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25 Jan 2010 : Column 566W—continued
Non-Domestic Rates
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the average business rates charge in England in 2010-11. [311541]
Barbara Follett: No estimate of the average business rates charged in England for 2010-11 has been made, as this figure depend on the level of reliefs given, many of which are determined at the billing authorities' discretion.
For the purpose of modelling the 2010 transitional relief scheme, the notional chargeable amount (NCA) was calculated. The NCA for a given year is the product of the rateable value and that year's small business multiplier. The NCA is then compared to the previous year's reference value increased by the caps. The minimum of these two values was used as a proxy for the bill after transition but before all other reliefs. Details on the methodology and assumptions used can be found on page 49 of the "The transitional arrangements for the non-domestic rating revaluation 2010 in England" consultation document. These include zero inflation, which does not reflect the latest information available, and adjustments for appeals.
A copy of the consultation document is available at the following link:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/localgovernment /nndrrevaluation2010
The five-yearly business rates revaluations make sure each business pays its fair contribution and no more by ensuring the share of the national rates bill paid by any one business reflects changes over time in the value of their property relative to others. The 2010 revaluation will not raise a single extra penny for Government.
Over a million properties will see their business rate liabilities come down as a result of revaluation. The Government intend to put in place a £2 billion relief scheme to limit the impact on the minority with bill increases, which in 2010-11 will ensure no business property sees its rates bill increase by more than 11 per cent. as a result of the revaluation, with maximum increases capped at just 3.5 per cent. for small properties. That is on top of the wider support available to help ease business pressures, including discounted rate bills for small businesses and deferring tax payments.
Non-Domestic Rates: Charities
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many charities in England are granted 100 per cent. relief from business rates. [312617]
Barbara Follett: The information requested is not held centrally.
Non-Domestic Rates: Ports
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many port companies newly assessed for business rates (a) have and (b) have not accepted the option of paying retrospective rates over an eight-year period; and how many have paid their new annual assessment to date. [312082]
Barbara Follett: The review of ports by the Valuation Office Agency is being held to ensure that all individual business properties within and outside the port area are rated fairly in order that the burden of contributions to the funding of local government services is shared fairly between businesses around the country.
The Government have listened to the concerns of businesses with significant and unexpected backdated bills, including some within the ports. They have legislated to allow such bills to be repaid over an unprecedented eight years rather than in one single instalment, thus helping affected businesses to manage the impact on their cash flows during the downturn by reducing the amount they are required to pay now by 87 per cent.
As at 23 December 2009, the Valuation Office Agency reports that there are 723 newly assessed properties within ports liable for backdated rates. As at 8 October 2009, local authorities reports that ratepayers occupying 200 properties within ports have been granted a schedule of payments agreement.
Of the remaining properties, local authorities report that 221 have fully discharged their backdated liability.
We do not hold information on how many of these are up to date on current rate bills.
Non-Domestic Rates: Valuation
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Meriden of 16 December 2009, Official Report, column 1298W, on non-domestic rates, which 50 hereditaments in (a) the North West, (b) the North East, (c) the East Midlands, (d) the West Midlands, (e) the South West and (f) the East of England have the greatest percentage increase in rateable values from the 2005 rating list to the draft 2010 rating list; what the rateable value was (i) before and (ii) after revaluation in each case; and what the (A) postcode and (B) local billing authority of each hereditament is. [311799]
Barbara Follett: The tables showing the rateable value in the 2005 and the 2010 Rating Lists and postcode for the 50 individual hereditaments that had the biggest percentage increase between the two lists as at 2 November 2009, for the following Government office regions: the North West, the North East, East Midlands, West Midlands, the South West and the East of England have been placed in the Library. These data are consistent with the statistical release titled: "Non-domestic rateable values: 2010 Local Ratings Lists-England and Wales", published on 18 December 2009. A copy of the statistical release is available at the following link:
http://www.voa.gov.uk/publications/statistical_releases/VOA _Statistics_Release_Final.pdf
The rateable values have been rounded to the nearest thousand.
The five-yearly business rates revaluations make sure each business pays its fair contribution and no more by ensuring the share of the national rates bill paid by any one business reflects changes over time in the value of their property relative to others. The 2010 revaluation will not raise a single extra penny for the Government.
Over a million properties will see their business rate liabilities come down as a result of revaluation. The Government intend to put in place a £2 billion relief scheme to limit the impact on the minority with bill increases, which in 2010-11 will ensure no business property sees its rates bill increase by more than 11 per cent. as a result of the revaluation, with maximum increases capped at just 3.5 per cent. for small properties. That is on top of the wider support available to help ease business pressures, including discounted rate bills for small businesses and deferring tax payments.
