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30 Apr 2009 : Column 1417W—continued
Government Departments: Location
John Mann: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what provision he has made in his Department's expenditure estimates for the relocation of government services out of London in each of the next six financial years. [271775]
Angela Eagle: The Treasury is a small central Department, working directly to Ministers and Parliament. There are no plans to relocate any Treasury functions out of London in either 2009-10 or 2010-11. Spending plans for the following three years will be settled in the next spending review.
Non-Domestic Rates
Peter Luff: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what provisions he plans to bring forward to introduce automatic rate relief for small businesses in England; and if he will make a statement. [271531]
Angela Eagle: The Government are keen to continue to improve the administration of small business rate relief to make it easy to claim and increase its take up. The Chancellor has therefore asked his Department’s officials to work with CLG officials to see what can be done to improve the take up of the scheme.
Tax Collection: Languages
Alun Michael: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he has taken to make tax forms in (a) Polish, (b) Romanian, (c) Moldovan and (d) other European languages available for people whose first language is not English. [271524]
Mr. Timms: Forms from HM Revenue and Customs, including tax returns, are not generally made available in languages other than English.
HMRC offers targeted support in languages other than English for customers:
Who are new to the UK, and new to the language, to enable them to meet their obligations and get access to services while they are settling in. Examples include a link on the ‘Coming to work in the UK’ HMRC website page, helpsheets on ‘Working in the Construction Industry: new Construction Industry Scheme guidance’ and on the Child Trust Fund, and miscellaneous airport and port notices.
From more established communities, where there is evidence to suggest that they need special help.
From within the travelling public who are entering or passing through the UK.
The help HMRC provides takes the form of:
simple information products, in plain English and key languages (including Polish), with key introductory information and signposting to further information and support; and
support and tools to better equip staff and intermediaries to help customers complete forms in English and to understand their rights and responsibilities.
HM Revenue and Customs also provide telephone interpretation services to help customers whose first language is not English when they visit a face to face inquiry centre or speak to staff in contact centres.
Tax Havens: British Overseas Territories
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he plans to take to implement the commitments of the G20 Summit in respect of tax jurisdictions in overseas territories and Crown dependencies; what timetable has been set; and if he will make a statement. [271645]
Mr. Timms: The G20 called on all jurisdictions to apply the international standard of exchange of information in tax matters and resolved to take action against jurisdictions that failed to do so. All the UK's overseas territories and Crown dependencies have committed to meeting the standard. A report on progress is included in the interim report of the Foot review, published at the Budget:
Where territories have been assessed by the OECD as not yet having substantially met the international standard, the Government will be working with those territories to help them achieve the standard as swiftly as possible.
Welfare Tax Credits
Steve Webb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the cost to the Exchequer of increasing the first income threshold for tax credits to £10,000, removing the second income threshold and applying a constant taper rate of 44 per cent. [270853]
Mr. Timms [holding answer 24 April 2009]: The estimated cost of increasing the first income threshold for tax credits to £10,000, of removing the second income threshold and applying a constant taper rate of 44 per cent. would be £1.4 billion in 2010-11. No account has been taken of possible behavioural effects.
These changes would not affect the number of claimants eligible for tax credits but would increase the number of claimants with awards reduced to zero.
Welfare Tax Credits: Maladministration
John Mann: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what date HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) wrongly entered the date of birth of the constituent of the hon. Member for Bassetlaw, reference 02005341/ND on its database for tax credit purposes; on what date the tax credit award was terminated in consequence; on what date HMRC plans to reinstate the terminated award; and what compensatory payment HMRC proposes to make. [271676]
Mr. Timms: It would not be appropriate for me to comment on the specifics of individuals' tax affairs. HM Revenue and Customs have advised me that they contacted my hon. Friend's constituent on 28 April 2009 about their case.
International Development
Departmental Conferences
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the Answer of 16 March 2009, Official Report, column 840W, on the economic situation, what the cost of his Department’s Annual Conference on 9 and 10 March 2009 was, broken down by category of expenditure. [267997]
Mr. Douglas Alexander: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer given today UIN 268013 to the hon. Member for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk (Mr. Moore).
Departmental Training
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 2 April 2009, Official Report, column 1464W on Departmental Training, how much was spent by his Department on ministerial training on handling the media as part of their continuing development. [272185]
Mr. Michael Foster: The Department for International Development has spent £4,050 on ministerial media training.
Israel: Borders
John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the implications of the Israeli wall for the well-being of Palestinian people in the West Bank, with particular reference to their access to water; and if he will make a statement. [271114]
Mr. Douglas Alexander:
The Department for International Development (DFID) has made no recent assessment of the implications of the Israeli wall for Palestinian wellbeing in the West Bank. However, a UN report released in November 2007 found that some
Palestinian communities located close to the Barrier or in the closed area between the Barrier and the Green Line had limited or no access to primary health care, that farmers had difficulties in gaining sufficient access to their land with a negative impact on their livelihoods, and that social relations were affected as relatives could not obtain ‘visitor’ permits to attend family occasions.
DFID also broadly agrees with a finding from the recent World Bank report, “Assessment of Restrictions on Palestinian Water Sector Development”, which states that physical access restrictions and closures, including the Separation Barrier, limit effective water sector management and development in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The report is available on the World Bank website:
Non-Governmental Organisations
Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which non-governmental organisations have received funds from the public purse to conduct aid work in Pakistan in the last five years; and how much each received. [270473]
Mr. Michael Foster: The following table shows which non-governmental organisations have received funds, and the amounts received, from DFID in Pakistan during the last five financial years (including ICRC and IFRC):
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