Written Answers to Questions
Thursday 20 March 2008
Scotland
Television Screens
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many plasma television screens have been purchased by his Department, and at what cost, in the last 24 months. [191074]
Treasury
Banking Services
Dr. Stoate: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what guidance he has issued to financial institutions on (a) the level of identification required in order to open a bank account and (b) access to banking services for those who do not possess standard forms of identification. [195225]
Angela Eagle: Under the Money Laundering Regulations 2007 customers opening a bank account must satisfy the relevant financial institution as to their identity. Financial institutions are also required to maintain appropriate records and monitor accounts.
The regulations do not prescribe that customers must produce particular documents such as a driving license or passport.
Guidance from the Joint Money Laundering Steering Group provides advice on the identification and verification requirements that financial institutions must apply. That guidance was updated in 2007, and was approved by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. It is available at:
That guidance sets out the standard evidence that private individuals might usually provide. It also addresses the particular situation of those at risk of financial exclusion where the usual evidence may not be available. In these cases “non-standard” evidence can be accepted.
The guidance specifically discourages financial institutions from declining to open an account because “non-standard” evidence is produced.
Departmental Internet
Mr. Stephen O'Brien:
To the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 5 February 2008, Official Report, column 1047W, on departmental
intranet, how many Wikipedia entries have been (a) created and (b) amended from departmental IP addresses. [195345]
Angela Eagle: The information requested could be collected only at disproportionate cost.
Research and Development Tax Credit
Tim Loughton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) when he expects the European Commission to approve Budget 2006 measures relating to research and development tax credits; what recent discussions his Department has had with the Commission and EU counterparts on the measures; and if he will make a statement; [195154]
(2) what consideration has been given to the retrospective application of Budget 2006 measures relating to research and development tax credits once EC approval has been granted; what estimate has been made of the number of companies who will be included as a consequence of an increase in the SME headcount as it relates to the 2006 measures; what estimate has been made of the costs involved in applying the changes retrospectively; and if he will make a statement. [195337]
Angela Eagle: Since the announcement of the extension to mid-sized companies in Budget 2006, the Government announced further changes to the small and medium-sized (SME) Research and Development (R and D) tax credit and the Vaccines Research Relief (VRR) in Budget 2007, which were added to the notification of the change of the aids. The European Commission (EC) has also introduced a new framework for Research, Development and Innovation (R and D and I) State aids.
So that the previous changes meet the requirements of the EC’s new R and D and I framework, and hence gain State aid approval, Budget 2008 announced changes to the eligibility criteria for claiming the SME R and D tax credit and VRR.
Legislation included in Finance Act 2007 made provision for the doubling of the SME size criteria from a date not earlier than 1 April 2007. Estimates at that time suggested that around 100 to 200 companies would benefit at a cost of around £40 million a year.
As a result of ongoing discussions and the Budget 2008 changes, the Government hope to receive approval of the changes announced in Budget 2006 and 2007 shortly. Once approval is received, the Government will make an announcement about the date from which these three changes will take effect.
Suicide
Bob Spink: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of deaths from suicide in each of the last five years were (a) male and (b) female; and what proportion of deaths fell into each age decile. [195845]
Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 20 March 2008:
As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what proportion of deaths from suicide in each of the last five years were (a) male and (b) female; and what proportion of deaths fell in each age decile.
Table 1 below, contains the number and proportion of suicides by sex, in England and Wales from 2002 to 2006, the latest year for which data are available. Tables 2 and 3 show, respectively, the number and proportions of suicides in ten-year age groups.
As there were only 18 suicides in this five-year period of children aged under 15, these deaths are not included in the tables below.
| Table 1: Number and proportion of deaths from suicide( 1) and injury/poisoning of undetermined intent( 2) , by sex, people aged 15 and over, England and Wales, 2002 to 2006( 3) | ||||
| Males | Females | |||
| Number of deaths | Percentage | Number of deaths | Percentage | |
| Table 2: Number of deaths from suicide( 1) and injury/poisoning of undetermined intent( 2) , by age group, people aged 15 and over, England and Wales, 2002 to 2006( 3) | |||||||||
| 15-24 | 25-34 | 35-44 | 45-54 | 55-64 | 65-74 | 75-84 | 85 and over | 15 and over | |
| Table 3 : Proportion of deaths from suicide( 1) and injury/poisoning of undetermined intent( 2) , people aged 15 and over, England and Wales, 2002 to 2006( 3) | |||||||||
| Percentage | |||||||||
| 15-24 | 25-34 | 35-44 | 45-54 | 55-64 | 65-74 | 75-84 | 85 and over | 15 and over | |
| (1) The cause of death for suicide was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes X60-X84. (2) In England and Wales, it has been customary to assume that most injuries and poisonings of undetermined intent, in those aged 15 and over, are cases where the harm was self-inflicted but there was insufficient evidence to prove that the deceased deliberately intended to kill themselves. ONS therefore includes in its suicide statistics both those deaths from intentional self-harm, and those from injury/poisoning of undetermined intent. The cause of death for injury/poisoning of undetermined intent was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes Y10-Y34 excluding Y33.9 where the coroner’s verdict was pending. (3) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year. | |||||||||
Welfare Tax Credits
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 10 March 2008, Official Report, column 131W, on welfare tax credits, how many households (a) were owed tax credit payments which were delayed for more than four weeks and (b) owed tax credit repayments which they delayed repaying for more than four weeks. [195576]
Jane Kennedy: The information requested is not available.
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the tax credit entitlement is for households earning (a) £10,000, (b) £15,000 and (c) £20,000 with (i) one, (ii) two and (iii) three children for (A) a two parent, single earner household, (B) a two parent, double earner household and (C) a single parent working household. [195972]
Angela Eagle: For information on 2007-08 child and working tax credit entitlements for families with at least one adult working 30 hours or more a week, and with one, two or three children, I refer the right hon. Member to the HMRC leaflet WTC2. This can be found on the HMRC website at:
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