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13 Mar 2008 : Column 538W—continued
Revenue and Customs: Disclosure of Information
Mr. Gummer: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) whether he has authorised the purchase by HM Revenue and Customs of information suspected to be stolen; [192866]
(2) whether he has had discussions with the Principality of Liechtenstein on the return of stolen information to the Bank of Liechtenstein; [192867]
(3) what code of ethics applies to the procurement by HM Revenue and Customs of suspected stolen documentation; [192868]
(4) whether he has had discussions with the Chairman of HM Revenue and Customs on the purchase by HM Revenue and Customs of suspected stolen documents. [192869]
Jane Kennedy: Handling information relating to the administration of taxes is an operational matter for HMRC, which discusses a wide range of taxation issues with international businesses and tax authorities.
The Government have bilateral international treaties which provide for HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to work with other countries’ tax administrations to secure and share information to prevent double taxation, to prevent fraud and avoidance, and to implement domestic law.
In relation to other aspects of the handling of this individual case, I refer the right hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave on 10 March 2008, Official Report, column 116W, to the hon. Member for Twickenham (Dr. Cable).
VAT
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much value-added tax was collected in each local authority area in England in each of the last three years for which figures are available. [193510]
Jane Kennedy: Geographical analysis of where VAT is collected is not available.
VAT: Plastic Bags
Mr. Evans: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of value-added tax revenue raised on re-usable shopping bags in 2006. [193591]
Jane Kennedy: No estimate has been made.
Working Tax Credit: Morecambe
Geraldine Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people in the Morecambe and Lunesdale constituency received working tax credit in the latest period for which figures are available. [194033]
Jane Kennedy: In 2005-06, the average number of families receiving working tax credits in the Morecambe and Lunesdale constituency was 3,400.
This information is from the HMRC publication “Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics. Finalised Annual Awards 2005-06. Geographical Analysis”, which is available on the HMRC website at:
Prime Minister
Departmental Pensions
David Simpson: To ask the Prime Minister how many and what percentage of staff in his office were making additional voluntary contributions to their pensions in each of the last two years. [193573]
The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given today by the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office, my hon. Friend the Member for West Bromwich, East (Mr. Watson).
Fairtrade Initiatives
Mr. Moore: To ask the Prime Minister what his Office’s policy is on the use of fair trade goods (a) in staff catering facilities and (b) at official departmental functions and meetings; and if he will make a statement. [183884]
The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him today by the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office, my hon. Friend the Member for West Bromwich, East (Mr. Watson).
Northern Ireland
Crime
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many incidents of hate crimes were recorded in Northern Ireland in (a) 2006 and (b) 2007. [192353]
Paul Goggins: The following table records the number of ‘Hate Incidents’ recorded in Northern Ireland by the PSNT in 2006 and 2007.
| 1 January to 31 Decembe r each year | ||
| Motivation | 2006 | 2007( 1) |
| (1) The hate motivation figures for 2007 are provisional and should be treated with caution. The PSNI is aware of some under-recording in these incident types during 2007-08 as a result of a change in processes/systems that was introduced on 1 April 2007. Procedures have been put in place to improve the accuracy of these figures by the end of the financial year. Source: Central Statistics Unit, PSNI | ||
Culture, Media and Sport
Abbott Mead Vickers
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many contracts there were between his Department and Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO in each of the last 10 years; and what the (a) value and (b) purpose of each was. [192047]
Margaret Hodge: There have been no contracts between DCMS and Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO in the last 10 years.
Archaeology: Flag Fen
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether he plans to offer financial or other assistance to the Flag Fen bronze age site near Peterborough to (a) continue and (b) expand its (i) exhibition and (ii) excavation work; and if he will make a statement. [192487]
Margaret Hodge [holding answer 10 March 2008]: Since 1988-89 English Heritage, the Government’s statutory adviser on the historic environment, has given around £356,000 to the Fenland Archaeological Trust (FAT) for surveys, excavation, analysis, detailed publication and public presentation of the Flag Fen site and its surroundings. £300,000 of this was given through the former Archaeology Commissions programme (now Historic Environment Enabling Programme). A further £56,000 was contributed through regional grant aid specifically for the Preservation Hall. In addition to this expenditure a popular account of the site was published in the English Heritage/Batsford series on England’s archaeology. In 2008-09 English Heritage will be providing a further contribution of around £1,500 towards the publication of more recent investigations. Supporting the exhibition is outside the remit of English Heritage’s grant schemes.
FAT is a partner in the Greater Fens Museum Partnership, which is receives £96,200 from the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council’s (MLA) “Renaissance in the Regions” regional museums development programme. The trust has received £1,500 for object conservation work from MLA.
