| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
19 July 2010 : Column 155W—continued
Higher Education: Job Creation
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of jobs which will be created under the New University Challenge programme in (a) England and (b) the West Midlands in (i) 2010, (ii) 2011 and (iii) 2012. [8401]
Mr Willetts: No estimate has been made of the number of jobs we anticipate to be created under the New University Challenge programme in 2010, 2011 and 2012. The timescale for taking forward any new university centres will depend on decisions in the spending review about resources for 2011-12 and beyond.
Higher Education: Mental Health Services
Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) whether he plans to evaluate the efficacy of mental health care provision in higher education institutions; [8591]
(2) if he will review the adequacy of the required minimum level of mental health care provision in higher education institutions; [9371]
(3) what guidance he issues to higher education institutions on their compliance with the provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act 2005 in respect of mental health care. [9372]
Mr Willetts: I have no plans to evaluate the efficacy or level of mental health care provision in higher education institutions. Universities have duties under the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 1995 (as amended) to support disabled staff and students in higher education, including those with mental health conditions. They will have similar duties under the Equality Act 2010, once its provisions start to come into force from October 2010. Universities are subject to the courts in the application of these duties.
There is guidance available to universities on supporting students and staff with mental health conditions from a range of sector and medical bodies, including the heads of University Counselling Services, the Association of Managers of Student Services in Higher Education (AMOSSHE), the Royal College of Psychiatrists, the former Disability Rights Commission and most recently from the UniversitiesUK/Guild HE Working Group for the Promotion of Mental Well-Being in Higher Education.
Learning and Skills Council for England
Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many staff have transferred from the Learning and Skills Council to each regional development agency since April 2010. [8453]
Mr Hayes: The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) ceased to exist on 31 March 2010 and the responsibility for distributing funding for training and education of post-19 adult learners outside of higher education was transferred to the Skills Funding Agency on 1 April 2010.
No staff have transferred from the Skills Funding Agency to Regional Development Agencies since April 2010. Some 31 staff are currently on secondment from the Skills Funding Agency to the Regional Development Agencies. These staff were seconded prior to April 2010. The staff have the right of return to the Skills Funding Agency when their secondments end.
Loans: Interest Rates
Susan Elan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will bring forward proposals to cap the interest rates which can be charged by lenders in the (a) pawnbroking, (b) payday loans and (c) home credit market. [8662]
Mr Davey: I recently announced a joint BIS and HM Treasury review of consumer credit and personal insolvency and my Department will be issuing a formal call for evidence after the summer recess. The review will cover all phases of the consumer credit lifecycle including the decision to borrow, the lifetime of a loan and what happens when things go wrong. I see this as an opportunity to ensure that we have a regulatory framework that is fair to consumers and creditors alike.
Among other things, the formal call for evidence will give industry and consumer groups the opportunity to provide evidence on how they think the findings and recommendations of the OFT review should be taken forward, including whether interest rate caps are an appropriate solution to the problems found in the market.
Motor Vehicles: Manufacturing Industries
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many cars were purchased under the Vehicle Scrappage scheme in (a) the West Midlands, (b) Dudley borough and (c) Dudley North constituency during the scheme's operation. [8213]
Mr Prisk: Using data based on the locations of dealerships and data for scrappage transactions which have been completed and vehicles delivered, there have been (a) 34,142 completed scrappage transactions in the West Midlands, (b) 1,912 in Dudley borough and (c) 212 in the Dudley North constituency (based on constituency boundaries prior to the recent general election). Due to the nature of the scheme, we will not have final data on completed scrappage transactions until approximately the beginning of September this year.
New Businesses: Older People
Esther McVey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to assist people aged over 50 years to start new businesses. [9163]
Mr Prisk: The coalition Government are committed to making this decade the most entrepreneurial and dynamic in our history. We are putting in place a comprehensive, long-term approach to enterprise, which will include people aged over 50. We want more people over 50 to start businesses, and this means creating an environment where they see good start-up opportunities where they live, consider it a good career choice and have knowledge of other people who have successfully started their own businesses.
Overseas Trade: Kazakhstan
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what reports he has received from UK Trade and Investment on barriers to trade access in Kazakhstan. [8899]
Mr Prisk: The UK has worked closely with the European Commission, business and EU member states in identifying key market access barriers to trade with Kazakhstan as part of the EU's Market Access Strategy. This Department has also been following the process of Kazakhstan's World Trade Organisation accession process as an avenue for improving market access for UK business. Following the introduction of the Customs Union between Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus on 1 January and the introduction of the Customs Union Customs Code applicable from 6 July, we have yet to hear of any new barriers to trade access in Kazakhstan.
