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13 Nov 2008 : Column 1312W—continued
Departmental Older Workers
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people recruited by his Department in 2007-08 were aged over (a) 55 years and (b) 60 years; and what percentage this represented of the number of new recruits in each case. [235240]
Angela Eagle: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given on 23 October 2008, Official Report, column 546W.
Departmental Planning Permission
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what planning applications were made by his Department between May 1997 and May 1998. [235099]
Angela Eagle: This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Public Relations
James Duddridge: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much (a) his Department and (b) its agencies spent on each of the external public relations and marketing companies included in the Central Office of Information’s Public Relations Framework in each of the last 36 months. [222059]
Angela Eagle: In the past 36 months, neither the Treasury nor any of its agencies has had any direct expenditure with companies listed in the Central Office of Information’s Public Relations Framework.
Departmental Written Questions
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many Questions for written answer were tabled to his Department in Session (a) 2002-03, (b) 2003-04, (c) 2004-05, (d) 2005-06, (e) 2006-07 and (f) 2007-08 to date; and how many were (i) answered substantively and (ii) not answered on grounds of disproportionate cost. [235381]
Angela Eagle: The number of written questions received by the Treasury in each of the last six parliamentary Sessions has been as follows:
| Number | |
Treasury Ministers endeavour to provide suitable substantive answers to all questions. Information is not available relating to questions which could not be answered wholly or in part because the data requested by questioners were not available or because it could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Derbyshire Offshore
Mr. Todd: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what UK regulatory involvement there was in the acquisition of Derbyshire Offshore by Kaupthing, Singer and Friedlander International; [234776]
(2) what UK regulatory interest existed in Derbyshire Offshore prior to its acquisition by Kaupthing, Singer and Friedlander International in December 2007. [234777]
Ian Pearson: Derbyshire Offshore (the trading name for Derbyshire Building Society’s Isle of Man subsidiary) was established in the Isle of Man in 1990 and was regulated by the Isle of Man Financial Supervision Commission. The transfer of Derbyshire Offshore to Kaupthing, Singer and Friedlander Isle of Man was a commercial decision for the firms concerned and a matter for the Isle of Man authorities including the financial regulator, Isle of Man’s Financial Supervision Commission.
MapInfo
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what datasets the Valuation Office Agency has purchased from the company MapInfo in the last five years. [235140]
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, which Minister authorised the decision to impose backdated business rates on ports and shipping companies. [231871]
Mr. Timms: No ministerial authorisation was sought or given, since the actions taken by valuation officers were in discharge of their statutory duties to ensure properties liable to business rates are correctly assessed. The date from which any such changes take effect is prescribed by legislation, in relation to which valuation officers do not have discretion.
Public Sector: Procurement
Bob Spink: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will establish a Buy British preference in public sector procurement; and if he will make a statement. [234389]
Angela Eagle: Government policy is that all procurement decisions will be based on value for money. This is to ensure that the best use is made of taxpayers’ money. Value for money is usually achieved through fair competition in open markets. Furthermore, the UK is bound by EU and World Trade Organisation public procurement rules which would rule out discriminating in favour of national suppliers.
Stamp Duties
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment his Department made of the effects of the 1991-92 stamp duty suspension on the housing market. [235083]
Ian Pearson: Treasury Ministers do not have access to assessments and other documents prepared for previous administrations.
Stamp Duty Land Tax
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his Department's assessment is of the maximum financial value of a reasonable fee for the purposes of the Stamp Duty Land Tax (Zero-Carbon Homes Relief) (Amendment) Regulations 2008. [235077]
Ian Pearson: The Stamp Duty Land Tax (Zero-Carbon Homes Relief) (Amendment) Regulations 2008 provide for Government Departments to charge a fee when assessing whether a home is zero-carbon. The regulations do not prescribe the fee but they do limit how much can be charged to an amount which is “reasonable”. The condition is designed to ensure that Government Departments cannot make a profit from provision of this service.
