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28 Apr 2009 : Column 1228W—continued

Money Flow

14. Ms Keeble: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of steps taken to increase the flow of money in the economy. [271139]

Yvette Cooper: The Budget assessment is that it will take time to fully restore the effective functioning of financial markets. The Government have taken a number
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of steps to increase lending and confidence. Under the Asset Protection Scheme, RBS and Lloyds will lend an additional £39 billion in the year from March.

Business Confidence

15. Jim Dobbin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received on the likely effects on levels of business confidence of the measures proposed in his Budget statement. [271140]

Angela Eagle: The Chancellor received a number of representations from a variety of organisations before the Budget statement on 22 April. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government’s practice to provide details of all such representations.

25. Anne Snelgrove: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received on the likely effects on levels of business confidence of the measures proposed in his Budget statement. [271150]

Angela Eagle: The Chancellor received a number of representations from a variety of organisations before the Budget statement on Wednesday 22 April. As was the case with previous administrations, it is not the Government’s practice to provide details of all such representations.

Budget

17. Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received on the effects on the economy of the measures proposed in his Budget statement. [271142]

Angela Eagle: The Chancellor received a number of representations from a variety of organisations before the Budget statement on 22 April. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government’s practice to provide details of all such representations.

Tax and Public Spending

19. Anne Main: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect on the economy of his proposed tax and public spending changes for 2010-11 and 2011-12; and if he will make a statement. [271144]

Yvette Cooper: The Government set out their latest assessment of economic prospects in the Budget, taking account of all relevant factors.

21. Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect on the economy of his proposed tax and public spending changes for 2010-11 and 2011-12; and if he will make a statement. [271146]

Yvette Cooper: The Government set out its latest assessment of economic prospects in the Budget, taking account of all relevant factors.


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World Bank Fund

22. Dr. Pugh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what commitments the Government made to the World Bank fund for the world's poorest countries at the G20 summit. [271147]

Ian Pearson: The UK's contribution to the 15th replenishment of the International Development Association will be £2.134 billion for the three years 2008-09-2010-11.

The London summit of G20 leaders set out a clear plan for assisting the poorest countries through the global crisis. Leaders reaffirmed their commitment to meeting the Millennium Development Goals and achieving Official Development Assistance pledges; made $50 billion available to low income countries—this includes the World Bank Rapid Social Response Fund to which the UK is contributing £200 million; agreed the IMF should double confessional lending access limits and capacity to increase support to low income countries; agreed to review the flexibility of the Debt Sustainability Framework; and called on the UN to establish a mechanism to monitor the impact of the crisis on the poor.

Employment

23. Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received on the likely effects on levels of employment of the measures proposed in his Budget statement. [271148]

Mr. Timms: Treasury Ministers and officials receive representations from a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such representations. Taken together, the total policy support for the UK economy since last October is expected to support up to half a million jobs.

Public Sector Debt

24. Mr. Harper: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the level of public sector net debt per household in each of the next three years. [271149]

Yvette Cooper: The Government set out their fiscal projections in the Budget report 2009.

Members: Correspondence

Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to reply to the letter of 5 March 2009 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton, on Sarah Louise Harold. [271021]

Mr. Timms: I replied to my right hon. Friend on 27 April.

National Income

Grant Shapps: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what proportion of gross domestic product composed housing sector receipts in each year since 1997; [271584]

(2) what estimate his Department has made of revenue in each category of housing sector receipt in each of the next three years; [271585]


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(3) how much housing sector receipts were as a percentage of all taxation receipts in each year since 1997. [271586]

Ian Pearson: Box C3 in Budget 2009 provides details of housing and financial sector receipts as a percentage of GDP. Taxes such as capital gains tax and inheritance tax will reflect both housing and financial assets. Stamp duty will reflect shares, housing and commercial property.

Outturn data for stamp duty, capital gains tax and inheritance tax are available at:

and

Table 2.9 in Budget 2009: the economy and public finances—supplementary material provides projections for stamp duty, inheritance tax and capital gains tax up to 2013-14. This is available at:

Total taxation receipts are available in Table C1 of the Public Finances Databank:

Public Expenditure

Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects disbursement of funds from the £3 billion fiscal package for infrastructure to commence; and what types of infrastructure he expects to be supported by such funds. [270790]

Ian Pearson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer provided to the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent (Mr. Davies) on 26 March 2009, Official Report, columns 633-34W.

