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13 Jun 2008 : Column 611W—continued
Domestic Violence: Victim Support Schemes
Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what role the Police Service of Northern Ireland plays in counselling and advising victims of domestic abuse; and what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of that role. [207759]
Paul Goggins: Uniformed officers attending domestic incidents will speak to the victim to inquire about the circumstances that lead to the reporting of the incident. In following up incidents, Domestic Abuse Officers will signpost the victim to relevant agencies, according to his or her needs. Police officers do not counsel victims of domestic abuse, but provide information and refer them to more appropriate support agencies, such as Women’s Aid, the Men’s Advisory Project or Victim Support.
Olympics
Olympic Games 2012
Adam Price: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what competition events of the London Olympics 2012 will be held outside London. [210750]
Tessa Jowell: The competition events of the London Olympics 2012 which will be held outside London are canoe/kayak slalom at Broxbourne, flatwater canoe/kayak at Eton Dorney, rowing at Eton Dorney, sailing at Weymouth, football at Old Trafford, Millennium Stadium, St James’ Park, Hampden Park and Villa Park.
Weald Country Park in Essex was approved as the 2012 mountain biking venue by the International Cycling Federation (UCI) in 2004. In June 2006 the UCI expressed reservations on the suitability of the site and have requested a more challenging course. LOCOG are working with Essex county council to look at other possible venues within Essex that meet the new requirements of the sport as well as the venue's location.
Scotland
Departmental Postal Services
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department spent on sending mail overseas in each year since 2001, broken down by delivery company. [208523]
David Cairns: The Scotland Office does not separately record expenditure on postage by destination or delivery company.
Departmental Transport
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when his Department's green transport plan was introduced; and if he will place in the Library a copy of this plan. [209236]
David Cairns: The Scotland Office is an associated office of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). The MoJ are currently developing a sustainable development action plan which includes an action to produce a green transport plan. A copy of the MoJ transport plan will be placed within the Library when complete.
Treasury
Capital Gains Tax: Wales
Hywel Williams: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the amount of capital gains tax was on the relevant rollover for the residents of each unitary authority area of Wales in each financial year since 1998. [211029]
Jane Kennedy: The information requested is not available.
Car Allowances: Voluntary Work
Mr. Swire: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will review the rates of approved mileage allowance payments for motorists who are volunteer drivers. [211346]
Angela Eagle: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Stroud (Mr. Drew) on 12 November 2007 and the hon. Member for Colchester (Bob Russell) on 28 April 2008.
HMRC allows volunteers to use the approved mileage allowance payment (AMAP) rate for convenience, but it is not mandatory and volunteer drivers can claim tax relief for the full cost of motoring by completing a return, if they wish to do so.
Departmental Legal Costs
Mike Penning: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was spent by his Department on legal fees in each of the last five years. [208494]
Angela Eagle: Subject to any necessary adjustments following the Comptroller and Auditor General’s audit of the Treasury’s resource account, net spending on external legal advice in 2007-08 was £1,331,000.
For spending in earlier years I refer the hon. Member to the answers given by the former Financial Secretary my hon. Friend for Wentworth (John Healey) on 18 June 2007, Official Report, column 1496W, to the hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield (Grant Shapps) and on 19 December 2006, Official Report, column 1738W, to the hon. Member for Monmouth (David T.C. Davies).
Departmental Property
Mike Penning: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was raised by his Department by the sale of departmental property in each of the last five years. [208492]
Angela Eagle: No departmental property was sold in the last five years.
Mike Penning: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much income was received by his Department from the letting of its properties in each of the last five years. [208493]
Angela Eagle: No properties were let during the last five years.
Food
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much food waste his Department generated in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [208130]
Angela Eagle: Statistics on food waste generated by the Department are only available for the past three years. The figures are:
| January to December each year | Kilograms |
A food waste recycling programme was introduced in March 2008. Through this, food waste is removed from the building and transported to a biogas plant where it is subjected to an anaerobic digestion process. In addition, the process produces fertilizer and electricity as by-products.
Government Departments: Buildings
Anne Snelgrove: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of new leasing arrangements for buildings occupied by Government (a) Departments, (b) executive agencies and (c) non-departmental public bodies were (i) new leases and (ii) renewals of existing leases in each of the last five years. [210188]
Angela Eagle: The information cannot be obtained without incurring disproportionate cost.
Anne Snelgrove: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of buildings newly procured for use by Government (a) Departments, (b) executive agencies and (c) non-departmental public bodies were (i) rented, (ii) leased, (iii) purchased and (iv) acquired under a private finance initiative or public-private partnership arrangement in each of the last five years. [210189]
Angela Eagle: The information requested is not available and could be obtained only disproportionate cost.
Government Departments: Procurement
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made by the Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Procurement in the Office of Government Commerce in (a) drawing up a delivery plan and milestones for meeting the targets for the sustainable operations on the Government estate and (b) implementing the sustainable procurement action plan. [210728]
Angela Eagle: The Government will publish a delivery plan in the summer. This will set out: progress to date in implementing its Sustainable Procurement Action Plan and its targets for Sustainable Operations on the Government Estate; and its forward action plans and trajectories.
