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5 Nov 2008 : Column 540W—continued
Banks: Land
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it a condition of British banks being in receipt of financial support from public funds that they permit the release of land being landbanked for early use for housebuilding. [227921]
Ian Pearson: As part of its investment, the Government have agreed a range of commitments with banks accessing the recapitalisation scheme. The conditions attached to the Government’s recapitalisation scheme were set out in detail in the Chancellor’s statements of 8 and 13 October.
Departmental ICT
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what IT projects his Department and its agencies have been undertaking have been subject to Gateway review in the last 12 months; and what the outcome of each gateway review was. [229179]
Angela Eagle: The following IT projects, owned by HMT and its agencies, have been subject to Gateway reviews:
| Department | Start Date | Name |
|
Consultancy Services Framework. Now known as External Resources Framework | ||
An Office of Government Commerce Gatewayâ"¢ Review is conducted on a confidential basis for the SRO (Senior Responsible Owner) and ownership of the report including its associated outcome rests with the SRO. This approach promotes an open and honest exchange between the programme/project and review teams delivering maximum added value. The OGC receives copies of review reports in order to identify and disseminate generic lessons learned.
Departmental Recruitment
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many civil servants in his Department were recruited through the fast stream; and what the average salary of those officials is. [229140]
Angela Eagle: Over the past 12 months, the Department has recruited a total of 19 civil servants through the fast stream. Information on the average salary is not available and would be provided only at disproportionate costs.
Economic Situation: International Co-operation
Ann Winterton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he intends that the proposed international conference to reshape the financial world order will have on its agenda changes to the mark to market rules. [228634]
Ian Pearson: The President of the United States has invited the leaders of the Group of 20 countries to a summit on 15 November to discuss financial markets and the global economy. Further details on the agenda for the conference can be found in a statement by the White House Press Secretary on 22 October.
Financial Services: Trade Competitiveness
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps the Government is taking to maintain London’s international competitiveness in financial services. [232704]
Ian Pearson: The Government continue to work to maintain and strengthen London’s position as a world-leading financial centre, by working closely with industry leaders in various fora to examine the medium to longer-term global challenges to and opportunities for the UK’s financial and professional services sector.
Fuels: Prices
Mark Williams: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is planning to take to alleviate the effects of increased costs of fuel on local authority budgets. [221915]
Angela Eagle: It was in response to sharp rises in world oil prices that the Chancellor decided to postpone the increase in fuel duty that was expected to take place on 1 October.
Housing: Valuation
Robert Neill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Beckenham of 9 October 2008, Official Report, column 800W, on housing valuation, if he will place in the Library a copy of the multiple regression formula. [232860]
Mr. Timms: Multiple regression is a technique rather than a formula. There is no single multiple regression formula.
National Debt
Mr. Hands: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what objectives have been set by his Department for the Commissioners for the Reduction of the National Debt. [231805]
Ian Pearson: The statutory functions of the Commissioners for the Reduction of the National Debt (CRND) have been carried out within the United Kingdom Debt Management Office since July 2002. The CRND's main responsibility is the investment and management of Government funds. The Commissioners' powers and functions are laid down in the various parliamentary Acts relating to each individual fund and/or the publication of accounts.
In relation to the exercise of its fund management role, the Debt Management Office/CRND has a published an objective
“to develop and deliver its fund management responsibilities and in particular, to provide a cost-effective service for stakeholders”.
Nationalisation
Paul Farrelly: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Justice on the status as public authorities for the purposes of the Human Rights Act 1998 of companies in temporary public ownership; and if he will make a statement. [229338]
Ian Pearson [holding answer 23 October 2008]: Treasury Ministers have discussions with their ministerial colleagues and a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such discussions.
Non-domestic Rates: Ports
Robert Neill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 7 October 2008, Official Report, column 594W, on non-domestic rates: ports, whether (a) primary and (b) secondary legislation is required to reverse the backdating of business rates on ports and shipping companies. [231872]
John Healey: I have been asked to reply.
In relation to the businesses within ports, backdated liability has arisen because of the operation of regulation 14 of the Non-Domestic Rating (Alteration of Lists and Appeals) (England) Regulations 2005 (SI 2005/659).
This power does not give the valuation officer discretion over the effective date or the Secretary of State the power to intervene in individual cases and without an amendment to primary legislation, we are unable to amend regulation 14 in such a way that would enable the valuation officer to change the rating list entries.
Robert Neill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 7 October 2008, Official Report, column 594W, on non-domestic rates: ports, if he will make it his policy to reverse the backdating of taxation on ports and shipping companies. [231873]
John Healey: I have been asked to reply.
We do not believe it would be in the interests of fair competition or in line with the wider principles of taxation for business rates liabilities in ports to be waived. We are urgently exploring policy options for mitigating the financial impact on businesses facing immediate payment of such significant backdated liabilities.
Off Shore Banks
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his Department's obligations are in respect of guarantees to depositors in off shore banks in (a) UK dependent territories, (b) UK overseas territories and (c) Crown dependencies; and if he will make a statement. [232204]
Ian Pearson [holding answer 3 November 2008]: The Treasury has no obligations in respect of deposits with banks in UK dependent territories, UK overseas territories or the Crown dependencies.
The Financial Services Compensation Scheme does not cover deposits with banks in UK dependent territories, UK overseas territories or the Crown dependencies. Deposits in these jurisdictions would be covered by any locally operated schemes.
Personal Savings: Protection
Mr. Blunt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Government plan to guarantee the investments of individual savers in Icelandic banks if they are held in the subsidiary accounts of British banks based in (a) Guernsey and (b) the Isle of Man; and if he will make a statement. [228040]
Ian Pearson [holding answer 20 October 2008]: Arrangements for depositors in banks in the Isle of Man and Guernsey are a matter for the Governments of the Isle of Man and Guernsey. Deposits with Kaupthing, Singer and Friedlander, Isle of Man, will be subject to the Isle of Man Deposit Compensation Scheme.
Remittances
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the Government’s estimate is of personal remittances to and from the UK in each of the last 10 years. [232168]
Kevin Brennan: 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 November 2008:
As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your question asking what is the Government’s estimate of personal remittances to and from the United Kingdom in each of the last ten years. (232168)
ONS does not publish separate estimates for flows of personal remittances. Estimates of personal remittance flows to and from the United Kingdom are included in the UK Balance of Payments “Pink Book”, table 5.1, within the published series for other receipts of and payments by households and non-profit institutions serving households (NPISH).
There are components produced at a lower level than these published data, which broadly represent cross-border household to household transfers, and are therefore close, in concept, to personal remittances. However these estimates are highly uncertain which is why they are not published separately on a regular basis.
ONS have estimated that remittances comprise at least 75% of the series published in the Pink Book for total payments and receipts by households and NPISH. The estimates for remittances, excluding the NPISH element, for each of the ten years are in the table below. However it should be stressed that these estimates are highly uncertain.
| Personal remittances to and from the UK 1998-2007 | ||
| Remittances (£ billion) | ||
| To the UK | From the UK | |
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