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22 Apr 2008 : Column 1948W—continued
Security: Licensing
Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many licence applications were not determined by the Security Industry Authority within (a) three months, (b) six months and (c) 12 months in the latest period for which figures are available. [196415]
Mr. Coaker: The SIA is currently making a number of improvements to its handling of applications.
The most recent period for which figures from the Security Industry Authority are available is October 2007. During that month approximately 861 applications, representing about 10 per cent. of the total applications decided that month, took the SIA over three months to determine. The reasons for the longer processing times in such cases would have included the need to make further inquiries of the applicant, or await the outcome of additional checks in respect of, for example, any overseas criminality convictions, clarification of qualifications or the right to work in the UK. The SIA does not hold data which show how many applications were not determined within 6 or 12 months.
Terrorism
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many members of staff are employed by her Department (a) full-time and (b) part-time on the Prevent strand of Project Contest. [183418]
Jacqui Smith: The Prevent aspects of the Government's strategy on counter-terrorism are dealt with in the Home Office by the Office for Security and Counter Terrorism (OSCT). The Home Office also works with other Government Departments and agencies on Prevent.
24 full-time and two part-time Home Office staff are currently engaged directly on Prevent. This number will increase in accordance with the priority attached to this work. In addition, there are several other members of staff in the Home Office who are engaged on Prevent work as part of their wider responsibilities for counter-terrorism.
The current cross-Whitehall total of staff (including those in the Home Office) fully employed on Prevent is 83 full time staff and 22 part-time staff. There are staff in other agencies not included in the following list who are also working on Prevent. Details are as follows:
DCSF: two full-time and two part-time;
DIUS: one full-time and four part-time;
DCMS: one full-time;
MOD (including NOMS): seven full-time
MoJ and DSCF (joint post): one part-time;
FCO: 19 full-time;
DFID: seven full-time and one part-time;
DWP: three part-time;
CLG: 22 full-time;
RICU (cross-Whitehall unit): nine part-time;
HO: 24 full-time and two part-time.
In addition, more and more local government and police forces are directly engaging staff on Prevent work.
Treasury
Disabled People
Mr. MacNeil: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what targets his Department has set in relation to its employment of people with disabilities over the next five years. [199040]
Angela Eagle: The Treasury, in common with other Whitehall Departments, has adopted the targets set out in the Cabinet Office's 10 point plan on diversity in relation to the employment of people with disabilities. The current target for the Treasury's senior civil service on the representation of employees with disabilities is 3.2 per cent. and for the feeder grades to the Treasury's senior civil service the target is 5.0 per cent.
The current targets, set for 2005-08, will be revised post April 2008. Work is under way on setting targets for 2008-11.
Energy: Prices
Mrs. Riordan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the effects on the economy of recent changes in energy prices. [199390]
Angela Eagle: The Government published their latest assessment of recent economic developments and prospects in the Financial Statement and Budget report on 12 March 2008.
Excise Duties: Motor Vehicles
Justine Greening: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what assumption he has made of the number of new cars paying the first year charge vehicle excise duty in (a) Band E, (b) Band F, (c) Band G, (d) Band H, (e) Band I, (f) Band J, (g) Band K, (h) Band L and (i) Band M in 2010-11 in relation to the Red Book tax revenue calculations in line 35 Table 1.2, page 9; and if he will make a statement; [196305]
(2) what assumption he has made of the number of existing cars paying vehicle excise duty in (a) Band A, (b) Band B, (c) Band C, (d) Band D, (e) Band E, (f) Band F, (g) Band G, (h) Band H, (i) Band I, (j) Band J, (k) Band K, (l) Band L and (m) Band M in 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11 in relation to the Red Book tax revenue calculations in line 35 Table 1.2, page 9; and if he will make a statement. [196306]
Angela Eagle [holding answer 25 March 2008]: The number of new cars assumed to be paying the first year VED rate in 2010-11 are: 461,865 in band E; 367,998 in band F; 365,726 in band G; 209,668 in band H; 164,899 in band I; 190,705 in band J; 110,257 in band K; 65,169 in band L and 57,096 in band M.
The number of existing cars assumed to be paying VED in each band in each of the years 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11, are as set out in the following tables.
| Band | CO 2 (g/km) | 2008-09 |
| Band | CO 2 (g/km) | 2009-10 | 2010-11 |
Income Tax: Bexley
Mr. Evennett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many people in Bexley paid income tax at the 10 pence basic rate in 2007-08; [199488]
(2) what assessment he has made of the effects on residents of Bexley in receipt of occupational pensions of abolition of the 10 pence rate of income tax. [199489]
Jane Kennedy: The removal of the 10p rate is part of a package of reforms announced in Budget 2007 to simplify the personal tax system and provide more support to families and pensioners. The package includes increasing age-related allowances by £1,180 above indexation, meaning that every person qualifying for these allowances will pay no more tax than without the reforms announced in Budget 2007 and removing 600,000 pensioners from paying tax.
Estimates of the number paying tax at the starting rate in the UK for 2007-08 are given in Table 2.5 based on projections of the 2004-05 Survey of Personal Incomes. This table can be found on the HM Revenue and Customs website and will be updated with the results of the 2005-06 survey at the end of April.
Available information on numbers of taxpayers in each London borough is shown in table T3.14, which can be found at the HM Revenue and Customs website.
The effect of the package on households in receipt of occupational pensions will depend on their circumstances, for example, their age, whether they have dependent children and other income.
Northern Rock
Philip Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the impact of the EU capital requirements directive on the liquidity of Northern Rock in the last 12 months. [191583]
Angela Eagle: The assessment of the capital and liquidity position of banks, and the linkages between the two, is a matter for the Financial Services Authority as banking supervisor. The FSA monitors these on an ongoing basis. The introduction of the capital requirements directive has not changed this underlying position.
VAT: Sunscreens
Mr. Swire: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to make suntan lotions for children zero-rated for VAT. [199826]
Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 23 April 2007, Official Report, column 998W, to the hon. Member for Castle Point (Bob Spink).
Innovation, Universities and Skills
Apprentices: Construction
Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many construction apprenticeship (a) starts and (b) completions there were in each region in each of the last five years. [199655]
Mr. Lammy: The information requested is provided in the following table. Figures for the number of completions in 2006/07 are not currently available but will be by the summer.
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