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12 Jan 2006 : Column 780W—continued
Departmental Publications
Mr. Amess: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make it his policy to publish as an annex to his annual report a list of all publications published by his Department in the preceding year; and if he will make a statement. [41018]
Jim Fitzpatrick:
A database of publications issued bythe Office of the Deputy Prime Minister since May 2002 is available on the ODPM website at: http://www.publications.odpm.gov.uk/ Information can be accessed by both date and policy area.
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The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has no plans to publish this information in duplicate in our annual report.
Fire Service Restructuring
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent representations he has received on his proposals for regional fire control centres; what assessment he has made of the implications for individual fire authorities of leaving certain functions out of scope of the regional control centre project; and what assessment he has made of the implications for council tax of the continuation of the performance of out of scope activities by local fire brigades. [39705]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has received three representations directly from fire and rescue authorities since the end of the summer recess. While they raise concerns over finance, none has opposed the fundamental principles of the FiReControl project. On out of scope activities, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 9 January 2006, Official Report, column 255W. There are not expected to be implications for council tax payers of the continuation of out of scope activities since the overall savings from the project will more than offset any costs arising.
Local Government Finance
Mr. Spellar: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what action his Department is taking to reduce increases in the cost of auditing to local councils. [40775]
Mr. Woolas: The Audit Commission is responsible for setting the fees for audit. Its current consultation paper Local Councils—Proposed fee scales 2006– 2011" gives details of proposed reductions on audit fees for many small councils.
Non-governmental Organisations
Alistair Burt: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations for which his Department had responsibility on 1 January (a) 2001 and (b) 2006; how many people were employed by each body in each year since 2001; and what the salary of the chief executive of each body was in each year since 2001. [41506]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) was established in May 2002. Cabinet Office's publication 'Public Bodies 2002' provides information on the non-departmental public bodies sponsored by ODPM, including a figure for staff employed by each body and the salary of the chief executive or other senior officer. A copy of 'Public Bodies 2002' was placed in the Library of the House of Commons. Similar information for years up to 31 March 2005 can be found on Cabinet Office's Public Bodies database at:
On 1 January 2006, ODPM sponsored the following executive public bodies:
English Partnerships (consisting of the Commission for the New Towns and the Urban Regeneration Agency);
Official Residences (Council Tax)
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether the council tax bills for his official residences have been paid out of public funds, in each year since his appointment as Deputy Prime Minister. [39478]
The Deputy Prime Minister [holding answer 9 January 2006]: I have reviewed the arrangements for the payment of council tax on the official residence I occupy at Admiralty house.
The Government have paid a discounted amount of council tax on this flat since 1997, continuing the arrangements in place for the previous Conservative Administration. The residence at the time was the responsibility of the Ministry of Defence. Consequently, the following amounts of council tax have been paid out of public funds for my official residence:
Ministry of Defence | ODPM and predecessors | |
|---|---|---|
| 1997–98 | (21)266.52 | — |
| 1998–99 to 2004–05 | — | 3,564 |
(21)Pro-rata share subsequently taken over by DETR.
I was paying council tax on my Hull constituency home and on a rented flat in London, which I vacated in November 2003. I believed that I was paying council tax on all three properties.
In 1997 I was assigned an official residency at Admiralty house that was deemed as my primary residence in accordance with the House of Commons rules.
As part of this arrangement I paid additional income tax on the benefit in kind arising from the utilities and services associated with my occupancy of the official residence, equivalent to 10 per cent. of my ministerial salary. This is in accordance with legislation first introduced in the Finance Act 1977 and included in the Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988 and the Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003.1 believed that council tax on the official residence was included in this.
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In 1997 the Government carried on paying council tax as before on the flat, and claimed a discount (on a second home/company basis). This was not confirmed with me and nor was any advice given to me at the time.
On reviewing the situation, I am now aware that an inadvertent error has occurred, based on a genuine misunderstanding. To avoid any doubt, I have therefore:
issued this answer to a parliamentary question to correct the record and to fully apologise to the House;
instructed my Department to confirm to Westminster City council that Admiralty house is my primary residence;
although I have no legal obligation to do so, I will pay full council tax on Admiralty house for the whole of the period since 1997 and have requested that Westminster City council calculate any amounts arising from my decision to do so.
The Commons Fees Office have confirmed that I have acted within the rules at all times.
The Cabinet Secretary has confirmed that for the future he has put in place procedures to ensure that Ministers who are allocated official residences are givenclear guidance on dealing with their council tax liabilities.
Dorneywood is owned and managed by an independent trust, which meets the cost of the council tax. There is no cost to public funds.
CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT
2012 Olympic Games
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what aspirational target for medals at the 2012 Olympic Games has been set by (a) UK Sport and (b) her Department; and what representations have been received on these targets from the British Olympic Association. [41188]
Mr. Caborn: Neither the Department nor UK Sport has set an aspirational target for Olympic medals in London 2012.
The Chair of the British Olympic Association (BOA) met the Secretary of State on 16 November, and wrote on 2 December to indicate that the BOA's aspirational goal for London 2012 was fourth in the Olympic medal table.
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations (a) the Department and (b) UK Sport received from the British Olympic Association on UK Sport's submission to the Treasury on the funding of elite athletes prior to the publication of the pre-Budget report. [41189]
Mr. Caborn:
The Chair of the British Olympic Association (BOA) met the Secretary of State on 16 November, and wrote on 2 December about UK Sport's submission to the Department on funding for elite athletes. In addition, officials have also had periodic conversations with the BOA.
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Officials from UK Sport and the BOA met on at least four occasions prior to the submission of UK Sport's 2012 funding proposals to the Department. In addition, the Chairs of the respective organisations met on 12 October to discuss funding for elite athletes.
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on how many occasions UK Sport met the British Olympic Association to discuss the funding of elite athletes prior to the publication of the pre-Budget report. [41192]
Mr. Caborn: On 12 July, the British Olympic Association (BOA) convened a meeting with UK Sport and Performance Directors from all the summer Olympic sports to assess the initial implications of the successful bid to host the 2012 Olympics.
Subsequently, officials from UK Sport and the BOA met on at least four other occasions prior to the submission of UK Sport's 2012 funding proposals to the DCMS. UK Sport and BOA officials also met with representatives from 22 of the 26 summer Olympic sports. In addition, the Chairs of the respective organisations met on 12 October to discuss funding for elite athletes.
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