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Equitable Life Assurance Society: Compensation

Mr Clappison: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what timetable he has set for providing compensation to Equitable Life policyholders; and if he will make a statement. [1654]

Mr Hoban: We will establish an independently designed payment scheme that is transparent and fair to both taxpayers and policyholders.


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Sir John Chadwick is due to submit his final report to the Treasury by mid July. Whilst Sir John finalises his report, the Government will consult with others on the next stage of the process.

The Government will then publish Sir John's report alongside a detailed update, giving next steps towards implementing an independently designed payment scheme.

Mr Mark Williams: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the number of people in (a) Wales, (b) England, (c) Scotland and (d) Northern Ireland likely to be affected by the proposed scheme to compensate Equitable Life policyholders. [2266]

Mr Hoban: Approximately 1.5 million people have been affected by the accepted maladministration of Equitable Life during the relevant period. There has been no analysis to date of the distribution across the UK of those who have suffered losses.

We have committed to establishing an independently designed payment scheme that is transparent and fair to both taxpayers and policyholders.

We are working hard to address the situation quickly, while ensuring that our approach is thorough and fair.

Financial Services Authority: Pay

Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the Written Ministerial Statement of 10 June 2010, Official Report, column 15WS, on Financial Services Authority (Annual Report), what the breakdown is of the other emoluments and benefits paid to (a) Hector Sants, (b) Sally Dewar and (c) Jon Pain in addition to the salary and performance-related bonus paid to each. [2565]

Mr Hoban: The matter concerned is the responsibility of the Financial Services Authority (FSA), whose day-to-day operations are independent from Government control and influence. I have asked the FSA to write to the hon. Member on the issue he raises.

Foreign Investment in UK

Karen Lumley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to increase foreign direct investment in the economy in (a) Redditch and (b) nationally. [2633]

Mr Davey: I have been asked to reply.

(a) In order to maximise high value investment into the UK, including Redditch, the Government will ensure a sound fiscal policy and an excellent environment for business.

(b) UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) is the Government organisation that leads on attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into the UK. UKTI delivers consistently excellent, highly professional service throughout the investment process and uses the global network of embassies, high commissions and consulates to assist targeted, high quality investment to come to the UK.

Office for Budget Responsibility

Dr Pugh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what salary will be paid to Sir Alan Budd in his capacity as head of the Office for Budget Responsibility; and for what bonus payments he will be eligible. [419]


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Justine Greening: Sir Alan Budd has been appointed by the Treasury as an independent adviser to provide services in connection with its fiscal policies, acting as chair of the Budget Responsibility Committee of the interim Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) and advising on the establishment of a permanent OBR.

Sir Alan Budd is receiving payment at a rate of £2,885 per week (excluding value added tax) for the performance of these services. He is not eligible for a bonus.

The release of this information is consistent with the Government's approach to transparency on public sector pay, and in line with the publication on 1 June of high-earning civil servants' salaries.

Public Finance

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to (a) analyse the distributional impact of public expenditure cuts he is considering and (b) publish the analysis. [1702]

Danny Alexander: The Government set out in their document "Spending Review Framework" that they will

(2.4, page 7)

Further information will be available at the spending review.

Maria Eagle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what criteria are being used in his review of the capital expenditure projects announced between 1 January 2010 and the dissolution of the last Parliament; when the reviews will be concluded; and when decisions on each project will be announced. [2455]

Danny Alexander: The Government are re-assessing spending approvals granted between 1 January 2010 and the general election to ensure that they offer good value for money and are consistent with the Government's priorities. Further announcements will be made in due course.

Research and Development Tax Credit: Environment Protection

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was claimed in research and development tax credits by (a) clean technology companies and (b) green technology companies in 2008-09. [2325]

Justine Greening: Information on R and D tax credits is not yet available for 2008-09. The most recent National Statistics, published on the HMRC website on 18 December 2009, cover financial years up to 2007-08.

Information on claims for R and D tax credits by clean technology and green technology companies is not available because the data are broken down by industry sector using the UK Standard Industrial Classification of Economic Activities (SIC). Clean technology and green technology are not identified as separate sectors in this classification.


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Tax Avoidance and Evasion

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his most recent estimate is of the annual amount lost to the Exchequer consequent on tax (a) avoidance and (b) evasion; and if he will make a statement. [1579]

Mr Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) estimates that the overall tax gap was £40 billion in 2007-08. Detail on how this estimate was produced is set out in detail in 'Measuring Tax Gaps 2009', available at:

It is also available in the House of Commons Library.

'Protecting Tax Revenues 2009' builds on this analysis using management assumptions to allocate the tax gap to different forms of non-compliance; available at:

Avoidance is estimated to account for 17.5% of the overall tax gap. Evasion accounts for a further 17.5% and the hidden economy, a form of evasion where the source of income is unknown to HMRC, a further 7.5% of the tax gap.

