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1 July 2010 : Column 603W—continued
Horserace Totalisator Board
Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what the ownership structure is of the Tote; what his timetable is for deciding on the future arrangements for the Tote; what his most recent estimate is of the value of the Tote; and if he will make a statement. [5087]
John Penrose: The Tote is a statutory corporation and the Government appoint the chairman and non-executive members of the board. The Government have the power to dispose of the Tote under powers contained in the Horserace Betting and Olympic Lottery Act 2004, and my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, confirmed in the Budget on 22 June that the Government will, over the next 12 months, resolve the future of the Tote in a way that secures value for the taxpayer while recognising the support the Tote currently provides the racing industry.
The Government will continue to talk to all parties with an interest in the Tote and to those with an interest in acquiring the Tote during that process. For reasons of commercial confidentiality I cannot disclose the value placed upon the Tote as to do so would harm both the Tote's business and the Government's financial interest in its disposal.
Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much the Tote contributed to horse racing (a) including and (b) in addition to Levy payments in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [5088]
John Penrose: The information requested for 2007-09, is available on the Tote corporate website under financial results at the following link:
The results for 2005-06 can be found at:
Official Hospitality: Expenditure
Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much his Department spent on catering in each year from 1997 to 2009. [4851]
John Penrose: The amount spent with the Department's catering contractor in each year was as follows:
| Financial year | £ |
| (1) Six months only. | |
These costs include the net cost of the staff restaurant and the cost of providing hospitality to meetings.
Prior to 2001, the Department did not have in-house catering facilities, and catering costs were not discretely recorded. Between 2001 and 2004, in-house catering was provided by the facilities management contractor, and costs cannot now be accurately disaggregated without incurring disproportionate cost. In December 2009, the staff restaurant facility on site closed.
Olympic Games 2012: Employment
Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many residents of (a) Tower Hamlets, (b) Hackney, (c) Waltham Forest, (d) Newham and (e) Greenwich are employed at the London 2012 Olympics site; what steps his Department is taking to increase local employment opportunities; and how many jobs in the host boroughs he expects to be created by the London 2012 Olympics. [4880]
Hugh Robertson: At the end of March, the date for which the most recent figures are available, 20% of the park work force were resident in the Olympic host boroughs, with the figure for each borough as follows:
(a) Tower Hamlets: 201 workers
(b) Hackney: 133 workers
(c) Waltham Forest: 280 workers
(d) Newham: 436 workers
(e) Greenwich: 222 workers.
The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) and its partners have put a range of measures in place to help local people in particular access training and employment opportunities on the site. These include investing in training and apprenticeship opportunities with over 2,800 people benefiting from training, including 199 apprentices since the project began. Vacancies are offered exclusively to the host borough employment brokerages and Jobcentre Plus offices in the area for a period of 48 hours. Vacancies unfilled after this time are advertised across London for a further 24 hours and after this are made available across the UK through the national Jobcentre Plus network.
The ODA forecasts that 30,000 people will work on the Olympic Park and Village over the lifetime of the construction programme. During games-time, the London Organising Committee of the Olympic games and Paralympic games estimates that it will require approximately 6,000 paid staff, up to 70,000 volunteers and 100,000 contracted staff.
Shops
Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment has been made of the likely effects on the number of jobs in corner shops and small convenience stores which do not have a national lottery terminal of the granting to Camelot of permission to enter the bill payment and mobile telephone top-up market. [5298]
John Penrose: The Department has made no such assessment. The decision on whether to allow Camelot, the national lottery operator to undertake any ancillary activity, including offering bill payment and mobile telephone top-up facilities through national lottery terminals, is one for the National Lottery Commission (NLC).
The NLC is currently considering responses to its public consultation on a proposal from Camelot to offer commercial services. That consultation specifically sought views on the EU/competition law considerations which may arise from the proposal.
Transport
Driving: Licensing
Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency takes to ensure the accuracy of addresses on its driving licence database. [4922]
Mike Penning: To encourage compliance the change of address transaction is free of charge.
To make it easy for customers to keep their address up to date, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency accepts notifications made online, by telephone, at the Post Office(tm) as part of the driving licence photo renewal, as well as by post. Telephone callers making general inquiries about their driver record have their address checked as a matter of course.
The Agency also conducts an address matching comparison against a third party database before issuing driving licence photo renewal reminders.
Highways Agency
Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he next expects to meet the chief executive of the Highways Agency to discuss the work of the agency. [5751]
Mike Penning: Ministers meet regularly with the chief executive of the Highways Agency and the Secretary of State is meeting the chief executive today, Thursday 1 July.
M60
Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his policy is on continuation of the Lane Gain project for junctions 12 to 15 on the M60. [4152]
Mike Penning: The Government are currently undertaking a Spending Review, the outcome of which will determine the Department for Transport's budget for the period 2011-15. Once the spending review is completed, we will review all planned highways scheme and we expect to report the results of the review in the autumn.
