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16 Apr 2007 : Column 407W—continued
Inheritance Tax: Northern Ireland
Sammy Wilson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will link the threshold for inheritance tax in Northern Ireland to the level of house prices there. [131131]
Dawn Primarolo: The inheritance tax nil-rate band increases each year by reference to the retail prices index unless Parliament decides otherwise.
However, the Chancellor announced in Budget 2007 increases in the nil-rate band in excess of the expected retail prices index for each year through to 2010-11 when it will reach £350,000.
Insurance: Pensioners
Mr. Drew: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department is taking to ensure that older people (a) are able to obtain quotes from insurance companies and (b) are not subject to additional premiums due to their age. [130709]
Ed Balls: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 28 November 2006, Official Report, column 599W. The Government do not prescribe the terms and conditions that insurance companies may set when offering insurance, nor do they intervene in the commercial decisions of insurers.
The Government's Discrimination Law Review is currently considering whether there is a case for prohibiting age discrimination in the provision of goods, facilities and services, including insurance. The Government now expect to publish a Green Paper in May of this year.
Loans: Students
Mr. Rogerson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the maximum period is during which HM Revenue and Customs may retain a student loan payment taken by pay as you earn before the amount is transferred to the Student Loans Company. [130882]
Dawn Primarolo: HM Revenue and Customs transfers student loan repayments remitted by employers each month, along with pay as you earn (PAYE) tax and national insurance contributions (NIC) deducted from employees' earnings, to the Bank of England overnight following the date of receipt. No sums are retained or transferred to the Student Loans Company (SLC) at any stage.
Stephen Williams: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether student loan payments received by HM Revenue and Customs are transferred to the Student Loan Company on an annual or monthly basis; and whether interest earned is credited to the student’s account or retained by HM Revenue and Customs. [131056]
Dawn Primarolo: Any student loan repayments received by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) are transferred overnight to the Treasury's consolidated account with the Bank of England. On a quarterly basis money is then transferred to the Department for Education and Skills.
HMRC does not retain any student loan repayments money nor does it earn any interest on it.
Local Authority Business Growth Incentives Scheme
Mr. Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he plans to remove the 70 per cent. scaling factor and ceiling in the Local Authority Business Growth Incentive Scheme. [126740]
John Healey:
In the three years to 2007-08 local authorities will receive about £1 billion through LABGI as the Government have previously announced. The Government have abolished the
ceiling in LABGI. Due to Judicial Reviews brought by Corby and Slough authorities, this year the Government have retained the 70 per cent. scaling factor for payments to protect the important incentive this scheme creates for authorities both in this year and next year.
Members: Correspondence
Steve Webb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will answer the letters of 18 December 2006 and 19 December 2006 from the hon. Member for Northavon (our ref: denn/vct and you/lh) on the financing of AIDS treatment around the world. [130863]
John Healey: Both letters were transferred to the Department for International Development on 3 January and the hon. Member was informed on that day.
Ministerial Residences
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which guests have stayed overnight at the flat above number 10 Downing street in the last 12 months. [111291]
John Healey: As was the case with previous administrations, it is not the Government’s practice to provide lists of people who have visited or stayed at the flat above number 10 Downing street.
Ministers: Travel
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what criteria he uses in deciding what means of transport to use to travel between 11 Downing street and the Palace of Westminster. [130750]
John Healey: Several factors, including security, are taken into account when determining the most appropriate mode of transport on official business.
National Insurance Contributions
Mr. Waterson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) pursuant to the answer of 19 February 2007, Official Report, column 485W, on voluntary national insurance contributions, how many people his Department estimates will apply for refunds; [130941]
(2) pursuant to the answer of 19 February 2007, Official Report, column 485W, on voluntary national insurance contributions, how many people have applied for refunds in voluntary national insurance contributions paid since 25 May 2006. [130942]
Dawn Primarolo: It is not possible to estimate the number of people who will apply for refunds as this depends on their personal circumstances. The number of people that have applied for refunds of voluntary contributions paid since 25 May 2006 is around 160.
No. 11 Downing Street: Meetings
Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which charities have held meetings at 11 Downing street since December 2005. [113337]
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) which receptions he held at number 11 Downing street in December 2006; [115219]
(2) which functions were held at number 11 Downing street in November 2006. [111292]
John Healey: Number 11 Downing street is used as a venue for Government meetings, official meetings, meetings with external stakeholders and events by charities. This is fully in accordance with the ministerial code and long standing conventions governing the use of Downing street as operated by this and previous Governments.
A list of the charities that have used number 11 Downing street since 1997 is set out on the Treasury website.
