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10 Dec 2009 : Column 577W—continued
We have also regularly made clear our view that Sri Lanka has a unique opportunity-and duty-to work for genuine political reconciliation. We have urged the Government to resolve the underlying causes of the conflict through an inclusive political process which addresses the legitimate grievances and aspirations of all communities-Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims.
Women and Equality
Christmas
David T.C. Davies: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how many Christmas trees were purchased by the Government Equalities Office in each year since its establishment; what the cost was of those trees in each year; from where the trees were sourced; what account was taken of the sustainability of the sources of the trees; and by what process the trees were disposed of. [305641]
Michael Jabez Foster: Since it's creation on 12 October 2007, the Government Equalities Office has not purchased any Christmas trees.
Dalits: Discrimination
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what research the Government Equalities Office is undertaking on the level of discrimination by caste and descent against Dalit peoples resident in the UK. [305189]
Michael Jabez Foster: The Department is aware of the scoping study published last month by the Anti-Caste Discrimination Alliance and asked the Equality and Human Rights Commission to consider one of the study's recommendations for the Equality and Human Rights Commission to conduct further research.
Departmental Operating Costs
Sammy Wilson: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality for what reasons year-on-year the running costs of the Government Equalities Office have increased since its inception. [305398]
Michael Jabez Foster: The Government Equalities Office was established as a Government Department in October 2007. Staff and administration resources transferred from the Department for Communities and Local Government and the Department for Work and Pensions to form the GEO. These transfers were based upon the resources transferring and not the resources required for the establishment of a new Department with extra responsibilities.
The build up of staff and resources reflects:
(a) the cost of establishment of the Department (for example press and private offices, a correspondence team, finance and human resources teams) and
(b) extra resources allocated to the delivery of an Equality Bill and work on the Equality agenda including the Minister for Women's Priorities.
Departmental Security
Mr. Heald: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how many security passes her Department has issued to contractors providing consultancy services in the last 12 months. [303958]
Michael Jabez Foster: Over the past 12 months the Government Equalities Office has not issued any security passes to consultants.
Treasury
Agricultural Products: Israel
Dr. Starkey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many consignments of agricultural produce imported from Israel and checked by HM Revenue and Customs were identified as originating in Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories in the last 12 months; and how many of those consignments were originally represented as originating in Israel. [305255]
Mr. Timms: A total of six consignments have been identified as originating in an Israeli settlement. All of them were claiming Israeli preferential origin.
Dr. Starkey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many consignments of agricultural produce imported from Israel and Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories were checked by HM Revenue and Customs to verify their place of origin in the last 12 months; and how many of such consignments were of (a) avocados, (b) herbs, (c) dates, (d) peppers and (e) tahini or halva. [305256]
Mr. Timms: Since July 2008 HM Revenue and Customs has undertaken 49 physical examinations of fresh produce, including avocado pears, dates and herbs, imported under the EU-Israel Agreement. 10 examinations were undertaken in respect of avocados. No investigations were undertaken in respect of consignments of pepper and tahini or halva. Separate figures are not available for the number of examinations in respect of dates and herbs. Two labelling irregularities were identified for herbs.
Child Tax Credit: Grandparents
Mrs. Maria Miller: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent estimate he has made of the number of grandparents eligible to claim child tax credits for grandchildren in their care; and what proportion of this group receive such credits. [305319]
Mr. Timms: The information requested is not available as the survey used to estimate eligibility does not provide large enough sample sizes to accurately estimate the number of grandparents eligible to claim child tax credits for grandchildren in their care, and HMRC data does not record the nature of the relationship between the child and the child tax credit recipient where the claimant is not their parent.
Child Trust Fund
Mrs. Maria Miller: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much has been allocated to child trust funds in each year since 2003; and how much such funding he plans to allocate in each of the next two years. [305332]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Information in relation to the allocated costs of Government contributions to child trust fund accounts, including forecasted costs to 2012-13, is contained in table 9 of the 2009 Statistical Report which can be viewed on HM Revenue and Customs' website:
For years prior to 2007-08 the allocated costs were set at £240 million per full year.
Cosmetics: Israel
Dr. Starkey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many consignments of cosmetics were imported from (a) Israel and (b) Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories in each of the last three years. [305257]
Mr. Timms: The term cosmetics covers a diverse range of products. Therefore the figures provided cover the most likely imports of interest-beauty and skin preparations, including skincare products and aftershave and bath preparations, deodorants and similar products.
| Israel | |
| Consignments | |
|
Aftershave and bath preparations, deodorants and similar products | |
Checks have not revealed any imports of the above products from Palestine. The Occupied Palestinian Territories do not have their own country of origin code. Consequently, importers can only declare Israel or Palestine as the country of origin on the Customs import declaration.
Council Tax: Bexley
Mr. Evennett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of properties which have been revalued for council tax purposes in the London borough of Bexley in each of the last three years for which figures are available; and how many such revaluations resulted in a change of council tax banding. [304996]
Ian Pearson: In the last three years, the changes to council tax bands for Bexley, including increases and reductions, as a result of day-to-day work undertaken by the VOA in maintaining valuation lists, are as follows:
Number of properties in list as at 1 April 200 6 -93,778
| Number of changes (including percentage) between 1 April 2006 and 31 March 2007 | |
| Number/percentage | |
Number of properties in list as at 1 April 2007-93,950
| Number of changes (including percentage) between 1 April 2007 and 31 March 2008 | |
| Number/percentage | |
Number of properties in list as at 1 April 2008-94,277
| Number of changes (including percentage) between 1 April 2008 and 31 March 2009 | |
| Number/percentage | |
Departmental Security
Mr. Heald: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many security passes his Department has issued to contractors providing consultancy services in the last 12 months. [303956]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Departmental systems record all such passes issued, but do not separately identify information in the format requested, which could therefore be provided only at disproportionate cost. All persons working in HM Treasury buildings are required to have a minimum level of security clearance before they are issued with a building security pass. This includes permanent passes, day passes and visitors' passes.
Equitable Life Ex-gratia Payment Scheme Review
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what level of remuneration is being provided to Sir John Chadwick for undertaking work in order to provide advice on an ex-gratia payment scheme; and how much (a) time Sir John spent on such work and (b) he was paid (i) between 17 July 2009 and 18 August 2009 and (ii) since 1 November 2009. [301508]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Sir John Chadwick is paid at the rate of £250 per hour for the performance of his services, excluding VAT. This is substantially less than judges of Sir John's standing would charge commercially.
Sir John has been contracted to oversee and lead the work of his Office, to time scales broadly equivalent to two days a week. This is being kept under review.
EU External Trade: Israel
Dr. Starkey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether Mitzpe Shalem is considered to be in Israel for the purposes of the EU-Israel Trade Agreement. [305264]
Mr. Timms: Mitzpe Shalem where Mitzpe is spelt with a letter 't' does not appear on the current list of Settlements locations which was transmitted by the European Commission to member states' customs authorities in September 2009. However, the settlement at Mizpe Shalem where Mizpe is spelt without a 't' is on the list.
Excise Duties: Alcoholic Drinks
Paul Rowen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to amend the rate of alcohol duty consequent on the return of the rate of value added tax to 17.5 per cent.; and if he will make a statement. [301663]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The 2008 pre-Budget report announced that the increases made to alcohol duties will be maintained when the standard rate of VAT is returned to 17.5 per cent. in January 2010 to help fiscal consolidation. The 2009 pre-Budget confirmed this announcement.
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