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14 Jun 2010 : Column 275W—continued
Office for Budget Responsibility
Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Office for Budget Responsibility will have responsibilities other than those currently undertaken by his Department and the Bank of England. [1581]
Justine Greening: The Terms of Reference for the interim Office for Budget Responsibility were published on 8 June alongside a written ministerial statement from the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Copies of the document are available in the Vote Office and have been deposited in the Libraries of the House.
Chris Evans: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the annual running costs of the Office for Budget Responsibility. [1679]
Justine Greening: The interim Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) is funded from within HM Treasury's existing departmental budget.
Sir Alan Budd, as Chair of the Budget Responsibility Committee, will be advising the Chancellor on the arrangements for the permanent OBR. The annual running costs of the office will depend on decisions taken on the basis of this advice.
Private Finance Initiative
Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the liabilities incurred under the private finance initiative between 1997 and 2010 which have not been recorded as comprising a proportion of the public sector net cash requirement. [1653]
Danny Alexander: HM Treasury publishes actual and estimated annual unitary charge payment for each signed PFI contract for each year of operation on the HM Treasury website:
The interim Office for Budget Responsibility will consider the reporting of public sector liabilities, including those relating to the private finance initiative.
Tax Allowances: Vocational Training
Mr Watson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how much income tax relief was claimed by self-employed people to meet the costs of training provision in the latest year for which figures are available; [1782]
(2) how many employees claimed a deduction from earnings on expenses that they incurred wholly,
exclusively and necessarily for the purposes of training under section 336 of the Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003 in the latest year for which figures are available; [1783]
(3) how much companies claimed in income tax relief to meet the costs of expenditure on training for their employees in the latest year for which figures are available. [1784]
Mr Gauke: This information is not available. Neither self-employed individuals nor employers are required to report these amounts separately to HM Revenue and Customs. If amounts are not taxable, employers need not report them at all.
Tax Avoidance and Evasion
Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he plans to take to reduce the level of tax (a) avoidance and (b) evasion; and if he will make a statement. [1580]
Mr Gauke: The Government are committed to tackling tax avoidance and evasion, and will bring forward measures where necessary in future Budgets and pre-Budget Reports to address these risks.
HMRC set out its compliance strategy and the approach to reducing tax gaps in "Protecting Tax Revenues 2009" , available at:
Unemployment
Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what account he takes of unemployment statistics in the formulation of fiscal policy. [1582]
Justine Greening: The Chancellor takes account of all relevant economic and financial variables, including the level of unemployment, in the formulation of fiscal policy.
For the 22 June Budget, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) will make an independent assessment of the public finances and the economy, including the labour market. The OBR will publish this assessment on 14 June.
VAT
Mr Chope: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will bring forward proposals to put on a statutory basis the concession whereby small business may pay value added tax in three instalments monthly instead of quarterly. [2425]
Mr Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) runs the Business Payment Support Service (BPSS) to help viable businesses in temporary financial difficulties spread their tax payments over a timetable they can afford. The BPSS operates under HMRC's statutory responsibility for the collection and management of VAT and other revenues. Since its launch in November 2008, the BPSS has helped over 200,000 businesses.
HMRC operates two other schemes to help small businesses, whose taxable turnover in the coming year is not expected to exceed £1.35 million, to even out VAT payments:
1. The Annual Accounting scheme allows businesses to spread their VAT payments evenly by paying monthly or quarterly instalments towards their annual VAT bill.
2. The Cash Accounting scheme allows businesses to account for VAT only when they make or receive payment (rather than on the issue of an invoice, under normal accounting rules). This can provide a cash flow benefit, especially where customers pay late.
Both schemes are set out in legislation.
Wigan
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) for what public spending projects within (a) Wigan constituency and (b) the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan his Department secured Treasury approval between 1 January 2010 and the date of his appointment as Secretary of State; [1688]
(2) which public spending projects in (a) Wigan constituency and (b) the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan for which approval has been granted he is reviewing. [1741]
Danny Alexander: The Government are re-assessing spending approvals granted between 1 January 2010 and the general election to ensure that they are affordable, offer good value for money and are consistent with the Government's priorities. Further announcements will be made in due course.
Women and Equalities
Departmental Official Cars
Ian Austin: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what the (a) make, (b) model and (c) place of manufacture is of the car allocated for the use of each Minister in the Government Equalities Office. [1492]
Lynne Featherstone: The Government Equalities Office has no cars allocated to its Ministers.
Arrangements are changing following the publication of the new Ministerial Code which contains changes that affect ministerial entitlement to travel by Government car. The Code states that:
"the number of Ministers with allocated cars and drivers will be kept to a minimum, taking into account security and other relevant considerations. Other Ministers will be entitled to use cars from the Government Car Service Pool as needed".
