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5 May 2009 : Column 56W—continued
Rover Group
Peter Luff: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much the Companies Act investigation into MG Rover had cost on the latest date for which figures are available; when he expects the investigation to be completed; what estimate he has made of the total cost of the investigation; and if he will make a statement. [271417]
Mr. McFadden: The total cost of the Rover inquiry as at 31 March 2009 was £15,191,376 (broken down as £12,502,416 in costs, £447,406 in disbursements and £2,241,554 in VAT).
As is normal in Companies Act inspections the inspectors were not given a specific target date for the completion of their investigation, nor are they working to a pre-determined financial ceiling. Either might restrict the depth and thoroughness of their inquiry.
Royal Mail
Frank Dobson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform which (a) organisations and (b) individuals are advising (i) the Secretary of State and (ii) Royal Mail on the proposed part-privatisation of Royal Mail. [271742]
Mr. McFadden [holding answer 29 April 2009]: UBS, Freshfields and Deloitte are advising my right hon. and noble Friend the Secretary of State on this matter and Rothschild and Slaughter and May are advising Royal Mail.
There are no individuals advising either the Government or Royal Mail.
Short-Time Working
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent estimate he has made of the number of (a) businesses that are operating short-time working practices and (b) people on short-time working. [272500]
Mr. McFadden: The information is as follows:
(a) Data on businesses that are operating short-time working practices are not centrally collected because businesses do not have to inform Government of changes in their terms and conditions of employment.
(b) Estimates of the number of people on short-time working can be made from the Office for National Statistics Labour Force Survey. In Quarter 4 (October to December) 2008 around 60 thousand UK employees are estimated to be on short-time working practices. This represents 0.2 per cent. of all UK employees.
This estimate defines short-time working as the number of employees whose actual hours worked, when surveyed, were fewer than their usual hours worked due to economic causes.
Telephone Services
Rosie Cooper: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what powers Ofcom has to (a) investigate and (b) take action in respect of inaccurate claims made by telephone service provider sales staff in relation to the transfer of existing numbers associated with the BT Call Sign service. [271032]
Ian Pearson [holding answer 24 April 2009]: The matter raised is the responsibility of the independent regulator, the Office of Communications (Ofcom), which is accountable to Parliament rather than Ministers. Accordingly, I have asked the chief executive of Ofcom to reply directly to my hon. Friend. Copies of the chief executive’s letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
Trading Funds
Adam Afriyie: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will place in the Library a copy of the Trading Funds Assessment. [272082]
Mr. McFadden [holding answer 30 April 2009]: The findings of the Trading Funds Assessment were made public on the 21 April 2009 with the publication of the final report of the Operational Efficiency Programme:
Written Questions: Government Responses
Justine Greening: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when he plans to answer question 259782, on the Aspire Fund, tabled on 24 February 2009. [265583]
Ian Pearson [holding answer 23 March 2009]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 27 April 2009, Official Report, column 1063W.
Treasury
Banks: Finance
Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many documents his Department received from (a) Lloyds Banking Group and (b) RBS as a result of their participation in the Asset Protection scheme; and if he will make a statement. [268083]
Ian Pearson: In the course of negotiating participation in the Asset Protection scheme (APS) and in the associated due diligence and information gathering, some 5,000 documents have been provided from participating banks as of 20 April.
In completing the due diligence process and establishing the operation of the scheme we expect further documents from the banks.
Child Care Tax Credit
Mrs. Maria Miller: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much funding was allocated for the child care element of the working tax credit in each year since 2003; and how much has been spent from that allocation in each such year. [272595]
Angela Eagle: The child care element is an integral part of tax credits. There is no separate funding allocation for the child care element of working tax credits but information on the average amount of help awarded and the number of families benefiting from the child care element can be found in table 2.4 of the HMRC publications, “Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics. Finalised Annual Awards”, for 2003-04 to 2006-07. These publications can be found on the HMRC website at
Figures for 2007-08 will be available in May 2009.
Information on the total amount spent each year by HMRC on tax credits can be found in its annual departmental reports which are available on its website at
Coins: Forgery
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate the Royal Mint has made of the number of counterfeit £1 coins in circulation. [272492]
Ian Pearson: The most recent survey conducted by the Royal Mint found that its sample contained a £1 coin counterfeit rate of 2.58 per cent.
Cost Effectiveness
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of progress on the Operational Efficiency programme. [271172]
Yvette Cooper: The final report of the Operational Efficiency Programme was published on 21 April 2009 and it is available on the following website:
As announced in the Budget 2009 document, the Government accept the recommendations of the Operational Efficiency Programme and all Departments will be working to implement and deliver the additional value for money savings identified through the programme.
