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1 Sep 2008 : Column 1429W—continued
Valuation Office: Databases
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield of 7 July 2008, Official Report, column 1365W, on Valuation Office: databases, whether the property information being scanned in includes (a) the plot size of a property, (b) dimensions of gardens and (c) internal layouts of domestic dwellings. [221152]
John Healey: Such information is included in the scanning only to the extent that it appears on the hard-copy record being scanned. This may include details about the internal layout of dwellings but it is rare for information about plot size and/or the dimensions of gardens to feature in individual records.
Duchy of Lancaster
Business: Expenditure
Mrs. May: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much the Office of National Statistics' survey into business spending cost; what the cost per question was; how many responses have been received; and what action is being (a) taken and (b) planned as a result of the survey. [218590]
Mr. Watson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell , dated 1 September 2008:
As national statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent parliamentary question concerning how much the ONS Business Spending on Capital Items Survey (BSCIS) cost; what the cost per question was; how many responses have been received; and what action is being (a) taken and (b) planned as a result of the survey.
(218590)
The BSCIS is one of the measures introduced by ONS to improve the quality of official statistics as part of the departmental spending review (DSR) package of surveys agreed in 1998-99. The survey was set up to monitor spending on capital expenditure in more detail. It is a small annual survey consisting of a sample of 2,500 businesses covering most sectors of the economy. Questionnaires are not sent to businesses with fewer than 100 employees.
| Table of survey information: | |
| Number | |
|
Questionnaires received per year (Approx 80 per cent. response) | |
| Table of survey costs | |||
| Total | To business | To ONS | |
| (1) Business cost as published for 2006-07 | |||
The information collected from the BSCIS is used to improve the estimate of gross domestic product (GDP). The information is used to break down capital expenditure estimates to a product level to allow more accurate deflation, seasonal adjustment and supply-use balancing of the national accounts. There is no alternative data source that can be used to produce the consistent and coherent detail required.
The results from the survey are published in January of each year on the ONS website at:
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=8167&;Pos=l&CoIRank=l&Rank=272
Cancer: Buckinghamshire
Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many people were diagnosed with cancer in (a) Milton Keynes and (b) Buckinghamshire in each of the last five years. [214948]
Mr. Watson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated June 2008:
As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many people were diagnosed with cancer in (a) Milton Keynes and (b) Buckinghamshire in each of the last five years. [214948]
The latest available figures for newly diagnosed cases (incidence) of cancer are for the year 2005. Figures requested are given in the table below.
| Numbers of newly diagnosed cases of cancer( 1) registered in Milton Keynes unitary authority and Buckinghamshire county, 2001 to 2005 | ||
| Persons | ||
| Milton Keynes | Buckinghamshire | |
| (1) All cancers, excluding non-melanoma skin cancer, are classified according to the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10): C00-C97 excluding C44 Source: Office for National Statistics | ||
Civil Service: Pensions
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he will publish the 2007-08 resource accounts for the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme. [221172]
Mr. Watson: The 2007-08 Resource Accounts for the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme will be laid after the House returns in the autumn.
Cost of Living
Sarah Teather: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what estimate he has made of the average increase in (a) fuel prices, (b) food prices, (c) house prices and (d) salary in each English region in each of the last five years. [219579]
Mr. Watson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated July 2008:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what estimate has been made of the average increase in (a) fuel prices, (b) food prices, (c) house prices and (d) salary in each English region in each of the last five years. (219579)
Fuel and food prices for items included in the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) are collected each month by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Estimates are not produced at a regional level. Average increases at a national level for the last five years can be found at the following link:
Average increases in house prices are recorded and published by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG). This information can be found via Live Table 593 at the following link:
Average levels of earnings are estimated from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), and are provided for all employees on adult rates of pay whose pay for the survey period was not affected by absence. The ASHE, carried out in April each year, is the most comprehensive source of earnings information in the United Kingdom. It is a sample of all employees who are members of pay-as-you-earn (PAYE) schemes.
A table showing the percentage increase in median gross weekly earnings for full-time employees in each English region for the years 2003-2007 is attached. A table giving mixed-adjusted house price inflation is available from the House of Commons Library.
| Percentage increase in median gross weekly earnings for full-time employees in each Engl ish region for the years 2003- 07 | |||||||||
| North East | North West | Yorkshire and The Humber | East Midlands | West Midlands | East | London | South East | South West | |
| Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Office for National Statistics | |||||||||
Council Tax
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Blaby of 8 July 2008, Official Report, column 1569-70W, on cost of living, what assessment the UK Statistics Authority has made of the effect of higher council tax on the cost of living since 1997. [221284]
Mr. Watson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 1 September 2008:
As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent parliamentary question asking what assessment has been made of the effects of council tax on the cost of living since 1997. (221284)
Retail Prices Index (RPI) and the Consumer Prices Index (CPI), both measure the change in the prices of goods and services bought for the purpose of consumption by the vast majority of households in the UK. Of these the RPI is the only measure which includes council tax and rates.
For the period between June 1997 and June 2008 the council tax and rates increased by 95.9 per cent. Over the same period the RPI increased by 37.7 per cent.
Departmental Alcoholic Drinks
David Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) what measures are in place in the Cabinet Office to monitor expenditure on alcohol for hospitality purposes; [219606]
(2) what purchasing process is used by his Department for the procurement of alcohol for hospitality purposes. [219947]
Phil Hope: All proposals to purchase alcohol for hospitality purposes need the prior approval pf the Cabinet Office Finance Director. The purchase of alcohol, which may be via the Government Procurement Card, by invoice or by a staff claim is monitored by the Cabinet Office Financial Management Team.
Departmental Energy Efficiency
Mr. Betts: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what his Department’s policy is on improving the energy efficiency of the buildings which it (a) rents and (b) owns; what changes there have been in the energy efficiency of such buildings in the last (i) five and (ii) 10 years; and whether his Department has adopted targets on energy efficiency improvements in the buildings it occupies over the next (A) five and (B) 10 years. [221081]
Mr. Watson: The Department’s energy policy is to meet the sustainable operations in government SOGE targets and ensure value for money.
The Cabinet Office has participated in the Carbon Trust Carbon Management programme for all buildings that it has influence or control over. It has developed an ongoing action plan which includes projects such as installing lighting controls and improving insulation.
Any major refurbishment or new build the Cabinet Office undertakes will endeavour to meet BREEAM excellent standard wherever this is possible in the context of the historic listed nature of much of the Department’s estate.
It currently purchases either green or CHP energy for all its buildings.
Mr. Betts: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what account his Department takes of the level of energy efficiency of buildings before entering into agreements to (a) rent and (b) purchase those buildings. [221097]
Mr. Watson: The Cabinet Office has no plans to acquire any new freehold or leased property. In the event that this was to be considered energy efficiency would be an important factor in the decision-making process.
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