To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what financial assistance the UK Government have provided to the British film industry in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement. [36463]

I refer the hon. Member to the writtenanswer I gave on 7 December 2005, Official Report, column 1323W to the hon. Member for Southend, West (Mr. Amess).

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the (a) diagnosis and (b) mortality rate was for cancer in each of the last five years in Forest of Dean constituency. [36247]

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.

Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 13 December 2005

The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning what the(a) diagnosis and (b) mortality rate was for cancer in each of the last five years in the Forest of Dean constituency. I am replying in her absence. (36247)

The most recent available information on registration of newly diagnosed cases (incidence) and mortality are for the years 2003 and 2004, respectively. As population estimates by age and sex are not available for parliamentary constituencies, age-standardised incidence and mortality rates (directly standardised to the European standard population) are given in the table below for all malignant cancers in the Forest of Dean local authority between 1999 and 2004.

Directly age-standardised incidence and mortality rates per 100,000 population for all malignant cancers in the Forest of Dean local authority, 1999–2004^(1)(2)(3)

⁽¹⁾Rates are directly standardised to the European standard population. In detailed analyses of trends in incidence and mortality over time for a particular cancer, ONS use age-standardised rates. These control for differences in the size and age structure of the population and allow unbiased comparison of rates over time.

⁽²⁾Figures for malignant cancer incidence are based on the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10), codes C00-C97, excluding non-melanoma skin cancer code C44. Cancer mortality figures arc based on the Ninth Revision (1CD-9) codes 140–208 for the years 1999–2000, and 1CD-10 codes C00-C97 for the years 2001–2004. Deaths were selected using the original underlying cause.

⁽³⁾Usual residents in the area at time of death.

⁽⁴⁾Deaths registered in each calendar year.

Source:

Office for National Statistics

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps the Government are taking to increase the financial support available to large families as recommended in the Treasury's 2004 child poverty review. [36778]

Between 1998–99 and 2003–04, the risk of poverty for children in families with three or more children has fallen more quickly than the average risk. However, the Child Poverty Review highlighted the fact that these families remain at greater risk of poverty than other families, and that nearly half of children in poverty live in large families.

Since the review, the Government have increased the child element of the child tax credit (CTC), which is paid in respect of each and every child in a family and so of particular benefit to large families. The child element rose by £65 a year in April 2005 and will rise by a further £75 a year in April 2006, to £1,765. As a result of these and other Government reforms to the personal tax and benefit system since 1997, by April 2006 families with three or more children with an income of between £10,000 and £20,000 per year, for example, will be on average £100 per week better off in real terms.

The Government have committed to increasing the child element at least in line with earnings in 2007–08. The Government have also commissioned research into poverty in large families to inform future policy, which is expected to report in 2006.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the savings from freezing the family element of child tax credit over the next three years. [36739]

Government forecast for spending on tax credits assume the family element remains at the same nominal rate. There are therefore no such savings.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the additional costs arising from changes to the childcare tax credit over the next three years. [36740]

The Government want families to be able to afford flexible, high quality child care that is appropriate for their needs. Therefore, the 2004 pre-Budget report announced that:

the limits of the child care element of the working tax credit would be increased to £300 a week (£175 for one child) from April 2005; and

the maximum proportion of costs that can be claimed would increase from 70 per cent. to 80 per cent. from April 2006.

The costs of these measures were published in tableB4, p201, in the 2004 pre-Budget report.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many applications for child tax credit awards have been made by families with (a) one disabled child, (b) two disabled children, (c) three or more disabled children, (d) one severely disabled child, (e) two severely disabled children and (f) three or more severely disabled children in each month since April 2003. [36806]

Information on applications for child tax credit awards made by families with disabled and severely disabled children, on a monthly basis, is not available.

Information on awards to in-work families with disabled children are detailed in Tables 5.2 and 5.4 of the HMRC publication 'Child and Working Tax Credits Provisional awards at April 2005'. This details the number of in-work families benefiting from the disabled child element and the number of in-work families benefiting from the severely disabled child element. This publication can be found on the HMRC website at: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc- quarterly-stats.htm

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many children died in hospital of an infection in each of the last 10 years; and what proportion of children's deaths such deaths comprised in each year. [37332]

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.

Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 13 December 2005

As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many children died in hospital of an infection in each of the last 10 years; and what proportion of children's deaths such deaths comprised in each year. (37332)

The most recent year for which information on deaths is available is 2004. Figures are given in the table below for all infectious and parasitic diseases in each year from 1995 to 2004.

Number of deaths from infectious or parasitic diseases which occurred in hospital in children aged under 16, England and Wales, 1995 to 2004^(5)(6)(7)

⁽⁵⁾Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes 001–139 for the years 1995 and 2000, and Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes A00-B99 from 2001 onwards.

⁽⁶⁾NHS and non-NHS general hospitals.

