Previous Section Index Home Page

27 Nov 2006 : Column 449W—continued


For 2006-07, expenditure on child benefit is expected to be similar to that in 2005-06. No separate forecast is available for child tax credit.

Child Pornography

Mrs. James: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Customs Consolidation Act 1876 in preventing child pornography from being imported into the UK; [100504]


27 Nov 2006 : Column 450W

(2) what action his Department is undertaking to prevent the import of child pornography into the UK. [100505]

Dawn Primarolo: The prohibition on the import of indecent and obscene material which includes child pornography is created by Section 42 of the Customs Consolidation Act 1876 (CCA). This Act places a prohibition on all visual material that is obscene or indecent including any material depicting a child under 16 years of age engaged in any form of sexual activity.

Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs will seize imports of child pornography breaching this prohibition under section 139 (1) of the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979 (CEMA). HMRC annually assesses the effectiveness of our enforcement responsibilities and since 2004 has reported seizure data for child pornography in the HMRC Annual Reports.

Departmental Expenditure

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what projection his Department has made of (a) the total level of public expenditure and (b) spending by each Government Department between 2015 and 2020. [102868]

Mr. Timms: The Treasury’s projections of public spending out to 2055 are available at chapter 5 of the “Long-term public finance report: an analysis of financial stability” which was published alongside the 2005 pre-Budget report. This document can be accessed via the Treasury website.

Departmental Statistics

Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which statistics have been put forward by the Treasury for consideration to become new national statistics in each of the last five years; and how many statistics sets the Treasury has produced in total in each of the last five years. [101641]

John Healey: The current list of National Statistics produced by HM Treasury, and its departments and agencies, can be found on the National Statistics website at:

A list of changes to the scope of National Statistics (additions and withdrawals) in each of the last five years can be found in the relevant National Statistics annual report available on the National Statistics website at:

In addition to National Statistics, HM Treasury, and its departments and agencies, publish a wide range of other numerical information in a variety of forms including other data produced from the management and administration of the department and in research reports. There is no consistent definition of the term “statistics sets” and no centrally held information on the total published in each year on this basis.


27 Nov 2006 : Column 451W

Fruit Juices (VAT)

Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will assess the merits of abolishing VAT on fruit juices; and if he will make a statement. [103274]

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Bristol, West (Stephen Williams) on 17 October 2006, Official Report, columns 1108-9W.

Gender Equality

John Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to publish his Department’s gender equality scheme. [101468]

John Healey: The Treasury expects to publish its gender equality scheme before 30 April 2007.

John Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to carry out gender impact assessments of his Department’s major policy developments and new legislation. [101531]

John Healey: The Treasury, in partnership with other Government Departments, will consider where it would be appropriate to conduct gender impact assessments in line with the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 (Public Authorities) (Statutory Duties) Order 2006 (No. 2930).

HM Revenue and Customs

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information HM Revenue and Customs shares with (a) the Department of Work and Pensions, (b) the Home Office and (c) the Serious Organised Crime Agency. [102882]

Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 23 November 2006]: Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) are bound by a legal duty of confidentiality that restricts them from disclosing information to any third party, including other Government Departments.

Disclosures of information can only be made by HMRC in the very prescribed circumstances set out in statute. For disclosures to Government Departments these prescribed circumstances will normally be the consent of the person to whom the information relates or where legislation specifically authorises such a disclosure of information, (known as “gateways”) and HMRC have gateways with each of the Departments referred to in the hon. Gentleman’s inquiry.

Tim Farron: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether decisions may be taken on the future of HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) offices before the end of the consultation process announced by the Acting Chairman of HMRC. [103695]

Dawn Primarolo: HMRC will not take final decisions on the future of any individual office until after the completion of the consultation period in each region. Ahead of final decisions being taken, it is possible that some work currently undertaken in individual offices
27 Nov 2006 : Column 452W
will change. Where work is moved to another location, other work of a similar skill and grade requirement will be directed to the office.

Tim Farron: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to ensure that HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) staff will be kept appraised of progress in the consultation process on the closure of rural HMRC offices. [103696]

Dawn Primarolo: The Review Programme announced by HMRC on 16 November 2006 confirmed its commitment to undertake consultation with staff before final decisions are taken on any office closure.

Proposals for each review will be widely communicated to staff through a variety of means—the staff intranet, written communications, and direct communications from managers.

A report outlining the responses to the consultation exercise for each review will be made available to all staff and sent to MPs with a constituency in the area.

