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19 Feb 2008 : Column 611W—continued
Sarah Teather:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what guidance his Department has issued to financial institutions on the rate of interest to be
applied to reclaimed bank and credit card charges; and if he will make a statement. [186351]
Angela Eagle: None. The issue of fairness of such charges is a matter for the Office of Fair Trading (OFT), which is independent of Government. In April 2006, the OFT stated that credit card default charges have been generally set at a significantly higher level than was considered legally fair. A £12 threshold for intervention was set: where credit card default charges are set above this threshold, the OFT will consider whether an investigation needs to be launched. The OFT also believes that the unfairness test in the ‘Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999’ covers bank charges and is investigating whether these charges are unfair. In order to provide certainty on whether the unfairness test applies, OFT is currently taking a test case against the major UK banks in the High Court.
Capital Gains Tax: Second Homes
Adam Price: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the likely change in tax revenue arising from the proposed revision to the capital gains tax rules governing homes other than a principal residence. [186907]
Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave him on 25 January 2008, Official Report, column 2340W.
Welfare Tax Credits: Complaints
Mr. Hepburn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many written complaints have been made to the tax credit hotline by people in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) the UK in each year since the inception of the service; [184907]
(2) how many telephone complaints have been made to the tax credit hotline by people in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) the UK in each year since the inception of the service. [184908]
Jane Kennedy: The information is not available in the format requested. However, I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban) on 31 January 2008, Official Report, column 682W, regarding the total number of complaints received by the Tax Credits Helpline.
Child Benefit: Personal Records
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what basis the police are conducting an investigation into the loss of child benefit data at HM Revenue and Customs; and whether it is classified as a criminal investigation. [183705]
Jane Kennedy: I refer the right hon. Gentleman to the Chancellor's statement to the House of 20 November 2007, Official Report , column 1101W, in which the Chancellor confirmed he instructed the then Chairman of HMRC to call in the police on 14 November 2007.
Council Tax: Valuation
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a copy of the minutes of the meeting of the Valuation Office Agency's Council Tax Revaluation Programme Board (England) of 22 November 2005. [176399]
John Healey: I have been asked to reply.
A copy of the minutes will be placed in the Library of the House.
Employment
Mr. MacShane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of the workforce is in permanent employment. [186773]
Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 19 February 2008:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about the percentage of the workforce in permanent employment. (186773)
In July-September 2007, which is the latest period available, 94 per cent of all employees aged 16 and over had a permanent main job.
This estimate is taken from the Labour Force Survey (LFS). This figure covers employees only since the LFS does not ask self employed people, unpaid family workers or those on government supported training and employment programmes whether their job is permanent or temporary.
Permanency relates to the job itself rather than to the individual who does the job.
As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
Excise Duties: Motor Vehicles
Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many cars registered in the UK were eligible for Band A vehicle excise duty in the latest period for which figures are available. [186953]
Angela Eagle: As at the end of September 2007 there were 363 vehicles licensed under the band A zero rate of Vehicle Excise Duty.
It has also come to light that the figure reported for band A in a written answer to the hon. Member for Bexleyheath and Crayford (Mr. Evennett) on 30 October 2006, Official Report, column 318W, was incorrect. The Treasury apologises for this error. The
correct figure for the number of band A cars licensed as at the end of October 2006 was 342.
The band A zero rate for cars with the very lowest carbon emissions was introduced in Budget 2006 to encourage take-up and assist the development of the low carbon market. The Government are aware of at least one model of car available in the UK market that is eligible for this rate.
Financial Services and Markets Act 2000
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on how many occasions since it was established the Financial Services Authority has used its powers under section 45 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. [186950]
Angela Eagle: The matter concerned is the responsibility of the Financial Services Authority (FSA), whose day-to-day operations are independent from Government control and influence. I have asked the Chairman of the FSA to write to the hon. Member on the issue he raises.
GCSE
Danny Alexander: To ask Chancellor of the Exchequer how many and what proportion of people of working age had fewer than five GCSEs grade A* to C in each region in each year since 1997. [186828]
Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 19 February 2008:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about how many and the proportion of people of working age with less than 5 GCSEs at A-C grade or equivalent in each region in each year since 1997. (186828)
The answer was compiled using estimates from the Labour Force Survey (LFS). This is a sample survey covering around 53,000 households in the United Kingdom.
The attached table gives the number and percentage of people of working age in the category requested for the three month period ending June each year, from 2001 to
2007.
Comparable estimates are not available prior to 2001. These estimates have not been seasonally adjusted.
The LFS estimates at this detailed level are only consistent with the UK population estimates published in February and March 2003 and they do not incorporate the more recent population estimates that are used in the headline LFS series.
As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
| London | South-east | South-west | Wales | Scotland | Northern Ireland | |
| (1) Men aged 16-64 and women aged to 16-59 (2) When calculating percentage those with unknown qualifications are excluded. (3) Includes all those of working age in employment with qualifications below NVQ level 2. including those with no qualifications. (4) Qualifications below NVQ level 2 is equivalent to fewer than five GCSEs. Note: Comparable data not available for 1997,1998, 1999 and 2000 Source: Labour Force Survey (LFS) | ||||||
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