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15 Dec 2009 : Column 1008W—continued
Non-Domestic Rates: Microgeneration
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many hereditaments which benefited from the exemption for microgeneration plant and machinery in respect of non-domestic rates valuation from 2008 to 2010 have had that equipment valued and rated as part of the 2010 rates revaluation. [306834]
Ian Pearson: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Taxation: Banks
Mr. Bone: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will bring forward proposals to disallow losses made by banks for the purpose of calculating corporation tax. [307056]
Mr. Timms [holding answer 14 December 2009]: The Government keep all taxes under review.
Unemployment: Young People
Natascha Engel: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received on the effects on the economy of the level of youth unemployment. [306862]
Ian Pearson: Treasury Ministers and officials receive representations from a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery.
The Government are taking decisive action to ensure that young people are supported through the recession. This action will ensure that we avoid the long-term detachment of young people from the labour market.
Work and Pensions
Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission: ICT
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission (CMEC) plans to replace the computer systems in operation at the Child Support Agency and CMEC; and if she will make a statement. [304914]
Helen Goodman [holding answer 7 December 2009]: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested and I have seen the response.
In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner.
You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission (CMEC) plans to replace the computer systems in operation at the Child Support Agency and the CMEC; and if she will make a statement. [304914]
The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission (the Commission) was established under the Child Maintenance and other Payments Act 2008 to deliver a fundamental redesign of the child maintenance system following previous failed attempts to reform existing schemes and work is now underway on the development of a new child maintenance scheme. In November 2008 responsibility for the existing two statutory child maintenance schemes transferred from the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to the Commission. The Commission continues to deliver the two existing schemes through a division operating under the CSA brand name.
In late 2008 the Commission undertook a feasibility study to determine the most appropriate IT solution to support the future scheme. The study recommended that the current computer system (CS2) be replaced, and a new system be developed using a set of integrated commercial off-the-shelf products. In March 2009 the Commission agreed a contract with Tata Consulting Services (TCS) for the creation of this new IT system. Work on the new computer system is currently in the development phase.
The current IT systems will continue to be used to process the existing cases and will remain in place until the existing schemes close, currently planned around 2014.
I hope you find this answer helpful.
Child Rearing
Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent steps her Department has taken to provide financial assistance to relatives and friends who care for children who would otherwise have been taken into care. [304113]
Helen Goodman: Most benefits for children are administered by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC); this includes child benefit, guardian's allowance, and child tax credits.
Income support is available to single people who have responsibility for a child under the age of 10. A single relative or friend may therefore be eligible for income support if they are responsible for a child who would otherwise have been taken into care. Income support can also be paid where a child under age 16 is placed with a single person under fostering arrangements or prior to adoption.
Income support is also available to people, whether single or not, who are temporarily looking after a child out of necessity because that child's parent or guardian is either ill or absent from home.
Customers who are responsible for a dependent and are in receipt of pension credit may be eligible for one or more of the HMRC-administered benefits, none of which are taken into account as income for pension credit purposes.
If the customer qualifies for carer's allowance for looking after a disabled child they could receive an additional amount for caring.
Where a child is being looked after by a local authority and placed with a relative or friend, the financial assistance in respect of that child is the responsibility of the local authority.
Children: Maintenance
Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the answer of 18 March 2009, Official Report, column 1202W, on the child maintenance options helpline, what the equivalent figures to those provided in the Table are for each month from January 2009. [301020]
Helen Goodman: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested and I have seen the response.
In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner.
You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the Answer of 18 March 2009 Official Report column 1202W on the child maintenance options helpline what the equivalent figures to those provided in the Table are for each month from January 2009. [301020]
The information you requested is provided in the table below. This excludes information on the average time to answer calls as previously included in the answer of 18 March 2009 Official Report column 1202W. This measure has been replaced with a Client Standard whereby 90.0% of calls will be answered within 30 seconds. This information has been included in the table below as a percentage of calls answered.
I hope you find this answer helpful.
Cold Weather Payments: Derbyshire
Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many cold weather payments have been made in respect of households in (a) Chesterfield and (b) Derbyshire in 2008-09. [306838]
Helen Goodman: The available information is that Chesterfield parliamentary constituency was linked to Nottingham weather station and Derbyshire county was linked to Nottingham, Bingley and Woodford weather stations in the winter of 2008-09.
The following table shows the number of triggers received at the three weather stations in the winter of 2008-09.
| Weather station | Number of triggers in 2008-09 |
| Source: DWP Records | |
It is not possible to give the estimated number of payments made in 2008-09 to residents of Chesterfield or Derbyshire county as this information is not available at constituency level or county level but only by weather station. Generally the areas linked to weather stations do not coincide with a constituency or county.
Crisis Loans
Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much and what proportion of social fund crisis loan expenditure was spent on alignment payments in each quarter since 2007. [302244]
Helen Goodman: The available information is given in the table.
| Alignment payment expenditure in Great Britain by quarter | ||
| Quarter | £ million | Proportion of total crisis loan expenditure (percentage) |
| Source: DWP Social Fund Policy, Budget and Management Information System | ||
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