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8 May 2008 : Column 1124W—continued
Government Departments: Sustainable Development
Mr. Kidney: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many Government departments have (a) approached Salix for assistance and (b) received assistance (from whatever source) in response to the procedure outlined on pages 4 and 5 in the UK Government Sustainable Procurement Action Plan. [202547]
Angela Eagle: As part of the OGC Collaborative Procurement work, the energy team has been working closely with Salix and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to promote Salix's funding opportunities. To date Salix have met with the following Departments:
Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs
Ministry of Defence
Cabinet Office
HM Revenue and Customs
Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
Department for Communities and Local Government
Ministry of Justice
Department for Work and Pensions
Salix currently have an £800,000 fund committed to Defra.
The Carbon Trust also offers a range of support to Government Departments. In the 2007-08 financial year, following the publication of the Sustainable Procurement Action Plan, the Carbon Trust assisted the following Departments:
Cabinet Office
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Department for International Development
Department for Transport
Department of Health
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
HM Revenue and Customs
HM Treasury
HM Prisons Service
Ministry of Defence
Office of National Statistics
Export Credits Guarantee Department
Minimum Wage: Prosecutions
Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 28 April 2008, Official Report, columns 143-4W, on minimum wage: prosecutions, how many employers have appealed against a minimum wage arrears enforcement notice in each year since the minimum wage was introduced, broken down by region. [203860]
Jane Kennedy: The information requested is not available in the format requested.
Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the Answer of 28 April 2008, Official Report, columns 143-44W, on minimum wage: prosecutions, how many and what proportion of minimum wage enforcement notices have become due in each year since the introduction of the minimum wage, broken down by region. [203861]
Jane Kennedy: The information requested is not available.
Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the Answer of 28 April 2008, Official Report, columns 143-44W, on minimum wage: prosecutions, what arrangements are in place to check that employers who previously accrued minimum wage arrears are now compliant; and if he will make a statement. [203864]
Jane Kennedy:
Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs periodically conduct reviews of a sample of closed cases where they previously identified arrears. This
review involves compliance officers revisiting employers to ensure that they are continuing to pay the minimum wage and have implemented any advice that HMRC provided in respect of record keeping.
Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the Answer of 28 April 2008, Official Report, columns 143-44W, on minimum wage: prosecutions, how many employers have had a case relating to minimum wage arrears heard before an employment tribunal in each year since the minimum wage was introduced; and how many of these appeals were successfully upheld. [203865]
Jane Kennedy: The following table provides information about the employment tribunal cases involving HMRC (formerly Inland Revenue) enforcing the minimum wage. The cases include both employer appeals against enforcement notices and other cases taken by HMRC. There would also have been other employment tribunal cases concerning minimum wage that went forward without HMRC involvement.
| Cases before an employment tribunal involving HMRC | Successful employer appeals | |
In recent years, where an enforcement notice has not been appealed or complied with, HMRC have sought arrears through county court action, rather than through the employment tribunal.
Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 28 April 2008, Official Report, columns 143-44W, on minimum wage: prosecutions, how many employers have been recorded as having (a) obstructed minimum wage compliance officers and (b) failed to produce required records in each year since the minimum wage was introduced, broken down by region. [203867]
Jane Kennedy: HMRC does not keep statistics on the number of employers who have obstructed their compliance officers or failed to produce records. In 2007 there were two successful prosecutions of employers, one for obstructing a compliance officer and one for failing to produce records, in the London and South West regions. In 2008 there has been a successful prosecution of an employer in the East Midlands for failing to produce records.
Northern Rock
Mr. Hoban:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the costs incurred by (a) Virgin, (b) Olivant and (c) Northern Rock's management team in connection with their bids for
Northern Rock which will be reimbursed to them by (i) Northern Rock and (ii) the Treasury. [189112]
Kitty Ussher [holding answer 26 February 2008]: Reimbursement of bidding related costs by Northern Rock to bidders is a commercial matter between them. HM Treasury has no plans to reimburse the costs in question.
Figures for costs of advisers incurred by Northern Rock on its own behalf and for other parties in 2007 were included in their published accounts for 2007:
Adam Price: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of the totals for (a) other liabilities and (b) other assets listed in the Bank of England's consolidated statement of 20 February is directly related to its financial support for Northern Rock. [189886]
Kitty Ussher [holding answer 27 February 2008]: The Government do not generally comment on the Bank of England lending to individual institutions, which is a commercial matter between the Bank and that institution.
