| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
6 May 2008 : Column 819W—continued
Details of consultancy contracts awarded in 2005 and 2006 could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The Treasury's spending on consultancy since 2001-02 is set out in Table 7.4 on page 91 of the 2006-07 Annual Report and Accounts, available from:
Departmental ICT
Sarah Teather: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 5 March 2008, Official Report, column 2579W, on departmental ICT, how many of the missing or stolen (a) laptops, (b) mobile telephones and (c) personal digital assistants have been replaced by his Department; and at what cost. [202438]
Angela Eagle: It would be normal practice to replace these items, but there is no record kept which would distinguish an order for a replacement item from a new requirement. The estimated cost of replacement for all these items was given in the answer of 5 March 2008, Official Report, column 2580W on departmental property.
James Brokenshire: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he has taken to ensure that counterfeit routers and other counterfeit hardware are not utilised in his Department’s computer networks. [203243]
Angela Eagle: Equipment installed on HM Treasury IT networks is subject to operational and security testing before it is introduced into live service. In addition HM Treasury procures computer hardware from reputable companies under framework agreements established and managed by OGC Buying Solutions (part of the Office of Government Commerce,).
Enterprise Investment Scheme
Stephen Williams: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to review the (a) Enterprise Investment Scheme and (b) Enterprise Management Incentive to (i) meet the needs of entrepreneurial investment and (ii) retain the engagement of business angels and venture capital funds. [202817]
Jane Kennedy: Government keep all schemes that give tax relief under review. Evaluations of the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) and the Enterprise Management Incentives (EMI) scheme have recently been published on the HMRC website.
a consultation on how EIS could be made simpler and more accessible;
an increase in the annual investor limit of EIS from £400,000 to £500,000 to further stimulate investment in smaller, higher-risk companies; and
an increase in the individual option grant limit of EMI from £100,000 to £120,000 to help smaller higher-risk companies recruit and retain key employees.
Gift Aid
Lady Hermon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect on charities of the change in the Gift Aid rate which entered into force on 6 April 2008. [202879]
Jane Kennedy: The precise impact on charities will depend on the behavioural reactions of donors and charities to the recent changes. Gross Gift Aid donations to charities are currently expected to increase year on year and were expected to do so even without the Budget 2008 announcements.
The Budget 2008 announcement of a transitional relief enabling Gift Aid to be paid at a transitional rate for 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11 donations, will offset the effect on Gift Aid of the fall in the basic rate of income tax over the next three years. The estimated
financial impact of this is published in table A.1 of the HMT 2008 Financial Statement and Budget Report at:
Budget 2008 also announced a package of measures aimed at driving up Gift Aid including major reform to the auditing process; a programme for bringing more smaller charities into Gift Aid; redesign of guidance and outreach to 5,000 new charities through the launch of targeted marketing tools.
Government Departments: Land
Mr. Maples: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what requirements there are on Government departments to include a development uplift clause when they sell land which might be developed to provide for part of any gain in value from a grant of planning permission to be paid to the Government; whether moneys paid under such provisions are retained by the selling department; and whether there is a standard percentage of uplift in value which is included. [203653]
Angela Eagle: OGC supports departments engaged in the disposal of surplus land and property by providing detailed guidance, which helps departments to identify when and how to include uplift provisions in contracts for sale.
Treasury and OGC require departments to identify future disposals and plan to use the receipts, however, Treasury approval would be required if prior to disposal a department had not obtained Estimates cover for spending receipts.
Neither HM Treasury nor OGC recommend a standard percentage uplift figure.
Income
Greg Clark: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of household income came from (a) tax credits, (b) means-tested benefits, (c) other benefits, (d) earned income excluding tax credits and (e) other sources in each year since 2003-04, broken down by (i) income quintile and (ii) income decile. [196462]
Mr. Timms [holding answer 26 March 2008]: I have been asked to reply.
The information requested is given in the following tables. In all categories the percentage of household income made up of benefits is decreasing year on year as more people move into work and families can benefit from wages not benefits.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |