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Written Answers
Friday, 21st June 2002.
Biodiesel
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will grant a full rebate on biodiesel and bioethanol fuels for road transport comparable to existing rates on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and compressed natural gas (CNG).[HL4653]
Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The Government have already announced that, subject to European agreement, a new lower rate of duty for biodiesel, to be set at 20 pence per litre lower than ultra-low sulphur diesel, will be introduced later this year. All rates of duty are reviewed annually as part of the Budget process.
Birth Rates in the EU
Lord McColl of Dulwich asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What is the current birth rate in each country in the European Union; and how this compares with 1970; 1980; 1990; and 2000.[HL4744]
Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from the National Statistician, Len Cook, dated 21 June 2002.
As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question on the current birth rate in each country of the European Union and how this compares with 1970, 1980, 1990 and 2000.[HL4744]
The latest available information is for the year 2000. The data for the years requested are given in the attached table. Two rates have been provided. The crude birth rate is simply the number of births per 1,000 of the total population. The total fertility rate is also given. This measure controls for the size and age distribution of the female population of fertile age and gives the average number of children per women if the current patterns of fertility persist throughout her childbearing life.
The information is taken from the Eurostat (the Statistical Office of the European Communities) publication, European Social Statistics Demography 2001 edition Theme 3 population and social conditions.
| Crude birth rate per 1,000 population | Total fertility rate—children per woman | |||||||
| 1970 | 1980 | 1990 | 2000 | 1970 | 1980 | 1990 | 2000 | |
| EU-15 | 16.2 | 13.0 | 21.0 | 10.7* | 2.38 | 1.82 | 1.57 | 1.53* |
| Belgium | 14.8 | 12.6 | 12.4 | 11.3p | 2.25 | 1.68 | 1.62 | 1.65* |
| Denmark | 14.4 | 11.2 | 12.3 | 12.6p | 1.95 | 1.55 | 1.67 | 1.76* |
| Germany | 13.5 | 11.1 | 11.4 | 9.2p | 2.03 | 1.56 | 1.45 | 1.34p |
| Greece | 16.5 | 15.4 | 10.1 | 9.6* | 2.39 | 2.21 | 1.39 | 1.30* |
| Spain | 19.6 | 15.3 | 10.3 | 9.8* | 2.90 | 2.20 | 1.36 | 1.22* |
| France | 16.7 | 14.9 | 13.4 | 13.1p | 2.47 | 1.95 | 1.78 | 1.89p |
| Ireland | 21.8 | 21.8 | 15.1 | 14.3* | 3.93 | 3.23 | 2.11 | 1.89 |
| Italy | 16.7 | 11.3 | 10.0 | 9.4 | 2.42 | 1.64 | 1.33 | 1.25* |
| Luxembourg | 13.0 | 11.4 | 12.9 | 13.1 | 1.98 | 1.49 | 1.61 | 1.78 |
| Netherlands | 18.3 | 12.8 | 13.2 | 13.0p | 2.57 | 1.60 | 1.62 | 1.72p |
| Austria | 15.0 | 12.0 | 11.7 | 9.6 | 2.29 | 1.65 | 1.45 | 1.32* |
| Portugal | 20.8 | 16.2 | 11.8 | 12.0* | 2.83 | 2.18 | 1.57 | 1.54* |
| Finland | 14.0 | 13.2 | 13.1 | 11.0 | 1.82 | 1.63 | 1.78 | 1.73 |
| Sweden | 13.7 | 11.7 | 14.5 | 10.2 | 1.92 | 1.68 | 2.13 | 1.54 |
| United Kingdom | 16.2 | 13.4 | 13.9 | 11.4 | 2.43 | 1.90 | 1.83 | 1.64 |
* Estimate in that year made by Eurostat
Provisional data
Lord McColl of Dulwich asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from the National Statistician, Len Cook, dated 21 June 2002.
As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your question concerning the number of people over 60 years of age in each country in the European Union. [HL4747]
The attached table, provided by Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities, shows the number of persons over the age of 60 from 1970–2001 for each country in the European Union.
