Previous Section Index Home Page

15 July 2010 : Column 901W—continued


Schools: Discipline

Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to improve discipline in schools. [6749]

Mr Gibb: It is this Government's intention to give heads and teachers the powers they need to ensure discipline in the classroom and promote good behaviour. In a statement to the House on 7 July I announced that we will take steps to strengthen teachers' powers to search pupils; issue shorter and clearer guidance on the use of force; and remove the requirement to give 24 hours written notice when giving pupils detentions. We will also give teachers the strongest possible protection from false accusations.

Schools: Finance

Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education with reference to his letter of 16 June 2010 to directors of children's services and local authority chief executives, what representations he has received on changes in support for school activities through the local delivery support grant following the proposed change to the funding level provided to local authorities through that grant. [6290]

Mr Gibb: The Secretary of State for Education has not received any representations on the changes to the local delivery support grant funding announced on 16 June 2010 to local authorities.


15 July 2010 : Column 902W

Schools: Management

Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many proposals for free schools have been received from groups in (a) Enfield North constituency, (b) the Enfield local education authority area and (c) England. [6750]

Mr Gibb: As of 7 July 2010, the Department for Education has received the following numbers of free school proposal forms:

Young People: Unemployed

Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the likely effects on careers advice and support for young people not in employment, education or training of recent reductions in local authorities' area-based grant allocations. [6506]

Mr Gibb [holding answer 7 July 2010]: The savings from the Department for Education's Area Based Grant (ABG) to local authorities are part of the local government contribution to deficit reduction in 2010-11, which represents a 3.6% cut in funding to local authorities. We expect them to consider the need for savings across all areas of expenditure, regardless of whether the initial source of funding is formula or area based, taking account of their statutory responsibilities and of the Government's commitment to protecting front line services wherever possible. The reduction in ABG does not imply a direct cut to those services funded by the grant, which include careers advice and support for young people not in employment, education or training.

Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority Committee

Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority: Members

Mr Bacon: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority how many claims by hon. Members were received by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) on (a) 23 June 2010, (b) 24 June 2010, (c) 25 June 2010, (d) 28 June 2010, (e) 29 June 2010, (f) 30 June 2010, (g) 1 July 2010, (h) 2 July 2010, (i) 5 July 2010 and (j) 6 July 2010; what the total monetary value was of claims for which IPSA completed payment on each such day; and what the average administrative cost to IPSA was per transaction, including all expenditure by IPSA since its inception. [7730]

Mr Charles Walker: The claims received and paid out on the relevant days are shown in the following table. The amounts have been rounded to the nearest pound.


15 July 2010 : Column 903W

15 July 2010 : Column 904W
2010
23 June 24 June 25 June 28 June 29 June 30 June 1 July 2 July 5 July 6 July

Claims received

198

213

163

136

446

298

391

150

381

353

Amount paid out (£)

6,192

31,633

20,486

21,726

0.00

42,222

6,725

63,581

49,965

30,275


IPSA has advised me that any calculation of the average cost to IPSA per transaction to date, including all expenditure incurred by IPSA since its inception, would not provide an accurate reflection of the transaction cost. IPSA is exploring the best way to present these data and will provide an average cost per transaction after its first sixth months of operation and again after its first full year.

Mr Winnick: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority what further consideration has been given for claims by hon. Members to be made on paper with all supporting evidence. [8639]

Mr Charles Walker: IPSA has advised me that the merits of introducing a paper-based system for claiming expenses were considered during the start-up phase of IPSA. It was concluded that in line with current expectations of IT-led delivery within the public sector, it would be inappropriate to design a new expenses process which was not based at least in part on an IT-led solution.

IPSA remains of the view that an IT-led, rather than paper-based, system is most appropriate. Using an IT-led solution allows IPSA to achieve a high level of transparency more easily and cheaply than an equivalent manual approach. It will also allow any future changes to processes to be more easily implemented.

IPSA does not intend to introduce a parallel, paper-based system for MPs' expenses.

Mr Winnick: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority what the average length of time taken by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority is from receipt to payment of a claim by an hon. Member. [8640]

Mr Charles Walker: As of 13 July 2010, the average time from receipt of correct supporting documents to payment is 15 working days. IPSA's steady state target is for this period to reduce to 12 working days by the last quarter of 2010.