While we are working to reduce the negative impact of several market access problems, Kazakhstan offers many good opportunities for UK companies to do profitable business. UKTI is actively exploring the potential in the energy, education and financial services sectors.
Post Offices: Access
Chris Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to ensure that post offices comply with the provisions of the Disability Discrimination Acts relating to accessibility. [9394]
Mr Davey: I have asked David Smith, the managing director of Post Office Ltd, to respond directly to the hon. Member and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Libraries.
Post Offices: Bexley
Mr Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many (a) post office branches within supermarkets and (b) stand-alone post office branches are located in the London borough of Bexley. [9401]
Mr Davey: I have asked David Smith, the Managing Director of Post Office Ltd, to respond directly to the hon. Member and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Libraries.
Post Offices: Essex
Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many (a) post office branches within supermarkets and (b) stand-alone post office branches are located in (i) Southend and (ii) Essex; and if he will make a statement. [8717]
Mr Davey: I have asked David Smith, the Managing Director of Post Office Ltd, to respond directly to the hon. Member and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Libraries.
Post Offices: Finance
Chris Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of the network subsidy payment is allocated to (a) rural and (b) urban post offices. [9393]
Mr Davey: I have asked David Smith, the managing director of Post Office Ltd, to respond directly to the hon. Member and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Libraries.
Post Offices: Nottingham
Chris Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if officials from his Department's Royal Mail and Postal Services Team will meet representatives of the campaign for Post Office services in Carrington, Nottingham to discuss the provision of Post Office branches. [9395]
Mr Davey: No. Decisions on the provision of post office services and location of post office outlets in any individual area are an operational matter for Post Office Ltd.
Post Offices: Urban Areas
Chris Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the prospects for establishing new post offices in urban areas; and if he will make a statement. [9396]
Mr Davey: Decisions on the provision of post office services and the establishment of new post office outlets in any individual area are an operational matter for Post Office Ltd.
Postage Stamps: Anniversaries
Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will discuss with the Royal Mail the production of a commemorative stamp to mark the 350th anniversary of the Book of Common Prayer in 2012. [9206]
Mr Davey: Decisions relating to commemorative postage stamps are an operational matter for Royal Mail.
Royal Mail has a well-established process for choosing stamp themes and designs several years in advance of any issue. Anyone who has a suggestion for an anniversary is advised to put their suggestion direct to Royal Mail as early as possible. All suggestions are given consideration, but there can never be any guarantees that the suggestion will be taken up as the company receives over 2,000 suggestions each year.
Private Sector: Wales
Huw Irranca-Davies:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether his Department has assessed the effect of the proposals in the 2010 Budget on levels of private sector employment
in (a) Wales and (b) the Bridgend county borough council area in each of the next five years. [5945]
Mr Davey: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) does not produce employment forecasts. Detailed national employment forecasts have been published by the Office of Budgetary Responsibility (OBR) in the pre-budget forecast report.
The Office of Budget Responsibility in its forecast expects that employment will stabilise this year and rise from 2011 onwards, reaching just under 30 million in 2014. The International Labour Organisation unemployment rate peaks in 2010, before falling back to 6.25% in 2014. Claimant count unemployment continues to fall throughout the forecast.
A major area of uncertainty recognised by the Office of Budget Responsibility is whether, and to what extent, private sector spending and employment are able to fill the gap that the cuts in public spending in their forecast leave. In addition they do not make employment forecasts for devolved countries or local authorities.
Public Houses: Insolvency
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many pub businesses have been declared bankrupt in each year since 1997. [8871]
Mr Davey: The level of industry classification the Insolvency Service reports on does not separately identify "pub businesses". The following table shows insolvencies in England and Wales for licensed premises (for 1997 to 2006) and bars (for 2007-09), within which public houses are included.
| Insolvencies in England and Wales | ||||||
| Compulsory liquidation | Creditors' voluntary liquidation | Trading-related bankruptcy orders | Receivership | Administration | Company voluntary arrangement | |
| n/a = not available at this level of detail. (1) Data only available for Q1-Q3 2006 due to a change in industry classification. (2 )Data only available for Q3-Q4 2007 due to a change in industry classification. Note: Data only available for Q2-Q4 for creditors' voluntary liquidation in 2002. | ||||||
The Insolvency Trade Classification (ITC) was used to classify trading-related bankruptcies (and company liquidations) until end September 2006. More recently, the Standard Industry Classification 2003 has been in use and there have been associated changes to the method used to identify traders amongst bankrupts and company liquidations by industry. From September 2006 until June 2007 there is no information available by industry. The period covered should not, therefore, be treated as a consistent time series.
