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3 May 2006 : Column 1722W—continued

Mortgages

Mr. Spellar: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to limit the fees chargeable by mortgage lenders to people wishing to change their mortgage provider. [67204]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: The charges imposed by mortgage lenders are principally a matter for commercial judgment in a competitive mortgage market.

The UK adopted statutory mortgage regulation in October 2004, under the Financial Services Authority (FSA). Under that regime charges must be clearly disclosed to customers before they conclude a contract with a lender.

Where these charges can be varied over the life of the mortgage, any change must be made in a way that is fair to the customer, the FSA is currently looking into increases to exit charges by certain lenders to ensure they have been made in a fair way.
 
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National Insurance (Music Industry)

Mr. Gerrard: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to introduce class 1 national insurance liability for freelance musicians; whether he is seeking to claim back payments of class 1 contributions from musicians and orchestras; and what assessment he has made of the impact of this policy on orchestras. [66514]

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave the hon. member for East Antrim (SammyWilson) on 8 December 2005, Official Report, column 992.

Off-shore Trusts

Mr. Evans: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the annual tax revenue which would be payable if all off-shore trusts held by British residents were repatriated to the UK. [66982]

Dawn Primarolo: No such estimate has been made.

Online Goods Declaration

Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the development cost has been of the free online service by which traders can declare goods to HM Revenue and Customs; what the set-up cost of the service was; and what the expected annual cost is of (a) staff and (b) infrastructure for the service. [65861]

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the expected cost is of updating CHIEF and the free declaration service by which traders can declare goods to HM Revenue and Customs to conform with the new requirements determined by the EU. [65862]

Dawn Primarolo: HMRC is currently working to clarify and document the full requirements of the EU Change Programme, technical options for delivery and associated timescales for implementation. CHIEF is likely to be the system used to implement most (but not all) of the Change Programme but until our preparatory work is complete it is by no means certain, and therefore it is not possible to provide accurate costs for updating CHIEF at this time. Each project within the EU Change Programme will be subject to a full and robust Business Case, which will include identification of the most appropriate VFM technology for delivery, reducing the compliance burden and improving customer experience.

Parliamentary Questions

Peter Luff: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will reply to Question (a) 63803, (b) 62950, (c) 62951, (d) 62952, (e) 62948 and (f) 62949, on the home computing initiative, tabled by the hon. Member for Mid-Worcestershire. [67812]

Dawn Primarolo: I have done so today.

Pension Funds

Mr. Waterson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which former state-owned companies have received Crown guarantees in respect of their pension fund deficits. [66344]

 
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Mr. Ivan Lewis: It is a matter for the Department that provided the Crown guarantee to report any obligations created by the Crown guarantee to Parliament in accordance with the Requirements of Government Accounting and in its Departmental Resource Accounts in accordance with the Government's Financial Reporting Manual, which complies with generally accepted accounting practice.

Tax Credits

Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 30 March 2006, Official Report, column 1116W, on tax credits, how many and what proportion of tax credit claimants received manual payments as a result of (a) delays in processing changes in circumstances, (b) the termination of claims because the award notice had not been signed and subsequent reinstating of the claim, (c) an error resulting in a child or children no longer being shown on the award notice and (d) other reasons in (i) 2003–04, (ii) 2004–05 and (iii) 2005–06; and what the total amount of these manual payments was broken down by reason for the manual payment in each year. [66094]

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 30 March 2006; Official Report, column 1116W.

Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the performance management data on tax credits which is available on a (a) monthly, (b) quarterly and (c) annual basis; and if he will make a statement. [63375]

Dawn Primarolo: HMRC maintains a wide range of management information data to help them manage tax credits business, monitor performance and ultimately inform the Department's annual report.

Collection of data will vary across the year.

Teenage Pregnancy

Dr. Murrison: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the levels of teenage pregnancy were in each county in each year since 1997. [67417]

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.

Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 3 May 2006:

As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what the levels of teenage pregnancy were in each county in each year since 1997. (67417)

Available figures are estimates of the number of pregnancies that resulted in a live birth, stillbirth or termination.

Teenage conception numbers and rates from 1997 to 2004 (the most recent year for which figures are available) are given in the attached table, which I am also placing in the House of Commons Library. Figures for 2004 are provisional.

Valuation Office Agency

Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a copy of the Valuation Office Agency's (a) best practice guide and (b) Certificate of Value manual on the taking and adding of photographs for valuation purposes. [62296]

 
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Dawn Primarolo: The Valuation Office Agency's (VGA) (a) IT Systems Best Practice—Digital Photography Summary and IT Systems Best Practice—Digital Photography are purely technical guides for its staff on how to take and store photographs using a digital camera, (b) The VOA does not have a Certificate of Value manual as requested.

Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a copy of the Valuation Office Agency's Data Strategy. [66655]

Dawn Primarolo: The Valuation Office Agency's Forward Plan 2005–2008 and Annual Report and Accounts 2004–2005, both of which are available on its website www.voa.gov.uk. cover the strategy for improving its data and exploiting new technology with examples.

Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his Answer of 23 March 2006, Official Report, column 506W, to the hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman), on the Valuation Office Agency, whether the performance appraisal system, performance rewards and performance-related pay for any staff member conducting valuations is linked to the volume, frequency, accuracy or size of the valuations. [66673]

Dawn Primarolo: In line with guidance from the Cabinet Office, the Valuation Office Agency's performance appraisal system and performance-related rewards are linked to the delivery of its key business objectives and targets (including timeliness, quality, value for money and customer satisfaction) which are set out in detail in the Agency's Forward Plan, available on its website www.voa.gov.uk.

Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many cameras the Valuation Office Agency owns. [66695]

Dawn Primarolo: The Valuation Office Agency has replaced 2,126 conventional cameras in the last five years on cost saving grounds. The Valuation Office Agency has used camera since the 1980s and has a total of 2,355 cameras.

Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the Answer of 6 February 2006, Official Report, column 1038W, to the hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman) on the Valuation Office Agency, when he will place a copy of the staff intranet announcement notice in the Library. [66761]

Dawn Primarolo: I have been assured by officials that the intranet announcement was deposited in the Library of the House on 6 February 2006, the day I answered the question from the hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman). The Library has confirmed that it is available to Members.

Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 30 March 2006, Official Report, columns 1117–8W, on the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), which foreign trips staff from the VOA undertook that were funded by public funds in (a) 2004–05 and (b) 2005–06. [66762]

Dawn Primarolo: There is nothing I can usefully add to my earlier answer. The information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
 
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