Communities and Local Government

Decent Homes Programme

17. Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans he has for the future of the Decent Homes programme. [8517]

Grant Shapps: The Government believe all social housing should meet a minimum standard of decency. But I must remind the hon. Member that the last Government left a legacy of a capital investment backlog of £3.2 billion in council housing. They also left a legacy of high public sector borrowing which we cannot sustain. Future funding for the Decent Homes programme will be decided in the context of the Government's spending review.

Business Rates: Small Businesses

23. Mr Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he is taking to assist small businesses with payment of business rate bills. [8523]

Robert Neill: We are doubling the level of small business rate relief in England for one year, from 1 October 2010. Over half a million businesses in England are expected to benefit, with approximately 345,000 businesses paying no rates. We are also committed to finding a practical way to make SBRR automatic.

Local Authorities: Debt Advice

24. Yvonne Fovargue: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will assess the effect on the provision of local authority debt advice services of a reduction in local authority funding; and if he will make a statement. [8524]

Robert Neill: Many thousands of indebted clients are helped each week through Government programmes such as the Financial Inclusion Fund and the Community Legal Advice service and by local authorities through their support for third party provision. Local authorities are free to make their own decisions about where savings in 2010-11 are found.

Housing Market Renewal

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans he has for changes to the funding of the Housing Market Renewal scheme; and if he will make a statement. [8518]

Andrew Stunell: The long-term plans for programmes such as Housing Market Renewal will be set out by the Government after the spending review later in the year.

Strata Homes

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the value for money of the Homes and Communities Agency KickStart grant given to Strata Homes in Retford. [8521]

Grant Shapps: The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) undertook a rigorous due diligence process to assess all shortlisted Kickstart schemes. A core eligibility
15 July 2010 : Column 905W
criteria was value for money. Any scheme, such as Strata Homes in Retford, which has passed due diligence will have met these criteria.

Chief Fire Officers Association

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much Government funding has been allocated to the Chief Fire Officers' Association in each year since 2005. [R] [7917]

Robert Neill: Funding provided to the Chief Fire Officers' Association since 2005 is as follows:

£000
CFOA National Resilience( 1) FiReControl( 2)

2005-06

815

-

206.6

2006-07

723.4

-

246.2

2007-08

760.1

-

199.6

2008-09

505

2,561.1

250.2

2009-10

470

5,420

317.4

2010-11 (YTD)

(3)-

2,773.3

83.7

(1) Payments to CFOA National Resilience Ltd to provide the on-going governance and assurance function for the fire and rescue service's major national incident capability, including staffing; centralised training; and asset refresh costs.
(2) Secondment of specialist staff to the project.
(3) Not yet agreed.

Departmental Legal Costs

Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much (a) his Department and its predecessors and (b) its agencies and non-departmental public bodies spent on legal advice in each year since 1997. [7563]

Robert Neill: The following table shows total spend on legal advice for the last financial year for (a) the Department and (b) its agencies and non-departmental bodies. Details of expenditure in earlier years could be supplied only at disproportionate cost.


15 July 2010 : Column 906W
2009-10 Total (£)

Communities and Local Government

9,564,505

Government Office Network

54,714

Planning Inspectorate

0

Fire Service College

41,659

Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre

0

Housing and Communities Agency

11,913,217

Ordnance Survey

765,889

FireBuy

693,685

Audit Commission

0

Lease

3,000

Valuation Tribunal Service

55,567

Tenant Service Authority

0

Community Development Fund

19,646

Housing Ombudsman

24,702

Standards Board

0

London Thames Gateway Development Corporation

1,197,041

Thurrock Thames Gateway Development Corporation

996,364

West Northamptonshire Development Corporation

360,657

Total

25,690,648


Departmental Location

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether he plans to relocate (a) civil servants and (b) Government bodies for which his Department is responsible (i) out of London and (ii) to the West Midlands; and if he will make a statement. [8299]

Robert Neill: The location of public sector activity and plans for the Government's estate will be considered alongside other public spending issues over the course of the spending review.

