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23 July 2007 : Column 661W—continued
Overseas Aid
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what programmes his Department runs in (a) the Democratic Republic of Congo, (b) Tunisia and (c) Thailand. [148778]
Mr. Malik [holding answer 12 July 2007]: We expect to provide £70 million through our programme in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in 2007-08, which is aimed at three broad objectives:
(a) saving lives and meeting humanitarian needs;
(b) supporting democratisation and reform of the army, police and justice systems, to consolidate peace and stability in DRC; and
(c) expanding access to basic services and stimulating broad based economic growth through more equitable use of natural resources.
DFID itself does not run programmes in DRC. Our programmes are implemented by local and international non-governmental organisations and multilateral agencies. Last year 1 per cent. of our funding also went through the government of DRC, and in future we would expect to provide more through government systems if these can be proven to be effective.
DFID does not provide direct development assistance to Tunisia or Thailand which are middle-income countries. However, we provide significant support to countries in north Africa and the middle east through multilateral channels. In particular we will contribute a £1.5 billion share of the EC's European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument's (ENPI) £8.3 billion support from 2007 to 2013, which will include aid to Tunisia. DFID also provides funding to the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank and the European Commission, which have programmes in Thailand.
Treasury
Departments: Manpower
Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what consideration is given to an individual’s tax status by his Department and its executive agencies when offering (a) employment and (b) a consultancy contract; and if he will make a statement; [150520]
(2) how many individuals claiming non-domicile tax status in the UK were born in the UK; and if he will make a statement; [150521]
(3) what estimate he has made of the number of people living in the UK who are eligible for non-domicile tax status; and if he will make a statement; [150522]
(4) how many individuals (a) successfully and (b) unsuccessfully applied for non-domicile tax status in each of the last 10 years for which information is available; and if he will make a statement. [150523]
Jane Kennedy: All individuals taking up employment or consultancy contracts with the Treasury Departments undergo background and security checks. However, we regard the tax status of individuals as being a private matter between themselves and the appropriate Tax Office of HM Revenue and Customs.
We do not currently hold information on how many individuals claiming non-domicile tax status in the UK were born in the UK; how many individuals are eligible for non-domicile tax status in the UK; or, how many individuals have successfully applied for non-domicile tax status in each of the last 10 years.
Departments: Postal Services
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what volume of correspondence his Department sent (a) by Royal Mail and (b) by other commercial delivery services in each of the last five years; and what the reasons were for the use of other commercial delivery services. [150458]
Angela Eagle: The Treasury uses Royal Mail for its postal services, and other companies for parcel and courier deliveries.
| Number of items sent by Royal Mail | Number of parcel/courier deliveries | |
Information for 2002 is not available.
Excise Duties: Motor Vehicles
David Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what mechanism is in place to levy road tax on vehicles used in the UK but registered in other EU member states. [151248]
Angela Eagle: European Union (EU) vehicles (excluding commercial vehicles) circulating temporarily within or between member states are allowed under EC Directive 83/182 to be used on public roads without the need to register or license in the host country. These provisions limit visits to six months in any 12-month period and the vehicle must be compliant with the registration and licensing requirements of its home country. Any vehicle used in this country for more than six months in any 12 must be registered and licensed with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). In addition, where the keeper of the vehicle becomes resident in this country, the vehicle must immediately be registered and licensed here.
The Department for Transport is currently undertaking a feasibility study to explore ways of delivering better targeted enforcement on foreign heavy goods vehicles.
First Solution Money Transfer: Insolvency
Ms Keeble: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the impact on UK residents of the collapse of First Solution Money Transfer Ltd. [149505]
Kitty Ussher: In light of the recent financial difficulties experienced by the money transfer company, First Solution Money Transfer Ltd., the Companies Investigation Branch of the Insolvency Service, within the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, is carrying out an examination of the facts of the case. Further information is set out in my written ministerial statement, which was issued to the House on 11 July.
The Government welcome the announcement by the Sir William Beveridge Foundation on 16 July that an independent help line and support fund will be set up to provide advice and assistance to members of the Bangladeshi community affected. I will be making a personal donation to the fund, and would encourage others who are able to do so.
HM Revenue and Customs: Location
Mr. Burns: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made on the inquiry into the future of HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) offices; whether there are plans to relocate the Chelmsford HMRC offices; and if he will make a statement. [150881]
Jane Kennedy: For the purposes of HMRC’s regional review programme the two Chelmsford offices have been grouped in a cluster with Witham. No firm date has yet been set for the review of these offices but it will take place between this summer and early next year. Whatever the outcome of the review the inquiry centres housed in two of the offices will be retained in their current localities.
Home Information Packs
Alistair Burt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a copy of the written submissions by HM Revenue and Customs to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Department for Communities and Local Government on home information packs. [150665]
Angela Eagle: Representations on the Home Condition Report register were made by the Valuation Office Agency, an executive agency of HM Revenue and Customs. The information was provided in confidence and disclosure would therefore be inappropriate.
Inheritance Tax
Alistair Burt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the change in (a) inheritance tax revenue and (b) stamp duty revenue on property due to fiscal drag since 1997. [150668]
Jane Kennedy: No such estimates have been made. Budget 2007 announced that the inheritance tax nil rate band would rise by more than forecast inflation to £312,000 in 2008-09 and to £325,000 in 2009-10. The initial stamp duty threshold was doubled from £60,000 to £120,000 in Budget 2005 and further raised to £125,000 in Budget 2006.
Taxation: Environment Protection
Bob Spink: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which taxes are levied for reasons which include an aspect of meeting an environmental policy objective; and if he will make a statement. [150809]
Angela Eagle: Those taxes (and tax reliefs) that contribute towards meeting the Government's environmental policy objectives are set out in Table 7.2 of the Budget document.
I would also like to refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 18 July 2007, Official Report, column 443W.
Unemployment: Young People
Mr. Gauke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many economically inactive 18 to 24-year-olds there were in (a) 2006 and (b) 1997, broken down by (i) region and (ii) gender. [152030]
Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 23 July 2007:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about the levels of economically inactive people aged 18 to 24 by (i) region and (ii) gender in (a) 2006 and (b) 1997. (152030)
The attached table shows the numbers of economically inactive people aged 18 to 24 by region and gender for 1997 and 2006. The estimates cover the three month period ending December each year, and are not seasonally adjusted.
Each month the ONS publishes the latest estimates of economic inactivity by age in the Labour Market Statistics Regional First Release available in Table 10 in the attached link. http://www.statistics.gov.uk/onlineproducts/lms_regional.asp. This data is consistent with the data given in the table overleaf.
Estimates are taken from the Labour Force Survey (LFS). As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
| Economically inactive( 1) people aged 18 to 24 by region and gender 1997 and 2006, United Kingdom, not seasonally adjusted | |||
| Thousand | |||
| Three months ending December each year | All persons | Men | Women |
| (1 )Economically inactive people are those who are neither in employment or unemployed. (2 )Due to slight methodological differences between the way the national and regional LFS estimates have been adjusted for the 2001 Census there may be small differences between the UK totals and the sum of the regional components. The estimates in this table have been weighted to the 2005 mid-year population estimates. Source: ONS Labour Force Survey (ONS) | |||
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