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29 Jun 2006 : Column 587W—continued
| Percentage rate | Tax regime 6 thresholds |
| Percentage rate | Tax regime7thresholds |
These figures do not include any allowance for behavioural changes.
Tax Credits
Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many bonus payments were made to staff at the tax credits office in each year from 2003-04; what the value was in each year; and if he will make a statement; [75782]
(2) what bonuses have been paid to managers in the tax credits department since 1 April 2005; and if he will make a statement. [76945]
Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 12 December 2005, Official Report, columns 1792-93W. Information is not available relating to managers.
Widows (Financial Support)
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps the Government plan to take to improve the financial position of widows in their late 50s and 60s who rely on half of their deceased husbands' pension as their main income. [78513]
James Purnell: I have been asked to reply.
Our proposals, published in the White Paper, Security in retirement: towards a new pensions system (Cm6841), are a bold blueprint for reform, which include delivering fair outcomes for women and continuing to target resources on those most in need.
We intend to continue to uprate the pension credit standard guarantee in line with earnings over the long-term, securing pensioners, including widows, against poverty.
The White Paper also sets out our commitment to strengthen retirement incomes for all pensioners by linking the uprating of basic state pension to average earnings. A widow, who claims a state pension based on her husband's national insurance record, will benefit from this proposed uprating strategy.
In addition, our intention is that the proposed new crediting arrangements for carers from 2010, including the replacement of home responsibilities protection with a weekly credit and the introduction of a new carer's credit, would also apply to bereavement benefits.
Communities and Local Government
Fire Service
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many malicious false fire alarm calls were attended by the fire and rescue service in (a) Southend, (b) Essex, (c) Hertfordshire and (d) England and Wales in each year since 1995. [80174]
Angela E. Smith: The available information covers items (b), (c) and (d) of the question.
Information for Southend is not available centrally.
| Malicious false fire alarm calls attended by fire and rescue services 1995-2004 | |||
| Essex | Hertfordshire | England and Wales | |
| Note: Excludes any malicious false fire alarm calls in November 2002 and January-February 2003 strike periods Source: Fire and Rescue Service returns to DCLG | |||
Housing
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many new houses have been built in each constituency since 1 May 1997. [81039]
Yvette Cooper: Information on new houses built is available by local authority area and not constituency. Figures are as reported by local authority and the national house building council. Published information is available for 2002-03 to 2004-05 on the DCLG website:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/pub/66/Table253Excel860Kb _id 1156066.xls
Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether she plans to introduce a decent homes programme in the private rented sector; and if she will make a statement. [80519]
Yvette Cooper: As part of the public service agreement with Treasury (PSA7) my Department already has a target to increase the percentage of vulnerable households in the private sector who live in decent homes. The target is to increase this percentage to 70 per cent. by 2010 and we are ahead of trajectory to achieve this. This target includes households in the private rented sector.
In order to meet this target local authorities have a wide range of powers to improve housing conditions in the private rented sector, in particular the Housing Health and Safety Rating system and the licensing system for high risk houses in multiple occupation introduced by the Housing Act 2004.
IT
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the (a) originally estimated, (b) most recently estimated and (c) outturn cost was in each of the five largest information technology contracts agreed by her Department with outside suppliers over the last five years. [71787]
Angela E. Smith: The Department for Communities and Local Government was formed in May 2006, (previously the ODPM was formed in May 2002). The five largest information technology contracts agreed with outside suppliers over the last five years are as follows.
| 1. Contract for: Data Network Management and Support Services | |
| £ million | |
| (1) Contract completes in 2011. | |
| 2. Contract for: GASPS 3 (Logasnet)—Grants Authorisation System | |
| £ million | |
| (1) To deliver system (2) System delivered. Full outturn costs including annual support and hosting charges n/a as contract completes in 2007 or 2009 depending on whether a two year extension option is exercised. | |
| 3. Contract for: Supporting People Local Interim System | |
| £ million | |
| (1 )Contract complete | |
| 4. Contract for: Maps on Tap Project (phase 1, to end 2005-06) | |
| £ million | |
| (1) Framework contract ends in 2008. Phased development, with phase 1 complete and phase 2 planned. Specification and hence cost of phase 2 to be agreed. Figures provided for original and recent estimates are for infrastructure purchase and phase 1 development only. | |
| 5. Contract for: Transactional ERDF and State Aid system (TESA) | |
| £ million | |
| (1) Contract ends in June 2007 | |
Neighbourhood Management/Renewal Schemes
James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the value for money of neighbourhood management schemes. [80999]
Yvette Cooper: The neighbourhood management pathfinder programme is subject to a comprehensive national evaluation. The most recent report (Neighbourhood Renewal Unit Research Report 23) stated that neighbourhood management is capable of delivering better outcomes for deprived areas, and is a valuable tool that deserves to be developed and adopted more widely. Planned future research will address more directly the costs and benefits of the programme, though it should be noted that quantifying the impact of neighbourhood management is made harder because it works by influencing existing service providers rather than delivering and funding new services and projects directly.
Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding has been provided by the Government for Neighbourhood Renewal projects in the constituency of Bristol, East since the scheme’s inception. [80587]
Mr. Woolas: Over £34,149,397 of Neighbourhood Renewal funding has been spent in the Bristol, East constituency between 1 April 2000 and 31 March 2006.
| Funding stream | Area | Amount (£) |
The Neighbourhood Renewal Fund allocation above only includes the funding spent on direct neighbourhood projects. In addition to this the area has benefited substantially from city-wide projects, including the £1.35 million city-wide education allocation in 2004-06
and from the £1,036,955 spent on projects working with equalities groups over 2001-06. Funding from the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund has also provided a neighbourhood-based team for the area since 2001.
Future Neighbourhood Renewal Funding
£17,105,237 has been allocated for the area from 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2008. This is made up of £15,277,000 New Deal for Communities Funding and £1,828,237 Neighbourhood Renewal Fund.
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