Network Rail: Pay
Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department is taking to seek a review of senior management pay at Network Rail. [4921]
Mrs Villiers: Network Rail is required under a condition of its network licence to maintain a Management Incentive Plan, which is used to determine the remuneration of its senior executives. The Plan is drawn up by the company's Remuneration Committee and must be submitted to the independent Office of Rail Regulation for approval.
Network Rail announced on 24 June a review alongside the Office of Rail Regulation of the future suitability of its Management Incentive Plan for 2010-11. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and the Office of Rail Regulation have made clear that this review must be fundamental and far-reaching; and result in a framework that focuses on rewarding exceptional long-term performance.
Ports: Energy
Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his policy is on enabling ports to meet the requirements of green energy production. [5111]
Mike Penning: Within the context of free market operation, and the requirement for sustainable development, the Government encourage ports to consider all the opportunities for supporting renewable energy production.
Road Signs and Markings
Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to bring forward proposals to delegate the powers to control the placing of stop signs in the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2002 to (a) local highway authorities and (b) parish councils; and if he will make a statement. [5155]
Norman Baker: Although the Department for Transport has no specific plans to delegate responsibility for placing traffic signs to parish councils, the Department is reviewing traffic signs policy to see where greater flexibility can be given to local traffic authorities to remove unnecessary regulatory and administrative burdens. I will make sure the placing of stop signs is considered as part of the wider review.
Road Traffic: North West
Mr Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate was made of the cost to the economy of road congestion in the North West in the latest year for which figures are available. [4429]
Norman Baker: The 2006 Eddington Study estimated that, using the Department for Transport's National Transport Model, the direct costs of congestion to business could rise by £10-12 billion from 2003 to 2025 (in 2002 prices). Adding in the value of the lost time experienced by other travellers raises this figure to £23-24 billion per annum. This report is available at:
Congestion in the north-west in 2003 was estimated to cost business and other travellers £1.9 billion in lost time (in 2002 prices).
These figures are based on the difference between the actual time taken to make a journey and the time that would be taken under theoretical "free-flow" conditions. They do not necessarily represent the net benefit that would result from removing congestion.
Treasury
Child Benefit: Bishop Auckland
Helen Goodman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many mothers receive child benefit in (a) Bishop Auckland and (b) Blackpool North and Cleveleys constituency; and how many children trigger qualification for payments in each of those constituencies. [5093]
Mr Gauke: The latest information on the number of families receiving child benefit, by each parliamentary constituency, local authority and region is available in the HMRC snapshot publication "Child Benefit Statistics Geographical Analysis. August 2009". This can be found at:
The constituency referred to in the question-Blackpool North and Cleveleys-was formed after August 2009 so the previous boundary of Blackpool North and Fleetwood has been used instead. The information for the new constituency would be available only at disproportionate cost.
Child Benefit: Dunfermline
Thomas Docherty: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people in (a) Dunfermline and West Fife constituency and (b) Fife local authority were claiming child benefit on the latest date for which figures are available. [5773]
Mr Gauke: The latest information on the number of families receiving child benefit, by each parliamentary constituency, local authority and region is available in the HMRC snapshot publication "Child Benefit Statistics Geographical Analysis. August 2009", available at:
Child Benefit: Lancashire
Rosie Cooper: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many mothers receive child benefit in West Lancashire constituency; and how many children trigger child benefit payments in that constituency. [5624]
Mr Gauke:
The latest information on the number of families receiving child benefit, by each parliamentary
constituency, local authority and region is available in the HMRC snapshot publication "Child Benefit Statistics Geographical Analysis. August 2009", available at:
Child Tax Credit
Yvette Cooper: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many individuals to whom the child tax credit is paid in families with two earners have annual incomes of (a) between 0 and £5,000, (b) between £5,001 and £10,000, (c) between £10,001 and £15,000, (d) between £15,001 and £20,000, (e) between £20,001 and £25,000, (f) between £25,001 and £30,000 (g) between £30,001 and £35,000, (h) between £35,001 and £40,000 and (i) over £40,001; [4665]
(2) what methodology he uses to estimate the average income of the individual to whom child tax credits are paid in households in receipt of child tax credit with two earners. [4666]
Justine Greening [holding answer 28 June 2010]: Child tax credit is awarded on the basis of overall household income and in the case of a couple is paid to the person who has the main responsibility for the child.
The following table shows, as at April 2010, the number of individuals to whom child tax credits are paid, who are in two-earner households, by their 2008-09 finalised income. Incomes for 2009-10 have yet to be finalised.
| Individual income of the person in the couple who is getting paid CTC, 2008-09 | Number of individuals to whom CTC is paid (thousand) |
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