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27 July 2010 : Column 928W—continued
Secure Training Centres: Disciplinary Proceedings
Mr Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many staff have been (a) disciplined, (b) suspended and (c) dismissed following a restraint incident in a secure training centre in each of the last five years. [10827]
Mr Blunt: Restraint is only ever to be used by staff as a last resort, when all other approaches have either not succeeded or would not be appropriate. Each secure training centre holds a monthly incident review meeting attended by the independent advocate team leader to review information about restraint incidents including their location, the staff involved and the holds used. The Youth Justice Board monitors who work in the establishments are informed whenever restraint is used within 24 hours of the occurrence.
The available data, which are set out in the following table, have been supplied by the Youth Justice Board and have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing and may be subject to change over time.
| Staff disciplined, suspended and dismissed following a restraint incident at a secure training centre, 2006 to 2010( 1) | |||
| Disciplined | Suspended | Dismissed | |
| (1 )Data supplied by the Youth Justice Board. (2 )Does not include data relating to Oakhill, as this is not available for this year. | |||
Secure Training Centres: Equipment
Mr Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether wrist locks are authorised for use in secure training centres. [10828]
Mr Blunt: Wrist locks are not currently authorised for use in secure training centres.
Secure Training Centres: Restraint Techniques
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will review the use of control and restraint techniques in secure training centres with the aim of ensuring that all techniques used by staff in situations where there are immediate and serious threats to life are (a) consistent with standards in comparable settings involving children and vulnerable adults and (b) compliant with human rights legislation. [10474]
Mr Blunt: The independent Review of Restraint in Juvenile Secure Settings published in December 2008 made a series of recommendations to improve the use of restraint and behaviour management by staff across the under-18 secure estate, including in situations where there are immediate and serious threats to life. In the course of drawing up their recommendations, the joint chairs of the review examined in detail the use of restraint in other settings involving children and vulnerable adults. A major programme of work is in progress to implement the review's recommendations.
Mr Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to the physical control in care restraint manual used in secure training centres, whether there are any equivalent documents governing restraint and the use of force in young offender institutions. [10829]
Mr Blunt: Restraint is only ever to be used by staff as a last resort, when all other approaches have either not succeeded or would not be appropriate. Prison Service Order 1600 regulates the policy on use of force in young offender institutions. The Control and Restraint training manual sets out the training syllabus and briefing material necessary for teaching the approved techniques to staff.
Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he has taken to inform the chairs of local safeguarding children boards of the restraint and breakaway techniques authorised for use in secure training centres. [10907]
Mr Blunt: The revised statutory guidance "Working Together to Safeguard Children", published in March 2010, places a duty on local safeguarding children boards to
"ensure appropriate links with any secure setting in its area and be able to scrutinise restraint techniques, the policies and protocols which surround the use of restraint, and incidences of injuries".
Every secure training centre director is a member of the local safeguarding children board and will be able to provide any information that is required by the LSCB to fulfil its statutory function.
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will bring forward proposals for a ban on the use in secure training centres and young offender institutions of restraint techniques which may result in physical pain. [11222]
Mr Blunt: It is essential that approved and effective restraint techniques are available to staff in custodial establishments, to enable them to deal with young people whose behaviour puts at risk the safety of the young person him- or herself, other young people, or members of staff. Restraint is only used as a last resort, when all other methods of control have failed or would not succeed.
Any form of restraint has the potential to cause pain if the young person resists. In deciding whether a technique should be approved for use, the key issue is safety. The Restraint Accreditation Board, chaired by Professor Susan Bailey, is about to begin a programme of work to assess the safety and appropriateness of all techniques used in the under-18 secure estate.
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many times a child has been held face down to the floor during restraint in each secure training centre in each of the last five years. [11465]
Mr Blunt: Each secure training centre records the types of physical control in care holds applied during each incident of restraint, and analyses information on a monthly basis. However, the centres' information management records do not specifically capture the number of instances where holds may have been applied when the young person was held in a prone position.
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether he has specified that any groups of children other than pregnant children must not be held face down on the floor in secure training centres. [11466]
Mr Blunt: There are no techniques authorised for use in secure training centres that involve deliberately taking young people to the floor. If, in the course of a restraint, a young person deliberately takes himself or herself to the ground, then, in general, either the young person will continue to be restrained and will be brought to a standing position at the earliest opportunity, or he or she will be released. A young person must not be held on the floor for more than three minutes, after which he or she must be released. The Physical Control in Care manual makes it clear that girls who are pregnant must not be held face down on the floor. The manual also draws attention to the heightened risks of restraining other groups of young people, including those suffering from asthma, obesity, or recent head injury or who are in a psychotic state or a state of excited delirium.
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many times a member of staff has used the technique of the tantrum hold in each secure training centre in each of the last five years; and for what purpose in each case. [11467]
Mr Blunt: The tantrum hold is an approved physical control in care technique, for use in extreme circumstances to prevent a young person from self-harm.
The requested information is set out in the following table. The data have been provided by the Youth Justice Board.
| Use of the tantrum hold in each secure training centre, 2006-10( 1) | ||||
| Medway | Rainsbrook | Oakhill | Hassockfield | |
| (1) Data provided by the Youth Justice Board. | ||||
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many times a member of staff has used the technique of driving their straightened fingers into a child's face in each secure training centre in each of the last five years; and for what purpose in each case; [11468]
(2) how many times a member of staff has used the technique of raking their shoe down a child's shin, driving down onto the child's instep, in each secure training centre in each of the last five years; and for what purpose in each case. [11470]
Mr Blunt: These techniques, called 'breakaway techniques'; can only be used lawfully by staff in self-defence, in extreme circumstances when their own safety is genuinely at risk. Data provided by the Youth Justice Board indicates that no members of staff in secure training centres have used any of these techniques in the past five years.
Mr Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether children with (a) learning and (b) other disabilities were involved in any restraint incident in each secure training centre in the last 12 months. [11760]
Mr Blunt: Data on young people in secure training centres with learning or other disabilities who are involved in a restraint incident are not collected centrally.
Mr Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many children of each (a) sex, (b) age group and (c) ethnic origin were involved in each restraint incident in each secure training centre in the last 12 months. [11299]
Mr Blunt: Secure training centres are regularly inspected by Ofsted including in the use of restraint. In addition, the Youth Justice Board monitors who work in the establishments are informed whenever restraint is used within 24 hours of the occurrence.
Data regarding the use of restraint in secure training centres are collected by the Youth Justice Board from
monthly returns by each establishment. The tables show the number of restrictive physical interventions (RPI) recorded in each secure training centre by age, ethnic origin and sex of the young person during the 12 months to March 2009. This is the most recent period for which data are available.