Damian Green: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many penalty notices sent out by HM Revenue and Customs were rescinded in (a) 2004-05 and (b) 2005-06. [101778]

Dawn Primarolo: The total number of self assessment penalty notices issued and cancelled in the years requested were:

Issued Cancelled

2004-05

1,715,775

233,731

2005-06

1,658,883

190,407


Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cash equivalent transfer value is of the public sector pensions of (a) the acting chairman of HM Revenue and Customs and (b) the 10 highest paid HM Revenue and Customs staff; and if he will make a statement. [101305]

Dawn Primarolo: The current cash equivalent transfer value for the acting chairman is £1,704,650.

The current total cash equivalent transfer value for the 10 highest paid HM Revenue and Customs staff is £5,363,179. Five of these individuals are named in the Annual Report and Resource Accounts and cash equivalent transfer value of their public sector pensions is therefore reported annually. This information is already in the public domain.

Iraq

Mr. Harper: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which programme will be funded by the additional £100 million for reconstruction in Iraq he pledged on 18 November; and from which sources the additional funding will be derived. [102461]

Mr. Timms [holding answer 23 November 2006]: The Chancellor’s announcement of an additional £100 million for reconstruction in Iraq will primarily support the Department for International Development’s bilateral
27 Nov 2006 : Column 453W
programme for Iraq. As well as funding from the Department for International Development assistance will also be provided through the Global Conflict Prevention Pool.

Lyons Review

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what remuneration Sir Michael Lyons received for chairing the review of the location of public sector departments. [104095]

Mr. Timms: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 8 November 2006, Official Report, column 1543W.

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many meetings Treasury Ministers have had with Sir Michael Lyons in the last 12 months. [104100]

Mr. Timms: Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide range of organisations and individuals 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.

Pensions

Mr. Waterson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what criteria the Government will apply to ascertain whether a person has the right religious credentials to qualify for the alternatively secured pension. [103399]

Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the future of alternative secured pensions. [104284]

Ed Balls: I refer the hon. Gentlemen to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban) on 16 October 2006, Official Report, column 1056W.

State School Cadet Units

Mr. Harper: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he had with the Department for Education and Skills on the announcement made on 27 June 2006 on the creation of six new state school cadet units. [103358]

Mr. Timms: 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.

Tax and Payroll Advice

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many small companies received direct help with administration of their tax and payroll in 2005. [102859]

Dawn Primarolo: Small businesses can obtain formal and informal assistance in complying with their tax
27 Nov 2006 : Column 454W
affairs from a range of sources including Government Departments and agencies, accountants and other business advisers.

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) provides direct assistance through a number of targeted services to companies of all sizes, including face-to-face advice in 281 Inquiry Centres, a dedicated employers helpline and EmployerTalk events. It is not possible to identify accurately from records held centrally the number of small companies benefiting from these services in any one year.

The following table gives the number of small businesses receiving direct assistance from HMRC’s education and support teams in 2005-06:

HMRC assistance Number of small businesses

Workshops

75,365

One-to-one meetings

48,696

Exhibitions

19,159


Tax Credits

Mr. Moore: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) men and (b) women in Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk constituency were in receipt of tax credit at (i) 30 December 2005, (ii) 30 March 2006, (iii) 30 June 2006 and (iv) 30 September 2006. [101389]

Dawn Primarolo: The information is not available for the dates requested. The following table shows the estimate number of (a) men and (b) women in Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk who were claimants in in-work families with tax credits awards in payment at 5 December 2005 and 3 April 2006.

Thousand
Men Women

5 December 2005

6.5

7.7

3 April 2006

6.4

7.8

Note:
These estimates based on a 10 per cent. sample of single adults, and a 20 per cent. sample of couples, in tax credits awards. They are therefore subject to sampling uncertainty.

Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many tax credit renewals were outstanding in each month since April 2005. [102099]

Dawn Primarolo: The deadline for renewals was 30 September in 2005 and 31 August in 2006.

Outstanding reply-required renewals in the week ending: Number

30 July 2005

1,500,000

3 September 2005

800,000

1 October 2005

300,000

1 July 2006

1,600,000

29 July 2006

1,100,000

2 September 2006

300,000


27 Nov 2006 : Column 455W

Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many tax credit compliance team staff there were in each year since 2001-02; and if he will make a statement. [102101]

Dawn Primarolo: Full-time equivalent claimant compliance staffing figures are:

Number (around)

    2003-04

    1,200

    2004-05

    1,200

    2005-06

    1,220

    2006-07

    1,420

    2007-08

    1,420


Next Section Index Home Page