| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
2 Apr 2009 : Column 1387W—continued
(4) what average life expectancy was assumed for (a) male and (b) female members of the Police Pension Scheme aged 65 in (i) 2007, (ii) 2017, (iii) 2027, (iv) 2037, (v) 2047 and (vi) 2057 when calculating the figures in table 4.1 of the March 2008 Long-term Public Finance Report; [247977]
(5) what differences there are between the assumptions on in-service mortality for members of public sector pension schemes underpinning the figures in table 5.1 of the 2006 Long-term Public Finance Report and those underpinning the figures in table 4.1 of the 2008 Long-term Public Finance Report; [247980]
(6) how many withdrawals per 10,000 members of staff were assumed for (a) males and (b) females aged (i) 25, (ii) 30, (iii) 35, (iv) 40, (v) 45, (vi) 50, (vii) 55 and (viii) 60 in compiling table 4.1 of the 2008 Long-term Public Finance Report; and whether the same assumptions were used for members of each pension scheme; [248121]
(7) what assumption on salary inflation underpins the figures in table 4.1 of the 2008 Long-term Public Finance Report; [248122]
(8) what assumption on salary progression above salary inflation for (a) males and (b) females underpins the estimates of public sector pension costs in table 4.1 of the 2008 Long-term Public Finance Report; and whether different assumptions were used in respect of members of different pension schemes; [248123]
(9) what changes were made to the assumed new entrant profiles for (a) the NHS Pension Scheme, (b) the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme, (c) the Teachers' Pension Scheme, (d) the Armed Forces Pension Scheme and (e) the Police Pension Scheme, taking account of (i) age, (ii) sex and (iii) salary at recruitment affecting the assumptions underpinning the projected public service pension costs in table 5.1 of the 2006 Long-term Public Finance Report and table 4.1 of the 2008 Long-term Public Finance Report; [248202]
(10) what assumed rates of ill-health retirement for (a) males and (b) females at ages (i) 25, (ii) 30, (iii) 35, (iv) 40, (v) 45, (vi) 50, (vii) 55 and (viii) 60 underpin projections for expenditure on public sector pensions in table 4.1 of the 2008 Long-term Public Finance Report; [248203]
(11) what assumptions were made about (a) the terms on which members of the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme will be able to commute pension for tax-free cash, (b) the proportion who take the maximum cash available and (c) the extent to which other members use commutation options for the projected expenditure on public sector pensions detailed in table 4.1 of the 2008 Long-term Public Finance Report; [248204]
(12) whether the age at retirement assumptions underpinning the projected public sector pension costs in table 4.1 of the 2008 Long-Term Public Finance Report are the same as those underpinning table 5.1 of the 2006 Long-Term Public Finance Report; [248214]
(13) whether the earnings growth assumptions used to calculate the public service pension costs shown in table 4.1 of the 2008 Long-term Public Finance Report are the same as those underpinning the equivalent figures in the 2006 Long-term Public Finance Report; [248235]
(14) whether assumptions about rates of ill-health retirement amongst members of public service pension schemes underpinning table 4.1 of the 2008 Long-Term Public Finance Report are the same as those underpinning table 5.1 of the 2006 Long-Term Public Finance Report; [248236]
(15) whether the figures in table 4.1 of the 2008 Long-Term Public Finance Report assume that members of public sector pension schemes who retire owing to ill-health experience the same mortality rates as other members; [248237]
(16) what updates to the analysis contained in the 2006 cashflow projections for unfunded public service pension schemes he commissioned from (a) the Government Actuary's Department and (b) other sources to inform the March 2008 Long-term Public Finance Report; and if he will place in the Library a copy of each update; [248910]
(17) what assumptions about the rates of withdrawal from service for members of unfunded public sector pension schemes were made in respect of (a) the 2006 Long-term Public Finance Report and (b) the 2008 Long-term Public Finance Report. [249065]
Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 26 November 2008, Official Report, column 1912W. We expect that the Government Actuary’s Department will publish this paper alongside the Long Term Public Finance report later this year.
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will break down the projected public expenditure on public service pensions shown in table 4.1 of the 2008 Long-term Public Finance Report to show expenditure attributable to (a) benefits already accrued and (b) future benefits on the same basis as in box 5.1 of the 2006 Long-term Public Finance Report. [247969]
Yvette Cooper: This answer could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what allowance was made for the implementation of Agenda for Change and the new contracts for GPs and hospital consultants when assuming rates of salary progression in order to calculate the figures in table 4.1 of the Long-term Public Finance Report. [248124]
Yvette Cooper: The assumed rates of salary progression used to calculate the figures in table 4.1 of the Long-Term Public Finance Report were based on the experience of members of public service pension schemes, as reported in the actuarial valuations of the schemes. The Agenda for Change and GP contracts had not been fully implemented at the time of the NHS Pension Scheme valuation as at 31 March 2004 (although an allowance for the effects of pay modernisation was made), which was the latest valuation available for setting these assumptions.
