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11 Oct 2010 : Column 222W—continued
Departmental Secondment
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many staff his Department has appointed on secondment since 7 May 2010; and from what organisation each such member of staff has been seconded. [16272]
John Penrose: The Department has not appointed any staff on secondment since 7 May 2010.
Digital Broadcasting: Broadcasting Reception
Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether he has had discussions with the providers of Freeview on increasing their transmission capability to ensure a common level of service across the UK. [16371]
Mr Vaizey: After switchover 98.5% of households will be able to receive around 15 Freeview channels including all the public service broadcasting channels. In addition about 90% of households who get their signal from a main transmitter will receive services from all six multiplexes.
Coverage of these services is a commercial matter for the operators concerned.
For those who require more services, there are other options for receiving digital services via satellite or cable.
Equality: Public Expenditure
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if his Department will take steps to assess the effects on (a) equality of incomes, (b) equality of assets and (c) equality of access to services of measures relating to its expenditure under consideration in the Spending Review. [16356]
Mr Jeremy Hunt: My Department has a programme of work underway to analyse the impact on equality of access to services arising from policies to be announced in the Spending Review.
This will examine the impact under eight different strands-lower socio economic groups, BME (black and minority ethnicity), disability, gender, children and young people, religion, age and regional areas.
I believe there will not be an impact on equality of incomes or equality of assets arising from my Department's Spending Review settlement.
Government Olympic Executive: Consultants
Andrew Bingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what the administrative cost has been of each consultancy contract entered into by the Government Olympic Executive in each of the last five years. [16316]
Angus Robertson: The Department records the costs of consultancy contracts; however, it does not record separately the costs of administering the contracts into which it and the Government Olympic Executive have entered.
Grants: Sussex
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport to which (a) organisations and (b) projects in Mid Sussex constituency his Department has made a grant in the last five years; and what the monetary value was of each such grant. [14317]
John Penrose: The Department does not collate this information for its arm's length bodies. Accordingly, I have asked their chief executives to write to the hon. Member for Mid Sussex.
Copies of the replies will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Hillsborough Stadium
Mr Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much funding his Department plans to contribute towards the exercise to identify files relating to the Hillsborough disaster for release. [15934]
Mr Jeremy Hunt: My Department was asked for £666,000 in support of the Hillsborough Independent Panel whose responsibilities include recommending files for release, and is contributing this full amount.
National Lottery: VAT
Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether he has discussed with Ministerial colleagues on the use of Lottery funds for the payment of value added tax repairs to listed places of worship in Wales after the Listed Places of Worship grant scheme has come to an end. [15835]
John Penrose: No discussions have taken place as there is no current proposal to use lottery funds to replace the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, which makes grants equivalent to the VAT incurred in making repairs to listed buildings in primary use as places of worship. The future of the scheme will be determined during the forthcoming spending review.
Olympic Games 2012: Medals
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether his Department plans to issue a commemorative medal to mark the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. [15739]
Hugh Robertson: There are no current plans to issue a commemorative medal to mark the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games.
Royal Parks Agency
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what the timescale is for the transfer of responsibility for the Royal Parks Agency from his Department to the Mayor of London. [15548]
John Penrose: The transfer of the Royal Parks will require primary legislation and we are therefore currently seeking a suitable legislative slot.
S4C: Finance
Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will discuss with the Secretary of State for Wales the representations he received from the Welsh Language Society on future funding arrangements for S4C. [15979]
Mr Vaizey: The Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport is in close contact with the Secretary of State for Wales on the future funding of S4C and Welsh language broadcasting.
Sports: Bexley
Mr Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent estimate he has made of the number of people in the London borough of Bexley who actively participate in sport each week. [15577]
Hugh Robertson: The latest figures from Sport England's Active People Survey estimate that 14% of people in Bexley were regularly participating in sport.
This estimate is based on people participating in sport for at least three days a week for a minimum of 30 minutes each time.
Sports: Clubs
Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps his Department is taking to develop links between local sports clubs and schools. [16388]
Hugh Robertson: Sport England works in close partnership with the Youth Sport Trust, National Governing Bodies (NGBs) of Sport, and the Child Protection in Sport Unit, to strengthen links between schools and clubs.
The Department is committed to increasing competitive sport in schools by introducing an Olympic and Paralympic style competition. The support offered by local sports clubs to schools will be an important element in making this a success.
St George's Day
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport (1) whether his Department has made arrangements to mark St George's Day in 2012; [15738]
(2) what recent discussions he has had on arrangements to mark St George's Day in 2011. [15740]
John Penrose: I am pleased to say that English Heritage (which is responsible to DCMS) plans to mark St George's Day with events at several properties around the country, the biggest of which will be a St George's Day festival at Wrest Park in Bedfordshire. In addition the Department for Culture, Media and Sport will fly the St George's flag alongside the Union flag to celebrate St George's Day.
