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3 Nov 2008 : Column 106W—continued
| (C) 31 March 2004 | |
| Grade | Headcount |
(A) 31 March 2000—not available
(B) 31 March 2002—one female, one male
(C) 31 March 2004—two female, three male
(A) 31 March 2000—not available
| (B) 31 March 2002 | |
| Grade | Headcount |
| 31 March 2004 | |
| Grade | Headcount |
(A) 31 March 2001—30 female, five male
(B) 31 March 2002—27 female, four male
(C) 31 March 2004—30 female, four male
(A) 31 March 2000—not available
| (B) 31 March 2002 | |
| Grade | Headcount |
| (C) 31 March 2004 | |
| Grade | Headcount |
(A) 31 March 2000—not available
(B) 31 March 2002—16 female, 15 male
(C) 31 March 2004—10 female, 12 male
(A) 31 March 2000—not available
| (B) 31 March 2002 | |
| Grade | Headcount |
| (C) 31 March 2004 | |
| Grade | Headcount |
Stamp Duty Land Tax
Sarah Teather: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many of those purchasing a residential property since the zero-rate of stamp duty land tax for zero-carbon homes came into effect have been liable for stamp duty land tax; [231786]
(2) how many new homes have qualified for zero-rate stamp duty for zero-carbon homes since the zero-rate was introduced. [231788]
Ian Pearson: Between October 2007, when the SDLT relief for zero-carbon homes was introduced, and September 2008 15 homes have qualified for the relief.
The purpose of the tax relief is to provide more new energy efficient technologies in homes. The Government expect the numbers of qualifying homes to be low in the first few years, but to rise as more properties eligible to claim the relief are developed. Information on property transactions and SDLT receipts can be found at:
Taxation: Self-Assessment
Mr. Gauke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many HM Revenue and Customs offices there are which (a) accept completed tax returns delivered in person and (b) are able to provide a stamped receipt to persons filing such tax returns. [232747]
Mr. Timms: HMRC have a network of 279 Inquiry Centres. Customers can hand returns in to all of them.
Since 2005 HMRC has adopted a consistent national approach of not issuing receipts for returns handed in to Inquiry Centres. Checking and issuing receipts for returns diverted staff from serving those that need advice and help to complete their forms. This has a particular impact around the SA filing deadline when many hundreds of thousands of tax returns are handed in.
International Development
Afghanistan: Humanitarian Aid
Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans he has to address the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, with particular reference to the drought; and if he will make a statement. [231462]
Mr. Douglas Alexander: The Department for International Development (DFID) has been swift in responding to the worsening humanitarian situation, providing £8 million to the World Food Programme’s (WFP) 2008-09 humanitarian appeals. Our support will help the WFP provide food assistance to an average of 1.8 million drought-afflicted people each month until the 2009 harvest. This is in addition to £5.5 million for an agricultural recovery programme providing seeds and fertiliser for the most vulnerable farmers in drought-afflicted regions up to September 2009.
Burma: International Assistance
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 20 October 2008, Official Report, column 2W, on Burma: international assistance, what progress has been made since his letter of 9th July to like-minded development Ministers on support to the UN appeal for Burma. [230636]
Mr. Michael Foster: The United Nations (UN) appeal for Burma on the 10 July was set at US $464 million. As of 27 October, donors had committed US $257.6 million. It is therefore now 55 per cent. funded.
Departmental Older Workers
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many people aged over (a) 55 and (b) 60 years were recruited by his Department in 2007-08; and what percentage in each case this was of the number of new recruits. [228751]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: During the financial year 2007-08, a total of 213 new recruits joined the Department for International Development (DFID). Of these, 116 were Home Civil Servants (HCS), and 97 were Staff Appointed in Country (SAIC) recruited locally to work in our network of offices overseas on local terms and conditions of service.
Details of the number of staff aged over (a) 55 and (b) 60 who joined DFID in the 2007 to 2008 financial year, and their equivalent percentage in each case, of all recruits, are shown in the following table.
| New starts to DFID in 2007-08 | |||||||
| Age 55 or below | Age over 55 | Age over 60 | |||||
| Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage | Total | |
Departmental Training
David T.C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department spent on external training courses for departmental staff in (a) 2005, (b) 2006, (c) 2007 and (d) 2008; and which external organisations were paid by his Department to provide such courses in each year. [230509]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: It is not possible, without incurring disproportionate costs, to provide the amount spent by the Department for International Development (DFID) on external training courses for departmental staff in (a) 2005, (b) 2006, (c) 2007 and (d) 2008; and which external organisations were paid by the Department to provide such courses in each year.
Sub-departments and overseas offices within DFID are responsible for arranging and financing staff training. Information on the amount spent on training courses is not held centrally.
Developing Countries: Education
Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he plans to take to prioritise funding for education in conflict-affected fragile states; and if he will make a statement. [231885]
Mr. Douglas Alexander: The UK Government's Education Beyond Borders initiative, announced on 5 April 2007, set out the Department for International Development's (DFID) plans for delivering education to children affected by conflict or living in fragile states. It includes a £20 million grant to UNICEF to deliver education in emergency, conflict and post-crisis countries; financial support to education in conflict and post-conflict states including Nepal (£60 million to 2015), Burundi (£6 million over three years), Sierra Leone (£9 million over four years) and Somalia (£9 million over three years); support for the education recovery programme in Liberia, via the multi-donor Fast Track Catalytic Fund; if conditions permit, £50 million for education in the Democratic Republic of Congo, further support to education in Afghanistan via the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund; and support to the Education for All Fast Track Initiative to ensure that support is delivered effectively and flexibly to fragile, conflict and post-conflict states.
DFID Country Offices have been working to scale up our education support in partner countries, including those in countries under the Education Beyond Borders initiative, DFID support will help poor countries with significant numbers of out of school primary aged children and seek to help hard to reach children receive a basic education.
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