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22 July 2008 : Column 1390W—continued
Council Tax: Valuation
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 14 May 2008, Official Report, column 1622W, on council tax: valuation, if he will place in the Library a copy of the business case prepared for the council tax banding support tool. [218315]
Jane Kennedy: A copy of the business case cannot be placed in the Library as it contains commercially confidential information in connection with third party contractors and is subject to the development of ongoing operational policy.
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 7 July 2008, Official Report, column 1349W, on Council Tax: Valuation, whether the automated valuation model is used by the Valuation Office Agency in England to value properties, in addition to the council tax banding support tool. [221282]
Jane Kennedy: In addition to the use of the banding support tool to support current council tax list maintenance, the Valuation Office Agency is using automated valuation technology to provide value estimates to assist with other valuation activities.
Departmental Accountancy
Mr. Letwin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department’s Combined Online Information System standard chart of accounts. [210999]
Yvette Cooper: A copy of the Combined Online Information System (COINS) Standard Chart of Account, showing each current code and associated description, has been placed in the Library.
Mr. Letwin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department’s Combined Online Information System programme objectives and descriptions. [211000]
Yvette Cooper: A copy of the Department’s Combined Online Information System (COINS) programme objects, including descriptions, has been placed in the Library.
Departmental Appeals
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on how many occasions his Department has instructed the Treasury Solicitor to seek leave to appeal to the House of Lords from (a) the Court of Appeal and (b) the House of Lords itself in each of the last 10 years; and on how many occasions the application was rejected. [220827]
Angela Eagle: This information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, the Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury have not been listed as the appellant in any House of Lords case over the last 10 years.
Departmental Buildings
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which organisations have received (a) free and (b) discounted room hire from (i) his Department and (ii) its agencies in each of the last five years; and what the commercial value of the discount was in each case. [221580]
Angela Eagle: It is not the Department’s policy to provide free or discounted room hire for events held in its buildings that are not related to its business.
Departmental Conferences
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the (a) scheduled date and (b) title was of each conference proposed to be hosted by his Department and its agencies that was cancelled before taking place in each of the last 10 years; and what costs were incurred in respect of each. [215172]
Angela Eagle: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Information Officers
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average cost to his Department was of employing a press and media officer in 2007-08. [215200]
Angela Eagle: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Marketing
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department and its agencies spent on branding and marketing activity in 2007-08. [212047]
Angela Eagle: The information requested is not readily available and could be supplied only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Postal Services
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department has taken to monitor the cost of its mail services in the last 12 months. [221490]
Angela Eagle: The cost of mail services is monitored on a regular basis in the same way as other departmental expenditure.
Departmental Public Participation
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what (a) listening exercises and (b) public forums his Department has held in each of the last two years; what the (i) purpose and (ii) cost was in each case; and who the private contractor was and how much it was paid in each case. [221356]
Angela Eagle: Information on the independent reviews commissioned by the Treasury is published on the Treasury's website at
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what (a) reviews and (b) public consultations have been initiated by his Department since 27 June 2007. [221360]
Angela Eagle: I refer the hon. Member to the following HM Treasury website address, which directs the user to a list of all reviews and publications. This site further provides links to other consultations:
Food
Mr. Paice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how much was spent by his Department on (a) food and (b) food of British origin in each of the last five years; [214897]
(2) from which five countries of origin the greatest amount of food was procured by his Department in the last year for which figures are available; and what the (a) cost and (b) quantity procured was in each case. [214898]
Angela Eagle: Catering facilities in 1 Horse Guards road are contracted out to a caterer who is not prepared to release detailed spending information as it is considered commercially sensitive. Information on the origin of food procured for use in the Department could not be provided within the disproportionate costs threshold. However, data on the proportion of domestically produced food for the period 1 July 2006 to 30 June 2007 were provided to Parliament and are available from
Housing: Valuation
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the automated valuation model is used for inheritance tax valuations of domestic dwellings by the Valuation Office Agency. [221248]
Jane Kennedy: Automated valuation models are not being used by the Valuation Office Agency in connection with inheritance tax valuations.
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 7 July 2008, Official Report, column 1258W, on housing: valuation, if he will place in the Library a copy of the mapping information used by the Valuation Office Agency to distinguish the boundaries of each live locality within each billing authority area. [221276]
Jane Kennedy: The Valuation Office Agency does not use mapping information to distinguish the boundaries of each live locality within each billing authority area. It uses the expertise of its chartered surveyors and other local staff.
