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12 Nov 2007 : Column 13W—continued
Flood Control: Finance
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has to review the system on which funding is allocated for flood defences. [162176]
Mr. Woolas: Following public consultation in the spring, a set of measures has been developed to provide greater clarity on the outcomes to be achieved from flood and coastal erosion risk management funding and policies.
The consultation included a range of approaches to investment prioritisation. We are working with the Environment Agency to develop an effective prioritisation process for the capital improvement programme in order to deliver the outcomes desired in future years. We anticipate that targets will be set for the capital programme on the basis of the new Outcome Measures from the next financial year and for maintenance activities from 2009-10.
Floods
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs who has responsibility for measures to (a) avoid and (b) mitigate surface water flooding. [161892]
Mr. Woolas: The information is as follows:
(a) New planning policy published by the Department for Communities and Local Government—Planning Policy Statement 25—aims to avoid and manage the risk of flooding to new development from all sources. Planning authorities should direct development to areas at least risk of flooding and consider how land use planning can reduce the risk of surface water flooding through the development of Surface Water Management Plans and sustainable drainage systems.
(b) For existing development, the impacts of surface water flooding can be mitigated by providing safe overland routes for the discharge of excess flows or improvements to below ground drainage. Below ground drainage is largely the responsibility of the water and sewerage companies for the public sewerage system, but also highway authorities for road drainage and private owners for drains and culverts on their land. Local planning authorities can ensure that drainage arrangements for surface water from new development do not impact on other areas.
For the future, DEFRA is currently funding 15 pilot projects to identify improvements to the integrated management of urban drainage. We also intend to give the Environment Agency a strategic overview of all forms of flood risk, including risk from surface water.
Floods: Insurance
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations he has received from insurance companies on a review of the statement of principles in relation to flooding. [161889]
Mr. Woolas: The Association of British Insurers (ABI)’s Statement of Principles sets out the commitments made by ABI members towards the continued availability of flood insurance cover, together with associated commitments by Government on effective flood risk management. We have a continuing dialogue with the insurance industry at both ministerial and official level and have agreed to work with the ABI to review the Statement over the coming months.
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has to ensure that people who live in flood risk areas can afford insurance excesses following claims made as a result of flooding. [162030]
Mr. Woolas:
We are continuing to work with the Association of British Insurers (ABI) to support our mutual aim of ensuring continued widespread availability of flood insurance cover. The ABI’s commitments on this and associated undertakings by
Government on effective flood risk management are set out in the Statement of Principles.
Premiums and excesses are not covered by the Statement. These will reflect different degrees of risk and are a matter for individual insurers. Following the recent flooding, a Flood Recovery working group, consisting of representatives from Government departments and the ABI, has been established to consider issues relating to flood recovery and insurance.
The Government have also asked the Financial Inclusion Taskforce to work with the insurance industry to develop options for promoting increased take-up of key insurance products among financially excluded households. The Government will consider the Taskforce’s recommendations in developing a detailed action plan for financial inclusion later this year.
Treasury
Assets
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the value was of the indexation relief claimed on the disposal of (a) business assets and (b) non-business assets in each year since 1997. [162907]
Jane Kennedy: Estimates of the total cost of the indexation allowance to the Exchequer are published in Table A3.1 of the 2007 Financial Statement and Budget report. Estimates for 2007-08 are published in Table 7 of the 2007 Tax Ready Reckoner.
Figures for the value of indexation relief claimed split by type of asset are not available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect of taper relief since inception on the length of time (a) business and (b) non-business assets were held. [162968]
Jane Kennedy: Table 14.9 of the capital gains tax National Statistics provides statistics on the distribution of length of time assets have been held by type of asset.
Research carried out by Ipsos MORI on taxpayers' perceptions of the capital gains tax regime was published in December 2006.
Capital Gains Tax
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the receipts from capital gains tax were in each month since May 1997. [162979]
Jane Kennedy: Annual receipts of capital gains tax are available in National Statistics table 1.2 on the HMRC website at the following address:
Figures for monthly receipts of capital gains tax are not available.
Andrew George: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) whether he plans to introduce tax relief from the new flat rate of capital gains tax announced in his pre-Budget report for gains made on investments in second homes; [163280]
(2) what steps he will take to monitor the effect of the changes to capital gains tax announced in his pre-Budget report on the (a) number of and (b) trends in purchasing second homes. [163281]
Jane Kennedy: The 2007 pre-Budget report announced a reform of the capital gains tax regime. The Government keep all aspects of tax policy under review.