Data on restrictive physical interventions by disability or by number, age, ethnic origin or sex of members of staff involved in restraint incidents are not collected centrally.
The data have been supplied by the Youth Justice Board and have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing and may be subject to change over time.
| Restrictive physical interventions by age, April 2008 to March 2009 | ||||||||
| 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | Total | |
| Restrictive physical interventions by ethnic origin, April 2008 to March 2009 | ||||||
| Asian | Black | Mixed | Other | White | Total | |
| Restrictive physical interventions by sex, April 2008 to March 2009 | |||
| Male | Female | Total | |
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many times a member of staff has used the technique of driving their inverted knuckles under a child's rib cage in each secure training centre in each of the last five years; and for what purpose in each case. [11469]
Mr Blunt: The technique referred to in the question, involving pressure to the ribs, is one of two 'distraction techniques'. Distraction techniques are for use where a trainee is being extremely violent and it is not possible to apply one of the ordinary restraint holds without first causing the trainee to disengage. They are for use only in exceptional circumstances.
The Youth Justice Board (YJB) has collected specific data on use of distraction techniques since April 2006. The available data, supplied by the YJB, are set out in the following table. They have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing and may be subject to change over time. To discover the purpose for which the technique was used on each occasion would involve analysis of individual incident reports, which could not be done without incurring disproportionate cost.
| Use of rib distraction technique in secure training centres, April 2006 to March 2009 | ||||
| April 2006 to March 2007 | April 2007 to March 2008 | April 2008 to March 2009 | Total | |
Trade Unions
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department and its predecessors has paid to trade unions in each year since 1997; and what estimate he has made of the monetary value of facilities provided by his Department and its predecessors for use by trade unions in each year since 1997. [11679]
Mr Kenneth Clarke: The Ministry of Justice does not make any direct payments to trade unions.
Facilities agreements between the Ministry of Justice and the trade union sides follow the provisions of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 and the ACAS code of practice 'Time off for trade union duties and activities' available at:
The number of days that staff spent on trade union related duties and activities within the 2008-09 financial year was a maximum of 41,558. The estimated total salary cost of such activity was £6.3 million. This did not include PCS local representatives in MOJ (excluding NOMS). This figure is not known.
The amount spent on trade union activity and on other facilities provided for use by trade unions since 1997 is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many paid manpower hours civil servants in his Department and its predecessors spent on trade union-related duties and activities in each year since 1997. [11680]
Mr Kenneth Clarke: Facilities agreements between the Ministry of Justice and the trade union sides follow the provisions of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 and the ACAS code of practice 'Time off for trade union duties and activities', available at:
The number of paid manpower hours civil servants in the Department and its predecessors spent on trade union-related duties and activities in each year since 1997 could not be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many civil servants in his Department and its predecessors spent the equivalent of (a) five days or fewer, (b) five to 10 days, (c) 10 to 15 days, (d) 15 to 20 days, (e) 20 to 25 days and (f) 25 days or more on trade union-related activities or duties while being paid salaries from the public purse in each year since 1997. [11681]
Mr Kenneth Clarke: Facilities agreements between the Ministry of Justice and the trade union sides follow the provisions of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 and the ACAS code of practice 'Time off for trade union duties and activities', available at:
The number of civil servants in the Department and its predecessors who spent the equivalent of (a) five days or fewer, (b) five to 10 days, (c) 10 to 15 days, (d) 15 to 20 days, (e) 20 to 25 days and (f) 25 days or more on trade union-related activities or duties while being paid salaries from the public purse in each year since 1997 could not be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.
Traffic Enforcement Centre
Mr Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what mechanisms are in place for the governance of the Traffic Enforcement Centre. [11253]
Mr Djanogly: The County Court Bulk Centre manager is responsible to maintain a sound system of internal control that supports the achievement of HMCS/CCBC policies, aims and objectives, while safeguarding the public funds and assets, and the Traffic Enforcement Centre is part of this responsibility.
The centre manager is required to provide regular assurance to the accounting officer through his line management chain, that the system of internal control and risk management is both in place and operating effectively within the manager's responsibility. There are robust procedures that require the centre manager to provide evidence of and evaluate the controls in place.
The centre manager is ultimately responsible to the regional director with responsibility for the civil business centres.
Witnesses
Mr Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many intermediaries are registered by his Department. [10713]
Mr Djanogly: On 26 July there were 119 registered intermediaries on the Intermediary Register, the national database for the witness intermediary scheme.
Witnesses: Hearing Impairment
Mr Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many referrals have been made to his Department's intermediaries in each year since 2006; and what proportion of such referrals have been made to registered deaf intermediaries. [10934]
Mr Djanogly: Annual data are not available before August 2009 when the operation and management of the witness intermediary scheme's matching service was transferred to the National Policing Improvement Agency. Since then there have been 1,214 requests (referrals) for a registered intermediary, of which 19 specifically requested a deaf registered intermediary. A further 17 requests stated that the individual for whom the request was made could be assisted through the provision of a non-deaf registered intermediary with, as appropriate, Makaton or British sign language skills.
Since the witness intermediary scheme was introduced as a pilot project in 2004, there have been over 4,000 requests made for a registered intermediary.
Mr Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many deaf intermediaries are registered with his Department. [10935]
Mr Djanogly: There are currently five deaf registered intermediaries on the Intermediary Register, the national database for the witness intermediary scheme.
Treasury
Accelerated Development Zones
Pat Glass: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has for the accelerated development zones pilot programme. [11779]
Danny Alexander: I refer the hon. Lady to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Stockton South (James Wharton) on 22 July 2010, Official Report, column 515W.
Bank Services: Fees and Charges
Gregg McClymont: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to bring forward proposals to achieve the commitment in the Coalition Agreement to introduce measures to end unfair bank and financial transaction charges; and if he will make a statement. [11846]
Mr Hoban: The Government stated in the coalition agreement that
"we will introduce stronger consumer protections, including measures to end unfair bank and financial transaction charges".
We are considering how best to implement this commitment and will bring forward proposals in due course.
More widely, the Government will legislate to establish a new Consumer Protection and Markets Authority so that the interests of consumers of financial services are placed at the heart of the regulatory system and given the priority they deserve. And the Independent Commission on Banking will look at the structure of banking in the UK, the state of competition in the industry and how customers and taxpayers can be sure of the best deal.