Taxation: Aviation
Mr. Syms: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment his Department has made of the effect on the number of flights using UK airports of the introduction of aviation duty. [235492]
Angela Eagle: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave to my hon. Friends the Members for Manchester, Blackley (Graham Stringer) and Derby, North (Mr. Laxton) and the hon. Member for Manchester, Withington (Mr. Leech) on 27 October 2008, Official Report, columns 789-90W.
Valuation Office
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what Beacon groups the Valuation Office Agency uses in the revaluations and valuations of domestic properties; and what the determining characteristics are of each such group. [235082]
Mr. Timms: The Valuation Office Agency uses a dwelling house coding system to capture the attributes of domestic properties in support of its domestic valuation work. An attribute code of ‘Group’ is used to identify the architectural style of a dwelling. For information about the characteristics of each ‘Group’ I refer the hon. Member to the ‘Index to Groups’ within the Valuation Office Agency's Property Details Guide (also known as ‘Dwellinghouse coding—an illustrated guide’), which is available on its website at
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, under the terms of the contract with rightmove.co.uk, homeowners may refuse to provide information regarding their homes to the Valuation Office Agency. [235084]
Mr. Timms: This is a matter between Rightmove plc, its member agents and their clients and did not form part of the contract between Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs and Rightmove.
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what advice the Valuation Office Agency has sought from the Office of the Surveillance Commissioner; on what occasions; and for what purposes. [235085]
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the Valuation Office Agency's management board meeting minutes of 24 July 2008, if he will place in the Library a copy of the practical advice on preparation of hard copy records that has been posted on the Agency's intranet. [235097]
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a copy of the speech and presentation of the Chief Executive of the Valuation Office Agency made at the Institute of Revenues Rating and Valuation annual conference on 1 October 2008. [235100]
Mr. Timms: The speech and presentation are available on the Valuation Office Agency website (www.voa.gov.uk) via the following link:
Valuation Office: Capgemini
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 10 September 2008, Official Report, columns 1956-7W, on the Valuation Office Agency: Capgemini, what the (a) names, (b) types and (c) functions of the licences categorised under the other costs heading are. [235050]
Mr. Timms: Core licences were purchased for the Envinsa software to be used in connection with the VOA's Geographical Information System.
Valuation Office: Consultants
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the Answer of 10 September 2008, Official Report, column 1957W, on the Valuation Office: consultants, what the (a) function and (b) nature of the consultancy support being provided for each of the two assignments in relation to the World Class Delivery programme is; and whether it includes assistance on the manner in which council tax valuations are conducted. [235052]
Mr. Timms: The function of the two assignments in relation to the World Class Delivery Programme was, respectively, to:
Review and refine key aspects of the future operating model (digital records, centralised support processes and wireless technology) to ensure continuing clarity and cohesion across projects in terms of deliverables and benefits.
Review the structure and funding of corporate services provision as part of the future operating model.
The nature of the assistance was to provide expert input, independent assurance and external benchmarking together with facilitated workshops.
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the Answer of 10 September 2008, Official Report, column 1957W, on the Valuation Office: consultants, if he will place in the Library the Brand Vista research report, redacting any commercially confidential elements. [235058]
Mr. Timms: The Brand Vista report primarily analyses and advises on the current and future market positioning of District Valuer Services. It is commercially sensitive and contains detailed feedback from clients which was given in confidence and for these reasons it is not appropriate to publish the report.
Valuation Office: Contracts
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many invitations to tender the Valuation Office Agency has issued in the last 12 months; and for what projects. [235017]
Mr. Timms: The Valuation Office Agency has not issued any invitations to tender in the last 12 months.
Valuation: Information and Communications Technology
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what work the Valuation Office Agency's processing centre in Rhyl will undertake in relation to digitisation of council tax valuation records. [235081]
Northern Ireland
Brussels
Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many official visits he has made to Brussels in the last 12 months. [234170]
Departmental Correspondence
Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of correspondence received by his Department has been responded to in less than a month in each month since May 2007. [234235]
Mr. Woodward: The information requested is shown in the following table.
| Total per month | Successful | Percentage within 30 days/month | |
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