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8 Oct 2007 : Column 223W

Environmental Trusts

Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what steps he is taking to facilitate the release of monies deposited in Environmental Trust accounts originally earmarked under Entrust’s categories C and CC for education and research; [154198]

(2) what total amount derived from landfill tax revenues is held in the largest 12 environmental trust accounts; [154199]

(3) what steps he (a) has taken and (b) is taking to make the bank accounts of environmental trusts which receive landfill tax monies more accountable; [154200]

(4) how much remains unspent in Environmental Trust bank accounts unable to be released due to the withdrawal of the education and research C and CC categories. [154197]

Angela Eagle: Any contributions made before 1 April 2003 for spending on sustainable waste management (object C and CC) projects that had a written agreement in place committing those funds to a specific project prior to 1 April 2007 can still be spent on that project. If there was not a written agreement in place by 1 April 2007, the funds should be released for spending on other qualifying objects.

This policy has been clearly communicated by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and Entrust to site operators and environmental bodies respectively.

Information provided by environmental bodies on their most recently submitted returns shows that the largest 12 environmental bodies held a total of approximately £97 million in their bank accounts at the end of the period in relation to contributions made under the Landfill Communities Fund. Environmental bodies must report to Entrust the amount of money held in their bank accounts relating to contributions made to them under the Landfill Communities Fund. Entrust verifies this information, according to risk, as part of its audit function. Entrust also provides quarterly reports to HMRC of contributions made and spent. HMRC keep a keen interest in the relationship between money contributed and spent.

Exchequer Secretary

Mrs. May: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total estimated annual cost is of (a) expenses, (b) salary, (c) office space, (d) administrative support and (e) special advisers for the new Exchequer Secretary. [154699]

Angela Eagle: I draw the ministerial salary of a Parliamentary Under-Secretary. I have five members of staff in my private office. I have no special advisers. An estimate of the annual costs of my office space, administrative support and other expenses could be made only at disproportionate cost.

Financial Services Authority: Information Officers

Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many press officers are employed by the Financial Services Authority. [154433]


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Kitty Ussher: I understand that the Financial Services Authority has 10 press officers in total, including the head of department and two managers.

Financial Services Compensation Scheme: Information Officers

Mr. Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many press officers are employed by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. [154686]

Kitty Ussher: I understand that the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) employed two full-time people who acted as press officers as at 1 April 2007.

Fiscal Liaison Officers

Justine Greening: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many fiscal liaison officers there were in each year since 2000, broken down by the location in which they were based; and if he will make a statement. [154492]

Jane Kennedy: HMRC currently employs a network of Fiscal Crime Liaison Officers, based overseas, with jurisdictional responsibility for some 48 countries. However, I cannot give details of the locations of HMRC Fiscal Crime Liaison Officers, as to do so could jeopardise current operations and potentially put the officers and their families at risk.

Fraud

Mr. Truswell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what evaluation he has made of the abuse of accommodation address agencies by perpetrators of fraud relating to (a) taxes, (b) customs and excise and (c) other criminal activity relating to the responsibilities of his Department. [156594]

Jane Kennedy: HMRC undertakes research to establish whether accommodation addresses are exploited by fraudsters that covers various areas of the Department's activities. However, providing a full analysis would require reference to current criminal casework and intelligence, which is not in the public interest.

Grandparents: Parental Responsibility

John Barrett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the contribution to the economy of grandparents who undertake child care roles. [153934]

Jane Kennedy: The Government have not made an assessment of the contribution to the economy of grandparents who undertake child care roles.

HM Revenue and Customs: Contracts

Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the review of external contracts at HM Revenue and Customs will report. [154288]


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Jane Kennedy: HM Revenue and Customs is currently reviewing the two main strategic IT and Accommodation contracts, the ASPIRE and STEPS Contracts. The ASPIRE Review will be completed in March 2008. The STEPS Review will report internally in autumn 2007. HM Revenue and customs are not currently reviewing any other external contracts.

HM Revenue and Customs: Correspondence

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer why HM Revenue and Customs has not replied to the letter of 6 June from the hon. Member for Aylesbury on the case of Mr. P. J. E. of Aylesbury concerning tax credit claims for his disabled son and daughter-in-law; and when HM Revenue and Customs expects to reply. [155170]

Jane Kennedy [holding answer 12 September 2007]: The hon. Member's constituent's tax credit award is affected by the administrative problem with certain claims-as detailed in my written statement of 25 July 2007, Official Report, columns 62-63WS.