I have had no discussions on other arrangements to mark St George's Day.
Telephone Services: Fraud
Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport (1) what recent estimate he has made of the cost to UK businesses of dial-through fraud; [15384]
(2) what steps he is taking to encourage telecommunication providers to prevent dial-through fraud. [15385]
Mr Vaizey: Dial-through fraud does not come within the remit of the DCMS.
UK Film Council: Portland
Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what the monetary value is of the UK Film Council's public affairs contract with Portland; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the contract and the related project brief. [15057]
Mr Vaizey: After the Government announced the abolition of the UK Film Council, I understand the organisation hired Portland Communications to provide external communications and media support, for which it received £60,000. The Film Council has said that the brief was confined to media monitoring and collating stories and comments, drafting internal and external communications, and the handling of international media and press inquiries. The Film Council has confirmed that this external support has since ceased.
The terms and conditions of the contract are commercially confidential as Portland has refused permission to release the document.
Writers in Prison Network: Finance
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much (a) Arts Council funding and (b) other funding from the public purse was spent on the Writers in Prison Network Ltd in the latest period for which figures are available. [14978]
Mr Vaizey: In the current financial year the Writers in Prison Network (WIPN) will receive £165,163 through Arts Council England's Regularly Funded Organisation (RFO) programme. In 2009-10 it received £161,620.
The National Offenders Management Service provides WIPN with a grant of £80,000 per year. In addition, 17 prison establishments involved in the Writers in Residence scheme will each contribute £5,000 of their own resources.
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what the objectives are of the funding provided from the public purse to Writers in Prison Network Ltd; and how performance against those objectives is measured. [14979]
Mr Vaizey: The Writers in Prisons Network (WIPN) promotes creative writing and reading across the prison system through a programme of writers' residencies. The initiative runs in partnership with the Home Office and the Prison Service.
WIPN works very closely with each establishment to design a residency, identifying specific outcomes and objectives and/or particular groups of offenders the establishment wishes to target, and its work impacts on a wide range of the Government's Seven Pathways approach to reducing reoffending.
The WIPN's overall objectives are monitored at an annual review meeting. The WIPN holds a Steering group meeting every three months with prison staff, including the Governor, Head of Learning and Skills and Writers in residence themselves to measure performance against the establishments' objectives.
Treasury
Child Benefit: Uprating
Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 5 July 2010, Official Report, column 94W, on child benefit, what estimate he has made of the average real terms change per child in 2010 prices of uprating child benefit payments in line with the retail prices index in (a) 2011-12, (b) 2012-13 and (c) 2013-14. [15816]
Mr Gauke: The following table shows the estimated average change per week per child as a result of uprating the rates of Child Benefit by the change in the Consumer Prices Index rather than by the change in the Retail Prices Index.
| £ | |||
| 2011-12 | 2012-13 | 2013-14 | |
Child Tax Credit: Cumbernauld
Gregg McClymont: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families receive the baby element of child tax credit in Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East constituency. [16321]
Mr Gauke: The number of families receiving the baby element in Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East Constituency is 635.
This analysis is based on provisional information on families receiving tax credits as at April 2010. Further details about these data can be found in the HMRC snapshot publication "Child and Working Tax Credits. Geographical Analysis, April 2010". This is available at:
Child Trust Fund
Richard Graham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what estimate he has made of the total sum accumulated in child trust funds to date; and if he will estimate the proportion of that sum which has been contributed (a) from the public purse and (b) by individuals; [15912]
(2) if he will estimate the average gross investment return on child trust funds in each year since their inception; [15956]
(3) whether his Department holds information on the (a) investment and administration costs and ( b) performance of child trust funds. [16109]
Mr Hoban: Statistical data on a range of Child Trust Fund (CTF) information have been published annually; the latest statistics package was made available in November 2009 and can be found at:
The total value of funds in CTF accounts at 5 April 2009 was £1,985 million. An estimated £1,300 million of government payments had been made into accounts by this point. However, as the valuation of CTF accounts where the underlying investment is in stocks and shares will vary over time, it is not possible to determine how much of CTFs' current value is made up of government or individuals' contributions.
Information is not available on the average investment return on sums invested in CTF accounts nor is there any information held on the investment costs, CTF providers' administration costs or performance of CTFs. Government's administrative costs for CTF were £4.8 million in 2008-09.
Child Trust Fund: Livingston
Graeme Morrice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many children born to residents of Livingston constituency since 1 September 2002 have received a child trust fund payment since 2005; [15931]
(2) how much his Department has paid to child trust funds held in respect of children resident in Livingston constituency since January 2005. [15932]
Mr Hoban: Statistical information about Child Trust Funds is published on HM Revenue and Customs' website at
This shows that 7,824 children born on or before 6 April 2008 in the Livingston constituency have a Child Trust Fund account. The total amount of Government payments to Child Trust Funds is not available at constituency level.
Credit Unions: Finance
Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his policy is on the provision of financial support from the public purse to community-owned and community-based credit unions. [15842]
Mr Hoban: The Government are supportive of the role financial mutuals such as credit unions play in communities, and more broadly in the financial service sector.
The Government are working with credit unions to evaluate how they can better serve their communities while remaining sustainable in the future.
Departmental Consultants
Alun Cairns: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the (a) average and (b) highest daily rate paid to consultants by his Department was in each of the last five years. [12658]
Justine Greening: During 2009-10 the average daily rate paid for consultants was £641 (excluding VAT). The highest day rate was £1,696 (excluding VAT).
Figures for the years prior to 2009-10 were not recorded centrally and can be identified only at disproportionate cost.
Many contracts for consultancy services employ alternative pricing methods, for example, a fixed lump sum, where the day rates cannot be identified.
HM Treasury has implemented OGC's Consultancy Value Programme to further ensure that consultants are only used where the necessary skills are not available within the Department and that value for money is assured when it is necessary to use consultants.
The Government have pledged to reduce consultancy spend. The Department has implemented a consultancy freeze including across its agencies and non-departmental public bodies to ensure that consultants are only used when spend is of operational necessity.
Departmental Contracts
Ian Austin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the monetary value is of contracts his Department has awarded to each (a) management consultancy and (b) IT company since 7 May 2010. [16187]
Justine Greening: Since 7 May 2010 the Treasury has awarded:
No management consultancy contracts; and
Two IT contracts with values of £20,400 and £24,200 (both excluding VAT).
Departmental Empty Property
Mike Freer: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the estimated monetary value is of each vacant (a) building and (b) parcel of land owned by his Department in each region. [16243]
Justine Greening: The Treasury currently has no vacant (a) building or (b) parcel of land.
Departmental ICT
Pete Wishart: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which IT contracts awarded by his Department in each of the last five years have been abandoned; and what the monetary value of each such contract was. [12729]
Justine Greening: No IT contracts have been abandoned by the Treasury between 2005-10.
Departmental Internet
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether a risk assessment on child internet safety was conducted before the Spending Challenge website was launched. [13874]
Justine Greening [holding answer 8 September 2010]: The Spending Challenge website had a strict moderation policy and a dedicated team kept a close eye on content posted in order to remove the minority of ideas that were inappropriate as soon as possible.
The moderation policy was as per industry standards in relation to this project and therefore no additional risk assessment regarding internet safety was conducted before the Spending Challenge website was launched.
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many complaints his Department has received in relation to the content of contributions to its Spending Challenge website. [13984]
Justine Greening: The Government have received over 45,000 ideas on the Spending Challenge public website and the vast majority were constructive and helpful. As per the site's strict moderation policy, we have been clear that offensive ideas and comments are not welcome.
The Spending Challenge website received almost 250,000 visitors. We estimate that around 25 complaints were received via direct correspondence with HM Treasury. In addition, we received 3,500 'flags' notifying moderators about items of inappropriate content via the Spending Challenge website.
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department has received any complaints about the effect of contributions to the Spending Challenge website on (a) people with disabilities and (b) other minority groups; whether the police have informed his Department of any such complaints made to them; and if he will make a statement. [14940]
Justine Greening [holding answer 13 September 2010]: The Government have received over 100,000 ideas through the Spending Challenge website, the vast majority of which were constructive and helpful. The site has a strict moderation policy and we have been clear that offensive ideas and comments are not acceptable.
A dedicated team keep a close eye on the content posted and remove the minority of ideas and comments that are not appropriate as soon as possible.
The Government received a small number of complaints from individuals and organisations, including some which had been directed to the police, regarding comments submitted by individuals to the website. The Government have responded to these complaints and aimed to ensure that the minority of disruptive posts do not stop the public having their say on the Spending Challenge.
Luciana Berger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many staff are employed in his Department's cross-departmental team to consider suggestions submitted to the Spending Challenge website; [16148]
(2) how many of his Department's staff are employed to consider suggestions submitted to the Spending Challenge website. [16149]
Danny Alexander: The number of staff deployed on the Spending Challenge has varied depending on the stage the Spending Challenge has been at over the summer. No new staff have been recruited to support this exercise, with staff being either re-deployed temporarily from other roles, or contributing to this exercise as part of or alongside their normal roles.
One new team was temporarily established to undertake the initial sifting for the public sector element of the Spending Challenge exercise, with a maximum of 12 existing staff being reassigned from across Whitehall to this role during July and early August.