Building Societies
Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the effects on building societies of the implementation of the proposal to equalise the terms of depositor protection of members in respect of merging building societies at the time of merger. [11228]
Mr Hoban: Since December 2008 there has been an extension of financial services compensation scheme coverage where two building societies merge, ensuring that where members have deposits in each society, those deposits are protected, in effect up to £100,000 (£50,000 limit per person, per merging society). This gives them the opportunity to move their money elsewhere if they wish and protects the newly merged society from a sudden withdrawal of deposits. The FSA recently announced the extension of this rule to cover mergers taking effect before 30 December 2010.
Building Societies: Regulation
Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will bring forward proposals to strengthen the regulatory framework for building societies. [10753]
Mr Hoban: The building society sector has an important role to play within UK financial services and is a key player within the mutual sector. The Government are committed to promoting the financial mutual sector to foster diversity and competition within the financial services industry, and is currently considering how best to achieve this.
Capital Gains Tax
Andrew George: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the likely effects on the residential letting sector of increasing the rate of capital gains tax. [6324]
Mr Gauke: The likely effect on the residential letting sector of increasing the rate of capital gains tax was estimated to be small.
Mr Sanders: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what further plans he has for implementing his policy of taxing non-business capital gains at rates similar or close to those applied to income. [8551]
Mr Gauke: The Chancellor announced in the Budget on 22 June that capital gains tax would rise to 28% for those with total income and taxable gains above the higher rate income tax threshold. The Government are not planning to revisit this decision in this Parliament.
Cheques
Andrew Selous: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his oral answer of 8 July 2010, Official Report, column 518, on banking, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that alternatives to the cheque guarantee card are in place; whether he expects such alternatives to be in place by 30 June 2011; and if he will make a statement. [8790]
Mr Hoban: Alternatives to the cheque guarantee card, such as cash and debit and credit cards, are already in place. Consumers will still be able to write cheques and businesses can continue to accept them even after the guarantee scheme's withdrawal.
Child Benefit
Barbara Keeley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 15 July 2010, Official Report, column 912W, on child benefit, for what reasons he provided a reference to a web page rather than the figures requested; and what assessment he has made of the compliance of the answer with Cabinet Office guidance on the answering of parliamentary questions for written answer. [11574]
Mr Gauke: It has been the practice of successive Administrations to refer Members to publications and other source documents from which information they are seeking can be extracted.
Consumer Price Index
Annette Brooke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent research his Department has undertaken on the use of the Consumer Price Index to measure the rate of inflation. [11487]
Justine Greening: The scope and definition of the consumer price index (CPI) is for the independent Office for National Statistics (ONS). The CPI is consistent with the harmonised index of consumer prices (HICP) that is specified in a series of European regulations. The ONS undertake research to maintain and improve consumer price indices.
The Chancellor confirmed at Budget that the independent Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of England will continue to target 2% inflation, as measured by the 12-month increase in the CPI.
Corporation Tax
Susan Elan Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment has been made of the effects of the proposed reduction in the small profits rate of corporation tax on (a) small businesses and (b) manufacturers. [10724]
Mr Gauke: The estimated impact on the Exchequer of the reduction in the small profits rate of corporation tax is set out in 'Budget 2010 Policy Costings', which was published alongside the Budget and is available at:
Around 850,000 companies across all sectors will benefit from the reduction in the small profits rate of corporation tax to 20% from April 2011. This includes at least 50,000 companies in the manufacturing sector.
Departmental Buildings
Graham Evans: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much (a) his Department and (b) its agencies and non-departmental public bodies spent on office refurbishment in each year since 1997. [7347]
Justine Greening: HM Treasury-a full PFI refurbishment of the Treasury's building was completed in 2002. The cost of any refurbishments since that date have been included in the annual unitary payment made to the PFI provider and is not separately recorded. As a result of the introduction of a new accounting system in 2002-03, provision of information prior to that date could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Debt Management Office-information prior to 2002-03 is not available due to the introduction of a new accounting system. The available information is shown in the following table:
| £000 | |
The Asset Protection Agency and the Royal Mint Advisory Committee have no record of any spending on office refurbishment.
Departmental Catering
Graham Evans: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department spent on catering in each year from 1997 to 2009. [4856]
Justine Greening: The Treasury's accounting system does not separately identify catering spending and the information could not be provided within the disproportionate costs threshold.
Public spending data from the COINS database for the years 2005-06 to 2009-10 inclusive was published on 4 June.
Departmental Internet
Graham Evans: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much (a) his Department and (b) its agencies and non-departmental public bodies spent on website design in each year since 1997. [7598]
Justine Greening: The available information on spending by HM Treasury and the Debt Management Office (DMO) on website design since 2002-03, when a new accounting system was introduced, is shown in the following table.
| £000 | ||
| HMT | DMO | |
Neither the Asset Protection Agency nor the Royal Mint Advisory Committee have incurred any spending on website design.
Ms Angela Eagle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he has taken to ensure that his Department's Spending Challenge website complies with minimum standards of accessibility. [10415]
Justine Greening: The Spending Challenge website was built and implemented as a joint exercise between No 10, Cabinet Office, Directgov, HM Treasury and a private sector partner called Delib. HM Treasury facilitated access to the Spending Challenge website via its own departmental site.
The Spending Challenge website was built to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. It conforms to level AA, meaning the website is accessible to most users. This was validated using both manual tests and automated tools. It also went though a series of tests with users, including people with disabilities.
Ms Angela Eagle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he has taken to ensure that his Department's Your Freedom website complies with minimum standards of accessibility. [10416]
The Deputy Prime Minister: I have been asked to reply.
The Your Freedom application went though a series of tests with users including people with disabilities to make sure it met the minimum AA web accessibility standards. In addition, the supplier tested those elements that were specific to 'Your Freedom' using both manual tests and automated tools. Because the planned brand colours were found not to meet accessibility standards after initial testing they were replaced with a colour palate that did.
Departmental Legal Costs
Graham Evans: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much (a) his Department and (b) its agencies and non-departmental public bodies spent on legal advice in each year since 1997. [7561]
Justine Greening: The following table sets out the available information on spending on legal advice for HM Treasury, the Debt Management Office (DMO) and the Asset Protection Agency (APA).
| £000 | |||
| HMT | DMO | APA | |
Legal costs for HM Treasury were not separately identified within the accounting system prior to 2004-05 and could not be provided without incurring disproportionate costs.
Information for DMO prior to 2002-03 is not available due to the introduction of a new accounting system at that time. Data on legal spending are not available by purpose but the figures quoted will be mostly advisory costs.
Data for the newly formed APA are only available from 2009-10.
The Royal Mint Advisory Committee did not incur any legal costs for the period in question.