Fire Services

Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what his policy is on the proposed transfer of Essex County Fire and Rescue Service Control Centre; and if he will make a statement; [8584]

(2) what his policy is on regionalisation of fire service control rooms; and if he will make a statement. [8585]

Robert Neill: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Coventry South (Mr Cunningham) on 17 June 2010, Official Report, column 526W.

Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if the Minister in his Department with responsibility for the fire service will meet representatives of fire service trade unions in (a) Southend and (b) Essex to discuss plans for regionalisation of fire service control rooms; and if he will make a statement. [8586]

Robert Neill: Essex County Fire and Rescue Service, as the employer of control room staff, is the local body with which the trade unions should discuss plans for fire service control rooms.

Joint consultative committees have been set up in many parts of the country to discuss the implications of transfers with representative bodies at the appropriate level including, I understand, in Essex and the rest of the East of England.

At the national level, I hold regular meetings with representative bodies on a range of fire issues, including the FiReControl project.

Fire Services: Crimes of Violence

Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many attacks have been recorded on members of fire crews in (a) Essex and (b) the Metropolitan police area of London in each of the last 10 years. [8583]


15 July 2010 : Column 907W

Robert Neill: The Department has been collecting figures on attacks on firefighters based on returns from Fire and Rescue Authorities since 2004. The following table shows the number of attacks in Essex Fire and Rescue Authority and London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority reported to the Department. We do not yet have information for 2009-10.

Number of attacks notified to CLG by year of incident and FRA
2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09

Essex

n/a

17

17

6

15

London

n/a

10

15

6

11


Government Office for the North East

Mr Alan Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans he has for the future of the Government office for the north-east. [8654]

Robert Neill: The coalition Government's 'programme for government' published on 20 May stated that

We are currently discussing this with interested parties, including the trades unions.

This proposal is part of our broad agenda on decentralisation, transferring power and influence to local people and local authorities, and removing the bureaucracy of the regional state.

Local Government Finance

Mr Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the (a) number of redundancies and (b) the Government's planned changes in the level of redundancy payments which would be required to make the Government's planned savings in local government expenditure. [8558]

Robert Neill: Savings in local government expenditure-and the implications of those savings-are being considered as part of the spending review. Redundancy decisions are for individual councils to take within the discretions provided by the Local Government (Early Termination of Employment) (Discretionary Compensation) (England and Wales) Regulations 2006.

Local Government Finance: Sunderland

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to written ministerial statement of 10 June 2010, Official Report, columns 16-17WS, on the local government savings package, what assessment he has made of the effects on Sunderland local authority of the reduction in the funding allocated by his Department to the Working Neighbourhoods Fund. [8242]

Robert Neill: Tackling the UK's record deficit is the Government's top priority, and we believe that it is right that local authorities make a contribution to the efficiency savings of £6.2 billion in 2010-11. We have adopted a fair approach to the reductions in grants and funding streams and have limited the amount councils lose. The
15 July 2010 : Column 908W
impact on the area of reductions in grants this year will be for the local authority to decide. We have ensured that councils, including Sunderland, are able to deliver essential frontline services by making no changes to the £29 billion they receive through formula grant and by increasing flexibility for local spending decisions through removing restrictions on how they spend their money.

Local Government: Manpower

Mr Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent estimate he has made of the proportion of local authority staff in the category of (a) employed and (b) contracted out under agreements which have time to run the terms and conditions of which cannot be changed in the next three years. [8630]

Robert Neill: The information requested is not held centrally. The terms and conditions of local authority staff are matters for each council as the employer.

Non-domestic Rates

Mr Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the Budget Red Book 2010, page 27, section 1.67, when the Government plan to bring forward legislation to cancel backdated business rates bills for newly assessed properties that were split from a larger rateable property. [8559]

Robert Neill: We are committed to bringing forward primary legislation at the earliest opportunity to cancel the backdated element of certain backdated business rates bills.

Planning

Simon Reevell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when his Department plans to publish its National Planning Framework; and if he will make a statement. [8307]

Greg Clark: In the coalition agreement the Government stated that they will publish and present to Parliament a simple and consolidated national planning framework covering all forms of development. Work is under way to prepare this framework and it will be presented to Parliament when it is complete. We will be making an announcement on how we propose to take forward the national planning framework and the implications for specific areas of planning policy.