FAT also secured £600,000 from the Millennium Commission towards the cost of a new Heritage Centre, as part of the £5.408 million Peterborough Green Wheel project. FAT has received two grants from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). In March 2006 the trust was awarded £178,000 to support education and outreach activities, and in August 2006, £44,688 was awarded for a project planning grant. HLF is anticipating a larger application as a result of this work.
Arts Council of England
Robert Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will place in the Library a copy of Arts Council England’s most recent edition of its register of interests, gifts, hospitality and other benefits. [192166]
Margaret Hodge: The information available will be placed in the Library of the House.
Arts Council of England: Public Appointments
Robert Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the process for (a) appointing and (b) removing (i) national and (ii) regional Arts Council England members is. [192164]
Margaret Hodge: The process for appointing national members and regional chairs of Arts Council England is set out in the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments’ Code of Practice. It includes ministerial agreement to a role specification against which candidates are assessed, advertising in the national press or on the DCMS and Cabinet Office websites and interviews of shortlisted candidates by a selection panel, followed by recommendations to Ministers on whom to appoint. An independent assessor is involved throughout, the final decision and appointment is then made by DCMS Ministers.
Non-chair members of the regional councils are appointed by the national council. The standard process involves advertisement and interviews followed by recommendations to the national council, which takes the final decision. However, for each regional council six of the members (eight on the South East regional council) are nominated by local authorities, regional government or regional development agencies, and then appointed by the national council.
The London regional council chair and four non-chair members are appointed by the Mayor of London (in the case of the chair, Secretary of State approval is also required).
Appointments of national members and regional chairs of Arts Council England may be terminated by the Secretary of State in accordance with article 7 of the Arts Council England Royal Charter and as set out in the terms and conditions of appointment.
National Council can remove non-chair members of any regional council (with the exception of the London regional council) with reasonable cause.
The Mayor of London can remove the London regional council chair and non-chair members with reasonable cause (in the case of the chair, Secretary of State approval is also required).
Casinos: Cash Dispensing
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether automated teller machines authorised to be placed in casinos licensed under the Gambling Act 2005 will be permitted to dispense cash from credit card accounts. [193866]
Mr. Sutcliffe: A customer may obtain cash from an automated teller machine (ATM) in casinos by means of a credit card. A customer may not use a credit card to gamble at any gaming table, gaming machine or betting machine, or to purchase gaming chips.
The Gambling Act 2005 (Mandatory and Default Conditions) (England and Wales) Regulations 2007 attach a condition to all types of casino premises licence that any ATM made available shall be located in a place that requires any customer who wishes to use it to cease gambling at any gaming table, gaming machine or betting machine in order to do so.
Culture Online
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment his Department has made of the impact of Culture Online on reaching new audiences for the arts, with particular reference to hard-to-reach groups. [193371]
Margaret Hodge: The Department commissioned Demos to produce an overview of Culture Online’s work. Its report “Logging On: Culture, Participation and the Web” was published in May 2007. It provides an overview of lessons learned from the Culture Online programme and advice on how web technology can increase public participation in culture. I am arranging for copies of the report to be deposited in the Library.
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what targets were set for measuring Culture Online’s performance in (a) engaging with hard-to-reach groups, (b) enhancing access to the arts for children and young people and (c) opening up cultural institutions to the wider community. [193372]
Margaret Hodge: Culture Online commissioned a range of innovative projects aimed at different audiences. Each project had targets built into Culture Online’s delivery contract with partner organisations, which included user numbers, costs per user and, where appropriate, engagement with specific audience groups.
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much funding was set aside for Culture Online; and how much was spent in each year since 2002. [193373]
Margaret Hodge: Funding of £10 million was allocated to Culture Online in 2002, mainly from the Capital Modernisation Fund. In 2005, an additional £3 million was allocated. Expenditure on Culture Online in each year since it was established is set out in the table. Culture Online closed at the end of March 2007.
| Financial year | £ |
Culture: Coastal Areas
Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps his Department is taking to encourage cultural regeneration in coastal resorts. [194254]
Margaret Hodge: My Department's £45 million fund (£15 million a year over three years) to regenerate seaside resorts through heritage and cultural projects was announced on 30 November 2007.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will make an announcement on the funding proposals for year 1 of the programme shortly.
Culture: Sponsorship
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Hayes and Harlington of 3 March 2008, Official Report, column 2124W, on Culture: Sponsorship, how much business spending on the arts was in each year between 1997-98 and 2005-06. [193379]
Margaret Hodge: The figures for business sponsorship of the arts are measured in the annual Private Investment Benchmarking Survey conducted by Arts and Business. The survey methodology was changed in 2002-03, and therefore the figures are not directly comparable.
| £ million | |
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