| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
3 Dec 2007 : Column 1015W—continued
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Mr. Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of sexually transmitted diseases were diagnosed in each of the last five years, broken down by (a) primary care trust and (b) type of disease. [169282]
Dawn Primarolo: Information on the diagnoses of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in genitourinary clinics (GUM) is currently only available at strategic health authority (SHA) level. The total number of the five main STIs (gonorrhoea, chlamydia, syphilis, anogenital herpes and warts) by SHA for the last five years will be placed in the Library.
In addition to the figures for those diagnosed with chlamydia in GUM clinics the total number of people who have been diagnosed with chlamydia within the National Chlamydia Screening Programme by primary care trust since 2003-04 when the programme was launched, has been placed in the Library.
Sexually Transmitted Diseases: Health Education
Mr. Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department has spent on information campaigns about sexually transmitted infections over the last five years. [163018]
Dawn Primarolo: Expenditure on sexual health information campaigns in England for the last five years is contained in the following table(1):
(1) This includes funding for HIV prevention work (contracted out to the Terence Higgins Trust and the African HIV Policy Network), public education and contraception awareness (contracted out to the family planning association), the Sex Lottery and Condom Essential Wear campaigns and sexual health(1) helpline. (2) Contract for the Sexual Health Information Line, (formerly the National AIDS Helpline) is delivered as part of a contract which also includes Drinkline and Frank (substance misuse prevention).
| £ million | |
We have also contributed an average of £2 million per annum in 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08 to the Department for Children, Schools and Families for joint work on Teenage Pregnancy campaigns.
Speech Impaired: Disability Aids
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions his Department has had with (a) the Department for Communities and Local Government and (b) the Department for Work and Pensions on (i) funding for and (ii) provision of alternative and augmentative communication aids; and what (1) response he has made and (2) steps he has taken in response to the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit report on the life chances of disabled people in relation to the provision of such aids. [168780]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Department has not made any such estimates or assessments and has not issued guidance.
It is the responsibility of local health and social care organisations to prioritise and allocate funding for communication aids based on their assessment of the needs of their local populations. To support this process the Government recently announced, through the comprehensive spending review, that local authority funding will increase by £2.6 billion by 2010-11.
Recommendation 5.6 of the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit report “Improving the Life Chances of Disabled People”, focuses on the provision of community equipment, communication aids and wheelchairs for children. As part of the process of addressing this recommendation the Department launched the Transforming Community Equipment and Wheelchair Services programme in June 2006.
In addition, the Department, is working closely with the Department for Children, Schools and Families to support the Bercow Review. The Bercow Review is currently reviewing services for children and young people with speech, language and communication needs with the aim of producing a report in the summer of 2008.
Treasury
Alcoholic Drinks: Death
Mr. Vara: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many deaths attributable to (a) alcohol and (b) illegal drugs there were in the UK in each of the last five years, broken down by primary care trust. [169360]
Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 3 December 2007:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many deaths attributable to (a) alcohol and (b) illegal drugs there were in the UK in each of the last five years, broken down by primary care trust. (169360)
The attached table provides the number of (a) deaths with an alcohol-related underlying cause and (b) drug misuse deaths, in the United Kingdom, from 2001 to 2005 (the latest year available), and in English primary care organisations, from 2001 to 2006 and 2005 (the latest years available for alcohol-related and drug misuse deaths, respectively). A copy has been placed in the House of Commons Library.
Capital Gains Tax
Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate what the cost to the Exchequer would be of exempting from capital gains tax business owners who sell their businesses upon retirement up to the value of (a) £100,000, (b) £200,000, (c) £300,000, (d) £400,000, (e) £500,000 and (f) £1,000,000 in 2008-09. [166350]
Jane Kennedy: The cost would depend on the scope of the relief and on taxpayer behaviour. Broad estimates are provided in the table as follows:
| Exemption limit (£) | Annual reduction in CGT accruals (£ million) |
The initial impact on receipts would occur in the year after the introduction of the measure.
