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17 Dec 2007 : Column 1114W—continued
Written Answers to Questions
Monday 17 December 2007
Treasury
Banking
Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations were made to his Department by the Bank of England on (a) changing the system of bank deposit insurance and (b) strengthening the procedure for pre-emptive intervention in failing financial institutions between January 2005 and October 2007; and if he will make a statement. [171924]
Kitty Ussher: The Treasury, FSA and Bank of England have held regular discussions about issues relating to financial stability, including bank deposit insurance and procedures for pre-emptive interventions in failing financial institutions throughout this period.
Work on this contributed to the discussion paper “Banking Reform—Protecting Depositors: a Discussion Paper” published in October 2007.
Child Benefit: Personal Records
Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether staff authorised to access the full child benefit database are subject to criminal record checks. [167676]
Jane Kennedy [holding answer 26 November 2007]: On 20 November the Chancellor announced an independent review of HMRC’s data handling procedures to be conducted by Kieran Poynter, the chair of PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received on the computer discs which went missing from the Newcastle HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) office; what steps his Department has taken to advise the public on the loss of the discs and their personal details being compromised; and what steps he is taking to ensure that personal data is held securely by HMRC. [167970]
Jane Kennedy: My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer has received a number of representations on the computer discs which went missing from the Newcastle HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) office.
The acting chairman of HM Revenue and Customs has written to all customers affected by the loss of child benefit data and a copy of the letter is available on the HMRC internet at:
On 13 November HMRC initiated immediate increased security with a new process:
transfers will now only take place if they are absolutely necessary;
written authorisation for the transfer has to be given by senior HMRC manager; and,
a clear instruction has been given regarding the appropriate standard of protection for the transfer.
Where directors decide that a data transfer by disc is unavoidable such media must, in every case, be securely encrypted at the appropriate level.
On 20 November the Chancellor announced an independent review of HMRC’s data handling procedures to be conducted by Kieran Poynter, the chair of PricewaterhouseCoopers.
I also refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007, Official Report, column 1179. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within Departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on Departments’ procedures will be made on the completion of the review.
Mr. Gauke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the (a) number and (b) value of tax credit payments erroneously made to a perpetrator of identity theft in the last 12 months. [168055]
Jane Kennedy [holding answer 26 November 2007]: I refer the hon. Member to paragraph 2.26 of HM Revenue and Customs Standard Report for 2006-07.
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what technical protections have been in place in HM Revenue and Customs child benefit office in 2007 to date to prevent unauthorised personnel downloading confidential information to disc. [168246]
Jane Kennedy: On 20 November the Chancellor announced an independent review of HMRC’s data handling procedures to be conducted by Kieran Poynter, the chair of PricewaterhouseCoopers.
The full terms of reference for that review are available on the HM Treasury website at:
<http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/newsroom and speeches/press/2007/press 133 07.cfm>
and a copy has been placed in the Library of the House.
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many fields there are in the HM Revenue and Customs child benefit database; and how many of these contain data which were recently requested by the National Audit Office; [169001]
(2) what estimate he has made of the cost of extracting the information requested by the National Audit Office from the HM Revenue and Customs child benefit database. [169003]
Jane Kennedy [holding answer 28 November 2007]: I refer the hon. Member to the statement given in the House by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 20 November 2007, Official Report, columns 1101-04.
On 20 November the Chancellor announced an independent review of HMRC's data handling procedures to be conducted by Kieran Poynter, the Chair of PricewaterhouseCoopers.
The full terms of reference for that review are available on the HM Treasury website at:
and a copy has been placed in the Library of the House.
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what purposes the National Audit Office (NAO) required a complete list of child benefit recipients; and what categories of data were (a) on the database and (b) requested by the NAO. [169104]
Jane Kennedy: The National Audit Office requested data as part of its preparations for its 2007-08 audit of HM Revenue and Customs' Resource Account, which records the annual expenditure on child benefit.
I refer the hon. Member to the statement given in the House by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 20 November 2007, Official Report, columns 1101-04.
On 20 November the Chancellor announced an independent review of HMRC's data handling procedures to be conducted by Kieran Poynter, the Chair of PricewaterhouseCoopers.
The full terms of reference for that review are available on the HM Treasury website at:
and a copy has been placed in the Library of the House.
Tom Brake: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether a reward has (a) been offered and (b) been proposed for the finder of the two compact discs containing confidential child benefit information; and if he will make a statement. [169314]
Jane Kennedy [holding answer 29 November 2007]: A reward of £20,000 has been offered by HMRC for information leading to the return of the missing data.
