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9 Dec 2008 : Column 41W—continued
Post Office Card Account
Mr. Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to his Statement of 13 November 2008, Official Report, column 970, on Post Office card account, if he will place in the Library a copy of the legal advice which said that his decision was the right way to proceed. [241023]
Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 8 December 2008]: Legal advice to the Government is confidential, and is covered by legal professional privilege. This enables the Government to obtain full and frank legal advice. For that reason, the Department does not intend to publish any legal advice it has received relating to the Post Office card account.
Social Security Benefits
Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what consideration he has given to a contemporaneous assessment of the effects on genuine claimants of lie detector tests for applicants for housing and council tax benefit. [241566]
Kitty Ussher:
The Department for Work and Pensions is funding 25 local authority pilots of Voice Risk Analysis in housing and council tax benefit as part of wider
efforts to improve customer service and reduce fraud. Evaluation of these pilots will include independent social research to determine the impact on customers’ behaviour.
State Retirement Pensions
Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what guidance the Benefits Agency has issued to its staff on the practice of cold-calling pensioners to encourage them to receive their pensions directly into their bank accounts. [241567]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Services to pensioners are provided by the Pension, Disability and Carers Service (PDCS)—the Benefits Agency ceased to exist some years ago.
No such cold calling is being undertaken by PDCS. They are, however, contacting some pensioners to follow-up recent mailings about the payment options available to them.
Prime Minister
Members: Electronic Surveillance
Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister if it is his policy that no (a) telephone tapping, (b) other interception of communications and (c) electronic surveillance shall be authorised in respect of hon. Members; and on how many occasions since 1975, where the interception of communications instigated by hon. Members has been allowed, the interception has not yet been reported to the House. [241438]
The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Thurrock (Andrew Mackinlay) on 8 December 2008, Official Report, column 15W.
Duchy of Lancaster
Damian Green
David Davis: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when an official of his Department was first made aware that the hon. Member of Ashford was the subject of the police investigation which led to his arrest; when this information was passed on to a Minister; and to which Minister this information was passed on. [240959]
Mr. Byrne: I am advised that Cabinet Office officials were not aware that it was the hon. Member for Ashford who was the subject of the police investigation until after his arrest. Cabinet Office Ministers learnt about the arrest in reports emanating from the media. A description of the exchanges between Cabinet Office officials and the police is being submitted to the Public Administration Select Committee.
Departmental Disclosure of Information
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many civil servants have contacted the Civil Service Commission in the last 12 months to draw attention to alleged impropriety in their Department. [241411]
Mr. Byrne: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office (Mr. Watson) to the hon. Member for Shipley (Philip Davies) on 6 October 2008, Official Report, column 90W.
Futurebuilders: Catz Club
Mr. Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster with reference to the Answer to the hon. Member for Ruislip-Northwood, of 28 October 2008, Official Report, column 16W, on Catz Club, which other press releases have been removed from the Futurebuilders website on the basis that they are no longer an investee of Futurebuilders. [241887]
Mr. Byrne: Futurebuilders England Ltd. (FBE) has confirmed that it has removed a press release about “Who Cares? Trust” on the basis that it is no longer a Futurebuilders investee.
House of Commons Commission
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission who requested the suspension of the hon. Member for Ashford’s parliamentary email account at the time of his arrest; for what reasons; and who authorised its suspension. [240504]
Nick Harvey: This is not a matter for the Commission. The House has decided to set up a committee to review this matter.
Mr. Harper: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission to which House official the police would be required to submit any request for access to the Parliamentary email system. [241250]
Nick Harvey: This is not a matter for the Commission. However the matter is covered in Mr. Speaker’s protocol sent to individual hon. Members.
Right of Search
Sir Nicholas Winterton: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what legal advice the Serjeant at Arms sought in the period between her two meetings with the police, on 26 and 27 November; and from whom she sought that advice. [241388]
Mr. Andrew Turner:
To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission which hon. Members have (a) had materials
from their place of work taken from the Parliamentary Estate by the police and (b) had computer files read (i) on and (ii) off the Estate by the police in the last 10 years. [241392]
Nick Harvey: This is not a matter for the Commission. The House has decided to set up a Committee to review this matter.
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission on what terms an hon. Member occupies office accommodation granted by the House; which officers of the House are authorised to grant access to the offices of hon. Members under the terms of Code of Practice B issued under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984; and if he will make a statement. [241440]
Nick Harvey: The House provides office accommodation and facilities to help hon. Members carry out their parliamentary duties effectively.
Access to the offices of hon. Members by the police is not a matter for the Commission. However the matter is covered in Mr. Speaker’s protocol sent to individual hon. Members.
Mr. Harper: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission which House officials are authorised to grant a request from the police for access to (a) the Parliamentary Data and Video Network (PDVN), (b) PDVN email accounts and (c) PDVN shared drives containing data belonging to hon. Members. [241987]
Nick Harvey: This is not a matter for the Commission. However the matter is covered in Mr. Speaker’s protocol sent to individual hon. Members and in Mr. Speaker’s statement today.