Property Development: Floods

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he next plans to review planning guidance in relation to development on flood plains. [8884]

Robert Neill: The coalition programme states that the Government will radically reform the planning system to give neighbourhoods far more ability to determine the shape of the places in which their inhabitants live. The programme also states that the Government will prevent unnecessary building in areas of high flood risk. We will publish and present to Parliament a simple
15 July 2010 : Column 909W
and consolidated national planning policy framework covering all forms of development and setting out national economic, environmental and social priorities. We will make an announcement on how we propose to take forward the national planning framework and the implications for specific areas of planning policy shortly.

Rescue Services: Finance

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much public funding was provided for urban search and rescue teams deployed overseas in each of the last three financial years. [7912]

Mr Duncan: I have been asked to reply.

The Department for International Development (DFID) has provided funding for search and rescue in two emergency responses since 2007-08:

DFID has also provided £60,000 in both 2007-08 and 2008-09 and £80,410 in 2009-10 to the UK fire and rescue service to maintain preparedness and readiness to deploy within 12 hours.

Deputy Prime Minister

Departmental Speeches

Angela Smith: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which (a) (i) civil servants and (ii) special advisers in his Office and (b) other individuals are employed to write speeches for each Minister in his Office. [7299]

The Deputy Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister for the Cabinet Office earlier today.

Electoral Commission

Mr Jenkin: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether he plans to bring forward proposals for the abolition or reform of the Electoral Commission. [8631]

Mr Harper: The Government have set out a major programme of political reform and will consider the implications for the delivery of elections in due course.

Electoral Systems: Referendums

Thomas Docherty: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what consideration he has given to the merits of participation by Ministers in televised debates as part of the campaign for a proposed referendum on the adoption of the alternative vote system for voting at general elections. [7168]

Mr Harper: The Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 provides that each designated lead campaign organisation at a referendum is entitled to referendum campaign broadcasts.


15 July 2010 : Column 910W

Whether any televised debates are additionally held would be a matter for discussion between potential participants and television broadcasters closer to the time.

Thomas Docherty: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will estimate the costs to the public purse other than those borne by central Government arising from administration of the proposed referendum on adopting the alternative vote system for general elections in respect of (a) local authorities in (i) England, (ii) Scotland, (iii) Wales and (iv) Northern Ireland, (b) the Scottish Executive and (c) the Welsh Assembly Government. [7169]

Mr Harper: No such estimate has been made, but savings from combination are shared between all polls. I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 14 July 2010, Official Report, column 798W.

Pete Wishart: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the proposed referendum on electoral reform when (a) held on its own and (b) combined with elections to the devolved bodies. [8444]

Mr Harper: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 14 July 2010, Official Report, column 798W.

Women and Equalities

Equal Pay: Gender

Yvette Cooper: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what steps the Government is taking to reduce the gender pay gap; and if she will make a statement. [6906]

Mrs May [holding answer 8 July 2010]: In the Coalition's programme for government, we set out our commitment to promote equal pay and to take a range of measures to end discrimination in the workplace. In October we will bring section 77 of the Equality Act 2010 into force, ensuring employees can discuss their own pay freely in order to discover whether their pay is discriminatory. We are considering what further measures are necessary to ensure equal pay between women and men and ensure the fair treatment of women in the workplace.

We will also take other steps to improve the position of women at work, for example by extending the right to request flexible working and encouraging shared parenting, including the promotion of a system of flexible parental leave.

Equality: Legislation

Yvette Cooper: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what plans she has to enforce the positive action clauses of the Equality Act 2010. [7098]

Mrs May [holding answer 12 July 2010]: The general positive action provisions in the Equality Act 2010, together with the positive action provisions for political parties will come into force in October 2010.


15 July 2010 : Column 911W

We are currently considering our next steps in relation to the positive action provisions relating specifically to recruitment and promotion, and we will make an announcement in due course.

Treasury

Bank Levy

Andrew George: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what criteria he plans to use to define the institutions and companies which are to be subject to the proposed banking levy; and whether he proposes that all lending institutions should fall within this definition. [7043]

Mr Hoban: As announced at the Budget, the Government will shortly be consulting on the technical details of the design and implementation of the bank levy. The consultation document is available at

The levy will apply to banks, building societies and banking groups. It will not apply to other forms of lending institution and there are no plans at present to extend its scope.

