust in each of the last 10 years. [145963]

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

Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 28 June 2007:

Live births in hospitals run by Mid-Essex Hospital Trust( 1) , 1996 to 2005
1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

William Julien Courtauld Hospital, Braintree

222

211

157

162

116

161

164

135

128

235

St. John’s Hospital, Chelmsford

3,444

3,472

3,377

3,357

3,237

3,071

3,106

3,266

3,265

3,256

Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford

0

3

2

3

1

1

5

3

1

4

St. Peter’s Hospital, Maldon

171

166

175

127

142

169

124

165

177

205

Total Mid-Essex Hospital Trust

3,837

3,852

3,711

3,649

3,496

3,402

3,399

3,569

3,571

3,700

(1) St. Michael’s Hospital in Braintree and the Chelmsford and Essex Centre are also run by Mid-Essex Hospital Trust, but no live births took place in these establishments between 1996 and 2005.

Tax Allowances: Armed Forces

Bob Russell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many claims made by members of HM armed forces for laundry allowance while on deployments and exercises were granted in each of the last five years; and what the (a) total value of the tax allowance and (b) average allowance per claimant was in each of those years; [146296]

(2) for what reasons HM Revenue and Customs does not meet claims made by members of HM armed forces for laundry allowance while on deployments and exercises; and if he will make a statement. [146297]

Dawn Primarolo: HM Revenue and Customs does not hold the information requested about the number and value of claims for tax relief for laundry expenses.

Members of the armed forces are normally entitled to free laundry facilities when on deployments and exercises. No tax relief is due in these circumstances.

Tax Rates and Bands

Mr. Waterson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment his Department has made of the long-term financial effect of (a) reducing the basic rate of tax from 22p to 20p and (b) abolishing the 10p lower level of tax on pensions over the next (i) 10, (ii) 20, (iii) 30, (iv) 40 and (v) 50 years. [138030]

Ed Balls: The Government do not judge there will be discernable long-term financial effect on pensions resulting from changes to income tax announced in Budget 2007. Any long-term financial effect would depend not only on the marginal rates of relief but also on the future structure of the tax system, the numbers saving for pensions and their contribution levels, the numbers in receipt of pensions and any behavioural response to the changes in rates of relief.

Taxation: Pensioners

Mr. Fallon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received on the reform of taxation for older people on low incomes; if he will commission further research on the matter; and if he will make a statement. [146257]

Ed Balls: The Government have received a number of representations on this subject following the reforms to personal taxation announced in this year's Budget. For older people, the Budget announced that the
28 Jun 2007 : Column 875W
age-related income tax allowances for those aged 65 or over and 75 or over will rise by £1,180 above indexation in April 2008. By April 2011 no pensioner aged 75 or over will pay any tax until their income reaches £10,000 a year. These reforms will remove 580,000 pensioners from paying tax in April 2008.

Welfare Tax Credits: Overpayments

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many instances there have been of debt caused by overpayment of tax credits being (a) generated and (b) subsequently cancelled, broken down by (i) constituency or (ii) nearest equivalent geographical area in the last year for which figures are available; and how much was (A) generated and (B) cancelled in each such area in the same period. [146241]

Dawn Primarolo: Statistical information relating to working tax credit and child tax credit is available at:

Information about overpayments of tax credits, which HM Revenue and Customs decide claimants should not be asked to pay back in accordance with its Code of Practice 26, is not kept at constituency or regional level.


28 Jun 2007 : Column 876W

Work and Pensions

Pensions

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions by what means a woman whose husband reaches 65 years is advised of her right to claim a pension based on his contributions to replace the pension she is drawing based on her own contributions. [146242]

James Purnell: The Pension Service contacts customers four months before they reach state pension age to invite them to claim state pension by telephone.

Over the phone they are asked to provide their marital status and, if appropriate, the national insurance number of their spouse. If the man is married and his wife is over state pension age and in receipt of a basic state pension based on her own contributions but which is less than the rate of pension based on her husband’s contributions, a claim form is issued to her.

If customers who wish to claim by post, they are asked to complete and return a tear-off slip from the invitation to request a claim pack. The tear-off asks men “Is your wife aged 60 or over?” If the customer ticks “yes”, a claim form is also sent out to their wife.


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