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2 Apr 2009 : Column 1378W—continued
Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme
Mr. Caborn: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) how many scholars there are in the Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme (TASS) in each region; and how many TASS scholars there are in (a) higher and (b) further education; [267321]
(2) to which sports the Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme (TASS) applies; and how many TASS scholars are involved in each sport. [267322]
Andy Burnham: The Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme (TASS) have advised that the following awards have been made:
| Sport | Awards |
| Notes: 1. Paralympic/disability (all) includes Swimming, Basketball, Skiing, Boccia, Fencing, Table Tennis, Tennis, Cricket, Powerlifting, Goalball, Football, Shooting and Equestrian. 2. Winter Olympic/Paralympic 2012 includes Figure Skating, Snowsports, Skeleton, Bobsleigh, Disability Skiing and Short Track. 3. Aquatics includes Diving, Synchro and Swimming. 4. Individual route includes Tennis, Table Tennis, Basketball, Gymnastics and Shooting. | |
TASS have advised they do not record information by regional or educational split and the information requested could be supplied only at disproportionate cost.
Television: Waste Disposal
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps his Department is taking on the disposal of television sets which are not ready for the digital switchover; and what expenditure has been incurred on such steps to date. [267023]
Ian Pearson: I have been asked to reply.
Digital switchover does not require disposal of any equipment, as an existing analogue television can normally be upgraded by adding a digital set-top box. There is some evidence from switchover in the Selkirk transmitter area in October/November 2008 that households took
the opportunity to dispose of old equipment. However there are no reports from local authority recycling points that the levels of equipment disposed of caused any difficulty.
Television sets disposed of following digital switchover will be subject to regulations implementing the EU waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) directive. The directive requires producers, or those acting on their behalf, to set up systems for treatment, recovery and environmentally sound disposal of WEEE.
There are currently no estimates of expenditure incurred to date on steps taken in this area. Industry has estimated that it costs around £3 to £5 per unit to dispose a standard television set.
Women and Equality
Equal Pay
Julie Morgan: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality if she will issue guidance to employers on the provision of information to newly-appointed staff on (a) their company’s gender pay gap and (b) their company’s gender pay gap at the grade to which the new employee has been appointed. [267696]
Maria Eagle: In our response to consultation on the Equality Bill, we said that we would review progress on transparency and its contribution to the achievement of equality outcomes, and in the light of this, consider over the next five years, using existing legislation for greater transparency in company reporting on equality. This process is ongoing.
In addition, the forthcoming Equality Bill will ban secrecy clauses which prevent people discussing their own pay. The new single public sector equality duty will make our public bodies more transparent, and we want public bodies to report on important equality areas such as gender pay.
The guidance that employers might need as a result of these measures will need to be considered in due course.
Duchy of Lancaster
Departmental Training
Grant Shapps: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much has been spent on media training for each Minister in his Department in each of the last three years; how many sessions have been provided; and who provided the training. [268302]
Mr. Watson: Training is provided to Ministers as necessary in order to carry out their duties effectively under the “Ministerial Code”.
Treasury
Bank Services: Motor Vehicles
Mr. Newmark: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent reports he has received on banks withdrawing lending from businesses involved with the automotive industry. [265682]
Ian Pearson: Ministers and officials have regular meetings with banks and other financial institutions on a range of issues, including lending to businesses.
The Bank of England publishes statistics relating to lending, including lending to businesses, which are available at:
Banks: Finance
Mr. Bone: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to consolidate the expenditure from the public purse on RBS and Lloyds Banking Group on the Government’s balance sheet in accordance with international accounting standards. [266833]
Ian Pearson: [holding answer 26 March 2009 ]: The Treasury’s 2008-09 resource accounts will be prepared in accordance with the Financial Reporting Manual (‘FReM’). Spending, be it capital or resource, on the various financial stability interventions will be included in those accounts.
International Financial Reporting Standards will be adopted in 2009-10, under the technical accounting guidance in the International Financial Reporting Manual (‘IFReM’).
Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many full-time equivalent employees of HM Revenue and Customs are working with (a) Lloyds Banking Group and (b) RBS. [268088]
Ian Pearson: HMRC employees may be seconded to work in an external organisation. No HMRC employees are currently seconded to (a) Lloyds Banking Group or (b) RBS.
Banks: Regulation
Mr. Baron: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what measures to amend the regulatory regime applying to (a) the banking sector and (b) banks which have received public money he is considering to minimise the risk of future failures in the sector. [253985]
Ian Pearson [holding answer 3 February 2009 ]: The Banking Act, which received Royal Assent on 12 February, provides new powers for the authorities to deal with failing banks, as well as providing for improved oversight and compensation arrangements.
The Government continue to assess future regulatory requirements for banking supervision. At the Chancellor’s request, Lord Turner, Chairman of the Financial Services Authority, is reviewing financial services regulation in the UK. The Turner Review has now been published and can be accessed through the following link:
The UK also continues to work closely with international partners. The UK, as President of the G20, will play a leading role in determining a global response to the challenges facing the banking sector.
Building Colleges for the Future Programme
Stephen Williams: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions (a) he, (b) his Ministers and (c) his officials have had with representatives of the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills on funding allocations for capital building projects in further education colleges to be made in the current spending review period. [268463]
Yvette Cooper: The Treasury has regular discussions with other Government Departments, including the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills, on a wide range of public expenditure and policy issues, including the further education college capital programme.
Business: Government Assistance
Lorely Burt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the (a) effect on tax revenue of and (b) number of employees affected by the introduction of the requirement that a company have fewer than 250 employees in order to grant options under the Enterprise Management Incentive scheme. [267719]
Ian Pearson: The information is as follows:
The estimate published in Budget 2008 included another measure.
At the time of the 2008 Budget the Exchequer yield from the employee restriction element of the Enterprise Management Incentive Scheme was estimated as:
| Revenue impact of the 250 employee limit to EMIs (£ million) | |
(b) T he Number of Employees Affected
The change in the rules did not affect employees to whom options had already been granted. As a result of the change, around 4,000 employees would no longer qualify for EMIs in the first year.
Child Care Tax Credit
Mrs. Maria Miller: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his most recent estimate is of the level of take-up of the childcare element of the Working Tax Credit. [268639]
Mr. Timms: Take-up rate estimates for the child care element are not available.
However, estimates of the number of in-work families benefiting from the child care element of working tax credit, at selected dates, are published in Table 4.4 of the HMRC publication ‘Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics’ for each year. These publications are available on the HMRC website at:
Departmental Energy
Greg Clark: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent progress his Department has made towards its target for the energy efficiency per square metre of its Estate; and if he will make a statement. [266888]
Angela Eagle: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given to the hon. Member for Ochil and South Perthshire (Gordon Banks) on 12 January 2009, Official Report, column 330W.
The Treasury will provide an update on progress in its annual departmental report for 2008-09 later this year.
Departmental Public Expenditure
Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his latest estimate is of his Department's capital expenditure in (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10, (c) 2010-11 and (d) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement. [268128]
Angela Eagle: The Treasury's forecast of capital spending within departmental expenditure limits (DEL) in 2008-09 is £5 million. Details of the Department's capital DEL budgets for forward years were shown in Table A5 of the 2007-08 Annual Report, Cm 7408, available from
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