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20 May 2009 : Column 1401W—continued
Redundancy: Government Assistance
Mr. Drew: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what measures he introduced in the 2009 Budget to assist householders in circumstances where one or more wage-earners has been made redundant and levels of domestic indebtedness are increasing; [276194]
(2) what measures in the 2009 Budget assist members of black and minority ethnic communities in rural areas who have recently been made redundant. [276195]
Mr. Timms: To help provide support for individuals who have been made redundant, the Budget announced a one-off increase of £30 in the level of statutory redundancy pay, increasing the weekly rate to £380. Redundancy pay is a right for all employees who have worked continuously for their employer for two years and are made redundant. Subject to parliamentary approval, the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform intends to implement this increase on 1 October 2009.
This builds on existing support such as the tax credit system, which is designed to respond quickly to changing circumstances, and has helped 355,000 households living on a lower income to receive an average of £35 per week more in tax credits. The pre-Budget report in November 2008 also announced a substantial package of support. This includes extending the Rapid Response Service, which provides a range of on-site personalised support through Jobcentre Plus; extending Local Employment Partnerships to assist the recently unemployed in their local labour market; and enhancements to Support for Mortgage Interest, to better help people out of work to meet the interest payments on their mortgage.
Revenue and Customs: Closures
Mr. Timpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what percentage of the budget for HM Revenue and Customs’ Workforce Change programme has been spent to date; [273637]
(2) what percentage of HM Revenue and Customs’ Workforce Change programme has been completed to date; [273638]
(3) what budget has been set for HM Revenue and Customs’ Workforce Change programme. [273640]
Mr. Timms [holding answer 8 May 2009]: The aim of the Workforce Change programme is to match HM Revenue and Customs’ (HMRC) staff resources and estate to the Department’s future business needs and deliver improved efficiencies for the taxpayer. HMRC expects to realise over £230 million in sustainable savings as well as wider business efficiencies as a result of releasing surplus office space and re-organising into larger more efficient teams in fewer offices.
HMRC allocated and centrally funded £65 million for the Workforce Change programme in 2008-09. For 2009-10 individual lines of business within HMRC will fund business restructuring plans from their general funding allocations.
HMRC is aiming to reduce its estate by 500,000 sq m —approximately one third of the estate inherited from its predecessor departments—by March 2012. To date, HMRC has reduced its estate by 218 000 sq m, or approximately 43 per cent. of this target.
Taxation: Crown Dependencies and British Overseas Territories
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assistance the Government offered each UK Overseas Territory 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. [274396]
Mr. Timms: The negotiation of tax information exchange agreements with other jurisdictions, including the UK, is essentially a matter for the Overseas Territories themselves. Such agreements are negotiated under Entrustments granted by the UK. The UK offers assistance where appropriate and encourages dialogue between the Overseas Territories and other countries. In the case of jurisdictions with particular capacity constraints, the UK offers more extensive assistance.
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.
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what correspondence he has had with the administrations of the UK Overseas Territories on removal of their tax haven status; [274703]
(2) when the Government first informed the administrations of the UK Overseas Territories of the requirement to conclude tax information exchange agreements prior to their removal from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development list of the jurisdictions considered to be tax havens; [276009]
(3) what discussions he has had with the administrations of the UK Overseas Territories on the timetable for (a) their agreement to the tax information exchange grants required by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and (b) the inclusion of their jurisdictions on the OECD White List; and if he will make a statement. [276013]
Mr. Timms: The Government maintain continuing dialogue with the Overseas Territories on tax co-operation issues. A number of Overseas Territories began negotiating tax information exchange agreements some years ago following commitments they made to comply with OECD standards. The Government welcome progress made so far and encourages all jurisdictions to maintain their efforts to implement the internationally agreed standard.
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what recent correspondence he has had with the administrations of the Crown Dependencies on removal of their tax haven status; [274397]
(2) when the Government first informed the administrations of the Crown Dependencies of the requirement to conclude tax information exchange agreements prior to their removal from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development list of the jurisdictions considered to be tax havens. [276008]
Mr. Timms:
The Government maintain continuing dialogue with the Crown Dependences on tax co-operation issues. The Crown Dependences began negotiating tax
information exchange agreements some years ago following commitments they made to comply with OECD standards. The Government welcome the inclusion of the Crown Dependences in the OECD list of jurisdictions that have substantially implemented the internationally agreed tax standard.
