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10 Sep 2008 : Column 1947W—continued
Housing Benefit: Arrears
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many applications for 52 week backdating of housing benefit have been received in each of the last five years; and how many and what percentage of those applications were successful. [223367]
Mr. Timms: I refer my hon. Friend to the written answer the Parliamentary Under-Secretary gave the hon. Member for Cardiff, Central, (Jenny Willott), on 22 July 2008, Official Report, column 1173W.
Jobcentres: Location
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his Department's estimate is of the proportion of benefits claimants who live (a) within 10 miles, (b) within 20 miles, (c) within 30 miles and (d) further than 30 miles from a Job Centre Plus office; and if he will make a statement. [223431]
Mrs. McGuire: The information is not available.
Self-Employed: Parents
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many self-employed parents had children aged 15 years or under at the latest date for which figures are available. [223343]
Phil Hope: I have been asked to reply.
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 10 September 2008:
As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question on how many self-employed parents had children aged 15 years or under at the latest date for which figures are available. (223343)
Estimates from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) household datasets for the period April to June 2008 show there were 1.26 million self-employed parents who had dependent children aged 15 years or under.
The LFS is a sample survey covering over 52,000 households in the United Kingdom in each three month period. As with any sample survey, estimates from the Labour Force Survey are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
Treasury
Animal Products: Imports
Mr. Paice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what resources HM Revenue and Customs and its predecessors deployed to control imports of products of animal origin in each of the last five years; [223337]
(2) how many checks designed to detect products of animal origin were conducted by HM Revenue and Customs at UK ports of entry in each of the last five years. [223338]
Jane Kennedy: All front-line customs detection staff are employed to tackle a range of risks at the border and most work on a multi functional basis. These working arrangements continue to operate following the transfer of these staff to the interim UK Border Agency’s management structure with effect from 1 April 2008.
HM Revenue and Customs and before that, HM Customs and Excise deployed front-line enforcement staff to detect illegal products of animal origin (POAO) imports at points of entry into Great Britain as follows:
| POAO resources | ||
| Financial year | Detection FTE staff years used | Number of detector dogs |
Front-line staff are supported by POAO detector dogs. The detector dog programme has expanded from two in April 2003 to 11 in 2007-08. The actual number available for deployment can differ according to the need to train new dogs and handlers and to replace dogs through retirements and ill health.
Resources were also deployed in each of the last five financial years to deal with storage and destruction of seized meat and other POAO, publicising the regulations to the travelling public, investigation and prosecution work supported by policy activities.
The information sought on detection checks is not available as HMRC central records do not include any statistics on the number of checks carried out by detection staff.
Child Care Vouchers
Mr. Stephen O'Brien:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 2 July 2008 on
child care vouchers, if he will publish his Department’s analysis of the care vouchers scheme for carers sponsored by Accor Services UK, Busy Bees Ltd, Grassroots Group and Sodexho Pass. [221564]
Angela Eagle: HM Treasury have a contract with Accor Services UK for the provision of child care vouchers.
HM Treasury do not undertake a formal analysis of the child care scheme but do review take-up, budget and expenditure on a frequent basis.
Council Tax: Valuation
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 6 May 2008, Official Report, column 818W, on council tax: valuation, what the cost of licensing the TENET mapping software is to the Valuation Office Agency each year. [218312]
Jane Kennedy: The information concerned is commercially sensitive
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the Valuation Office Agency Annual Report and Accounts 2007-08, HC 583, what assessment the Valuation Office Agency has made of the reasons for its failure to meet its target for providing a considered decision on council tax enquiries and proposals within two months of receipt in 98 per cent. of cases. [221281]
Jane Kennedy: The reasons are set out in the report and accounts at page 20.
Departmental Alcoholic Drinks
David Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what purchasing process is used by his Department for the procurement of alcohol for hospitality purposes. [219937]
Angela Eagle: I refer to the answer given to the hon. member for Upper Bann (David Simpson) on 21 July 2008, Official Report, column 716W.
Departmental Cleaning Services
John McDonnell:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what contractors his Department uses to undertake cleaning duties; and what the hourly rates of
pay are for cleaners working in the Department. [223282]
Jane Kennedy: Services such as cleaning are provided in 1 Horse Guards Road as part of a PFI contract with Exchequer Partnership (EP). One Complete Solution (OCS) deliver the cleaning element of those services.
These services are currently being market tested by EP and it would be inappropriate to disclose details of pay rates at this time.
Departmental Disciplinary Proceedings
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff in his Department and its agencies have been (a) dismissed and (b) disciplined for their conduct in the last two years. [217405]
Angela Eagle: Responses for HM Treasury, OGC, OGCbuyingsolutions and Debt Management Office are as follows.
| Department | Number of staff disciplined in last two years | Number of staff dismissed in the last two years |
Departmental ICT
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information technology projects initiated by his Department have been cancelled prior to completion in the last five years; and what the cost of each such project was to the public purse. [221748]
Angela Eagle: No IT projects have been cancelled prior to completion in the last five years.
Departmental Manpower
Chris Huhne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) UK citizens born in the UK, (b) UK citizens born abroad and (c) foreign nationals were employed as staff by his Department and its agencies in each of the last five years. [206547]
Angela Eagle: The information requested is as follows:
| Number of staff employed each year | |||||
| 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | |
For HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) the information is as follows:
| HMRC | 2007 | 2008 |
HMRC was created in April 2005. Data are not available for the three years prior to 2007. HMRC does not ask staff whether they were born in the UK.
Information for the Debt Management Office, the Valuation Office Agency, the Office of Government Commerce, OGCbuyingsolutions and the Government Actuary's Department is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Pay
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was claimed in reimbursable expenses by press officers in his Department and its agencies in each of the last three financial years. [221167]
Angela Eagle: Total of reimbursable expenses claimed by press officers in the last three financial years by HMT and its agencies, OGC, DMO, OGCB is as follows.
| Reimbursable expenses claimed (£) | |
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