⁽⁷⁾Figures are for deaths occurring in each calendar year.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost of extending the provisions of section 33 of the Value Added Tax Act 1994 to city academies. [37330]

No estimate has been made.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what meetings the Department has held with Citygate Public Affairs Ltd. since July. [36752]

The Department does not maintain a central list of such contacts. Ministers and civil servants, including special advisers meet many people as part of the process of policy development and business delivery. All such contacts are conducted in accordance with the requirements of the Ministerial Code, Civil Service Code, Code of Conduct for Special Advisers and Guidance for civil servants on contacts with lobbyists and people outside Government.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the meetings held between hisDepartment and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister at which the decision to remove the obligation on businesses to publish operating and financial reviews was discussed. [36722]

In line with the Government's commitment to simplifying company law and reducing the regulatory burden on business, the Government have decided to replace the requirement for quoted companies to produce a statutory Operating and Financial Review with a requirement to produce an enhanced Business Review. This aligns the reporting requirements of quoted companies with the requirements of the European Accounts Modernisation Directive and demonstrates the Government's ongoing commitment to strategic forward-looking narrative reporting.

The Chancellor consulted with ministerial colleagues prior to making this decision. There were no meetings between the Treasury and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister on this issue.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average level of consumer debt was in (a) Essex, (b) England and (c) Wales in the last period for which figures are available; what assessment he has made of the level of debt in other parts of the UK; and if he will make a statement. [37555]

Figures from the Bank of England showed that the level of unsecured consumer debt in the UK in October 2005 was £191,406 million, of which £56,334 million is credit card debt and £135,072 million other. Official regional and average data are not available. The growth in unsecured lending is now at its lowest in over 10 years.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the death rate was for (a) cancer and (b) heart disease in (i) Lancashire, (ii) the North West and (iii)Chorley in the last period for which figures are available. [36772]

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.

Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 13 December 2005

The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning what the death rate was for(a) cancer and (b) heart disease in (i) Lancashire, (ii) the North West and (iii) Chorley in the last period for which figures are available. I am replying in her absence. (36772)

The latest year for which the figures requested are available is 2004. These are given in the attached table.

Death rates from cancer and coronary heart disease in the county of Lancashire,3,4 North West government office region and the local authority of Chorley, 2004 -- Age standardised death rates per 100,000 population^{(8)(9)(11)(8)}

⁽⁸⁾Rates per 100,000 population standardised to the European Standard Population.

⁽⁹⁾The cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10). The codes used are listed as follows:

Cancer (malignant neoplasms)—ICD-10 C00-C97;

Coronary Heart Disease—ICD-10 120–125.

Deaths were selected from those registered in 2004 using the original underlying cause.

⁽¹⁰⁾The figures provided relate to the current county of Lancashire. This excludes the unitary authorities of Blackburn and Darwen, and Blackpool, created in 1998, which were part of the former county.

⁽¹¹⁾Usual residents of these areas.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the factors affecting achange in tax relief on pension contributions going into defined benefit schemes; and if he will make a statement. [37147]

Following extensive consultation the Government are introducing a single regime for the taxation of pensions with a single set of rules for all pensions schemes, including defined benefit schemes, from 6 April 2006 There will be two key controls within the new system—a lifetime allowance—initially set at £1.5 million and an annual allowance, initially set at £215,000.

The impact of any further change for defined benefit schemes would depend on a number of factors such as the specific funding, demographic and accruals of any individual scheme.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much (a) higher rate tax relief and (b) basic rate tax relief was applied to (i) defined benefit private sector schemes, (ii) defined benefit public sector schemes and (iii) approved pension schemes in the last year for which figures are available. [37148]

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Eastleigh (Chris Huhne) on 24 October 2005, Official Report, column 52W.

It is not possible to provide such a breakdown for defined benefit private sector schemes or defined benefit public sector schemes.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his policy is with regard to (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department giving evidence to the (i) Scottish Parliament, (ii) National Assembly for Wales and (iii) Northern Ireland Assembly committees; and to what categories of document he gives (A) full access, (B) restricted access and (C) no access to the (1) Scottish Parliament, (2) National Assembly for Wales, (3) Northern Ireland Assembly and (4) House of Commons select committees. [37402]

Requests for Treasury Ministers or officials to give oral or written evidence to the devolved legislatures are considered on a case by case basis. Account is taken of the principles set out in the Cabinet Office guidance Departmental Evidence and Response to Select Committees" (July 2005), the policy outlined in the Department for Constitutional Affairs' Devolution Guidance Note No.12 Attendance of UK Ministers and Officials at Committees of the Devolved Legislatures" and the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act. The principles governing the provision of information to select committees of the House of Commons are contained in Departmental Evidence and Response to Select Committees", particularly sections 4B and 4C.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many departmental civil service jobs have been relocated to Scotland in each year since 2001. [32262]

Details of the number of departmental civil service jobs relocated to Scotland by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) prior to April 2004 are not available.

In delivering against its commitment to relocate jobs following the report by Sir Michael Lyons, HMRC have moved 44 posts from London and the South East to Scotland since April 2004.

