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30 Oct 2007 : Column 1187W—continued
Office for National Statistics: Redundancy
Sarah Teather: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many redundancies the closure of the London Office of National Statistics is expected to create; what race equality impact assessment his Department has made of the closure; and what steps his Department is taking to ensure that staff with the necessary skills to maintain the quality of UK official statistics may be recruited outside London. [161676]
Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 30 October 2007:
As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question to the Chancellor of the Exchequer asking how many redundancies the closure of the London Office of National Statistics is expected to create; what race equality impact assessment his Department has made of the closure; and what steps his Department is taking to ensure that staff with the necessary skills to maintain the quality of UK official statistics may be recruited outside of London. (161676)
The ONS plans to relocate much of its statistical work from London to its offices in Newport and Titchfield follows the recommendations made in The Independent Review of Public Sector Location published by Sir Michael Lyons in March 2004. A subsequent target to relocate 850 posts out of London and the South East by April 2010 was set as part of the 2004 Spending Review.
So far ONS has relocated 347 full time equivalent (FTE) post out of London and the South East with a further 74 FTEs having moved from London to Titchfield. ONS has specific redeployment strategies in place, using the Cabinet Office protocols, to manage the reduction of staff and a dedicated team has been established to assist staff find opportunities elsewhere in other government offices. By working closely with the Cabinet Office and Trade Unions, ONS are committed to doing everything possible to avoid or minimise the need for compulsory redundancies for those people who wish to continue their careers in the Civil Service.
ONS completed a Race Equality Impact Assessment in 2004, this assessment was updated in 2006.
The work is moving to established offices in Newport and Titchfield which already have a broad base of statistical skills. ONS has a comprehensive risk management strategy in place aimed at maintaining the quality of its statistical outputs. The risks are under constant review and ONS will, if necessary, adjust the pace of relocation to minimise risk to key economic and social statistics. Many key outputs have already relocated from London without loss of quality. Key economic and social statistics such as the Consumer and Retail Price Indices, Social Trends and Labour Market statistics are now produced in Newport.
Staff turnover in London is traditionally much higher than in Newport, there is more risk of losing key skills in the capital. ONS has had significant success in their recruitment campaigns in Newport and Titchfield and are confident that they will meet recruitment targets.
Population
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what central assumptions his Department makes in its projections for (a) mean and (b) median (i) fertility, (ii) average age at marriage and (iii) marriage rates for each gender. [161835]
Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 30 October 2007:
As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your question regarding the central assumptions made in projections for (a) mean and (b) median (i) fertility, (ii) average age at marriage and (iii) marriage rates for each gender. (161835).
Assumptions of fertility rates are required for national population projections. The most recent national population projections, based on the population at the middle of 2006, were published on 23 October 2007. Details of the central fertility assumptions for the UK and its constituent countries are available at:
Projections of the population by legal marital status are only produced at England and Wales level. The most recent population projections by marital status are based on the population at the middle of 2003 and were published in March 2005. Details of the marriage rate assumptions are available at:
It would require further work to calculate projections of the average age at marriage consistent with the marriage rate assumptions used for the 2003-based marital status projections. This information could be provided at a later date.
Pre-Budget Report 2007
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when it was decided that the title of the 2007 Pre-Budget Report and Comprehensive Spending Review would be Meeting the aspirations of the British people. [159066]
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what the printing costs were of (a) the 2007 Pre-Budget Report, (b) the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review main document and (c) the 2007 Budget Report; [159915]
(2) on what date and at what time printing began for (a) the 2007 Pre-Budget Report, (b) the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review main document and (c) the 2007 Budget Report; [159916]
(3) if he will place in the Library a copy of a draft from before 1 October of his Pre-Budget Report and Comprehensive Spending Review speech. [160077]
Andy Burnham: It has been the practice of successive Governments not to release drafts of official documents, nor to provide a commentary on drafting or production processes.
The 2007 pre-Budget report (PBR) and comprehensive spending review (CSR) is a single document, the printing costs of which have yet to be confirmed. The document was published on 9 October. The approximate cost associated with the printing of the Budget 2007 document was £60,000 (excluding VAT).
As is typically the case for all Budgets, pre-Budget reports and spending reviews, the printing of the documentation accompanying the 2007 PBR and CSR started around two weeks ahead of the publication date. The printing of the main document began in the final days ahead of the publication date.
Pregnant Women: Nutrition
Norman Lamb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the annual cost of the proposed payment to pregnant women in respect of healthy diets. [161746]
Jane Kennedy: The grant will provide financial support to all expectant mothers in recognition of the importance of a healthy lifestyle including diet during the final weeks of pregnancy.
Based on an assumption that the proposed Health in Pregnancy Grant will be a one-off payment of £190, the estimated annual cost is £160 million in 2009-10 and £130 million in each subsequent year. The estimated annual cost is higher in the first year as there will be more claims in that year, from those women in their final weeks of pregnancy at April 2009, who satisfy the entitlement conditions on the date of introduction.
