HC Deb 19 September 2003 vol 410 cc1095-6W
Miss McIntosh

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received regarding the status of employers' national insurance contributions for seafarers on ships trading in United Kingdom territorial waters. [129629]

Dawn Primarolo

Since my announcement in April 2003 regarding employer's national insurance contributions for mariners engaged through offshore manning companies, I have received letters from shipping industry representatives and employers affected. I also met industry representatives on 8 September 2003. In the light of the evidence they presented concerning the likely effect of the proposals on the competitiveness of UK shipping in territorial waters, I have decided to restrict the changes I announced to mariners who are employed in inshore waters classified as A, B, C or D under the Merchant Shipping (Categorisation of Waters) Regulations 1992. Regulations were laid before Parliament on 18 September 2003 and the changes will apply from 13 October 2003.

Paul Flynn

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much has been lost to the National Insurance Fund by reductions in contributions by employers to compensate for the climate change levy. [129716]

Dawn Primarolo

The reduction in contributions to the National Insurance Fund to compensate for the climate change levy is £1.1 billion for each of the years 2001–02 and 2002–03 and it is estimated to be £1.2 billion for 2003–04. These figures are rounded to the nearest £0.1 billion.

Paul Flynn

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the transfer of the contribution to the NHS from the National Insurance Fund matches the total received by the increase of 1 per cent. in national insurance rates. [129726]

Dawn Primarolo

Under the National Insurance Contributions Act 2002, all the proceeds of the 1 per cent. increase in national insurance contributions from April 2003 are added to the amount allocated to the national health service. The effect on the National Insurance Fund of the change in the allocation to the national health service from national insurance contributions, following the National Insurance Contributions Act 2002, is shown in Appendix 5 of the Report by the Government Actuary on the Drafts of the Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order 2003 and the Social Security (Contributions) (Re-rating and National Insurance Funds Payments) Order 2003. This was presented to Parliament in February 2003.

Paul Flynn

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the amount of the Treasury's supplement to the National Insurance Fund would be if it had been paid at the same rate that prevailed from 1911 to the late 1980s; and what proportion the supplement would now be as a proportion of the total cost of the basic pension. [129866]

Dawn Primarolo

The Treasury Supplement was abolished in 1988–89. It is not possible to say what the amount of the supplement would be for the current year, as the relevant rate used to calculate the supplement varied from one year to the next.