| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
20 Oct 2009 : Column 1409W—continued
Pupils: Migration
Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the level of pupil mobility in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in each local education authority in 2007-08. [286238]
Mr. Coaker [holding answer 20 July 2009]: The DCSF does not publish any estimates of pupil mobility. Estimates of pupil mobility in primary and secondary schools are provided here using the mobility indicators that form part of the DCSF's Contextual Value Added (CVA) models. These identify pupils as mobile if they join a school at non standard times. Only pupils at the end of Key Stage 2 and the end of Key Stage 4 in 2007/08 are included in the figures. A copy of these tables has been placed in the Libraries.
Social Workers: Young Offender Institutions
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many social workers have worked full-time in young offender institutions in each year since 1997. [293649]
Maria Eagle: I have been asked to reply.
The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.
Vetting: Appeals
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many people convicted of each type of offence have successfully appealed against automatic barring from working with children. [293543]
Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 16 October 2009]: No individuals who have been automatically placed on list 99 and barred from working with children have successfully appealed against automatic barring from working with children.
Treasury
Adjudicator's Office
Mr. Paul Goodman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what training staff of the Adjudicator's Office receive in respect of handling (a) complaints and (b) applications for compensation. [294632]
Mr. Timms: New staff at the Adjudicator's Office normally receive a 13 module training programme when they join the office. This programme includes separate modules on complaints handling and redress (compensation).
Consolidated Contractors Corporation
David Davis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what (a) meetings, (b) communications and (c) other contacts Ministers and officials in his Department have had with the Consolidated Contractors Corporation (CCC Group) and its international offshoots in the last five years. [294381]
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.
Council of Economic Advisers: Departmental Responsibilities
Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a copy of the job specification and terms of reference for members of his Department's Council of Economic Advisers who have the status of special advisers. [292600]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Prime Minister provides Parliament with details of special advisers through an annual written ministerial statement. This includes members of the Council of Economic Advisers, who are appointed on special adviser terms.
The terms of reference for the Council of Economic Advisers are:
"To advise the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the design and implementation of policies for the achievement of the Government's economic objectives."
Departmental ICT
Justine Greening: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what IT systems have been in development for use within his Department in the last five years, what the reasons for the development of each system are; how much has been spent on the development of each system; and which systems have subsequently been (a) implemented, (b) terminated prior to implementation and (c) terminated following implementation. [290597]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The following table summarises the information requested for expenditure over £0.1 million on IT systems developed within HM Treasury in the five years to October 2009.
| System name | Reason for development | Status | Amount spent (£ million) |
|
Secure single data repository for Budget and pre-Budget report data management and reporting |
In respect of the Department's Corporate Shared Services Programme, which had an IT-enabling element to underpin the shared Human Resource service for people in HM Treasury and the Office of Government Commerce, I refer the hon. Lady to the answer my predecessor gave to the hon. Member for Cardiff, Central (Jenny Willott) on 28 January 2009, Official Report, column 584W. It is not possible to disaggregate the cost of the IT-enabled element from the overall costs of the programme.
Economic Situation: Leeds
John Battle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the recession on the economy in Leeds West constituency; and if he will make a statement. [294022]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Government recognise that the global economic downturn has affected all regions within the UK. Yorkshire Forward, as the regional development agency in the region, has taken forward a number of initiatives to provide assistance to families and businesses in these difficult times. The Chancellor will provide an update on the state of the economy at a national level in the 2009 pre-Budget report later this autumn.
Financial Services
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with the Chairman of the Financial Services Authority on the social usefulness of activities of the financial services sector. [293993]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Ministers and officials meet the FSA on a regular basis to discuss a wide range of issues.
The paper "Reforming Financial Markets", published on 8 July 2009, sets out the Government's approach to reforming regulation of financial services.
Government: Assets
Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 12 October 2009, Official Report, columns 23-28, on sale of Government assets, what valuation his Department placed in October 2007 on (a) the Tote, (b) the Dartford Crossing, (c) the student loan book, (d) the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, (e) the central Government property proposed for sale and (f) the local authority assets proposed for sale. [293443]
Mr. Byrne: Publishing details of valuations of Government assets ahead of any commercial negotiations with potential buyers would undermine the value for money of any disposal. However, departmental and national accounts provide some details of the book value of Government assets.
