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19 May 2009 : Column 1367W—continued
European Union
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make an assessment of the effects on the (a) public purse and (b) economy of the UK's membership of the EU for the 2009-10 financial year. [275484]
Ian Pearson: The Government's latest forecast of UK net expenditure transfers to EC institutions in 2009-10 was published in Table C9 (page 238) of the 2009 Budget (HC 407).
The Single Market will continue to be a key driver for the UK economy in 2009-10 in particular in moving towards recovery, given the European Union's prominence as the UK's major trading partner.
Excise Duties: Diesel Fuel
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether an impact assessment was produced in relation to the guidelines issued in January 2008 on local authorities using red diesel in agricultural vehicles. [275753]
Angela Eagle: An impact assessment on the changes to the schedule of vehicles entitled to use rebated gas oil (red diesel) was published in December 2006, and is available on HMRC’s website (www.hmrc.gov.uk). A memorandum of agreement published in January 2008 clarified this legislation in relation to agricultural vehicles.
Financial Institutions: Debt Collection
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Financial Services Authority has produced guidance for financial institutions on their use of bailiffs to collect unpaid debts. [275868]
Ian Pearson: The matter raised in this question is the responsibility of the Financial Services Authority, whose day-to-day operations are independent from Government control and influence. The FSA will respond to the hon. Member directly
Government Departments: National Insurance Contributions
Mr. Gray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reasons (a) employees of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and of the Department for International Development deployed overseas pay Class 3 national insurance after 12 months and (b) military employees deployed overseas pay Class 1 national insurance; and what consideration he has given to equalising their national insurance treatments. [273734]
Mr. Timms: Employees of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development deployed overseas, in common with most ordinary employees, are kept in the UK's social security system and pay Class 1 National Insurance by the UK's extensive network of international agreements. However, where they are sent abroad to countries where there are no agreements then they will no longer be entitled to pay Class 1 National Insurance after 52 weeks. After this period they can, if they meet certain residence conditions, choose to protect their UK basic state pension and entitlement to bereavement benefit cover, by paying Class 3 National Insurance.
There are special rules for certain groups, such as HM Forces that have no choice but to work outside the UK when required. Social security cover is vital as the nature of their work may be hazardous. These rules keep them in the UK Social Security scheme, paying Class 1 National Insurance Contributions towards the full range of social security benefits. Without this, such groups would need potentially expensive private insurance for themselves and their families, or could be left without income replacement when subsequently sick, disabled or unemployed.
The Government have no plans to change the National Insurance treatments of these two groups when deployed overseas.
Income Support: Mortgages
Ms Keeble: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people have been assisted by the Homeowners Mortgage Support Scheme. [276471]
Margaret Beckett: I have been asked to reply.
Official figures on numbers of households entering HMS will be published later this year. We are working closely with lenders and money advisors to monitor progress and ensure the scheme is working effectively.
Inheritance Tax: Tamworth
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the number of residents of Tamworth constituency who paid inheritance tax in 2008-09 who would have paid inheritance tax if the threshold had been increased to £1 million. [274135]
Mr. Timms: Estimated numbers of estates paying inheritance tax are not available at local levels.
Members: Correspondence
Sir Michael Spicer: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire dated 9 February 2009, on mortgages and interest rates, PQ reference: 1/67151/2009. [275840]
Ian Pearson [ holding answer 15 May 2009]: A reply has been sent to the hon. Member.
Mr. Paul Goodman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to reply to the letter of 27 November 2008 from the hon. Member for Wycombe concerning his constituent, Armitabh Naik. [276446]
Ian Pearson: I have replied to the hon. Member.
Pensions
Jo Swinson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the merits of giving pensioners the ability to divide their pension between current income and capital as they wish. [275673]
Ian Pearson [holding answer 15 May 2009]: The Government provide generous pensions tax relief to support saving to produce an income in retirement. These generous reliefs include the ability to take up to 25 per cent. of a pension fund as a tax free lump sum. The remainder should be used to produce an income throughout retirement. Where funds are considered small the member may be able to take the whole fund as a lump sum. These rules are regularly reviewed.
Planning Permission
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what planning applications were made by his Department between May 1997 and May 1998; and for what purpose in each case. [275766]
Angela Eagle: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 2 February 2009, Official Report , column 899W, to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles).