HM Treasury has not relocated any posts to Scotland in the years in question.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's Skills Development Plan. [23859]

A copy of the Department's Skills Development Plan has been deposited in the House of Commons Library.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps are taken by the Department to support staff with mental ill-health. [36277]

The Treasury has taken the following steps to provide support to staff with mental ill-health: advice and practical support from the Department's welfare officer providing access, where necessary, to accredited counsellors, psychotherapists and referrals to mental ill health units via the NHS; alternative working patterns as part of the department's work-life balance policy; phased and monitored return to work after sick-absence; and adjustments to workloads and objectives.

All employees benefit from the Department's work-life balance policy and have access to the welfare officer and to the Treasury's Supporters Network—a group of staff, independent of management, trained to support and offer advice to colleagues. Additional support is available from the Department's Disability Advisory Group, and other staff representative groups as well as from a confidential helpline administered by an external company.

The Treasury has an effective disability strategy in place to support all employees with disabilities and to provide for reasonable adjustments as required under the Disability Discrimination Act. The next Department-wide disability awareness-raising seminar in January 2006 is on stress awareness and mental health.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate (a) the yield of an extension of the climate change levy to domestic household fuel bills in the 2005–06 financial year and (b) the average increase in such bills which would result. [37056]

Extending climate change levy, at full current rates, to all taxable fuel use by the domestic sector in 2005–06 would have yielded approximately £1 billion. The average increase in fuel bills would have been around £40 per household.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many of his Department's employees have taken early retirement in each year since 1997. [34043]

The number of HM Treasury's employees who have taken early retirement in each year since 1997 is as follows:

These figures include those who have retired early on compulsory, flexible, ill-health or approved grounds.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps HM Revenue and Customs has taken in the last 12 months in conjunction with the US Administration to advance electronic government. [36280]

HMRC is a member of the OECD(Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) and an active participant in the Forum on Tax Administration's Taxpayer Services group. Through this forum, we share information and best practice with other fiscal authorities including the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.

In addition, in July 2005 I asked Lord Carter of Coles to advise Ministers on measures to further increase the use of HMRC's key online services, building on his previous review of payroll services.

During the course of the review, Lord Carter and his team met a wide range of customers and agents, and spoke to those overseas tax authorities where there are high levels of online filing and some interesting and innovative approaches. This included discussions with the US Internal Revenue Service.

Lord Carter has completed his review but wishes to assess the progress of HMRC's online services over the next few months, before finalising his conclusions by early spring 2006.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the level of employment was in Forest of Dean constituency in each of the last five years; and how many people in the constituency were not in education, employment or training in each year. [36871]

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.

Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 13 December 2005

The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about employment. I am replying in her absence. (36871)

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles statistics of employment from the Labour Force Survey following International Labour Organisation definitions. Table 1 shows the estimated number of people aged 16 and over in employment resident in the Forest of Dean constituency.

Table 2 shows the number of people of working age resident on the Forest of Dean constituency who are not in full-time education, employment or training.

Both tables cover the 12 month periods ending in February each year from 2001 to 2004 and the 12 month period ending in March 2005.

These estimates, as with any from sample surveys, are subject to a margin of uncertainty. Changes in the estimates from year to year should be treated with particular caution.

Table 1: Number of persons aged 16 and over in employment resident in the Forest of Dean constituency

Source:

Annual local area Labour Force Survey;

Annual Population Survey

Table 2: Number of persons of working age resident in the Forest of Dean constituency who are not in education, employment or training

Source:

Annual local area Labour Force Survey;

Annual Population Survey

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with the parliamentary ombudsman on the time scale for the completion of his investigation into the prudential regulation of Equitable Life. [37452]

The parliamentary ombudsman's investigation into the prudential regulation of Equitable Life is, like all such investigations, being conducted in private. The Treasury is co-operating fully with the investigation.

The timetable for the completion of the parliamentary ombudsman's investigation is a matter for her.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the future of the UK rebate within the EU Budget. [36698]

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the statement given by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary to the House on 5 December.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 10 October 2005, Official Report, column 292W to the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South, (Mr. Hancock) on game rearing farms, what estimate he has made of the amount of revenue which has been lost due to game farms in Scotland not being accurately registered for non-domestic rates. [36801]

This is a matter for the Scottish Executive.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made in reassigning 13,500 civil service posts to frontline services as identified by the Gershon Review. [36622]

The PBR 2005 announced that over 5,700 reallocations to the frontline had been made by the end of September 2005. The Department for Work and Pensions made 4,211 reallocations and Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs made 1,560 reallocations.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the Government's borrowing requirements for the next three years; and if he will make a statement. [36694]

Tables B9 and B10 in annex B of the pre-Budget report 2005 set out the Government's latest projections for public sector net borrowing up to 2010–11.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the level of fraud cases relating to the insurance premium tax since 1997. [37153]

The Treasury is not aware of any continuing or growing level of fraud in relation to insurance premium tax. However, as with all taxes, the situation is kept under close scrutiny.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his policy is on the use of public funds (a) to support existing nuclear power generation capacity, (b) to deal with (i) past and (ii) future nuclear waste arising from power generation and (c) to support the construction of new nuclear plant generation capacity. [17136]

The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry made a statement to the House of Commons on 7 March 2003 setting out the basis on which Government was prepared to provide support to British Energy. The documents setting out the relationship between British Energy and the Government are available on the Department for Trade and Industry website and on 23 November 2005 the Secretary of State was questioned by the Environmental Audit Committee about Government's relationship with British Energy.

