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22 Jun 2009 : Column 666W—continued
The encryption of laptops used by the Treasury and its agencies since 2008 has significantly reduced the risk of data/information loss.
Departmental Surveys
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a copy of the latest staff satisfaction survey for (a) his Department, (b) each of its agencies and (c) HM Revenue and Customs. [279258]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: HM Treasury last undertook a staff satisfaction survey in December 2008. A summary of the results from this survey has been placed in the Library.
A copy of the February 2009 OGC staff survey has been placed in the Library.
The UK Debt Management Office has not run a staff satisfaction survey since November 2003.
The latest engagement survey for HMRC took place in February 2009. The results were published on the HMRC website on the 20 May 2009 and can be accessed via:
Equitable Life
Mr. David Anderson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to respond to the report of the Select Committee on Public Administration on Equitable Life. [281111]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Government responded to the Committee’s report on 19 May.
Mr. David Anderson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to respond to the most recent report of the parliamentary ombudsman on Equitable Life. [281114]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Government regret that the parliamentary ombudsman felt it was necessary to lay her further report but stands by the response to her main report it made on 15 January 2009. The Government are now working to deliver the ex gratia payments scheme it has announced as quickly as possible.
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what date Mr. Simon Bor was seconded from his Department to assist Sir John Chadwick’s inquiry into the Equitable Life ex-gratia payment scheme. [281600]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: It would not be appropriate for the Government to comment on junior officials’ employment details.
All secondments involving Treasury staff are carried out in accordance with the civil service code.
Financial Ombudsman Service
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will assess the adequacy of the resources available to the Financial Ombudsman Service to deal with present levels of demand. [280904]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry:
The Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) is operationally independent of Government. The steps taken by the FOS to deal with the demands it faces are detailed in its corporate plan and budget 2009-10 published in March 2009. The Financial Services
authority (FSA) approves the budget of the FOS and has a duty to ensure that the FOS is at all times capable of exercising its functions.
Government Departments: ICT
Jenny Willott: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what guidance the Office of Government Commerce's Centre of Expertise in Sustainable Procurement has provided on environmental criteria for government ICT procurement; and if he will make a statement. [269760]
Ian Pearson: The Centre of Expertise in Sustainable Procurement (CESP) guidance on environmental criteria for Government ICT procurement is outlined in the ‘Quick Win' product specifications, which can be found on the DEFRA website:
The guidance is based on the Greening Government ICT Strategy published in July 2008:
Health Service Ombudsman
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the evidence given by the Health Service Ombudsman to the Public Bill Committee on the Health and Social Care Bill, Session 2007-08, what the outcome was of discussions between his Department and the Ombudsman on the additional funding required by the Ombudsman for her new role in the NHS complaints process. [281106]
Mr. Byrne: The additional funding required by the Ombudsman in 2009-10 has been sanctioned.
Lord Paul
Mr. Graham Stuart: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many times Lord Paul of Marylebone has visited No. 11 Downing Street on matters related to his Department’s responsibilities in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [281960]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with 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 meetings.
Members: Correspondence
Ann Winterton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to respond to the letter of 2 February 2009, ref 3/08735/2009, on value added tax from the hon. Member for Congleton on behalf of her constituent Mr Carl Hammonds. [280714]
Mr. Timms: I have replied to the hon. Member.
Mr. Salmond:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to respond to the letter of 29 January 2009 from the right hon. Member for Banff
and Buchan on the closure of the Peterhead HM Revenue and Customs office. [280796]
Mr. Timms: A reply was sent to the hon. Member on 2 March 2009.
Private Finance Initiative
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment his Department has made of the (a) costs and (b) benefits of assisting private finance initiative projects through (i) its Infrastructure Finance Unit and (ii) direct funding from the public purse. [280901]
Ian Pearson: The Government believe it is vital to get infrastructure projects under way as swiftly as possible—to support jobs and the economy this year as well as delivering important public services. Switching to alternative procurement methods or conventional funding for these projects at this late stage would incur significant additional delays or risk projects failing. For these reasons we have decided that providing additional debt finance is the most effective way to get construction underway swiftly and support jobs now.
Private Finance Initiative: Derbyshire
Mr. McLoughlin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of private finance initiatives in (a) West Derbyshire constituency and (b) Derbyshire. [280872]
Ian Pearson: All local authority PFI projects seeking PFI credits are subject to an assessment by the Projects Review Group (PRG), which is chaired by HM Treasury.
