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European Union Countries (GNP)
Mr. Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the latest figures for GNP per capita for each EU member state. [74168]
Ms Quin: A number of different organisations calculate GNP. For EU purposes the European Commission's figures are generally used. The European Commission's report of 7 October 1998 called "Financing the European Union", a copy of which was deposited on 26 October (Batch list 121) provides information for every year since 1982. For 1997 the GNP per head of population at current market prices was:
| Countries | £ | Euro |
|---|---|---|
| Belgium | 14,860 | (21,315) |
| Denmark | 18,100 | (25,963) |
| Germany | 15,614 | (22,397) |
| Greece | 7,022 | (10,073) |
| Spain | 8,251 | (11,835) |
| France | 14,477 | (20,766) |
| Ireland | 10,526 | (15,098) |
| Italy | 12,144 | (17,420) |
| Luxembourg | 24,549 | (35,214) |
| The Netherlands | 14,233 | (20,416) |
| Austria | 15,652 | (22,451) |
| Portugal | 6,148 | (8,819) |
| Finland | 13,811 | (19,811) |
| Sweden | 15,044 | (21,579) |
| United Kingdom | 13,411 | (19,236) |
The report also shows at Annex 8, Table 9, GNP per head of population at Purchasing Power Standards, compared with the EU average.
Public Record Office Files
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what reasons the Public Record Office files FCO 8/710, FCO 8/711 and FCO 8/712 are closed; and if he will consider opening these files to the public. [74247]
Mr. Tony Lloyd: These files were retained beyond their due opening date of 1 January 1999 to allow time for completion of the review process. The files have now been cleared for release and will be opened at the Public Record Office by the end of March.
Civil Service Code (Complaints)
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list all complaints made by officials in his Department under the Civil Service Code from 1 May 1997 to date, together with the reasons given for such complaints. [74332]
Mr. Robin Cook [holding answer 2 March 1999]: No member of staff has raised with the Department a complaint under the Civil Service or Diplomatic Service Codes of Ethics since 1 May 1997.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Pensioners
Mr. Webb:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the proportion of pensioners
3 Mar 1999 : Column: 800
who will be on (a) income support and (b) other means- tested benefits in (i) 2000, (ii) 2010, (iii) 2020, (iv) 2030, (v) 2040 and (vi) 2050 on the basis of (1) unchanged policies, (2) unchanged policies except for an income guarantee linked to earnings and (3) full implementation of his proposed pensions reforms. [71180]
Mr. Timms:
The information is not available in the form requested. Such information as is available is in the table.
| 2000 | 2025 | 2050 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income support linked to prices | 1 in 5 | 1 in 10 | 1 in 10(14) |
| Income guarantee linked to earnings | 1 in 5 | 1 in 5 | 1 in 3 |
| Full implementation of proposals | 1 in 5 | 1 in 5 | 1 in 4 |
Notes:
1.
(14) assumes no change between 2025 and 2050.
2. Projections to the year 2050 are subject to a high degree of uncertainty, given the number of assumptions that need to be made in making these estimates. Some of those who will be pensioners in 2050 have yet to begin work, and most are in their 20s and 30s.
3. Estimates have been made by extrapolating estimates from the PENSIM model but these can only give a very broad indication of the likely order of magnitude of figures so far into the future. The projections can be applied to estimates of the proportion of pensioners on Income Support, but not to other income-related benefits (such as Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit) as projections for these benefits would require many more assumptions to be made and would be surrounded by an unacceptable level of uncertainty.
4. It is our policy that the Minimum Income Guarantee will be increased in line with average earnings over time and as resources permit. For illustration, the first line shows the estimated effect of increasing Income Support only in line with prices over time.
Benefits Agency
Audrey Wise: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people were employed by the Benefits Agency on the last day for which a figure is available. [73626]
Angela Eagle: Staffing of the Benefits Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Peter Mathison. He will write to my hon. Friend.
Letter from Peter Mathison to Audrey Wise, dated 2 March 1999:
The Secretary of Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many staff were employed by the Benefits Agency on the last day for which a figure is available.
As at 31 January 1999, the Benefits Agency had a total of 74307 staff in post. In addition, there were 3934 staff employed on casual contracts.
I hope that this is helpful.
All Work Test
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people in the Norwich, North constituency failed the All Work Test in the period 1995 to 1998. [73378]
Mr. Bayley:
The administration of Incapacity Benefit is a matter for Peter Mathison, the Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to my hon. Friend.
3 Mar 1999 : Column: 801
| Norwich District | Nationally | |
|---|---|---|
| 1995-96 | 292 | 66,367 |
| 1996-97 | 683 | 112,046 |
| 1997-98 | n/a | 104,339 |
Information about those failing the All Work Test has not been available by BA Districts since 1997/98. The information supplied is taken from cases recorded on the Incapacity Benefit computer system.
I hope that this is helpful.
Minimum Income Guarantee
Mr. Ennis: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate how many pensioners in the Barnsley, East and Mexborough constituency will be eligible for the Minimum Income Guarantee. [73376]
Mr. Timms: The information is not available in the form requested. Such information as is available is as follows.
As at August 1998 (the latest date for which information is available) there were approximately 17,000 pensioners in receipt of Income Support in the Barnsley and Doncaster local authority district. There were 1.65 million pensioners in receipt of Income Support across the country as a whole at the same date. Whilst we do not know the precise effect in each Local Authority area, across the country as a whole, in addition to existing Income Support recipients, we expect around 65,000 pensions will be newly eligible for the Minimum Income Guarantee as a result of the above-inflation increase in the income support rates in April.
Notes:
1. Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred and are based on a 5 per cent. sample size.
2. "Pensioners" for the purposes of this question are defined as single people aged 60 or over, or couples where one or both partners is aged 60 or over.
Zimbabwe
Mr. Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what official visits he, his ministers or officials have paid to Zimbabwe since May 1997; whom they met; and what was discussed. [73453]
Widows' Benefit
Mr. Cox:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many women qualify for widows' benefit payments. [73753]
3 Mar 1999 : Column: 802
Angela Eagle:
The number of women receiving Widows' Benefits payments at 15 January 1999 was 266,100.
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