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10 Jan 2008 : Column 692W—continued
Departmental Pay
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland pursuant to the answer of 3 December 2007, Official Report, column 746W, on departmental pay, how many of those earning over £100,000 were employed (a) as special advisers and (b) in a political role in each year since 1997. [177177]
David Cairns: Since 2003, the Government have published on an annual basis the number of special advisers in each pay band. For the most recent information, I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, on 22 November 2007, Official Report, 147-51WS.
Information on the numbers and costs of special advisers prior to 2003 was provided at regular intervals and this information will be available in the Library of the House.
Electoral Commission Committee
Departmental Marketing
Mr. Pickles:
To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission how many branded plastic bags the
Electoral Commission has purchased in the last 24 months for which figures are available; and at what cost. [176495]
Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that it purchased 1,000 branded carrier bags in July 2006 and 3000 in September 2006 at a total cost of £2,477.37 including VAT.
Electoral Register
Mr. Pickles: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what research the Electoral Commission has commissioned from NOP on electoral registration; and at what cost. [176492]
Peter Viggers: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave him on 13 December, Official Report, column 768W.
Local Government: Norfolk
Mr. Pickles: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission whether the review by the Boundary Committee for England into restructuring of local government in Norfolk is a review under the (a) Local Government Act 1992 and (b) Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007. [176494]
Peter Viggers: Section 4 of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 states that the Secretary of State may request the Boundary Committee to advise on any matter that relates to a proposal for unitary status. The 2007 Act also repeals the power of the Secretary of State under section 13 of the Local Government Act 1992 to request the Electoral Commission to recommend whether a structural or boundary change should be made in a specified area.
The Electoral Commission informs me that the Boundary Committee for England has not yet received any such request and that it has not yet commenced a review of local government in Norfolk. The committee has, however, carried out preparatory work following the announcement in July 2007 that the Secretary of State is minded to make such a request.
Local Government: Standards
Mr. Pickles: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission how many performance indicators the Electoral Commission is setting for local authorities. [176493]
Peter Viggers: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave him on 13 December 2007, Official Report, column 767W.
Treasury
Child Benefit: Personal Records
Mr. Gauke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what date HM Revenue and Customs first informed the police of the loss of the computer discs containing the data of child benefit claimants. [176894]
Jane Kennedy: The former Chairman of HMRC, Paul Gray, asked the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) to investigate the loss of the child benefit datadisks on 15 November 2007.
Council Tax Benefits: Scotland
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what account would be taken of a local income tax in Scotland when determining funding to be paid by the UK Government to Scotland for council tax benefit. [176496]
Andy Burnham: Council tax benefit is a reserved matter, funded by the Department for Work and Pensions. England, Scotland and Wales operate a council tax system. Council tax benefit is paid as a rebate to households, up to a maximum of their council tax liability. No benefit is payable to households that do not pay council tax.
Departmental Expenditure Limits
Dr. Fox: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the Winter Supplementary Estimates (HC 29), for what reasons he plans to transfer £70 million from voted capital DEL to non-voted near cash resource DEL; and if he will make a statement. [173758]
Andy Burnham: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence and Minister for Veterans (Derek Twigg) on 7 January 2008, Official Report, column 40W.
Economic Situation
Mr. Gauke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of when the last economic cycle concluded. [177604]
Angela Eagle: The Treasury's latest assessment of cyclical developments is set out in the 2007 pre-Budget report and comprehensive spending review (Cm 7227).
International Monetary Fund: Gold
James Duddridge: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the economic implications of the sale of gold by the International Monetary Fund. [177507]
Angela Eagle: Any IMF gold sales would require a 85 per cent. vote in favour by the members of the IMF. The UK Government believe that any sales of gold should take place in an orderly way, phased overtime, and within the bounds set by official sellers of gold in recent years so as to avoid disruption to the gold market.
Personal Income: Yorkshire and Humber
Mr. Graham Stuart: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the median household income was in each parliamentary constituency in Yorkshire and the Humber in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [174298]
Caroline Flint: I have been asked to reply as Minister for Yorkshire and the Humber.
The information is not available below the level of Government Office Region.
