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3 Nov 2009 : Column 893W—continued
Equitable Life
23. Sandra Gidley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what timetable has been set for the payment of compensation to Equitable Life policyholders; and if he will make a statement. [297072]
Mr. Byrne: As I announced in the House on 21 October 2009, the Government have asked Sir John Chadwick to submit his final report by spring 2010. We will consider his advice as quickly as possible and announce a payment scheme that is practical to deliver and fair to both policyholders and taxpayers.
Child Care Vouchers
Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many companies were participating in the childcare voucher scheme at the latest date for which figures are available. [296891]
Mr. Timms: The most recent published research, commissioned by HM Revenue and Customs in 2006, by the National Centre for Social Research estimated that there were 9,600 organisations providing child care vouchers in late 2005. The report is available at
Business Payment Support Service
Mr. Touhig: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect on small businesses of the operation of the business payment support service. [297068]
Mr. Timms:
Since its introduction on 24 November 2008 the Business Payment Support Service has agreed over 220,300 time to pay arrangements with businesses to spread tax payments of about £3.9 billion. This has helped to support more than 150,000 businesses, the
vast majority of whom are small and medium sized, that employ an estimated 600,000 people. Just over 90 per cent. by value of the payments due under time to pay arrangements are being paid on time.
While we have made no formal assessment of the effect on small businesses, businesses tell us that they have found the service very helpful by giving them the breathing space they need and by helping them pay their tax bills in a managed and structured way with the full help and support of HMRC.
Child Tax Credit: Expenditure
Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost to public funds of (a) child tax credit and (b) child benefit for families with children aged 16 to 19 years in full-time education and training in 2008-09; what proportion of this expenditure were paid to families with gross incomes of over (i) £25,000, (ii) £40,000, (iii) £60,000 and (iv) £100,000 per year; and if he will make a statement. [297032]
Mr. Timms: No such estimates have been made.
Climate Change Levy
Dr. Whitehead: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what exemptions there are to the application of the climate change levy in respect of the burning of recovered fuel oil in industrial manufacturing processes. [297558]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Recovered fuel oil is a hydrocarbon oil within the meaning of the Hydrocarbon Oil Duties Act 1979 and as such is outside the scope of the climate change levy. Therefore, the burning of recovered fuel oil in any process, not just industrial manufacturing, will not be subject to the climate change levy.
Coinage: Counterfeit Manufacturing
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to reduce the number of counterfeit coins in circulation. [297177]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Royal Mint is working with banks, the Post Office, cash handling and sorting businesses, the police and the vending industry to remove counterfeit £1 coins from circulation before they reach the pockets of members of the public. Coin handling businesses, such as banks and the Post Office, handle over three billion £1 coins every year. They use high-speed, automated systems to process customer deposits and prepare coin for reissue. These automated systems are capable of detecting and withdrawing a significant number of counterfeit coins. All counterfeit coins detected from coin processing are sent to the Royal Mint for disposal.
The Royal Mint holds awareness seminars to educate the public and the coin handling industry on how to identify counterfeits, and has issued educational leaflets and posters.
The Royal Mint is also working with other validator and coin sorting manufactures to help improve the counterfeit detection rate.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent estimate he has made of the number of counterfeit (a) £1 and (b) £2 coins in circulation. [297178]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The most recent survey conducted by the Royal Mint found that its sample contained a £1 coin counterfeit rate of 2.52 per cent. or approximately £37 million.
The Royal Mint does not currently undertake regular surveys for other denominations. It is widely believed (by the Royal Mint, the Serious Organised Crime Agency and industry partners) that there is not a significant counterfeit issue with any other denominations.
Some £2 counterfeit coins have been returned to the Mint but the quantities are minimal and they are of a poor quality.
Departmental Non-Domestic Rates
Robert Neill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the rateable value of HM Treasury building was (a) in 2009-10, based on the 2005 Rating List and (b) on the draft 2010 rating List. [296991]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The rateable values of the Treasury Building are:
2005 Rating List: £7,300,000;
Draft 2010 Rating List £12,870,000.
Economic Growth
Mr. David Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his most recent assessment is of the level of growth in the UK economy compared with those of other OECD economies; and if he will make a statement. [297059]
Mr. Byrne: All member economies of the OECD have been affected by the global recession. The OECD's Interim Assessment in September noted that there are signs of confidence returning across the world economy and to financial markets. However, complacency remains our biggest risk and the G20 Finance Ministers have agreed to continue delivering the necessary support measures until recovery is secured. The Chancellor will publish his latest assessment of conditions in the UK and world economies in the Pre-Budget Report later this autumn.
Excise Duties: Alcoholic Drinks
Paul Rowen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how much alcohol duty has been collected since the increase in the level of duty implemented in April 2009; [297474]
(2) how much alcohol duty has been collected since the increase in the level of duty implemented in December 2008; [297475]
(3) how much is estimated to be collected in alcohol duty in the next 12 months. [297476]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Total alcohol duty received by the Exchequer is published on a monthly basis in the National Statistics Beer and Cider bulletin available at:
The forecast revenue for 2009-10 from alcohol duty is published in table C.6 of the 2009 Financial Statement and Budget Report. This can be found at:
HM Revenue and Customs do not publish part-year breakdowns of this forecast.
