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4 Mar 2010 : Column 1330W—continued
The following table shows the number of TSH units provided over each of the three years 2006-07 to 2008-09 through HCA's NAHP which were improved or unimproved and the number of registered social landlords (RSLs):
| Improved | Unimproved | Homes provided | Number of RSLs which completed TSH schemes | |
| Source: HCA Investment Management System | ||||
Information is not held centrally on whether these properties were owned by (a) private individuals, (b) un-registered social landlords and co-operatives, (c) local authorities and (d) other public bodies or on whether they were (a) properties subject to compulsory purchase orders, (b) properties subject to Empty Dwelling Management Orders, (c) long-term privately owned, (d) awaiting redevelopment or sale and (e) properties over shops in town centres.
Supported Housing: Young People
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 26 January 2010, Official Report, columns 770W, on "Housing: Lone Parents", how many individual places in foyers and specialist supported housing will be provided each year under that scheme; and whether he has made an estimate of the proportion of all 16 to 17 year old single parents able to be housed under that scheme. [319109]
Mr. Ian Austin: The Prime Minister announced in September 2009 that all 16 and 17-year-old teenage parents should receive housing with support.
Treasury
Alcoholic Drinks: Fraud
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many officials have been employed to deliver the HM Revenue and Customs' alcohol fraud strategy. [316991]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: There are no figures available for the number of HMRC staff working on alcohol fraud strategy. This is because officers are deployed flexibly across a number of areas.
Banks: Manpower
Mr. Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what estimate he has made of the effect of the reclassification of employees of nationalised banks on the (a) number of public sector employees and (b) total public sector pay bill in the next 12 months; [318633]
(2) what recent estimate he has made of the effect of the reclassification of employees of banks in public ownership on (a) the number of people employed in the public sector and (b) total public sector pay bill. [320647]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: It is a matter for the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to determine classification of employees in these banks and the impact that any such classification has on public sector pay over the next 12 months will be reflected in ONS statistics.
Building Societies: Regulation
Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what reports he has received from the Financial Services Authority on its stress testing exercise on building societies; and whether that exercise has been concluded. [313292]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The FSA made a statement on stress tests on 28 May 2009, available at:
Further to this, the FSA have set out their ongoing approach to stress testing in Policy Paper PS 09/20 (published December 2009, available at:
More details are available on the FSA's website.
Child Benefit: Foreigners
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many nationals of each A8 country were receiving child benefit for a child or children living in another EEA member state at the end of December 2009; and in respect of how many such children child benefit was being paid on that date; [320265]
(2) how many nationals of each A8 country were receiving child benefit for a child or children living in another EEA member state at the end of the most recent month for which figures are available; and in respect of how many such children child benefit was being paid on that date. [320279]
Mr. Timms: Around 7.5 million families are currently claiming child benefit for around 13 million children.
The information requested is provided in the table. These child benefit awards are made by virtue of EC social security co-ordinating regulations which the UK has administered since it joined the European Economic Community in 1973.
| As of 31 December 2009 | As of 28 February 2010 | |||
| Country | Number of awards | Number of children | Number of awards | Number of children |
Dormant Bank and Building Society Accounts Act 2008
Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many (a) banks and (b) building societies have used the provisions of the Dormant Bank and Building Society Accounts Act 2008 to transfer funds into the Big Lottery Fund for good causes; [319965]
(2) how much money has been transferred to the Big Lottery Fund for distribution to good causes under the provisions of the Dormant Bank and Building Society Accounts Act 2008. [319966]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Chancellor announced in pre-Budget report 2009 that the Co-operative Financial Services intend to submit an application to the FSA for authorisation to establish and administrate a Reclaim Fund, subject to work going ahead as planned, as part of the Dormant Bank and Building Societies Accounts Act 2008. Once established, dormant account funds will be transferred from banks and building societies to the Reclaim Fund. This will enable surplus funds to flow to the BIG Lottery Fund and to spending priorities in due course.
Equitable Life Assurance Society
Mr. Brady: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what occasions Ministers in his Department have met with Mr Chris Wiscarson, Chief Executive of Equitable Life, since his appointment in September 2009; and when he expects the next such meeting to take place. [320579]
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.
Gift Aid
Mr. David Hamilton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how much the Government contributed to charities through the Gift Aid scheme in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and how many people made charitable contributions through the scheme in each such year; [319949]
(2) what steps he has taken to increase the number of charitable donations made using the Gift Aid scheme. [319950]
Ian Pearson: HMRC does not collate figures for the total number of people giving using Gift Aid. However, donations using Gift Aid, and the amount of Gift Aid tax relief paid to charities over the last five years, are set out in the following table.
| Amount donated using Gift Aid (£ billion) | Repayments of tax to charities through Gift Aid (£ million) | |
| (1) £947 million includes £56 million paid as Gift Aid transitional relief supplement. Source: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/charities/menu.htm (tables 10.1 and 10.3) | ||
Following the Gift Aid consultation in 2007, the Government announced a package of measures in Budget 2008 aimed at increasing the take-up of Gift Aid, including:
improved HMRC guidance for charities and donors;
a new Gift Aid toolkit to help charities set up and run successful Gift Aid schemes;
extension of the tax effective giving initiative delivered through the Institute of Fundraising;
a small charities training programme, to ensure that small local charities can access guidance and training on Gift Aid;
promoting the use of local umbrella charities to help community and voluntary groups access Gift Aid;
a new online Gift Aid mentoring forum for charities.
In February 2010, HM Treasury set up a Gift Aid forum to consider further improvements to Gift Aid, informed by recent Government-sponsored research into the effect of tax incentives on charitable giving. The forum will come up with recommendations by September 2010.
Housing: Valuation
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 11 January 2010, Official Report, column 765W, on "Housing: Valuation", how many dwellings are recorded (a) with a WK value significant code and (b) as having a reputational issue. [319737]
Ian Pearson: The number of dwellings recorded as (a) having a value significant code (VSC) of WK was 72,244 as at 2 September 2009, which represents 0.3 per cent. of all dwellings in council tax valuation lists in England and Wales. No specific recording is made of (b) a 'reputational risk'. Where a value significant feature is to be recorded that is not covered by any of the other VSCs, it is given a WK code. The number of dwellings with each VSC is available in both the disclosure log on the Valuation Office Agency's website at
Members: Correspondence
Mr. Harper: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to reply to the letter of (a) 7 December 2009 and (b) 22 January 2010 from the hon. Member for Forest of Dean on the Government's proposals to replace the existing taxation system affecting gambling, reference FD4725. [320269]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: A reply was sent to the hon. Member on 9 January.
Non-domestic Rates: Ports
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many port businesses in single port hereditaments were separately assessed for business rates in (a) 2000, (b) 2004, (c) 2005, (d) 2006, (e) 2007, (f) 2008 and (g) 2009; what consultation was held with each of them on the matter; and what statutory requirements applied to such new assessments. [319443]
Ian Pearson: The Valuation Office Agency does not hold separate lists of properties (hereditaments) attributable to smaller locations. The information requested could be compiled only at disproportionate cost.
As he will be aware, however, prior to the ports review around 2,000 hereditaments within the 55 ports in England and Wales were on the rating lists with an effective date of 1 April 2005. Following the review, the total increased by over 600 hereditaments.
Valuation officers have a statutory requirement to maintain accurate rating lists and occupiers affected by the ports review were notified of the findings of the review as and when each review was completed.
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