| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
1 July 2008 : Column 738W—continued
Treasury
Armed Conflict: Afghanistan
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much the Government spent on the war in Afghanistan in each year since 2001. [214478]
Yvette Cooper: The net additional costs of operations in Afghanistan each year since 2001 to 31 March 2007, is recorded in the Ministry of Defence’s annual reports and accounts.
Car Allowances
Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will review the authorised mileage rates for business travel under the Approved Mileage Allowance Payments Scheme. [211486]
Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to implement a percentage increase in HM Revenue and Customs mileage allowance bands in line with increases in petrol price rises. [212282]
Angela Eagle: The Government are aware of the pressures that motorists—including those who use their cars for business travel—are under as a result of high fuel prices, caused by conditions in the international oil market. However, the cost of driving can depend on a number of factors, not just fuel prices and decisions on the rate of approved mileage payments are taken as part of the Budget cycle. The Chancellor announced in Budget 2008 that the Government would maintain the tax-free mileage allowance (AMAPs) rates and thresholds at current levels.
Certified Public Accountants Association
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) whether the Certified Public Accountants Association has responsibility for regulating its members under the money laundering regulations; and if he will make a statement; [214497]
(2) what recent discussions he has had with the Certified Public Accountants Association on the regulation of its members under the money laundering regulations; and if he will make a statement. [214498]
Kitty Ussher [holding answer 30 June 2008]: The Certified Public Accountants Association (CPAA) is not a supervisory professional body for the purposes of the money laundering regulations 2007. 22 supervisory professional bodies are listed in schedule 3 of the regulations.
My officials have corresponded with the CPAA during 2007 and 2008, beginning in June and August 2007, explaining the policy approach taken on supervisory arrangements and the appointment of supervisors, as set out in public consultations on the implementation of the third money laundering directive in July 2006 and January 2007. The CPAA did not apply for supervisory status during either consultation period.
As a matter of good practice, the Treasury intends to review the supervisory arrangements in 2009, once the regulations have been in force for a reasonable period.
Although the CPAA is not a supervisor for the purposes of the money laundering regulations 2007, they may work with the relevant supervisors to assist their members' compliance with the regulations.
Children: Day Care
Ms Buck: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of (a) employers offering and (b) employees taking up childcare vouchers; and if he will make a statement. [214320]
Jane Kennedy: There are no official data collected on the number of employers who offer and employees who take up child care vouchers. Employers are not required to report these data to HMRC.
Research carried out by the National Centre for Social Research for HMRC in 2006 estimated that 2.5 per cent. of organisations offered employer supported child care and that 36 per cent. of employees had access to this provision. This report was published in December 2006 and is available on the HMRC website at:
HMRC considers that these figures are likely to have increased since this research was carried out.
Corporation Tax: Tax Collection
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate his Department has made of the cost of collecting corporation tax in the latest period for which figures are available. [214612]
Jane Kennedy: The costs of collecting corporation tax are shown on page 31 of the HMRC Autumn Performance Report 2007. The report can be found on the HMRC website at:
Economic Situation
David Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the performance of (a) the Northern Ireland economy and (b) the economy of the rest of the UK in each of the last five years. [215006]
Yvette Cooper: The Government published in April 2008 the review of Northern Ireland competitiveness by Sir David Varney, which showed that the Northern Ireland economy is performing well, although there is scope for further reform to improve economic performance.
EU: Finance
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what UK participation there will be in the TARGET2 infrastructure of the Eurozone; and what estimate he has made of the cost of any UK changeover. [214166]
Kitty Ussher: Following consultation with the UK members of the TARGET system, the Bank of England took a strategic decision in October 2005 that the provision of euro inter-bank payment facilities in the TARGET2 system was a matter for euro-area central banks. The Bank of England accesses TARGET2, in respects of its own payments, indirectly through De Nederlandsche Bank.
Euro Preparations Unit
Mr. Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which Government Departments and agencies have reported updates to their Euro changeover plans to his Department's Euro Preparations Unit in the last 18 months. [198095]
Kitty Ussher: It is for each Government Department and agency to ensure they have made appropriate preparations for a possible future euro changeover. Departments and agencies are not required to report updates to their euro changeover plans to the Treasury.
Excise Duties: Tax Collection
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate his Department has made of the cost of collecting excise duty in the latest period for which figures are available. [214611]
Angela Eagle: Section 4, table 1 of the HMRC Autumn Report sets out the costs to HMRC involved in the collection of each tax including excise. A copy of the latest report can be found online at:
The 2007-08 report should be published in autumn of this year.