Banks: Finance

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost to the Exchequer has been of support to the banking industry during the recent economic downturn; and whether these costs will be reimbursed through the sale of equity in the banks. [2101]

Mr Hoban: The impact on the Exchequer of the financial interventions and Bank of England schemes were published in annex B of the June Budget

HM Treasury will publish an updated estimate of the cost of financial sector interventions in future Budgets.

Budget Responsibility Committee

Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the selection process was for members of the Budget Responsibility Committee who took the final decision on appointment of the members; and on what terms and conditions these members were appointed. [8107]

Justine Greening: The appointments to the interim Budget Responsibility Committee (BRC) were undertaken on an expedited basis to ensure the Office for Budget Responsibility could perform its functions for the emergency Budget. The Treasury appointed Geoffrey Dicks and Graham Parker at the recommendation of Sir Alan Budd. The terms and conditions for the interim BRC members are available at:

Car Allowances

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will bring forward proposals to increase from 40p per mile for the first 10,000 miles the rate at which employees may use their own vehicles tax free. [8627]


15 July 2010 : Column 912W

Mr Gauke: The approved mileage allowance payments (AMAPs) system was introduced in April 2002 and the rate has remained unchanged since that date.

The Government keep the rates under regular review. The Government consider that the mileage rates are sufficiently high to cover the business motoring expenses of most drivers.

Cheques

Dr Thérèse Coffey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make representations to the Payments Council to reverse its decision to withdraw cheques. [8093]

Mr Hoban: The Payments Council has not taken a decision to withdraw cheques. It will decide in 2016 whether to close the cheque clearing system by 2018. Cheques should only be withdrawn if suitable alternatives are available. Some of the alternatives have yet to be developed, and these must be tested and shown to be working successfully. The Payments Council will report on this and the Government are monitoring progress.

Child Benefit

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 6 July 2010, Official Report, column 183W, on child benefit, when he expects to be able to provide figures for the number of (a) mothers who receive child benefit and (b) children who trigger payments in Worlsey and Eccles South constituency. [8095]

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 6 July 2010, Official Report, column 183W, on child benefit, when he expects to publish figures for the number of (a) mothers who receive child benefit and (b) children who trigger child benefit payments in Houghton and Sunderland South constituency. [8182]

Mr Gauke: The next publication covering the number of families receiving child benefit from August 2010 is due to be published on HMRC's website in February 2011. This will include analysis by the latest parliamentary constituencies.

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:

Child Benefit: Dudley

Ian Austin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many households on low incomes in (a) Dudley borough and (b) Dudley North constituency have received child benefit in each of the last five years. [8274]


15 July 2010 : Column 913W

Mr Gauke: This information is available only at disproportionate cost.

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:

Child Tax Credit: West Midlands

Ian Austin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families in (a) the West Midlands, (b) Dudley borough and (c) Dudley North constituency have received child tax credit in each of the last five years. [8393]

Mr Gauke: Estimates of the average number of recipient families and their entitlements to tax credits, by county, local authority and parliamentary constituency, for 2006-10, are available in the HMRC snapshot publications "Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics Geographical Analyses April 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010". These are available on the HMRC website at:

Ian Austin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families in (a) Dudley borough and (b) Dudley North constituency in the income band of £41,000 to £50,000 have received child tax credit in each of the last five years. [8394]

Mr Gauke: Analysis of the number of households with incomes between £41,000 and £50,000 in the aforementioned constituencies is shown in the following table. This information is based on provisional information of families receiving tax credits.

Families receiving tax credits with incomes between £41,000 and £50,000
Dudley North Dudley borough

2006

535

1,800

2007

575

2,110

2008

540

2,095

2009

595

2,345

2010

620

2,335


Further details about the snapshot data used for this analysis can be found in the HMRC snapshot publications 'Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics Geographical Analyses April 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010'. These are available at:

Ian Austin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many businesses in (a) the West Midlands, (b) Dudley Borough and (c) Dudley North constituency claim child tax credit. [8397]

Mr Gauke: Businesses are not entitled to claim child tax credits.


