| Previous Section | Back to Table of Contents | Lords Hansard Home Page |
While we welcome the release of Ms Hussein on 8 September 2009, we continue to call upon the Government of Sudan to act in the spirit of the rights set out in the Interim National Constitution and in particular the Bill of Rights provision that no person should be subject to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.
Tax Credits
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to increase investment in benefits and tax credits to support families and children in order to help them avoid debt, stimulate the economy and meet the target to halve child poverty by 2010. [HL5794]
2 Nov 2009 : Column WA28
The Financial Services Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Myners): Between 1998-99 and 2007-08, 500,000 children were lifted out of relative poverty. The latest statistics do not take into account measures announced in and since Budget 2007 which are expected to lift around a further 500,000 children out of relative poverty.
The Government continue to work towards the 2010 target. We have taken further steps at Budgets and Pre-Budget Reports-for example, both working and child tax credit were increased at Budget 2009, with the child element of child tax credit rising by £150, £75 above the level of indexation. Further, the Government have committed to increase the child element of child tax credit by another £20 above indexation in April 2010.
Families with children in the poorest fifth of the population are on average £4,750 a year better off in real terms than in 1997. The Government remain committed to tackling child poverty, as shown by the Child Poverty Bill.
Decisions on investment in benefits and tax credits are taken at Pre-Budget Reports and Budgets.
Taxation: VAT
Question
Asked by Lord Pearson of Rannoch
To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the total receipts from value added tax in the United Kingdom; and what percentage of those receipts goes towards the United Kingdom contribution to the European Union budget. [HL5879]
The Financial Services Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Myners): Total receipts from value added tax (VAT) are published in the National Statistics VAT bulletin available at https://www.uktradeinfo.com/index.cfm?task=bullvat. In 2008 total VAT receipts were £80,708 million.
The UK's VAT-based contribution to the European Union is published in table 12.1 of the Blue Book, available at http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_economy/BB09.pdf. In 2008 the UK's contribution was £2,270 million.
Using these two figures, the UK's VAT-based contribution to the European Union in 2008 was equivalent to 2.8 per cent of total VAT receipts.
Transport: Road Accidents
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people were killed or seriously injured in the 37 road accidents in 2008 where lorries were involved and which might have been avoided if retro-reflective conspicuity markings had been provided; and what is the estimated cost of those accidents. [HL5926]
2 Nov 2009 : Column WA29
The Secretary of State for Transport (Lord Adonis): These 37 accidents involved heavy goods vehicles of 7.5 tonnes or above. Retro-reflective tape, had it been fitted, might have avoided or mitigated the accidents. More detailed study of the individual cases would be needed to quantify the potential effectiveness of the tape in each case.
Immediate implementation of the retro-reflective tape requirements would not prevent all such accidents. It will be some years before all relevant heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) are so fitted, and although fitment is expected to reduce side/rear HGV impact accidents involving poor conspicuity, there are many other contributory causes which it cannot address. These include excess speed, drink-driving, ice, mechanical failure, driving while tired, driver distraction etc.
The accidents resulted in 48 fatalities and 19 serious injuries. Using average values-not actual costs but an estimate of savings that might have been obtained had such accidents and injuries been prevented-the total cost can be estimated at £70 million.
2 Nov 2009 : Column WA30
Vehicles: Electric Power
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government what proposals they have to require planning authorities to ensure that public buildings have electrical power points for electric road transport. [HL5761]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Department for Work and Pensions (Lord McKenzie of Luton): The Government wish to see wide take-up of this technology, without distinction between installations on public and private buildings, and therefore will be providing up to £30 million to encourage local authorities and business to install electric vehicle charging points upon their premises. The Government will also be consulting very shortly on proposed changes to the planning system in England which would make it easier to install electric vehicle charging points in both on-street and off-street areas.
| Back to Table of Contents | Lords Hansard Home Page |