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UK Youth Parliament Manifesto and Agenda for Action 2000
Lord Elton asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will publish their response to the United Kingdom Youth Parliament's Manifesto and Agenda for Action 2002.[HL404]
Lord Davies of Oldham: Government departments have received the UKYP Manifesto and Agenda for Action 2002 and some departments have had meetings with representatives of the Youth Parliament. The Children and Young People's Unit will co-ordinate the Government's written response to the manifesto.
Local Delivery of Central Policy: Better Regulation Task Force Report
Lord Howell of Guildford asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What response they have made to the report by the Better Regulation Task Force published in July on local delivery of central policy.[HL494]
Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The Government's response to the Better Regulation Task Force report on local delivery of central policy was published 19 December 2002. It is available at www.hm-treasury.gov.uk. A copy has been placed in the Library of the House.
Lord Howell of Guildford asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether the recommendation in the July report by the Better Regulation Task Force on the local delivery of central policy that the Treasury and Regional Co-ordination Unit of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister should review specific areas of cross-cutting delivery has been implemented; if so, when the unit will report; and to whom.[HL495]
Lord McIntosh of Haringey : The Government's response to the Better Regulation Task Force report on local delivery of central policy was published 19 December 2002. It is available at www.hm-treasury.gov.uk. A copy has been placed in the Library of the House.
The government response emphasises the role of spending review and delivery planning in ensuring more effective public service delivery. In addition the Regional Co-ordination Unit will draw together information from relevant departments' delivery plans, from their regional and local intelligence and from the Better Regulation Task Force report to identify which areas would benefit from an additional review of local delivery arrangements. The RCU will then work with the Treasury and other departments on a phased programme of reviews, reporting back to the task force in June 2003 and in December 2003.
Lord Howell of Guildford asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether the recommendation in the July report by the Better Regulation Task Force on the local delivery of central policy that a review to map and re-engineer the delivery of skills and economic development, removing unnecessary links in the delivery chain, should be commenced within six months has been implemented. [HL496]
Lord McIntosh of Haringey : The Government's response to the Better Regulation Task Force report on local delivery of central policy was published 19 December 2002. It is available at www.hm-treasury.gov.uk. A copy has been placed in the Library of the House.
The response sets out the Government's strong agreement that the delivery of skills programmes must be properly co-ordinated with wider economic development programmes. The Government's forthcoming skills strategy (to be published next year) will be the key mechanism for addressing this recommendation. It will provide a framework and delivery plan for meeting the economy's skills needs.
Lord Howell of Guildford asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What response they have made to Recommendation 4 in the July report by the Better Regulation Task Force on the local delivery of public services that the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister should help local stakeholders to understand the role of Government Offices.[HL497]
Lord McIntosh of Haringey : The Government's response to the Better Regulation Task Force report on local delivery of central policy was publised 19 December 2002. It is available at www.hm-treasury.gov.uk. A copy has been placed in the Library of the House.
The response sets out the Government's acceptance of this recommendation. A real capacity to understand regional concerns is a major component of the value
added by Government Offices. The Regional co-ordination Unit and the Government Offices have carried out a review of two-way communication as part of their efforts to understand better the needs of stakeholders, and have developed a communications strategy to drive this work forward.Public Sector Workers: London Weighting Allowances
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will give details of the London weighting allowance paid to each category of public sector worker; whether the differences in the amounts paid are objectively justifiable; and if so, on what grounds.[HL617]
Lord McIntosh of Haringey : HM Treasury does not hold this information centrally. It is for the various public sector employers to determine their priorities, within the resources available to them, including the way they structure pay and allowances to reflect different circumstances and requirements.
Euro: Transfer of Powers and Prerogatives
Lord Stoddart of Swindon asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What are the powers and prerogatives formerly within the powers of the national parliaments or assemblies and governments, respectively, of each member state of the European Community which were transferred to the European Central Bank, or other Community institution, respectively, on their adherence to the euro currency system.[HL651]
Lord McIntosh of Haringey : The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Income Tax
Lord Marlesford asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will estimate, in respect of the most recent year for which information is available, what
- would have been the additional revenue from income tax if the following rates of income tax on taxable income above the then higher rate threshold had applied: 40 per cent up to £100,000; 50 per cent on the slice of taxable income between £100,000 and £500,000; 60 per cent on the slice of taxable income between £500,000 and £1,000,000 and 70 per cent on the slice of taxable income above £1,000,000, assuming that all other parts of the tax system remain unchanged; and[HL698]
What was, for the most recent year for which figures are available, the number of United Kingdom taxpayers whose personal taxable income exceeded £100,000, £250,000, £500,000, £1 million, £5 million and £10 million respectively.[HL699]
Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The yield from increasing income tax rates in 2002–03 to 50 per cent on the slice of taxable income between £100,000 and £500,000; 60 per cent on the slice of taxable income between £500,000 and £1,000,000 and 70 per cent on the slice of taxable income above £1,000,000, assuming that all other parts of the tax system remain unchanged is £5.7 billion 1 .
The numbers of people in 2002–03 with taxable income in the various income ranges are shown in the table.
| Range of taxable income | Numbers of people |
| £100,000 to £250,000 | 229,400 |
| £250,000 to £500,000 | 41,100 |
| £500,000 to £1,000,000 | 14,300 |
| £1,000,000 to £5,000,000 | 5,800 |
| Over £5,000,000 | 220 |
(1) Estimates based on the Survey of Personal Incomes and the November 2002 Pre-Budget Report
Lord Patten asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord McIntosh of Haringey: I refer the noble Lord to the comments I made in the House on 17 December (Official Report, Column 535).
Whether they will, from 30 September 2003 or earlier, split the role of the chairman of the Financial Services Authority into the posts of non-executive chairman and chief executive.[HL770]
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