Departmental Official Cars
Ian Austin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what his estimate is of the mileage travelled by each Minister in his Department in a Government car in (a) May and (b) June 2010; [8330]
(2) how many miles each Minister in his Department travelled in a Government car in (a) May and (b) June 2010. [8179]
Justine Greening: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport the hon. Member for Hemel Hempstead (Mike Penning) on 13 July, Official Report, column 624W.
Departmental Public Consultation
Ms Angela Eagle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he has taken to ensure that people without internet access can participate in his Department's Spending Challenge. [10418]
Danny Alexander: Those without internet access, or those who do not wish to participate in the Spending Challenge online, can write to the Treasury directly, or through their MP in the normal way. Letters that pertain to the Spending Challenge are then being fed into the wider process set up to capture the ideas that the Spending Challenge is generating and feed them through to the relevant Spending Departments.
Departmental Security
Graham Evans: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much (a) his Department and (b) its agencies and non-departmental public bodies spent on security in each year since 1997. [7365]
Justine Greening: The information requested is as follows:
A full PFI refurbishment of the Treasury's building was completed in 2002. The cost of any physical security for the building since that date has been included in the annual unitary payment made to the PFI provider and is not separately recorded.
Debt Management Office and Asset Protection Agency
Physical security of the leased office accommodation is charged as part of the quarterly service charge and is not separately identifiable without incurring disproportionate costs.
Identifiable security costs are shown in the following table.
| Financial year | HM Treasury | £000 Debt Management Office |
The Royal Mint Advisory Committee does not incur any security costs.
Departmental Training
Graham Evans: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his (a) Department and (b) its agencies and non-departmental public bodies spent on employee training in each year since 1997. [7636]
Justine Greening: The available information is shown in the following table.
| £000 | |||
| HMT | DMO | APA | |
For HM Treasury and the Debt Management Office (DMO), information on spending prior to 2002-03 is not available due to the introduction of a new accounting system in that year.
Data for the newly formed Asset Protection Agency (APA) are only available for 2009-10.
The Royal Mint Advisory Committee has not incurred any spending in the period in question.
Equitable Life Assurance Society: Compensation
Tessa Munt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what requests he has received from the Equitable Members Action Group for information on Head A calculations; what information he has provided in response; and if he will make a statement. [11894]
Mr Hoban: In response to requests for greater transparency, on 22 July 2010, I published alongside Sir John Chadwick's final advice on the losses suffered by policyholders. Published alongside this was the actuarial advice provided to Sir John during the course of his work and a letter from Towers Watson setting out a range of loss figures that follow from Sir John's report.
Health Foods
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his definition is of foodstuffs with a medicinal value. [11268]
Mr Gauke: Under VAT legislation, food and medicines come under separate zero rates. There is therefore no need to provide a separate definition for foodstuffs with a medicinal value.
Housing Benefit
Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the 2010 Budget, what assessment he has made of the likely effects on low-income groups of the proposed changes to housing benefits. [4678]
Steve Webb: I have been asked to reply.
The Department published an equality impact assessment on 'Changes to the Local Housing Allowance arrangements and Housing Benefit size criteria for people with non-resident overnight carers' and a separate document on
'Impacts of Housing Benefit proposals: Changes to the Local Housing Allowance' to be introduced in 2011-12 on 23 July 2010.
A copy of these has been placed in the Library.
Income Tax
Mr Timpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many and what percentage of (a) men and (b) women who pay income tax pay it at the (i) basic rate, (ii) higher rate and (iii) additional rate. [11544]
Mr Gauke: The requested information for 2010-11 is provided in the following table.
| Males | Females | |||
| Taxpayer | Number (thousand) | Percentage | Number (thousand) | Percentage |
These estimates have been produced using HMRC Personal Tax Model, based on 2007-08 Survey of Personal Incomes data projected to 2010-11 using the Office for Budget Responsibility's economic assumptions for this June 2010 Budget.
Income Tax: Females
Mr Timpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many and what proportion of people who will no longer pay income tax as a result of the implementation of the measures in the June 2010 Budget are women. [11584]
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. We estimate that the 880,000 lowest income taxpayers will be removed from tax altogether, of which 59% are females.
This estimate is calculated using the HMRC Personal Tax Model, based on 2007-08 Survey of Personal Incomes data projected to 2011-12 using June 2010 Budget economic assumptions.
National Insurance Fund
Mr Sanders: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has for the future level of the national insurance fund; and what recent discussions he has had with the Government Actuary on that matter. [10950]
Mr Gauke: The Government plans for the National Insurance Fund to bear a proper relationship in the longer term to demands in respect of payment of benefits.
Ministers receive advice from the Government Actuary in the ordinary course of business. The report of the Government Actuary required by the Social Security Administration Act 1992 on the effect of changes announced in the Emergency Budget will be laid before Parliament with the associated draft legislation in due course.
Non-domestic Rates: Garages and Petrol Stations
Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many appeals against Valuation Office Agency rating assessments by independent petrol filling stations remain outstanding from the 2005 Valuation Office Agency revaluation scheme; and how many such appeals have been lodged since 1 April 2010 in respect of the 2010 revaluation scheme. [8608]
Mr Gauke: The Valuation Office Agency's (VOA) primary aim is to ensure that rating assessments are accurate and fair. Where possible, it aims to reach agreement on what constitutes fair and accurate valuation schemes through discussions with the relevant ratepayers or their representatives. Where this is not possible, ratepayers may raise proposals (appeals) against the rating lists.
The number of rating proposals outstanding relating to petrol filling stations (excluding those with supermarkets) is provided in the following table.
| Proposals relating to petrol filling stations against the 2005 and 2010 rating lists | ||
| 2005 rating lists as at 31 March 2010 | 2010 rating lists as at 30 June 2010 | |
The VOA is not required to hold details of the name of the occupier of individual properties and so is not able to say how many of these outstanding proposals relate to petrol filling stations occupied by independent petrol retailers.
Data on proposals made against the 2010 rating lists have not been published, and so the above data have been taken from the VOA's operational database.
Proposals to alter a rating list can be made on several grounds; these include that the complied list valuation is incorrect; that a notice to alter the list is incorrect; for deletion of the entry in the list; or there has been a material change of circumstances that has affected the property. The numbers provided are for all grounds of appeal.
Where the ratepayer and the Valuation Officer cannot agree on the correct rateable value, the appeal will be heard before the independent Valuation Tribunal. If the ratepayer is still dissatisfied with the outcome, then there is a right to make an appeal to the Lands Tribunal.