Luciana Berger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many ideas have been submitted to his Department's Spending Challenge website. [16150]
Danny Alexander: Almost 64,000 ideas were submitted to the public sector element of the Spending Challenge, with over 45,000 further ideas being submitted through the general public element.
Departmental Legislation
John Healey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many officials of his Department are working on preparations for (a) the Financial Reform Bill, (b) the National Insurance Bill, (c) the Terrorist Asset Freezing Bill, (d) the Equitable Life Contributions Bill and (e) the Office for Budget Responsibility Bill. [5119]
Justine Greening: The following table shows the number of HM Treasury (HMT) staff members working for at least part of their time on the bills named.
| Number of HM Treasury staff | |
Where appropriate HMT staff members will consult with other Government Departments and other teams within HMT.
Departmental Manpower
Mr Tom Harris: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the resources and staff available to him in respect of the competing priorities of his post. [16351]
Justine Greening: As a Department, HM Treasury regularly monitors resource and staffing information. Information is provided to the Departmental Board chaired by the Chancellor, which last met on 22 July.
In addition to this regular monitoring, the Department is currently undergoing a strategic review which will look at the resourcing and staffing needs for the future.
Departmental Operating Costs
Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he has taken to reduce the running costs of his Department since his appointment. [9606]
Justine Greening: The Treasury Group has committed to finding £6 million of savings from its administration costs this year as part of the Government's £6.2 billion savings programme. From 24 May it has implemented a freeze on external recruitment posts which are not business critical, and required ministerial approval for all new consultancy spend over £20,000 and any public sector salaries above £142,500. It has also completed a review of all programmes over £1 million with a significant IT element.
As part of this, £200,000 will be saved from reducing the use of allocated ministerial cars, £125,000 from a
5% reduction in ministerial salaries and £400,000 from a reduction in bonus payments to members of the senior civil service. The Treasury has also revised its travel and expenses policies, to include tighter restrictions on the provision of refreshments for officials and on the use of first class travel and taxis.
Departmental Press: Subscriptions
Mike Freer: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department spent on newspapers, periodicals and trade profession magazines in each year since 2001. [16234]
Justine Greening: Spending on newspapers, periodicals and trade profession magazines by HM Treasury is shown in the following table. Information is only available since 2002-03 due to the introduction of a new accounting system at that time.
| £000 | |
Departmental Secondment
Ian Austin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff his Department has appointed on secondment since 7 May 2010; and from what organisation each such member of staff has been seconded. [16270]
Justine Greening: The information requested is provided in the following table:
| Organisation | Number of seconde es since 7 May 2010 |
|
Monitor (the Independent Regulator of NHS Foundation Trusts) | |
Departmental Travel
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have been driven by the Government Car Service since the Government took office; and how much each of these persons has received in expenses for use of taxis, buses and underground trains in that period. [7956]
Justine Greening: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 29 June 2010, Official Report, column 498W, to the hon. Member for West Bromwich East (Mr Watson).
In addition, the Government publish on a quarterly basis the expenses incurred by senior officials, which includes use of the Government Car Service and other travel expenses.
EC Grants and Loans
Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has for the future mechanisms by which UK allocations from the European Regional Development Fund will be disbursed. [12778]
Justine Greening [holding answer 6 September 2010]: The emergency Budget announced the abolition of regional development agencies, which currently administer European regional development funds in the English regions. A White Paper on Sub-National Growth to be published later this year will set out further details on the Government's approach to promoting sustainable growth and the role of local enterprise partnerships, including how the responsibility for functions previously undertaken by regional development agencies will be taken forward.
EU Budget
Mr Redwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what analysis he has made of potential efficiency savings within the proposed EU budget for 2011. [15886]
Justine Greening: The Commission's draft EU budget for 2011 proposed a level of payments of €130 billion, an increase of 5.8% on 2010. This is out of step with the economic and fiscal reality across Europe. Within that, the Commission's proposal includes a 4.4% increase in EU institutions' administrative spending, to €8.3 billion. This is unacceptable at a time when Governments across Europe are taking difficult decisions to reduce the financial burden of their own administrations.
There is clear potential for efficiency savings in this draft EU budget and the UK is therefore calling for a cash freeze in the 2011 Budget. In doing so, we have pushed against increased administrative spend for additional staff in the EU institutions, called for greater value for money in areas of expenditure such as agricultural market interventions under the Common Agricultural Policy and questioned budget increases which have been proposed without proper justification or in areas with a track record of poor implementation.
Mr Redwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on the future level of the EU budget. [15887]
Justine Greening: Negotiation of the EU budget for the period 2014-20 is expected to begin in 2011. At the negotiation, the Government will strongly defend the UK's national interests and ensure the EU budget is focused on those areas where the EU adds value.
