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2 Feb 2009 : Column 898W—continued
EU Grants and Loans
Mr. Kilfoyle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reasons his Department declined to accept an extension on spending deadlines for England for European structural funding in England; what estimate he has made of the amount of money under such structural funding provisions for England which was unspent at 31 December 2008; whether the extension will be accepted in relation to spending in (a) Scotland, (b) Wales and (c) Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement. [252941]
Ian Pearson: Responsibility for structural fund programmes, including eligibility extensions, lies with the appropriate Government Departments (DCLG, DEFRA, DWP) and devolved Administrations.
Government Departments: Energy Performance Certificates
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the energy efficiency rating of each government building for which figures are available, based on its most recent energy display certificate. [252427]
Margaret Beckett: I have been asked to reply.
We have no plans to publish the energy efficiency ratings for each government building based on data held on the Energy Performance Certificate Register as this is prohibited by Energy Performance of Buildings Regulations.
Housing: Carbon Emissions
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many homes have qualified for zero-rated stamp duty land tax on zero-carbon homes to date. [252442]
Mr. Timms: The zero stamp duty land tax relief for new zero carbon homes was introduced in October 2007. I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by the Economic Secretary to the Treasury (Ian Pearson) on 15 January 2009, Official Report, column 909W.
Housing: Valuation
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the answer of 7 May 2008, Official Report, columns 912-3W, on housing: valuation, what the definition of a live locality is. [252419]
Mr. Timms: A ‘live’ locality is one that is currently in use.
Official Cars
Bob Spink: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what cars are (a) owned, (b) leased, (c) hired and (d) otherwise regularly used by his Department, broken down by cubic capacity of engine. [250135]
Angela Eagle: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport (Mr. Hoon) on 26 January 2009, Official Report, column 10W, about cars provided by the Government Car and Despatch Agency.
Planning Permission
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Beckenham of 6 October 2008, Official Report, column 378W, on planning permission, what planning applications were made by his Department between 1997-98 and 2001-02; and for what purpose in each case. [252171]
Angela Eagle: I would refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 21 July 2008, Official Report, column 717W, to the right hon. Member for Horsham (Mr. Maude).
Public Sector: Pensions
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the circumstances and extent of the overpayment of public sector pensions by Xafinity Paymaster. [245208]
Mr. Byrne: I have been asked to reply.
I refer the hon. Member to the written statement I gave to the House on 16 December 2008, Official Report, column 111WS. This explained the circumstances in which pension overpayments occurred and indicated the estimated number and amount of the overpayments.
A number of different parties are involved in the process. Xafinity Paymaster administers pensions on behalf of the NHS and armed forces schemes. Cabinet Office, judicial and teachers’ schemes use different administrators. The causes of the overpayments have been investigated by pension scheme administrators, Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs and Department for Work and Pensions. From their investigations it is clear that there is no single cause. The National Audit Office will be carrying out a review of the end to end process in due course in order to pin-point accountabilities. The House will be updated further once this review has concluded.
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will terminate the contract of Xafinity Paymaster in relation to the administration of public sector pensions; [245209]
(2) what steps are being taken to obtain repayment from Xafinity Paymaster in respect of the overpayment by them of public sector pensions. [245213]
Mr. Byrne: I have been asked to reply.
The written statement I gave to the House on 16 December 2008, Official Report, column 111WS, explained the circumstances in which pension overpayments occurred. A number of different parties are involved in the process. Xafinity Paymaster pays pensions on behalf of the NHS and armed forces schemes. Cabinet Office, judicial and teachers' schemes use different pension administrators. I cannot comment on contractual issues which are delegated to individual Departments.
The causes of the overpayments have been investigated by pension scheme administrators, Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs and Department for Work and Pensions. From their investigations it is clear that there is no single cause. The National Audit Office will be carrying out a review of the end to end process in due course in order to pin-point accountabilities. The House will be updated further once this review has concluded. Accountability for the overpayments, and any action that needs to be taken as a result, will not be clear until the NAO has completed its review.
Redundancy: Taxation
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer in what year the redundancy pay tax-free threshold was set at £30,000. [252437]
Mr. Timms: The £30,000 tax-free threshold has applied since 1988. The level of the threshold is kept under review, but evidence indicates that the current level exempts a large majority of redundancy payments from tax.
Revenue and Customs: Wales
Mark Williams: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the effect on HM Revenue and Customs expenditure of closing its office in Aberystwyth, identifying (a) costs and (b) savings separately; and if he will make a statement. [252862]
Mr. Timms:
Normally HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is unable to provide specific estate savings for a particular office for reasons of commercial sensitivity relating to the accommodation and facility contracts
between HMRC and its PFI contractors. However, as HMRC’s accommodation in Aberystwyth is not held under a PFI contract I can say that its vacation is estimated to contribute £83,000 to annual estate savings of about £4 million in Wales. This figure takes account of the need for continuing provision of face to face inquiry services.
Estate savings are however only part of the overall savings HMRC expects to achieve as a result of business efficiencies arising from restructuring, and have not been a primary factor in taking decisions on whether a particular office should be retained or vacated. The main consideration has been whether there is a business requirement to retain the office.
While HMRC recognises that there will be short-term costs associated with the closure of its office in Aberystwyth, reliable figures will only be established once solutions have been found for all staff and the accommodation has been vacated.
Stamp Duties
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) when he plans to reduce the stamp duty threshold to £125,000; [252195]
(2) what recent estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the temporary increase in stamp duty thresholds; and how it will be financed. [252441]
Mr. Timms: The estimated cost of the stamp duty holiday was published at the pre-Budget report, which can be accessed here:
The funding of this is not hypothecated to a particular source of revenue. The holiday is due to end at midnight on 3 September 2009.