Renewable Energy: Research
Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent steps his Department has taken to encourage universities to assist in the development of new, sustainable energy sources. [7163]
Mr Willetts: The Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) provides funding to the Research Councils and the Technology Strategy Board (TSB). Research Councils and the TSB provide a range of support to universities, including funding for research into sustainable energy sources.
The Research Councils UK Energy Programme is an ongoing investment in research and postgraduate training, with a current portfolio of projects worth over £560 million. The programme supports a full spectrum of energy research to help the UK meet its energy and environmental targets and to ensure a secure, affordable, sustainable energy supply for all.
The TSB's current portfolio of energy research and development projects is worth over £150 million (including contributions from business), with the majority of these projects involving university partners. In addition, the Energy Generation and Supply Knowledge Transfer Network has recently been established to create a network of business, technology, academic and policy stakeholders interested in this area.
Royal Mail
Mr Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what percentage of ownership his Department plans to make available to (a) employees of Royal Mail and (b) private shareholders under his Department's proposals to create a shared ownership structure for Royal Mail. [8694]
Mr Davey:
The coalition Government wish to secure the future of Royal Mail and to ensure the maintenance
of the universal postal service. As set out in the coalition agreement, we will therefore seek to ensure an injection of private capital into Royal Mail, including opportunities for employee ownership. A Postal Services Bill to implement these measures was subsequently included in the Queen's Speech and we will announce further details of our plans in due course.
Science: Innovation
Laura Sandys: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to provide support for the science and innovation industry. [6717]
Mr Willetts: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Mid Norfolk (George Freeman) during Business, Innovation and Skills oral questions on 8 July 2010, Official Report, column 516.
Sector Skills Councils: Finance
Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much funding his Department provided to each sector skills council in the latest period for which figures are available. [8452]
Mr Hayes: In 2010-11, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has allocated £58,108,000 to the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UK Commission) to contract with Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) for both their core activity supporting skills development within their sectors and other work creating and maintaining vocational qualifications and diplomas in England.
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills also provides up to £8 million directly to Lifelong Learning UK.
| £000 | ||
| Sector Skills Council | UK Commission contracted funding 2010/11 | BIS direct funding 2010/11 |
Supermarkets: Competition
Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what progress has been made on implementation of the Government's proposal to establish a grocery supply chain Ombudsman; what recent discussions he has had with Ministerial colleagues on this issue; and if he will make a statement. [8716]
Mr Davey: The coalition Government are committed to introducing a body in the Office of Fair Trading, to enforce the Grocery Supply Code of Practice and curb abuses of power which undermine our farmers and act against the long-term interest of consumers.
We are carefully analysing some 60 responses offering a range of views on a consultation which ran from 5 February to 30 April. Recently, I have met, and listened to the views of Ministers and a wide range of stakeholders on the proposals for the new body and have further meetings planned. We intend to respond to the consultation soon.
Treasury
Capital Gains Tax
Mary Creagh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what measures of inflation he plans to use to calculate the annual exempt amount for capital gains tax. [9128]
Mr Gauke: The annual exempt amount for capital gains tax continues to increase each year in line with the retail price index (RPI) measure of inflation. As announced at the Budget, the Government are reviewing how the consumer price index can be used for the indexation of taxes and duties while protecting revenues.
Car Allowances: Voluntary Work
Andrew Percy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will assess the merits of reviewing the Approved Mileage Allowance Payments Scheme in respect of their application to volunteer drivers. [8174]
Mr Gauke [holding answer 13 July 2010]: The approved mileage allowance scheme is used by many charities to refund volunteer drivers as a matter of convenience, but they are not obliged to do so. Where a charity wishes to pay its volunteer drivers a higher rate of allowance it is free to do so providing the rate paid is based on the actual costs incurred by the volunteer driver.
Child Trust Fund: Armed Forces
Thomas Docherty: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many children of service families have received payments from the Child Trust Fund in each year since its inception. [9645]
Mr Hoban: The Government do not hold information regarding the number of children of service personnel with a Child Trust Fund.