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will make an assessment of the likely effects of increasing the capital gains tax rate to 18 per cent. from April 2008 in relation to business assets held for at least two years on (a) long-term investment, (b) entrepreneurial risk-taking and (c) numbers of small businesses being established in England; [169097]
(2) what assessment he has made of the likely effects of equalising the capital gains tax rates of long-term business assets and personal investments in shares and property on (a) propensity to invest and (b) business optimism within the small business sector; and if he will make a statement; [169098]
(3) if he will reconsider his decision to increase the capital gains tax rate on business assets held for at least two years from 10 per cent. to 18 per cent. from April 2008; [169099]
(4) if he will retain the 10 per cent. taper relief on business assets held for at least two years. [169100]
Jane Kennedy: The Government consider a range of factors when formulating tax policy and keep all aspects of tax policy under review.
The Government believe that it is right to simplify the capital gains tax rules and are working with interested groups to listen to their views on a number of issues. The Chancellor will report to Parliament on his final proposals in due course.
Child Benefit
Dr. Murrison: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what guidance is provided to local benefit offices on the provision of the name of alternative claimants for child benefit to parents of the child concerned; and if he will make a statement. [164713]
Jane Kennedy: HM Revenue and Customs is responsible for the administration of child benefit. All information held or obtained by HMRC is treated as confidential under the terms of the Commissioners for Revenue and Customs Act 2005. As such child benefit office staff are not permitted to comment on or divulge any aspect of a child benefit claim with any person other than the claimant.
Dr. Murrison: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer in how many cases in each of the last 12 months the Commissioners for HM Revenue and Customs have made decisions concerning which claimant should receive child benefit, where there are multiple applicants; and if he will make a statement. [164715]
Jane Kennedy: The number of decisions made by the child benefit office in the last year concerning which claimant should receive child benefit where there have been applications made by more than one claimant (shared cases) in respect of the same child or children are shown in the table as follows:
| Month and year | Number of decision made |
Child Benefit: EC Nationals
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how much the Government have paid in child benefit to A8 nationals in respect of children living abroad in the last 12 months; [167645]
(2) how many claims for guardian's allowance from migrants in respect of children living abroad were made in each of the last 12 months; and how much was paid against such claims in each of those months; [167653]
(3) how many claims for child benefit by nationals of EEA countries were made in respect of children living abroad in the last 12 months; [167732]
(4) how many claims for child benefit have been made by A8 nationals of each country of origin in respect of children living abroad in the last 12 months; [167733]
(5) what projections his Department has made of future trends in the numbers of child benefit claims made by A8 nationals in respect of children living abroad. [167736]
Jane Kennedy: At the end of September 2007, there were 17,794 A8 nationals receiving child benefit for a child or children living in another EEA member state, broken down by nationality as follows.
| Country | Number of awards |
The other information requested is not available.
Child Benefit: Personal Records
Sarah Teather: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will notify all those who may have been directly affected by the loss of personal data from the Child Benefit database. [168120]
Jane Kennedy: Dave Hartnett, HMRC’s acting chairman, is writing to all affected customers, to reassure them that their child benefit payments will continue and to advise them of security precautions they may wish to take.
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the HM Revenue and Customs official who posted two compact discs containing confidential child benefit information was authorised to access and download such information to disc. [168207]
Jane Kennedy: It would be inappropriate to comment on this issue as there is an ongoing Metropolitan Police Service investigation and an independent review of HMRC’s security processes and procedures for data handling led by Kieran Poynter, the Chair of PricewaterhouseCoopers.
The full terms of reference for that review are available on the HM Treasury website at:
and a copy has been placed in the Library of the House.
Tom Brake: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many child benefit claimants in each London borough are affected by the loss of bank details by HM Revenue and Customs; and if he will make a statement. [169313]
Jane Kennedy [holding answer 29 November 2007]: The missing information contains details of all child benefit recipients, including those in London boroughs.
The Acting Chairman of HM Revenue and Customs is writing to all customers affected by the loss of child benefit data.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |