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25 Oct 2006 : Column 1947W—continued
Sustainable Communities
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the Deputy Prime Minister’s award for sustainable communities has been abolished. [94822]
Yvette Cooper: The awards have not been abolished. The Department for Communities and Local Government continues to acknowledge the importance of recognising and sharing best practice through awards, which we consider a valuable element in a comprehensive approach to raising standards.
We have asked the Academy for Sustainable Communities (ASC) to expand and manage the Awards on our behalf from 2006 onwards.
The awards will continue to recognise projects and initiatives that make a particular contribution to making towns, cities and communities better places to live and work. They underline the Department’s objectives in this regard, reward individuals for personal contributions and help to identify best practice examples from which others can be encouraged to learn.
Valuation Office Agency
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 4 September 2006, Official Report, column 1680W to the hon. Member for Hammersmith and Fulham (Mr. Hands), on the Valuation Office Agency, what property attributes are used within the multiple regression models. [94609]
Mr. Woolas: The following property attributes are considered for multiple regression analysis:
Area (i.e. size)
Property Group (i.e. architectural style)
Property Type
Age
Number of Garage spaces
Number of Parking spaces
Additional Bathrooms (over one)
Purpose Built Flat indicator (flats and maisonettes only)
Converted Flat indicator (flats and maisonettes only)
‘No Lift’ indicator (flats and maisonettes only)
End Terraced or Cluster House indicator (houses only)
Terraced, End Terraced and Cluster Bungalow indicator (bungalows only)
Floor Level (flats and maisonettes only)
Maisonette indicator
Ratio of Plot Size to Area (houses and bungalows only)
Subsidised Dwelling Indicator (Z_ code)
Multiple regression analysis uses sale prices combined with property attribute data to establish which of these aspects are significant in explaining variance in sale price in a given valuation area and what contributory effect each attribute has.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment the Government has made of whether the Valuation Office Agency council tax database holds sensitive personal data as defined by the Data Protection Act 1998. [94851]
Mr. Woolas: The Valuation Office Agency’s (VGA’s) database of property attribute codes does not contain any sensitive personal data as defined by s2 of the Data Protection Act 1998.
Treasury
Child Benefit
Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost of raising the value of child benefit for all children to the rate payable for the first child; how many children would be removed from poverty by such an increase; and if he will make a statement. [95739]
Dawn Primarolo: The cost in 2006-07 of raising the value of child benefit for all children to the rate payable for the eldest child is £1.7 billion.
Based on a 60 per cent. contemporary median income poverty threshold, it is estimated that this could lower child poverty by between 250,000 and 300,000 children, depending on the choice of equivalisation scale for household incomes.
Conference Bookings
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 25 July 2006, Official Report, column 1361W to the hon. Member for Chipping Barnet (Mrs. Villiers), on HM Revenue and Customs, how many conference bookings have been (a) booked and (b) cancelled by HM Revenue and Customs, and its predecessors, through (i) Sabre-Holdings, (ii) its subsidiaries and (iii) Travelocity-Business, formerly known as First Option Events, in each of the last three years. [94504]
Dawn Primarolo: HM Revenue and Customs have a contract for conference bookings with Travelocity (formerly First Option). This contract commenced on 1 July 2000 and was originally between HM Customs and Excise, the Inland Revenue and First Option.
In the 12 month period up to June 2006, 60 of 2,364 bookings were cancelled. 30 of 895 bookings were cancelled in the preceding year, as were 61 of 1,636 in the year before that.
Corporation Tax
Alan Duncan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much revenue has been generated by corporation tax receipts in each year since 1997; and what percentage of total tax receipts was raised through corporation tax in the same period. [96663]
Dawn Primarolo: Historical corporation tax receipts data can be found at: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/tax_receipts/menu.htm. Data on total net taxes and national insurance contributions are published in table C1 of the Public Finances Databank which can be found at:
http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/economic_data_and_tools/finance_spending_statistics/pubsec_finance/psf_databank.cfm.
Departmental Dress Code
Anne Main: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his (a) Department’s policy is on the display of religious (i) artefacts, (ii) symbols and (iii) dress by its staff and (b) how many staff have been subject to disciplinary proceedings regarding this policy in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [95634]
John Healey: The Treasury does not have a policy on the display of religious artefacts, symbols and dress by its staff.
Departmental Land and Property
Mr. Rob Wilson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many Government-owned land and property has been sold by the Department since 1997. [96774]
John Healey: In the period since 1997 HM Treasury has sold one property. This was in 2004-05 when 100 Parliament street was sold to HM Revenue and Customs. Further details of the transaction can be obtained from HM Treasury’s Annual Resource Accounts in paragraphs 31, 34 and 41 of the Operating and Financial Review, on pages 8 and 9.
http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/media/3A6/1E/resource_accounts_2004-5.pdf
Enterprise Investment Scheme
Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the impact of the enterprise investment scheme in creating new company start ups. [96776]
John Healey:
In April 2003, HM Revenue and Customs published research into the enterprise investment scheme (EIS) carried out by PACEC and
the Centre for Business Research at the University of Cambridge (available at: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/research/report.pdf). This research concluded that the EIS scheme has met its objective of encouraging more investment by individuals in smaller, high risk trading companies, which in turn has increased their potential to grow and become successful.
Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many investors sought tax relief under the enterprise investment scheme in each of the last five financial years; and what the value was of (a) income tax and (b) capital gains tax relief in each year. [96777]
John Healey: The numbers of subscriptions made to invest through the enterprise investment scheme (EIS) are published by HMRC as National Statistics, see Table 8.1—‘Companies and amount of investment, number of subscriptions, business angels and amounts invested’ at:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/ent_invest_scheme/table8-1.pdf.
The number of subscriptions is not equal to the number of investors as an individual can invest in more than one company.
Estimates of the aggregate cost of tax relief are published by HMRC as National Statistics, see Table 1.5—‘Main tax expenditures and structural reliefs’ at:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/tax_expenditures/1_5_apr06.pdf
The estimated split between income tax and capital gains tax relief from 2001-02 to 2004-05 are:
| £ million | ||
| Tax year | Cost of income tax relief | Cost of capital gains tax relief |
| (1 )Figure subject to revision, as more information becomes available. It is too early to give reliable estimates for 2005-06. | ||
Housing Associations
Mr. Drew: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will reduce the level of VAT on managing agreements undertaken between housing associations to allow a modernisation of services within areas. [96865]
Dawn Primarolo: Under agreements governing the application of VAT reliefs throughout the EU, successive Governments have agreed with European partners not to extend any existing VAT zero rates or introduce any new ones. The scope of the exemptions from VAT is similarly limited by European VAT agreements.
These agreements do make reduced VAT rates of not less than five per cent. available in strictly limited areas. However, there is no reduced rate available that could be applied to all managing agreements between housing associations, regardless of the services carried out under these agreements.
Where VAT reduced rates are available under European agreements, we have applied them sparingly and only where they offer the most cost-effective and best targeted support for our social objectives when compared with other policy instruments.
In relation to housing, reduced VAT rates have, to date, been targeted in areas where a VAT reduction would have the greatest effect on the regeneration and renewal of the UK housing stock. For example, the Government have applied a reduced VAT rate for certain residential conversions, and on the renovation of housing that has been empty for more than three years. These VAT reductions are aimed at supporting better use of the existing housing stock and helping to bring vacant homes back into use.
Immigration
Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information has been passed to the National Audit Office in relation to the immigration easement to rule 12 verification in April 2003; and if he will make a statement. [96536]
Dawn Primarolo: HMRC regularly passes information to the National Audit Office on all aspects of their business, including tax credits.
Inheritance Tax
Mr. Alan Williams: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many exemptions from inheritance tax have been granted under access agreements in the last two years; [95485]
(2) what criteria HM Revenue and Customs applies in determining the acceptability of applications for new access agreements; [95486]
(3) what changes have been made in the criteria for judging acceptability of access agreements since 1997; and whether each change was applicable to pre-existing agreements; [95487]
(4) what provision there is for review of access agreements; [95488]
(5) how the public may discover what is available to be seen under access agreements. [95489]
Dawn Primarolo: 22 exemptions from inheritance tax for heritage assets were granted in the two years 2004-05 and 2005-06. 19 exemptions covered a total of 957 pre-eminent chattels, one exemption was for a historic house with 246 historically associated chattels, and two exemptions were for scenic land.
Section 31 Inheritance Tax Act 1984 requires the public access to be reasonable. HM Revenue and Customs assesses what is reasonable on a case by case basis, on advice as appropriate from the relevant Government heritage advisory agencies. HM Revenue and Customs publishes guidance on their website about the criteria which apply to the public access condition in relation to objects of national etc. interest: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/ihtmanual/
Annex.htm and the heritage advisory agencies provide detailed recommendations as regards land and buildings and their historically associated contents.
Changes to improve the public access criterion were made by Finance Act 1998 so that it was reviewable and could no longer be satisfied by offering access only by prior appointment. The 1998 Finance Act also enabled agreements made in the past to be reviewed. Variation is by agreement between HM Revenue and Customs and the owner, but with recourse to an independent tribunal if agreement cannot be reached. HM Revenue and Customs reviews agreements at least every five years.
Details of conditionally exempt heritage assets that can be seen by the public, and details about the scheme generally, are available on the HM Revenue and Customs website: www.visitukheritage.gov.uk.
Iraq
Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what resources have been set aside to assist with the reconstruction of Iraq in each year for which figures are available. [96478]
Mr. Timms: The information requested is available on page 225 of the Department for International Development’s departmental report.
Ministerial Meetings
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what meetings (a) he and (b) his Ministers have had with Mr Hamish Sandison since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [87605]
John Healey [holding answer 25 July 2006]: Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide range of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous administrations, it is not the Government’s practice to provide details of all such meetings.
Public Sector Wages
Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people have been employed in the public sector in each year since 1980-81; and what the public sector wage bill was in each such year. [96010]
John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the national statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 25 October 2006:
As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning how many people have been employed in the public sector in each year from 1980-81 and what the public sector wage bill was in each such year. (96010).
Public sector employment statistics are published in the quarterly Public Sector Employment First Release which is available on the National Statistics website (http://www.statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/pse0906.pdf). The latest information available is for Quarter 2 (June) 2006.
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