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Dead Bodies (Identification)
Jon Trickett: To ask the Solicitor-General which agencies work with the police and coroners in the task of identifying dead bodies discovered in the UK; and what the respective roles are of (a) the coroners, (b) the police and (c) other agencies. [21346]
Ms Harman: I have been asked to reply.
A number of agencies work with the police and coroners on the identification of dead bodies. These include the Forensic Science Service, pathologists and the National Missing Persons Helpline. The coroner's role is to investigate sudden, violent or unnatural deaths in order to determine who the deceased was, and how, when and where they came by their death and to enable the death to be properly registered. The role of the police and other agencies is to assist the coroner in performing these functions.
Jon Trickett: To ask the Solicitor-General how many unidentified corpses are held in morgues in England and Wales; and how many have been unidentified for more than (a) 12, (b) 18 and (c) 24 months. [21347]
Ms Harman: I have been asked to reply.
This information is not held centrally.
Jon Trickett: To ask the Solicitor-General what guidance is issued to coroners on the use of DNA samples in establishing the identity of dead persons. [21348]
Ms Harman: I have been asked to reply.
Coroners determine the means of identification and we have not issued guidance to them on the use of DNA samples in identifying deceased persons.
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Domestic Violence
Barbara Follett: To ask the Solicitor-General what steps he is taking to increase the support provided to victims of domestic violence in the criminal justice system. [22035]
The Solicitor-General: The Crown Prosecution Service is committed to ensuring that victims of domestic violence are adequately protected and supported nationwide. As part of this commitment it has devised and published progressive domestic violence policy, guidance and training to equip prosecutors.
The Crown Prosecution Service has a national network of domestic violence co-ordinators, including one in Hertfordshire, to implement policy, address problems and share good practice.
All of the criminal justice units in Hertfordshire have a specialist domestic violence champion. They are tasked to liaise with other agencies to support victims, raise awareness of their concerns and represent the CPS in the local domestic violence forum.
Financial Ombudsman Service
Mr. Graham Stuart: To ask the Solicitor-General what representations he has received from and on behalf of independent financial advisors on the Financial Ombudsman Service; and if he will make a statement. [23153]
The Solicitor-General: I am not aware of any such representations.
Fraud Convictions
Sarah Teather: To ask the Solicitor-General how many people have been convicted of fraud in London in each year since 1997. [8200]
Hazel Blears: I have been asked to reply. Data from the Home Office court proceedings database on the number of people convicted for fraud in London, 1997 to 2003 is contained in the table. Statistics for 2004 court proceedings will be available in the autumn.
(3) These data are on the principal offence basis.
TREASURY
Business Conduct
Mr. Drew:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will extend the time allowed for return of the twice yearly questionnaire required of businesses operating
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under the conduct of businesses rules; and if he will re-consider the decision to require that this process is undertaken bi-annually. [22483]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Financial Services Authority (FSA) is operationally independent of the Government and is responsible for determining what information it requires authorised persons to submit on a regular basis, how frequently they should submit that information and within what timeframes. That information can relate to conduct of business rules and the current return that collects this information on a bi-annual basis is the retail mediation activities return (RMAR) which is required to be submitted within thirty business days. The FSA shall be writing to the hon. Member shortly about these issues.
Cash Machines
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the increase in the numbers of fee-charging cash machines on low income households. [21862]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: Work is under way through the Financial Inclusion Taskforce to explore how the financially excluded access their cash and transmit money. Among other things, this work will identify the extent to which fee-charging ATMs are disproportionately used by the financially excluded. The results of this work are due next year.
In addition, the Treasury continues to maintain regular contact with Link to discuss issues relating to the ATM market and to keep up to date with any developments.
Child Benefit
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people have received child benefit in (a) Tamworth constituency, (b) Staffordshire, (c) the West Midlands and (d) the UK in each year since 1997. [22158]
Dawn Primarolo: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 25 October 2005, Official Report, columns 305–06W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Jarrow (Mr. Hepburn).
Correspondence
Sir Michael Spicer: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will reply to the letter to the Paymaster General from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire (PO Ref: 4/22437/2005). [22138]
Dawn Primarolo: A reply has been sent to the hon. Member.
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will obtain an answer from the chairman of HM Revenue and Customs to the letters to him from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton dated 18 August and 23 September with regard to Mr K. Akhtar, following reference of that case to the chairman by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in July. [22671]
Dawn Primarolo:
I wrote to my right hon. Friend on the day that he tabled his question.
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Financial Services Authority
Mr. Drew: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will review the role of the Financial Services Authority with regard to (a) the burden of administration its procedures involve and (b) the effectiveness of its complaints procedures. [22482]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Treasury's Two-Year Review of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (FSMA), the outcome of which was announced in December 2004, included a reduction in Financial Services Authority (FSA) consultation burdens and reforms making the FSA handbook of rules easier to use. The FSA has subsequently launched other initiatives to simplify its handbook of rules further. The administrative burden associated with requirements to report information to the FSA is currently being assessed by independent consultants as part of the Government's initiative to assess all such burdens generated by all Government bodies and regulators. In parallel the FSA has commissioned independent consultants to assess the cumulative burden of all forms of financial regulation in three business sectors. A person dissatisfied with the FSA's response to a complaint may approach the Office of the Complaints Commissioner, which publishes an annual report. In light of these reports there are no current plans to review the FSA's complaints procedures.
Gift Aid
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much revenue has been lost to his Department in relation to the Gift Aid scheme in each year since its inception; what estimate has been made of the cost of (a) allowing charitable donations by non-taxpayers to qualify at the standard rate and (b) applying the scheme at the standard rate to charitable donations on which Gift Aid is not claimed; what estimate has been made of the cost to charities of implementing the scheme; and what has been estimated as (i) the total value of charitable giving, (ii) the proportion eligible for the scheme and (iii) the proportion subject to the scheme in each year since the scheme's inception. [22418]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) does not maintain figures for the total value of charitable giving. Donations to charities under Gift Aid and covenants and payroll giving back to 1990–91 are available on the HMRC website at www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/charities/menu.htm. Provisional figures for 2004–05 show total repayments to charities under Gift Aid of £625 million. HMRC does not maintain estimates for the cost of allowing charitable donations by non-taxpayers to qualify at the standard rate, nor on applying the scheme at the standard rate to charitable donations on which Gift Aid is not claimed. Likewise, HMRC has made no estimate of the cost to charities of implementing the Gift Aid scheme.
Mr. Drew: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) for what reasons his Department has re-interpreted the arrangements for charities which can disregard admission charges in return for gift-aided donations; [22484]
(2) what assessment he has made of the impact of free admission to larger museums on smaller charities, with particular reference to Gift Aid. [22485]
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Mr. Ivan Lewis: I refer my hon. Friend to my answer to him of 21 October 2005, Official Report, column 1312W.
Free admission to certain larger museums was introduced by the Department for Culture Media and Sport in December 2001. HM Revenue and Customs have not made any assessment of the impact of this measure on smaller charges.
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