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9 Mar 2010 : Column 268W—continued
Equitable Life Assurance Society
Mr. Fallon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for South Dorset and North Poole of 2 February 2010, Official Report, column 212W, on Equitable Life, what preparatory work his Department has undertaken on details of a payment scheme; what directions Ministers in his Department have given to departmental officials on the preparation of such details; and if he will make a statement. [317585]
Mr. Byrne [holding answer 22 February 2010]: Sir John Chadwick expects to submit his final advice to the Government on an Equitable Life ex gratia payment scheme in May.
The Government recognise the importance of responding to this advice as quickly as possible. To accelerate this, HM Treasury has been working to develop aspects of scheme design in parallel to Sir John's work as far as possible. The Government will therefore be able to announce details of a payment scheme-fair to both policyholders and taxpayers-within two weeks of receiving Sir John's advice.
Government Departments: Carbon Emissions
Charles Hendry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 3 December 2009, Official Report, column 927W, on Government Departments: carbon emissions, what estimate he has made of the volume of carbon dioxide emissions likely to arise from Government operations in each department in 2010. [320363]
Ian Pearson: The measure in tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions likely to arise from each Department from Government operations in 2010-11 is estimated to be:
| tonnes carbon dioxide | ||
| Department | Carbon from offices 2010-11 estimate (1999-2000 baseline) | Carbon from vehicles for administrative purposes 2010-11 estimate (2005-06 baseline) |
The Government are committed to achieving a reduction in the carbon dioxide emissions from its estate of 12.5 per cent. and from administrative road travel by 15 per cent. both by 2010-11. Progress against these targets is reported annually in the Sustainable Development in Government report. Current projections indicate that Government are expected to exceed these targets: forecasting a 17.8 per cent. reduction in carbon dioxide emissions
from offices and 23.7 per cent. reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from road vehicles by 2010-11.
Data supporting these figures have been supplied by Departments and are published annually as part of the Sustainable Development in Government reporting process:
http://www.ogc.gov.uk/sustainability_programme _progress.asp
International Business Advisory Council
Mr. Soames: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) when the International Business Advisory Council was founded; who the founding members were; what the current membership of the council is; on what dates it has met; and who attended which meetings; [320964]
(2) what the aims and objectives are of the International Business Advisory Council; and what recent assessment he has made of its performance against targets. [320965]
Mr. Timms: The International Business Advisory Council was established by the then Chancellor of the Exchequer in March 2006. The aim of the Council was to provide practical advice on public policy, as opposed to theoretical/academic analysis.
At the creation of the International Business Advisory Council it was composed of the following members:
Bernard Arnault, Chairman and CEO, LVMH
Lord Browne, (then) Group Chief Executive, BP
Dr. Jean-Pierre Garnier, (then) CEO, GlaxoSmithKline
Bill Gates, Chairman, Microsoft Corporation
Sir Li Ka-shing, Chairman, Hutchison Whampoa Ltd.
Sir Terry Leahy, CEO, Tesco
Sir John Rose, CEO, Rolls-Royce
Robert Rubin, (then) Director and Chairman of the Executive Committee, Citigroup Inc.
Lee Scott, (then) President and CEO, Wal-Mart
Ratan Tata, Chairman, Tata Group
Meg Whitman, (then) President and CEO, eBay
James Wolfensohn, Special Envoy for Disengagement and Former President of the World Bank.
The Council met for the first and only time at a breakfast meeting on 17 November 2006. In addition to the then Chancellor of the Exchequer, the attendees were:
Mr. Robert Rubin (then of Citigroup)
Sir Li Ka-Shing (Hutchinson Whampoa)
Sir John Rose (Rolls-Royce)
Dr. Jean-Pierre Garnier (then of GlaxoSmithKline)
Mr. Ratan Tata (Tata Group)
Mr. Bernauld Arnault (LVMH)
Ms Meg Whitman (then of eBay).
In June 2007, Prime Minister Gordon Brown established the Business Council for Britain to ensure that the Government focus on the areas where it will make the greatest benefit to the business environment. Former members of the International Business Advisory Council are invited to attend formal meetings of the Business Council for Britain, and a number of them have done so.
For information on the current work of the Business Council for Britain please consult:
Investment
Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the level of (a) UK investment overseas and (b) foreign direct investment in the UK has been in each year since 2006; what proportion of investment in the UK was represented by foreign direct investment in each year; and what the level of investment in the UK was in each such year. [321121]
Angela E. Smith: I have been asked to reply.
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated 5 March 2010:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what the level of (a) UK investment overseas and (b) foreign direct investment in the UK has been in each year since 2006; what proportion of total investment in the UK was represented by foreign direct investment in each year; and what the total level of investment in the UK was in each such year. (321121)
The tables attached provide the figures for financial flows and the international investment position of the UK from 2006 to 2008. In accordance with the definitions of balance of payments statistics, investment data are presented in terms of economic transactions between UK residents and the rest of the world. Total investment in the UK is calculated by aggregating the rest of the world's direct, portfolio and other investment in the UK. The figure reported for total investment therefore excludes any domestic investment in the UK. The figures are published in the financial account and the international investment position of the UK's Balance of Payments Statistical Bulletin. Provisional figures for 2009 will be published on Tuesday, 30 March 2010.
| Table 1: Investment flows, in £ million unless otherwise stated( 1,2,3) | |||
| 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | |
|
Proportion of total Investment in the UK represented by foreign direct investment (percentage) | |||
Loans
Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the tripartite authorities first discussed the risks associated with (a) self-certification loans and (b) non-deposit taking mortgage lending. [318015]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The three authorities-Bank, HMT and FSA-meet on a very regular basis at a number of levels under the auspices of the memorandum of understanding.
The Standing Committee met at least monthly to discuss financial stability issues. The Government do not comment on meetings of the Standing Committee.
Since the beginning of 2010, the Standing Committee has been replaced by the Council for Financial Stability, which will hold quarterly strategic discussions that will be publicly minuted. The Council will be established in statute by the Financial Services Bill, but the Government have moved to these arrangements initially on a non-statutory basis.
Public Bodies: Buildings
Grant Shapps: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a table showing for each public body the (a) address, (b) total floor area and (c) vacant space recorded on the electronic property information mapping service e-PIMs database. [311496]
Ian Pearson: The information requested for the mandated central Government civil office estate as at 12 January 2010 has been placed in the Library of the House.
Public Bodies: Location
Mr. Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which Government agencies and bodies created since 2004 have established their offices in London and the south-east. [320722]
Ian Pearson: The Treasury does not hold a central record that lists which Government agencies and bodies created since 2004 have established their offices in London and the south-east.
Public Sector: Pay
Mr. Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the proportion of the change in the public sector wage bill attributable to (a) pay awards and (b) grade drift in each year since 1997. [318662]
Mr. Byrne: The ONS publish the Average Earnings Index (AEI) for the public sector on a monthly basis, which is available from 1997 at:
The difference between average earnings growth and pay settlements can be attributed to a number of factors, such as progression payments, performance related pay and grade drift (when it occurs). The ONS does not however break down the data in this way.
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