Meanwhile, the EU budget for the period 2007-13 was agreed by the previous Government in 2005, meaning the UK's contributions cannot easily be reduced. However, the Chancellor and Treasury Ministers use every available opportunity, including ECOFIN to impress upon counterparts the importance of containing the cost of the EU budget to the UK and delivering value for money. For example, the Chancellor has pressed for a cash freeze in the EU budget for 2011.
EU Emissions Trading Scheme
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to allocate future revenues raised through the auctioning of allowances under the (a) second and (b) third phase of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme; and if he will make a statement. [13901]
Justine Greening: Revenues from the auctioning of EU ETS allowances accrue to the consolidated fund and are allocated against general expenditure.
EU Law
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many officials in his Department work (a) full-time and (b) for most of their time on the negotiation, implementation or administration of EU legislation and consequent policies. [13783]
Justine Greening: The negotiation, implementation and administration of EU legislation and policies impacts on many areas of HM Treasury's responsibilities. The number of officials working within HM Treasury on these matters can vary: as of 23 September 2010, around 80 officials were spending most or all of their time on EU business. This figure excludes those currently seconded to EU institutions.
Government Departments: Grants
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer under what circumstances a formal funding agreement is required for the award by Departments of funds from the public purse to external organisations. [15960]
Mr Gauke: It is always good practice to document any such agreement. It helps to ensure certainty and avoid doubt. This is in line with the responsibilities of Accounting Officers set out in Managing Public Money, notably chapter 3.
Income Tax: Scotland
Mr Wallace: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received from businesses based in England and Wales on the likely effects on them of implementation of the Calman Commission recommendations for a separate income tax rate in Scotland, with particular reference to dual PAYE schemes. [16400]
Mr Gauke:
The Government committed to implementing the recommendations of the Calman Commission in its Coalition Agreement and will bring forward legislation later this year. It has established an Implementation Group whose members are stakeholders from across the UK so that the impacts on both individuals and businesses can be understood and any burdens minimised. That Group is meeting for a second time in early November and will be informed by a technical group who will look specifically at the income tax issues. Aside from those discussions, the Chancellor has received no specific representations in relation to the effects of the
implementation of the Calman Commission's recommendations on a separate income tax rate in Scotland.
Inflation
Mary Macleod: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent estimate he has made of the likely effect on the economy of not meeting the two per cent. target level of inflation. [16147]
Justine Greening: It is the independent Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Bank of England, under its monetary policy remit, which is responsible for judging the outlook for inflation. The bank's August 2010 Inflation Report provides a full assessment.
The MPC, like other independent forecasters such as the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), judge that temporary factors are contributing to the current elevated rate of inflation. The MPC's remit allows it to look through short-term movements in inflation and its central view is that inflation should continue to move back towards target over time.
The OBR's forecast for GDP growth at the June Budget was for it to rise from 2010, reaching 2.9% in 2013, and then easing in 2014 and 2015 due to demographic changes.
Low Incomes: Females
Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the contribution of the Minister for Equalities of 6 September 2010, Official Report, column 153, what new ways of assessing the potential impact of Budget measures on women his Department plans to explore. [15236]
Mr Gauke: At the June Budget this Government took unprecedented steps in publishing more detailed analysis of the distributional impacts of the Budget than has even been done before. In addition to this, and as stated by the Minister for Equalities at the Adjournment debate on public expenditure reductions, the Treasury also remains open to exploring new ways of assessing and presenting the potential impact of Budget measures.
Members: Correspondence
Mr Baron: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when his Department plans to respond to the letters from the hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay of 5 July and 6 August 2010 on his constituent, Dr Warhurst. [15853]
Justine Greening: A reply has been sent to the hon. Member.
Mr Baron: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when his Department plans to respond to the letters from the hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay of 28 June and 4 August 2010 on his constituent, Mr Neppl. [15854]
Mr Gauke: I replied to the hon. Member on 7 September 2010.
Mr Spellar: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for Warley of 6 July 2010 on Mr Lamont. [15904]
Mr Gauke: I replied to the right hon. Member on 31 August 2010.
Monetary Policy
Steve Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his most recent assessment is of the effect of quantitative easing on the structure of the economy. [16313]
Mr Hoban: The independent Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Bank of England has operational responsibility for monetary policy. The MPC decides on use of measures, including the asset purchase facility (APF), in order to target 2% inflation, as measured by the 12-month change in the consumer prices index (CPI).
The May 2009 'Inflation Report' explains how quantitative easing works to impact the economy through various channels including higher money supply, lower long-term interest rates and rising asset prices. An assessment of the impact on asset prices, in particular on the gilt market, is made in the May 2010 'Inflation Report' which says:
"asset purchases appear to be having a sizeable downward effect on gilt yields...equity and corporate bond prices have increased significantly since early 2009. That is likely, in part, to reflect the exceptional monetary stimulus."
PAYE
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps HM Revenue and Customs plans to take to ensure that correspondence sent to individuals who have underpaid tax as a result of recent miscalculations in tax liability in the PAYE system is easy to understand and written in plain language. [15452]
Mr Gauke: Following customer feedback HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has recently improved the guidance notes and flyer which accompany the PAYE tax reconciliation form P800. Copies are available on the HMRC website at:
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Extra Statutory Concession A19 is available to those who receive tax demands as a result of the recent miscalculations of tax liability under the PAYE system. [15453]
Mr Gauke: Extra Statutory Concession A19 allows HMRC in certain circumstances to forgo the collection of income tax and capital gains tax underpayments in certain circumstances. The concession is available in circumstances where all the information has been provided to HMRC and it has had the opportunity to address it. Individuals can find further guidance at:
The concession, which is well established, does not apply that often in practice, and I do not want people to build up their hopes that it will offer some kind of panacea that would be unfair on taxpayers.
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether HM Revenue and Customs has taken any disciplinary action against staff as a result of recent miscalculations in tax liability identified in its PAYE system. [15454]
Mr Gauke: The information requested is available only at disproportionate cost.
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether HM Revenue and Customs has recruited additional staff to deal with individuals affected by recent miscalculations of tax liability in the PAYE system. [15460]
Mr Gauke: HMRC has not recruited additional staff to deal with the end of year reconciliation process. HMRC will redeploy existing resources to HMRC helplines, if required.
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if HM Revenue and Customs will establish a dedicated (a) Member of Parliament hotline and (b) public helpline to deal with enquiries in relation to the overpayment and underpayment of PAYE tax. [15463]
Mr Gauke: A dedicated MP helpline has been in operation since 15 September. Customers already have the national helpline dedicated to support their PAYE queries.
If there is any doubt about the details included in the calculation, the customer should contact HMRC on 0845 3000 627 or write to HMRC at the address shown on the calculation so that the matter can be investigated.
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the largest amount (a) underpaid and (b) overpaid by an individual has been as a result of recent miscalculations of tax liability made by HM Revenue and Customs in the PAYE system. [15464]
Mr Gauke: The information is available only at disproportionate cost.
Population: Wells Somerset
Tessa Munt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate from the tax and benefit records held by his Department the number of people aged 16 years and over resident in Wells constituency; and if he will make a statement. [15447]
Mr Gauke: The information requested is not available.
No estimates have been made at a constituency level of the gap between the population figures and the number of individuals paying tax or claiming HMRC benefits.
Poverty: Children
Mr Bain:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether an analysis of the effects of implementation of measures announced in budget statements and pre-
budget reports will be included in the annual Child Poverty Report to be made to Parliament under the Child Poverty Act 2010. [13245]
Justine Greening: For the first time Budget 2010 produced an analysis of the overall impact of tax and welfare measures. Work is under way to define what the annual Child Poverty report will cover.
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 on poverty and life chances in the UK, including how to measure and make progress on non-financial aspects of poverty.
Public Expenditure
Andrew George: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what steps he plans to take to ensure that the implementation of the proposals in the (a) June 2010 Budget and (b) Spending Review will protect the vulnerable; [16217]
(2) what mechanisms he plans to put in place to assess the effects of the implementation of the proposals contained in the (a) Budget and (b) Spending Review on the most vulnerable. [16218]
Justine Greening: The June 2010 Budget announced a package of reforms to tackle unaffordable spending and support the most vulnerable, with measures announced in the Budget having no measurable impact on child poverty over the next two years. At this Budget the Government also showed their commitment to transparency by taking unprecedented steps in publishing more detailed analysis of the distributional impacts of the Budget than had ever been done before.
Regarding the spending review, the document "Spending Review Framework" sets out that the Government will:
"look closely at the effects of its decisions on different groups in society, especially the least well off" (2.2 page 7).
The Government also produces the annual "Households Below Average Income" publication which provides details of composition and the number of households with low income levels. This, along with other data sources, are reviewed regularly to help the Government understand the impacts of policy change.
Andrew George: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the most recent Institute for Fiscal Studies analysis of the impact of (a) Budget and (b) Spending Review measures on (i) low income families, (ii) the economic recovery and (iii) the overall Budget objectives. [16350]
Justine Greening:
The Treasury welcomes the innovative approach the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) has taken to its revised analysis of the Budget and is open to exploring new ways of assessing the potential impact of Budget measures. However as the IFS states, in order to include previously un-modelled reforms, the report makes a number of assumptions which add uncertainty to the analysis. It is important that policy is informed by analysis that is proven to be robust. The Treasury has relied on a well-established methodology, similar to that adopted by the IFS in its post-Budget analysis. On the
basis of this robust approach, the Budget is progressive and has no measurable impact on child poverty over the next two years.