Nuclear Power Stations: Decommissioning
Mr Cash: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what occasions his Department received representations on the cost to the public purse of nuclear decommissioning as a proportion of net public sector (a) borrowing and (b) debt in the last two years; from whom each such representation was received; and if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's response in each case. [1196]
Danny Alexander
[holding answer 7 June 2010]: Treasury Ministers and officials regularly discuss funding for nuclear decommissioning with interested parties. No specific representations have been received to date regarding
the effect of the cost of nuclear decommissioning on fiscal aggregates such as public sector net debt or public sector net borrowing.
Office for Tax Simplification
Mr Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many officials from his Department will be working directly for the Office for Tax Simplification. [11314]
Mr Gauke: Michael Jack and John Whiting, who are leading the office for the first year, will be supported by a small secretariat to be appointed over the summer. This will include three officials from HM Treasury and HM Revenue and Customs in addition to externally funded secondees.
Mr Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost of setting up the Office for Tax Simplification. [11315]
Mr Gauke: The Office of Tax Simplification is being fully established over the summer. The set up costs for the office are estimated to be £30,000 and mainly consist of accommodation, IT and recruitment. They will be met from within existing Treasury and HMRC budgets for 2010-11.
Overseas Trade: Israel
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much revenue the Government collected from the (a) importation and (b) sale in the UK of goods sourced, packaged or grown on Israeli settlements which the UN has declared illegal in each year since 2000; and if he will make a statement. [10974]
Mr Gauke: The Government are unable to provide the information requested. The Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories do not have a separate country code. Consequently, it is not possible for HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to separately identify imports from the Israeli Settlements. However, since 2000, HMRC has issued demands for around £482,000 in customs duty on approximately 1,000 consignments of products imported into the UK from Settlements where preferential tariff rates under the EC-Israel Association Agreement had been incorrectly claimed.
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will review the licensing process for the importation of goods sourced, packaged or grown on Israeli settlements which the UN has declared illegal for the purpose of preventing the licensing of such goods. [10975]
Mr Gauke: The European Commission has responsibility for the licensing system and would, as such, initiate and undertake any review. The Commission last examined the rules for agricultural products in 2008. The Government cannot take unilateral action to review, amend or alter the processes and requirements for issuing import licences for goods imported from the Israeli settlements.
Personal Loans
Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the change in the level of household (a) borrowing and (b) debt as a result of the June 2010 Budget by the end of 2011. [9507]
Mr Hoban [holding answer 19 July 2010]: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Chairman of the Office for Budget Responsibility, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Sir Alan Budd, dated 23 July 2010:
As Chair of the Budget Responsibility Committee of the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) I have been asked to reply to your recent question:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the change in the level of household (a) borrowing and (b) debt as a result of the June 2010 Budget by the end of 2011. (9507)
We have published forecasts for household consumption and the saving ratio in the June Budget document. The saving ratio remains close to historic averages through 2010 and 2011, meaning that consumption growth is close to that of income over the period.
The specific information that you have requested on household borrowing and debt has not yet been published. In accordance with our publication procedure, (which is available on our website at:
We will release the supplementary information that you have requested on 19 August 2010, at 11am. This information will be published on the OBR website, and copies of all published material will be placed in the Library of the House.
Police: Lambeth
Mr Umunna: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what effect implementation of the measures proposed in the June 2010 Budget will have on police numbers in (a) the London Borough of Lambeth and (b) Streatham constituency. [10366]
Nick Herbert: I have been asked to reply.
Decisions about the number of police officers, police community support officers and other police staff engaged by the Metropolitan Police Service and how they are deployed to each of the London boroughs and to specialist units is a matter for the Commissioner (Sir Paul Stephenson) and Metropolitan Police Authority. The future funding settlement for the police will be determined by the spending review which will not be known until October this year.
Pregnant Women: Grants
Barbara Keeley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many health in pregnancy grants were made in the area now covered by Worsley and Eccles South constituency in 2009-10. [6138]
Mr Gauke: The information is only available at disproportionate cost.
Premium Bonds
Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the merits of increasing the £30,000 maximum holding for Premium Bonds. [10752]
Mr Hoban: On 12 May 2003 the maximum holding limit for Premium Bonds increased from 20,000 Bonds (£20,000) to a limit of 30,000 Bonds (£30,000). The limit of £20,000 was set ten years prior, on 13 April 1993.
The maximum limit was increased in response to high customer demand for National Savings Investments to do so.
Currently, the average Premium Bond holding is £1,763-this includes customers who hold the minimum £1 as well as customers who hold the maximum limit of £30,000. There are 477,020 Premium Bond holders out of a total of 23,648,498 holders who hold the maximum £30,000 investment limit, which represents 2.0% of this total. Some 46.6% of customers hold the minimum value.
These statistics, as at July 2010, show that there are only a small percentage of total Premium Bond holders who hold the maximum investment limit; therefore at this stage there are no plans to make changes to the limit. However, we regularly review the structure of the Premium Bonds scheme, and would make changes if appropriate.
Public Expenditure: Scotland
Ann McKechin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what effect implementation of the proposals in the Department of Health's White Paper on NHS reform will have on the amount of money made available under the Barnett formula for Scotland. [11062]
Danny Alexander: Health policy in Scotland is devolved to the Scottish Executive so it is for the Scottish Executive to determine its own policy. Funding for the NHS in England will be determined in the Spending Review. In Scotland it will be for the Scottish Executive to determine health spending within the overall Scottish block budget to be determined in the Spending Review in the usual way.
Public Expenditure: Wales
Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to respond to the final report of the Independent Commission on Funding and Finance for Wales; and if he will make a statement. [11303]
Danny Alexander: The Independent Commission on Funding and Finance for Wales' final report is a report to the Welsh Assembly Government, not to HM Government. However the Treasury looks forward to studying the report and discussing it with the Welsh Assembly Government.
Public Finance
Gordon Banks: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect on the level of unemployment of the recently announced reductions in public spending. [3830]
Danny Alexander [holding answer 22 June 2010]: To continue with the previous fiscal plans would put the recovery at risk. The Governor of the Bank of England has said:
"The bigger risk at present, given the experience of the last two weeks, would be for a new government not to put in place clear and credible measures to deal with the fiscal deficit."
By acting now, the Government have reduced the risk of adverse market conditions, which would mean higher interest rates for all, stifle recovery and make the challenges ahead even harder.
Comparisons between the pre-Budget and Budget forecast may be misleading as both are based on market expectations of interest rates. The OBR forecasts that unemployment will come down from 8.1% this year, falling in every year to 6.1% in 2015.