Paul Rowen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions officials of his Department have had with representatives of the public house industry on alcohol duty; and if he will make a statement. [297477]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Treasury officials receive representations from a wide range of organisations and individuals 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.
Housing: Sales
Robert Neill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the answer to Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay of 13 October 2009, Official Report, House of Lords, column 24WA, on stamp duty, what estimate has been made of the (a) number of house transactions and (b) average level of house prices for (i) first-time buyers and (ii) all buyers in each year from 2010-11 to 2013-14. [296996]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Government do not publish a forecast of property transactions or a forecast of the average level of house-prices.
For the purposes of the public finance projections the Treasury uses an assumption for the level of the house prices in each year of the forecast horizon. This assumption is based on an average of independent external forecasts and audited by the National Audit Office. Details of the assumed level of house prices can be found in paragraphs B.76 and B.77 of the Budget Report (HC 407).
National Insurance Fund
Mr. Dodds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much the National Insurance Fund had (a) received and (b) paid out on the most recent date for which figures are available. [297410]
Mr. Timms: Receipts into and payments out of the National Insurance Fund (NIF) are shown in the annual NIF accounts. The latest published accounts are for the year 2007-08, available at:
Presbyterian Mutual Society
Lady Hermon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reasons the Financial Services Authority did not investigate the financial activities of the Presbyterian Mutual Society prior to its entering administration in November 2008. [295807]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Presbyterian Mutual Society (PMS) was registered by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment in Northern Ireland under the Industrial and Provident Societies Act 1969. As such, it was exempt from regulation by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) in respect of accepting deposits in the form of withdrawable share capital up to the statutory maximum of £20,000. Therefore, the FSA did not have cause to investigate the financial activities of the PMS prior to its entering administration in 2008. It has since been established that the PMS was conducting regulated activities which required FSA authorisation, but that it did so without having sought and obtained the necessary authorisation.
Public Expenditure
Andrew George: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the accuracy of records of (a) tax take and (b) public expenditure held at (i) local authority and (ii) regional level. [297269]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Treasury does not publish a breakdown of total taxes by region and local authority and does not produce a breakdown of total public spending by local authority. However, it publishes a breakdown of total identifiable public spending by region in Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses (PESA) at:
The Treasury continuously looks to improve the quality of these data and data improvements in recent years are described in each annual publication of Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses.
Taxation: Aviation
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with Ministerial colleagues on the effect on the UK freight industry of changes in the taxation of aviation. [297058]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Government consulted on a per plane tax in early 2008, and before taking the decision to reform APD, the Chancellor took representations from a range of stakeholders, including other ministers, as per the usual process in tax development.
Taxation: Gaming Machines
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many requests for meetings on his Department's consultation on the taxation of gaming machines his Department has received in the last 12 months; and how many such requests have resulted in a meeting with Ministers. [297571]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Treasury Ministers and officials meet with a wide range of organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors as part of the usual policy making process. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such discussions.
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when his Department plans to publish its response to its recent consultation on the taxation of gaming machines. [297572]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: HM Treasury's formal consultation on the taxation of gaming machines was launched on 16 July 2009 and concluded on 23 October 2009.
In line with the Government's code of practice on consultation, the responses will be analysed carefully and, in due course, feedback will be provided to participants.
Taxation: Ministers of Religion
Robert Neill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to HM Revenue and Customs tax manual advice EIM60007, ministers of religion: exemption of income: overview; what Freedom of Information Act 2000 exemptions apply to the text that has been withheld from publication. [296802]
Mr. Timms: The part of the guidance that has been withheld is for use by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) staff that require advice on this matter and contains a internal hyperlink that takes them to the person who can help. The withheld text states:
"If a claim to benefit from the special rules is pressed but you are doubtful whether the claimant can be regarded as a minister, consult PAYE Technical."
The published guidance incorrectly states that this has been withheld on freedom of information grounds, rather than for internal use. HMRC will update this guidance to correct this error and place the withheld guidance, minus the hyperlink, into the public domain.
Valuation Office: Geographical Information Systems
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will commission a privacy impact assessment in respect of the Valuation Office Agency's Geographical Information System. [294517]
Ian Pearson: The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) provides guidance on the use of PIAs. The ICO envisages PIAs only being used where a project is of such a wide scope, or will use personal information of such a nature, that there would be genuine risks to the privacy of the individual. PIAs will usually be recommended where a change of the law would be required, new and intrusive technology is being used, or where private or sensitive information which was originally collected for a limited purpose is going to be re-used in a new and unexpected way.
I am advised that the Valuation Office Agency's geographical information system project does not pose a risk to the privacy of an individual.
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