Minutes of the PRG meetings held in 2008 and 2009 can be found on the HM Treasury website at:
A list of all signed PFI projects can be found on the HM Treasury website at:
Sri Lanka: International Assistance
Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 19 May 2009, Official Report, column 1328W, on Sri Lanka: international assistance, when he expects the International Monetary Fund to present a programme for Sri Lanka; and if he will make a statement. [280683]
Mr. Timms: The International Monetary Fund has not yet presented a programme for Sri Lanka and the UK has not been asked to vote on a programme yet.
Once a programme is presented, it will be assessed on its merits and the situation on the ground in Sri Lanka to decide whether it will help the people of Sri Lanka.
Tax Credit: Peterborough
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many residents of Peterborough constituency are in receipt of tax credits; and what the average level of tax credit payment to such residents was in the last 12 months. [281700]
Mr. Timms: The latest information on the number of recipient families benefiting from tax credits, by each parliamentary constituency, is given in the HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) snapshot publication, “Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics. Geographical Analyses. April 2009”.
Information on average annual entitlements by each parliamentary constituency, based on incomes and final family circumstances in 2006-07, is produced in the HMRC publication, “Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics. Finalised Annual Awards. Geographical Analyses. 2006-07”. These publications are available on the HMRC website at:
Information for 2007-08 is not yet available at parliamentary constituency level. Further information can be found at:
Tax Evasion
Dr. Pugh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many HM Revenue and Customs staff administered the provisions of anti-tax avoidance legislation (a) in 2007, (b) in 2008 and (c) on the latest date for which figures are available. [281659]
Mr. Timms: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) staff use whatever parts of the tax code are relevant to help people and businesses pay the right amount of tax and, where necessary, to tackle tax avoidance, evasion and fraud. HMRC is unable to provide information regarding the specific number of resources deployed on the separate elements of that work.
Tax Evasion: ICT
Mr. Todd: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what research his Department has commissioned on the effect of the provisions on IR35 on the IT contractor sector in the last five years. [281694]
Ian Pearson: The intermediaries legislation also known as IR35 is not targeted at any particular occupation or business sector. It is anti avoidance legislation which prevents workers, who are providing their services under what would otherwise be considered employment terms, being able to pay less income tax and national insurance contributions (NICs) by providing their services through intermediaries, most commonly limited companies.
The legislation seeks to ensure that what is properly employment income is subject to income tax and NICs as such.
Taxation: Members
Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans HM Revenue and Customs has to enable hon. Members to submit tax returns online. [277780]
Mr. Timms: The vast majority of self-assessment (SA) taxpayers can take advantage of HM Revenue and Customs' online services to file their tax return via the internet. However, a small proportion of SA taxpayers (including Members of Parliament) need to complete special dedicated pages. These forms are not available online since it would be disproportionately costly to develop the links to departmental computer systems.
VAT: Repairs and Maintenance
Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for East Dunbartonshire of 1 June 2009, Official Report, column 54W, on value added tax: repairs and maintenance, if he will reduce to five per cent. the rate of value added tax applicable to the maintenance and repair of listed buildings. [281734]
Mr. Timms: VAT is a broad-based tax upon consumption and although the Government continue to keep the impact of VAT on all building work under review, it only applies reduced VAT rates where it believes these would provide well-targeted and cost-effective support for its policy objectives.
Welfare Tax Credits
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what provision there is for tax credits for those between 18 and 24 years old without children. [281440]
Mr. Timms: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Dundee, West (Mr. McGovern), on 16 April 2007, Official Report, column 422W.
Welfare Tax Credits: Islington
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many residents of Islington North constituency are in receipt of tax credits; and what the average tax credit payment to such residents was in the last 12 month period for which information is available. [281474]
Mr. Timms: The latest information on the number of recipient families benefiting from tax credits, by each parliamentary constituency, is available in the HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) snapshot publication “Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics. Geographical Analyses. April 2009”.
For the average amount paid, information on average annual entitlements by each parliamentary constituency, based on final family circumstances and incomes in 2006-07, is produced in the HMRC publications “Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics. Finalised Annual Awards. Geographical Analyses. 2006-07”. All of these publications are available at:
Information for 2007-08 is not yet available at parliamentary constituency level. More information can be found at:
Written Questions: Government Responses
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) when he plans to answer question (a) 279978 and (b) 279979, tabled on 10 June 2009, on the Asset Protection Scheme; [281280]
(2) when he plans to answer question 279981, tabled on 10 June 2009, on public sector contracting. [281282]
Mr. MacNeil: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to answer question (a) 279857 and (b) 279858, tabled on 10 June 2009, on road fuel duty. [281291]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The former Exchequer Secretary replied to the hon. Members within the parliamentary deadline.
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to answer Question 279980, tabled on 10 June 2009, on Northern Rock. [281281]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Economic Secretary replied to the hon. Member within the parliamentary deadline.
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