Civil Servants: Yorkshire and Humberside
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many jobs in the Civil Service there were in (a) Yorkshire and Humberside and (b) Huddersfield in 1997; and how many there are in each area. [162164]
Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 12 November 2007:
As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning how many jobs in the Civil Service there were in (a) Yorkshire and Humberside and (b) Huddersfield in 1997; and how many there are in each area now. (162164)
The closest measure available is the full time equivalent number of people in employment in the civil service. These statistics are published only at the level of the Government Offices for the Regions i.e. Yorkshire and the Humber. In order to provide more detailed information, an ad hoc analysis has been required. This analysis is based on the Mandate survey which currently provides approximately 90 per cent. coverage of Civil Service departments and agencies. The most detailed level of information available is for Kirklees (including Huddersfield).
| Civil service employment | ||
| Full-time equivalents | ||
| Yorkshire and the Humber | Civil service (Mandate only)-Kirklees (including Huddersfield) | |
| Source: Civil Service Statistics/Mandate | ||
Death: Eastern Region
Mr. Spring: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many winter excess deaths there were in (a) the East of England and (b) Suffolk in each of the last five years. [162584]
Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 12 November 2007:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many winter excess deaths there were in (a) the East of England and (b) Suffolk in each of the last five years. (162584)
Estimates of excess winter deaths relate to a four-month period from December of one year to March of the next year. The table below provides the number of excess winter deaths in (a) the East of England government office region and (b) Suffolk county for the years 2000/01 to 2004/05 (the latest available).
| Table 1: Excess winter deaths( 1,)( 2) , East of England Government office region and Suffolk county( 3) , 2000-01 to 2004-05 | ||
| Deaths (persons) | ||
| Winter | East of England | Suffolk |
| (1) The estimated number of excess winter deaths is the difference between the number of deaths during the four winter months (December to March) and the average number of deaths during the preceding four months (August to November) and the following four months (April to July). Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. (2) Data are based on deaths occurring in each month. (3) Using boundaries as of 2007 for all years. | ||
Industrial Building Allowances: Hotels
Mr. Cox: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many hotel businesses are claiming the industrial buildings allowance. [162875]
Jane Kennedy: The information requested is not available. Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs publishes information on the total industrial buildings allowances claimed against corporation tax broken down by sector. The latest information, to 2005, is available here:
Inheritance Tax: Wales
Mr. David Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many estates of persons resident in Wales were liable to inheritance tax in each of the last three financial years. [163512]
Jane Kennedy: It is not possible to provide figures for England and Wales separately.
Manpower: Government Departments
Mr. Gauke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library copies of the employee surveys relating to his Department for (a) 2005, (b) 2006 and (c) 2007. [162109]
Angela Eagle:
I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer the former Financial Secretary, my hon. Friend
the Member for Westminster (Mr. Healey) gave on 1 March 2007, Official Report, column 1489W.
National Insurance Contributions
Mike Penning: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was raised from national insurance contributions in (a) 2004-05, (b) 2005-06 and (c) 2006-07. [163394]
Jane Kennedy: Information on receipts of national insurance contributions is published in Table 1.2 on the HMRC website. A link to the most recent publication is
Northern Rock
Mr. Fallon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much has been paid by his Department to Goldman Sachs for its advice on Northern Rock. [162087]
Kitty Ussher: No money has yet been paid to Goldman Sachs for its advice on Northern Rock.
Pay
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the rate of earnings growth was for (a) male and (b) female employees aged (i) 18 to 29, (ii) 30 to 39, (iii) 40 to 49, (iv) 50 to 59 and (v) 60 years and over in each year since 1997. [162304]
Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karren Dunnell, dated 12 November 2007:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent parliamentary question asking the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the rate of earnings growth was for (a) male and (b) female employees aged (i) 18 to 29, (ii) 30 to 39, (iii) 40 to 49, (iv) 50 to 59 and (v) 60 years and over in each year since 1997. (162304)
Levels of earnings are estimated from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) and are provided for all full-time employees on adult rates of pay, whose pay for the survey period was not affected by absence. The ASHE, carried out in April each year, is the most comprehensive source of earnings information in the United Kingdom.
I attach tables showing median gross weekly earnings for full-time males and full-time females by age from 1997 to 2007.
| Gross weekly pay for full-time male employee jobs( a) by age | ||||||
| All employees | Percentage growth | 18-21 | Percentage growth | 22-29 | Percentage growth | |
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