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14 Mar 2008 : Column 719W—continued
Treasury
Valuation Office
Robert Neill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a copy of the records project specification and plan of the Valuation Office Agency. [192198]
Jane Kennedy: The Valuation Office Agency has yet to decide if it will introduce an electronic document and records management system and, if so, to what specification.
Assets
Greg Clark: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the median value of (a) gross assets and (b) net assets held by (i) individuals and (ii) households was in the most recent year for which figures are available. [194576]
Jane Kennedy: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 14 March 2008:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what the median value of (a) gross assets and (b) net assets held by (i) individuals and (ii) households was in the most recent year for which figures are available. (194576)
There are currently no official estimates available of the median value of gross or net assets, for either individuals or households. Estimates will be available from the Wealth and Assets Survey that is now being carried out.
Benzodiazepines: Death
Mr. Grogan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many deaths from drug-related poisoning occurred in England where (a) benzodiazepines were mentioned and (b) benzodiazepines were mentioned with other drugs in each year from 1999 to 2006. [194101]
Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 14 March 2008:
As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many deaths from drug related poisoning occurred in England where (a) benzodiazepines were total mentions and (b) benzodiazepines were mentioned with other drugs in each year from 1999 to 2006. (194101)
The table below shows the number of deaths for which the underlying cause was drug-related poisoning, and where benzodiazepines were mentioned on the death record, alone or with other substances. Figures are provided for usual residents of England for the years 1999 to 2006.
| Deaths from drug-related poisoning( 1) where benzodiazepines were mentioned on the death record, England( 2) ,1999 to 2006( 3) | ||
| Total mentions( 4) | Mentions without other drugs | |
| (1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (JCD-9) codes 292, 303, 305,2-305.9, E850-E858, E950.0-E950.5, E980.0-E980.5 andE962.0 for the years 1999 and 2000 and Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes FI1-F16, F18-F19, X40-X44, X60-X64, X85 and YIO-Y14 from 2001 onwards. These deaths were selected where benzodiazepines were mentioned on the death record. (2) Deaths of usual residents of England. (3) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year. (4) Includes benzodiazepines mentioned with other drugs. | ||
Cancer
Annette Brooke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the survival rates for each of the main categories of cancer are in each primary care trust in England in the last three years for which figures are available. [194179]
Jane Kennedy: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 14 March 2008:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what the survival rates for each of the main categories of cancer are in each primary care trust in England in the last three years for which figures are available. (194179)
The Office for National Statistics does not produce survival rates by primary care trust area. The lowest geographical area for which rates are available are strategic health authority areas. The latest one- and five-year survival for eight common cancers by government office region, and strategic health authority, for patients diagnosed in 1997-99 and followed up to 31 December 2004, are available on the National Statistics website at:
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=11991 &Pos=9&ColRank=1&Rank=272
Child Benefit
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost has been to his Department of sending letters to child benefit claimants notifying them of the annual increase in child benefit in the last 12 month period for which data are available; and how many letters have been sent. [193580]
Jane Kennedy: During the last completed exercise, which ended on 28 March 2007, 7.4 million letters were issued advising customers of the amount of child benefit they would receive from 9 April 2007.
The issuing of the up-rating letter is a routine business process: it is only possible to provide a separate cost for the exercise at disproportionate expense.
Council Tax: Wales
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions the Valuation Office Agency has had with the Welsh Assembly Government on council tax revaluation. [193972]
Jane Kennedy [holding answer 13 March 2008]: No discussions, recent or otherwise, have taken place between the Valuation Office Agency and the Welsh Assembly Government with regard to any future council tax revaluation in Wales.
Departmental Accountancy
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what changes were made on overhead apportionment between cost centres within his Department in financial year 2006-07; and what assessment he has made of the net effect on these changes on costs attributable to the provision of tax credits. [190013]
Jane Kennedy: Tax credits are a priority for HM Revenue and Customs. Staff numbers increased in 2006-07, particularly to add extra capacity on the tax credits helpline. 1.3 million more calls were handled in 2006-07 than in 2005-06.
The increase in administrative costs reflects both the increase in staff numbers and a new method in apportioning overheads which in 2006-07 increased the proportion allocated to tax credits.
Departmental Data Protection
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many complaints from individuals directly his Department has received as a consequence of the loss of personal data held by his Department and its agencies. [185809]
Jane Kennedy: The information requested is not available in respect of the Treasury and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Databases
Adam Price: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether (a) companies based in the United States and (b) UK subsidiaries of US companies have been contracted by his Department and its agencies to provide services involving the use, storage, processing or analysis of databases of personal information held by the Government on UK citizens in the last five years. [188221]
Angela Eagle: HM Treasury, including its agencies has engaged a US registered service provider to manage aspects of storage, processing or analysis of personal information.
In addition the Treasury, including its agencies has engaged a UK subsidiary of a US registered service provider to manage aspects of storage, processing or analysis of personal information.
The Data Protection Act 1998 includes provisions to ensure that personal data benefits from adequate protection when it is transferred outside the European Economic Area by UK data controllers.
Contracts are based on UK contract law with the applicable statutory safeguards.
Departmental Pensions
David Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many and what percentage of staff in his Department were making additional voluntary contributions to their pensions in each of the last two years. [193556]
Angela Eagle: The information you require is detailed in the following table:
| Year | Number | Percentage of staff |
HM Revenue and Customs Business Brief
Clive Efford: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what representations he has received on the provisions of HM Revenue and Customs Business Brief 50/07; [193471]
(2) if he will make it his policy not to pursue back-payment of value added tax from sports and leisure trusts under the terms of HM Revenue and Customs Business Brief 50/07. [193472]
Jane Kennedy: Representations are regularly made to Treasury Ministers and officials on a wide range of issues.
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has a statutory duty to collect VAT that has been under declared, and may assess to recover arrears of VAT where VAT was properly due but was not charged and was not paid over to HMRC.
Although the Commissioners of HMRC may make concessions in certain circumstances, for example where administrative savings would outweigh the tax, in this instance, not collecting VAT that is properly due would be beyond what is legally permissible.
However, the Commissioners do have discretionary power to grant extra time to pay arrears where this is appropriate in the individual circumstances of the taxpayer and consistent with the commission its arrears it should approach HMRC to ask for a time to pay arrangement to be considered.
Furthermore, where evidence can be provided that an individual taxpayer has accounted for VAT incorrectly because of a bona fide misunderstanding, or because he has been misdirected by HMRC, within the terms of extra statutory concessions 3.4 and 3.5 as published in HMRC Notice 48?Extra statutory concessions, HMRC will not seek to recover arrears of the tax.
Income Tax: Overpayments
Mr. Gauke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the value of unclaimed income tax overpayments for the last period for which figures are available. [193382]
Jane Kennedy [holding answer 11 March 208]: HM Revenue and Customs wants all business and individuals to pay only the correct amount of tax and therefore repays overpaid tax, usually without a formal claim being required.
HMRC does not hold information on the value of unclaimed overpayments. In the NAO Standard Report on HMRC 2006-07 Accounts published 6 July 2007 the Comptroller and Auditor General estimated that around £340 million may be overpaid in income tax by customers within the PAYE process.
Nationality: Northern Ireland
Chris Huhne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people resident in Northern Ireland were (a) British citizens, (b) Irish citizens, (c) both and (d) neither on the latest date for which figures are available, broken down by county. [194385]
Angela Eagle: This is a devolved matter for the Northern Ireland Administration.
Personal Savings
Greg Clark: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the median value of savings held by individuals was in the most recent year for which figures are available. [194575]
Jane Kennedy: The requested information is not available.
Planning Permission
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what planning applications his Department has made to Westminster City Council since May 1997; and what the (a) planning reference number and (b) purpose of each application was. [194404]
Angela Eagle: The Treasury has made no planning applications to Westminster city council since May 1997.
Registration of Births Deaths Marriages and Civil Partnerships
Greg Clark: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to provide public access to the General Register Office’s microfiche indexes in (a) London and (b) elsewhere in the UK. [194536]
Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 14 March 2008:
As National Statistician and Registrar General for England and Wales I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about what plans there are to provide
public access to the General Register Office's microfiche indexes in (a) London and (b) elsewhere in the UK. [194536]
The General Register Office has entered into discussion and agreement with a number of public facilities throughout England and Wales on the hosting of microfiche copies of the indexes and to provide free access.
Upon closure of the Family Records Centre these indexes will be made publicly available at centres to include Greater Manchester County Record Office, Birmingham Central Library, Bridgend Reference and Information Library and Plymouth Central Library as well as at the National Archives in Kew.
The General Register Office plan to make the indexes available at another location in central London and are currently in discussion with an archive centre in the City of Westminster.
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