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15 Dec 2009 : Column 1003W—continued
Departmental Energy
Grant Shapps: To ask the Solicitor-General what the energy (a) rating and (b) band of each building occupied by the Law Officers' Departments was in each year for which figures are available. [307216]
The Solicitor-General: The information requested is published by the Office of Government Commerce and is available online at the following website address:
http://www.ogc.gov.uk/government_delivery_ display_energy_certificate_data.asp
The OGC Centre of Expertise in Sustainable Procurement has committed to publish a summary of DEC ratings for the Government estate every six months.
The Treasury Solicitor's Department does not currently possess an energy rating.
HMCPSI's organisation is too small to come under the DECs (Display Energy Certificates) scheme. This only applies to buildings over 1,000 m2 which HMCPSI does not fall under.
Departmental Plants
Grant Shapps: To ask the Solicitor-General how much the Law Officers' Departments spent on (a) cut flowers and (b) pot plants in 2008-09. [306279]
The Solicitor-General: The Attorney-General's Office spent £37.90 on cut flowers in 2008-09 for the reception area. There was no spend on pot plants.
The Treasury Solicitor's Department has not spent any money on (a) cut flowers and (b) pot plants in 2008-09.
The Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office is a minor occupier in buildings owned by HM Revenue and Customs and receives a fully managed estate service from that department. This includes the responsibility for provision and maintenance of floor standing plants within the office environment, the costs for which cannot be separately identified. No monies have been spent on the provision of cut flowers.
The National Fraud Authority and HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate has not made any payments for cut flowers or pot plants in 2008-09.
The Crown Prosecution Service is a devolved organisation. The Department has not kept central records of expenditure on cut flowers and pot plants in 2008-09. To provide this information would involve checking paper records across the CPS and would incur disproportionate costs.
The Serious Fraud Office has spent £2,340.00 (excluding VAT) on flowers and £2,765.36 (excluding VAT) on maintenance of pot plants in 2008-09. No new pot plants were purchased in 2008-09.
Departmental Written Questions
Mr. Harper: To ask the Solicitor-General how many and what percentage of parliamentary questions tabled for written answer by her on a named day in session 2008-09 received a substantive answer on that day. [307533]
The Solicitor-General: Of the 29 named day questions tabled to my Department in the 2008-09 parliamentary session, 28 per cent. or 96 per cent. of them were answered on the day nominated by questioners.
Hotels
Anne Main: To ask the Solicitor-General (1) how much the Law Officers' Departments spent on hotel accommodation for (a) Ministers, (b) special advisers and (c) civil servants in each of the last five years; [305652]
(2) how much the Crown Prosecution Service has spent on hotel accommodation for its officials in each of the last five years; [306034]
(3) how much the Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office has spent on hotel accommodation for its staff in each of the last five years; [305703]
(4) how much the Serious Fraud Office has spent on hotel accommodation for its staff in each of the last five years. [305704]
The Solicitor-General: The information requested for the Law Officers' Departments is contained in the following table.
The Law Officers' Departments do not have any special advisers. Furthermore, ministerial hotel costs are not recorded separately from those of civil servants and it is therefore not possible to provide information on these matters without incurring a disproportionate cost. However, details on the cost of overseas trips made by departmental Ministers are published annually by the Cabinet Office. These can be accessed at:
The list for 2008-09 was published on 16 July. This and earlier lists are available in the Library of the House.
Treasury
Mutual Building Societies
12. Paul Rowen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department is taking to assist mutual building societies during the recession. [306854]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Government have taken, and will continue to take, steps to promote competition and consumer choice through supporting the development of a strong, competitive and sustainable building society sector. Government are facilitating discussions on funding and capital, with the objective of strengthening the robustness of the mutual building society model, and enhancing their provision of mortgages to home buyers. Government will continue to ensure their actions are in taxpayers' interests.
Banks: Government Support
14. Mr. Brazier To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what response his Department plans to make to the National Audit Office report on the Government's support for banks; and if he will make a statement. [306856]
Ian Pearson: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Southend, West (Mr. Amess) today.
Budget 2009
19. Laura Moffatt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the effect on the economy of the fiscal measures to help businesses he announced in Budget 2009. [306861]
Ian Pearson: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer earlier today to the hon. Members for Halton (Derek Twigg) and Ochil and South Perthshire (Gordon Banks).
International Finance Facility for Immunisation
20. John Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with his international counterparts on financial support for the International Finance Facility for Immunisation; and if he will make a statement. [306863]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a range of international counterparts 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.
In September the Prime Minister announced a £600 million expansion of the International Finance Facility for Immunisation, with the UK contributing £250million, this expansion will support health systems in developing countries.
Comprehensive Spending Review
21. Mr. Allen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to announce the timetable for the next comprehensive spending review; and if he will make a statement. [306864]
Mr. Byrne: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer my right hon. Friend gave the hon. Member for Putney (Justine Greening) earlier today.
Child Tax Credit
Mr. Crausby: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people in the UK are (a) eligible for and (b) in receipt of child tax credit. [306560]
Mr. Timms: Estimates of the number of households eligible for child tax credit in 2006-07, which are the latest available, are provided in table 1 of the HM Revenue and Customs publication "Child and Working Tax Credit Take-up rates 2006-07". This publication is available at:
The latest information on the number of households receiving child tax credit is available in the HMRC snapshot publication "Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics. April 2009". This can be found at:
Departmental Pay
Mr. Scott: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much has been paid in bonuses to civil servants in his Department in each year since 2007. [306434]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Information on spending on performance and special bonuses since 2007-08 is shown in table 4.D of the 2008-09 Annual Report and Accounts (HC 611) available from:
Employee Benefit Trusts
Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many interest-free loans have been made from employee benefit trusts in each of the last five years. [305760]
Mr. Timms: HM Revenue and Customs do not keep a record of the number of loans taken from employee benefit trusts (EBTs). It is known that many loans are taken from EBTs by employees, some on an interest free basis and some on an interest bearing basis. Where loans are taken on an interest free basis the employee is liable to a tax charge on the benefit arising (s.175 ITEPA 2003).
Financial Services and Markets Act 2000
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if his Department will bring forward proposals to extend the provisions of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 to include company registrars as bodies which may be investigated and regulated by the Financial Services Authority and the Financial Services Ombudsman. [306267]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Government keep under review those activities which are subject to regulation. At this time we have no plans to include company registrars within the regulatory framework. Whenever the Government plan any changes to the scope of regulation this will generally be subject to public consultation.
Income Tax Personal Allowance
Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received on the levels of income tax personal allowance; and if he will make a statement. [306842]
Mr. Timms: Treasury Ministers and 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.
The personal allowance and the age related allowance will be maintained at their current level, providing a real-terms benefit relative to September's retail price index.
National Insurance Contributions
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much national insurance a person earning the national average wage paid in 1997; and if he will estimate how much it will be in 2010. [307207]
Mr. Timms [holding answer 14 December 2009]: The annual amount of primary class 1 national insurance contributions for individuals earning the average weekly wage for 1996-97 and 2009-10 can be found in the following table:
| Gross weekly wage (£) | Annual Class 1 NICS (£) | Percentage of income paid as NICS | |
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