15 July 2010 : Column 914W

Corporation Tax

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect on each industrial sector of the proposed reforms to the corporation tax regime in the June 2010 Budget. [6406]

Mr Gauke: The reforms to the corporate tax regime announced at the emergency Budget show that the UK is open for business. The impact of the corporate tax reforms will vary across industrial sectors depending on their capital intensity and profitability. The corporate tax burden will fall by over £2 billion per year once all the measures have fully taken effect. The manufacturing, sector will see a significant reduction in its corporate tax burden.

Departmental Buildings

Robert Halfon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department and its agencies have spent on relaxation rooms in their properties in each year since 1997. [7130]

Justine Greening: Neither the Treasury nor its agencies have incurred any expenditure on relaxation rooms since 2002-03. Information on spending prior to that date is not available due to a change in accounting system.

Departmental Data Protection

Andrew George: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department retains information on its former employees who worked on tax policy who have (a) resigned and (b) retired and subsequently found employment in (i) tax advisory companies and (ii) tax law practices. [8137]

Justine Greening: HM Treasury would only retain this information on ex-employees working on tax policy if within two years of leaving they were being considered for any employment for which they would be required to seek permission under the HM Treasury Business Appointment Rules.

The Advisory Committee on Business Appointment Rules publishes this information on an annual basis and is available online at:

Departmental Reorganisation

John Mann: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to relocate officials working in his Department from central London to Bassetlaw. [6560]

Ian Austin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he plans to relocate (a) civil servants and (b) Government bodies for which his Department is responsible (i) out of London and (ii) to the West Midlands; and if he will make a statement. [8293]


15 July 2010 : Column 915W

Justine Greening: The location of public sector activity and plans for the Government's estate will be considered alongside other public spending issues over the course of the Spending Review.

Rents: Edinburgh

Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the (a) 50th percentile rent in 2010-11 and (b) 30th percentile rent in 2011-12 for properties of (i) one, (ii) two, (iii) three, (iv) four and (v) five bedrooms in Edinburgh East constituency. [8188]

Mr Gauke: This is a matter for the devolved Administration.

Revenue and Customs: Northern Ireland

Mr Dodds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent estimate he has made of the annual expenditure by HM Revenue and Customs on (a) rent, (b) rates and (c) maintenance in relation to premises in Northern Ireland. [7172]

Mr Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs' (HMRC) estimate of expenditure for 2010-11 in relation to its premises in Northern Ireland is given in the following table.

Estimated expenditure 2010-11
Expenditure type £000, net of VAT

Mapeley contract unitary charge

5,112

Rent

691

Rates

1,387

Maintenance

237


The majority of HMRC's premises in Northern Ireland, along with the rest of its estate, were included in the 2001 Strategic Transfer of the Estate to the Private Sector (STEPS) outsourcing deal with Mapeley. Under the terms of the contract with Mapeley, HMRC receives the benefit of fully serviced and maintained accommodation in exchange for an inclusive, property specific unitary charge. As HMRC do not make separate rent or maintenance payments the estimated annual unitary charge expenditure has been provided for these premises.

HMRC occupies four premises in Northern Ireland by way of sharing arrangements with other Government Departments. For three of these properties-Crown Buildings, Antrim; Windsor House, Belfast; and Crown Buildings, Omagh-the accommodation charge incurred is fully inclusive and the rent and maintenance costs cannot be separately identified. These costs are included in the estimate of rent expenditure, in line with how they are reported in HMRC's accounts.

Royal Liverpool University Hospital

Mrs Ellman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department's review of recent expenditure decisions will include a review of planned funding to rebuild Royal Liverpool University Hospital. [144]

Danny Alexander [holding answer 2 June 2010]: The Government have now completed its review spending commitments approved since 1 January 2010. A full list
15 July 2010 : Column 916W
of the projects not selected for suspension or cancellation as part of this exercise has been deposited in the Library of the House (DEP2010-1327).

Tax Avoidance: Self-employed

Philip Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will bring forward proposals to repeal the IR35 legislative provisions on intermediaries. [8367]

Mr Gauke: The Government confirmed in the emergency Budget that they are committed to carrying out a review of IR35. Further details will be announced shortly.

Taxation: Business

Ian Austin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many businesses in (a) the West Midlands and (b) Dudley borough had used the HM Revenue and Customs' Time to Pay programme on the most recent date for which figures are available. [8396]

Mr Gauke: HMRC collates information on the number and value of time to pay arrangements granted through the Business Payment Support Service (BPSS).

At any point in time a business may have more than one arrangement covering its different tax liabilities. A business may be granted a number of successive arrangements.

Following contact with the BPSS between 24 November 2008 and 4 July 2010:

Taxation: Holiday Accommodation

Mr Weir: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what date he has set for the conclusion of his Department's consultation on the tax treatment of furnished holiday lettings; [8380]

(2) with reference to the answer of 16 December 2009, Official Report, column 1383W, on taxation: holiday accommodation, how many responses (a) his Department and (b) HM Revenue and Customs received from operators of long-term residential lets on proposals to extend furnished holiday lettings relief to operators of self-catering holiday properties; and how many such responses sought the abolition of such relief; [8381]

(3) with reference to the answer of 5 January 2010, Official Report, column 177W, on taxation: holiday accommodation, who the interested parties were with whom meetings were held; [8382]

(4) if he will direct HM Revenue and Customs to examine the tax treatment of rented furnished accommodation in French law for the purposes of its consultation on compliance of UK rules with EU law; [8435]

(5) if he will direct HM Revenue and Customs to write to each respondent to the original consultation on furnished holiday letting rules to invite a response to the fresh consultation. [8450]


15 July 2010 : Column 917W

Mr Gauke: The Government will hold a public consultation over the summer on the furnished holiday lettings tax rules. The consultation will last for 12 weeks.

Government Ministers and officials have discussions and meetings with a wide variety of organisations as part of the process of policy development and delivery. It is not the Government's practice to provide details of all representations made or meetings held.

HM Revenue and Customs is aware of the French system for taxing furnished accommodation.

The Government do not intend to write to everybody who responded to the 2009 consultation but we will act to publicise the consultation and ensure the main tourism industry groups are told when the documents are published so they can alert their members.

VAT: Construction

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the effect on the number of jobs in the construction sector of a reduction of five per cent. in the standard rate of value added tax. [8373]

Mr Gauke: No such estimate has been made.

However, to compensate for the revenue lost from reducing the standard rate of VAT by 5%, an increase in another tax would be needed. Since VAT is a relatively efficient tax, economically, the net result with an increase of another tax would be the likely loss of jobs across the economy.

VAT: West Midlands

Ian Austin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many businesses in (a) the West Midlands, (b) Dudley borough and (c) Dudley North constituency were registered for value added tax in each of the last three years for which figures are available; and how many new businesses registered for value added tax in the same period. [8207]

Mr Gauke: The existing population of VAT registered businesses and the number of businesses that registered for VAT during the year, for years since 2005, is shown for the west midlands region; the west midlands metropolitan county; the borough of Dudley; and Dudley North constituency in the following two tables.

Table 1: The number of enterprises registered for VAT at the start of the year
2005 2006 2007 2008

West midlands region

157,585

160,780

163,405

167,075

West midlands county

60,195

61,375

62,325

63,500

Borough of Dudley

7,950

8,125

8,255

8,420

Dudley North

1,715

1,765

1,770

1,840


15 July 2010 : Column 918W

Table 2: The number of enterprises registering for VAT each year
2005 2006 2007

West midlands region

14,815

14,785

15,720

West midlands county

6,245

6,185

6,540

Borough of Dudley

780

765

785

Dudley North

180

165

210


These figures came from the report 'Business Start-ups and Closures: VAT Registrations and De-registrations', published by The Department for Businesses Enterprise and Regulatory Reform in November 2008. This report is no longer published.

Welfare Tax Credits

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 6 July 2010, Official Report, column 186W, on welfare tax credits, when he expects to be able to publish information on the number of households in Worsley and Eccles South constituency which receive tax credits. [8096]

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) pursuant to the answer of 6 July 2010, Official Report, column 186W, on welfare tax credit, when he expects to provide figures for the number of households in Houghton and Sunderland South constituency which receive tax credits; [8378]

(2) pursuant to the answer of 7 July 2010, Official Report, columns 298-9W, on welfare tax credit, when he expects to be able to provide figures for the number of households in Houghton and Sunderland South constituency who receive tax credits and have an income of over £30,000. [8379]

Mr Gauke: The information requested will be available from the HMRC website in December 2010. This will include analysis by the latest parliamentary constituencies.

