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4 Jun 2007 : Column 84W—continued


Voucher Schemes: Day Care

Ms Buck: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many individual applications were approved under the childcare voucher scheme in each of the last five years. [138684]

Ed Balls: This information is not available. The tax and national insurance rules provide an exemption of up to £55 per week where an employer provides employees with vouchers for qualifying child care. Formal application to HMRC is not required nor are employers required to report that they are participating in the child care voucher initiative unless they provide vouchers in excess of the exempt amount.

Welfare Tax Credits

Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people reported a change in earnings taking them above the £25,000 income disregard for tax credits in the latest financial year for which figures are available. [139792]

Mr. Timms: Information on the number of in-work families in receipt of tax credits who estimated that their income had increased by more than £25,000 in 2006-07 is available in table 6.1 of the snapshot publication “Child and Working Tax Credit Statistics—April 2007”. This is available on the HMRC website at:

Mr. Rogerson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average time taken was to dispatch an award notice to tax credit recipients who reported changed circumstances in each parliamentary constituency in each month from April 2003 to the latest month for which figures are available. [140071]

Mr. Timms: HM Revenue and Customs do not routinely collect data on time taken to dispatch award notices. However, HM Revenue and Customs aim to process 86 per cent. of changes of circumstances within five working days and 95 per cent. in 30 working days and the Department is achieving that aim.

Welfare Tax Credits: Telephone Services

Mr. Graham Stuart: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how long staff answering customer calls at call centres on behalf of the tax credit office are recommended to spend on each call; and if he will make a statement; [135385]

(2) whether guidelines are issued to contact centre staff answering calls on behalf of the tax credit office on the number of calls from customers they should deal with each day; and if he will make a statement; [135386]

(3) whether guidelines are issued to staff at the HM Revenue and Customs Cardiff contact centre on the number of calls from customers they should deal with each day; and if he will make a statement; [135387]

(4) how long staff working at the HM Revenue and Customs Cardiff contact centre are expected to spend on each call; and if he will make a statement. [135388]

Mr. Timms: Staff are expected to take the appropriate time to resolve the caller's inquiry—there is no national set time for the duration of calls or for the number of calls to be handled.

As part of their day-to-day management activity, managers actively monitor individual and team performance focussing in particular on the relationship between call quality and call handling times. If appropriate, managers set local individual and team level goals for improvement.

Culture, Media and Sport

Arts Council of England

Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what meetings she has held with the Arts Council England since 1 January; and if she will publish the minutes of those meetings. [140549]

Mr. Woodward: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has regular meetings with the Arts Council in the course of official business. It is not usual practice to disclose the detail of such meetings.

Arts Council of England: Finance

Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much funding was provided to the Arts Council England in each year since its formation. [140547]

Mr. Woodward: The table shows public funding provided to the Arts Council of Great Britain from its formation in 1945. From 1995 onwards the figures represent funding for Arts Council England only.


4 Jun 2007 : Column 85W

4 Jun 2007 : Column 86W
£000
Year ending 31 March Grant in Aid Lottery Total

1945

175

175

1946

235

235

1947

350

350

1948

428

428

1949

575

575

1950

600

600

1951

675

675

1952

875

875

1953

675

675

1954

785

785

1955

785

785

1956

820

820

1957

885

885

1958

985

985

1959

1,100

1,100

1960

1,218

1,218

1961

1,500

1,500

1962

1,745

1,745

1963

2,190

2,190

1964

2,730

2,730

1965

3,205

3,205

1966

3,910

3,910

1967

5,700

5,700

1968

7,200

7,200

1969

7,750

7,750

1970

8,200

8,200

1971

9,300

9.300

1972

11,900

11,900

1973

13,962

13,962

1974

17,138

17,138

1975

24,485

24,485

1976

28,850

28,850

1977

37,150

37,150

1978

41,725

41,725

1979

51,800

51.800

1980

63,630

63,630

1981

70,970

70,970

1982

80,450

80,450

1983

91,300

91,300

1984

96,080

96,080

1985

101,900

101,900

1986

106,050

106,050

1987

135,600

135,600

1988

139,300

139.300

1989

152,411

152.411

1990

155,500

155,500

1991

175,792

175,792

1992

205,000

205,000

1993

221,200

221.200

1994

225,830

225.830

1995

185,990

48,900

234,890

1996

191,133

255,360

446,493

1997

185,133

262,802

447,935

1998

186,600

297,648

484.248

1999

189,950

241,748

431.698

2000

228,250

215,196

443,446

2001

237,155

204,874

442,029

2002

251,455

210,688

462.143

2003

289,405

178,331

467,736

2004

324,955

164,491

489,446

2005

368,859

170,195

539,054

2006

408,678

172,575

581.253


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