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is in the process of writing to those claimants whose awards are affected. An HMRC official at the tax credit office telephoned the hon. Member's parliamentary office on 4 September 2007 with an update and an interim reply was issued on 14 September 2007.

HM Revenue and Customs: Information Officers

Mr. Spring: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many press officers are employed by HM Revenue and Customs. [154136]

Jane Kennedy: The HM Revenue and Customs press office currently employs:

Head of Media

HM Revenue and Customs: Internet

Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people downloaded HM Revenue and Customs podcasts in each month since their inception. [153982]

Jane Kennedy: The monthly downloads since April 2007 are as follows:

Number

April

2,414

May

1,370

June

919

July

1,073


Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost was of producing HM Revenue and Customs podcasts in each month since their inception. [153983]


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Jane Kennedy: The total production cost of the two HMRC podcasts launched in April 2007 was £5,300 plus £927.50 VAT.

Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he has taken to measure the effectiveness of HM Revenue and Customs podcasts. [153984]

Jane Kennedy: HMRC carefully assesses the effectiveness of its podcasts by monitoring the number of downloads and customers who have registered for the subscription feed.

HM Revenue and Customs: Job Satisfaction

Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what assessment he has made of levels of staff satisfaction at HM Revenue and Customs in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement; [153988]

(2) what processes he has in place to measure staff satisfaction at HM Revenue and Customs. [153989]

Jane Kennedy: HMRC takes staff satisfaction very seriously. To monitor this it conducts a staff survey twice a year which questions a sample of its staff.

The results of the November 2006 staff survey is published on the HMRC internet at http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/research/

The June 2007 staff survey results are currently being finalised.

HM Revenue and Customs: Operating Costs

Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total running costs were of each of the offices of HM Revenue and Customs in each of the last five years. [153991]

Jane Kennedy: HM Revenue and Customs cannot supply the information requested as its provision would be at disproportionate cost.

HM Revenue and Customs: Productivity

Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what processes he has in place to measure staff productivity at HM Revenue and Customs. [153990]

Jane Kennedy: HMRC has a range of performance measures at individual, team and departmental levels which provide staff productivity information.

Housing: Valuation

Grant Shapps: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the presence of double or treble glazing in a domestic dwelling may affect its capital valuation for valuation purposes by the Valuation Office Agency. [153806]

Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the then Minister for Local Government to my hon. Friend the hon. Member for Stroud (Mr. Drew) on 19 February 2007, Official Report,
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column 504W, which sets out the position in respect of valuations carried out by the Valuation Office Agency for council tax purposes. For other capital valuations, the effect will depend upon the facts and circumstances of each case.

Grant Shapps: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many neighbourhood geo-codes recorded by the Valuation Office Agency to assist with domestic valuation purposes there are in (a) England and (b) Wales. [153810]

Jane Kennedy: The Valuation Office Agency (VGA) does not use the term “neighbourhood geo-code”. However, when developing the Automated Valuation Model (AVM) for the postponed Council Tax Revaluation in England, the VOA divided the country into approximately 10,000 localities. The precise number cannot be provided except at disproportionate cost. AVM functionality was not used in the Revaluation in Wales.

Inland Revenue: Reviews

Mr. Gray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department commissioned the review and report undertaken by Messrs Attwood (International Division) and Bishop (Large Business Office) of Inland Revenue in August 1999. [154040]

Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 25 June 2007, Official Report, column 381W.

Lone Parents

Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) pursuant to the answer of 12 July 2007, Official Report, column 2163W, on lone parents, how many lone parents there were in each local authority at the 1981 Census, expressed as a proportion of the working age population, broken down by five year age cohort; [156252]

(2) pursuant to the answer of 12 September 2007, Official Report, column 2163W, on lone parents, how many lone parents there were in each local authority, expressed as a proportion of the working age population, in each year for which figures are available, broken down by five year age cohorts. [156270]

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.

Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 8 October 2007:


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Manufacturing Industries: Manpower

Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 12 September, Official Report, column 2163W, on Manufacturing Industries: Manpower, how many people were employed in the manufacturing industries, as a proportion of the working age population, in each local authority in each year for which figures are available, broken down by five year age cohorts. [156269]

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.

Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 8 October 2007:


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