The liabilities from past and present nuclear generation will be managed by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority. The Energy Act 2004 allowed for the creation of this body and it began operating in April 2005.

The future of nuclear power will be considered by the Energy Review led by the Energy Minister, Malcolm Wicks. The Review will be taken forward in the context of the Government's commitment to sound public finances and will take account of all short-term medium-term and long-term costs and liabilities to both the taxpayer and energy user.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his Department's share in tax was of the average value of a barrel of North sea oil in (a) May 2002 and (b) November 2005. [37122]

All North sea oil taxes are profit related. Direct tax is estimated to have accounted for 27 per cent. of the average value of a barrel of oil produced in May 2002 compared with 33 per cent. in November 2005 which reflects the increased share per barrel of oil accounted for by producers' profits between the two periods.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the net financial impact on the UK oil and gas industry of the proposed changes to the North sea tax regime. [37125]

The changes in tax liabilities for the UK oil and gas industry resulting from the reform of the North sea fiscal regime announced in the 2005 pre-Budget report are shown in table 1.2 of the 2005 pre-Budget report.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what he expects to be the value to the oil and gas industry of the new ring fenced expenditure supplement contained in the pre-Budget report. [37126]

The ring fenced expenditure supplement is targeted at North sea oil companies that do not have sufficient profits to take immediate advantage of the 100 per cent. capital allowances for investment in the North sea. These are likely to be new entrant companies or others who invest heavily in the North sea and are an important sector for the continued vitality of oil and gas production in the UK. The value of the supplement will build up over time and is forecast to reduce tax liabilities by around £25 million by 2011–12.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the likely impact of the increase in corporation tax supplementary charge on oil company future investment in the North Sea. [37160]

The changes announced in the pre-Budget report were subject to detailed analysis to ensure that the North Sea tax regime delivers the Government's objectives of striking the right balance between oil producers and consumers by promoting investment and ensuring fairness for taxpayers.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) men, (b) women and (c) households in (i) England and Wales, (ii) Northamptonshire and (iii) Kettering constituency are estimated to have personal debts excluding housing mortgages of over £10,000; and what the equivalent figures were (A) 10 years ago and (B) in 1997. [36139]

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.

Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 13 December 2005

As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question on the number of(a) men, (b) women and (c) households in England and Wales, (ii) Northamptonshire and (iii) Kettering Constituency that were estimated to haye personal debts excluding housing mortgages of over £10,000. (36139)

The information requested is not available.

The only information available is national data on household debt. The household debt (excluding mortgage debt) was £319.8 billion at the end of 2004 compared with £156.8 billion at the end of 1997 and £132.4 billion at the end of 1994. On a per head basis, the household debt (excluding mortgage debt) was £6,727 at the end of 2004 compared with £3,439 at the end of 1997, and £2,935 at the end of 1994.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the former hon. Members who left Parliament in 2005 who have since been appointed to public bodies by his Department, broken down by party; and who was responsible for making each appointment. [36692]

The Treasury has not made any such appointments.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to increase the number of science cities. [37128]

In the 2004 pre-Budget report and in Budget 2005, the Government supported plans by the Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) to develop six science cities" in Manchester, Newcastle, York, Birmingham, Nottingham, and Bristol. These science cities are developing plans that respond to their particular strengths in terms of research and economic development. It is for RDAs to take the lead role in identifying science cities and detailed implementation plans, in line with their wider strategies for regional economic development, science and innovation.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps the Government is taking to encourage investment in self-invested personal pension schemes; and if he will make a statement. [36810]

Pensions tax simplification replaces eight different sets of rules with a single unified regime. It removes unnecessary obstacles to retirement planning and saving across the whole spectrum of pension saving. Lifetime allowances give much more flexibility about when a person can save, so if a person can only afford to start saving for a pension late in life, there is plenty of headroom to boost those savings when it is affordable for a person to do so.

All pension savers, including the lower income groups, will benefit from the lower administration costs of simplifying the numerous existing regimes into one, so the cost savings can be passed on via increased pension benefits.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his policy is in respect of the use of sunset clauses in legislation. [37405]

The appropriateness of a sunset clause for the whole or part of any proposed legislation is considered on a case by case basis. It is also addressed when a regulatory impact assessment relating to legislation is being prepared.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the false use of Department for Work and Pensions staff identities in fraudulent tax credit claims. [35727]

I am aware that a number of DWP staff appear to have had their details used by others to claim tax credits. This matter is now the subject of a criminal investigation involving HMRC and DWP therefore it would not be appropriate to comment further at this stage.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people have been employed by his Department in dealing with complaints about tax credits in each month since April 2003. [20014]

The information is not available.