(1) The estimated populations are as of the 1st January each year
Source: Eurostat
Viscount Tenby asked Her Majesty's Government:
(b) salaries, allowances and pensions and other costs of support staff;
(c) accommodation, including rent, operating costs and security; and
(d) all other administrative costs such as stationery, office equipment, publications, payments to parliamentary bodies and other relevant outgoings;
and whether they will indicate the per capita cost per Member as well as the average number of sitting days for each institution for 2001–02 and for each of the previous four years.[HL4649]
Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The information for the years 1997–98 and 1998–99 was given in my Answer of 22 July 1999 (WA 129-30).
The information for 1999–2000 was given in my Answer of 5 July 2000 (WA 133) and the information for 2000–01 was given in my Answer of 12 July 2001 (WA 87). The information for 2001–02 is as follows.
(1) Based on calendar years and average £/eu exchange rate for the relevant year. The cost to the UK is derived from the UK's financing share after abatement.
(2) Per capita cost based on the number of Peers eligible to sit in the House of Lords at the beginning of each year. The number of Peers has reduced significantly since the House of Lords Act 1999, when 655 hereditary Peers ceased to be Members from November 1999.
(3) The number of European Parliament seats increased from 518 to 567 in June 1994 and has increased since to its present total of 626.
(4) In 2001–02 the European Parliament sat for 138 days. This includes plenary sessions as well as part-plenaries, committee days and political group days in Brussels. In addition, there were 14 constituency days.
(5) The total cost of the House of Commons includes capital costs in respect of new parliamentary buildings.
(6) Per capita costs based on 659 members.
(7) The number of sitting days for the House of Commons in 2001–02 was 224, including Westminster Hall sittings.
(1&3) The sterling cost of the European Parliament fluctuates due to changes in the value of the euro relative to sterling.
Lord Howell of Guildford asked the Leader of the House:
The Minister for Trade (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean): Members of the House of Lords will be able to attend the Standing Committee, ask questions and contribute to debate. In addition, the two Members who are alternate representatives at the convention will be able to make statements to the new committee and answer questions. While there will be some procedural limitations on Members of this House (they will not be entitled to vote, move any Motion or count towards the quorum) these limitations would not prevent either the alternates from reporting or other Members of this House from debating the issues considered at the convention.
What estimate they have of the current number of people over 60 years of age in each country in the European Union; and how it compares with estimates for 1970; 1980; 1990; and 2000.[HL4747]
Year(1)
Country 1970 1980 1990 2000
Austria 1,400.9 1,370.6 1,468.7 1,540.2
Belgium 1,719.2 1,688.9 1,918.1 2,133.1
Denmark 802.2 939.1 998.5 995.5
Federal Republic of Germany 14,411.0 14,319.9 15,179.3 17,646.0
Finland 593.6 736.5 861.7 969.8
France 8,563.7 8,777.4 10,173.0 11,572.7
Greece n/a n/a 1,863.3 2,322.2
Ireland n/a n/a 506.3 539.1
Italy 7,954.5 9,053.1 10,927.2 13,049.6
Luxembourg n/a 61.2 67.2 78.7
Netherlands 1,757.8 2,077.8 2,436.5 2,720.6
Portugal 1,117.0 1,414.9 1,732.0 2,119.8
Spain n/a 5,260.6 6,847.6 8,239.5
Sweden 1,456.0 1,713.1 1,863.7 1,869.8
United Kingdom 9,732.1 10,521.6 11,332.8 11,579.0
What is the annual cost of maintaining the European Parliament, the House of Commons and the House of Lords, including:
(a) salaries, pensions, travelling allowances, secretarial expenses and other expenses for Members;
£ millions
House of Lords 56.3
House of Commons (5) 253.7
European Parliament (1) 614.2
of which UK cost is 61.0
Per capita cost per member £'000
House of Lords (2) 84
House of Commons (6) 385
European Parliament (3) 981
Number of sitting days
House of Lords 134
House of Commons (7) 143
European Parliament (4) 138
What role Members of the House of Lords will play in the Standing Committee on the Convention on the Future of Europe proposed by the Leader of the House of Commons.[HL4670]
21 Jun 2002 : Column WA111
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