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13 Dec 2007 : Column 817W—continued
and a copy has been placed in the Library of the House.
Tom Brake: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he proposes to review how his Department transports data; and whether his Department uses TNT to transport data. [169383]
Jane Kennedy: The loss of the discs is subject to an ongoing investigation and it would be inappropriate to comment further.
On 20 November the Chancellor announced an independent review of HMRC’s data handling procedures to be conducted by Kieran Poynter, the Chair of PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Mr. Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people of each grade have (a) partial and (b) full access to data held by (i) his Department and (ii) HM Revenue and Customs on child benefit recipients; what guidance his Department issues to persons seeking access to those data; and if he will make a statement; [169589]
Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what mechanisms his Department has in place to ensure that its databases containing personal information on members of the public are not accessed by (a) unauthorised staff and (b) authorised staff for unauthorised purposes. [169717]
Jane Kennedy: On 20 November the Chancellor announced an independent review of HMRC's data handling procedures to be conducted by Kieran Poynter, the chair of PricewaterhouseCoopers.
The full terms of reference for that review are available on the HM Treasury website at http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/newsroom_and_speeches/press/2007/press_133_07.cfm and a copy has been placed in the Library of the House.
Departmental Databases
Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff of each grade have access to electronic databases in his Department which contain personal information on members of the public. [169713]
Jane Kennedy: On 20 November, the Chancellor announced an independent review of HMRC’s security processes and procedures for data handling, to be conducted by Kieran Poynter, the Chair of PricewaterhouseCoopers. The full terms of reference for that review are available on the HM Treasury website at: http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/newsroom_ and_speeches/press/2007/press_133_07.cfm and a copy has been placed in the Library of the House
Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many times databases in his Department containing personal information on members of the public were accessed in each month of the last five years. [169714]
Jane Kennedy: On 20 November the Chancellor announced an independent review of HMRC's data handling procedures to be conducted by Kieran Poynter, the chair of PricewaterhouseCoopers.
The full terms of reference for that review are available on the HM Treasury website at http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/newsroom_and_speeches/press/2007/press_133_07.cfm and a copy has been placed in the Library of the House.
Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many times databases in his Department containing personal information on members of the public were transferred (a) physically and (b) electronically in each year since 1997. [169715]
Jane Kennedy: This information is not available.
Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many requests his Department received from the National Audit Office for access to its databases containing personal information on members of the public in each year since 1997. [169716]
Jane Kennedy: The information requested could be made available only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Telephone Services
Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 6 December 2007 , Official Report, column 1492W, on departmental telephone services, if he will provide the information his Department holds on the costs of each of its contact centres. [173809]
Jane Kennedy: The requested information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Visits Abroad
David Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department spent on overnight accommodation for Ministers overseas in the last year. [171329]
Angela Eagle: Details of the cost of overseas travel, including the cost of travel and accommodation are contained in the Overseas Travel by Cabinet Ministers list. The latest list for the period 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007 was published on 25 July 2007. Details for the 2007-08 financial year will be published as soon as possible after the end of the financial year. All travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code.
Economic and Monetary Union
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of UK performance against the five economic tests for entry to the euro; and if he will make a statement. [173572]
Kitty Ussher: The Government’s policy on membership of the single currency is unchanged. It remains as set out by the former Chancellor in his statement to the House of Commons in October 1997, and again in the statement on the five tests assessment in June 2003.
The June 2003 statement on UK membership of the European single currency set out a reform agenda of concrete and practical steps to address the policy requirements identified by the 2003 assessment. The former Chancellor committed the Government to an annual review of progress.
The former Chancellor announced in Budget 2007 that,
“the Government does not propose a euro assessment to be initiated at the time of this budget.”
The Treasury will again review the situation at Budget time next year as required by the June 2003 statement.
Minimum Wage
Mr. Byers: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of the (a) reductions in tax credit expenditure and (b) additional taxation and national insurance revenue which would result from an increase in the national minimum wage to £6.75 per hour. [174024]
Jane Kennedy: Changes in expenditure and revenue are not only dependent on the level of the national minimum wage, but also the macroeconomic effects of an increase to the national minimum wage.
It is not possible to reliably estimate the impact that increasing the minimum wage to £6.75 per hour would have. Such a large increase at one time would be likely to jeopardise employment and inflation.
Perinatal Mortality
Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many stillbirths there were as a percentage of all births in the UK in each of the last 10 years. [173968]
Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 13 December 2007:
The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many stillbirths there were as a percentage of all births in the UK in-each of the last 10 years. I am replying in her absence. (173968)
The table below shows the number of stillbirths, and stillbirths as a percentage of all births in the UK, 1997 to 2006.
| Number of stillbirths and stillbirths as a percentage of all births, United Kingdom, 1997-2006 | ||
| Year | No. of stillbirths | Stillbirths as % of all births( 1) |
| (1) All births includes live births and stillbirths. | ||
Population: Staffordshire
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the population is of (a) Staffordshire and (b) Tamworth constituency, broken down by age group; and if he will make a statement. [173078]
Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 13 December 2007:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your question asking what the population is of (a) Staffordshire and (b) Tamworth constituency, broken down by age group (173078).
The attached table, Table 1a, shows the population by quinary age group for Staffordshire for mid-2005 and mid-2006. Table 1b shows the population by quinary age group for Tamworth constituency for mid-2005. These are the latest population estimates available.
| Table 1a: Population estimates for Staffordshire by quinary age group for mid-2005 and mid-2006 | ||||||||||
| Thousand | ||||||||||
| Mid-year | All ages | 0-4 | 5-9 | 10-14 | 15-19 | 20-24 | 25-29 | 30-34 | 35-39 | 40-44 |
| Thousand | |||||||||
| Mid-year | 45-49 | 50-54 | 55-59 | 60-64 | 65-69 | 70-74 | 75-79 | 80-84 | 85+ |
| Table 1 b : Population estimates for Tamworth parliamentary constituency by quinary age group for mid-2005 | ||||||||||
| Thousand | ||||||||||
| Mid-year | All ages | 0-4 | 5-9 | 10-14 | 15-19 | 20-24 | 25-29 | 30-34 | 35-39 | 40-44 |
| Thousand | |||||||||
| Mid-year | 45-49 | 50-54 | 55-59 | 60-64 | 65-69 | 70-74 | 75-79 | 80-84 | 85+ |
| Note: Data are rounded to the nearest 100 and therefore may not add due to rounding. Source: Office for National Statistics. | |||||||||
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