Mr. Philip Hammond:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the mortality rates assumed to apply to existing active, deferred and pension members of public sector pension schemes in order to calculate
the figures in table 4.1 of the Long-term Public Finance Report are the same as those used to estimate the stock of liabilities in box 4.3. [248211]
Yvette Cooper: The estimate of the stock of liabilities of the unfunded public service pension schemes in box 4.3 is based on the individual public service pension scheme resource accounts; the mortality rates used are set with regard to the experience of the relevant scheme. The spending projections shown in table 4.1 are based on average assumptions consistent with other spending projections in the Long Term Public Finance Report 2008.
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assumptions were made about (a) the proportion of members in public sector pension schemes who are in relationships that could potentially give rise to a survivor’s pension and (b) the average age difference between pension scheme members and their potential survivors in compiling the figures in table 4.1 of the March 2008 Long-term Public Finance Report. [248212]
Yvette Cooper: The assumptions about the proportion of members in public service pension schemes who are in relationships that give rise to a survivor’s pension and the average age difference between pension scheme members and their potential survivors used in compiling the figures in table 4.1 of the March 2008 Long-Term Public Finance Report were based on the experience of the most significant work groups within the larger schemes.
Small Businesses: North East
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department has taken to improve access for businesses in the north east to the Small Business Finance Scheme. [245010]
Ian Pearson: Businesses across the UK have access to comprehensive range of support through Real Help Now, including the Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme and the Capital for Enterprise Fund. These schemes can be accessed through
SMEs in my hon. Friend’s constituency may wish to be aware that the regional development agency One NorthEast has unveiled a £10 million package of support to help regional businesses through current economic difficulties, which is being delivered via Business Link in the North East.
Stamp Duty Land Tax
Grant Shapps: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what revenue has accrued to the Exchequer from stamp duty land tax receipts in each year since 1997 at 2008-09 prices; [266469]
(2) what revenue has accrued to the Exchequer from stamp duty land tax receipts in each of the last four quarters for which figures are available. [266470]
Ian Pearson: Stamp duty receipts, covering receipts from stamp duty land tax and stamp taxes on share transactions, are given in the following table at 2008 prices, for each calendar year since 1997:
| Receipts (£ million)( 1) | |
| (1) Revalued to 2008 prices using the GDP deflator | |
Stamp duty receipts for the last four quarters for which information has been published is available at:
Taxation: Business
Mr. Ian Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many fines have been imposed on small and medium-sized companies for late payment of (a) value added tax and (b) corporation tax in the last (i) six and (ii) 12 months. [266811]
Mr. Timms: There is, currently, no penalty for late payment of corporation tax. HM Revenue and Customs issued the following number of VAT default surcharges in the last six and 12 month periods for which information is available.
| Number | |
Information is not readily available on VAT default surcharges issued to businesses of different size and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
VAT
Mrs. May: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 10 March 2009, Official Report, column 263W, on VAT, what estimate he has made of the financial effect on (a) the Exchequer and (b) households, (c) businesses and (d) other groups of the temporary reduction in value added tax combined with increases in alcohol and tobacco duty. [266065]
Mr. Timms: Estimates of the revenue impact on the Exchequer from changes to VAT, alcohol duties and tobacco duties as announced at pre-Budget report 2008 are published in table B5 of the pre-Budget report 2008.
It is estimated that 70 per cent. of the impact from the VAT rate change is accounted for by households and that 100 per cent. of duty rate changes are passed through to households.
The relative sizes of the relevant tax changes mean that the overall shares supplied in the answer of 10 March 2009, Official Report, column 263W for VAT alone are largely unchanged when combined with the alcohol and tobacco elements.
Leader of the House
Departmental Lost Property
Paul Holmes: To ask the Leader of the House what the cost of replacing property lost or stolen from her Office was in each year since 1997. [268162]
Chris Bryant: The cost of replacing property lost or stolen from the Office of the Leader of the House of Commons since June 2007 is £29.99.
The Office of the Leader of the House of Commons joined the Cabinet Office in 20'07. Information prior to this is available only at disproportionate cost.
Defence
Afghanistan: Drugs
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what joint UK/US initiatives for which his Department is responsible are in place to tackle the production and distribution of drugs. [266892]
Mr. Hutton: The UK and US have established the Joint Narcotics Analysis Centre (JNAC) and the Inter-agency Operations Co-ordination Centre (IOCC), which aim to improve law enforcement co-ordination mechanisms and to tackle the drugs trade in Afghanistan. The UK also supports the US-led Joint Inter Agency Task Force (South), which comprises the US plus 13 partner nations, and which conducts inter-agency operations against illicit trafficking in the Western Atlantic, Caribbean, and Eastern Pacific high seas.
Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations
Mr. Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many incidents designated as troops in contact were recorded in each month of Operation (a) Herrick 4, (b) Herrick 5, (c) Herrick 6 and (d) Herrick 7. [268211]
Mr. Hutton [holding answer 1 April 2009]: The Ministry of Defence has recently completed a review of the data required to answer this question, and has revised the manner in which we classify and present data to ensure consistency.
The numbers of troops in contact events, regardless of the instigator, involving the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and insurgents in Helmand province recorded by Task Force Helmand for each month from April 2006 to March 2008 are as follows.
| 2006( 1) | 2007( 1) | 2008( 1) | |
| (1) Rounded to 10 | |||
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |