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26 Oct 2009 : Column 71W—continued


26 Oct 2009 : Column 72W

Departmental Telephone Services

Mr. Oaten: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many helplines his Department operates; and how much his Department has received from the operation of such helplines in each of the last three years. [294986]

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: HM Treasury has a general public inquiry telephone line operating at standard rates.

Housing: Construction

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 1 June 2009, Official Report, column 194W, on housing: construction, whether the Valuebill/e-BAR interface is used in each case for each of the local authorities listed. [293016]

Ian Pearson: The Valuebill/e-BAR interface is not used for the submission of building commencement notices or building completion notices.

Housing: Valuation

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the policy of the Valuation Office Agency is on whether unauthorised dwellings which do not have planning permission should be assessed for housing benefit or local housing allowance. [294516]

Ian Pearson: The local housing allowance is a standard allowance based on the area in which a claimant lives and the number of occupiers in their property, it is not a property specific housing benefit. The Valuation Office Agency's responsibility is to determine the median market rent for the appropriate size properties and provide those determinations to the local authorities each month. It is the responsibility of the local authority to assess housing benefit for individual claimants.

News International

Mr. Hurd: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) whether any Minister or official in his Department has had (a) meetings, (b) communications and (c) other contacts with News International in the last five years; [295329]

(2) whether any Minister or official in his Department has had (a) meetings, (b) communications and (c) other contacts with the Monitor Group in the last five years. [295330]

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.

Non-Domestic Rates: Valuation

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what combination of letters and numbers is used for individual sub-location codes for the revaluation of non-domestic rates. [294443]

Ian Pearson: Any unique combination of letters and numbers up to a maximum of four may be used.


26 Oct 2009 : Column 73W

Revenue and Customs: Telephone Services

Mr. Letwin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) accrued revenue in the last three months from callers to HMRC 08 telephone numbers being kept on line while waiting to be answered. [295035]

Mr. Timms: HM Revenue and Customs' (HMRC) centrally managed network of contact centres has received no revenue in respect of its use of 08 telephone numbers. HMRC's contact centre policy is to provide as quick and efficient a service as possible.

Taxation: Holiday Accommodation

Mr. Crabb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with representatives of the tourism industry in Wales on the financial effect of the revised furnished holiday letting rules. [295246]

Mr. Timms: Treasury Ministers and officials hold 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, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such discussions.

Mr. Crabb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the financial effect which the revised furnished holiday letting rules will have on persons operating holiday lets in (a) the UK and (b) Wales. [295247]

Mr. Timms: An impact assessment for the changes to the furnished holiday lettings rules will be published at the 2009 pre-Budget report, alongside draft legislation.

Taxation: Scotland

Gordon Banks: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether HM Revenue and Customs has responsibilities for the levy aspects of business improvement districts in Scotland. [295251]

Mr. Timms: No.

These are the responsibility of the relevant local authority in conjunction with participating businesses in the business improvement district area.

Valuation Office Agency: East Midlands

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 1 June 2009, Official Report, column 194W, on housing: construction, which local authorities in the East Midlands provided details of (a) building control commencement lists and (b) building control completion notices to the Valuation Office Agency in the last 12 months; and whether the Valuebill/e-BAR interface was used in each case. [293223]

Ian Pearson: A table showing which local authorities within the East Midlands region of England have provided building control commencement lists and building control completion notices to the Valuation Office Agency in the last 12months is set out as follows.


26 Oct 2009 : Column 74W

The Valuebill/e-BAR interface is not used for the submission of building control commencement lists or building control completion notices.

Billing authority Commencement notices Completion notices

High Peak

No

No

Derbyshire Dales

Yes

No

Amber Valley

No

No

North East and South Derbyshire

No

No

Chesterfield

Yes

No

Bolsover

No

No

Derby Erewash

No

No

Rushcliffe

Yes

No

Broxtowe

Yes

No

Ashfield

Yes

No

Gedling

No

No

Newark and Sherwood

No

No

Mansfield

No

No

Bassetlaw

No

No

Nottingham

Yes

No

Lincoln

No

No

North Kesteven

No

No

South Kesteven

No

No

South Holland

No

No

Boston

No

No

East Lindsey

No

No

West Lindsey

No

No

Charnwood

No

No

Melton

Yes

No

Harborough

No

No

Oadby and Wigston

No

No

Blaby

No

Yes

Hinckley and Bosworth

No

No

North West Leicestershire

No

No

Leicester

No

No

Rutland

Yes

Yes

South Northampton

No

No

Northampton

No

No

Daventry

No

No

Wellingborough

No

No

Kettering

No

No

Corby

No

No

East Northamptonshire

No

No


Valuation Office: Housing

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 1 June 2009, Official Report, columns 194-96W, on housing: construction, (1) which local authorities in the North East have provided details of (a) building control commencement lists and (b) building control completion notices to the Valuation Office Agency; and whether the Valuebill/e-BAR interface was used in each case; [292864]

(2) which local authorities in the North West provide details of (a) building control commencement lists and (b) building control completion notices to the Valuation Office Agency; and whether the Valuebill/e-BAR interface is used in each case; [293018]


26 Oct 2009 : Column 75W

(3) which local authorities in the South West provide details of (a) building control commencement lists and (b) building control completion notices to the Valuation Office Agency; and whether the Valuebill/e-BAR interface is used in each case. [293019]

Ian Pearson: A table showing which local authorities within the (a) North East, (b) North West and (c) South West regions of England have provided building control commencement lists and building control completion notices to the Valuation Office Agency is shown as follows. The Valuebill/e-BAR interface is not used for the submission of building control commencement lists or building control completion notices.


26 Oct 2009 : Column 76W
Billing authority Commencement notices Completion notices

(a) North East

Northumberland

No

No

Durham

Yes(1)

Yes(1)

Darlington

Yes

Yes

Gateshead

No

Yes

Hartlepool

Yes

No

Middlesbrough

No

No

Newcastle

No

No

North Tyneside

No

No

Redcar and Cleveland

No

No

South Tyneside

No

No

Stockton-on-Tees

No

No

Sunderland

No

Yes

(b) North West

Cheshire West

No

No

Cheshire East and Chester

No

No

Halton

No

No

Knowsley

No

No

Liverpool

No

No

Sefton

No

No

St. Helens

No

No

Warrington

No

No

Wirral

Yes

Yes

Wyre

Yes

Yes

Lancaster

Yes

Yes

Fylde

No

No

Blackpool

No

Yes

Barrow-in-Furness

No

No

Copeland

No

Yes

South Lakeland

No

Yes

Ribble Valley

No

Yes

Preston

No

Yes

Rossendale

No

Yes

Blackburn with Darwen

No

Yes

Pendle

No

Yes

Hyndburn

No

No

Burnley

No

Yes

South Ribble

No

No

Chorley

No

Yes

West Lancashire

No

Yes

Carlisle

Yes

Yes

Eden

No

Yes

Allerdale

No

Yes

Bolton

Yes

Yes

Oldham

Yes

Yes

Tameside

Yes

Yes

Manchester

Yes

Yes

Trafford

No

Yes

Salford

No

Yes

Stockport

No

Yes

Rochdale

No

Yes

Bury

No

Yes

Wigan

No

Yes

(c) South West

Bristol

Yes

Yes

Banes

No

No

South Gloucester

Yes

Yes

North Somerset

No

No

Cheltenham

No

No

Cotswold

Yes

Yes

Forest of Dean

Yes

Yes

Gloucester City

No

No

Stroud

No

No

Tewkesbury

No

Yes

Kennet

No

No

North Wiltshire

No

No

Salisbury

Yes

No

West Wiltshire

Yes

No

Swindon

No

No

Cornwall

No

No

Isles of Scilly

No

No

Christchurch

Yes

Yes

Bournemouth

Yes

Yes

Poole

Yes

Yes

West Dorset

Yes

Yes

Weymouth and Portland

Yes

Yes

North Dorset

Yes

Yes

Purbeck

Yes

Yes

Plymouth

Yes

Yes

West Devon

Yes

Yes

South Hams

Yes

Yes

East Devon

Yes

Yes

Exeter

No

No

North Devon

Yes

Yes

Teignbridge

Yes

Yes

Mid Devon

Yes

Yes

Torridge

No

Yes

Torbay

Yes

Yes

Mendip

Yes

Yes

Sedgemoor

No

Yes

Taunton Deane

Yes

Yes

West Somerset

Yes

No

South Somerset

Yes

Yes

(1) Some of the former BAs which make up this unitary authority do, but not all

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