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will bring forward proposals to reduce levels of stamp duty for individuals in shared purchaser arrangements when they are purchasing the share of a house not in their possession; [253166]
(2) if he will bring forward proposals to allow house purchasers to pay stamp duty only on the proportion of the house not in their ownership under shared purchaser arrangements. [253167]
Ian Pearson: Stamp duty, like all other taxes is kept under review. Details on the stamp duty treatment of shared ownership purchases can be found at:
Taxation: Bingo
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will meet representatives of the bingo industry to discuss the levels of taxation upon their activities. [253927]
Angela Eagle: The Chancellor keeps all taxes under review and decisions about gambling taxation are made at Budget alongside all tax and spending decisions. The Government take all relevant factors into consideration when establishing and maintaining fair regimes for the gambling taxes. These include the state of the industry and wider conditions within the economy.
As part of the normal Budget process Ministers and officials have been in periodic contact with representatives of the bingo industry and will continue to meet them as part of the normal Budget process.
Valuation Office
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the answer of 24 November 2008, Official Report, columns 963W, on Valuation Office: handbooks, if he will place in the Library a copy of the most recent editions of (a) Introduction to Inspections, (b) CT Referencers Manual, (c) Digital Mapping User Guide, (d) Rating Support Application Induction Workbook, (e) NDR Referencers Manual and (f) Digital Photography User Guide. [252206]
Mr. Timms: A copy of the Valuation Office Agency’s Introduction to Inspections Workbook, CT Referencers Manual and NDR Referencers Manual will be placed in the Library.
The Digital Mapping User Guide, RSA Induction Workbook and Digital Photography User Guide are technical instructions on the use of Valuation Office Agency internal IT applications. It is not appropriate to publish information which might assist unauthorised access to VOA systems or databases.
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) with reference to the answer of 14 July 2008, Official Report, column 138W, on council tax: valuation, if he will place in the Library a copy of each of the user guides and manuals for (a) the digital mapping tool and (b) the locality delineation tool; [252352]
(2) if he will place in the Library a copy of the user guide for the Valuation Office Agency’s automated valuation model software and database. [252393]
Mr. Timms: No. These guidance manuals are technical instructions on the use of Valuation Office Agency internal IT applications. It is not appropriate to publish information which might assist unauthorised access to VOA systems or databases.
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a copy of the most recent advice given to Valuation Office Agency staff on health and safety in the field, including advice on the use of surveying equipment. [252434]
Mr. Timms: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove) on 22 March 2007, Official Report, column 122W. There has been no update to the health and safety information already placed in the Library.
In April 2008 the Valuation Office Agency published additional health and safety e-Learning. The syllabus, titled Health and Safety Site Inspections, includes four modules covering Health and Safety Site Visits, Hazards on Site, Personal Protective Equipment and Asbestos Awareness—A Practical Guide.
I am arranging for a viewable copy of the e-learning programme to be deposited in the Library of the House.
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the answer of 17 March 2008, Official Report, column 989W, on the Valuation Office, at what intervals the Valuation Office Agency’s automated valuation model is calibrated. [252488]
Mr. Timms: There are no set intervals for calibrating the models.
Valuation Office: Cole Layer Trumble
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the answer of 19 March 2008, Official Report, column 1218W, on Cole Layer Trumble, how much has been spent on payments to Cole Layer Trumble/Tyler Technologies funded via the public purse (a) directly from the Valuation Office Agency, (b) directly from HM Revenue and Customs and (c) indirectly via CapGemini under the ASPIRE contract since February 2007. [252162]
Mr. Timms: Unfortunately, the answer of 19 March 2008 was inaccurate in so far as the second payment quoted was made in the period from April 2007 to the end of February 2008 (not February 2007). Since February 2008, further payments to Cole Layer Trumble/Tyler Technologies have totalled £14,587. All figures exclude non-recoverable VAT.
Valuation Office: Contracts
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which organisations provided goods and services to the Valuation Office Agency in 2007-08; and what the address of each such organisation was. [252559]
Mr. Timms: A list of organisations, with addresses, which provided goods and services to the Valuation Office Agency, cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.
Valuation Office: Digital Technology
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the answer of 14 July 2008, Official Report, columns 150-51W, on the Valuation Office: cameras, for what work the 690 cameras purchased in 2007-08 were required. [252409]
Mr. Timms: Cameras are required to support property valuation work undertaken by the Valuation Office Agency.
Valuation Office: Geographic Information Systems
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the answer of 19 March 2008, Official Report, column 1226W, on Valuation Office: ICT, whether the Valuation Office Agency’s Geographic Information System will assist with the utilisation of locality adjustment factors within the automated valuation model. [252161]
Mr. Timms: The Valuation Office Agency’s proposed geographic information system will be used to define and/or show on a map the localities to which dwellings are allocated for the purposes of automated valuation modelling. Adjustment factors are attributed to these localities in the modelling process.
Mr. Pickles:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the answer of 21 April 2008, Official Report, columns 1688-89W, on Valuation Office: Geographical Information Systems, how mapping data
from Ordnance Survey will be integrated into the proposed Geographical Information System; and whether it will be used to assess the value significance of particular property attributes. [252408]
Mr. Timms: It is proposed that mapping data from Ordnance Survey will be loaded into the proprietary Geographic Information System (GIS) software. GIS will be one of a number of tools used by valuers to assist in assessing the impact of features that may affect the value of property.
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