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 7 July 2008, Official Report, column 1258W, on housing: valuation, if he will place in the Library a copy of the data export of the most recent numerical co-efficient value assigned to each of the live localities to reflect their value significance in the automated valuation model. [221277]
Jane Kennedy: The information concerned is commercially confidential.
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to page 18 and page 35 of the Valuation Office Agency annual report and accounts 2007-08, HC 583, how many domestic dwellings received a visit from a Valuation Office Agency representative to check information in 2007-08. [221280]
Jane Kennedy: In 2007-08 approximately 135,000 domestic dwellings (out of 23 million) were visited to check information. The majority of these visits will have been undertaken without the need to go inside a person's home.
Import Duties: Occupied Territories
Tom Levitt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much in duties has been collected from companies importing produce into the UK from Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory in the latest period for which figures are available. [220839]
Jane Kennedy: Between 1 February 2005 and 31 January 2008, HM Revenue and Customs have issued demands for approximately £338,000 customs duty on products imported into the UK from Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory under the provisions of the EC-Israel Association agreement.
Inflation
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans the Government have to reduce the effects of rising inflation on low income families. [221329]
Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to his question on 14 July 2008 by the Exchequer Secretary, Official Report, column 140W, and to the answer my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer gave to the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, South and East Cleveland (Dr. Kumar) on 17 July 2008, Official Report, column 631W.
Minimum Wage
Jenny Willott: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many employers have been found to have accrued minimum wage arrears on (a) one, (b) two, (c) three, (d) four and (e) five or more separate occasions; and if he will make a statement. [221213]
Jane Kennedy: The information is not available.
Minimum Wage: Prosecutions
Jenny Willott: 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 appealed against a minimum wage arrears enforcement notice in each year since the minimum wage was introduced; and if he will make a statement. [221211]
Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Lady to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey (Danny Alexander) on 8 May 2008, Official Report, column 1126W.
Jenny Willott: 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 accrued minimum wage arrears of (a) under £5,000, (b) £5,000 to £25,000, ( c) £25,000 to £50,000, (d) £50,000 to £75,000, (e) £75,000 to £100,000 and (f) over £100,000 in each year since the minimum wage was introduced; and if he will make a statement. [221212]
Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Lady to the answer I gave on 9 May 2008, Official Report, column 1279W, to the hon. Member for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey (Danny Alexander).
Office of National Statistics: Telephone Services
Mr. Prisk: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what income his Department received from the Office for National Statistics 0845 number in (a) 2007-08, (b) 2006-07 and (c) 2005-06. [217545]
Angela Eagle: The Treasury Department has not received any income from the ONS between 1 April 2005 and 31 March 2008 in respect of 0845 numbers.
Oil: Prices
Mrs. Riordan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with his international counterparts on global oil prices. [219983]
Angela Eagle: The Chancellor of the Exchequer has had various discussions with international counterparts in recent months regarding the economic effects of oil prices, including at G8 Finance Ministers Meeting in June 2008 and the July 2008 meeting of the European Economic and Financial Affairs Council.
Public Sector: Construction
Harry Cohen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effects of the performance of the economy in the last six months on public sector construction projects, with particular reference to the Building Schools for the Future programme. [220880]
Yvette Cooper: The Building Schools for the Future Programme (BSF) has a strong pipeline, with local authority plans showing that 35 more new or refurbished schools will open during 2008-09, 115 more in 2009-10 and 165 more in 2010-11. BSF projects are continuing and there continues to be a strong interest in bidding for BSF work within the construction industry.
Revenue and Customs: Closures
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the closure of the HM Revenue and Customs office in York. [220882]
Jane Kennedy: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) published proposals on 11 June 2008 for the cluster of offices which includes Hilary house and Swinson house in York. These proposals envisage withdrawing from Swinson house and retaining Hilary house but no decisions have been taken. As with all HMRC’s proposals, these will be subject to consultation with internal and external stakeholders, including MPs with a constituency interest, and detailed feasibility work will also be undertaken before final decisions are made. It is hoped to announce decisions on the future of all HMRC's offices by the end of the year.
Anne Main: 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 St. Albans. [221407]
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 which envisage withdrawal from the HMRC office at Beauver House, St. Albans. These proposals are under consultation and no final decision has been made. An overview impact assessment for the cluster of offices which includes St. Albans 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 St. Albans, an impact assessment will be published at that point, with an equality impact assessment as an appendix to that document.
The impact of closure on HMRC's customers will be minimal as enquiry centre services will remain in the current location or nearby.
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