Public Expenditure
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which aspects of the 2006-07 policy review were adopted in the final version of the Comprehensive Spending Review. [160037]
Andy Burnham: Together with a wider process of analysis and external engagement, the 2006-07 policy reviews informed the broad priorities reflected in the departmental budgets and public service agreements set by the 2007 comprehensive spending review (CSR). The detailed policy ideas emerging from the reviews are being considered by relevant Departments as part of their ongoing policy development over the course of the 2007 CSR period.
Mr. Brady: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what the projected real terms percentage annual increase in public expenditure per capita is (a) in total and (b) for each Government Department taking account of anticipated population growth over the current Comprehensive Spending Review period; [160835]
(2) what the projected real terms percentage annual increase in public expenditure is (a) in total and (b) for each Government Department above the level needed to keep pace with anticipated population growth over the current Comprehensive Spending Review period. [160836]
Mr. Darling: Table 3.1 of the pre-Budget report and Comprehensive Spending Review (Cm7227) sets out real growth in departmental expenditure limits in total and by Department.
Population was identified as on one of the long term factors that formed part of the analysis underpinning the CSR, published in “Long Term Challenges and Opportunities for the UK: Analysis for the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review” in November 2006. The latest population projections, which are consistent with the range of assumptions in the CSR, are available on the Government Actuary's Department website at:
Regional Procurement Bodies
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the name and address of each of the regional procurement bodies. [158217]
Angela Eagle: There are a number of purchasing consortia which are run by local authorities; these operate on a sub-regional, regional, and cross-regional basis. We do not hold this information centrally. However, the Society of Procurement Officers (SOPO) maintains a comprehensive list of member authorities. The Society can be contacted through their website at http://www.sopo.org.uk
Collaborative procurement organisations within the NHS consist of NHS trusts and primary care trusts. These are normally within the same strategic health authority or regional boundary, collaborating to make the most effective procurement and supply chain decisions, in conjunction with NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency and other organisations including Office of Government Commerce (OGC) and regional developments agencies, in order to provide best value for stakeholders within their respective health economies.
Smuggling: Drugs
Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the impact of the Law Enforcement Business Plan on seizures of controlled drugs and illegal firearms smuggled into the UK made in (a) the south west region and (b) across the UK since it was implemented. [155846]
Angela Eagle: The Law Enforcement Business Plan was published by the former HM Customs and Excise in 2003 to focus operational activities on HMCE's strategic law enforcement priorities, namely tobacco, oils, alcohol and Class A drugs. No assessment has been made of the impact of the plan on seizures of controlled drugs or illegal firearms. HM Revenue and Customs continues to work closely with SOCA, the Home Office and other key partners to tackle threats to the UK from a wide variety of prohibited and restricted goods.
Taxation: Defaulters
Mr. Djanogly: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many investigations of alleged tax defaulters begun by HM Revenue and Customs and its predecessors in each of the last 10 years have resulted in (a) proceedings being issued and (b) a conviction. [159817]
The Solicitor-General: I have been asked to reply.
Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office (RCPO) was created as an independent Government Department on 18 April 2005.
The following table lists the number of tax prosecutions we have brought since 1998. It should be noted that the number of cases does not necessarily have a one to one correlation with the number of HMRC investigations undertaken.
| Number of cases | Number of cases resulting in convictions | Type of case | |
| (1) 2007-08 includes figures for April to September (six months). (2) This data could be provided only at a disproportionate cost. | |||
Taxation: Domicile
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assumptions he made in estimating the revenue raised from Modernisation of residence and domicile taxation in table B4, page 164 of the pre-Budget Report about (a) the number of non-domiciles who would pay the new £30,000 charge, (b) the gain from non-domiciles who choose to bring their tax affairs on-shore and (c) other factors for (i) 2009-10 and (ii) 2010-11. [161691]
Jane Kennedy: I very much regret that it has not proved possible to answer the hon. Gentleman’s question, which first appeared on 26 October, before Parliament is prorogued later today.
Teenage Pregnancy: Peterborough
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many conceptions among girls (a) 18 years old, (b) 17 years old, (c) 16 years old, (d) 15 years old and (e) 14 years old and under occurred in (i) Peterborough constituency and (ii) Peterborough City Council area in each year since 1997. [161875]
Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 30 October 2007:
As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many conceptions among girls (a) 18 years old, (b) 17 years old, (c) 16 years old, (d) 15 years old, (e) 14 years old and under occurred in (i) Peterborough constituency and (ii) Peterborough City Council in each year since 1997. (161875)
Numbers of conceptions in Peterborough UA for the years 1997-2005 (the most recent year for which figures are available) are shown in the table below. Figures for 2005 are provisional.
Figures on under 16 and under 18 conceptions are estimated using the number of conceptions that resulted in a live birth, stillbirth or legal termination.
Information on conceptions is routinely published for local authorities and strategic health authorities. Figures cannot be provided by Parliamentary Constituency because of the risk of
disclosing individual's information, due to small differences between the Parliamentary Constituency and local authority boundaries.
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