Official Hospitality
Mr. Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many functions held at number 11 Downing street in the last two years have been attended by (a) Sir Christopher Evans and (b) Rod Aldridge. [120688]
John Healey: Number 11 Downing street is used as a venue for Government meetings, official meetings, meetings with external stakeholders and events by charities. As was the case with previous administrations, it is not the Government’s practice to disclose lists of individuals who have visited No. 11.
Olympic Games: Greater London
Mr. Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether all the funding to be provided by central government departments towards the cost of the Olympics will be new money allocated in the Comprehensive Spending Review. [131367]
John Healey: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the statement made to the House by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on 15 March, Official Report, columns 450-466. This is a matter for consideration in the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review.
Pay: Public Sector
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the economic effects in Wales of the introduction of regional pay in the public sector. [131188]
Mr. Timms: In reserved areas it is for Government Departments to determine pay settlements within the framework of the Government's pay policy. The Government's pay policy promotes pay settlements which reflect local labour market conditions. In devolved areas it is for the Welsh Assembly government to determine pay settlements.
Pay: Wales
Mr. Dai Davies:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the likely
effect of differential regional pay for public service employees in Wales on the Welsh economy. [131224]
Mr. Timms: In reserved areas it is for Government Departments to determine pay settlements within the framework of the Government's pay policy. The Government's pay policy promotes pay settlements which reflect local labour market conditions. In devolved areas it is for the Welsh Assembly government to determine pay settlements.
Public Bodies: Accountancy
Mrs. Lait: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether public bodies are required to meet international generally accepted accounting principles for accounts published after July 2008; whether he expects compliance to ensure that the costs of the private finance initiative will be included on the public balance sheet; and what effect he expects inclusion to have on total Government borrowing. [130612]
Mr. Timms: As set out in paragraph 6.59 of the 2007 Financial Statement and Budget Report, the annual financial statements of Government Departments and other entities in the public sector are currently prepared using accounting polices based on UK generally accepted accounting practice. From financial year 2008-09, the annual financial statements of Government Departments and other entities in the public sector, will be prepared using international financial reporting standards, adapted as necessary for the public sector. There is as yet no EU-adopted IFRS standard setting out how the public-sector elements of PFI projects should be reported. It is too early to say what an IFRS standard, once introduced, will mean on a deal-by-deal basis for each PFI contract.
Public Expenditure
Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether it is his Department's policy to allow savings on annually managed expenditure to fund spending through departmental expenditure limits as recommended by the Freud Review. [131143]
Ed Balls: The process for the allocation of funding to Government Departments is set out in ‘Public planning and control in the UK—a brief introduction’, which is available on the HMT Treasury website.
Public Sector: Fees and Charges
Mr. Gauke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment his Department has made of the potential effects of expanding co-payment in the public services. [130877]
Mr. Timms: Any assessment of how public services are funded must consider the impact on efficiency and equity of different funding models as well as any wider effects. Guidance on charging for Government services and products where co-payment is deemed appropriate is set out in The Fees and Charges Guide.
Revenue and Customs
Stephen Williams: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many home visits have been made by HM Revenue and Customs to individuals who qualify for this service each tax year since 2001-02; and what assessment he has made of the implications of trends in these figures. [131025]
Dawn Primarolo: The data requested is not available.
Revenue and Customs: Buildings
Mr. Meale: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will break down by main budget heading the costs of operating and maintaining HM Revenue and Customs' buildings and offices situated on the Castle Meadow site in Nottingham. [130729]
Dawn Primarolo: The cost of operating and maintaining the HM Revenue and Customs buildings and offices at Castle Meadow site in Nottingham from April 2006 to March 2007 are as shown in the following table.
| £ | |
| Budget Heading | Cost (net of VAT) |
The PFI unitary charge is for the provision (by Mapeley) of the serviced accommodation at this address, this includes the facility management, maintenance and property costs for this site.
Revenue and Customs: Huddersfield
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to ensure the provision of accessible premises in Huddersfield for people requiring information and advice from HM Revenue and Customs. [131595]
Dawn Primarolo: The hon. Member will be aware that HMRC has a commitment to retain face to face services at or close by the current location. In the event that they vacate the current office, HMRC will have several criteria for the new building, one of which will be that there is good customer access.
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many employees of HM Revenue and Customs were employed in Huddersfield in each of the past 10 years. [131596]
Dawn Primarolo: The following table shows the number of staff employed by HMRC and, previous to its formation in 2005, by its constituent former Departments (the Inland Revenue and HM Customs and Excise) at offices in Huddersfield during this period.
| Headcount | |
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