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the implication for the Government’s policy on reducing tax avoidance of the progress made by the UK Overseas Territories towards signature of tax information exchange grants prior to the G20 Summit in April 2009. [276012]
Mr. Timms: Tax information exchange agreements play an important role in combating tax evasion and avoidance. Overseas Territories have recently concluded a number of agreements but it is too early to assess their impact.
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what his policy is on the standards which Crown Dependencies should meet in respect of requirements for disclosure of information on tax regimes; [276010]
(2) what his policy is on the standards which UK Overseas Territories should meet in respect of requirements for disclosure of information on tax regimes. [276011]
Mr. Timms: The Government expect the Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories to comply with international standards of transparency and exchange of information in tax matters as developed by the OECD and endorsed by the G20.
Taxation: Gambling
Mr. Betts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect of changes to amusement machine licence duty announced in the 2009 Budget on (a) pubs, (b) seaside arcades, (c) bingo clubs and (d) the gaming machine industry. [274767]
Angela Eagle: The Treasury assess the broad impact of changes to gambling taxes and duties but the information collected by HMRC from amusement machine licence duty returns does not identify the sector in which the machine is located. Budget 2009 announced an increase in amusement machine licence duty, which is expected to add around one percentage point to gaming machines' effective tax rate. The costings implications can be found in table A1 of the Financial Statement and Budget Report.
Written Questions: Government Responses
Mr. Timpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to provide a substantive answer to Question (a) 273637, (b) 273638, (c) 273640 and (d) 273641 on the HM Revenue and Customs Workforce Change Programme tabled on 5 May 2009 for named day answer on 8 May. [276545]
Mr. Timms: I have replied to the hon. Member.
Culture, Media and Sport
Departmental Billing
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much (a) his Department and (b) its agency paid in interest to suppliers under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 in the last three years for which figures are available. [275206]
Mr. Sutcliffe: Interest payments to suppliers in respect of late payment of invoices are not centrally or separately recorded on the Department's or The Royal Parks' accounting systems and can only be identified at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Official Hospitality
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much his Department has spent on (a) conference services and (b) banqueting services in each of the last five years. [274509]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The Department's accounting system does not record costs relating to banqueting services discretely and to obtain these would incur disproportionate cost.
The costs relating to conference services are listed in the following table.
| Conference services costs (£) | |
Departmental Stationery
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much his Department has spent on branded stationery and gifts for (a) internal and (b) external promotional use in each of the last five years. [273778]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The Department has spent the following on branded DCMS stationery (letterhead, business cards and compliment slips) in the past five years:
| Spend (£) | |
The Department has spent the following on branded gifts in the past five years :
| Spend (£) | ||
Stress
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what percentage of sickness absence taken by staff in his Department was attributable to work-related stress in the last three years. [273063]
Mr. Sutcliffe: Our records do not distinguish between sickness caused by work-related stress and stress due to other causes and this information could be compiled only at a disproportionate cost.
Swimming Pools
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what financial support his Department has provided to (a) local authorities and (b) community groups for the construction of swimming pools in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [275553]
Mr. Sutcliffe: Sport England have advised that while they hold details of financial support for the redevelopment of leisure centres they cannot identify the support set aside for the construction of swimming pools. The information requested can only be provided at disproportionate cost.
In the 2009-10 planning round, under the Free Swimming Capital Modernisation programme, approximately £5.5 million of funding will support the construction of new pools.
Tourism: Scotland
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent steps his Department has taken to encourage tourists to visit Scotland. [275702]
Barbara Follett: DCMS supports UK tourism via its grant in aid sponsorship of VisitBritain who in turn promote Scotland as a holiday destination as part of its remit.
This promotion is undertaken through various platforms such press, public relations, the travel trade and the internet.
Currently VisitBritain is working in partnership with Visit Scotland and hosting a dedicated web page for the “Homecoming Scotland 2009” strategy. This is aimed at promoting tourism in Scotland via a year-long programme of events to celebrate some of Scotland's greatest contributions to the world.
Tourism: Standards
Mr. Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the participation levels have been in Visit Britain's National Quality Assessment scheme in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [274780]
Barbara Follett: VisitBritain have provided the following data about the participation levels in the National Quality Assessment scheme for the period April 2005 to April 2009.
| As at April each year | All sectors of visitor economy | Holiday Cottage Group (franchise ratings) | Total assessed |
| (1) 4.4 per cent. increase in VisitEngland assessed since April 2005 (excluding Holiday Cottage Group ratings) | |||
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