It is not possible to isolate the total number of people employed by HM Revenue and Customs to deal with complaints about tax credits. Staff in various parts of the Department may handle complaints about tax credits, but for most this would be in addition to other work.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer

(1) what assessment he has made of the reasons why people have been overpaid tax credits; [23213]

(2) what assessment he has made of the reasons why people have been overpaid tax credits in Northern Ireland. [25780]

Analysis of overpayments suggests that they result from a number of factors: income rises from one year to the next; families overestimating the extent to which their income has fallen when they seek extra support during the year; provisional payments made at the start of the tax year, which are based on out-of-date information that is subsequently updated when the award is renewed; and delays in reporting changes in families' personal circumstances to HMRC.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the recent performance of the tax credits system. [36087]

I would refer the hon. Member to my statement to the Treasury sub-committee of 26 October 2005, HC 524-ii and my written statement of 5 December 2005, Official Report, column 55WS.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library copies of the minutes of meetings (a) held between HM Revenue and Customs and the former Inland Revenue and the HMRC Tax Credits Consultation Group and (b) of the related working parties since 2003. [36225]

The work of the Consultation Group is covered by a confidentiality agreement. HMRC values the skills and expertise of the group and does not wish to lose the ability to discuss policy matters in confidence.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many notifications of a change of address by recipients of tax credit awards have been received in each month since April 2003. [36794]

The information requested is not available.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the likely cost of paying tax credits from April 2006 to claimants when their income rises by less than £25,000, as announced by the Paymaster General on 5 December. [36826]

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer

(1) what estimate he has made of the cost of increasing the income disregard for tax credits to £25,000 in each of the next three years; [36839]

(2) what estimate he has made of the savings arising from requiring families to return their tax credit renewal forms by the end of August in each of the next three years; [36840]

(3) what estimate he has made of the effect on public funds over the next three years of assuming a family's income rises in line with average earnings while waiting for income information relating to the renewal of a tax credit award. [37143]

The cost of the measures announced on 5 December, including the rises in the disregard to £25,000 and shortening the renewal date to the end of August, are set down in table 1.2 of the 2005 pre-Budget report (Cm6701). It is not possible to produce robust estimates of the impact of individual elements of the package of measures as there are significant interactions between the different components.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many and what proportion of families receiving tax credits he expects HM Revenue and Customs to contact over the next three years to check if there have been any changes in income or circumstances. [36841]

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave to him on 28 November 2005, Official Report, column 83W regarding HM Revenue and Customs' (HMRC) pro-active pilot. HMRC will consider the findings of the pilot carefully to determine the benefits of introducing pro-active customer contact as part of its day-to-day business, how many families to contact and when.

As I stated in my written statement to the House on 5 December 2005, from 2007 HMRC plan to contact key groups of claimants near to the renewals window to obtain more up-to-date information on which to base the next year's payments while the finalisation process is completed. Information on the numbers that HMRC will contact is not yet available.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the National Audit Office has informed him that it intends to begin an investigation into the introduction of the new tax credits. [37144]

I have not been informed of any plans to conduct such an investigation. The content of the National Audit Office's work programme is a matter for the Comptroller and Auditor General.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many complaints have been received by the hon. Members' tax credit hotline in the last 12 months. [37238]

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) does not keep separate records of the number of calls to its MP Hotline facility that involve a complaint.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many tax returns were filed incorrectly by individuals in (a) 2002, (b) 2003 and (c) 2004; and what measures were undertaken by HM Customs and Revenue to ensure that those individuals who filed incorrect statements and subsequently paid too much tax were reimbursed promptly and efficiently. [36279]

HMRC assess the accuracy of filed self assessment tax returns using its automated risk assessment system and through an annual random inquiry programme. Figures are not yet available for the years requested because all inquiries must be completed before analysis. If, upon capture of the information on the return, a repayment of tax is found to be due, the repayment is made automatically from the computer system.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average (a) direct and (b) indirect cost per Pay as you Earn return was in the last period for which figures are available; and what the average cost per self-assessment online return was in that period. [36284]

The current averaged direct cost (paybill) of processing a paper self assessment return is £5.46. Indirect costs (overheads excluding IT) are a further £4.42. (HMRC are unable to differentiate costs between those self assessment tax returns relating to PAYE taxpayers and those returns relating to others).

The current averaged cost of processing an online self assessment return are direct costs £0.97 and indirect costs a further £0.62.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent estimate he has made of the loss of tax revenue in a year consequent on errors in tax returns; and what guidance he (a) has issued and (b) plans to issue to reduce the number of such errors. [36297]

HMRC assesses the accuracy of filed returns using its automated risk assessment system and through an annual random inquiry programme. This was reported in the NAO report Filing of Income Tax Self- Assessment Returns" that was published on 22 June 2005 and can be found on the NAO's website at http://www.nao.org.uk/.