Taxation: Aviation

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what discussions he has had with representatives of the aviation industry on the possible impact of a per-plane tax on (a) their levels of business and (b) their competitiveness; and if he will make a statement.; [2137]

(2) what discussions he has had with (a) the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills and (b) the Secretary of State for Transport on the likely effect on the aviation industry of the introduction of a per-plane tax, with particular respect to freight carriers; and if he will make a statement; [2138]

(3) what discussions he has had with Ministers in (a) the Scottish Executive, (b) the Welsh Assembly Government and (c) the Northern Ireland Executive on the likely effect on the business levels and competitiveness of aviation companies in those countries of a per-plane tax. [2139]

Justine Greening [holding answer 14 June 2010]: The coalition agreement includes an intention to switch from a per-passenger to a per-plane duty. The Government are considering options for doing so, and welcomes the views of interested parties. As part of this process, the Chancellor takes representations from a range of interested parties, including Ministers from other Departments and from devolved Administrations.

Education

Apprentices: West Midlands

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether he plans to alter the number of 16 and 17 year-olds who (a) start and (b) complete apprenticeships in (i) Dudley and (ii) the west midlands; and if he will make a statement. [1511]


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Mr Gibb: We intend to increase the number of apprenticeship places for people of all ages. We are committed to improving the quality of apprenticeships to make them better suited to the needs of employers and learners, and to increasing the number of advanced apprenticeships.

Building Schools for the Future Programme

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what recent discussions have been held by his Department with Essex Education Authority on proposals for the reorganisation of secondary schools in Colchester; and if he will make a statement; [213]

(2) what plans he has for the future of the Building Schools for the Future programme; and if he will make a statement. [250]

Mr Gibb [holding answer 2 June 2010]: Officials in the then Department for Children, Schools and Families had discussions about the reorganisation of secondary school education in Colchester with Essex Education Authority between early 2008 and March 2010. The Sir Charles Lucas School is due to become an academy in September 2010. Other aspects of the reorganisation of secondary education in Colchester are currently linked to the Building Schools for the Future programme. The Department is currently reviewing the Building Schools for the Future programme to ensure that we can build schools more effectively and more cost-efficiently in the future.

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent assessment he has made of the effect of reductions in public expenditure on (a) schools and (b) school building plans in Nottingham. [1075]

Mr Gibb: In his announcement of the package on 2010-11 in year savings on 24 May 2010 the Chancellor of the Exchequer made clear that spending on Schools, Sure Start and education for 16 to 19-year-olds would be protected from these in-year cuts. The Department is currently reviewing the Building Schools for the Future programme to ensure that we can build schools more effectively and more cost-efficiently in the future.

Ed Balls: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what recent representations he has received from local authorities on plans for the Buildings Schools for the Future programme; [1200]

(2) which Buildings Schools for the Future projects in which local authority areas have been put on hold; and how much had been spent on each such project prior to its suspension. [1201]

Mr Gibb: The Department has received a number of representations from local authorities (LAs) on plans for the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme.

The Department is currently reviewing the Building Schools for the Future programme to ensure that we can build schools more effectively and more cost-efficiently in the future.

The Department has not placed any BSF projects in any local authority area on hold.


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Stephen Gilbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he expects to determine the future of the Building Schools for the Future programme (a) for secondary education in Cornwall and (b) nationally. [1378]

Mr Gibb [holding answer 9 June 2010]: The Department is currently reviewing the Building Schools for the Future programme to ensure that we can build schools more effectively and more cost-efficiently in the future.

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what plans he has for schools in Dudley to be included in the Building Schools for the Future programme; and if he will make a statement; [1514]

(2) what plans he has for the future of Building Schools for the Future programme; and if he will make a statement. [1515]

Mr Gibb: The Department is currently reviewing the Building Schools for the Future programme to ensure that we can build schools more effectively and more cost-efficiently in the future.

Building Schools for the Future Programme: North-East

Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has for the future of the (a) Building Schools for the Future and (b) Primary Capital Programme in (i) Hartlepool constituency and (ii) the North-East region; and if he will make a statement. [90]

Mr Gibb: The Department is currently reviewing the Building Schools for the Future programme to ensure that we can build schools more effectively and more cost-efficiently in the future.

Children: Databases

Ed Balls: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment his Department has made on the effects on practitioner time expended per child of the introduction of the ContactPoint database. [1220]

Tim Loughton: The Department has made no assessment of the effect of introducing ContactPoint on practitioner time spent on each child.

Pupil Premium

Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether young people studying in further education institutions will be eligible for the proposed pupil premium planned for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. [1162]

Mr Gibb: The pupil premium will initially apply to pre-16 pupils in schools and therefore not to those in further education institutions. We will announce further details about the operation of the pupil premium in due course.

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Departmental Official Cars

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on the use by Ministers in her Department of cars allocated from (a)
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her Department's pool and (b) the Government car pool which are manufactured in the UK; whether Ministers in her Department are entitled to request the use of a car manufactured in the UK; and if she will make a statement. [2408]

Richard Benyon: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend for Hemel Hempstead Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Mike Penning), 14 June 2010, Official Report, columns 290-91W.


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