Revenue and Customs: Data Protection
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much PricewaterhouseCoopers will be paid to carry out the Poynter Review. [169997]
Jane Kennedy [holding answer 3 December 2007]: HM Treasury has entered into a contract with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC), that is commercially confidential.
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer from which budget the cost of the Poynter Review is being met; and what estimate he has made of the total expected cost of the review. [173362]
Jane Kennedy: HM Treasury has entered into a contract with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC), that is commercially confidential.
Mr. Gauke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what security measures he has put in place to protect data exchanged via the HM Revenue and Customs website by contractors to file online returns under the construction industry scheme. [177605]
Jane Kennedy: HMRC has in place appropriate security measures to protect data exchanged via the HMRC website; these include measures to ensure authentication of access, encryption and a secure connection such as firewall technology to safeguard information received. Users of HMRC’s e-services are required to confirm their identity using a unique user identification and password before they can access the Department’s Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) Service. Additionally the system used encrypts all data to ensure any exchange via the Department is transmitted securely.
Mr. Gauke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what safeguards he has put in place to protect the data held by HM Revenue and Customs for the construction industry scheme. [177606]
Jane Kennedy: All data held by HMRC in respect of the construction industry scheme is subject to safeguards consistent with the Department’s revised security guidelines.
Tax Allowances: Trade Unions
Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what guidance HM Revenue and Customs has produced on whether subscriptions to trades unions qualify for tax relief. [177520]
Jane Kennedy: HMRC provides guidance on the tax treatment of trades unions subscriptions paid by employees in its Employment Income Manual at EIM32885.
Transport
A303: Repairs and Maintenance
Mr. Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what funding is available from (a) central and (b) local government for road improvements to the A303 at Stonehenge in (i) 2007-08 and (ii) 2008-09. [177162]
Mr. Tom Harris [holding answer 9 January 2008]: There are currently no proposals for funding improvements to the A303 running past Stonehenge in 2007-08 or 2008-09. Following our announcement on Thursday, 6 December 2007, Official Report, columns 97-8WS on the A303 Stonehenge Improvement scheme, the Highways Agency will be investigating possible smaller scale measures to improve traffic flows and safety along this section of the A303.
The Department is also working with Department for Culture, Media and Sport and other stakeholders to investigate options for improving the environment around Stonehenge and improving visitor facilities. This work will include an assessment of the possibility of closing the junction of the A344 with the A303. Funding for possible small scale improvements to the A303 will be considered as part of this further work.
Crossrail Line
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if she will place in the Library a copy of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Mayor of London and her Department on the Crossrail project; [176340]
(2) what liability (a) taxpayers from general taxation and (b) the London taxpayer, via the Greater London Authority, have for any cost-overruns from the Crossrail project; [176341]
(3) which public authorities will be responsible for bearing the cost of any overruns from the Crossrail project. [176372]
Mr. Tom Harris: I refer the hon. Member to the written statement made by the Secretary of State on 26 November 2007, Official Report, columns 133-34 WS and the answer given to the hon. Member for Wokingham (Mr. Redwood) on 30 October 2007, Official Report, column 1294W.
Driving Under Influence: Alcoholic Drinks
Mr. Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps the Government is taking to increase public awareness of the volumes and timings of alcohol consumption likely to result in reaching the maximum blood alcohol concentration permitted for driving on public roads. [177358]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department are spending about £3.5 million this year advertising against drink-driving. We have an advice leaflet, ‘How Much Will Your Next Round Cost You?’, which is available on-line at:
Our advice has consistently warned drivers that it is not possible to calculate how much alcohol they can consume. We have included in our leaflet a warning about the persistence of alcohol impairment and the “morning after” effect.
Alcohol impairment is a complex matter, It is influenced by various factors, including the driver’s gender, body mass, his or her state of health and level of fatigue; the confounding effects of drugs—legal and illegal; by the level of driving skills—including the effects of inexperience and old age; and by the amount and rate of alcohol consumption. Any level of alcohol impairs driving and our core message is “don't drink and drive”.
Motorways: Accidents
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) deaths and (b) injuries resulting from accidents on motorways in Hampshire there were in each of the last two years, broken down on a junction-to-junction basis. [177326]
Mr. Tom Harris: The number of deaths and injuries resulting from accidents on the Highways Agency’s motorways in Hampshire in each of the last two years is given, on a junction-to-junction basis, in the following table.
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