House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 27 Apr 2006 (pt 18)

27 Apr 2006 : Column 1283W—continued

Valuation Office Agency

Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 25 January 2006, Official Report, column 222W, to the hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman), on the Valuation Office Agency, whether Tenet software is used for council tax valuation purposes; and if he will list the products purchased from Tenet. [49738]

Mr. Woolas: I have been asked to reply.

27 Apr 2006 : Column 1284W

Products purchased from Tenet IT Mapping Limited are (i) a digital mapping system, available to all Valuation Office Agency staff and (ii) a locality delineation tool, available to a limited number of VGA users.

The digital mapping system supports work on the current (1993) council tax lists as it allows staff to identify the location of individual properties (especially in rural locations).

27 Apr 2006 : Column 1285W

Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 7 March 2006, Official Report, columns 1308–9W, on the Valuation Office Agency, what the purpose is of the electronic image management application; and whether it stores images of domestic properties for council tax valuation purposes. [59172]

Mr. Woolas: I have been asked to reply.

The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) has a digital photography application, which links photographs of properties and land to addresses held in its property database. The photographs are of both domestic and non domestic properties as well as land. They are used to assist the VOA in carrying out its functions, including those for council tax and non domestic rating. Images, including those of domestic properties, are stored in a secure database.

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what role the OASIS PC market applications plays in the Valuation Office Agency's council tax valuations. [60135]

Mr. Woolas: I have been asked to reply.

The OASIS PC market application plays no role in undertaking council tax valuations.

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library copies of the minutes of the Valuation Office Agency Programme Board that was preparing for the council tax revaluation in England. [60192]

Mr. Woolas: I have been asked to reply.

The minutes of the Valuation Office Agency's Programme Board for the (now postponed) council tax revaluation in England contain commercially sensitive information and information linked to the formulation and development of Government policy.

27 Apr 2006 : Column 1286W

WORK AND PENSIONS

Child Support

Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he will answer Question 52727 tabled on 14 February 2006 by the right hon. Member for Birkenhead on child maintenance. [62038]

Mr. Plaskitt: I replied to my right hon. Friend on 19 April 2006.

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his estimate is of the real costs of running the Child Support Agency for each year from 1997–98 to 2007–08, using 2004–05 prices; and if he will make a statement. [62036]

Mr. Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.

Letter from Hilary Reynolds:

In reply to your Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive. As the Chief Executive is unavailable, I am responding on his behalf.

You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his estimate is of the real costs of ruing the Child Support Agency for each year from 1997–98 to 2007–08 using 2004–05 prices; and if he will make a statement.

The costs of running the CSA for each year from 1997–98 to 2007–08, is shown I the attached tables.

A change in accounting policy within DWP means that from 2005–06 all costs associated with the modernisation programme will be charged to individual Agencies. The numbers in this response are based on a consistent application of this new accounting policy across all years.

The upward movement of costs in the 2006–07 and 2007–08 years is representative of a one off investment to clear current backlogs and reduce historic debt (in line with the Agency's Operational Improvement Plan), rather than an increase in recurrent cost.

I hope you find this helpful.

£ million

Column A B C D E F G

⁽²⁴⁾Agency spend ⁽²⁵⁾^(5509120026)Estimated agency spend including operational improvement plan ⁽²⁷⁾Modernisation spend—CSR ⁽²⁸⁾Estimated DWP costs incurred on agencies behalf ⁽²⁹⁾Costs and estimated costs—in current year prices ⁽³⁰⁾Gross domestic product—deflator 2004–05 = 100 ⁽³¹⁾Costs and estimated costs in 2004–05 prices

1997–98 225.9 — — — 225.9 1.17461 265.3

1998–99 231.2 — — — 231.2 1.1449 264.7

1999–2000 260.3 — 6.4 — 266.7 1.1229 299.3

2000–01 250.0 — 48.3 — 298.3 1.1083 330.6

2001–02 290.4 — 71.5 — 361.9 1.0816 391.4

2002–03 294.3 — 134.6 — 428.9 1.0483 449.6

2003–04 323.0 — 128.6 — 451.6 1.0212 461.2

2004–05 325.6 — 99.5 — 425.1 1.0000 425.1

2005–06⁽³²⁾ — 403 — 58 461 0.9756 450

2006–07 — 534 — 58 592 0.9500 562

2007–08 — 491 — 58 549 0.9250 508

⁽²⁴⁾ Figures reported in the Agency's Annual Report and Accounts and include DWP costs apportioned to Child Support Agency.
⁽²⁵⁾ Estimated spend on Agency budgets for which the Chief Executive has responsibility as Agency accounting officer.
⁽²⁶⁾ The 2005–06 figures include Child Support Reform costs and Operational Improvement Plan costs.
⁽²⁷⁾ Modernisation spend on Child Support Reform was previously included in DWP headquarters accounts. Due to a change in financial policy endorsed by National Audit Office these costs will in future be shown in the Agency annual accounts. The 2004–05 accounts will be restated to reflect this changed policy and the restated comparatives included in the 2005–06 audited accounts.
⁽²⁸⁾ This figures is an estimate and relates to services provided by DWP on behalf of the Agency—principally IT charges, and charges for finance, personal, commercial management, postage and assurance. This estimate does not take into account any possible change in future years such as pay and prices (inflation), change in Estate/IT costs etc.
⁽²⁹⁾ This represents the sum of columns A to D.
⁽³⁰⁾ Gross domestic product deflator applied in line with Office for National Statistics advice for 2005–06 and beyond assumed deflator is 2.5 per cent.
⁽³¹⁾ Column E multiplied by column F.
⁽³²⁾ All values are rounded to the nearest hundred thousand except figures from 2005–06 onwards, which are rounded to the nearest million, as they are estimated amounts. Totals may not sum due to rounding.

27 Apr 2006 : Column 1287W

Column	A	B	C	D	E	F	G
	⁽²⁴⁾Agency spend	⁽²⁵⁾^(5509120026)Estimated agency spend including operational improvement plan	⁽²⁷⁾Modernisation spend—CSR	⁽²⁸⁾Estimated DWP costs incurred on agencies behalf	⁽²⁹⁾Costs and estimated costs—in current year prices	⁽³⁰⁾Gross domestic product—deflator 2004–05 = 100	⁽³¹⁾Costs and estimated costs in 2004–05 prices
1997–98	225.9	—	—	—	225.9	1.17461	265.3
1998–99	231.2	—	—	—	231.2	1.1449	264.7
1999–2000	260.3	—	6.4	—	266.7	1.1229	299.3
2000–01	250.0	—	48.3	—	298.3	1.1083	330.6
2001–02	290.4	—	71.5	—	361.9	1.0816	391.4
2002–03	294.3	—	134.6	—	428.9	1.0483	449.6
2003–04	323.0	—	128.6	—	451.6	1.0212	461.2
2004–05	325.6	—	99.5	—	425.1	1.0000	425.1
2005–06⁽³²⁾	—	403	—	58	461	0.9756	450
2006–07	—	534	—	58	592	0.9500	562
2007–08	—	491	—	58	549	0.9250	508

Correspondence

Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects to answer the letter of 27 February 2006 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton, about Mr. W Beckett. [63923]

Mr. Hutton: I replied to my right hon. Friend on 19 April 2006.

Councillors' Remuneration

Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how the responsibility allowance allocated to leaders and cabinet members of local councils is treated for benefit purposes. [66332]

Mr. Plaskitt: Councillors with significant extra responsibilities, for example the leader of a council, can receive an additional allowance.

When assessing benefit entitlement this allowance is taken into account as earnings, subject to the appropriate disregards.

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