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7 Jun 2010 : Column 63Wcontinued
Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has to meet representatives of the Fathers 4 Justice campaign. [7]
Mr Djanogly: The Government welcome opportunities for constructive dialogue with key interest groups about reform of the family justice system. Ministers will consider meeting requests on an individual basis. A request from Fathers 4 Justice was received on 18 May and is being considered.
Mr Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the name was of each returning officer in the 6 May 2010 general election; what the full-time job was of each; what fee each received for acting as a returning officer; and from which budget those fees were paid. [409]
Mr Harper: I have been asked to reply.
A list of the names of each of the returning officers in the 6 May 2010 general election will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
In England and Wales, the Representation of the People Act 1983 provides for the duties of a returning officer in respect of the conduct of the election to be discharged by the electoral registration officer for the constituency as "acting returning officer". Accordingly, in respect of England and Wales, the list referred to above will set out the names of each of the acting returning officers. Details of the full-time employment of those individuals in England and Wales are not held by the Government. In Scotland, the returning officers for the 6 May 2010 general election were all local authority chief executives. In Northern Ireland, the Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland is the returning officer for the parliamentary general election.
The returning officer's fee is calculated in relation to the number of electors in the constituency. The amounts which returning officers receive for the services rendered and expenses incurred in administering UK parliamentary elections are paid from the Consolidated Fund under section 29 of the Representation of the People Act (RPA) 1983. The overall maximum amount which a returning officer is entitled to recover is set out in the Parliamentary Elections (Returning Officer's Charges) Order 2010. This order also sets out the maximum amount a returning officer may recover in respect of specified services and expenses.
The order provides different amounts for when a parliamentary election is conducted on its own, or when a parliamentary general election is taken together with the ordinary day of election of councillors in some constituencies in 2010.
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will assess the merits of holding the next general election at a weekend. [335]
Mr Harper: I have been asked to reply.
The Government will keep under review ways in which the democratic process can be enhanced. We will consider the reports of the Electoral Commission into the conduct of the most recent general election and respond in due course.
Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which Minister in his Department has responsibility for policy on data sharing between Government departments; and if he will make a statement. [20]
Mr Djanogly: My noble Friend the Minister of State for Justice (Lord McNally) has ministerial responsibility for policy on data protection, which includes policy on the sharing of personal data between Government Departments.
While the Ministry of Justice has this policy responsibility, it has no role in relation to individual data sharing initiatives between other Government Departments. Departments-as data controllers for the purposes of the Data Protection Act 1998-are responsible for ensuring their own compliance with the Act, including how data are shared.
John Howell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the timetable is for changes to the future status of Huntercombe Young Offenders Institution; and what consultation he plans to have with (a) residents local to the institution and (b) its staff. [970]
Mr Blunt: The decommissioning of HMYOI Huntercombe has commenced and is taking place over the coming weeks to ensure a safe and smooth transition for the existing prisoner population. A project group has been set up and is meeting to consider the essential work to be completed in the establishment in regard to staffing profiles, budgets, contractual requirements and any structural and physical adjustments deemed necessary prior to re-role as a Category C Male prison at the end of 2010.
Senior NOMS officials will meet local residents to reassure them about the re-role in the near future. Once final decisions are made in regard to the proposals under discussion, full consultation will take place with all stakeholders, including all staff and local residents.
Mr Wallace: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will bring forward proposals to reform legislation regarding the compulsory purchase of pension annuities by those aged 75; and if he will make a statement. [1003]
Mr Hoban: The Government are committed to removing the requirement to purchase a pension annuity by age 75. Further details, including information on when the Government intends to implement these proposals, will follow in due course.
Mr Gray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer who holds the capital stock of the Bank of England on behalf of the Government; and what plans he has for a redemption of the 20-year bond issued at the time the Bank was taken into public ownership. [997]
Justine Greening: The entire capital of the Bank is held by the Treasury Solicitor on behalf of HM Treasury.
There are currently no plans to redeem the bond issued at the time the Bank was taken into public ownership.
Mr Binley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many small businesses are registered for VAT. [1009]
Mr Gauke: There are currently 1.94 million VAT registered businesses. Using the turnover threshold of £5.6 million used in the Companies Act 2006 definition of a small business, 1.90 million of these businesses would be classed as small.
Grahame M. Morris: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received on the Government's proposed changes to capital gains tax, with particular reference to the effect on the housing market; and if he will make a statement. [875]
Mr Gauke: We have received a number of representations on the proposals to reform capital gains tax. In line with coalition agreement the Government are seeking ways of taxing non-business capital gains at rates similar or close to those applied to income, with generous exemptions for entrepreneurial business activities.
Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate has been made of the number of children (a) in each region, (b) in each socio-economic group and (c) nationwide who will be born in the first 12 months after abolition of the child trust fund. [100]
Mr Hoban: To contribute to the reduction of the Budget deficit, the Government intend to reduce and then stop all Government contributions into child trust funds. It is intended that vouchers to open new accounts will no longer be issued for children born from 1 January 2011. Existing accounts will continue to operate as before. From 2011-12 onwards, the funding allocated to disability payments into the child trust funds of disabled children will be redirected to provide additional respite care. Every pound paid into this scheme is an extra pound of public debt. By ending Government payments into the scheme we also save the £5 million annual cost of administering it.
The Government's current estimates of the number of children per region and nationwide predicted to be born in the 12 months from 1 January 2011 are tabled as follows. Data on numbers per socio-economic group are not available. All figures are Official Statistics published by the Office for National Statistics.
Projected population of children born in 2011 by country and region | |
Region or country | Number (thousand) |
Source: Office for National Statistics 2008-based. |
Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many child trust fund accounts at the (a) standard and (b) higher rate have been opened in each constituency since the introduction of the fund. [1020]
Mr Hoban: Statistical information is published on HM Revenue and Customs' website regarding the Child Trust Fund. The information includes data regarding the initial payments into accounts and account opening data for all Westminster parliamentary constituencies as at November 2008. It can be viewed at:
Information on the additional payments to children in low income families is also included in these statistics but is not available at constituency level.
Mr Thomas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many separate credit unions are registered in each (a) London borough and (b) region. [1174]
Mr Hoban: Statistics for individual London boroughs are not available, but I can provide the following:
Number | |
Mr Watson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) plasma and (b) LCD televisions there are in Ministerial offices in his Department. [388]
Justine Greening: There is one plasma and eight LCD televisions currently in use in Ministers' private offices at 1 Horse Guards road.
Mr Watson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many full-time equivalent staff at each Civil Service grade are employed in the private office of each Minister in his Department. [112]
Justine Greening: The following table gives details of the total number of full-time equivalent (FTE) staff employed in the private offices of each Treasury Minister as at 27 May 2010, by civil service equivalent pay grade.
Office | Pay grade | FTE |
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