Mr. Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps (a) he has taken and (b) he plans to take to alleviate the concerns of child benefit recipients resident in Southend West constituency whose data was lost by HM Revenue and Customs on possible (i) identity fraud and (ii) criminal use of bank or building society account details; what recent representations he has received from members of the public about the loss; and if he will make a statement. [169423]
Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Member to the statement given in the House by my right hon. friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 20 November 2007, Official Report, columns 1101-04.
Mr. Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the password to access the child benefit information was contained in the same package as the discs containing the data provided by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to the National Audit Office on each of the occasions that discs were sent; what the policy is of (a) his Department and (b) HMRC on the sending of such passwords in the post; and if he will make a statement. [169428]
Jane Kennedy: It would be inappropriate to disclose the information requested as there is an on-going police investigation.
On 20 November, the Chancellor announced an independent review of HMRC's data handling procedures to be conducted by Kieran Poynter, chair of PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer further to his statement of 20 November 2007, Official Report, column 1101, on HM Revenue and Customs, when (a) Ministers and (b) senior civil servants were first informed of the breach of security procedures that took place in March. [168786]
Jane Kennedy [holding answer 17 November 2007]: It would be inappropriate to comment at this time as there is an ongoing police investigation. On 20 November the Chancellor announced an independent review of HMRC's data handling procedures to be conducted by Kieran Poynter, the chair of PricewaterhouseCoopers.
The full terms of reference for that review are available on the HM Treasury website at:
and a copy has been placed in the Library of the House.
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer in how many of the individuals' records missing in the transfer of information from HM Revenues and Customs national insurance numbers were recorded. [168458]
Jane Kennedy [holding answer 29 November 2007]: The missing information contains details of child benefit records for 25 million individuals including 9.5 million adult claimants. The records of these claimants include national insurance records.
Children: Poverty
Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department is taking to meet the (a) 2010 and (b) 2020 child poverty targets; and if he will make a statement. [172089]
Jane Kennedy: The Treasury contributes to the strategy for halving and eradicating child poverty as set out in the Child Poverty Review, published alongside the 2004 Spending Review White Paper (Cm 6237). Across the UK, these measures have helped lift 600,000 children out of poverty since 1998-99.
The Government have reaffirmed their commitment to the PSA goal of halving child poverty by 2010 on the
way to eradicating child poverty by 2020. Alongside the CSR, the Government published a Delivery Agreement, which outlines how central Government will work with delivery partners to meet these ambitious targets.
The Treasury will continue to review financial support for families with children at future Budgets and pre-Budget reports, in the usual way. As a result of financial support measures announced in this year’s Budget and pre-Budget report, 300,000 children will be lifted out of poverty.
The Treasury will continue to work closely with other Government Departments to deliver public services to help improve the lives and life chances of all children.
Council of Economic Advisers
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many members of the Council of Economic Advisers there were in each month since January; and if he will make a statement. [173180]
Angela Eagle: There were five members of the Council of Economic Advisers in January 2007 as set out in the answer given on (0509W 2006-07). An additional member was appointed in February 2007 as set out in the answer given on (2386W 2006-07). From June 2007 the Council had one member as set out in the answer given on (4448W 2006-07) and the written statement made by the Prime Minister on 22 November 2007. Since the end of November the Council has had two members as set out in the Treasury Press Notice of 30 November.
Customs Officers: Manpower
Justine Greening: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) full- and (b) part-time customs officers HM Revenue and Customs employed in each year since 2000; and if he will make a statement. [174525]
Jane Kennedy: The numbers of (a) full and (b) part-time staff employed by HM Customs and Excise at 1 April 2000 to 1 April 2005 are shown in the following table, as are those employed by HM Revenue and Customs since 1 April 2006. After 1 April 2005, no statistics are available for HM Customs and Excise as a separate Department.
| As at 1 April each year | Full-time | Part-time |
Justine Greening: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) permanent and (b) temporary customs officers HM Revenue and Customs employed in each year since 2000; and if he will make a statement. [174564]
Jane Kennedy: The numbers of (a) permanent and (b) temporary staff employed by HM Customs and Excise at 1 April 2000 to 1 April 2005 are shown in the following table, as are those employed by HM Revenue and Customs since 1 April 2006. After 1 April 2005, no statistics are available for HM Customs and Excise as a separate Department.
| As at 1 April each year | Permanent | Temporary |
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