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TREASURY
Lower Earnings Limit
Mr. Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) men and (b) women were in work with earnings below the relevant lower earnings limit in each year since 1979. [142079]
Miss Melanie Johnson [holding answer 11 December 2000]: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell to Mr. Frank Field, dated 9 January 2001:
- The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question about men and women earning below the National Insurance lower earnings limits (LEL) since 1979 (142079). I am replying in his absence.
- The information is available from the Labour Force Survey (LFS), the Office for National Statistics' (ONS) major source of labour market data on individuals. The number of employees earning below the National Insurance LEL are given in the attached table.
- The LFS provides a better source of weekly pay than another major source of earnings data, the New Earnings Survey (NES), and is therefore the most appropriate source of data to answer this question. However LFS earnings information is only available from the winter (December to February) 1992/3 quarter onwards. The table gives data for summer (June to August) quarters from 1993 to 2000. The data are for Great Britain and are not seasonally adjusted.
| Employees with gross weekly earnings below the National Insurance lower earnings limit: | ||
|---|---|---|
| Summer | Weekly limit (£) | Thousand |
| Men | ||
| 1993 | 56 | 396 |
| 1994 | 57 | 423 |
| 1995 | 58 | 468 |
| 1996 | 61 | 581 |
| 1997 | 62 | 563 |
| 1998 | 64 | 504 |
| 1999 | 66 | 582 |
| 2000 | 67 | 502 |
| Women | ||
| 1993 | 56 | 1,940 |
| 1994 | 57 | 1,850 |
| 1995 | 58 | 1,807 |
| 1996 | 61 | 2,081 |
| 1997 | 62 | 1,894 |
| 1998 | 64 | 1,802 |
| 1999 | 66 | 1,763 |
| 2000 | 67 | 1,662 |
(10) Great Britain, summer quarters 1993 to 2000, not seasonally adjusted
Source:
Labour Force Survey, National Statistics
Occupational Pensions
Mr. David Stewart: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to collate information on the number of occupational pension plans wound up by employers where a surplus was recorded. [144140]
9 Jan 2001 : Column: 541W
Miss Melanie Johnson [holding answer 8 January 2001]: We have no plans to collate information on the number of occupational pension plans wound up by employers where a surplus was recorded.
ECOFIN Council
Mr. Hood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the outcome was of the ECOFIN Council held in Brussels on 18 December; and if he will make a statement. [144178]
Miss Melanie Johnson: There was no meeting of ECOFIN in December.
Credit Unions
Mr. Love: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress is being made on the establishment of a Central Services Organisation for credit unions; and if he will make a statement. [144518]
9 Jan 2001 : Column: 542W
Miss Melanie Johnson: The consultation on the draft business plan finished on 16 November. I have since met all the main representative bodies, who are discussing the outcome of the consultation and finalising the proposals.
ISAs
Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the study of the ISA market carried out for the Treasury by McKinsey's to which reference (paragraph 5.15) is made in the Treasury's publication "Helping people to save, the modernisation of Britain's Tax and Benefits System, Number 7". [144567]
Miss Melanie Johnson: I have arranged for a copy of the paper, "The HM Treasury/McKinsey ISA Survey 2000", produced by McKinsey and Co., and published at the November 2000 PEP and ISA Managers Association Conference, to be placed in the Library.