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29 Jun 2009 : Column 21W—continued
UN General Assembly: Meetings
Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the opening sessions of the United Nations General Assembly in 2010 and 2011 are scheduled to take place. [282591]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The UN General Assembly session opens on the third Tuesday in September every year, as per rule number 1 of its Rules of Procedure available at the UN website.
This will be 21 September 2010 and 20 September 2011. The general debate is normally held the subsequent week.
Treasury
Departmental Billing
Mr. Philip Hammond:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 1 June 2009, Official Report, column 50W, on departmental billing, how much his Department’s non-departmental public
bodies paid in interest under the Late Payment Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 in the last three years. [282322]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Treasury does not have responsibility for any non-departmental public bodies.
Departmental Data Protection
Mr. Blunt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many breaches of information security there have been at (a) his Department and (b) its agencies in the last five years. [281087]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Treasury Group reports all significant personal data security breaches to the Cabinet Office and the Information Commissioner’s Office. Information on personal data security breaches are published on an annual basis in the Department’s annual resource accounts as was announced in the Data Handling Review published on 25 June 2008. The Department has had no personal data security breaches in the last five years.
Additionally, any significant control weaknesses—including other significant security breaches (of which there have been none during the last five years)—are required to be included in the Statement of Internal Control, published within the Department’s annual resource accounts.
In the five years to 2008-09 there were six less significant breaches of information security.
Departmental Pay
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which of his Department's (a) agencies and (b) non-departmental public bodies have submitted bids for efficiency savings to be used for pay improvements in 2009 pay offers. [283029]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: No agency of Treasury has submitted a bid for efficiency savings to be used for pay improvements in 2009. Treasury has no non-departmental public bodies under its aegis.
Furnished Holiday Lettings Scheme Regulations
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will consult representatives of the (a) tourism sector and (b) holiday lettings industry on the proposed changes to the Furnished Holiday Lettings Scheme regulations; [282213]
(2) if he will assess the likely effects on (a) the economy of rural and coastal areas and (b) rural tourism businesses of the changes to the Furnished Holiday Lettings Scheme announced in Budget 2009. [282214]
Mr. Timms: The Government announced the withdrawal of the furnished holiday lettings scheme from 2010 at the 2009 Budget. It will bring forward legislation to achieve this aim in the 2010 Finance Bill.
The Government will be publishing draft legislation for consultation at the pre-Budget report. An impact assessment will also be published at this time.
IBC Vehicles (General Motors) Luton
Margaret Moran: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the likely effects on IBC Vehicles (General Motors) Luton of the proposed car scrappage scheme; and if he will make a statement. [271422]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Through the temporary vehicle scrappage scheme, announced at Budget 2009, a discount of £2,000 will be offered to consumers buying a new vehicle to replace a vehicle more than 10 years old which they have owned for more than twelve months. This discount will be co-funded by Government and manufacturers, with the Government setting aside up to £300 million for the scheme.
Assessments of the impact of the temporary vehicle scrappage scheme on individual manufacturers have not been made and are likely to be commercially confidential. Currently, 38 manufacturers, including General Motors UK, are participating in the scheme. The latest figures suggest that over 74,000 vehicles have been ordered through the scheme.
Landsbanki: Guernsey
Mr. Letwin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) pursuant to the answer of 13 May 2009, Official Report, column 851W, on Landsbanki: Guernsey, whether he has offered the Guernsey authorities a loan with a view to progressing payments to depositors affected by the failure of Landsbanki Guernsey; [282188]
(2) what the timetable is for the conclusion of discussions between his Department and the Guernsey authorities in relation to depositors affected by the failure of Landsbanki Guernsey. [282189]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings and discussions 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, the Government do not disclose the outcome or results of all such meetings and discussions.
Lenders' Panel
Grant Shapps: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 2 June 2009, Official Report, column 413W, on the Lenders’ Panel, on which dates the panel has met since its creation; and which members attended each meeting. [278595]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The lending panel was established at the 2008 pre-Budget report and meets on a monthly basis.
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 has been the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government’s practice to provide details of all such meetings.
Poverty
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Dundee, West of 16 April 2007, Official Report, column 422W, on working tax credit, what the evidential basis was for the statement that it is those aged 25 years or over who are most likely to face poorer incentives to work or suffer persistent poverty in work. [282640]
Mr. Timms: Analysis has shown that introduction of the working tax credit halted a sharp fall in the employment rate of people without children at age 25. This analysis was published in March 2008 in “Working Tax Credit and Labour Supply: Treasury Economic Working Paper No. 3”, available online at:
The Labour Force Survey, conducted by the Office for National Statistics, also shows that while working people experience substantial wage growth up to around age 25, wage growth for those aged 25 and over is much slower. Someone who is still on a low income by the age of 25 or over is therefore more likely to experience persistent poverty.
Tax Credit Office: Correspondence
James Duddridge: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how long on average the Tax Credit Office took to respond to written queries in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [282923]
Mr. Timms: The information is not available.