Public Sector: Pensions
Mrs McGuire: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assumptions the Office for Budget responsibility used of employer contributions to each of the four main public sector pension schemes in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012, (d) 2013, (e) 2014 and (f) 2015 in its forecast; and whether these assumed rates took account of cap and share changes. [10973]
Justine Greening: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the chairman of the Office for Budget Responsibility, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Sir Alan Budd, dated 26 July 2010:
As Chair of the Budget Responsibility Committee of the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking:
What assumptions the Office of Budgetary Regulation used of employer contributions to each of the four main public sector pension schemes in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012, (d) 2013, (e) 2014 and (f) 2015 in its forecast; and whether these assumed rates took account of cap and share changes. (10973)
Following requests for supplementary information on its forecasts, the Office for Budget Responsibility is due to release the information concerning employer contributions to the public service pension schemes on its website
on 19 August 2010. This is consistent with the interim OBR's release policy
Copies of the published material will also be placed in the Library of the House.
These forecast contributions do not take account of the effect of 'cap and share' changes. As illustrated in Table 2.3 of 'Budget 2010: The economy and public finances - supplementary material June 2010' (available here:
'cap and share' is separate from the income to pension schemes. The effect of 'cap and share' changes is estimated as a £1 billion increase to pension scheme receipts from 2012-13 onwards.
Rents: Hackney
Meg Hillier: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information his Department holds on rent levels in the London Borough of Hackney. [11586]
Mr Gauke: The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) collects and holds rental information on domestic property as part of its statutory function to provide determinations for housing benefit and to publish monthly local housing allowance rates. The VOA aggregates information within Broad Rental Market Areas (BRMAs) and not by local authority.
The London borough of Hackney sits across three BRMAs (Inner East London, Central London and Inner North London). The local housing allowance rates determined for the month of July 2010 were based on 10,657 pieces of rental information across these three BRMAs. Historic domestic property rental information collected by rent officers is also held by the VOA.
https://lha-direct.voa.gov.uk/Secure/Default.aspx
includes graphical representations of the rents used to determine the three BRMAs that cover Hackney.
Additionally the Valuation Office Agency holds rental information on non-domestic property, from several sources, to support its statutory functions.
Revenue and Customs: Debt Collection
Mr Sanders: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of (a) HM Revenue and Customs staff and (b) private debt collection agencies in collecting unpaid taxes on behalf of HM Revenue and Customs. [8782]
Mr Gauke: As set out in HMRC's 2009-10 annual accounts the total level of receivables at the end of March 2010 was £26.1 billion, compared to £27.7 billion as at 31 March 2009-a reduction of 5.8%.
Receivables represent amounts due from taxpayers in respect of established liabilities at the end of the reporting period for which payment has not been received.
The Comptroller and Auditor General's report on HMRC's 2009-10 accounts, which discusses HMRC's debt management operations, is available at:
HMRC's evaluation summary of last year's small scale pilot exercise designed to explore the benefits and risks of using private debt collection agencies to recover some types of debts is available at:
The Government announced in the June 2010 Budget that HMRC will be using debt collection agencies this year to collect £140 million of additional revenue from existing tax debts.
Revenue and Customs: ICT
Tom Greatrex: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what upgrading to HM Revenue and Customs' systems for income assessment and tax collection is in progress; and when he expects the upgrade to be completed. [11345]
Mr Gauke: There are many IT systems that support the assessment and collection of income tax, all of which are in a cycle of continuous upgrade driven by a combination of:
Legislative and budget related change;
Operational efficiency; and
Technical refresh and updating.
Much, but not all of that, particularly the change driven by legislation, budget changes and operational efficiency, is introduced in major IT releases each year. They are in the autumn (usually a weekend in October/November) and on 6 April. The changes within both those releases in 2010-11 are on track to complete on time.
The Government are publishing a discussion paper on potential reform of the PAYE system today.
Roads: Repairs and Maintenance
Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much funding he plans to make available to local authorities for the repair and maintenance of potholes in roads for which they are responsible. [510]
Danny Alexander: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given by the Under-Secretary of State for Transport, the hon. Member for Lewes (Norman Baker) on 30 June 2010, Official Report, column 554W.
Sheffield Forgemasters: Finance
Edward Miliband: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received on a private sector alternative to a Government loan to Sheffield Forgemasters. [11361]
Mr Hoban: Since 6 May 2010, the Treasury has not received any representations on a private sector alternative to a Government loan to Sheffield Forgemasters.
Tax Allowances: Video Games
Robert Flello: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect on tax receipts of a tax relief on the UK games industry. [10793]
Mr Gauke: The estimated fiscal impact of policy decisions made in the Emergency Budget were published in the Budget 2010 policy costings document:
Tax Evasion: Construction
Richard Harrington: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of progress in the implementation of the conclusions of his Department's consultation on the reports of 'False self-employment in construction: taxation of worker's, July 2009; and if he will make a statement. [10824]
Mr Gauke: The previous Government consulted on proposals for a legislative test to determine the employment status of workers in the construction industry for tax and national insurance contributions purposes. The Government have decided to explore with interest groups whether it is possible to achieve a legislative solution that is effective, fair and workable.
Taxation
Mr Binley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his most recent assessment is of the application of the Rees rules on the introduction of retrospective legislation in light of the announcement by HM Revenue and Customs on employment loss planning on 1 April 2009; and if he will make a statement. [11441]
Mr Gauke: The Government are, in general, opposed to retrospective legislation and believe that a very strong case has to be made where legislation is to have retrospective effect. The schemes counteracted by the HM Revenue and Customs, announcement of 1 April 2009 were particularly aggressive and artificial and the Joint Committee on Human Rights last year concluded that the former Government's backdating of action was justifiable in this instance and did not contravene the European Convention on Human Rights.
The Government are committed to reforming the tax system to make it more competitive, simpler, greener and fairer. How they legislate and implement tax policy is key to this reform. The Government have issued a discussion document 'Tax policy making: a new approach' and are engaging with interested parties on the issues explored in that document.
Taxation: Betting Shops
Philip Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate has been made of the effect on revenues accrued by the Exchequer of online betting firms relocating offshore in the latest period for which figures are available. [7797]
Justine Greening: In total, general betting duty typically raises around £350 million to £400 million per annum. When making changes to the tax, the Government consider the likely impact on the sector and wider economy.
A complete assessment of the impact on tax of online firms relocating offshore is not available. The Government have noted the steps taken by some bookmakers to move their online betting operations offshore and are keeping this under review.
