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29 Oct 2007 : Column 898W—continued

Joint Ministerial Committee on Child Poverty

Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Joint Ministerial Committee on Child Poverty will next meet; and if he will make a statement. [161048]

Jane Kennedy: There are a number of other forums in which the Government and the devolved Administrations have discussed child poverty. In the last two years, officials have met at regular intervals.

The CSR reconfirmed the Government’s commitment to the target of halving child poverty by 2010, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer will meet with the Secretaries of State for Children, Schools and Families and for Work and Pensions to oversee this PSA in the coming months.

Life Expectancy: East Midlands

Mr. Skinner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the life expectancy is of (a) men and (b) women in (i) the East Midlands and (ii) the South East; and what it was in (A) 1996 and (B) 2000. [161449]

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

Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 29 October 2007:


29 Oct 2007 : Column 899W
Table 1: Period life expectancy at birth( 1) , East Midlands and South East Government office regions, 1995-97,1999-2001 and 2003-05( 2) , males and females
Years of life
East Midlands South East
Males Females Males Females

1995-97

75

80

76

81

1999-2001

76

80

77

81

2003-05

77

81

78

82

(1) Period life expectancy at birth is an estimate of the average number of years a newborn baby would survive if he or she experienced the area’s age-specific mortality rates for that time period throughout his or her life. The figure reflects mortality among those living in the area in each time period, rather than mortality among those born in each area. It is not therefore the number of years a baby born in the area in each time period could actually expect to live, both because the death rates of the area are likely to change in the future and because many of those born in the area will live elsewhere for at least some part of their lives.
(2) Three-year rolling averages, based on deaths registered in each year and mid-year population estimates.

Lloyds TSB

Mr. Spring: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what meetings he and his Ministers have had with representatives of Lloyds TSB in the last two months; [159448]

(2) on what date the Treasury received a document stating that Lloyds TSB had agreed to purchase Northern Rock; and whether this document had been agreed by the Bank of England and the Financial Services Authority; [159819]

(3) whether his Department overruled an agreement between Lloyds TSB and Northern Rock on the sale of Northern Rock; [159820]

(4) whether his Department provided information to Baroness Vadera on the proposed sale of Northern Rock to Lloyds TSB; [159821]

(5) whether (a) he and (b) Ministers from his Department have had meetings with Baroness Vadera to discuss Northern Rock. [159822]

Kitty Ussher: No firm proposal for purchase of Northern Rock plc was received from Lloyds TSB or any other bidder. Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.

Long Term Unemployed: Gwent

Mr. Touhig: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people were (a) long-term unemployed and (b) long-term youth unemployed in Islwyn in each of the last 10 years. [161120]


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

Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 29 October 2007:

Table 1: Number of long-term unemployed people resident in Islwyn constituency
Thousand
12 months ending Aged 16 and over Aged 16-24

February 1998

(1)

(1)

February 1999

(2)

(2)

February 2000

(2)

(2)

February 2001

1

(2)

February 2002

(3)

(2)

February 2003

(3)

(2)

February 2004

(3)

(2)

March 2005

1

(2)

March 2006

1

(3)

March 2007

(3)

(2)

(1) Not available. (2) Sample size too small to provide estimates. (3) Less than 500 people. Note s : 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: Annual average number of long-term JSA claimants resident in Islwyn constituency
Aged 18 and over Aged 18-24

1997

335

60

1998

205

30

1999

195

5

2000

170

0

2001

150

0

2002

125

0

2003

125

0

2004

115

5

2005

155

15

2006

170

30

Note s : 1. Claimant count data by age includes computerised claims only. 2. Dataset rounded to the nearest 5. Source: Jobcentre Plus Administrative system.

29 Oct 2007 : Column 901W

Manufacturing Industries: Manpower

Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 8 October 2007, Official Report, column 228W, on manufacturing industries: manpower, how many people of each (a) five year age cohort and (b) gender were employed in the manufacturing industries as a proportion of the working age population in each local authority area in each year for which figures are available. [161391]

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

Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 29 October 2007:

Members: Correspondence

Mr. Pope: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reasons his Department estimates that it will take three months to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Hyndburn in relation to the tax credits of his constituent Miss Lisa M. Barnes. [161186]

Jane Kennedy: Following the administrative issue I referred to in my statement of 25 July 2007, Official Report , columns 62-63WS, some parts of HMRC's tax credits business have, unfortunately, been subject to delays. HMRC regret this and will continue to try to deal with all cases as quickly as they can.

These delays are a result of HMRC having to look again at cases potentially affected by the procedural error and to ensure that households/individuals affected by the error are not given incorrect advice in advance of their award being reviewed.

The three months indicated in the recent letter to the hon. Member was intended to be helpful and indicate the latest date by which HMRC hoped to have resolved the inquiry.

Mr. Pope: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reasons his Department estimates that it will take three months to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Hyndburn in relation to the tax credits of his constituent Mrs. Ayesha Ejaz. [161187]

Jane Kennedy: HM Revenue and Customs replied to my hon. Friend’s recent letter about his constituent on 26 October 2007.

Following the administrative issue I referred to in my statement of 25 July 2007, Official Report, columns 62-63WS, some parts of HMRC’s tax credits business have, unfortunately, been subject to delays. HMRC regret this and will continue to try to deal with all cases as quickly as they can.


29 Oct 2007 : Column 902W

These delays are a result of HMRC having to look again at cases potentially affected by the procedural error and to ensure that households/individuals affected by the error are not given incorrect advice in advance of their award being reviewed.

The three months indicated in the recent letter to the hon. Member was intended to be helpful and indicate the latest date by which HMRC hoped to have resolved the inquiry.

Mr. Pope: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reason his Department estimates that it will take five months to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Hyndburn in relation to the tax credits of his constituent Mrs. Patricia E. Batt. [161188]

Jane Kennedy: HM Revenue and Customs replied to my hon. Friend’s letter about his constituent on 26 October 2007 and regret the delay in doing so.

Following the administrative issue I referred to in my statement of 25 July 2007, Official Report, columns 62-63WS, some parts of HMRC’s tax credits business have, unfortunately, been subject to delays. HMRC regret this and will continue to try to deal with all cases as quickly as they can.

These delays are a result of HMRC having to look again at cases potentially affected by the procedural error and to ensure that households/individuals affected by the error are not given incorrect advice in advance of their award being reviewed.

The three months indicated in the recent letter to the hon. Member was intended to be helpful and indicate the latest date by which HMRC hoped to have resolved the inquiry.

John Penrose: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to reply to the letters of (a) 23 July 2007, (b) 12 September 2007 and (c) 9 October 2007 from the hon. Member for Weston-Super-Mare on the Youth Parliament and the Youth Opportunity Fund. [161770]

Andy Burnham: I replied to the hon. Member on 25 October.


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