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26 Mar 2009 : Column 624W—continued
Premium Car Industry
23. Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will discuss with representatives of the premium car industry the effects of changes to their write-down allowances on their businesses. [266547]
Angela Eagle: Following two rounds of consultation, the Government intend that the rate at which businesses get tax relief for expenditure on cars will be determined by a car's carbon dioxide emissions and not its costs. The Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury has held general discussions with representatives of the car industry.
Banks: Ireland
Derek Conway: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with his Irish counterpart on (a) the level of protection for UK citizens with deposits in Irish banks and (b) contingency plans in the event of failure of Irish banks. [266258]
Ian Pearson: Treasury Ministers and officials have discussions with a wide variety of organisations and international partners. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such discussions.
Departmental Buildings
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what (a) grade II, (b) grade II* and (c) grade I listed buildings have been owned by his Department in each of the last three years. [266860]
Angela Eagle: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Romford (Andrew Rosindell) on 1 May 2007, Official Report, column 1613W.
Departmental Public Appointments
Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which former (a) hon. Members who left Parliament since 1997 and (b) Members of the House of Lords from each party have been appointed to positions on public bodies within his Department's responsibility; and who made each appointment. [266794]
Angela Eagle: This information is not held centrally. Information on board membership and remuneration is published in individual bodies' annual reports and accounts.
Departmental Redundancy
Justine Greening: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many staff in his Department left under (a) involuntary and (b) voluntary staff exit schemes in each year since 2005-06; how many of them in each case were paid (i) up to £25,000, (ii) £25,001 to £50,000, (iii) £50,001 to £75,000, (iv) £75,001 to £100,000 and (v) over £100,000 in the year before they left; and how much (A) was spent in each of those years and (B) is planned to be spent on such schemes in (1) 2008-09 and (2) 2009-10 by (y) his Department and (z) each of his Department's agencies; [242248]
(2) how many of his Department's staff who left under (a) an involuntary and (b) a voluntary exit scheme in each year since 2005-06 received a severance package of (i) up to £25,000, (ii) £25,001 to £50,000, (iii) £50,001 to £75,000, (iv) £75,001 to £100,000 and (v) over £100,000; and if he will make a statement. [242249]
Angela Eagle: Information on involuntary and voluntary staff exits, salaries in the year prior to departure and the value of packages by band could not be provided within the disproportionate cost threshold.
The following table sets out the relevant exit costs since 2005-06 for the Treasury and its agencies.
| £000 | |||
| 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | |
Details of spending plans for 2008-09 and 2009-10 are not available.
Departmental Training
Grant Shapps: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what training courses (a) civil servants and (b) Ministers in his Department have undertaken in the last 12 months; [266216]
(2) what training courses were available to (a) civil servants and (b) Ministers in his Department in the last 12 months. [266277]
Angela Eagle: The Treasury offers a range of internal training courses for officials to meet organisational priorities and which form part of the Professional Skills for Government (PSG) framework. Due to delegated team budgets for training spend it is not possible to report on all training courses that are undertaken by or made available to civil servants in the last 12 months; this information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
With regard to training undertaken by Treasury Ministers, I refer the hon. Member to the responses I provided to similar questions on 18 January, Official Report, column 585W; 11 February, Official Report, columns 2101-2102W; 5 March, Official Report, column 1811W; and 25 March, Official Report, columns 405-406W.
EU Budget
Mike Penning: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the (a) gross and (b) net contribution made by the United Kingdom to the EU was in (i) the most recent year for which figures are available, (ii) 2004, (iii) 1999, (iv) 1994 and (v) 1989. [266856]
Ian Pearson: Details of the United Kingdom's gross, after taking account of the United Kingdom abatement, and net contributions to the EC Budget can be found in HM Treasury's annual European Community Finances White Paper. Table 3, page 51 of the 2008 White Paper (Cm 7462) of 10 September 2008, which is available in the House Library and also at the following website:
contains these data in respect of years 2002 to 2007, with an estimate for 2008. Data for earlier years can be found in the equivalent table of previous editions of the White Paper.
Financial Services: Crown Dependencies
Mr. Brady: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the Prime Minister's oral statement of 23 March 2009, Official Report, on Spring European Council, what assessment he has made of British (a) Crown dependencies' and (b) overseas territories' compliance with OECD standards on financial transparency and money laundering. [267167]
Ian Pearson: HM Treasury considers the standard of the money laundering systems in the Crown dependencies and Gibraltar to be equivalent to European Union standards, as embodied in the third money laundering directive. Discussions are under way with the other overseas territories with major financial services sectors to assess the standards that they have achieved.
In addition, the independent review into British offshore financial centres by Michael Foot is looking at the immediate and long-term challenges facing British offshore financial centres in the current economic climate, including financial supervision and transparency.