Steering Committee on Harmonisation
Mrs. Spelman:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a copy of the minutes of the (a) 47th and (b) 48th meeting of
the Steering Committee on Harmonisation (Practice and Procedure) England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. [275754]
Mr. Timms: For minutes of the 47(th) meeting of the Steering Committee on Harmonisation I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 26 November 2008, Official Report, column 1923W, to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst (Robert Neill).
A copy of the minutes of the 48(th) meeting of the Steering Committee has been placed in the Library.
Tax Havens: Crown Dependencies
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assistance the Government offered to each of the Crown Dependencies to facilitate (a) the completion of tax information exchange agreements and (b) inclusion in the OECD list of jurisdictions that had substantially implemented the internationally-agreed tax standard before the G20 Meeting in April 2009. [274395]
Mr. Timms: The negotiation of tax information exchange agreements with other jurisdictions, including the UK, is essentially a matter for the Crown Dependencies themselves. Such agreements are negotiated under entrustments granted by the UK. The UK offers assistance where appropriate and encourages dialogue between the Crown Dependencies and other countries.
Inclusion in the OECD list of jurisdictions that have substantially implemented the internationally agreed tax standard is based on assessments carried out by the OECD.
Taxation: Defence Equipment
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much revenue accrued to the Exchequer through taxation on the arms sector in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [275810]
Angela Eagle: The information is not available.
Valuation Office
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a copy of the Valuation Office Agency’s generic Method of Work Statement. [275756]
Mr. Timms: The generic Method of Work Statement will be placed in the Library.
Valuation Office: Cole Layer Trumble
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Peterborough of 10 March 2009, Official Report, column 262W, on the Valuation Office: Cole Layer Trumble, whether the Valuation Office Agency holds a copy of the original agreement between Cole Layer Trumble and EDS. [275781]
Mr. Timms: The Valuation Office Agency does not hold a copy of the agreement.
Valuation Office: Geographical Information Systems
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the (a) names and (b) job titles of senior staff of the Valuation Office Agency’s installation of a geographical information system working group are; and what the job titles are of junior staff serving on the working group. [275867]
Mr. Timms: The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) does not have a geographical information system working group. However, the VOA does have a Project Board that oversees the development of their geographic information system (GIS). Members of the GIS Project Board include the following senior staff of the VOA: Paul Sanderson, Director of Data Strategy and Jon Wrennall, Chief Information Officer. The job titles of other VOA staff who sit on the GIS Project Board include: Business Project Manager; IT Project Manager; IT Business Analyst; Head of Portfolio Delivery; HR Learning Manager.
Valuation: Business Premises
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what the average rental value in pounds per square metre per year for a (a) type 1, (b) type 2 and (c) type 3 office premises was in England, according to Valuation Office Agency records, in the closest period to (i) April 2008 and (ii) April 2003 for which records are held; [275752]
(2) what the average rental value in pounds per square metre per year for a (a) type 1, (b) type 2, (c) type 3, (d) type 4 and (e) type 5 industrial premises was in England according to Valuation Office Agency records in the closest period to (i) April 2008 and (ii) April 2003 for which records are held; [275755]
(3) what the average rental value in pounds per square metre per year for a (a) type 1, (b) type 2 and (c) type 3 shop premises in England was, according to Valuation Office Agency records, in the closest period to (i) April 2008 and (ii) April 2003 for which records are held. [275771]
Mr. Timms: This information is not available and cannot be prepared without disproportionate cost. The Valuation Office Agency’s Property Market Reports give average rental values for these categories in a number of different localities. National figures cannot be derived from these reports, as not all localities are included and there is variation in numbers of properties in each of the localities that are included.
Health
Benzodiazepines and Antidepressants
Dr. Naysmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prescriptions of (a) individual benzodiazepine drugs and (b) individual anti-depressants were dispensed in the community in 2008. [276025]
Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is in the following tables.
| Benzodiazepines, British National Formulary chemical name | Items dispensed in 2008 (thousands)( 1) |
| (1) <0.1 indicates that less than 50 prescriptions were dispensed. Source: Prescription Cost Analysis (PCA) system. | |
| Anti-depressants, British National Formulary chemical name | Items dispensed in 2008 (thousands)( 1) |
| (1) <0.1 indicates that less than 50 prescriptions were dispensed. Source: Prescription Cost Analysis (PCA) system. | |
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