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20 Mar 2007 : Column 767W—continued
Construction Industry Scheme
Mr. Hepburn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many temporary Construction Industry Scheme 4 cards were issued to migrant workers in (a) 2004, (b) 2005 and (c) 2006; [128145]
(2) how many temporary Construction Industry Scheme 4 cards were issued in (a) 2004, (b) 2005 and (c) 2006. [128146]
John Healey: The number of temporary Construction Industry Scheme 4 cards issued in recent years is shown in the following table.
| Number of temporary CIS4 cards issued | |
| (1) Data for 2006-07 are incomplete | |
The number of temporary Construction Industry Scheme 4 cards issued to migrant workers is not available.
Departments: London Underground
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many times he has travelled on the London underground on official business in the last 12 months. [128737]
John Healey: The Chancellor has travelled on the London underground on numerous occasions during the last year on official business, the most recent being last week. It is not our practice to set out the details.
Departments: Paper
Lynne Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what mechanisms are in place to ensure his Department’s economical use of paper. [128001]
John Healey: The economical use of paper is part of the overall Waste Management Strategy. Under this strategy, staff are encouraged to use printers wisely, and recycling facilities are provided at every desktop.
Departments: Work Permits
Mr. Clegg: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many work permits were applied for by his Department and its agencies in each of the last five years. [127710]
John Healey: In recruiting overseas nationals, the Treasury follows the Civil Service Nationality Rules published by the Cabinet Office.
The Treasury applied for three work permits in 2006-07. Information for previous years is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
History: Curriculum
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with the First Minister for Scotland on promoting British history in Scottish schools. [127816]
John Healey: Treasury Ministers are in constant contact with colleagues on a wide variety of issues, including with colleagues in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Income Tax
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much income tax was paid in the last year for which figures are available by individuals whose income did not exceed their tax free allowance; and what percentage was claimed back. [128165]
Dawn Primarolo: It is not possible to identify how much income tax was paid by individuals on income below the personal allowance. However, the total amount of tax on savings income reclaimed by individuals is around £180 million per year.
Inheritance Tax
Michael Gove: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many households paid inheritance tax in each year since 1996-7. [128648]
Dawn Primarolo: The number of estates paying inheritance tax each year is published on the HM Revenue and Customs website at:
www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/tax receipts/tablel-4.xls.
Inheritance Tax: Northern Ireland
Sammy Wilson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people in Northern Ireland paid inheritance tax in each of the last five years. [128386]
Dawn Primarolo: The following table shows the number of taxpaying estates where the domicile of the deceased was in Northern Ireland.
| Number of Northern Ireland estates paying inheritance tax | |
Olympic Games: Greater London
Mr. Swire: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff in pay band 3 worked on the preparations of the original budget for the 2012 Olympics. [127978]
John Healey: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban) on 13 December 2006, Official Report, column 1198W.
Radio Frequencies: Licensing
Mr. Havard: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what level of grant-in-aid has been agreed with Ofcom to undertake its spectrum management functions for 2007-08; and what spectrum auctions he expects Ofcom to undertake in 2007-08. [127673]
John Healey: £79 million of grant-in-aid has been agreed with Ofcom to undertake its spectrum management functions for 2007-08. There is a separate spending cap to cover awards of new spectrum and any costs of clearing spectrum.
The timetable for spectrum auctions is a matter for Ofcom as the independent regulator.
Revenue and Customs: Telephone Services
Mr. Iain Wright: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the costs of (a) transferring 0845 codes for HM Revenue and Customs services to a freephone 0800 service and (b) using a system where the customer is informed of his or her place in the telephone queue system and the likely time their call will be answered; and if he will assess the merits of introducing such changes. [127105]
Dawn Primarolo: HMRC keeps its policy and practice for handling telephone calls from customers through its centrally managed contact centre network under constant review. It remains HMRC current policy to operate customer facing helplines using an 0845 rather than a "freephone" 0800 prefix as the Department believes this strikes the right balance of cost between the customer and the public purse.
HMRC is however also keeping a close watch on proposals being taken forward by Ofcom to introduce a new range of non-geographic "030" numbers.
Rural Development Programme
Mr. Drew: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what commitment his Department has made to funding for the Rural Development Programme. [128104]
John Healey: Treasury Ministers and officials discuss a wide range of issues with their colleagues in other Departments 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 discussions.
Schools: Cadets
Mr. Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 8 January 2007, Official Report, column 326W, on school cadet forces, whether Sir Ian Russell's replacement has taken over his responsibilities for cadet forces fundraising. [128423]
In June 2006, the Government announced funding for the creation of six new state school cadet units. The new units will be set up for three-year pilot periods and will receive initial funding of £800,000 in 2007-08. The pilot expansion of cadet forces will be funded by Government, with a view to consideration of continued expansion of the cadet forces in future years.
Rod Aldridge was appointed chair of v, the new national youth volunteering charity established to take forward the recommendations of Ian Russell's report on youth action and engagement in April 2006. He engages in fundraising for a wide range of youth volunteering activities through v.