VAT
Susan Elan Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate has been made of the administrative cost to small businesses of implementing the proposed rise in the standard rate of value added tax. [10723]
Mr Gauke: The costs to business of the increase in the standard rate of VAT are set out in the Impact Assessment published alongside the June Budget 2010. This is available from the HM Treasury website at:
VAT: Electric Vehicles
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his policy is on the application of value added tax to electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles. [11983]
Mr Gauke: Electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles attract the same VAT treatment as conventional equivalent vehicles. No distinction is made on the basis of the way in which a vehicle is powered.
VAT: Pet Foods
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) for what reasons value added tax is levied on packaged pet foods; [11266]
(2) what assessment he has made of the merits of exempting packaged pet food from value added tax. [11267]
Mr Gauke: Value added tax (VAT) is designed to be a broad-based tax, charged on goods and services supplied in the course of business unless they are specifically relieved from the tax by zero-rating or exemption.
Foods for animals reared for human consumption are generally zero-rated, but VAT law has always excluded most other animal food items from this relief. These exclusions include canned, packaged or prepared pet foods, packaged foods for birds other than poultry or game, and biscuits and meal for cats and dogs.
Agreements with our EU partners prevent us from extending the scope of existing exemptions or zero rates, or introducing new ones. The Government could not therefore exempt pet foods from VAT; no assessment has been made of the merits of doing so.
Welfare Tax Credits
Helen Goodman: 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, and (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 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. [4931]
Mr Gauke [holding answer 30 June 2010]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 28 June, Official Report, column 460W.
Welfare Tax Credits: Overpayments
Mr Anderson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many tax credit overpayments have been written off in circumstances where claimants were diagnosed with mental health and related illnesses in each of the last three years; [10994]
(2) whether HM Revenue and Customs has discretion to write off tax credit overpayments in circumstances where claimants have been diagnosed with mental health and related illnesses. [10995]
Mr Gauke: HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) does not separately record the information requested.
Code of Practice 26 'What happens if we have paid you too much tax credit?' sets out how HMRC deal with overpayments of tax credit. If a customer, or more likely their representative, contacts HMRC and advises them that they are suffering from a mental health problem, then HMRC staff will deal with these cases carefully and sympathetically and in some circumstances will agree not to pursue the claimant for payment.
Working Families Tax Credit
Bob Russell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many cases concerning working family tax credits were raised with (a) his Department and (b) HM Revenue and Customs by each hon. Member between May 2005 and May 2010. [3856]
Justine Greening: Working tax credits (WTC) and child tax credit (CTC) replaced working families' and disabled person's tax credits (WFTC and DPTC) in April 2003.
Information about the number of WTC and CTC cases raised by each right hon. and hon. Member with HM Treasury and HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), in the format requested, is available only at disproportionate cost.
Between 1 May 2005 and 31 May 2010, my right hon. and hon. Members wrote to HMRC Benefits & Credits Operations (formerly the Tax Credit Office) about approximately 32,000 cases and tax credits. MP Helpline advisers handled around 66,500 calls from Members and their caseworkers.
In the same period, right hon. and hon. Members sent around 19,500 letters to Treasury Ministers and HMRC Executive Committee members.
Information on letters from hon. Members received in other areas of HMRC about tax credits in the specified period is not available.
Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority Committee
Complaints
Helen Jones: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, how many complaints the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority has received in respect of incorrect advice given to hon. Members by its staff; and what steps the Authority has taken in consequence of such complaints. [11727]
Mr Charles Walker:
I have been informed by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority that the Chief Executive's office has investigated 16 official complaints since 7 May. These complaints are not recorded
by type. Where a Member has identified incorrect advice, IPSA has said it will take steps to ensure that correct advice is given in future.
Correspondence
Mrs Main: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, whether the Inter-government Despatch Service may be used to send correspondence to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority. [10857]
Mr Charles Walker: IPSA is able to receive correspondence sent via Government Mail.
IPSA: Board
Glenda Jackson: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, how many times the Board of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority has met; how many times it will meet in the next 12 months; and if the Authority will publish the agendas and minutes of such meetings. [10203]
Mr Charles Walker: The IPSA Board has met on 17 occasions since its first meeting of 4 December 2009. 12 of these meetings constituted formal board meetings for which minutes and agendas are prepared. The minutes of these meetings, which include the agendas, are made available on the IPSA website once the minutes have been agreed by the IPSA Board.
Ordinarily the IPSA Board meets at least once every month and intends to do so over the next 12 months, with the exception of August 2010.
Members' Staff: Pay
Grahame M. Morris: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, what estimate the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority has made of the cost to the public purse of publishing the (a) salary details of staff of hon. Members in £5,000 bands and (b) precise salary details of staff of hon. Members who are connected parties in 2010-11. [11515]
Mr Charles Walker: The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority has informed me that no estimate has been made of the cost to the public purse of publishing salary details of MPs' staff. However, any cost is expected to be minimal as it is a straightforward transaction. Following a recently closed consultation, it is no longer proposed to publish precise salary details of staff who are connected parties.
Mr Andrew Turner: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, what criteria the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority uses to determine the constituencies eligible for additional funding to pay for staff of hon. Members; and which constituencies have been so designated. [11648]
Mr Charles Walker: No constituencies have been determined to be eligible for additional funding to pay for staff.
IPSA has, however, confirmed to MPs that, for staff members who were employed before 7 May 2010, IPSA will honour their existing contracting arrangements, including their salaries. In addition, where Members are finding difficulty in staying within budget, they can seek extra support from IPSA by providing it with evidence of their requirements. IPSA will consider that evidence and decide whether the MP should be able to operate with a higher budget for this financial year.
Members: Allowances
Ann McKechin: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, what procedures the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority will adopt to reimburse hon. Members for the London Area Living Allowance for the period between the date of the General Election and the date on which the initial claim for that allowance was submitted. [7679]
Mr Charles Walker: The MPs' expenses scheme does not allow the London Area Living Payment to be paid in respect of any period before IPSA is notified that an MP intends to claim it. Consequently, IPSA is not able to backdate any such claims to the date of the general election.
[Pursuant to the original answer published on 14 July 2010, Official Report, column 812W, IPSA has provided me with some additional information.]
IPSA has decided to exercise discretion in the operation of the rule described in the original answer.
Where a Member informed IPSA of their intent to claim before 15 June 2010, they will have their claim backdated to 7 May. Where a Member informed IPSA of their intent to claim after this date, their claim will be backdated only to the date they informed IPSA.
This acknowledges that Members would not have been able to submit a claim for LALP before they were provided with access to the online expenses system.