HMRC helps taxpayers file accurate returns through the information and support available on its website, telephone call centres and helplines, inquiry centres, written guidance, and through its tax offices. HMRC's enabling programme seeks to improve the accuracy of future tax returns through targeted intervention and guidance.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer

(1) if he will make available guidance to those who make a mistake when completing on-line self-assessment tax returns; [36298]

(2) what steps his Department takes to offer guidance to an individual who makes a mistake when completing an on-line self-assessment tax return. [36299]

Guidance for completing self-assessment returns is available online at: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/individuals/tmaself-assessment.shtml.

Customers completing a self-assessment return online are guided through the return and are only asked questions that are relevant to their return. Help is available through help buttons on questions and context sensitive help for technical terms and phrases.

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To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer

(1) why HM Revenue and Customs reduced the target e-filing tax returns by 2005 to 25 per cent.; and what recent assessment he has made of whether that target will be reached; [36302]

(2) what recent assessment he has made of progress towards the national target of 35 per cent. of electronic filing of tax returns by 2007–08. [36303]

The Modernising Government White Paper initially set a target that 100 per cent. of all Government services were to be available online by 2005, and a 50 per cent. take-up of those services should be achieved. This was reflected in the Inland Revenue Public Service Agreement 2001–04.

The Inland Revenue revised this overarching target based on their understanding of the market and set specific targets for each of the services it provides. These were agreed with the Treasury.

The departmental Public Service Agreements for 2003–06 and 2005–08 are posted on the HMRC Internet site. HMRC has a target of 25 per cent. of SA returns filed electronically 2005–06 and 35 per cent. by 2007–08.

HM Revenue and Customs expects to achieve its target of 35 per cent. of Self Assessment tax returns received online by March 2008.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what research his Department has conducted into the quality of tender specification documents issued by public bodies to private organisations bidding for public contracts; and if he will (a) conduct a sampled investigation into (i) the quality of these documents and (ii) what additional costs and inefficiencies are created in the bidding process due to poorly written documents and (b) produce guidance to assist public bodies in drafting clearly comprehensible tender specification documents. [37579]

No such research has been conducted by the Departments and agencies responsible to Treasury Ministers, neither is any planned. Guidance on best practice in procurement, and project and programme management (including model terms and conditions for the purchase of goods and services) is available for public authorities on the Office of Government Commerce's website www.ogc.gov.uk.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the value added tax status will be of the trust schools proposed in the White Paper, Higher Standards, Better Standards for All. [37331]

Trust schools, as with any other school, will be subject to the VAT rules set out in the VAT Act 1994.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of the funds that will be recovered in unclaimed assets from bank accounts held by (a) account holders whose last known residence was in Scotland and (b) banks in Scotland. [36710]

As announced in the pre-Budget report 2005, based on the definition that unclaimed assets should generally cover accounts where there has been no customer activity for a period of 15 years, initial record searches by the industry suggest that several hundred million pounds may currently lie unclaimed.

This figure is for the UK as a whole.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how unclaimed assets from dormant bank accounts of account holders last known to be resident in Scotland will be used. [36711]

As announced in the pre-Budget report 2005, the Government believes that where owners and their assets cannot be reunited, the money should be reinvested in the community, particularly in deprived communities, in a sustainable way, through a co-ordinated delivery mechanism, with a focus on youth services that are responsive to the needs of young people, and also on financial education and exclusion. There would be an option for small locally-based financial institutions to focus on these needs in their local communities.

The Government and the industry will continue to work together, to develop the best structure to deliver this approach, and will consult with stakeholders such as organisations representing the interests of young people and the Commission on Unclaimed Assets.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Government will implement the European Sixth VAT Directive Article 13A(1)(f) to enable charities to claim tax relief when they work collaboratively. [37290]

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) have considered a number of cases where it was claimed that Article 13A(1)(f) of the Sixth VAT Directive applied. In each case VAT exemption was already available under UK law, or the transactions in question did not meet all the conditions of Article 13A(1)(f).

However, the Government keep all taxes under review and HMRC are in discussion with the charitable sector about a range of VAT issues.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people (a) are eligible for and (b) have received the working tax credits in the Middlesbrough, South and East Cleveland constituency. [36987]

Estimates of the numbers of those entitled to working families' tax credit are not available at constituency level.

Estimates of the number of recipient families of working families' tax credit from 2001–02 broken down by constituency appear in the quarterly WFTC and DPTC geographical analyses. These publications can be found on the HMRC website at: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/menu.htm.