Taxation

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the amount which accrued to the Exchequer from tax on (a) income from sponsorship, (b) income from endorsements and (c) other income earned by overseas sports people competing in the UK. [271741]

Mr. Timms: No estimates have been made and HMRC cannot extract the information requested from the data it holds.

Health

Cancer: Mental Health Services

Mr. Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the guidance provided by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence on the provision of psychosexual support to cancer patients has been implemented. [271654]

Ann Keen: Recommendations on the provision of psychosexual support for cancer patients are set out in the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidance on supportive and palliative care, published in 2004.

Plans for the implementation of this guidance are now in place in every cancer network. The guidance is expected to be fully implemented by December 2009.


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Carbon Monoxide: Departmental Coordination

Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the last interdepartmental meeting at which issues relating to carbon monoxide were discussed and attended by members of his Department was held; and if he will make a statement. [270352]

Dawn Primarolo: The most recent meeting of the Health and Safety Executive-led Officials Group on Gas Safety and Carbon Monoxide Awareness was held on 5 September 2007 and was attended by departmental officials.

Chernobyl

Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many farms now have restrictions on land use as a result of the radioactive fallout from the Chernobyl accident in April 1986; what area of land is affected; and what evaluation he has made of the effect on the rural economy of these restrictions. [271796]

Dawn Primarolo: We have been advised by the Food Standards Agency that restrictions on land use as a result of the Chernobyl accident relate to sheep farming only. There are 369 farms, or part farms, and approximately 190,000 sheep within the restricted areas of England, Scotland and Wales. This represents a reduction of over 95 per cent. since 1986, when approximately 9,700 farms and 4,225,000 sheep were under restriction across the United Kingdom. All restrictions in Northern Ireland were lifted in 2000.

The Food Standards Agency has not evaluated the effect of these restrictions on the rural economy.

Number of farms under restriction Approximate number of sheep Approximate land area (hectare)

Wales

355

180,000

53,000

England

9

7,000

12,000

Scotland

5

3,000

7,000

Northern Ireland

0

0

0

Total

369

190,000

72,000


Departmental Aviation

Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many officials from his Department of each (a) grade and (b) directorate have flown by British Airways on official business in each of the last five years; what the (i) destination and (ii) cost of the ticket was in each case; what his policy is on the use of British Airways by his Department's officials; and if he will make a statement. [270464]

Mr. Bradshaw: Travel by civil servants is undertaken in accordance with the “Civil Service Management Code”. The Department does not have a policy on the use of British Airways.

The details of air travel on British Airways by officials are not easily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.


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Departmental Freedom of Information

Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the answers of 1 July 2008, Official Report, column 862W and 1 September 2008, Official Report, column 1675W, on departmental freedom of information, if he will place in the Library a copy of the information provided on each topic in respect of which the request was (a) agreed to and answered in full and (b) agreed to and answered in part since July 2008; and if he will make a statement. [270463]

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested has been placed in the Library.

Eczema

Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many people were diagnosed with eczema in (a) England, (b) the North East, (c) Tees Valley and (d) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency in each of the last 10 years; [271343]

(2) how much his Department spent on (a) the treatment of and (b) research into eczema in each of the last 10 years. [271344]

Ann Keen: Information on the number of people diagnosed with eczema and the cost of their treatment is not collected.

Investment in eczema research in the 10 years from 1998-99 has been undertaken by the National Institute for Health Research health technology assessment programme, and has been as follows:

£

1998-99

169,221

1999-2000

169,997

2000-01

192,495

2002-03

55,776

2006-07

129,736

2007-08

273,912


The Medical Research Council (MRC) is one of the main agencies though which the Government support medical and clinical research. The MRC is an independent body funded by the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills. In the last 10 years, the MRC has funded three research projects specifically relating to eczema at a total cost of £2.2 million. The MRC also funds a broad portfolio of research relevant to dermatology and skin disorders (amounting to around £2.8 million in 2007-08) some of which may benefit sufferers of eczema in the future.


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