The Government take account of a range of external views, including those of the IFS, when making their assessment of the UK economy and in policy formulation. The interim Office for Budget Responsibility provided an assessment of the UK economy, which took account of Budget measures on 22 June.
It is not appropriate to pre-judge the outcomes of the spending review process, but it should be noted that the Government set out in the spending review framework 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."
Andrew George: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will undertake an analysis of the impact of options for spending reductions under the spending review relative to household composition. [16362]
Justine Greening: The Government set out in its Spending Review Framework document that:
In light of its commitments to fairness and social mobility, the Government will look closely at the effects of its decisions on different groups in society, especially the least well off, and on different regions.
Public Sector: Minimum Wage
Matthew Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost to the Exchequer of introducing a minimum wage of £7.60 for all public sector employees. [15223]
Mr Gauke: Using data from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, the Treasury estimates that the introduction of a minimum wage of £7.60 for all public sector employees would increase the public sector wage bill by around £690 million per annum.
Public Sector: Procurement
Ian Swales: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the monetary value of public sector contracts awarded in Redcar constituency was in each of the last five years. [15841]
Mr Maude: I have been asked to reply.
Local and central government bodies have not in the past been required to report the location of suppliers to whom they award contracts. So this information is not held centrally.
Going forward, it is coalition policy to publish transparently large central Government contracts online, and from these data it will be possible to identify the location of suppliers.
Redcar and Cleveland Borough council already publish current and past contract details on their website at:
https://www.qtegov.com/procontract/contracts.nsf/fcontent?ReadForm&;requesttype=view&requestview=authority ®ion=&authority=ORG-QTLE-75FDAN&sd=&stype=&rv= authority&start=1&count=10&contentid=1.008
Revenue and Customs: Standards
Jonathan Evans: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the efficiency of HM Revenue and Customs call centres and helplines; and if he will make a statement. [16085]
Mr Gauke: The performance and efficiency of HMRC contact centres (which include the tax credit helpline) was recently assessed by the National Audit Office. The National Audit Office findings "Handling Telephone Enquiries" was published on 15 January 2010 with the subsequent Committee of Public Accounts report published on 25 March 2010.
Revenue and Customs: Telephone Services
Stephen Timms: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of telephone calls to HM Revenue and Customs were answered in each of the last 12 months. [14634]
Mr Gauke: The proportion of telephone calls to HMRC's centrally managed network of contact centres answered in each of the last 12 months, to June 2010, are shown in the following table.
| HMRC contact centre call attempts | ||||
| Answered by advisers (percentage) | Handled by IVR( 1 ) (percentage) | Handled (total percentage) | Call attempts (million) | |
| (1 )IVR = Interactive voice response/automated messages on the telephone call steering menu. | ||||
Tax Allowances
Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what recent estimate he has made of the number of people who will have earnings of below £6,475 in 2010-11; [15539]
(2) what estimate he has made of the average amount of additional income to people in each income decile from the planned increase in the personal tax allowance; [15767]
(3) what estimate he has made of the proportion of the total additional income from the planned increase in the personal tax allowance which will go to people in each income decile; [15766]
(4) what estimate he has made of the proportion of the total additional income from the planned increase in the personal tax allowance which will go to those earning between £6,475 and £7,475. [15768]
Mr Gauke: The June 2010 Budget announced a £1,000 increase in the personal allowance for under 65s to £7,475 in 2011-12, with benefits focused on individuals on low and middle incomes through accompanying changes to the basic rate limit and national insurance upper earnings and profit limits.
As a result of these measures 880,000 of the lowest income taxpayers will be removed from tax altogether. It is estimated that those on incomes below £7,475 account for around 0.8% of total incomes above the personal allowance before the Budget announcement and 1.4% of the total benefits. These estimates are based on HMRC's personal tax model, based on 2007-08 Survey of Personal Incomes data projected to 2011-12.
Estimated impacts of these Budget announcements for all households by equivalised income decile in 2011-12 are provided in the table.
| Equivalised income decile( 1) | Average gain from combined income tax and national insurance changes( 2) | Proportion of total change | |
| £ per year | % net income | ||
| (1) Estimated lower income bound (for a couple household with no children) for each decile is shown in brackets. (2) Excluding the June 2010 Budget announcement to increase the threshold for employer national insurance contributions by £21 a week above indexation. | |||
Average household gains are lower than average in the lower deciles of the household income distribution because there are fewer basic rate taxpayers per household.