Figures for the child and working tax credits can also be found at this address.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the Department for Transport about the financial protection of air passengers on flights to and from Scotland. [35564]

Financial protection for air passengers is dealt with through UK and EU legislation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with chief constables in Scotland on reserved matters. [35565]

My right hon. Friend has had no such discussions other than in June this year when he met the chief constables of two Scottish police forces to receive oral briefings on security preparations for the G8 summit at Gleneagles.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the FirstMinister on Scotland's energy needs for winter 2005–06. [35566]

I have regular discussions with the First Minister on a range of issues.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent steps the Government have taken to help the shipbuilding industry in Scotland. [35567]

Scottish shipbuilders compete on a commercial basis and I congratulate the two yards who won orders for civilian ships in recent weeks. The Government itself is a significant customer for Scottish shipyards engaged in military shipbuilding. The Ministry of Defence and members of the shipbuilding industry are working closely together to develop a comprehensive maritime industrial strategy to sustain maritime capability in the long-term.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues and the First Minister on asylum and immigration issues in Scotland. [35569]

My right hon. Friend meets Cabinet colleagues and the First Minister regularly to discuss a wide range of issues.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when the report from the Arbuthnott Commission on electoral arrangements in Scotland will be published; and if he will make a statement. [35570]

I expect to receive the Arbuthnott Commission report in the course of January.

To ask the Leader of the House what recent representations he has received from hon. Members regarding tabling of parliamentary questions during the summer recess. [36661]

This issue has been raised in business questions and my right hon. Friend the Leader of the House remains open to other representations.

Ministers remain accountable for the work of their Department in recesses, and Members can and do correspond with them during recesses.

To ask the Leader of the House how many cases of violence towards hon. Members' staff in constituency offices have been made known to House authorities in each year since 1997. [35579]

This information is not recorded centrally. Members should report cases of violence towards them, to the House authorities.

A central House of Commons budget may contribute to the costs of security measures taken in the constituency to safeguard Members' staff, their equipment and themselves.

To ask the Leader of the House what recent assessment he has made of the level of services available to hon. Members who lose their seats. [36663]

Members who lose their seats are eligible for assistance through the Resettlement Grant and through the Winding Up Allowance.

The Administration Select Committee has been conducting an inquiry on this subject. Its report will be presented to the House in due course.

To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what recent discussions the Commission has had with contractors and trade union representatives on the dispute with cleaners in the House. [36664]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier to the hon. Member for Cardiff North (Julie Morgan).

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what measures her Department has introduced to improve support for victims of crime. [36646]

We have invested over £3 million this year to improve the safety and comfort of victims of crime.

We will give bereaved relatives of victims of homicide a right to speak to the court after conviction but before sentence. At present, though they are the people most affected by the crime, they are the only ones who have to remain silent throughout the court proceedings.

I met last month with the Deputy Lord Chief Justice and have today written to him to tell him that we are considering piloting allowing victims relatives to speak in courts in about five courts from April next year.

Under consideration are

London

Nottingham/ Sheffield/ Leeds.

Birmingham

Cardiff

Exeter and Winchester

Liverpool/Manchester

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what steps she is taking to tackle the potential growth of a compensation culture. [36647]

The Government are taking forward a wide programme of work to prevent a compensation culture from developing; to tackle perceptions that can lead to a disproportionate fear of litigation and risk averse behaviour; to discourage and resist bad claims; and to improve the system for those with a valid claim for compensation. The Compensation Bill is an important part of that work.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she willmake a statement on the role of community law centres. [36649]

Community law centres play a key role in helping some of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged people in society. Their benefit to local communities is made possible by committed and dedicated staff.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what assessment she has made of the response of local authorities to applications under the Freedom of Information Act 2000; and if she will make a statement. [36650]

My Department does not formally monitor local authorities' performance in responding to applications under the Freedom of Information Act, to avoid imposing an administrative burden.

However, the impression from independent surveys is that under the Freedom of Information Act the public are accessing a huge amount of new information.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will make a statement on the operation of the Data Protection Act 1998. [36651]

The Data Protection Act provides a robust framework of protection for individuals' data which properly balances that right with the legitimate interests of other individuals and organisations.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what plans shehas to regulate the activities of the Union of Democratic Mineworkers as a claims handler for industrial injuries. [36652]

The Compensation Bill will provide the legislative framework to introduce the statutory regulation of claims management activities. We intend to use the secondary legislation to exempt trade unions regulated by the Certification Officer from the new provisions, probably subject to conditions such as having regard to the regulators code of practice. Any claims management company established, owned or run by a trade union would not be included in any exemption.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will make a statement on specialist domestic violence courts. [36653]

This is a joint initiative. My Department wrote to all magistrates courts committees on 15 December 2004 asking for expressions of interest in setting up a specialist DV court (SDVC). The responses were analysed, and a selection process established the first 25 specialist domestic violence court systems across England and Wales.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what steps she is taking to increase diversity in the legal professions. [36654]

On 23 November I published a report setting out the actions that the Government will take to ensure that talent in the legal profession is drawn from all sections of society, regardless of background.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of voting systems used in the United Kingdom. [36655]