Parks: Merseyside
Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what support his Department has made available for the Mersey Coastal Park Strategy; and if he will make a statement. [312415]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Mersey Coastal Park Strategy is still being finalised but I can confirm that the Department has not provided any direct support to it. Wirral MBC is currently exploring potential funding options with local and regional partners including the Northwest Regional Development Agency and the Homes and Communities Agency.
Regional Assemblies
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which regional planning bodies are branded as regional assemblies. [311522]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Three regional planning bodies still operate as regional assemblies. These are West Midlands, East Midlands and the East of England.
Slough
Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will set out, with statistical information related as directly as possible to the Slough constituency, the effects on Slough of the policies and actions of his Department and its predecessors since 2000. [311987]
Barbara Follett: The information requested is not available. The Department evaluates the impact of major programmes and policies. We do not assess the specific impacts on individual areas.
Details of research projects commissioned by Communities and Local Government and its predecessors are available from our Research Database (RD) at:
The database provides information on projects commissioned by Communities and Local Government and predecessor Departments going back to 30 November 2001. This includes details of evaluations.
Sustainable Development
Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he expects to make a decision on the 199 proposals shortlisted by the Local Government Association and submitted to him under the provisions of the Sustainable Communities Act 2007; and if he will make a statement. [313063]
Barbara Follett: The Government are currently assessing the complexity and practicality of the 199 proposals short-listed by the Local Government Association (LGA) in its role of Selector under the Sustainable Communities Act 2007.
The Government are also currently consulting and seeking to reach agreement with the LGA before deciding which proposals should be implemented. I will keep the House updated on our progress.
Work and Pensions
Action for Employment
Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many hours of training A4e staff working on contracts let by her Department undertake annually. [310774]
Jim Knight: Staff training is an internal matter for A4e and therefore not one that the Secretary of State can offer information about, or comment on.
Carer's Allowance
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people received carers' allowance in (a) Torbay constituency, (b) Devon and (c) England in each of the last five years. [312863]
Jonathan Shaw: The available information is in the table.
| Carer's allowance cases in payment for each of the last five years, as at May of each year, for Torbay parliamentary constituency; Devon and England | |||
| Date | Torbay | Devon | England |
| Notes: 1. Caseload totals show the number of people in receipt of an allowance and exclude people with underlying entitlement to Carer's Allowance but where carer's allowance is not in payment. 2. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest 10. Some additional disclosure control has also been applied. 3. England total has been derived by summing individual Government Office regional totals. Source: Department for Work and Pensions Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study. | |||
Cold Weather Payments
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent steps her Department has taken to publicise the application process for cold weather payments to (a) pensioners and (b) vulnerable households. [312718]
Helen Goodman: Information about the cold weather payment scheme, the eligibility rules and how payments are made is available to all client groups, including pensioners, via the Directgov website. For those without information technology, a leaflet "The Social Fund" which also outlines the qualifying criteria is available from jobcentres as well as through Directgov.
Cold weather payments are paid automatically to all those who qualify for them and no one needs to make an application.
Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 18 January 2010, Official Report, column 57W, whether the notification provides details of the dates for which the payment applies. [313065]
Helen Goodman: Cold weather payments are made when the average temperature has been recorded or forecast to be 0(o)C or below over seven consecutive days.
Payments are made using a mixture of forecast and actual-average temperature trigger dates. Unfortunately, because of the resultant complexities the automatically issued notifications do not contain details of the period for which the payment applies. However, the notification itself is dated.
We believe that it is important to have a scheme that ensures payments are made at the earliest opportunity and that they cover the whole of any relevant period. Any attempt to include details of periods in the automated notices is likely to create more confusion that in resolves.
Any manually input notifications do provide the date of a cold weather payment period.
Departmental Correspondence
Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what targets her Department has for (a) the acknowledgement and (b) the issue of a substantive answer to an enquiry from (i) an hon. Member, (ii) a media source and (iii) other sources. [310973]
Jonathan Shaw: In responding to all correspondence, the Department for Work and Pensions follows the Cabinet Office Guidance "Handling Correspondence From Members Of Parliament, Members Of The House Of Lords, MEPs And Members Of Devolved Assemblies: Guidance For Departments", which sets out a 20-day target for a substantive response for replies to an hon. member and other sources.
A copy of the guidance has been placed in the Library and is also available online at:
In line with most of Whitehall, the Department for Work and Pensions does not generally issue acknowledgements prior to the issue of a substantive reply.
Departmental Data Protection
Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether her Department's information assurance procedures have been independently audited. [310974]
Jonathan Shaw: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave the hon. Member for Epping Forest (Mrs. Laing) on 12 November 2009, Official Report, columns 762-63W.
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