Food: Prices
Mr. Evans: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent estimate he has made of the effect on global food prices of food subsidies in (a) the EU and (b) developing countries. [213341]
Kitty Ussher [holding answer 23 June 2008]: The different elements of the current CAP—tariffs, export subsidies, and production subsidies—affect food prices in different ways. The result of all these elements combined is that the EU modestly lowers average global prices at a significant cost to EU consumers and taxpayers, while significantly disincentivising production elsewhere.
As highlighted in the June 2008 "Global Commodities: A Long Term Vision for Stable, Secure and Sustainable Global Market" Treasury publication, a number of countries outside of the EU have responded to high food prices by introducing policies aimed at reducing prices domestically. These have ranged from generally positive measures such as reducing import tariffs, to costly consumer subsidies and harmful export restrictions.
This is why we joined other G8 Finance Ministers in calling inter alia for a removal of supply-side constraints and export restrictions and a replacement of general food subsidies in developing countries with well-targeted help for the poorest.
Income Tax: Tax Rates and Bands
Lynne Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which groups will not be fully compensated by his proposals to compensate taxpayers who were affected by the abolition of the 10 pence tax band. [214491]
Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 9 June 2008, Official Report, column 108W, to my right hon. Friend the Member for Birkenhead (Mr. Field).
Iraq Conflict
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much the Government has spent on the war in Iraq in each financial year since hostilities began. [214479]
Yvette Cooper: The net additional costs of operations in Iraq each year since hostilities began to 31 March 2007, is recorded in the Ministry of Defence’s annual reports and accounts.
National Income: Peterborough
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what level of gross domestic product was recorded in the NUTS area most closely corresponding to (a) Peterborough city council area and (b) Peterborough constituency in each of the last 10 years. [215272]
Yvette Cooper: Peterborough is the NUTS 3 level region which most closely corresponds to the Peterborough city council and Peterborough constituency areas. Office for National Statistics (ONS) do not publish regional GDP but do publish estimates of regional gross value added (GVA) for the NUTS 3 areas, for the period 1995 to 2005.
The latest data for NUTS 3 area levels are for 2005. Following are the GVA levels at NUTS 3 for Peterborough:
| NUTS 3 GVA at current basic prices for Peterborough | |
| £ million | |
| Source: ONS—Gross Value Added (GVA) is Gross Domestic Product (GDP) less taxes (plus subsidies) on products. | |
Revenue and Customs: Crewe
Mr. Timpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average length of service is of staff in the Debt Management and Banking department at the HM Revenue and Customs office in Crewe. [214474]
Jane Kennedy: The average length of service of HM Revenue and Customs staff in Debt Management and Banking office at Crewe is currently 23.7 years.
Welfare Tax Credits: EU Nationals
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many claims for (a) working tax credits and (b) child tax credits were made by citizens of other EU member states resident in Peterborough constituency in the last financial year; and if he will make a statement. [214566]
Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 15 January 2008, Official Report, column 1236W.
House of Commons Commission
Data Protection
Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission whether the staff who will be given access to documentation submitted by hon. Members to the Parliamentary authorities to undertake work to redact personal information from information to be published in autumn 2008 will be permanent or temporary staff; what security checks will have been carried out on those staff; and if he will make a statement. [215446]
Nick Harvey: Quality assurance and editing will be undertaken by security-cleared permanent staff as will any further revisions after hon. Members have had an opportunity to check their information. However, the House does not itself have the capacity to carry out all the work required. It is therefore planned that the scanning of some 1.3 million documents and first stage redaction to remove details such as addresses, telephone numbers, banking details and account numbers will be undertaken under secure conditions by a contractor familiar with providing services to Government and Parliament whose staff have been security cleared. Arrangements for providing additional staff required by the contractor for this project will be agreed between the contractor and the House authorities. The Parliamentary Security Co-ordinator and the Serjeant at Arms have been consulted, and their approval of the arrangements will be sought before the work goes ahead. Staff of the House will be involved in monitoring the whole process.
Electoral Commission Committee
Departmental Planning Permission
Mr. Maude: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what (a) planning applications and (b) licensing applications the Electoral Commission has submitted in the last 24 months. [215543]
Sir Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that it has not made any planning applications or licensing applications in the last 24 months.
Labour Party: Finance
Mr. Tyrie: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission on what date the Labour Party deposited its accounts for 2007 with the Electoral Commission. [215306]
Sir Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that the Labour party submitted its 2007 statement of accounts on 27 June 2008.
Political Parties: Finance
Mr. Fabian Hamilton: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission how many donations to regulated donees were notified to the Commission late in (a) 2001, (b) 2002, (c) 2005, (d) 2007 and (e) January 2008. [211527]
Sir Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that it has retained most original hard copies of donation returns from regulated donees from 2001 onwards and all original hard copies of donation returns from regulated donees from 2007 onwards. On the basis of available returns, the information sought by the hon. Member is as shown in the following table.
| Late | |
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |