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26 Nov 2008 : Column 1886W—continued
Child Tax Credits: EC Nationals
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many nationals of each A8 country who have worked in the UK and have now left the country are in receipt of (a) child benefit and (b) tax credits. [237340]
Mr. Timms: The information requested is not available. Any person, regardless of nationality, who has left the UK permanently is not entitled to child benefit or tax credits, with the exception of those persons who continue to be in receipt of a UK contributory benefit. Such exceptions apply to UK and other EEA nationals leaving the UK for residence in another member state.
Christmas
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the expenditure his Department and its agencies plan to incur in relation to Christmas entertaining. [239650]
Angela Eagle: There are no plans for public funds to be used for Christmas entertaining by the Treasury or any of its agencies.
Coastal Areas: Departmental Coordination
Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department has taken to improve its arrangements for co-ordination with other Government Departments of policy affecting coastal towns in the last two years. [238651]
Angela Eagle: The Department for Communities and Local Government leads on policy affecting coastal towns. In February 2008 a cross-departmental working group on coastal towns was set up. This working group provides a forum for improving cross-government understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing coastal towns, including the impact of existing policy approaches and mechanisms in improving regeneration and economic development outcomes.
There is also a regional development agency (RDA) led Coastal Towns Network, involving central and local government, national and coastal town networks and RDAs.
Credit
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department has taken since 1997 to increase access to credit for (a) households and (b) businesses. [234884]
Angela Eagle [holding answer 11 November 2008]: The Government have committed a total of £80 million to a Growth Fund to expand the capacity of third sector lenders to provide affordable credit to financially excluded customers. Since July 2006, almost 110,000 loans totalling £50 million, 85 per cent. of which were to new customers, have been made to financially excluded customers through credit unions and community development finance institutions funded by the Growth Fund.
Since 1997, the Small Firms Loan Guarantee (SFLG) scheme, the Government’s principal debt finance instrument, has enabled around 40,000 firms to borrow around £2.5 billion. The scheme has helped firms that would not normally be able to access the debt finance required to start and grow their business.
Lenders have a duty to lend responsibly, and the Government expect all lenders to meet the requirements of statutory regulation. The Chancellor announced at pre-Budget report 2008 that the Government are establishing a Lending Panel, bringing together Government, regulators, lenders, trade bodies and consumer groups to monitor lending to both households and businesses. The new Panel will encourage and drive up best practice in lending decisions and treatment of borrowers.
Credit Reference Agencies
Philip Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he plans to regulate credit rating agencies. [238269]
Ian Pearson:
It has been recognised internationally that greater oversight to ensure implementation of the International Organisation of Securities Commissions Code of Conduct for credit rating agencies is necessary.
To meet that objective within the EU, it has been agreed that there should be enhancements to the EU's current registration regime for credit rating agencies under the capital requirements directive. The European Commission published a proposal for a new regulation on 12 November, which is now under consideration in the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament for adoption next year.
Credit: Low Incomes
John Battle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department is taking to ensure that low income communities have access to credit; and if he will make a statement. [238802]
Ian Pearson: As announced in the pre-Budget report, the Government have committed a total of £80 million to a Growth Fund to expand the capacity of third sector lenders to provide affordable credit to financially excluded customers. Since July 2006, over 110,000 loans totalling over £50 million, 85 per cent. of which were to new customers, have been made to financially excluded customers through credit unions and community development finance institutions funded by the Growth Fund.
In addition, in December 2007, the major retail banks made a commitment to support third sector affordable credit, including actions to develop new provision in the 25 high priority areas identified by the Financial Inclusion Taskforce. The Government now seek to build on this commitment from the banks and ensure that clear plans are in place in each of the high priority areas.
Some households on low incomes will also be able to access affordable credit through the Social Fund. The Social Fund provides a safety net of grants and loans for the most vulnerable in times of crisis, supporting those without a stock of savings and assets to fall back on.
Lenders have a duty to lend responsibly, and the Government expect all lenders to meet the requirements of statutory regulation. The Chancellor announced at pre-Budget report 2008 that the Government are establishing a Lending Panel, bringing together Government, regulators, lenders, trade bodies and consumer groups to monitor lending to both households and businesses. The new panel will encourage and drive up best practice in lending decisions and treatment of borrowers.
Departmental Absenteeism
Mr. Jeremy Browne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the rate of staff (a) absence and (b) sickness absence was in (i) his Department and (ii) each of its agencies and non-departmental public bodies in each year since 1997; what the target rates set for his Department are in each case; and if he will make a statement. [239030]
Angela Eagle: Data for 2002/2003/2004/2005/2006-07 can be found on the civil service website:
Reliable data before 2002 are not available from HMT electronic systems. There are no set target rates for HMT.
Departmental Catering
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether food and drink on sale to staff of (a) his Department and (b) each of its agencies at official premises is subsidised from public funds. [237426]
Angela Eagle: The Treasury does not subsidise food and drink supplied in the 1 Horse Guards road building. The Debt Management Office provides subsidised tea, coffee and milk to its staff.
