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31 Oct 2006 : Column 314W—continued
IT Projects
Mr. Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 9 October 2006, Official Report, column 283W, on information technology projects, what the reasons were for the time taken to implement the Government Actuary’s Department’s BS7799 compliance IT project; and if he will make a statement. [98031]
John Healey: The Government Actuary’s Department BS7799 compliance IT project was impacted upon by the department vacating its then offices.
It is expected that BS7799 accreditation will be in place in the next few months.
Personal Debt
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what studies he has commissioned into the implications of the rise in the level of personal debt. [98196]
John Healey: HM Treasury continually monitors the levels of both household liabilities and assets, and the implications of these for the wider economy are examined as part of the pre-Budget report and Budget forecasting process.
Planning Gain Supplement
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what the threshold will be for exemption from the Planning Gain Supplement; and whether this will be based on (a) area and (b) value of development; [98276]
(2) whether there will be exemptions to the Planning Supplement for (a) renewable energy and (b) other classes of development. [98277]
John Healey: The Government published a consultation paper on the proposed Planning Gain Supplement in the 2005 pre-Budget report. This included details on the scope of PGS, including proposals for minimum thresholds and exemptions. Further announcements on PGS will be made by the end of the year.
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how Planning Gain Supplement levies will be (a) collected and (b) distributed; and which agencies will be eligible to receive money to spend on infrastructure; [98278]
(2) what guidance will be issued to relevant authorities on what investment can be paid for by the levies raised by the Planning Gain Supplement. [98279]
John Healey: The Government published a consultation paper on the proposed Planning Gain Supplement in the 2005 pre-Budget report. This included a chapter on the allocation of PGS revenues; further to this the Government stated at Budget 2006 that it will ensure that a significant majority of PGS revenues are retained for infrastructure priorities within the local authority area where the revenues derived. The remainder would be dedicated to strategic infrastructure of regional importance.
Further announcements on PGS’s implementation will be made by the end of the year.
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what meetings have been held between his Department and Scottish Executive officials to discuss the proposals for a Planning Gain Supplement. [98280]
John Healey: The consultation document published alongside the 2005 pre-Budget report indicated that if introduced, a Planning Gain Supplement (PGS) would apply throughout the UK. The Government continue to work closely with the Scottish Executive on the interaction of PGS with devolved policy areas. Further announcements on PGS will be made by the end of the year.
Public Sector Pensions
Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what annual savings in Government spending are anticipated in each year from 2006-07 to 2050-51 as a result of the recent reforms to public sector pensions; and if he will make a statement. [96532]
Mr. Timms: The agreement at the Public Services Forum on 18 October 2005 concerned the principles for reforming civil service, NHS and teachers pensions. There is no breakdown of the savings year-by-year that would result from that PSF agreement, but the overall savings were estimated to have a net present value of around £13 billion over the next 50 years. The reforms have still to be finalised but, on the basis of the proposals that have been made, savings at least as great as those assumed at the time of the PSF agreement should be achieved. Separately, pension arrangements for the armed forces, police and firefighters have been reformed, and there is currently consultation on reforms to the Local Government Pension Scheme.
Road Tax
Mr. Evennett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people have applied for the new zero-rate road tax for environmentally-friendly cars. [97446]
John Healey: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) administers the collection of vehicle excise duty (VED).
The zero VED rate for cars with the very lowest carbon emissions, (which applies to all band A cars registered on, or after, 1 March 2001), was introduced
in Budget 2006 to encourage take-up and assist the development of the low carbon market.
There are currently 386 vehicles licensed as dutiable under the zero rate. However, it is not possible to extract the number of license renewals since the zero rate was introduced on 23 March this year.
Special Advisers
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what date each special adviser employed by his Department took up his post. [97811]
John Healey: Spencer Livermore, Damian McBride and Jonathan Ashworth were reappointed as special advisers on 10 May 2005, following the general election, as set out in Treasury press notice PN 46/05 of the same day. Jo Dipple took up post in June 2006.
Tax Credits
Mr. Steen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps (a) to investigate the case of Mrs. Hughes of Brixham, a constituent of the hon. Member for Totnes, and (b) to ensure that she ceases to receive unsolicited cheques for tax credit to which she is not entitled. [97332]
Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 30 October 2006]: I have asked HM Revenue and Customs to urgently investigate Mrs. Hughes’s case and to ensure that no further payments are made to her until her continuing entitlement to tax credits has been confirmed.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many tax credit claims have been stopped because of fraud or suspicion of fraud in each month since May 2006; and if he will make a statement; [95580]
(2) how many tax credit claims in payment have been stopped since 1st July due to fraud and suspicion of fraud. [98133]
Dawn Primarolo: Information on compliance interventions for 2005-06 can be found in the Comptroller and Auditor General's Standard Report on HMRC's 2005-06 Accounts. Information on tax credit compliance interventions for 2006-07 will be available at the end of the year.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what proportion of appeals against tax credit overpayments were successful in each (a) month, (b) quarter and (c) year since April 2003; [96124]
(2) how many tax credit overpayments were (a) disputed and (b) successfully disputed in each (i) month since 1st May 2006 and (ii) year since 2003-04; and if he will make a statement. [98127]
Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answers I gave him on 14 July 2006, Official Report, column 2116W, and 18 July 2006, Official Report, columns 359-60W and to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey (Mr. Alexander) on 10 October 2006, Official Report, columns 730-31W.
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