Departmental Bank Services
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 23 March 2009, Official Report, column 91W, on departmental bank services, what the (a) purpose and (b) monetary value is of each contract between his Department and each of the banks listed in the answer. [268303]
Ian Pearson: HM Treasury has contracted with those banks for the provision of financial advice during the financial year 2008-09.
Figures for the Treasury's spending in 2008-09 will be available in the Department's resource accounts 2008-09 after the conclusion of the Comptroller and Auditor General's audit.
Economic Growth
Mr. Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his statement of 22 April 2009, Official Report, column 237, what the evidential basis is for the statement that he expects the economy to start growing towards the end of 2009; and if he will make a statement. [272246]
Ian Pearson: A detailed assessment of economic prospects including those relating to GDP growth in the UK is set out in chapter B of the 2009 Financial Statement and Budget Report (HC 407).
Excise Duties: Alcoholic Drinks
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the amount of revenue to the Exchequer from the 2 per cent. increase in alcohol duty in each of the next three years. [272323]
Angela Eagle: HM Revenue and Customs publishes estimates of the revenue effects of alcohol duty rate changes on its website:
Financial Services Authority
Justine Greening: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answers of 25 March 2009, Official Report, column 406W, on financial services: standards to question (a) 265933, (b) 265929, (c) 265934, (d) 265922, (e) 265925, (f) 265927, (g) 265924 and (h) 265926, when he expects the Financial Services Authority to write to the hon. Member for Putney. [271817]
Ian Pearson: I understand that the FSA has recently replied to the hon. Member.
Government Departments: Assets
Mr. Gerrard: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what guidelines govern the procedures by which (a) Government Departments and (b) Executive agencies are permitted to insure their assets; [272035]
(2) whether (a) Government Departments and (b) Executive agencies are permitted to carry forward reserves held as contingency sums as an alternative to the insurance of assets. [272036]
Yvette Cooper: The principles behind the Government's approach to insurance are explained in sections 4.4 and 5.2 of “Managing Public Money”, the Government's guide to proper standards of conduct in the treatment of public funds (see www.hm-treasury.gov.uk). There is a general guide to treatment of risk at section 4.3 of the same document.
Loans: Debts
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many and what proportion of personal loan accounts were in reportable arrears in each quarter to date since 1997. [262537]
Mr. Thomas: I have been asked to reply.
The Government do not hold these data.
Low Carbon Buildings Programme
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which categories of (a) housebuilder and (b) low carbon sustainable homes will be eligible for support from the £100 million of new capital being made available under Chapter 5, section 5.76 and Chapter 7, section 7.17 of the 2009 Budget Report. [271760]
Angela Eagle: Budget 2009 provided up to £100 million for local authorities over two years to deliver new social housing at higher energy efficiency standards. The funding will be allocated via a competitive bidding process, which will be open to all local authorities in England. The Homes and Communities Agency will set out criteria for bids shortly, including meeting the energy efficiency commitment.
Members: Correspondence
Mr. Baron: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Billericay of 23 March 2009 on his constituent, Mr D. Randall. [272591]
Mr. Timms: There is no record of receipt of this correspondence at HM Treasury. Copies have been requested from the hon. Member's office and will be dealt with as soon as possible on receipt.
Mr. Baron: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Billericay of 12 March 2009 on his constituent, Mr Gray. [272593]
Ian Pearson: I have replied to the hon. Member.
Mr. Baron: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Billericay of 13 March 2009 on his constituent, Mrs N. Finlay. [272594]
Mr. Timms: I have replied to the hon. Member.
Mortgages
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information his Department holds on the amount of mortgage lending which has funded (a) new build, (b) mortgages for first-time buyers and (c) high loan-to-value ratio mortgages in the last (i) six and (ii) 12 months. [270435]
Ian Pearson: The Council of Mortgage Lenders publishes data relating to the mortgage market, including the number and value of loans to first-time buyers and average loan-to-value ratios, available at:
These figures are published on a monthly basis.
Motor Vehicles: Manufacturing Industries
Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations his Department has received from the motor trade on the effect on car dealers of the provisions in the Finance Act 2008 specifying that only registered owners of vehicles can apply for rebates of vehicle excise duty; and what estimate has been made by his Department of the costs to the motor trade of those provisions. [272325]
Angela Eagle: Treasury Ministers and officials receive representations from a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government’s practice to provide details of all such representations.
As detailed in my answer of 9 March 2009, Official Report, column 104W, by advising their customers to take the tax disc for a refund when selling a car into the trade, car dealers can preserve the financial benefit of Vehicle Excise Duty refunds for all parties.
The Treasury does not expect to receive additional revenue as a result of this change.
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