§ Mr. Martyn JonesTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to the Caernarfon constituency, the effects on Caernarfon of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [154932]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonCaernarfon, along with the rest of the United Kingdom, is benefiting from the long-term action we have taken to build economic stability and secure high and stable levels of growth and employment. Since the general election, claimant unemployment in the constituency has fallen by 708, or 30 per cent., youth unemployment is down by 90 per cent., and long-term unemployment has fallen by 57 per cent.
363WMacro-economic stability is being complemented at the micro-economic level by the Government's policies to ease the transition from welfare into work and to make work pay. To the end of December 2000, the New Deal for 18 to 24-year-olds had helped 818 young people in Caernarfon constituency gain valuable skills and experience—497 (61 per cent.) of whom had moved into employment. The Working Families Tax Credit (WFTC), introduced in October 1999, is helping to make work pay for low and middle income families. In August 2000, 2,000 families in Caernarfon constituency were benefiting from WFTC.
The Government are also committed to policies which enable pensioners to share in the country's rising prosperity. All pensioners, including 13,400 in Caernarfon, will receive an above-inflation increase in the basic state pension from April 2001. Single pensioners will receive an extra £5 a week, and couples will receive an extra £8 a week. All pensioners aged 75 or over have also been entitled to a free TV licence since November 2000—including around 8,900 in Caernarfon.
2000–01 Liabilities Million Number (la) The number of taxpayers who have income tax liabilities from dividends income of less than £50 5.5 (lb) The number and proportion of taxpayers who do not have liability to income tax from divid[...]ends income 20.5 (73%) (2a) The number of people who have income tax liabilities from savings income of less than £50 14.75 (2b) The number and proportion of taxpayers who do not have liability to income tax from savings income 8.5 (30%)
2000–01 Liabilities Number (Million) Proportion of all taxpayers (Percentage) Mean tax liability from savings/dividends (£) Median tax liability from savings/dividends (£) (3i) Taxpayers with income tax liabilities from dividends income 7.5 27 370 6 (3ii) Taxpayers with income tax liabilities from savings income 19.5 70 240 12 These estimates are based on the Survey of Personal Incomes (SPI) and are consistent with the November 2000 pre-Budget report.