Lorries: Foreign Companies
Mr. Steen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what financial contribution foreign heavy goods vehicles make to maintaining the British road network. [209893]
Angela Eagle [holding answer 11 June 2008]: EU law is clear that member state policy measures may not inhibit the freedom of movement of goods and may not discriminate (directly or indirectly) according to nationality of haulier or the origin or destination of a vehicle. This of itself precludes any lump-sum tax levied specifically on entry to the UK.
The Government along with industry representatives looked at foreign activity as part of the industry study undertaken by the 2006 Haulage Industry Task Group. The conclusions showed that cabotage activity (foreign operators picking up and dropping off the same load within the UK) accounted for around 1 per cent. of domestic road freight movements.
Following the conclusion of the recent Freight Data Feasibility Study, the Government decided against taking forward a vignette scheme due to the limited benefits achievable when compared to the costs. It was decided that greater benefits are achievable through other measures, and to this extent the Department for Transport recently announced an additional £24.3 million on enforcement spending, targeting those on international trips—those less likely to comply with UK road safety law.
Members: Correspondence
Sir Michael Spicer: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will reply to the hon. Member for West Worcestershire's letter of 21 April 2008, on Northern Rock, PO Ref: 1/56466/2008. [210852]
Kitty Ussher: I have replied to the hon. Member
Sir Michael Spicer: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will reply to the hon. Member for West Worcestershire's letter of 29 April 2008, on Tax Office investigations. [210853]
Jane Kennedy: HM Revenue and Customs replied to the hon. Member on 12 June 2008, and apologised for the delay.
Revenue and Customs: Chorley
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will reassess the decision to close the HM Revenue and Customs office at Lingmell House in Chorley. [210216]
Jane Kennedy: My answers to the hon. Gentleman's earlier questions of 17 March 2008, Official Report, column 896W, explained that the decision to close the HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) office in Chorley was made after extensive consultation and detailed feasibility work. Nothing has changed to warrant revisiting the decision. HMRC's plans do not envisage any business requirement to retain the Chorley office, with the exception of its inquiry centre services, which will continue to be offered either from the current building or one nearby.
Revenue and Customs: Southend on Sea
Mr. Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he last visited HM Revenue and Customs offices in Southend-on-Sea; and if he will make a statement. [210610]
Angela Eagle: The Chancellor of the Exchequer has not visited the HM Revenue and Customs offices in Southend-on-Sea. Treasury Ministers make regular visits to HM Revenue and Customs offices around the country.
VAT: Aviation
Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the annual income to Exchequer funds which would arise from ending the exemption from value added tax of aviation. [209942]
Angela Eagle [holding answer 10 June 2008]: HM Revenue and Customs does not hold sufficient information with which to estimate the revenue impacts from applying different rates of VAT to the aviation sector, even if our international agreements allowed the UK to do so. However, under the normal rules of the tax, any additional VAT that might be incurred by a VAT registered airline or other VAT registered business could be reclaimed to the extent that it relates to their taxable business activities.
Women and Equality
Females: Olympic Games 2012
Mrs. May: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what steps the Government has taken to promote the employment of women as part of the preparation for and delivery of the Olympic Games. [209043]
Tessa Jowell [holding answer 5 June 2008]: I have been asked to reply.
The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) through its equality and diversity strategy ensures that all the processes used to recruit and manage employees (including within the supply chain) are demonstrably fair. The ODA will make reasonable adjustments where necessary and offer equal opportunities to all.
Women will benefit through the Women into Construction project which the ODA and the London Development Agency have developed. This focuses on supporting women wishing to work directly on the construction programme for the 2012 Games.
The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) has a strong diversity and inclusion policy for the recruitment and retention of staff and volunteers that covers gender, race, disability, sexual orientation, religion and age. This will be regularly monitored for its effectiveness, and builds on the prominence of diversity and equality as key components of London's bid for the Games. LOCOG also requests equal opportunities policies from potential suppliers.
Work and Pensions
Apprentices
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) apprenticeships and (b) advanced apprenticeships there were in (i) his Department and (ii) the agencies for which he is responsible in the most recent year for which figures are available. [206790]
Mr. Timms: For the period 2008-09 there were 37 foundation apprenticeships and 49 advanced apprenticeships undertaken in the Department.
Departmental Buildings
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what plans his Department has for its services at Sunley House, Aylesbury; [208574]
(2) how many staff are employed in each of his Department's offices in Aylesbury; whether he plans to change those staff numbers; and if he will make a statement. [208575]
Mr. Timms: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
The Secretary of State has asked Lesley Strathie to reply to your questions asking what plans his Department has for its services at Sunley House, Aylesbury and how many staff are
employed in each of his Department's offices in Aylesbury; whether he plans to make changes to those staff numbers; and if he will make a statement. I am replying on behalf of Ms Strathie in her absence as Acting Chief Executive.
The Department currently has two offices in Aylesbury. The Jobcentre Plus office in Heron House provides customer facing Jobcentre services to local people. A total of 35 staff are employed at this site.
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