Ann McKechin: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, pursuant to the answer of 14 July 2010, Official Report, column 812W, on Members: allowances, for what reasons some hon. Members have been advised by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) that claims can be backdated to the date of election; and by what methods an hon. Member was able to submit such a claim before being provided access to IPSA's IT system for claims. [11182]
Mr Charles Walker: Under the MPs' expenses scheme, LALP is not payable in relation to any period before notification is given to IPSA that the MP intends to claim it.
However, IPSA has decided to exercise discretion in the operation of the rule, so that where a Member informed IPSA of their intent to claim before 15 June 2010, they will have their claim backdated to 7 May.
Where a member informed IPSA of their intent to claim after this date, their claim will be backdated only to the date they informed IPSA.
This acknowledges that Members would not have been able to submit a claim for LALP before they were provided with access to the online expenses system.
Members: Claims
Mr Allen: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, if the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority will take steps to ensure that each notification of reimbursement to Members identifies the invoice or invoices in respect of which the reimbursement is being made. [9883]
Mr Charles Walker: The IPSA remittance advice note or notification of the expense claim payment does identify the invoice or invoices in respect of which reimbursement is being made. The note identifies all correspondence to a unique reference number. This number is created by a MP or his or her proxy when they enter a claim in the Expenses@Work system.
Glenda Jackson: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, how much was claimed by hon. Members from the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority for expenditure incurred in June 2010; and how much had been paid to hon. Members in reimbursement for such claims as at 12 July 2010. [10207]
Mr Charles Walker: According to the claims submitted using the online expenses system, in June 2010 hon. Members incurred expenses worth £832,111.50. Many of the claims for these expenses were not submitted until July and are either awaiting the submission of receipts, awaiting validation or have been passed for payment. Up to 12 July 2010, £218,240.80 of this amount had been paid to hon. Members, and claims worth £28,217.28 were returned to hon. Members for further explanation.
Members: Constituency Offices
Miss McIntosh: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, for what reason the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority does not allow items relating to the constituency office of an hon. Member to be charged to the budget allocated for this purpose; and if he will make a statement. [10010]
Mr Charles Walker: The basis of IPSA's scheme is that Members should receive expenses for costs actually and reasonably incurred. Members can submit claims for costs incurred for the performance of parliamentary functions relating to their constituency office and surgeries from the dedicated Constituency Office Rental Expenditure budget. In addition, Members may submit appropriate claims for expenditure to the General Administrative Expenditure Budget, which covers items such as office equipment, procurement of services, and communications costs.
Richard Burden: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, if the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority will assess the comparative cost to the public purse of (a) continuing existing group and employer and public liability insurance for the offices of hon. Members and (b) introducing a system where hon. Members negotiate and pay for the provision of such policies individually and claim reimbursement from the Authority. [10052]
Mr Charles Walker: IPSA is considering the best mechanism for the continued provision of employer and public liability insurance when it ceases to be provided by the House, including whether it should be provided centrally through IPSA or claimed individually by Members. In its analysis, IPSA will consider value for money and the cost to the public purse.
Members: Correspondence
Miss McIntosh: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, what the average time taken to provide a response to a query made by an hon. Member to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority by (a) email, (b) hard copy letter and (c) telephone call has been since the Authority's inception. [10007]
Mr Charles Walker: At present, IPSA aims to respond to all queries within five working days. IPSA has recently introduced a new case management system which will improve the response time to emails, letters and telephone queries; and ensure accurate records of correspondence between Members and IPSA. Once this system is fully rolled out across IPSA, it will provide Members with information on its performance against these and other service targets.
Helen Jones: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, what system the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority operates to associate emails and letters from hon. Members with the claim to which the correspondence relates. [11602]
Mr Charles Walker: I have been informed by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority that, in cases where emails or letters seek information about a particular claim, the Information Team extracts information relating to the claim from the online system and uses this to respond to queries. In cases which are not straightforward, the Information Team may speak directly to members of the Validation Team regarding the progress or details of the claim. Where letters or emails cover receipts or other supporting documentation, these are passed directly to the Validation Team.
Members: Email
Helen Jones:
To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, what the average time taken by the Independent
Parliamentary Standards Authority to reply to emails from hon. Members has been; and how many emails have not been answered within two weeks in the current parliamentary session. [11335]
Mr Charles Walker: At present, IPSA aims to respond to all emails and letters within five working days. It is not possible to readily provide data regarding the percentage of queries which have been answered within this timeframe to date. IPSA has recently introduced a new case management system. This will both reduce the response time to emails, and ensure accurate records of correspondence between Members and IPSA. IPSA will provide Members with information on its performance against these and other service targets once this system is fully rolled out across the organisation.
Members: Travel
Helen Jones: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, what procedures the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority plans to put in place during the recess for hon. Members who are unable to verify travel card statements within seven days. [11333]
Mr Charles Walker: Members are required to submit the completed online travel card form within 14 days of it being available on the system with the corresponding invoices/receipts being sent within 21 days. If for a particular month an individual Member is unable to comply with these time scales (for example if they are away on business or holiday) they should e-mail info@parliamentarystandards.org.uk with the reason and the date they will be able to submit the completed form. When all or a large number of Members may be unable to comply with the normal time scales (for example during the summer or Christmas recess) then the time scales will be automatically increased to allow for this fact.
Helen Jones: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, what steps the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority is taking to (a) identify hon. Members who have not received electronic copies of their travel card statements and (b) ensure that such hon. Members receive their statements. [11334]
Mr Charles Walker: All Members who have incurred expenditure on the travelcard within the month will receive a paper copy sent to their home address. The paper copy will be sent at the end of each month. All Members who have a registered proxy on the online expenses system will also receive an electronic copy, sent to their proxy. Where Members do not have a proxy, they may use an alternate logon to access the electronic statement. We are working on a system change to develop an improved IT solution to this issue.
Karen Bradley:
To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, what the policy of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority is on reimbursement of travel
expenses to hon. Members in respect of travel by taxi with heavy luggage between a London rail terminal and the Palace of Westminster. [11728]
Mr Charles Walker: IPSA's policy is that it will reimburse taxi fares where a journey is necessary and at least one of the following criteria is satisfied: no other reasonable method of transport is available for all or part of the journey, or alternative methods of transport are impracticable due to pregnancy, disability, illness or injury of the MP or of a staff member. Heavy luggage may be a factor in the MP deciding these criteria apply. Whether the journey is between a London rail terminus and the Palace of Westminster is not, in itself, a criterion, although taxi fares will not be reimbursed for any part of an MP's daily commute between their London home and Westminster, or their constituency home and office.
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