High Speed Two
Stephen Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff of his Department are members of High Speed Two Ltd in each of the next five years. [264251]
Yvette Cooper: No Treasury staff are staff or board members of High Speed Two Ltd.
Stephen Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how regularly his Department receives (a) information and (b) updates from High Speed Two Ltd. [264252]
Yvette Cooper: High Speed Two Ltd has been asked by the Department for Transport to produce a report at the end of 2009. It is not expected that an interim report will be produced before that date.
Inheritance: Regulation
Sir Michael Spicer: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the Financial Services Authority’s response to the Twelfth Report from the Treasury Committee, Session 2007-08, HC 1132, on inherited estates, what progress the Financial Services Authority has made in its review of the regulation of the inherited estates regime; and if he will make a statement. [266711]
Ian Pearson: The regulation of insurance companies’ inherited estates is a matter for the Financial Services Authority (FSA), which sets the rules covering the management of with-profits funds. The FSA published a consultation on proposals for a specific reform of its inherited estate rules on 3 June 2008 and published a further consultation on revised proposals on 23 February 2009.
Members: Correspondence
Mr. Burns: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when a reply will be sent to the hon. Member for West Chelmsford’s letter of 6 January 2009, PO Ref: 5/04009/2009, concerning his constituent, Mrs Rosemary Beenham, of Broomfield, Chelmsford. [266656]
Ian Pearson: A reply has been sent to the hon. Member.
Personal Savings: Interest Rates
Mr. Dunne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department is taking to mitigate the effects on savers of low interest rates. [266526]
Yvette Cooper: The Government recognise the importance of saving in providing people with independence throughout their lives, security if things go wrong and comfort in retirement.
The Government have improved incentives to save by introducing the Child Trust Fund and Individual Savings Accounts. A person using their full ISA allowance to date has been able to amass up to £70,200 of tax-advantaged savings since 1999. The Saving Gateway will be introduced nationally in 2010 to promote saving among working age people on lower incomes. There are also a range of other initiatives to help people to save, including the introduction of Personal Accounts.
Private Finance Initiative
Mr. Dai Davies:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 3 March 2009, Official Report, columns 47-48WS, on Government infrastructure investment, what reduction in fees agreed
with private sector companies for the delivery of Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contracts will arise from the decision that certain PFI schemes are to receive Government loans in lieu of debt finance. [262648]
Yvette Cooper: It is intended that the Government will lend to PFI projects on commercial terms, alongside other commercial lenders and/or the European Investment Bank.
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 3 March 2009, Official Report, columns 47-48WS, on Government infrastructure investment, whether underspent and unallocated funds from one Department may be used to fund another Department’s private finance initiative infrastructure projects. [262784]
Yvette Cooper: Funding for lending to those PFI projects that cannot raise sufficient debt finance on acceptable terms will be provided from across Government, including initially from unallocated funds and departmental underspends on previous projects. The exact funding requirements will be determined by market conditions. Where necessary, the Treasury will provide additional resources funded from additional borrowing. An update will be provided at the Budget.
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 3 March 2009, Official Report, columns 47-48WS, on Government infrastructure investment, what his most recent estimate is of the amount of underspent and unallocated funds for each department available to provide additional finance for public infrastructure projects. [262785]
Yvette Cooper: Government Departments have set aside funding for a number of projects. An update will be provided at the Budget.
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 3 March 2009, Official Report, column 47WS, on Government infrastructure investment, whether the proposals will require state aid clearance at EU level. [262793]
Yvette Cooper: Article 87(1) of the EC treaty sets out criteria for a state aid to be present.
The Government will lend to private finance initiative (PFI) projects on commercial terms, alongside other commercial lenders and/or the European Investment Bank.
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he has taken to obtain EU state aid approval in respect of his proposals to provide debt finance to providers of private finance initiative projects. [263571]
Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 13 March 2009, Official Report, column 807W.
Gregory Barker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the availability of private finance initiative credits for energy infrastructure projects. [265209]
Yvette Cooper: PFI credits were assigned to Departments as part of the comprehensive spending review, and its predecessors, to support PFI projects in local authorities. None were made available for energy infrastructure as policy in this area is conducted at a national rather than a local level.
Public Expenditure
Mr. Dai Davies:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what capital expenditure projects have been brought forward under the Government’s acceleration
programme; and what the (a) (i) original and (ii) current planned start dates and (b) value of each project is. [263830]
Yvette Cooper: The projects to be supported by the Government’s £3 billion capital spending fiscal stimulus are detailed in the pre-Budget report 2008. Much of the advanced spending is on bringing forward ongoing projects without a fixed start date. Where this is the case I have indicated the years in which the spending has been re-profiled between. Prior to the PBR announcement, some projects were still in the planning process and so had no confirmed original start date.
In devolved areas it is for the devolved Administrations to decide how to spend any agreed re-profiled capital spending.
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