Cabinet Office has provided clarification on how the Code should be interpreted. The expectation is that Ministers not in the Cabinet will use the pool service and that Cabinet Ministers who have an allocated car will wish to consider how that car might be utilised by other Ministers within the Department before calls are made on the Government Car Service Pool.
The Department for Transport and its Government Car and Despatch Agency are working with Departments to effect the transition to the new arrangements.
Work and Pensions
Future Jobs Fund
9. Mr Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what representations he has received on his plans for the future jobs fund; and if he will make a statement. [1859]
Chris Grayling: I have received virtually no direct representations on plans for the future jobs fund.
The future jobs fund has closed to new bids; however, we will continue to create over 100,000 opportunities. The Government will also be investing £150 million to create 50,000 new apprenticeship places. This investment will provide long-lasting benefits rather than temporary changes to unemployment.
Next year we will introduce our new Work Programme, which will bring better targeted and more effective support to young people and the unemployed.
17. Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the future jobs fund in helping the unemployed into work. [1867]
Chris Grayling: The fund is not delivering the numbers it promised-the previous Government funded providers to create 25,000 jobs by the end of January but figures show that they managed fewer than 9,000.
It is also the most expensive element of the young person's guarantee. At up to £6,500 per person, it is over five times more expensive than other elements of the guarantee.
18. Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many young people have found employment as a result of the future jobs fund in (a) the west midlands and (b) Coventry. [1868]
Chris Grayling: The latest Official Statistics covering the period October 2009 to January 2010 show that 790 young people in the west midlands have started future jobs fund jobs. Information for Coventry is not available.
22. Liz Kendall: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has for the future jobs fund in Leicester; and if he will make a statement. [1872]
Chris Grayling: The Government will honour all grants that have been agreed. This includes a number of grant agreements covering Leicester, including from the city and county councils. We will ensure that people continue to have access to employment support prior to the implementation of the Work Programme. This will provide a comprehensive range of targeted and effective support.
24. Natascha Engel: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment has been made of the effects of his plans for ending the future jobs fund on levels of unemployment of young people. [1874]
Chris Grayling: The future jobs fund has not ended. It will continue to create jobs until March 2011 and create up to 111,000 jobs in that time. Based on evidence from previous job creation schemes, it is unlikely that there will be any discernible impact on youth unemployment as a result of the fund ending.
Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent estimate he has made of the likely level of savings arising from the ending of the future jobs fund; and if he will make a statement. [1154]
Chris Grayling: The closure of the future jobs fund to new bids will save £290 million in the 2010-11 financial year.
We will make further efficiencies by improving the grant management process introduced by the previous Government. This will ensure that overpayments are recovered promptly and that providers deliver the jobs on time.
Young People: Long-term Employment
19. Richard Harrington: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans his Department has to promote long-term employment for young people. [1869]
Chris Grayling: Youth unemployment is unacceptably high. We will introduce a new single Work Programme in the first half of 2011, which offers young people targeted personalised help. This will be delivered through the best of private and voluntary sector providers. We will ensure that young people continue to have access to employment support prior to the implementation of the Work Programme.
Unemployment
20. Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues on reducing levels of unemployment. [1870]
Mr Duncan Smith: One of our top priorities is to reduce the number of people-nearly 5 million-on incapacity, lone parent or jobseekers benefits.
We will reform the benefits system to make work pay, reassess the position of people on incapacity benefit and introduce the Work Programme, a single, integrated package of support, to give people the personalised support they need to find work.
Early Intervention
21. Mr Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues on measures to promote early intervention. [1871]
Mr Duncan Smith: I have had regular discussions with the Secretary of State for Education, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury and other colleagues about measures to promote early intervention and its impact on childhood disadvantage. We will set out our strategy to tackle child poverty by March 2011.
We look forward to working with colleagues and stakeholders to ensure that tackling poverty and disadvantage in the most effective ways is a priority at every level of Government and that all parts of society play their part in achieving our goal. The establishment of the Social Justice Committee will ensure that we take a joined-up approach across Government.
Benefits
23. Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he plans to take to increase take-up of benefits. [1873]
Steve Webb: Latest estimates of take-up of all income-related benefits in 2008-09 were published on 10 June 2010. The figures show that there was £38.1 billion claimed across all income-related benefits representing between around 75% and 85% take-up by expenditure. Expenditure take-up by pensioners was between 71% and 81%. The Take-Up report is available online at:
We want to make sure that everyone is getting all the help that they are entitled to. Our aim is to simplify the benefit system and as a first step we will be looking to conduct a research study into the feasibility of using existing data to make automatic awards of pension credit.
Departmental Manpower
Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many full-time equivalent staff at each Civil Service grade are employed in the private office of each Minister in his Department. [122]
Chris Grayling: The following full-time equivalent staff were recruited by the previous Administration to work within each Minister's private office as follows;
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