The latest information on the number of families with children benefiting from child and working tax credits, by each parliamentary constituency, local authority and region is available in the HMRC snapshot publication 'Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics. Geographical Analyses. April 2010'. This can be found at:

Ian Austin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of households which will lose income as a result of the implementation of his proposals to (a) reduce the tax credit second income threshold to £40,000, (b) increase the first and second withdrawal rate to 41 per cent., (c) taper the family element of child tax credit immediately after the child element, (d) remove the baby element of child tax credit, (e) remove the 50 plus element of working tax credit, (f) reverse the child tax credit supplement for children aged one and two years, (g) reduce the income disregard from (i) £25,000 to £10,000, (ii) £10,000 to £5,000, (h) introduce an income disregard of £2,500 for falls in income and (i) reduce the backdating of tax credits for changes of
15 July 2010 : Column 919W
circumstances from three months to one month in each year from 2011-12 to 2014-15; and what estimate he has made of the average change in total household income consequent on the implementation of each such proposal in each such year in (A) cash and (B) real terms in (1) the West Midlands, (2) Dudley borough and (3) Dudley North constituency. [8392]

Mr Gauke: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Bishop Auckland (Helen Goodman) on 28 June 2010, Official Report, column 460W.

Welfare Tax Credits: Dudley

Ian Austin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect of the implementation of proposals in the June 2010 Budget on those resident in (a) Dudley borough and (b) Dudley North constituency who are in receipt of (i) child benefit and (ii) tax credits; and if he will make a statement. [8276]

Mr Gauke: The information requested is not available.

The effect of the Budget is modelled based on data from the Family Resources Survey, which does not contain a large enough sample to produce results at a local authority or constituency level.

Ian Austin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families in (a) Dudley borough and (b) Dudley North constituency in the annual income band of (i) £10,000 to £20,000, (ii) £21,000 to £30,000, (iii) £31,000 to £40,000, (iv) £41,000 to £50,000, (v) £51,000 to £60,000 and (vi) £60,000 or more are in receipt of tax credits. [8395]

Mr Gauke: This information is published in the HMRC publication 'Household Income distribution of Tax Credits families by Westminster Constituency-April 2010', a copy of which is available in the House of Commons Library and will be published on HMRC's website shortly.

Welfare Tax Credits: Edinburgh

Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many households in receipt of tax credits in Edinburgh East constituency have an income of over £30,000. [8178]

Mr Gauke: This information is published in the HMRC publication 'Household income distribution of tax credits families by Westminster constituency-April 2010', a
15 July 2010 : Column 920W
copy of which is available in the House of Commons Library and will be published on HMRC's website shortly.

Welfare Tax Credits: Scotland

Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many households in receipt of tax credits in each parliamentary constituency in Scotland have an income of over £30,000. [8760]

Mr Gauke: This information is published in the HMRC publication "Household Income distribution of Tax Credits families by Westminster Constituency-April 2010", a copy of which is available in the House of Commons Library and will be published on HMRC's website shortly.

Welfare Tax Credits: Stirling

Mrs McGuire: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many households in receipt of tax credits in Stirling have an income of over £30,000. [8313]

Mr Gauke: The number of households in receipt of tax credits in Stirling with an income over £30,000 as at April 2010 was 2,090.

These estimates are based on provisional information on families receiving tax credits as at April 2010. Further details about this data can be found in the HMRC snapshot publication "Child and Working Tax Credits. Geographical Analysis, April 2010". This is available at:

Working Tax Credit

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he made of the number of (a) working tax credit over-payments and (b) changes to levels of earnings disregard in each of the last three years. [8120]

Mr Gauke: The number of tax credits awards that were overpaid, from 2003-04 to 2008-09, are available in the HMRC publication 'Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics. Finalised Annual Awards 2008-09. Supplement on Payments in 2008-09'. This is available at:

The disregard for income rises has remained at £25,000 since 2006-07. It will decrease to £10,000 in 2011-12, and then to £5,000 in 2013-14.


    Index Home Page