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16 Apr 2007 : Column 418W—continued
| Table 2: Economic inactivity by age group for East Sussex | ||||||||
| Thousand | ||||||||
| 16 to 24 | 25 to 49 | 50 to retirement age( 1) | All persons of working age( 2) | |||||
| 12 months ending | Level | Rate (%) | Level | Rate (%) | Level | Rate (%) | Level | Rate (%) |
USA
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer where he stayed overnight on his official visit to Washington in December 2004; and what the cost of the stay was. [129325]
John Healey: All ministerial visits are conducted in accordance with the “Ministerial Code” and “Travel by Ministers”. Since 1999, the Government have published on an annual basis, a list of overseas travel by Cabinet Ministers costing in excess of £500 and the total cost of all ministerial travel. Information for 2006-07 will be published as soon as possible after the end of the financial year.
Valuation and Lands Agency: ICT
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his Department’s estimate is of the value of the tangible fixed asset of the Valuation and Lands Agency’s automated valuation computer database. [129494]
Mr. Hanson: I have been asked to reply.
The current estimated fixed asset value of the database is £3,560,853.
Valuation Office Agency
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a copy of the Valuation Office Agency’s documents (a) CT IA 010905 (September 2005) and (b) CT IA 241005 (October 2005). [129491]
John Healey: A copy of the Valuation Office Agency’s documents (a) and (b) have been placed in the Library.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) which foreign visits were made by representatives of the Valuation Office Agency on official business in 2006; and what the (a) purpose and (b) destination was in each case; [129510]
(2) pursuant to the answers of 26 January 2007, Official Report, column 2134W, and of 30 November 2006, Official Report, column 845W, on the Valuation Office Agency, what the (a) purpose and (b) destination in each country was of each foreign visit. [129713]
Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. member to the answer given on 26 January 2007, Official Report, column 2134W, which sets out the foreign trips made in 2006. These visits were undertaken when the VOA was invited to share their expertise in the field of property valuation, as speakers or delegates at international conferences or providing advice to overseas Government valuation agencies.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what Gateway Reviews (a) have been produced and (b) are underway in relation to projects by the Valuation Office Agency. [129590]
Dawn Primarolo: No Gateway Reviews are currently under way in relation to projects of the Valuation Office Agency. The last review undertaken for a project was in October 2005.
Valuation Office Agency: Travel
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the Valuation Office Agency's policy is on its staff travelling first class by (a) rail and (b) air. [130545]
Dawn Primarolo: The Valuation Office Agency's travel; policy is set out in Section 7 of the Guide to Working in the Valuation Office Agency. The relevant section is enclosed:
All staff should normally use standard (or economy) class travel for:
all rail journeys
all air journeys of less than 90 minutes (each way)
all ferry (or equivalent) travel
However, you may travel first class if:
you are Band 2 or above, or
you have reserved rights to travel first class (and you have completed the appropriate declaration), and
the travel is for business) purposes (i.e. not for investitures, royal garden parties etc)
Nevertheless, even if you are entitled to first class travel, you should still use standard class) if you are undertaking a rail journey of short duration (i.e. of up to ground one hour for a single journey, or around two hours for a return journey). And you are also recommended to consider standard class for longer 'commuter type' travel, even when the journey time may exceed the durations mentioned above.
All staff may travel first class on an APEX ticket provided this is cheaper than the full standard class fare (and no standard class APEX tickets are available). Exceptionally, and subject to approval by your line manager before the journey takes place, you may also travel first class if:
you have special needs that require you to travel first class
there is a business need for you to travel with a colleague who may travel first class.
Valuation: Housing
Martin Horwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the priority given by district valuers to conducting valuations under section 128 of the Housing Act 1985 as compared to their other (a) statutory and (b) non-statutory functions. [131148]
Dawn Primarolo:
District valuers are appointed by the Commissioners for Revenue and Customs under the Housing Act 1985 to deal with right to buy determinations and this is therefore known as statutory work. All statutory work is given equal priority.
Deployment of district valuer staff on non-statutory work will reflect availability within normal fluctuations in demand.
Valuation: Lancashire
Mr. Evans: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many valuations were made under section 128 of the Housing Act 1985 by the district valuer in (a) Ribble Valley and (b) Lancashire between 1 September 2005 and 1 February 2006. [130735]
Dawn Primarolo: Within the time frame 1 September 2005 and 1 February 2006, the numbers of determinations made by the District Valuer under section 128 of the Housing Act 1985 in each district of Lancashire is a follows:
| Number | |
The total number of determinations in Lancashire is 65, of which one was in Ribble Valley.
VAT: Fraud
Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) when he expects to complete the investigations into Missing Trader Intra-Community fraud; and if he will make a statement; [131613]
(2) whether extra resources have been transferred to Missing Trader Intra-Community fraud investigations in order to complete the checks within the appointed time limits. [131615]
Dawn Primarolo: In response to the rapid increase in: Missing Trader Intra-Community Fraud activity in late 2005 and early 2006, HM Revenue and Customs are actively checking a greater number of claims. Each case of verification is treated on its own merits and, given the extremely complex and highly sophisticated nature of the fraud, involving numerous cross-border transactions within and beyond the European Union as well as checks into a wide range of matters involving companies, their directors, financing and, of course, transactions and associations with other parties, the time taken to reach a decision is that required to fully establish the veracity of the claim. The setting of arbitrary time limits to complete investigations would be counterproductive to establishing the correctness of the transaction chains involved. The UK courts have, to date, supported HMRC’s policy.
HMRC recognises the importance of VAT repayments to legitimate businesses and have deployed an additional 700 staff to ensure that verification of
these claims can be; carried out as effectively and efficiently as possible. Also if at any time during the verification they identify that part or the entire claim is unconnected to MTIC fraud and is otherwise valid, they will make prompt repayment of the amount.
Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many representations he has received from companies awaiting results of Missing Trader Intra-Community fraud checks regarding the effect on their financial position of the time taken to complete the checks. [131614]
Dawn Primarolo: Treasury Ministers and officials receive representations, on numerous subjects from 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 representations.
Welfare Tax Credits: Overpayments
Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many notices of warning of legal proceedings if payment was not made were sent to individuals claiming tax credits who were in dispute with HM Revenue and Customs in each month from April 2003 to March 2007; and if he will make a statement. [128930]
Dawn Primarolo: It is HMRC's policy to suspend the recovery of overpayments while a dispute is being considered.
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