Mr. Harper: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission whether the House authorities require a search warrant to be issued in support of a police request for access to (a) the Parliamentary Data and Video Network (PDVN), (b) PDVN email accounts and (c) PDVN shared drives containing data belonging to hon. Members; and what factors the House authorities take into account in reaching a decision on granting access. [241988]
Nick Harvey: This is not a matter for the Commission. However the matter is covered in Mr. Speaker’s protocol sent to individual hon. Members and in Mr. Speaker’s statement today.
Mr. Harper: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission whether access to (a) the Parliamentary Data and Video Network (PDVN), (b) PDVN email facilities and (c) PDVN shared drives containing data belonging to hon., Members, was granted to the Metropolitan Police as part of their search of the premises and property of the hon. Member for Ashford to the extent of (i) data belonging to the hon. Member for Ashford and (ii) data belonging to other hon. Members; in each case whether such access was supported by a search warrant; and what factors House authorities took into account in reaching a decision on such access. [241989]
Nick Harvey: This is not a matter for the Commission. However, the matter is covered in Mr. Speaker’s statement today.
Treasury
Child Care Vouchers
Mary Creagh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many companies had taken up the child care vouchers scheme at the latest date for which figures are available. [241318]
Mr. Timms: No official data are collected from employers regarding the offer of child care voucher schemes to employees. Child care voucher schemes are voluntary schemes and employers are not required to inform HMRC that they offer these arrangements to their employees. Research undertaken in 2006 estimated that approximately 2.5 per cent. of employers offered child care voucher schemes or another form of employer supported child care to their employees. This research can be found at the following link:
Exchange Rates
Chris Huhne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the (a) sterling and (b) foreign currency liabilities due to non-residents in less than six months (i) in cash terms, (ii) as a proportion of UK gross domestic product and (iii) as a proportion of short-term foreign currency assets of the UK authorities and banking institutions. [240301]
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 Joe Grice, dated December 2008:
The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question asking for the a) sterling and (b) foreign currency liabilities due to non-residents in fewer than six months (i) in cash terms, (ii) as a proportion of UK gross domestic product and (iii) as a proportion of short-term foreign currency assets of the UK authorities and banking institutions. I am replying in her absence. (240301)
The Office for National Statistics does not collect data for the remaining time to maturity for liabilities due to non-residents; they are solely recorded on the basis of their original time to maturity. Therefore, the information requested is not available from official sources.
Quarterly data for UK short term assets with, and liabilities to, non-residents are published in tables B17, B18, B19 and B20 of United Kingdom Economic Accounts, copies of which have been placed in the Library of the House.
Excise Duties: Motor Vehicles
Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the answer of 24 November 2008, Official Report, column 951W, on excise duties: motor vehicles, for what reason comprehensive data on the carbon dioxide emissions of light goods vehicles is not available to his Department; and if he will make a statement. [241571]
Angela Eagle: Carbon dioxide based Vehicle Excise Duty for cars rests on data produced through the European Union-wide system of vehicle type approval. This system does not produce carbon dioxide data for vans.
Kaupthing Singer and Friedlander
Mr. Fallon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what date the concerns of the Financial Services Authority about the position of Kaupthing, Singer and Friedlander Bank which had been communicated to the Tripartite were first drawn to his attention. [241437]
Ian Pearson: As the Memorandum of Understanding between HM Treasury, the Bank of England and the FSA sets out, the FSA informs the Tripartite of its concerns on a regular basis.
Mortgages
Steve Webb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the Prime Minister’s statement of 3 December 2008, Official Report, columns 34-5, how many mortgage-holders have outstanding mortgage balances of (a) less than £200,000, (b) between £200,000 and £299,000, (c) between £300,000 and £399,000 and (d) £400,000 or above in (i) the UK, (ii) each English region and (iii) each of the smallest sub-regions for which figures are available. [241559]
Ian Pearson: The information requested is not available in the format requested. The Financial Services Authority (FSA) or the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) both publish data on the mortgage market, available at:
National Insurance Centre: Newcastle
Hywel Williams: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much the Newcastle national insurance centre cost to run in each of the last three years. [241565]
Ian Pearson: The National Insurance Contributions Office (NICO) is only one of many occupants of the Benton Park View site, Newcastle. It is therefore not possible to accurately identify estates costs for just NICO.
Political Parties: Finance
Mr. Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the answer of 10 November 2008, Official Report, columns 936-37W, on political parties: finance, (1) if he will place a copy of the booklet in the Library; [242040]
(2) whether it is the policy of HM Revenue and Customs that payments made to the Parliamentary Labour Party by hon. Members are tax-deductible. [242041]
Mr. Timms: I have arranged for a copy of the booklet, a copy of which is sent to MPs at the start of each Parliament, to be placed in the House of Commons Library.
Tax law imposes strict tests on what relief is available for personal expenditure. In general, relief is only available for costs incurred by employees or office holders that are incurred wholly, exclusively and necessarily in the performance of the duties of the employment or office. No relief is available for MPs’ personal donations to political parties which do not satisfy this rule. HMRC’s policy in interpreting this is set out in the booklet where it makes clear that tax relief is not due for payments to political organisations for party political purposes.
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