Welfare Tax Credits
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was paid out in tax credits to deceased claimants in each of the last three financial years; and how much in such payments has been recovered from the estates of the deceased. [282339]
Mr. Timms: For information about the amount of overpaid tax credits, attributable to deceased claimants up to and including 2006-07, I refer the hon. Member to the answers my predecessor, my right hon. Friend the Member for Liverpool, Wavertree (Jane Kennedy), gave him on 8 October 2007, Official Report, column 244W and on 10 July 2008, Official Report, column 1786W. The equivalent figure for 2007-08 was around £2 million and information for 2008-09 will be available in May 2010. Such overpayments can arise due to the time taken to notify HMRC of a death.
HM Revenue and Customs do not maintain separate records of the amounts of overpaid tax credits recovered from the estates of deceased claimants.
Communities and Local Government
City Regions
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he expects to announce the first pilot city regions. [282392]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in Budget 2009 Greater Manchester and Leeds city region as city-region pilots.
Council Tax: Valuation
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the automated valuation model is used for the purpose of council tax valuations and revaluations in (a) England and (b) Wales. [282396]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The information is as follows:
(a) Not at present.
(b) This is a matter for the Welsh Assembly Government.
Economic Prosperity Boards
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government in what ways the (a) role, (b) powers and (c) funding of economic prosperity boards will differ from those held by local authorities. [282387]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The precise role, powers and funding of an economic prosperity board will be proposed by the group of local authorities wishing to form the board, and will be confirmed in a statutory order made by the Secretary of State. Economic prosperity boards will be required to perform their functions with a view to promoting the economic development and regeneration of their area. They will be funded by their constituent local authorities and will not have precepting or levying powers.
Homes and Communities Agency
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what remuneration the members of the Homes and Communities Agency’s Housing Finance Group will receive; [282607]
(2) what budget the Homes and Communities Agency has assigned to its Housing Finance Group in each of the next two years; [282608]
(3) how often he expects the Homes and Communities Agency’s Housing Finance Group to meet; and if he will make a statement; [282609]
(4) by what date he expects the Homes and Communities Agency’s Housing Finance Group to submit its proposals to the Agency. [282610]
John Healey: The details of when the HCA’s Housing Finance Group will meet and when it will report are on the HCA’s website at:
The group has no budget of its own but any costs associated with the group’s work will be absorbed by other HCA budgets that have been identified for work of this nature.
Members of this group will be paid travel and subsistence costs where appropriate apart from the chair who is taking on this position as part of his wider duties as an adviser to the HCA. Remuneration for his role as consultant is currently in negotiation and will be published in due course.
Housing: Asbestos
Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance his Department provides to (a) local authorities, (b) leaseholders and (c) tenants about the health risks from asbestos in residential property; and if he will make a statement. [282466]
Mr. Ian Austin: The housing health and safety rating system (HHSRS) is a risk based evaluation tool to help local authorities identify and protect against potential risks and hazards to health and safety from any deficiencies identified in dwellings. It was introduced under the Housing Act 2004 and came into effect on 6 April 2006. It applies to all residential properties in England.
The HHSRS assesses 29 categories of housing hazard. Each hazard has a weighting which will help determine whether the property is rated as having category 1 (serious) or category 2 (other) hazards. Asbestos (and manufactured mineral fibres) are one of the hazards.
In February 2006, “Housing Health and Safety Rating System: Operating Guidance” and “Housing Health and Safety Rating System: Enforcement Guidance” were published. In May 2006 “Housing Health and Safety Rating System: Guidance for Landlords and Property Related Professionals” was published.
Mortgages: Government Assistance
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people have (a) received and (b) been refused assistance under the Mortgage Rescue Scheme in (i) Essex and (ii) Castle Point in each month since its inception. [282079]
John Healey: The Mortgage Rescue Scheme has been operational across England since January 2009. As part of the monitoring arrangements for the scheme, headline data for January - April 2009, provided by local authorities operating the scheme and broken down by Government office region, are available on the Department’s website, by following the link:
Figures reported by local authorities from January - April 2009 are provided in a table, which has been placed in the Library.
In the current economic conditions, we have acted rapidly to put in place help and support for households struggling with their mortgage at every stage: from free debt advice when problems start, to free support for cases that reach court. Advice is available to all households struggling with their mortgage, with targeted schemes for those in most need.
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people in negative equity have received assistance under the Mortgage Rescue Scheme. [282433]
John Healey:
In the current economic conditions, we have acted rapidly to put in place help and support for households struggling with their mortgage at every stage: from free debt advice when problems start, to free support for cases that reach court. From 1 May, the
Mortgage Rescue Scheme was expanded to include some households in negative equity. Monitoring data are available from:
This does not currently include specific information about applicants in negative equity.
Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people have (a) received and (b) been declined assistance under the Mortgage Rescue Scheme in (i) the London Borough of Enfield and (ii) Enfield, North constituency in each month since the scheme was established. [282567]
John Healey: I refer my right hon. Friend to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Castle Point (Bob Spink) today (PQ 282079).
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many households in (a) Welwyn Hatfield and (b) Hertfordshire have (i) applied for and (ii) been accepted to the Mortgage Rescue Scheme. [282963]
John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Castle Point (Bob Spink) today (PQ 282963).
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