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6 July 2009 : Column 601W—continued
In addition 298,200 borrowers have the older mortgage-style maintenance loans. Some of these may also have income-contingent loans from a second period of study and would therefore be included in the table above.
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much interest was accrued on outstanding debts to the Student Loans Company in (a) 2007-08 and (b) 2008-09. [282843]
Mr. Lammy: The Statistical First Release ‘Student Loans for Higher Education in England, Financial Year 2008-09 (Provisional)’ shows £585.6 million of interest was added to student loans in 2007-08 and £759.5 million in 2008-09.
This document is available from the Student Loans Company website at:
Mr. Willetts:
To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the amount the Student Loans Company will lend in (a) tuition fee loans and (b)
maintenance loans to (i) domestic and (ii) overseas students in the 2008-09 academic year. [282853]
Mr. Lammy: Early provisional 2008-09 figures and complete figures for amounts lent in academic year 2007-08 are available in the Statistical First Release Student Support for Higher Education in England, Academic Year 2008-09 (Provisional). This is published on the Student Loans Company website at:
An update to this annual publication, containing complete 2008-09 information, will be published on a pre-announced date, towards the end of the year.
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people borrowed money from the Student Loans Company for (a) maintenance only, (b) tuition only and (c) maintenance and tuition in the latest academic year for which figures are available. [282965]
Mr. Lammy: The information requested is as follows.
| Numbers of students who took out student loans by type in academic year 2007-08 | |
| Loan type | Borrowers (number)( 1) |
| (1) English domiciled borrowers studying in the UK and EU borrowers studying in England. Source: Student Loan Company | |
Written Questions: Government Responses
Richard Burden: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills when he plans to answer Question (a) 274337, (b) 274338 and (c) 274339, tabled on 6 May 2009, on General Motors Europe. [283336]
Ian Lucas [holding answer 1 July 2009]: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 29 June 2009, Official Report, columns 96-97W.
Energy and Climate Change
Departmental Energy
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much was spent on energy efficiency measures for his Department’s and its predecessor’s estate in each year from 2004 to 2009; what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of that expenditure; and what plans he has for future energy efficiency measures. [280533]
Joan Ruddock: In 2007-08, DEFRA installed a powerPerfector in 3 Whitehall Place. The unit, installation and delivery costs were £70,878.35 (including VAT). Overall energy consumption reduced by 8.66 per cent. from the installation date (March 2008) to May 2009.
Since its inception in October 2008, DECC, working with Carbon Trust and others, has identified and started to implement a range of energy efficiency measures at
its HQ in 3 Whitehall Place. These include changes to lighting, heating and cooling controls, through optimisation of the building management system. Initial estimates suggest that investment in this work could be recovered in little over one year due to projected energy savings.
Fuel Poverty: North-West
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he plans to take to reduce levels of fuel poverty in (a) the North-West and (b) Lancashire. [278680]
Joan Ruddock [holding answer 5 June 2009]: Warm Front is the Government’s main scheme for tackling fuel poverty and, since 2005, has spent approximately £230 million on a range of energy efficiency measures in the North West region, including insulation and full central heating systems. Data are not available on a county basis.
The Department of Energy and Climate Change is responsible for national programmes aimed at reducing fuel poverty. The combination of Warm Front, CERT and Decent Homes and local programmes delivered through local government, partnerships, energy suppliers, Eaga and NEA (such as Warm Zones and CEEF) are all important in tackling fuel poverty across regions of England.
Insulation: Housing
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what timetable has been set for his Department’s programme for the insulation of six million homes; and how many homes had been insulated under that programme at the latest date for which figures are available. [284041]
Joan Ruddock: We continue to work with energy suppliers and the insulation industry towards the Prime Minister’s commitment to insulate six million households by the end of 2011. The contributing schemes are the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT); the Warm Front programme; the Decent Homes programme; and when it becomes operational, the Community Energy Saving Programme (CESP).
We estimate that in 2008-09 around 1.5 million households received insulation under these schemes. Households may receive more than one insulation measure(1) so the number of insulation measures delivered is greater than 1.5 million.
(1) Ofgem’s final report of the second phase of the Energy Efficiency Commitment (EEC2) concluded, on the basis of monitoring results, that each household that benefited from professionally installed insulation measures received on average 1.3 measures.
Renewable Energy: Pembrokeshire
Mr. Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what progress has been made on the Lunar tidal power project off the Pembrokeshire coast; and if he will make a statement. [279457]
Mr. Kidney:
We are aware of plans by Lunar and E.ON to develop an underwater tidal stream power project off the Pembrokeshire coast and my noble Friend
the Minister of State had a meeting with Lunar in January. However, we have not received a formal request for consenting approval.
Treasury
Departmental Standards
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 24 June 2009, Official Report, column 894W, on Government Departments: standards, whether his Department uses a formula to take performance against public service agreement targets into account in spending reviews. [283468]
Mr. Timms: No simple formulaic approach is applied during spending reviews. However, a Department’s performance during the previous spending review period is always taken into account when settlements are made.
Dormant Bank and Building Society Accounts Act 2008
Mr. Jeremy Browne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what proportion of money from dormant bank accounts will be allocated to each of the three funding priorities for England under the Dormant Bank and Building Society Accounts Act 2008; [272051]
(2) when he plans to direct the Big Lottery Fund to distribute funding to good causes under the Dormant Bank and Building Society Accounts Act 2008. [272054]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry [holding answer 30 April 2009]: The allocation between each of the spending areas for England will be determined by a cross-Government working group, which will continue to meet this year to draft the spending directions to issue to the Big Lottery Fund on the scheme's launch.