Taxation: EC Law
Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what (a) progress has been made with and (b) outcome has arisen in each group litigation order tax cases brought against the Government in the European Court since 2003 in which no proceedings are active in UK courts; and what estimate he has made of the likely impact on revenues in 2007-08. [127701]
Dawn Primarolo: Since 2003, four UK group litigation order tax cases have been referred to the ECJ.
For the Franked Investment Income Group Litigation and Class IV of the Advanced Corporation Tax Group Litigation, ECJ judgments were handed down on 12 December 2006. For the Thin Capitalisation Group Litigation, ECJ judgment was handed down on 13 March 2007. These three cases are now waiting a High Court hearing and so there have been no final outcomes. For the CFC and dividend GLO, the High Court referred this case to the ECJ on 15 March 2005, however no date has yet been fixed for an oral hearing. The case is therefore also not yet final.
Given that the outcome of none of these GLOs is final, it would be wrong to comment on revenue impact.
VAT: Public Bodies
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what the legislative mechanisms are for making public bodies exempt from the payment of value added tax; and if he will make a statement; [128406]
(2) which public bodies have an exemption from the payment of value added tax; and if he will make a statement. [128407]
Dawn Primarolo:
Public bodies pay VAT on their purchases in the same way as any other consumer or business. Under the principles of public funding, irrecoverable VAT costs, like other running costs, are taken into account when determining the funding
allocated to those bodies. This is the way the VAT system has worked in relation to public bodies since its introduction in 1973.
Welfare Tax Credits: Fraud
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether cases of forged tax credits resulting in prosecution (a) are reported to local jobcentres and (b) affect the payment of benefits to the individual concerned. [128686]
Dawn Primarolo: Criminal Investigation within HMRC is responsible for prosecuting offences connected with tax credits. (a) Criminal Investigation does not as a matter of course report cases resulting in prosecution for offences connected with tax credits to local Jobcentres. (b) It does however liaise with the Department for Work and Pensions if there are similar offences or benefits potentially affected.
Welfare Tax Credits: Overpayments
Andrew Selous: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether there is provision for relaxation of the repayment rules for tax credit claimants who receive an overpayment as a single award and then enter a joint claim with their spouse/partner to allow repayment to be made over the period that repayments would have been taken from future payments on a single claim; and if he will make a statement. [128782]
Dawn Primarolo: HMRC's approach to recovering overpayments is outlined in its Code of Practice 26 “What happens if we have paid you too much tax credit?”
Culture, Media and Sport
Casino Advisory Panel
Mr. Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions her officials had with the Casino Advisory Panel on the consistency of the arrangements of the Examinations in Public. [127652]
Tessa Jowell [holding answer 15 March 2007]: None. The Casino Advisory Panel (CAP) is entirely independent of the Government. The arrangements for the Examinations in Public (EiPs) were entirely a matter for the panel, and it would not have been appropriate for the Government to intervene. Guidance notes for participants in the EiPs were sent to all the shortlisted authorities in August 2006. Professor Stephen Crow, the Chair of the CAP, who is experienced in chairing similar hearings as part of the planning process, chaired all seven Examinations in Public to ensure consistency.
Mr. Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps the Casino Advisory Panel took to ensure that bidding authorities for the regional casino licence were given equal periods of time to present their case at their respective Examinations in Public. [127654]
Tessa Jowell [holding answer 15 March 2007]: Guidance notes for participants in the Examinations in Public (EiP) were sent to all participating authorities in August 2006. This made it clear that a day had been set aside for each EiP, and that each local authority would be permitted to make a brief opening statement summarising their proposal.
Mr. Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what (a) meetings and (b) discussions the Casino Advisory Panel sought with members of the Joint Scrutiny Committee on the draft Gambling Bill. [127766]
Tessa Jowell [holding answer 15 March 2007]: None. However, a number of members of the Joint Scrutiny Committee made representations to the Casino Advisory Panel during the course of its work. Two former members of the Joint Scrutiny Committee—the hon. Member for Barnsley, East and Mexborough (Jeff Ennis) and Lord Faulkner of Worcester—made representations in support of Blackpool's proposal.
Mrs. Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what advice she gave to Professor Crowe and the Casino Advisory Panel on their decision not to allow hon. Members to speak at the Examinations in Public sessions in the areas bidding for a regional casino. [126541]
Tessa Jowell: The Government issued no guidance to the panel on the involvement of Members of Parliament in its work. The panel operated entirely independently of the Government and it was important that the panel was free to decide for itself who it consulted during the course of its work.
The Examinations in Public which the panel held into the shortlisted proposals for the regional casino were just one part of this consultation process, and the panel considered carefully all the information presented to it in developing its final recommendations. A number of hon. Members made written representations, or have otherwise associated themselves with proposals from their areas, these are reflected in Annex H (pp 147-159) of the panel's report. Copies of the panel's report are available in the House Libraries.
The panel issued guidance on the process for the Examinations in Public in advance of the hearings, which included the panel's criteria for selecting participants. The panel sought to select a range of participants representing a broad range of viewpoints, to ensure the broadest possible range of arguments would be presented and discussed during the hearings.
No hon. Members participated personally at any of the EiPs. However, the panel chair reported any representations that had been received from local hon. Members (whether for or against the proposal) at the start of each EiP. These representations were also reflected in the summaries of representations published on the panel's website
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