Coinage: Forgery
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of counterfeit coins in circulation. [8861]
Justine Greening: The Royal Mint and the Treasury are working with banks, the Post Office, cash handling and sorting businesses, the police and the vending industry to remove counterfeit £1 coins from circulation before they reach the pockets of members of the public. Coin handling businesses, such as banks and the Post Office, handle over three billion £1 coins every year. They use high-speed, automated systems to process customer deposits and prepare coin for reissue. These automated systems are capable of detecting and withdrawing a significant number of counterfeit coins. All counterfeit coins detected from coin processing are sent to the Royal Mint for disposal.
The Royal Mint holds briefings to educate the public and the coin handling industry on how to identify counterfeits, and has issued educational leaflets and posters.
The Royal Mint is also working with other validator and coin sorting manufacturers to help improve the counterfeit detection rate.
Excise Duties: Alcoholic Drinks
Alan Johnson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the terms of reference are of the review of alcohol taxation announced in the June 2010 Budget. [8357]
Justine Greening [holding answer 13 July 2010]: Details on the nature and scope of the review of alcohol taxation are available online at:
Excise Duties: Biofuels
Roger Williams: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the annual cost to the Exchequer of the exemption from fuel duty for exempt producers of biodiesel; and if he will make a statement. [8548]
Mr Gauke: Estimates of the annual cost to the Exchequer of the two-year duty differential for used cooking oil biofuel are provided in table 1.2 of the 2009 pre-Budget report. The Chancellor keeps all taxes under review.
House Insurance: Floods
Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the insurance industry on the level of premiums and excesses for people whose houses flooded during 2007; and if he will make a statement. [9310]
Mr Hoban: Treasury Ministers and officials have discussions with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such discussions.
Housing Benefit
Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of the level of (a) 50th percentile rents in 2010-11 and (b) 30th percentile rents in 2011-12 for (i) one, (ii) two, (iii) three, (iv) four and (v) five bedroom properties in City of Durham constituency. [8473]
Helen Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of (a) 50th percentile rents in 2010-11 and (b) 30th percentile rents in 2011-12 for (i) one, (ii) two, (iii) three, (iv) four and (v) five bedroom properties in Warrington North constituency. [9123]
Mr Gauke: I refer the hon. Members to the answer given to the hon. Member for West Lancashire (Rosie Cooper) on 6 July 2010, Official Report, column 184W.
Income Tax: Tax Allowances
Mr Spencer: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of the number of people in Scotland who will benefit from the increase in the threshold for payment of the basic rate of income tax. [9152]
Greg Mulholland: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of the number of people in (a) Leeds North West, (b) Leeds and (c) West Yorkshire who will benefit from the increase in the threshold for payment of the basic rate of income tax. [9550]
Mr Gauke: The June 2010 Budget announced that the personal allowance for under-65s will be increased by £1,000 to £7,475 in 2011-12. To ensure that support will be focused on those on low and middle incomes the Government will reduce the level of the basic rate limit. The national insurance upper earnings/profit limit will also be reduced to keep it aligned with the income tax higher rate threshold.
The number of basic rate taxpayers in Scotland gaining from these measures is estimated to be 2.0 million in 2011-12, benefiting by up to £170.
This estimate is calculated using HMRC Personal Tax Model, based on 2007-08 Survey of Personal Incomes data projected to 2011-12 in line with June 2010 Budget assumptions.
Information at parliamentary constituency level is not available owing to small survey sample sizes at this level of geography, and because the information is based on the 2007-08 survey data which would not be reliable for this purpose.
Available information on tax by parliamentary constituency based on the latest available Survey of Personal Incomes (2007-08) can be found in Table 3.15 Income and tax by Parliamentary Constituency' on the HM Revenue and Customs website at:
Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of low earners who will not pay income tax in 2011-12 as a result of the measures in the June 2010 Budget. [9291]
Mr Gauke: The personal allowance for under-65s will be increased by £1,000 in April 2011, with the gains limited to basic rate taxpayers. The Government estimate that the 880,000 lowest income taxpayers will be removed from tax altogether.
This estimate is calculated using HMRC Personal Tax Model, based on 2007-08 Survey of Personal Incomes data projected to 2011-12 in line with the June 2010 Budget assumptions.
Minimum Wage
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department is taking to ensure that employees receive at least the national minimum wage. [8866]
Mr Gauke: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) is responsible for the policy on the national minimum wage (NMW).
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) have worked closely with BIS to develop the NMW compliance strategy, available at:
The compliance strategy recognises that a 'one size fits all' approach is unlikely to be the most effective, and that ensuring compliance with the NMW requires the use of a variety of tools and partnerships.