The Government intend the scheme to be operational as soon as possible, subject to parliamentary approval.
Government Departments: Finance
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 24 June 2009, Official Report, column 894W, on Government Departments standards, from which Departments funding has been withheld as a result of not meeting public service agreement targets since July 1998. [283484]
Mr. Timms: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary on 24 June 2009, Official Report, columns 893-94W.
Money Laundering
Ms Keeble: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions his Department has had with the Financial Action Task Force on the proposals made by the G20 leaders to improve the processes for compliance by jurisdictions with anti-money laundering and combating financial terrorism standards. [284267]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry:
HM Treasury leads the UK delegation to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). At its last plenary session on the 24-26 June 2009, the FATF agreed changes to its procedures for dealing with
jurisdictions whose anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism regimes present a risk to the global financial system. It also agreed a written report to be submitted to the G20 leaders’ summit in September.
Non-Domestic Rates
Justine Greening: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what proportion of appeals made to the Valuation Office Agency against assessment for business rates resulted in a change to rateable value in each billing authority area in each of the last five years; [284032]
(2) what estimate his Department has made of the number of appeals made to the Valuation Office Agency in respect of ratings assessments for business rates relating to (a) a valuation officer changing a property's rateable value, (b) part of the property becoming exempted from rate liability and (c) a material change in circumstances affecting the value of the property in each of the last five years; [284226]
(3) how many appeals against ratings assessments for business rates levied in each billing authority area have been made to the Valuation Office Agency in each of the last five years. [284227]
Mr. Timms: A copy of this information has been placed in the Library.
Private Finance Initiative: Standards
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his Department's policy is on the use of international financial reporting standards in the accounting treatment of private finance initiative liabilities. [283512]
Ian Pearson: Central Government financial reporting from 1 April 2009 is based on EU adopted International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), adapted or interpreted for the public sector context.
The IFRS based accounting policy for Public Private Partnership arrangements, including for PFI contracts, is detailed in the Government Financial Reporting Manual (FReM).
The FReM accounting for PFI is based on International Financial Reporting Interpretations Committee (IFRIC) Interpretation 12 Service Concession Arrangements, as interpreted for the public sector.
Public Expenditure: Coventry
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect of the 2009 Budget on pensioners resident in Coventry. [272953]
Angela Eagle: I have been asked to reply.
In the 2009 Budget the Chancellor announced a number of measures that will benefit pensioners, including those in Coventry.
In order to help those pensioners who receive income from savings and who may have been affected by lower interest rates, the Government will be increasing the threshold in pension credit (and housing and council tax benefit for those who have attained the qualifying
age for pension credit) from £6,000 to £10,000 from November 2009, so that pensioners can have up to £10,000 without it affecting their benefits; launching a tax back awareness campaign in autumn 2009 to encourage all those in receipt of pension credit to ensure they are not paying tax on their savings that they do not have to and to claim back overpaid tax; and from 2009-10, the amounts that people aged 50 and over can save in an Individual Savings Account (ISA) will be increased to £10,200 of which £5,100 can be saved in cash form (effective from 6 October 2009).
In addition there will be a repeat of this years additional winter fuel payment of £50 for households with someone aged 60-79 and £100 for those with someone aged 80 or over in winter 2009-10. This means the winter fuel payments will be £250 and £400 respectively for winter 2009-10 which provides a significant contribution towards an older person's winter fuel bill.
The Government have also committed to maintain the standard interest rate applied in the support for mortgage interest scheme at 6.08 per cent. for a further six months until the end of December 2009, this will help those on pension credit who receive help with their mortgage.
The Government also reconfirmed their commitment to uprate the basic state pension by a minimum of 2.5 per cent. should the retail prices index fall below 2.5 per cent. in September 2009.
A further change announced in the 2009 Budget is for grandparents who stop work to care for their grandchildren before they reach state pension age. They will be eligible to receive national insurance credits that will top up their basic state pension. This change is due to come into effect in 2011 and will make it easier for grandparents who take on significant caring responsibilities.
Revenue and Customs: Redundancy
Paul Rowen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much has been paid by HM Revenue and Customs in redundancy packages to employees following recent branch closures. [283699]
Mr. Timms: HMRC has not made any staff compulsorily redundant and is committed to avoiding this where at all practical. Instead HMRC is actively seeking to redeploy as many staff as possible into suitable alternative posts, both within HMRC and to other government departments.
Alongside this redeployment programme HMRC has also run a number of lower cost voluntary early release schemes and has offered these to eligible staff. Since April 2005 6,561 staff have left HMRC under these schemes at a cost of around £299 million. The savings in salary costs from these releases are estimated at £691 million.
Although all decisions on office closures have now been announced, the actual closures will be phased over a period of time. Through this implementation phase the redeployment of staff remains HMRC’s highest priority.
Students: Loans
David T.C. Davies:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people have complained to HM Revenue and Customs about the way in which money
has been collected from their salaries for the Student Loans Company in the last three years; and if he will make a statement. [284378]
Mr. Timms: HMRC collects income-contingent student loan repayments and forwards information about these to the Student Loans Company (SLC), who administer borrower accounts. In the last three tax years HMRC has sent SLC over 4.3 million reports of the total student loan repayments deducted from the annual salaries of individual borrowers.
During this period HMRC has received 22 complaints from student loan borrowers about the repayment collection process from salaries:
| Number of complaints | |
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