An internal review of the experiences of the new UK voting systems introduced for the devolved Administrations, the European Parliament and London Assembly elections is being conducted by officials within my Department. It is at an early stage, and any decisions regarding the next steps for the review will be taken in due course.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will make a statement on her review of the role of coroners. [36656]

Our review of the coroner service is due to conclude soon and I will be in a position to make a full statement on our proposals for reforming the service next year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the sentinel birds at the quarantine centre in Essex were treated for avian influenza virus after the death of other birds was reported. [31472]

holding answer 24 November 2005

The sentinel birds at the quarantine centre in Essex were not treated for the avian influenza virus. However, they were culled and tested for the disease, as is required by the quarantine rules. All were found to be negative.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the impact of imported Brazilian beef on (a) British farmers and (b) the UK beef industry. [33575]

The United Kingdom is not self-sufficient in beef and requires supplies from third countries such as Brazil to meet consumer demand. Each year, around half of the beef imported into the UK from outside the European Union comes from Brazil. Such imports are a valuable source of raw material for our processing industry.

Our beef industry currently faces a number of challenges, including those arising from the ending of production based CAP subsidies and also in relation to the ending of the Over Thirty Month Scheme for cattle. My noble Friend, the Minister for Food and Farming (Lord Bach) recently hosted a high level meeting to bring the supply chain together to discuss the future, at which he also announced a package of measures worth around £8 million to help the beef sector move forward.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if the Minister for Nature Conservation and Fisheries will make an official visit to Pilling Sands before a decision is taken by the North Western and North Wales Sea Fisheries Committee to re-open cockle beds there. [34871]

The decision to re-open cockle beds at Pilling Sands rests with the North Western and North Wales Sea Fisheries Committee. I have no plans to make an official visit to Pilling Sands.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Lewes (Norman Baker) of 30 November 2005, Official Report, columns 505–06W, on the Countryside Stewardship Scheme, if she will list the additional green spaces that have become accessible in Worcestershire as a result of the Access Management Grant Scheme. [36244]

A new right of public access on foot to open country and registered common land was created by the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, and was commenced in Worcestershire on 31 October 2005. The Access Management Grant Scheme is intended to facilitate public access to this land, by helping to pay for local management planning/consultation, and for on-site infrastructure such as gates, stiles and signage. Public access to the following areas of access land in Worcestershire has been facilitated through the provision of on-site infrastructure under the Scheme:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average size is of a dairy herd in England. [35225]

The average size of a dairy herd in England is 88 cows.

Notes

1. The figure is the total number of dairy cows divided by the number of holdings with dairy cows.

2. Dairy herd classified as all dairy cows and heifers that have calved.

Source

June 2004 Agricultural Survey

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of changes in the size of dairy herds since 1970. [35228]

The number of dairy cows in England from 1970 to 2005 are shown in the following table.

⁽¹²⁾ 2005 figure is provisional.

Notes:

1. Data prior to 2000 excludes minor holdings, data after 2000 includes all holdings.

2. Dairy herd classified as all dairy cows and heifers that have calved.

Source:

June Agricultural Survey.

Since 1984 UK production has been constrained by milk quota where penalties are incurred if total production goes over pre set limits. During this period cow numbers have declined while average milk yield per cow has increased allowing total production to remain relatively stable at the level of quota.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many UK dairy farmers have cattle herds of over 1,000. [35231]

There a very few (under five) holdings with more than 1,000 dairy cows. To protect confidentiality of individual holding information as required by the Agricultural Statistics Act (1979), we are not able to release the precise number given the small numbers involved.

Figures for the other UK countries fall under the jurisdiction of the devolved authorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many of her Department's employees have taken early retirement in each year since 1997. [34045]

Defra was created in June 2001 and the following table shows the number of employees who have taken early retirement since then.

9 June to 31 December.⁽¹³⁾

1 January to 30 November.⁽¹⁴⁾

The above figures include those who have retired voluntarily with an actuarially reduced pension, those who have retired with benefits under the civil service compensation scheme and those who have retired on ill-health grounds.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent (a) discussions, (b) meetings and (c) correspondence she has had with the Isle of Man Government in relation to the extent of its fishing jurisdiction; and if she will make a statement. [35318]

There have been no discussions, or meetings between the Isle of Man Government and DEFRA Ministers in relation to its recent proposals to extend the Isle of Man's fishing jurisdiction from 3 to 12 miles. I have had correspondence from the Isle of Man Government regarding the proposals and DEFRA, along with the devolved Administrations in Scotland and Northern Ireland, consulted stakeholders on them in the summer. A decision on the outcome of the consultation will be communicated to the Isle of Man Government in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average retail price is of a litre of milk in the (a) UK and (b) each EU member state; and if she will make a statement. [35226]

Average retail prices per litre of milk from 1975 to 1993 are shown in the following table. More recent prices of milk are only available from the statistical offices in the member states and would take disproportionate cost to collate.

Average retail price per litre of milk in the UK, and selected EU member states