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24 Jun 2010 : Column 315W—continued
| Financial Year/EPSRC funding for fusion research | |
| £ million | |
Peru: EU External Trade
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will discuss with (a) the European Commission, (b) members of the European Parliament and (c) his EU counterparts the environmental and social effects of the proposed EU free trade agreement with Peru; and if he will make a statement. [3811]
Mr Davey: The EU-Andean (Peru and Colombia) Free Trade Agreement includes a clause covering environmental and social issues in the Trade and Sustainable Development Chapter. This clause commits both the EU and Peru and Colombia to environmental and labour standards rights.
Throughout the negotiations, officials have discussed environmental and social issues with the European Commission, EU counterparts and Members of the European Parliament and, will continue to do so as the agreement progresses.
Regional Development Agencies
Mr MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has for the future of Yorkshire Forward; and if he will make a statement. [3872]
Mr Prisk: The Government will provide further detail on the future of the regional development agencies and how we propose to take forward our proposals for local enterprise partnerships shortly.
Unemployment: Young People
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many young people in (a) the West Midlands and (b) Coventry have found (i) employment or (ii) a work placement as a result of the Young Person's Guarantee. [3930]
Chris Grayling: I have been asked to reply.
The Young Person's Guarantee is still being maintained, and the next release of statistics will be on 11 August.
Statistics are available on the Future Jobs Fund which cover the period from October 2009 to January 2010. They show that there were 940 recorded Future Jobs Fund starts in the Jobcentre Plus west midlands region. The information requested on Coventry is not available.
Vocational Training: West Midlands
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he plans to take to improve (a) youth and (b) adult skills in (a) the West Midlands and (b) Coventry. [3933]
Mr Hayes: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is seeking to improve skills levels by directing public funding where it will bring the clearest benefits.
We have begun to rebalance skills provision by redeploying £150 million of Train to Gain funding to create 50,000 high-quality apprenticeship places. We are also taking action to set colleges and training organisations free from excessive bureaucracy and direct state control, to give them the freedom to respond better to local needs and to make sure employers and individuals have the information they need to make the best choices about investing in training.
Coventry and the West Midlands will gain from the refocusing of funding towards higher-quality training with clearer benefits and from the improved responsiveness of local training providers.
Treasury
Black Economy
Dr Pugh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether HM Revenue and Customs plans to extend its programme of investigative work in relation to the hidden economy. [3812]
Mr Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is committed to cracking down on those who seek to evade tax, including those who operate in the hidden economy. Through development of its data-matching techniques, the Department continues to improve its ability to identify and tackle individuals operating in the hidden economy.
Capital Gains Tax
Gordon Banks: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the effect on the economy of the threshold of the tax-free allowance for capital gains tax. [3831]
Mr Gauke [holding answer 22 June 2010]: No assessment has been made of the impact of the annual exempt amount (AEA) for capital gains tax on the economy.
The AEA will continue to rise in line with inflation and will remain at £10,100 for 2010-11.
The estimated cost, which excludes any behavioural response, of the AEA for 2008-09 and 2009-10 is published at:
This table is routinely updated following the publication of the Budget.
Child Benefit
Alex Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) whether he has made an estimate of the likely level of uptake of child benefit if eligibility for it were to be means-tested; [3722]
(2) what estimate his Department has made of the cost of administering child benefit if eligibility for it were to be means-tested. [3777]
Justine Greening: The requested information is not available.
Child Trust Fund
Mr Umunna: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 9 June 2010, Official Report, column 188W, on the Child Trust Fund, whether parents and guardians will be able to take control of stakeholder Child Trust Fund accounts previously established by HM Revenue and Customs for a child in receipt of a voucher under the scheme after January 2011. [3805]
Mr Hoban: On 24 May 2010 the Government announced that they intend to reduce and then stop all government contributions to Child Trust Funds from January 2011. Child Trust Fund accounts will continue to operate as they do now, whenever they happen to have been opened.
As with all accounts, stakeholder accounts opened by HM Revenue and Customs on behalf of children, now and in the future, are under the full control of the parents or legal guardian of the child. Parents or guardians can transfer the account to a different financial provider or type of account, but the money remains the child's and they cannot withdraw it until they turn 18.
Departmental Official Cars
Ian Austin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his policy is on the use by Ministers in his Department of cars allocated from (a) his Department's pool and (b) the Government car pool which are manufactured in the UK; whether Ministers in his Department are entitled to request the use of a car manufactured in the UK; and if he will make a statement. [2417]
Justine Greening: The Treasury policy on the use of Government cars is in accordance with the recently announced ministerial code.