Inheritance Tax: Housing
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the Answer of 9 July 2009, Official Report, column 967W, on Taxation: Valuation Office, how many inheritance tax valuations submitted by taxpayers were adjusted following a challenge by the Valuation Office Agency in (a) 2004-05, (b) 2003-04, (c) 2002-03 and (d) 2001-02. [294446]
Ian Pearson: The number of inheritance tax cases in which the valuations submitted by taxpayers were adjusted following a challenge by the Valuation Office Agency in 2004-05 was 6,169. Figures for the earlier years cannot be obtained without incurring disproportionate cost.
Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines: Financial Services
Mr. Hague: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 12 October 2009, Official Report, column 1WS, on delegated legislation (counter terrorism), how many offices the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines maintains in the UK; whether they will be required to be closed; and if he will make a statement. [293789]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Companies House records state that the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) has one registered office in the UK.
The direction contained in the Financial Restrictions (Iran) Order 2009 requires all UK financial and credit institutions to cease business relationships and transactions with both Bank Mellat and IRISL, and their branches, wherever they are located. It does not require the IRISL office in the UK to be closed.
Research and Development Tax Credit
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received on the research and development tax credit. [294584]
Ian Pearson: Treasury Ministers and officials receive representations from 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 representations.
Taxation: Holiday Accommodation
Lembit Öpik: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people obtained relief under the furnished holiday letting rules for occupancy rates of (a) 10, (b) 15, (c) 20 and (d) more than 25 weeks in the 2007-08 tax year; and if he will make a statement. [294435]
Mr. Timms: Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs administrative systems do not hold information about the occupancy rates of let property, including properties let by those obtaining relief under the furnished holiday lettings rules.
An impact assessment will be published at the 2009 pre-Budget report alongside draft legislation.
Lembit Öpik: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether following the abolition of the furnished holiday letting rules owners of self-catering cottages and owners of bed and breakfast establishments will be subject to the same taxation regime. [294473]
Mr. Timms: Following abolition of the furnished holiday letting rules, the owners of most self catering cottages will be taxed on the basis that they are carrying on a property business, but where additional services are provided, some or all of the activities may amount to a trade.
There are long established rules for deciding whether an activity is a trade. Under these rules, running a bed and breakfast establishment is normally a trade.
Lembit Öpik: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions his Department has had with European Commission on the furnished holiday letting rules; and if he will make a statement. [294474]
Mr. Timms: The Government discuss a range of issues with the European Commission. As was the case with the previous Administration, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of these discussions.
Lembit Öpik: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) organisations and (b) individuals have made representations against his plans to amend the furnished holiday letting rules since those plans were announced; and if he will make a statement. [294475]
Mr. Timms: Treasury Ministers and officials receive representations from 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 representations.
Lembit Öpik:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of holiday cottages owned by those who will be affected
by his proposed amendments to the furnished holiday letting rules. [294476]
Mr. Timms: From the information supplied in the 2007-08 income tax returns, HM Revenue and Customs estimate that the repeal of the furnished holiday lettings rules from April 2010 will affect approximately 75,000 properties.
An impact assessment will be published at the 2009 pre-Budget Report alongside draft legislation.
Valuation Office
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether a gateway review was undertaken in relation to the Valuation Office Agency's Geographical Information System. [292636]
Ian Pearson: The Office of Government Commerce Gateway review process applies to all major projects across Government and is designed to ensure high standards of project management.
OGC has not carried out a Gateway review of the VOA GIS project as it does not fall into the category of a major project. The VOA's GIS project has been categorised as low risk and is therefore subject to a different level of review.
Valuation Office: Data Protection
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Ludlow (Mr Dunne) of 14 September 2009, Official Report, column 2134W, on the Valuation Office: data protection, whether photographs of dwellings held on the Valuation Office Agency's photographic database are treated as personal data. [294361]
Ian Pearson: All data, including photographs, which qualified as personal data in accordance with paragraph 1.1 of the Data Protection Act 1998 are treated in accordance with that Act by the Valuation Office Agency.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Ludlow of 14 September 2009, Official Report, column 2134W, on the Valuation Office: data protection, since what date the Valuation Office Agency has treated domestic property attribute data on individual dwellings as personal data. [294367]
Ian Pearson: Since 1998, all data, including domestic property attributes, which qualified as personal data in accordance with paragraph 1.1 of the Data Protection Act 1998 are treated in accordance with that Act by the Valuation Office Agency.
Valuation Office: Land Registry
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much the Valuation Office Agency has spent on the Land Registry Direct service since February 2007. [294531]
Ian Pearson: Over the period February 2007 to September 2009, the VOA spent £56,831 on the Land Registry Direct service.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |