| Previous Section | Back to Table of Contents | Lords Hansard Home Page |
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Davies of Oldham): The Government's time extension notification to the European Union for
28 Oct 2009 : Column WA164
To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the quantified impact of each named measure or effect estimated in mid-2008 and January 2009 to reduce the length of road in Greater London exceeding European Union limit values for particulate matter in 2011 from some 40 kilometres to some six kilometres. [HL5776]
Lord Davies of Oldham: Details of impact quantification can be found in the UK's notification to the European Commission to secure additional time to meet the limit values for PM10 for eight UK zones/agglomerations in accordance with Council Directive 2008/50/EC on ambient air quality, and in the Greater London Authority report on measures to reduce particulate matter concentrations in London. See links below:
www.defra.gov.uk/environment/quality/air/airquality/eu-int/eu-directives/airqual-directives/notification.htm.
www.london.gov.uk/mayor/environment/air_quality/docs/evidence-28Nov08.pdf.
To ask Her Majesty's Government what will be the impact on inequality in Greater London if the Government obtain a time extension until 2011 to comply fully with European Union limit values for particulate matter (PM10). [HL5811]
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will continue to seek a time extension to comply fully with European Union limit values for particulate matter irrespective of the impact on inequality in Greater London. [HL5812]
Lord Davies of Oldham: A time extension notification in relation to the attainment date for particulate matter limit values was submitted to the European Commission in April following public consultation (http://www.defra. gov.uk/environment/quality/air/airquality/eu-int/eu-directives/airqual-directives/notification.htm). It is currently subject to assessment by the Commission
The consultation impact assessment (http://www.defra. gov.uk/corporate/consult/air-quality/index.htm) includes consideration of inequality issues. This and the subsequent racial equality impact assessment set out the analysis informing the decision to submit this notification.
28 Oct 2009 : Column WA165
Government are continuing their efforts to improve UK air quality and are working with the mayor and the Greater London Authority to take forward measures in his draft air quality strategy for London, to ensure air quality limits are met in London.
Prisoners: Escape
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government why the Crown Prosecution Service decided not to prosecute or seek the extradition of Pearse McAuley and Nessan Quinlivan on the charge of escaping from lawful custody at Brixton Prison in 1991; what were the statements made by ministers in respect of terrorists on the run that precluded their prosecution on terrorist charges; and what is now the Crown Prosecution Service's accepted length of time since criminal acts were alleged to have occurred after which a prosecution would no longer be proceeded with. [HL5804]
The Attorney-General (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) decided that there was no longer a realistic prospect of a conviction in this case. The decision not to continue with the prosecution and extradition was made for a number of reasons, including the availability or otherwise of key exhibits, the length of time since the acts took place, and statements made by ministers following the talks at Weston Park in 2001. There is no "accepted length of time" after which a prosecution cannot be proceeded with. Each case is considered entirely on its own merits and the circumstances of the reason for and length of the delay will be considered in each case before a final decision is made.
Risk and Regulation Advisory Council
Question
Asked by Lord Morris of Aberavon
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the role of the Risk and Regulation Advisory Council; how often it meets; whether it publishes an annual report; and what is the annual cost of its activities. [HL5766]
The Minister for Trade and Investment (Lord Davies of Abersoch): The Risk and Regulation Advisory Council (RRAC) was set up by the Prime Minister in January 2008 as a time-limited ad hoc advisory body to work with Government and stakeholders across society to develop a better understanding of public risk and how policy-makers and others should best respond to it. The council completed its work programme in April 2009.
Meetings were held monthly during the RRAC's period of operation. The council met formally 11 times in 2008 and six times in 2009. In addition council members led a significant number of other events and meetings.
28 Oct 2009 : Column WA166
The RRAC did not publish an annual report. After completing its work programme, the council published its main report to Government in May 2009, together with four accompanying guides and tools for policy-makers and others. Separate reports have since been published on some particular areas of the council's work, and the academic research which underpinned the council's operational programme will be published shortly. All of the RRAC's publications are available via the delivery partners section of the BIS departmental website at http://www.berr.gov.uk/deliverypartners/list/rrac/index.html.
The costs of the RRAC's work programme have been:
2007-08-£91,000 from the BERR Strategic Policy Analysis research budget plus staffing costs: one full time SCS economist payband 1 (£56,100-£116,000 pa) from January to March 2008; and2008-09-£444,000 from the budget allocated to RRAC (including salaries) and £79,000 from the BERR Strategic Policy Analysis research budget.Smoking
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of people smoked in the United Kingdom in each of the past 10 years. [HL5760]
Baroness Thornton: The information is not available in the format requested.
The information on the proportion of adults who are smokers in Great Britain is available in the Smoking and Drinking among Adults 2007 publication from the General Household Survey, 2007 series. This publication has been placed in the Library and is available at www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_compendia/GHS07/GHSSmokingandDrinkingAmongAdults2007.pdf
The most recent information on the proportion of adult smokers is from 2007. Table 1.1, p17 of the report includes information on the proportion of smokers between 1998 and 2007.
Tax Credits
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will extend free school meals to families on working tax credit to ensure that they stay in work as opposed to claiming benefits. [HL5796]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Children, Schools and Families (Baroness Morgan of Drefelin): We have no plans to extend free school meals to families on working tax credit.
However, we are currently running a two-year pilot in three local authorities in deprived areas to test different approaches to free school meals. Wolverhampton
28 Oct 2009 : Column WA167
Taxation: Income Tax
Questions
Asked by Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the most recent estimate of the cost of abolishing income tax on savings for all basic rate taxpayers for each of the next five years. [HL5633]
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the most recent estimate of the total financial effects by income decile of abolishing income tax on savings for all basic rate taxpayers for each of the next five years. [HL5634]
The Financial Services Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Myners): The estimated cost of reducing to zero the starting and basic rates of tax on income from savings is given in the table below. These estimates are based on the Budget 2009 forecast of which 2013-14 is the final year, and assume that taxpayers with incomes above the higher rate threshold continue to pay higher or additional rate tax on savings income, but are not subject to basic or starting rate income tax on savings income.
| £ million | ||||
| 2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | 2013-14 | |
|
Cost of zero starting and basic income tax rates on savings income |
These estimates show the decrease in total tax liability for each year, rather than the impact on receipts which depends on how such a change would be implemented. The figures exclude any estimate of behavioural response.
Information on the income tax effects by income decile of taxpayers is shown in the tables below; this excluded non-taxpayers for which information is not readily available.
| Average income tax effect per person (£) | ||||
| Decile | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | 2013-14 |
28 Oct 2009 : Column WA168
To ask Her Majesty's Government how much additional income a person with an annual gross income of (a) £20,000, (b) £50,000, (c) £70,000, (d) £100,000, and (e) £150,000 would receive if the income tax threshold was raised to £10,000 per annum. [HL5874]
Lord Myners: If the income tax threshold was raised to £10,000 for 2009-10 the increase in income after tax is shown in the table below.
| Gross Income (£) | 2009-10 |
This assumes gross income is comprised solely of earnings, and the individual is less than 65 years old with no other income tax deductions. In addition, the upper earnings limit (UEL) and upper profits limit (UPL) are assumed to remain unchanged.
Turkmenistan
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the recent request for commencement of British Council services in Turkmenistan; and what they are doing to meet demand. [HL5783]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead): The British Council has delivered regional programmes and supported a range of educational activities in partnership with other international organisations such as the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Turkmenistan through their Uzbekistan office despite not having a physical presence in the country.
| Next Section | Back to Table of Contents | Lords Hansard Home Page |