Northern Rock published its accounts for 2007 on 31 March 2008 at:
This includes some details about its outstanding loans from the Bank of England. The company operates at arm's length from the Government on commercial principles. It is a matter for its management to release further business updates.
Northern Rock: Guernsey
Adam Price: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 31 March 2008, Official Report, column 660W, on Northern Rock: consultants, whether the management of Northern Rock has now indicated to the Government its intention with regard to Northern Rock Guernsey Ltd; and whether the Government have indicated to the management of Northern Rock their preferred course of action with regard to this subsidiary. [199986]
Kitty Ussher [holding answer 21 April 2008]: During this period of temporary public ownership, Northern Rock is managed by its board at arm's length from Government on commercial principles.
Northern Rock has published a business plan and a shareholder relationship framework agreement based on which HM Treasury will operate its shareholder relationship with the company. The Chancellor of the Exchequer has approved the two documents and has placed copies of the documents in the Library of both Houses.
Northern Rock: Public Appointments
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what process resulted in the appointment of (a) Ron Sandler as Executive Chair and (b) Ann Godbehere as Chief Financial Officer of Northern Rock. [188858]
Kitty Ussher: Mr. Sandier and Ms Godbehere were appointed through a process that was in line with common industry practice of recruiting senior managers.
The Financial Services Authority has confirmed that both of them are suitable persons to direct the business.
Royal Mint: Grayling Political Strategy
Greg Clark: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what payments the Royal Mint made to Grayling Political Strategy in each of the last five years; on what dates; and for what purpose the payments were made in each case. [202257]
Angela Eagle: Payments to Grayling Political Strategy by the Royal Mint in 2006-07 and 2007-08 were £61,792 and £84,388 respectively. These payments related to a retainer fee, press services and other miscellaneous items. No payments were made in earlier years.
Taxation: Pensioners
Mr. Swayne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the amount of tax overpaid by pensioners who opt for four weekly or quarterly pension payments but whose tax codes assume 52 weekly payments in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [203297]
Kitty Ussher: Individuals are liable to income tax on the amount of pension income, including the state pension, they are entitled to receive in a tax year. They can choose to be paid their state pension weekly in advance, or four-weekly or quarterly in arrears. As this does not alter the amount of their income liable to tax, individuals do not overpay tax by virtue of being paid their state pension four-weekly or quarterly in arrears.
Tax is not deducted at source from state pension payments. Where an individual has another source of income which is under pay-as-you-earn (PAYE), HM Revenue and Customs will include the individual's full state pension entitlement in their tax code so that, as far as possible, the right amount of income tax is deducted at source for the year.
Defence
Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what critical military gaps remain to be filled in the NATO military requirement for Afghanistan. [203417]
Des Browne [holding answer 6 May 2008]: The Bucharest Summit saw a number of nations make significant additional commitments to the International Security Assistance Force; in particular President Sarkozy confirmed the deployment of an additional battalion of French troops to the east of the country.
Nevertheless, there remains a need for more training and mentoring personnel; combat forces in the south and east of Afghanistan; and key enablers, such as helicopters, to meet the Combined Joint Statement of Requirements for Afghanistan. The UK continues to work with partners to address these shortfalls.
Air Force: Deployment
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel were stationed at permanent commitment Royal Air Force bases in (a) the Falkland Islands, (b) Cyprus, (c) Nevada, (d) Gibraltar and (e) Ascension Island at the latest date for which figures are available. [203675]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: As of April 2008, the information requested is as follows.
There are currently 489 service personnel stationed at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, 38 service personnel stationed at RAF Gibraltar and 17 service personnel stationed at Ascension Island Base.
There is no separate RAF base in the Falkland Islands, although the RAF units form an integral part of British Forces South Atlantic Island. There are 533 service personnel who are directly associated with RAF operations in the Falkland Islands.
There is no RAF base in Nevada. However, there are 80 service personnel serving with 39 Squadron RAF permanently based there.
Armed Forces: Females
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many women joined the (a) Royal Air Force, (b) Royal Navy and (c) Army in each of the last 10 years. [203655]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth [holding answer 6 May 2008]: The number of women joining the UK Regular Armed Forces 1 in the last 10 years can be found in Table 3 of Tri-Service Publication (TSP) 1—Strength, Intake and Outflow of UK Regular Forces. TSP 1 is published monthly. The most recent publication shows figures for the 12 months to 1 March 2008 and can be found at:
Copies of TSP 1 are available in the Library of the House and at www.dasa.mod.uk
Figures show all intake to the UK Regular Forces including re-enlistments and rejoined reservists.
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