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Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council: December 2004
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Warner): My right honourable friend the Minister of State for Health (Mr Hutton) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
The next meeting of the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council will be on 6 and 7 December. Items on the agenda relating to health will be covered on 6 December.
Items for discussion are: a co-ordinated approach to combat HIV/AIDS in the European Union and its neighbourhood; European Commission proposals for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on medicinal products for paediatric use; and the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on nutrition and health claims made on foods. I will attend for the United Kingdom.
Health Ministers will have a public debate on HIV/AIDS, where they will be asked to focus on next steps for both European Community and national level action. This will be followed by a first Council discussion of the European Commission proposal on paediatric medicines, which aims to encourage the development of medicines for children. There will be a presentation by the European Commission, followed by interventions from some member states.
There will be an exchange of views on the proposal to regulate health and nutritional claims on food labelling. Discussion will be structured around the Dutch presidency questions on the key issue of nutrient profiling, the proposed method to identify foods or categories of foods which will be permitted to make claims. Ministers will be asked to adopt the draft Council conclusions on a European response to emerging zoonotic diseases. The UK can agree to adopt these conclusions as currently drafted.
Under "Any Other Business", the Dutch presidency will report on progress made to establish the Council's public health working party meeting on a high official level, which had its first meeting on 23 November 2004. The European Commission will also present the interim report of the High Level Group on Health Care and Medical Services.
At lunch on 6 December, health Ministers will also discuss pandemic preparedness planning.
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Teenage Pregnancy: Independent Advisory Group
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Education and Skills (Lord Filkin): My right honourable friend the Minister for Children (Margaret Hodge) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
The Independent Advisory Group on Teenage Pregnancy has published its third annual report today, 11 November 2004. This is a very thorough and considered report which continues to build on the group's previous two annual reports. We commend the independent advisory group for the notable contribution it has made since it was formed. We welcome the advisory group's acknowledgement of the significant progress made to date nationally, regionally and locally on implementing our teenage pregnancy strategy. We recognise that we are at a critical point of this 10-year strategy, the goals of which can be achieved only by sustaining the drive and energy we have demonstrated so far. Our continued commitment to addressing this key inequality and public health issue is signalled by our PSA jointly held with the Department of Health. Reducing teenage pregnancies and supporting young parents is central to our change for children programme with its aim of improving the life chances for all young people.
The report contains eight recommendations on potential areas for further action. Each recommendation will receive our full and careful consideration and a detailed government response will be published by March 2005. A copy of the independent advisory group's third annual report has been placed in the House of Commons Library.
Agriculture and Environment Biotechnology Commission
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Sainsbury of Turville): My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (Ms Hewitt) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
A report on the review of the Agriculture and Environment Biotechnology Commission (AEBC) has been published today. The review has been conducted by an independent reviewer, Dr Neil Williams, in line with the Cabinet Office guidance for reviewing non-departmental public bodies. Its main recommendation is that the AEBC should be wound up by the end of the current financial year.
Ministerial colleagues involved in the funding of the AEBC and I are grateful for this report. We accept the advice of the review committee, that the report should be published as soon as possible and with minimal comment from Ministers. We would like to express our thanks and support for work that the AEBC has carried out since its creation four years ago. We acknowledge the dedication of its members. The contribution of its chairman, Professor Malcolm Grant, has been key to everything the commission has so far achieved.
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We now intend to consider the recommendations of the independent review very carefully, and aim to reach a decision shortly. We will, however, ensure that we engage with stakeholders prior to making decisions on the future of the AEBC or a successor body.
I have written to the chairman of the AEBC asking the commission to continue to carry out its current work programme but to bear in mind the review's recommendations.
The Science and Technology Select Committee, the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee and the Environmental Audit Select Committee have been sent copies of this report. It has also been sent to the chair, deputy chair and members of the AEBC, learned societies and other stakeholders and I have placed copies in the Libraries of both Houses. An electronic version of the report has been placed on the Office of Science and Technology website at: http://www.ost.gov.uk/policy/bodies/review.htm).
National Insurance Contributions 2005–06
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Lord McIntosh of Haringey): My right honourable friend the Paymaster General has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
I have completed the annual review under Section 141 of the Social Security Administration Act 1992. I propose the following changes to take effect from 6 April 2005. These rates and limits will also apply to national insurance contributions in Northern Ireland.
In line with the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992, the lower earnings limit for primary class 1 contributions is to be raised to £82 a week. It is set at the level of the basic state pension for a single person from April 2005 and rounded down to the nearest pound.
The primary and secondary thresholds for class 1 contributions will continue to be aligned with the weekly amount of the income tax personal allowance, which will be increased to £4,895 from April 2005. The primary and secondary thresholds will therefore be increased to £94 a week. This means that no tax or class 1 contributions will actually be paid on earnings below this level. The upper earnings limit for primary class 1 contributions will be raised to £630.
The rate of class 2 contributions will be raised to £2.10 a week. Self-employed people with earnings below the annual small earnings exception can apply to be exempted from paying class 2 contributions. This limit will be raised by £130 to £4,345 in line with inflation. The annual lower profits limit for liability to class 4 contributions will increase to £4,895 a year (in line with the income tax personal allowance). The upper profits limit will increase by £1,040 to £32,760, to maintain the link with employees' earnings liable to Class 1 contributions.
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The rate of Class 3 voluntary contributions will be increased by 20p to £7.35 a week.
The special rate of class 2 contributions for share fishermen, which allows them to build entitlement to contributory jobseeker's allowance in addition to the other contributory benefits available to the self-employed, will be increased to £2.75 a week.
The special rate of class 2 contributions for volunteer development workers, which entitles them to the full range of contributory benefits, will be increased by 15p to £4.10 in line with the statutory formula of 5 per cent of the primary class 1 lower earnings limit.
I need to ensure that the fund can maintain a prudent working balance throughout the coming year. In accordance with Section 2 (2) of the Social Security Act 1993, I propose to do so by prescribing that the maximum Treasury grant which may be made available to the fund in 2005–06 shall not exceed 2 per cent of the estimated benefit expenditure for that year. Similar provision will be made in respect of the Northern Ireland National Insurance Fund. I shall be laying a draft re-rating order before Parliament in due course. This will accompany a report by the Government Actuary to myself and my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which we shall jointly present to Parliament.
The following table sets out the rates, earnings limits and thresholds for national insurance contributions proposed for 2005–06.
National insurance contributions, proposed re-rating, April 2005:
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