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3 Nov 2008 : Column 96W—continued
Figures for the total number of Bank of England counterfeits removed from circulation for the years 2003 to 2007 are shown in the following table.
| thousand | ||
| Numbers discovered excluding bulk seizures | Bulk seizures by the police | |
Bulk seizures are notes seized by the police before they enter circulation.
Scottish and Northern Ireland banknote issuers are responsible for collating statistical information on counterfeits of their own banknote issue. The Scottish banks publish their statistics on the Committee of Scottish Clearing banks website at:
The Northern Irish banknote issuers do not publish statistics on counterfeits of their banknote issue.
Departmental Buildings
Mr. Betts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 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. [221080]
Angela Eagle: The Treasury is committed to improving energy efficiency of the Department's estate and reducing emissions year on year. Measures taken over the last year that have led to improvements in energy efficiency include adjustment of lighting system controls, switching to daytime cleaning reducing need for lighting after hours, and adjusting the temperature which heating is turned on.
There are several different ways of attempting to measure energy efficiency, none of which will capture fully significant changes to both the activity of organisations and the estate over time.
The Government’s targets for energy efficiency are to increase energy efficiency per m(2) by 15 per cent. by 2010 and 30 per cent. by 2020 based on 1999-2000 levels.
The latest available data show that HM Treasury in 2007-08 achieved a 30 per cent. reduction in KWh per m(2) compared with 1999-2000, the level of the 2020 target.
Detailed information on the Treasury energy consumption by building can be found in HM Treasury annual report 2007-08.
Departmental Lost Property
Grant Shapps: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what (a) equipment and (b) data were lost by his Department in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement. [231429]
Angela Eagle: No equipment or data have been reported lost in HM Treasury in the last 12 months.
Equitable Life Assurance Society
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what recent steps the Government has taken to reach a conclusion for those affected by Equitable Life; [228593]
(2) what recent steps the Government has taken as a result of the Ombudsman's investigation into Equitable Life. [228594]
Ian Pearson: [holding answer 22 October 2008]: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 13 October 2008, Official Report, column 1000W.
Lisbon Treaty
Keith Vaz: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will place in the Library copies of information on each EU member state’s progress towards the economic benchmarks of the Lisbon agenda; [231725]
(2) what assessment he has made of the effect of the global financial turbulence on progress towards the economic benchmarks of the Lisbon agenda by 2010; and if he will make a statement; [231726]
(3) what recent progress has been made at the (a) national and (b) European level towards the goals of the Lisbon Agenda for 2010; what discussions on the Lisbon Agenda took place at the most recent European Council meeting; what plans the European Council has to discuss the Lisbon Agenda at its December meeting; and on what dates further meetings of the Council will take place. [231736]
Ian Pearson: Each year the European Commission publishes an Annual Progress Report on the Lisbon Strategy for Jobs and Growth, which normally contains an assessment of progress made under the Lisbon Strategy, both at national and Community level. This includes an assessment of member states’ National Reform Programmes, detailing, inter alia, their progress against the 14 short-listed structural indicators. This year’s report is expected in December. As with previous years, the Government will make copies of the report available to the House.
In September 2008 the UK published its National Reform Programme, setting out the UK’s progress on the Lisbon goals and the wider economic context. Copies have already been placed in the Library. It is also available from the HM Treasury website:
The spring 2008 European Council confirmed that the Integrated Guidelines remained valid and invited the Commission, the European Parliament and the Council to take forward work on the 10 objectives identified in the Community Lisbon Programme.
The October 2008 European Council discussed the wider economic context, and in particular the Council underlined that continued structural reform is more important than ever, to promote growth and employment in Europe. It invited the European Commission to make proposals on the necessary steps to support growth and employment, by the end of the year. It is expected that the December European Council on 11-12 December will discuss these proposals. The presidency will announce further meetings of the Council in the usual way.
Financial Services: Direct Selling
Rosie Cooper: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received from consumer organisations on the use by financial services companies of automated cold-calling telephony systems that give rise to silent calls; and if he will make a statement. [225979]
Ian Pearson: The Department has no record of receiving any representations from consumer organisations on the issue of financial services companies’ use of automated cold-calling telephony systems.
This is a matter for the independent regulator, the Office of Communications (Ofcom). Under sections 128-130 of the Communications Act 2003, Ofcom can take enforcement action when there are reasonable grounds for believing that a person (either an individual or a legal entity) has persistently misused an electronic communications network or service. A person misuses a
network or service if the effect, or likely effect, of their behaviour, is to cause unnecessary annoyance, inconvenience or anxiety to another person. Ofcom has taken action and fined companies over the past year who they found were in breach of these rules.
Icesave
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects depositors with Icesave to be able to withdraw their deposits. [226572]
Ian Pearson [holding answer 13 October 2008]: The UK Financial Authorities and the Financial Services Compensation Scheme are doing everything possible to ensure Icesave depositors receive the money to which they are entitled, quickly and straightforwardly.
