Written Answers to Questions
Thursday 5 November 2009
Leader of the House
Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy
Mr. Arbuthnot: To ask the Leader of the House pursuant to the answer of 7 July 2009, Official Report, column 647W, on the Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy, what discussions she has had with Ministerial colleagues on the schedule for the establishment of a Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy; when she expects the Committee to first meet; and if she will make a statement. [297921]
Barbara Keeley: I hope that motions to establish the new Joint Committee will be put to the House soon.
Treasury
Advertising
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the answer of 26 November 2008, Official Report, column 1891W, on advertising, how much (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) HM Revenue and Customs spent on advertising in 2008-09; and what advertising campaigns were undertaken by each such organisation in that year. [289100]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Spending on advertising in 2008-09 by HM Treasury, its agencies and HMRC is shown in the following table:
Alcohol: Excise Duties
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department has made an assessment of the likely effects on levels of fraud in respect of alcohol duty of the setting of minimum prices for alcohol. [297958]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: No assessment has been made of the likely effects on levels of fraud in respect of alcohol duty of the setting of minimum prices for alcohol.
Climate Change
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change on the likely effects on his Department's policies of an agreement at the Copenhagen climate change conference. [297116]
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.
Coinage: Counterfeit Manufacturing
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the purported face value was of counterfeit coins seized in each year since 1997. [297174]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The following counterfeit £1 coins have been returned to the Royal Mint:
| Total withdrawals | |
The Treasury does not have figures on withdrawals prior to 2003, when the counterfeit rate was estimated to be less than 1 per cent.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent estimate he has made of the purported face value of counterfeit coins in circulation. [297175]
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
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.
Council Tax: Valuation
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 20 October 2009, Official Report, column 1391W, on council tax: valuation, if he will place in the Library an electronic version in Excel format of the information on the value of properties with each individual dwellinghouse code and each value significant code for all local authority areas in England. [297500]
Ian Pearson: An electronic version, in Excel format, has been placed in the Freedom of Information Disclosure Log on the Valuation Office Agency's website. A link to the information is as follows:
Departmental Internet
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many people his Department employs to maintain its social media and social networking accounts; and at what annual cost to the public purse; [297159]
(2) how much his Department spent on maintaining its Twitter feed in the last 12 months. [297160]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The maintenance of these services is carried out as part of the e-communication team's management of the Treasury's websites. Therefore, no specific costs are apportioned to these services.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department has spent on maintaining its YouTube channel in each of the last 12 months. [297172]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The maintenance of HM Treasury's YouTube channel is carried out as part of the e-communication team's management of HM Treasury's web sites. Therefore, no specific costs are apportioned to these services. I also refer the right hon. Member to the answers earlier today.
Equitable Life Assurance Society
Ben Chapman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had on the provision of free financial advice to (a) pensioners and (b) others who have lost money following investment in Equitable Life; and whether he plans to review the present level of advice provided. [297120]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Government, jointly with the Financial Services Authority, are piloting a free money guidance service, called 'Moneymadeclear', in the north-west and north-east of England. The Government intend for the service to be rolled out nationally from spring 2010. The pilot is being delivered by a number of partner organisations including those used and trusted by older people, such as Age Concern and Citizens Advice. Covering a wide range of personal finance topics, money guidance aims to help people make informed financial decisions. It can also refer people on to more specialist sources of help such as the Pensions Advisory Service or independent financial advice.
Excise Duties: Biofuels
Mr. Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what assessment his Department has made of the effect on the UK's biodiesel market of the proposed removal of the 20 pence per litre duty differential on biofuel from April 2010; and if he will make a statement; [297195]
(2) whether his Department has carried out an impact assessment of the proposed removal of the 20 pence per litre duty differential on biofuel from April 2010; and if he will make a statement; [297034]
(3) whether his Department has conducted an environmental impact assessment of the Government's proposal to remove the 20 pence per litre duty differential on biofuel from April 2010; and if he will make a statement. [297033]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Chancellor sets environment and transport tax rates in the normal Budget process based on the overall fiscal judgment. In making these decisions, he takes all relevant fiscal, economic, social and environmental factors into account. HM Treasury keeps all taxes under review.
It is Government policy that proposals imposing or reducing recurrent administrative costs on businesses or the third sector require publication of an impact assessment. A change in tax rate does not impose or reduce administrative costs and therefore an impact assessment is not usually published.
