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30 Oct 2008 : Column 1189W—continued
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/corporate tax/11-3-corporation-tax.pdf
National statistics depicting the total number of taxpayers by size of liability are also available for 1998-99 to 2005-06:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/corporate tax/table11-6.xls
This table is not available for companies paying the small companies rate only. Updates of both tables for liabilities due in the financial year 2006-07 will be published on 31 October 2008.
Corporation Tax receipts are forecast on an aggregate basis and published in the Budget and pre-Budget reports. It is not possible to provide a separate forecast for numbers and amounts at small companies rate.
Departmental Committees
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what external representatives sit on each of his Department's committees. [231754]
Angela Eagle: Membership of Treasury's Board and its committees is detailed in Treasury's Annual Report. The most recent annual report may be found at
Subsequent to the publication of the report, three new independent members have been appointed to the Treasury Board—Dame Deirdre Hutton CBE, Sir Callum McCarthy and Michael O'Higgins. Dame Deirdre, Sir Callum and Michael succeed Sir Peter Gershon CBE and Sir David Varney, who have stepped down after reaching the end of their terms, and Stella Manzie CBE, who is now Director General Finance and Corporate Services in the Scottish Executive. More information on the appointments may be found at http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/press_87_08.htm. The non-executive members of Treasury's Board do not represent other organisations. Further details about Treasury committees—including advisory groups and other bodies—may be found on its website
Gift Aid
Mr. Goodwill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what guidance HM Revenue and Customs have issued on the eligibility of small charities for gift aid. [231527]
Mr. Timms: HMRC has recently updated its customer guidance on gift aid, available via HMRC and DirectGov websites.
HMRC has also launched the gift aid toolkit, containing clear, basic guidance, templates, an interactive claim form and other materials to help charities get started with and use gift aid. The toolkit will be promoted by HMRC and statutory charity regulators ensuring that as many small charities as possible find out about the toolkit and can obtain a copy.
Halifax Bank of Scotland: Yorkshire
Mrs. Riordan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress his Department has made, together with Yorkshire Forward, in safeguarding HBOS jobs in Halifax. [231518]
Ian Pearson: Following a meeting with the Chancellor, Yorkshire Forward has convened a taskforce to begin work co-ordinating the region’s response to potential job losses in the financial services sector. This taskforce includes representatives from the region's financial services industry, local authority chief executives, the TUC and regional skills experts.
As this is a commercial decision for Lloyds TSB and HBOS, Yorkshire Forward can only await shareholder ratification. However, Yorkshire Forward is making Halifax’s, and the wider regional case, to both banks in meetings and has also produced a commercial case which demonstrates the critical mass the region has in terms of the financial services sector and how this would complement the new organisation’s commercial objectives, if shareholders were to ratify the merger. This will be presented to Sir Victor Blank, Chairman of Lloyds TSB, next week.
Insurance
Alistair Burt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his Department’s estimate is of the potential liability of the British insurance industry in the current financial situation. [228999]
Ian Pearson [holding answer 22 October 2008]: Many insurance policies, for example motor or annuity policies, do not have defined liabilities. As such, it is not possible to estimate the liabilities of the UK insurance industry.
Lehman Brothers
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what meetings his predecessor held with Lehman Brothers in (a) 2004, (b) 2005 , (c) 2006 and (d) 2007; what the purpose of each meeting was; and if he will place on his Department’s website the text of the speech made by his predecessor when he opened the Lehman Brothers headquarters at Canary Wharf in 2004. [225950]
Ian Pearson: The Chancellor of the Exchequer and other Treasury Ministers regularly meet with representatives of the banking industry and with other organisations in both public and private sectors. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government’s practice to provide such details.
Treasury Ministers’ speeches, including the speech to which the hon. Member refers are routinely placed on the Treasury’s website.
Motor Vehicles: Excise Duties
Justine Greening: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the effect on Exchequer receipts in each of the next 10 financial years of the entry into force of clause 138 of the Finance Bill, with reference to rebates to vehicle excise duty. [231774]
Angela Eagle: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 7 October 2008, Official Report, column 593W.
Public Expenditure: Scotland
Mr. Ingram: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what sums will be transferred to the Scottish Executive under the Barnett formula provisions for the promotion of the use of energy from renewable resources for the period 2008 to 2011. [230029]
Yvette Cooper [holding answer 28 October 2008]: The Barnett formula determines changes in the Departmental Expenditure Limit of the Scottish Executive. It is then for the Scottish Executive to decide how it allocates its block budget. The Departmental Expenditure Limits for the period 2008 to 2011 was set in the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review.
Public Finance
Laura Moffatt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with his international counterparts on turbulence in the global financial markets. [231535]
Ian Pearson: The Chancellor continues to have regular discussions with international and European colleagues on the appropriate international response to market turbulence. The UK is leading international efforts to stabilise the global financial system and reform it for the future. Most recently, the Chancellor attended the G7 Finance Ministers Meeting on 10 October and agreed G7 Action Plan, in which Ministers committed to take coordinated actions to stabilize financial markets and restore the flow of credit.
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the levels of Government (a) borrowing and (b) debt were in each of the last three months. [231641]
Yvette Cooper: The independent Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishes monthly public finances data. These updates can be found at
The ONS data are also published on the HM Treasury website at
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he made of the level of (a) public sector net debt and (b) the current deficit; what assessment his Department has undertaken of performance in other countries on these indicators for benchmarking purposes; and if he will make a statement. [231950]
Yvette Cooper: A full range of fiscal forecasts was last published in Budget 2008. The Chancellor of the Exchequer will provide an update on the Government’s fiscal position, including forecasts for the public finances, in the autumn Pre-Budget Report.
Both the IMF and OECD publish international comparisons of deficits and debt. For more information see:
Public Value Programme
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made on the Public Value Programme; and if he will make a statement. [231780]
Yvette Cooper: Budget 2008 announced that the Public Value Programme would look at all areas of major public spending to identify where there is scope to improve value for money. The Public Value Programme will inform the Government’s framework for value for money in the next CSR period which will be set out at Budget 2009. The Government will provide an update on the progress of the Public Value Programme in due course.
Revenue and Customs: North West
Mr. Pope: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many and what percentage of staff have left the employment of HM Revenue and Customs at each of its offices in the North West since April 2006. [222687]
Mr. Timms: HM Revenue and Customs does not hold leavers data by location for 2006-07. The table showing the requested information for 2007-08 is shown as follows.
| Town | Building | Number of staff who left | Percentage of all staff |
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