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15 July 2008 : Column 231W—continued
A breakdown of the yield by borough and district or unitary authority is not available as sample sizes at these levels of geography are small and can demonstrate a large variability from year to year.
PAYE
Nick Ainger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of (a) the average tax overpayment and (b) the average tax underpayment for each PAYE account following clerical review in the latest period for which figures are available. [216621]
Jane Kennedy: Approximately 70 per cent. of PAYE records clear automatically each year with no need for clerical review.
Of the remainder, it is estimated that in 77 per cent. of cases the tax has been correctly paid, in 17 per cent. of cases customers are owed an average of £350 and in 6 per cent. of cases HM Revenue and Customs is owed an average of £300.
Personal Injury
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the highest 10 payments made by his Department in settlement of personal injury claims brought against it were over the last 12 months for which figures are available; which of those cases were (a) contested and (b) uncontested by the Department; and what the nature of the incident was in each case. [216688]
Angela Eagle: There were no personal injury claims brought against the Treasury in the last 12 months, April 2007-March 2008 for which figures are available.
Revenue and Customs: North West
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the relative performance against objectives of HM Revenue and Customs staff at (a) Chorley, (b) Bolton, (c) Blackburn and (d) St. Helens; when a Minister from his Department last visited each such office; and what (i) timetable and (ii) details for re-organisation of these offices (A) were originally announced to staff and (B) are now in place. [218858]
Jane Kennedy: I refer my hon. Friend to the answers I gave on 2 July 2008, Official Report, column 966W. The reasons for offices being either retained or closed under HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) work force change programme is not a reflection on the current performance of staff working in those offices.
I have not visited the HMRC offices in Chorley, Bolton, Blackburn or St. Helens.
Announcements of decisions on those offices were made on 29 February 2008. In those announcements staff were informed that some movement of work and staff would commence in spring 2008 and continue as alternative accommodation became ready.
Revenue and Customs: Rightmove
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what date the decision was taken to extend the HM Revenue and Customs and Valuation Office Agency contract with Rightmove.co.uk plc; and what the estimated cost is of the extension. [218295]
Jane Kennedy: A decision to extend the contract has not yet been taken.
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the status of the contract between Rightmove.co.uk plc and HM Revenue and Customs and the Valuation Office Agency is; and what the termination date of the contract is. [218421]
Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 22 May 2006, Official Report, column 1444W.
Revenue and Customs: Weston-Super-Mare
John Penrose: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether a full equality impact assessment was carried out on the effects on (a) staff and (b) service users of the proposal to close the HM Revenue and Customs office in Weston-Super-Mare. [218319]
Jane Kennedy: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is restructuring its business and estate across the whole of the UK in order to achieve business efficiencies and customer service improvements, and release surplus accommodation. On 11 June 2008, proposals were published for the HMRC office in Weston-Super-Mare, which envisage withdrawal from that office. These proposals are under consultation and no final decision has been made. An overview impact assessment which included the Weston-Super-Mare office was published on the same day. Feasibility work undertaken by HMRC before recommendations are made include assessment of the impact of closure on staff, customers and the wider community. This includes any equality impacts.
If the final decision is to withdraw from Weston-Super-Mare, an impact assessment will be published at that point, with an Equality Impact Assessment as an appendix to this document.
John Penrose: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the business case for the proposal to close the HM Revenue and Customs office in Weston-Super-Mare. [218320]
Jane Kennedy: HM Revenue and Customs do not produce a single business case document for any specific building or location. The overall business case within which HMRC's regional review programme operates is its need to restructure in order to achieve the required efficiency savings and customer service improvements. Most of these savings are realised at business unit or even departmental level, and cannot realistically be apportioned to particular offices.
Taxis
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost of registration of a private hire vehicle is in each local authority. [218784]
Ms Rosie Winterton: I have been asked to reply.
There are 342 taxi and private hire vehicle (PHV) licensing authorities in England and Wales. Under the relevant legislation each authority is permitted to set its licence fees at such a level as to enable it to cover the costs of administering the licensing system. Fees therefore vary from area to area depending on the administrative costs incurred.
Information is not collected centrally on the fees charged by each authority. However, a small-scale sample survey of authorities we undertook in 2006 indicated an average fee of around £200 for a vehicle licence. Fees are also charged for the award of a PHV driver’s licence and an operator’s licence.
Valuation Office
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 14 May 2008, Official Report, columns 1628-9W, on the Valuation Office, on what date in each month between March 2003 and November 2005 the Council Tax Revaluation Programme Board (England) met. [218266]
Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst (Robert Neill) on 25 June 2008, Official Report, column 341W.
Valuation Office Agency Local Authority Liaison Group
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many times the Valuation Office Agency Local Authority Liaison Group has met since April 2006. [218418]
Jane Kennedy: The Local Authority Liaison Group has met five times since April 2006.
Valuation Office: Cole Layer Trumble
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 14 May 2008, Official Report, column 1629W, on Valuation Office: Cole Layer Trumble, if he will place in the Library copies of the OASIS training manual and supporting documentation held by the Valuation Office Agency. [218267]
Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 9 January 2006, to the hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman), Official Report, column 250W.
Valuation Office: ICT
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 14 May 2008, Official Report, column 1629W, on Valuation Office: ICT, how many localities there are in each billing authority area in London. [218270]
Jane Kennedy: The number of localities in each billing authority area in London at 2( )April 2008 was as follows:
| Billing authority | Count of localities( 1) |
| (1) As at 2 April 2008. | |
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what funding the Valuebill project has received from the Invest to Save budget. [218424]
Jane Kennedy: The Invest to Save budget has not provided funding for the Valuebill project.
Valuation Office: Standards
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which projects sponsored by the Valuation Office Agency have been subject to Gateway reviews since 1997. [218416]
Jane Kennedy: The postponed Council Tax Revaluation Programme.
Valuation Office: Travel
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a copy of the Valuation Office Agency's guidelines on travelling and subsistence contained in Section 7 of The Guide publication on the Agency's intranet. [218321]
Jane Kennedy: A copy of section 7 of the Valuation Office Agency's guide has been placed in the Library.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Agricultural Shows
Mr. Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which rural and agricultural shows Ministers from his Department (a) have attended in 2008 and (b) plan to attend before 31 September 2008. [215368]
Jonathan Shaw: The rural and agricultural shows that Ministers from my Department have (a) attended so far in 2008, and (b) plan to attend before 31 September 2008 are tabled as follows:
| Show | Date visited/planned | Minister attending |
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