Where HMRC find non-compliance the employer is required to repay arrears of the NMW to their workers at current rates and pay an 'automatic' penalty. If an employer fails to pay the NMW following HMRC's intervention, HMRC can take civil proceedings on behalf of the worker or workers affected.
In the most serious cases where there is evidence that a criminal offence has been committed, HMRC refers cases for prosecution in line with the published policy on NMW enforcement and prosecution.
Non-domestic Rates: Garages and Petrol Stations
Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what valuation criteria are used in rating assessments in respect of convenience stores (a) located and (b) not located in or within the curtilage of petrol filling stations and forecourts. [8607]
Mr Gauke: The criterion used in the valuation of all properties for non domestic rating purposes is prescribed by statute; it is, broadly, the open market annual rental value of the property at the relevant valuation date.
The same valuation criterion is therefore used for the assessment of both convenience stores located in or within the curtilage of petrol filling stations and forecourt and those not located in or within the curtilage of petrol filling stations and forecourt.
The Government are aware of concerns about large increases in rateable value for petrol stations and will be looking to meet representatives of the industry to discuss their concerns.
Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on how many occasions Ministers or officials in his Department have met representatives of the independent petrol forecourt industry in respect of the 2010 Valuation Office Agency revaluation scheme since 1 January 2010. [8693]
Mr Gauke: Officers of the Valuation Office Agency have met with agents representing the independent petrol retailers bodies on five occasions since 1 January 2010.
Office for Budget Responsibility
Mr Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what mechanisms there are to ensure the independence of the Office for Budget Responsibility from his Department; and what arrangements he plans to introduce in his proposals to place the office on a statutory footing. [8545]
Justine Greening: The Terms of Reference of the interim Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) provide that: the OBR will be given direct control over the forecast and all the key judgments that drive it; the Budget Responsibility Committee will make all the key judgments and assumptions underpinning the interim OBR's forecasts, analysis and advice; the Treasury will be accountable to Parliament for ensuring that the interim OBR is properly and efficiently run; and that the OBR will have discretion over what material is published in fulfilling the remit set out in the Terms of Reference.
As set out in the Queen's Speech, the Government intend to bring forward a Bill to place the OBR on a statutory footing. The Chancellor will set out the arrangements for the permanent OBR to Parliament.
Poverty: Children
Mr Bain:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the effect of the benefits and taxation measures in the 2010 Budget on the number of children living in relative poverty resident in (a) Glasgow North East constituency, (b) Glasgow,
(c) Scotland, (d) England, (e) Wales, (f) Northern Ireland and (g) the United Kingdom in fiscal years (i) 2011-12, (ii) 2012-13, (iii) 2013-14, (iv) 2014-15 and (v) 2015-16. [7525]
Justine Greening: The Budget announced a package of reforms to tackle unaffordable spending and support the most vulnerable. For instance, the Budget announced a freeze in the rate of child benefit to help fund significant above-indexation increases in the child tax credit, which is better targeted to low income families. Measures announced in this Budget will have no measurable impact on child poverty over the next two years.
Estimates of the impact of Budget tax and benefits measures on the number of children in relative poverty are only available at the UK level, as lower geographical disaggregations do not provide sufficiently robust results.
Estimates post-2012-13 are not available due to greater uncertainty surrounding longer-term economic forecasts underpinning the modelling. The Government are developing a long-term strategy taking into account the causes as well as the symptoms of poverty. The right hon. Member for Birkenhead (Mr Field) has been asked to lead a review, including of how to measure and make progress on non-financial aspects of poverty.
Public Expenditure: Merseyside
Steve Rotheram: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make an assessment of the likely effects on Merseyside of the Government's planned spending reductions. [9545]
Danny Alexander: The Government set out in their document "Spending Review Framework" (2.4, page 7) that they will
"look closely at the effects of its decisions on different groups in society, especially the least well off, and on different regions."
Research and Development Tax Credit
Richard Burden: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of research and development tax credits in encouraging investment by small and medium-sized enterprises in hi-tech industries. [9148]
Mr Gauke: As part of the plans for corporate tax reform, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced at the emergency Budget that the Government will consult with business in autumn 2010 to review the taxation of intellectual property, the support R and D tax credits provide for innovation, and the proposals of the Dyson Review.
Annual numbers and costs of R and D tax credit claims, mainly by small and medium-sized hi-tech enterprises, are published as national statistics at:
The most recent figures, published on 18 December 2009, cover financial years up to 2007-08.
Revenue and Customs: Liverpool
Mrs Ellman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has for the future of HM Revenue and Customs (a) office and (b) property at Queen's Dock, Liverpool; and if he will make a statement. [9476]
Mr Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is currently reviewing its plans for the future of its office in Queen's Dock as part of a review of all HMRC premises across the city of Liverpool. The review is designed to determine what accommodation will be required to meet HMRC's medium and longer term operational needs. Plans for the office at Queen's Dock will not be established until this review has been completed. The property at Queen's Dock is occupied by HMRC under the 2001 Strategic Transfer of the Estate to the Private Sector (STEPS) private finance initiative (PFI) contract and HMRC's interests in the property do not extend beyond its rights of occupation.
Tax Allowances: Video Games
Ann McKechin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the analysis undertaken by his Department in 2009-10 on the effects on Exchequer revenue of providing tax relief for the computer games industry. [9716]
Mr Gauke: The cost of introducing a tax relief for the video games industry was published in the March 2010 Budget document, which can be found at
Taxation: Banks
Mr Sanders: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the Financial Statement of 22 June 2010, Official Report, column 175, what the evidential basis is for the statement that the proposed changes to taxation will result in a contribution from the banking sector which outweighs any benefit from lower tax rates. [8589]
Mr Gauke: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the right hon. Member for Holborn and St Pancras (Frank Dobson) on 1 July 2010, Official Report, column 610W.
Taxation: Environment Protection
Mr Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps the Government will take to meet its commitment to increase the share of revenues drawn from green taxes in the fiscal years (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12, (c) 2012-13, (d) 2013-14 and (e) 2014-15; and what proportion of overall revenues will be drawn from green taxes in each. [8744]
Justine Greening: The Chancellor keeps all taxes under review and the decisions made about tax policy are made in the round alongside all other priorities. Forecasts for receipts from taxes are set out in table C11 of the Budget.
Unemployment
Barry Gardiner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the documents relating to his Department's presentation on the effects on unemployment levels of the June 2010 Budget. [6381]
Justine Greening [holding answer 6 July 2010]: The Office for Budget Responsibility has published the Budget forecast and supporting assumptions, including their judgment on the level of unemployment and employment over the forecast period. Details can be found in Table C2 and paragraphs C.20 and C.21 of the Budget document, available online at:
VAT
Andrew George: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what (a) research he commissioned and (b) impact assessments he undertook other than those in Annex A of the Red Book in determining the rate of value added tax. [6386]
Mr Gauke: The Budget's VAT rate increase was driven by the need to address the deficit, which will benefit everyone.
Other than Annex A of the "Red Book", describing the distributional impacts of the Budget, the economic effects of the increase in the standard rate of VAT are set out in the Office for Budget Responsibility's Budget forecast at Annex C:
The associated impact assessment, which describes the compliance costs for business, were published alongside the Budget:
http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/junebudget_impact_ assessments.pdf
VAT: Pensioners
Susan Elan Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the effects of the proposed rise in the standard rate of value added tax on the proposed cost of living for pensioners. [8721]
Mr Gauke: The Government are committed to reducing the Budget deficit while supporting the most vulnerable. The Emergency Budget demonstrated this commitment by confirming that the Government will uprate the basic state pension by a triple guarantee of earnings, prices and 2%-whichever is highest-from April 2011, benefiting over 11 million pensioners. The Government will increase the basic state pension in April 2011 by at least the equivalent of RPI.
To ensure the lowest income pensioners benefit from the triple guarantee, the standard minimum income guarantee in pension credit will receive an above-indexation increase in April 2011-increasing by the cash rise in a full basic state pension.
Many essential items that pensioners buy are zero-rated, while others are reduced-rated. On average, each percentage point increase in the standard rate of VAT will impact single pensioners by 0.3% of net income and pensioner couples by 0.4% of net income in 2012-13.
Welfare Tax Credits: Liverpool
Luciana Berger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many households in Liverpool Wavertree constituency receive tax credits; and how many of those have an annual income of over £30,000. [9784]
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: Warrington
Helen Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many households in Warrington North with a family income of over (a) £15,000 and (b) £30,000 are in receipt of tax credits. [9230]
Mr Gauke: The information requested is shown in the following table.
| Table 1: Warrington North constituency - families in receipt of the child care element of tax credits by income band household income | |
| Household income | Number |
This analysis is 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", available at:
Wind Power: Offshore Structures
Edward Miliband: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has for the future of the offshore wind infrastructure port development competition announced in the March 2010 Budget. [8754]
Justine Greening: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given to him today by the Minister of State for Energy and Climate Change (UIN 8756).
| Index | Home Page |