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22 Mar 2010 : Column 69W—continued
Departmental Air Travel
Simon Hughes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many domestic flights in Great Britain officials of his Department took in an official capacity in 2008-09; and at what cost to the public purse such flights were taken. [300969]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Tickets for domestic flights are purchased through HM Treasury's travel management company for both officials and Ministers. Separate details of travel by officials and additional information relating to tickets purchased directly by the traveller are not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Excise Duties: Motor Vehicles
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the likely change to revenue to the Exchequer arising from the first year rate tax on new motor vehicles in each of the next three financial years. [322362]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry [holding answer 16 March 2010]: Differential first-year rates of vehicle excise duty (VED) will encourage the purchase of more fuel-efficient cars, by providing a strong signal to the consumer at the point of purchase.
There are 13 different standard rates of VED. From April 2010, under differential first-year rates:
cars in bands A to D-emitting up to 130 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometre (g/km)-will pay no VED in the first year;
cars in bands E to G-emitting between 130 g/km and 165 g/km-will pay the same as under the standard rate; and
cars in bands H to M-emitting over 165 g/km-will pay a rate higher than the standard rate. Only around a quarter of new cars are forecast to fall into this category and only 2 per cent. of new cars are forecast, to fall into band M and face the top rate of £950.
From 2010 onwards, the Exchequer will therefore see reduced revenue from new cars in bands A to D, but increased revenue in bands H to M. The net impact of both of these changes, against a standard rate baseline, is:
| Additional revenue (£ million) | |
This will contribute to cutting carbon dioxide from motoring.
Full details of VED rates for 2010 are available at:
Government Departments: Bank Cards
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a copy of the guidance given to civil servants on spending money via Government procurement cards. [323514]
Ian Pearson: General Government Procurement Card (GPC) guidance is provided by Buying Solutions to Departments in the form of an electronic toolkit which is available in both CD ROM format or as a download from the OGC website at
Government Departments: Reviews
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which organisations are accredited gateway reviewers. [323579]
Ian Pearson: Organisations currently authorised to arrange and manage OGC Gateway reviews are:
OGC (on behalf of central Government)
Ministry of Defence
Department of Health/NHS
Local Partnerships (on behalf of local government)
Scottish Executive
Northern Ireland Civil Service
Dutch Government
State of Victoria (Australia)
Organisations currently piloting the Gateway review process with the objective of becoming authorised are:
Welsh Assembly Government
Police service of England and Wales (NPIA)
Government of New Zealand
Federal Government of Australia
Brisbane City Council
Australian State of Queensland
Australian State of New South Wales
Australian State of Tasmania
Australian State of South Australia
Australian State of Western Australia
Housing: Leaseback Arrangements
Robert Neill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a copy of each substantive response to his Department's consultation on Regulating the sale and rent-back market. [323154]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: In February 2009, HM Treasury published a consultation on regulating the sale and rent back market. A summary of the 35 responses to the consultation was published in June 2009. This document is available on the Treasury website at
A copy of has been placed in the Library of the House.
Housing: Valuation
Robert Neill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 22 February 2010, Official Report, column 237W, on valuation, what proportion of the £14 million of expenditure on the Automated Valuation Model has been incurred since October 2005. [323183]
Ian Pearson: The Valuation Office Agency's Automated Valuation Model technology is used to support of a range of activities associated with domestic property valuation. Some 50 per cent. of expenditure has been incurred since 1 October 2005.
National Insurance Contributions
Lorely Burt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the likely effect on the level of employment of a one percentage point increase in national insurance contributions. [322807]
Mr. Timms: For both small and large companies, the increase in national insurance contributions in 2011 represents only a very small proportion of their total costs. Therefore, in the climate of stronger economic growth forecast by the Treasury and independent commentators in 2011 and beyond, the Government expect the rise in national insurance contributions to be affordable, and any impact on employment to be limited. Past experience has shown such increases can be made without employment falling. The increase in 2011 is accompanied by an increase in the primary threshold to protect lower earners.
Non-Domestic Rates: Ports
Robert Neill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will initiate an independent review of the Valuation Office Agency's handling of the new retrospective business rates regime on firms in ports. [323155]
Ian Pearson: The Valuation Office Agency has been subject to a Framework Review conducted by an HMRC Director reporting to the Minister then responsible for the Agency, the Financial Secretary to the Treasury. The Framework Review is available at:
Non-Domestic Rates: Valuation
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) new assessments and (b) reassessments have been undertaken by the Valuation Office Agency in each year since 1999; and how many businesses were listed at each port in each of those years. [322287]
Ian Pearson: The information requested in respect of (a) and (b) cover the following three Rating Lists:
1995 Rating Lists-1 April 1995 to 31 March 2000
2000 Rating Lists-1 April 2000 to 31 March 2005
2005 Rating Lists-1 April 2005 to 31 March 2010
Total number of (a) 'new' assessments and (b) 'Reassessments' (other) for all classes of property undertaken by the VOA since 1 April 1999 is included in the following table.
| April to March each year | Type | England | Wales | England and Wales |
| Note: All figures rounded to the nearest 10. | ||||
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