Departmental Consultants
Mr. Jeremy Browne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department spent on external consultancy in each year since 1997-98; and if he will make a statement. [239063]
Angela Eagle: Details of the Department’s spending on external consultancy since 2001-02 is shown in Table A3 on page 111 of the 2007-08 Annual Report (CM 7408) available from:
Information on spending prior to 2001-02 could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Early Retirement
Mr. Jeremy Browne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many employees in his Department took early retirement in each of the last five financial years; and at what total cost. [238972]
Angela Eagle: Details of the number of Treasury employees who took early retirement or early severance together with the total cost in each of the last five financial years is shown in the following table.
| 2007-08 | 2006-07 | 2005-06 | 2004-05 | 2003-04 | |
Departmental Electronic Equipment
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much (a) his Department, (b) HM Revenue and Customs, (c) the Valuation Office Agency and (d) other agencies have spent on (i) flat- screen televisions, (ii) DVD players and (iii) stereo equipment in each of the last three years. [237507]
Angela Eagle: Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) spent £582 in 2006-07, and £681 in 2007-08, on flat-screen televisions, and £25,227 in 2007-08 on DVD and television combination products.
The Valuation Office Agency spent £16,740 on flat screen televisions and £9,652 on stereo equipment in 2005-06, £6,838 on flat-screen televisions in 2006-07, and £2,056 on flat-screen televisions and £178 on DVD players in 2007-08.
The Debt Management Office spent £8,715 in 2006-07, and £3,335 in 2007-08, on flat-screen televisions. It did not have any such spending in 2005-06.
OGC.buyingsolutions, an agency of the Office of Government Commerce, spent £3,133 on flat screen televisions in 2005-06. It did not have any such spending in 2006-07 or 2007-08.
Information in relation to the Treasury in the last three years, and in relation to HMRC for 2005-06, is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Gifts
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff in his Department have received gifts valued at £100 or higher in the course of their duties in each of the last three years; what these gifts were; and from whom they were received in each case. [239635]
Angela Eagle: The Cabinet Office publishes a list of gifts received by Ministers of over £140 in value that is available from
The Treasury’s internal guidance to staff on receipt of gifts states that they should normally be refused or returned where staff have direct involvement in decisions affecting the giver or where they are worth more than about £25.
Departmental Land
Sarah Teather: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much surplus land (a) his Department and (b) its agencies own; and what the (i) area and (ii) estimated monetary value of each site is. [236426]
Sarah Teather: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has for each of the sites owned by his Department and registered on the Register of Surplus Public Sector Land; what construction projects are planned for each site; and when he expects each site to be returned to use. [236436]
Angela Eagle: The Chancellor does not have any sites registered on the Register of Surplus Public Sector Land.
Departmental Manpower
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a list of all staffing units created in his Department in the last 12 months, setting out the (a) functions and (b) staff complement of each. [208672]
Angela Eagle: As at the 30 June 2008 no new staffing units were created in the previous 12 months.
Mr. Jeremy Browne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many civil servants have been employed by each of his Department's agencies and non-departmental public bodies in each year since 1997-98; and if he will make a statement. [239033]
Angela Eagle: HM Treasury does not have any non-departmental public bodies.
Departmental Marketing
Mr. Jeremy Browne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department spent on (a) publicity and (b) advertising in each year since 1997-98; and if he will make a statement. [238940]
Angela Eagle: The Treasury spent £381,000 in 2007-08 on advertising. For prior years spending I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 10 March 2008, Official Report, column 116W to the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban). The majority of the Treasury’s spending on advertising and publicity is for the purposes of recruitment, except where indicated in the previous answer referred to.
Departmental Mass Media
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which organisations provided media monitoring services to (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) its non-departmental public bodies in each of the last three years; and what the total cost was of each contract over that period. [231329]
Angela Eagle: The Treasury Group, compromising the departmental Treasury, Office of Government Commerce and Debt Management Office, total spend on media monitoring services in 2005-06: £380,807; 2006-07: £480,006; 2007-08: £483,288, and included contracts with the Central Office of Information, Press Association, EDS and Lexis Nexis.
Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers
Mr. Jeremy Browne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many (a) special advisers and (b) press officers have been employed by his Department in each year since 1997-98; and at what cost in each year; [239090]
(2) how many press officers were employed in his Department in each year since 1997-98; at what cost in each year; and if he will make a statement. [239124]
Angela Eagle: Information on the number of special advisers is published annually by the Prime Minister, the most recent information was given on 22 July 2008, Official Report , column 98WS. For press officers I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave on 6 November 2008, Official Report, column 680W to the hon. Member for South-West Surrey (Mr. Hunt). Information for each year since 1997 could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Details of the Treasury’s administration costs spending is published in the Resource Accounts and the Departmental Report each year available from:
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