I also refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Mike Penning) on 14 June 2010, Official Report, column 291W.
Devolution: Northern Ireland
Ms Ritchie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his policy is on the devolution of tax-varying powers to the Northern Ireland Assembly. [3539]
Danny Alexander [holding answer 21 June 2010]: The Chancellor announced at his Budget statement that the Government will publish a paper on rebalancing the Northern Ireland economy, in consultation with the Northern Ireland Executive, including examining potential mechanisms for changing the corporation tax rate in Northern Ireland.
Double Taxation
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what his policy is on continuing the provisions of Section 58 of the Finance Act 2008 in respect of UK residents and foreign partnerships; and if he will make a statement; [3745]
(2) whether he plans to introduce proposals to repeal legislative provisions that ensure UK residents retrospectively pay UK tax on their profits from foreign partnerships; and if he will make a statement. [3810]
Mr Gauke: UK residents are taxable on their worldwide income wherever it arises-including situations where it arises by way of foreign partnerships. Section 58 of Finance Act 2008 was enacted to help put that beyond doubt. The Government are, in general, opposed to retrospective legislation. However, the retrospective element of section 58 is currently the subject of judicial review by the courts and the Government's view is that it is best dealt with there.
Financial Services: Regulation
Mr Thomas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which body will have responsibility for the (a) supervision and (b) regulation of UK financial markets in the period to 2012; and if he will make a statement. [4169]
Mr Hoban: The Financial Services Authority will continue to regulate and supervise financial services and markets until the legislation implementing the Government's proposals for reform has been enacted and commenced.
Mr Thomas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will direct the Banking Commission to consider the future contribution of the financial services industry to increasing the positive effects of economic activity on the natural environment; and if he will make a statement. [4170]
Mr Hoban: The remit of the commission is outlined in the commission's terms of reference, which are a matter of public record and can be found at:
As an independent commission, it will be at the commissioners' discretion to consider representations or evidence received on any relevant topic.
Mr Thomas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what mechanism will be used to appoint the members of the Financial Policy Committee of the Bank of England. [4171]
Mr Hoban: The Government will set out more detail on the Financial Policy Committee, including membership and appointments, in a consultation document to be published before the summer recess.
Mr Thomas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what time period will elapse between meetings of the Financial Policy Committee of the Bank of England and publication of its minutes. [4172]
Mr Hoban: The Government will set out more detail on the Financial Policy Committee, including issues relating to transparency and accountability, in a consultation document to be published before the summer recess.
Personal Savings: Low Incomes
Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent estimate he has made of the average savings ratio of households on (a) low and (b) middle incomes. [3231]
Mr Hurd: 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.
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what recent estimate has been made of the average savings ratio of households on (a) low and (b) middle incomes. (3231)
ONS compiles and publishes an estimate of the saving ratio for the whole of the household and Non Profit Institutions Serving Households (NPISH) sector. This is referred to as the household saving ratio for short and is published quarterly in United Kingdom Economic Accounts.
ONS does not compile estimates of the household saving ratio by level of income.
Public Expenditure: Wales
Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the Barnett formula consequentials for Wales of the measures announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury in his statement on public spending on 17 June 2010; and whether these consequentials were taken into account in (a) the consequential changes announced on 24 May 2010 and (b) subsequent announcements. [3709]
Danny Alexander: There were no further Barnett consequentials for Wales for the measures announced on 17 June 2010.
Public Finance
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer by what mechanism he will consult the public on options for public expenditure cuts; and what information he plans to provide in order to inform that consultation. [1703]
Danny Alexander: The Government published their proposals for the spending review on 9 June: The Spending Review Framework (CM 7872).
The Government are determined that this spending review process will be open, responsible and fair and conducted in a way that protects the poorest and most vulnerable in our society; in a way that unites our country rather than divides it. The Budget announced that an engagement programme will launch on 24 June 2010, giving public sector workers and members of the publican opportunity to feed in their ideas for how to reduce spending while protecting the quality of public services.
Tax Allowances: Christmas
Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the oral answer from the Prime Minister of 2 June 2010, Official Report, column 428, what the evidential basis is for the statement that Christmas parties are supported in the tax system. [3213]
Mr Gauke:
Section 264 of the Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003 exempts from tax the provision by an employer of an annual party or similar annual
function open to all employees, such as a Christmas party, subject to an aggregate limit of £150 per person.
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