Table 6.2 of Budget 2008 sets out the environmental impact of Budget measures
Financial Services: Regulation
Mr. Keetch: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which legislative provision authorises the Financial Services Authority to require qualified independent financial advisors to submit themselves for qualification under fresh criteria. [297707]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Under section 41(2) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (FSMA), the Financial Services Authority (FSA) is required, when giving or varying permission, or imposing or varying any requirement, to ensure that the person concerned will satisfy, and continue to satisfy, the threshold conditions in relation to all of the regulated activities for which he has or will have permission.
The threshold conditions, defined in section 41(1), include the requirement that the person concerned is "fit and proper" in all the circumstances (schedule 6, paragraph 5). The FSA may raise the standards by which this criteria is tested and apply the new criteria to advisers who are already authorised under FSMA. Indeed, section 41(3) expressly states that the FSA, as the authority and having due regard to its duty under section 41(2), may take:
"such steps as it considers are necessary, in relation to a particular authorised person, in order to secure its regulatory objective of the protection of consumers."
Mr. Keetch: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate the Financial Services Authority has made of the number of qualified independent financial advisers who will not meet the criteria for fresh qualification; and if he will make a statement. [297708]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 19 October 2009, Official Report, column 1285W.
Financial Services: Standards
Justine Greening: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) which companies have referred the matter of a fine for failing to treat customers fairly to the Financial Services and Markets Tribunal since the implementation of the treating customers fairly initiative; and if he will make a statement; [297992]
(2) how many fines levied by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) against companies for failing to treat customers fairly have been (a) paid in full and (b) reduced under the FSA's executive settlement procedures since the implementation of the treating customers fairly initiative; which companies paid reduced amounts; and how much each such company paid; [297993]
(3) how many final notices have been issued by the Financial Services Authority against companies in relation to failures to treat customers fairly since the implementation of the treating customers fairly initiative; on what date each such notice was issued; and if he will make a statement; [297994]
(4) against which companies fines have been levied by the Financial Services Authority for failing to treat customers fairly since the implementation of the treating customers fairly initiative; what fine was levied in each case; and if he will make a statement; [297995]
(5) how many customer redress programmes mandated as a consequence of a Financial Services Authority (FSA) assessment that a company has failed to treat customers fairly are underway; which companies are undertaking such programmes; what proportion of customers assessed by the FSA as eligible for redress under each programme have (a) made applications for and (b) received redress; how much was (i) claimed and (ii) awarded in each case; and if he will make a statement. [297996]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The matters raised in these questions are the responsibility of the Financial Services Authority, whose day-to-day operations are independent from Government control and influence.
Members: Correspondence
Mr. Burns: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when a reply will be sent to the hon. Member for West Chelmsford's letter of 10 August 2009 concerning his constituent, Mrs Alan Tritton of Great Leighs, Chelmsford. [297827]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Receipt of the original correspondence of 10 August 2009 could not be traced. Following discussions with the hon. Member's office on 29 October 2009, a copy was provided. A reply will be sent as soon as possible.
Taxation: Aviation
Mr. Ellwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether air passenger duty arrangements apply to private jets; and if he will make a statement. [297223]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Since 1994, privately owned aircraft are exempt from APD provided they do not carry passengers for reward.
The inclusion of aviation in the EU emissions trading scheme has now been agreed for 2012. Most aircraft, including private jets, with a certified maximum take-off mass of 5.7 tonnes or greater will be required to participate in the scheme.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Floods: West Midlands
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the Government's priorities are for the programme of flood defences in the West Midlands. [297638]
Huw Irranca-Davies: The implementation of the Environment Agency's River Tame Flood Risk Management Strategy will reduce flood risk to 2,850 residential and commercial properties. Capital works in other locations including Upton upon Severn at Worcester, Prestbury at Cheshire, Horsbere Brook at Gloucester, Badsey Brook at Worcester and Bedworth near Coventry are also a priority.
To ensure maintenance funding is directed to where it is needed most, a target has been introduced for high flood-risk areas. 96 per cent. of flood defence assets (including those owned by third parties) must be in a serviceable condition by the end of March 2010 in high risk areas. The Environment Agency's maintenance budget is driven by the need to achieve this target.
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