Details can be found in the FSCS announcement at:
Inheritance Tax
Mike Penning: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what guidance is issued by his Department on the application of inheritance tax to individuals who were married outside the UK. [231856]
Mr. Timms: Draft guidance about the treatment of marriages for inheritance tax purposes was published for comment on the HM Revenue and Customs’ website on 20 June 2008 at
Landfill Tax
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the calculations underlying the tax neutrality of the proposed exemption from landfill tax for contaminated soils and extensions of the land remediation relief to derelict land. [231696]
Angela Eagle: The Exchequer impacts which set out the revenue neutrality of the exemption from landfill tax for contaminated soils and the extension of land remediation relief are published in Table A.1 of the 2008 Budget Report.
Members: Correspondence
Sir Michael Spicer: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire of 18 September 2008 on the economy (PO reference: 1/60847/2008). [232217]
Ian Pearson: I understand that the Financial Services Secretary (Lord Myners) has replied to the hon. Member's letter.
Oil: Prices
Mike Penning: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what forward projections he has made of the price of a barrel of oil in the next 12 months. [231894]
Mr. Timms: The most recent oil price assumption underlying the public finance projections is provided in Budget 2008. An updated projection will be provided in the forthcoming 2008 pre-Budget report.
Profits
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will consider the merits of requiring the repatriation of any profits transferred offshore by those British registered banks in receipt of support from the public purse. [226873]
Ian Pearson: As part of their investment, the Government have agreed a range of commitments with banks accessing the recapitalisation scheme announced on 8 October.
This package has been designed specifically so that it protects the interests of taxpayers.
Research and Development Tax Credit
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate his Department has made of the (a) number and (b) monetary value of research and development tax credits that were eligible to be claimed, but were not claimed (i) under the small and medium-sized enterprises research and development tax credits scheme, (ii) under the large companies research and development tax credits scheme and (iii) under the vaccine research relief scheme in each year since 2000. [231981]
Angela Eagle: The information requested is not available.
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate his Department has made of (a) the number of eligible research and development tax credits and (b) the monetary value of eligible research and development tax credits which will not have been claimed as a result of the time limit for making research and development claims being reduced from six to two years from 31 March 2006; and what estimate he has made of the number of companies adversely affected as a result. [231982]
Angela Eagle: The information requested is not available.
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations his Department has received on the operation of the research and development tax credits system; and if he will make a statement. [231983]
Angela Eagle: The Treasury receives a wide range of representations from various sources on the operation of the R&D tax credit schemes.
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of companies which have used Business Link's interactive tool to calculate whether they are eligible to claim research and development tax credits. [231984]
Angela Eagle: Since its launch in March 2006, Business Link's interactive tool has been used in around 8,300 instances to provide an indication of a company's eligibility to claim research and development tax credits.
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what estimate has been made of the annual cost of raising the rate of enhanced deduction from the tax bills of large companies under the research and development tax credits system from 125 per cent. to 130 per cent.; and if he will make a statement; [231985]
(2) what estimate has been made of the annual cost of raising the rate of enhanced deduction from the tax bills of small and medium sized enterprises from 150 per cent. to 175 per cent. under the research and development tax credits system; and if he will make a statement. [231996]
Angela Eagle: Estimates of the annual cost of raising the rate of enhanced deductions provided by R and D tax credits are published in table A.11 in the 2008 Budget report, on the HM Treasury website:
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what his estimate is of the value of research and development tax credits that were (a) expected to be claimed and (b) claimed in each year since 2000; [231986]
(2) how many companies claimed tax credits under the (a) small and medium-sized research and development tax credits scheme, (b) large companies research and development tax credits scheme and (c) vaccine research relief scheme in each year since 2000; [231997]
(3) how many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) received cash payments from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) under the research and development tax credits scheme in return for losses incurred through research and development in each year since 2000; what the monetary value of cash payments made to SMEs by HMRC under the research and development tax credits scheme in return for losses incurred through research and development was in each year; and if he will make a statement; [231998]
(4) how many research and development tax credits were claimed in each year since 2000; what the monetary value was of expenditure against which research and development tax credits were claimed in each year since 2000; and what the monetary value was of research and development tax credits claimed in each year; [231999]
(5) how many research and development tax credits were claimed under the small and medium-sized enterprise (SMEs) scheme in each year since 2000; what the monetary value of expenditure against which research and development tax credits were claimed was under the SME scheme in each year since 2000 was; and what the monetary value of research and development tax credits which were claimed under the SME scheme was in each such year; [232000]
(6) how many research and development tax credits were claimed under the large company scheme in each year since 2002; what the monetary value was of expenditure against which research and development tax credits were claimed under the large company scheme in each such year; and what the value of research and development tax credits which were claimed under the large company scheme was in each such year; [232001]
(7) how many research and development tax credits were claimed under the Vaccine Research Relief scheme in each year since 2003; what the monetary value of expenditure against which research and development tax credits were claimed under the Vaccine Research Relief scheme was in each such year; and what the monetary value of research and development tax credits which were claimed under the Vaccine Research Relief scheme was in each year since 2003. [232002]
Angela Eagle: The expected costs of the research and development tax credit schemes were estimated in the regulatory impact assessments published in March 2000 and April 2002 when the schemes were introduced and are available on the research and development tax credits page of the HM Revenue and Customs website.
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