These estimates have been produced using HM Treasury's tax and benefit model, based on expenditure and food survey data projected to 2011-12. These estimates relate to changes to the personal allowance and national insurance upper limits announced in Budget 2010 only. Based on these same sources, it is estimated that around 9 million individuals have total income subject to income tax less than 6,475 in 2010-11.
Budget 2010 Annex A provides a fuller analysis of changes to personal tax, tax credits, benefits, and indirect tax in 2012-13.
Tax Evasion: VAT
Clive Efford: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many companies were liquidated consequent on proceedings for evasion of value added tax in each of the last five years; how many such companies were issued with notices under (a) section 160, (b) section 161 and (c) both sections 160 and 161 before action was taken; and if he will make a statement. [12605]
Mr Gauke:
Where HMRC seeks liquidation of a company it will be as a result of unpaid tax debt and only where it really believes that it is the best course of
action to protect the interests of the Exchequer and ensure fairness to those who pay their tax on time.
There is no central record to distinguish cases where the debt leading to liquidation was attributable to the evasion of VAT.
That information could be obtained only by re-examining the details of each case individually and only at disproportionate cost.
Clive Efford: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what criteria HM Revenue and Customs applies when taking the decision not to issue companies with section 160 and 161 notices before a company is investigated for alleged value added tax evasion; and if he will make a statement. [12606]
Mr Gauke: HMRC publishes public notices, codes of practice and factsheets to explain its processes so that taxpayers have the information to understand how they should manage their tax affairs and ensure their rights are protected.
Public Notices 160 and 161 set out HMRC's practice in relation to civil inquiries where it suspects tax irregularities as a result of dishonesty. They are issued to businesses where HMRC has information that leads it to suspect the trader of dishonest conduct which, if proven, may result in the imposition of a civil evasion penalty. The notices detail the circumstances in which they are considered appropriate.
HMRC has a variety of other remedies available to deal with suspected evasion, up to and including criminal investigation. The Department's criminal investigation policy is published on the HMRC website.
Tax Yields
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his most recent assessment is of the relationship between the number of staff employed by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and the amount of tax revenue obtained by HMRC. [14650]
Mr Gauke [holding answer 13 September 2010]: The amount of tax revenue received by the Government in any given year depends on a number of factors, including:
the state of the economy eg the level of personal and corporate income, consumption, saving and investment;
the structure of the tax system eg the rates, thresholds and reliefs in operation;
the level of compliance by taxpayers; and
HM Revenue and Customs' (HMRC) administration of the tax system, and the productivity of its compliance activities.
Through the use of new technology and increases in staff productivity HMRC has increased the amount of revenue bought in as a result of its compliance activities from £7.5 billion in 2005-06 to £12 billion in 2008-09.
Over the period April 2005 to April 2010, HMRC has reduced the number of full-time equivalent staff it employs by 23% (excluding the transfer of 4,641 FTE staff to the UKBA).
Taxation
Lorely Burt:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to issue his remit letter to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) in respect of 2010-11; with
reference to the letter of 20 July 2009, what steps HMRC has taken actively to manage and reduce the £27.7 billion stock of tax debt over the course of the year; what target HMRC proposed to reduce debt over the CSR 07 period; how progress against that target was monitored; what progress HMRC has made towards meeting that target; what steps HMRC took to prioritise resources to protect tax revenues through tackling abusive avoidance, evasion and non compliance; and what progress HMRC has made against its target to reduce the tax gap by 2010-11. [15370]
Mr Gauke: The Government will set out their performance and reporting framework for Departments, including HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), alongside the Spending Review.
In relation to the remit given to HMRC by the previous Chancellor in July 2009, I refer the hon. Member to HMRC's consolidated accounts for 2009-10, available at:
The 2009-10 annual accounts state that:
Receivables as reported in the HMRC Trust Statement fell from £27.7 billion at 31 March 2009 to £26.1 billion at 31 March 2010-a 5.8% reduction.
The Department has a target to reducing the proportion of debts remaining by 8% at 30 days old and 13% at 90 days compared with 2008-09.
Performance against this target will be reported in HMRC's annual accounts for 2010-11 next year.
As announced in the Budget in June HMRC will, this year, be using debt collection agencies to collect £140 million of additional revenue from existing tax debts. HMRC tailor their risk-based interventions according to customer behaviour and focus on the most significant risks to the collection of tax revenues.
HMRC's compliance strategy and its approach to reducing the tax gap is set out in Protecting Tax Revenues 2009, available at:
Progress against HMRC's target to close the tax gap by at least an additional £4 billion in 2010-11 will be reported in HMRC's future annual accounts.
The Government have recently announced new plans to tackle non-compliance in the tax system by making £900 million available to raise additional revenue from those who undermine the tax system. As part of these plans, funding will be available for placing up to £1 billion per year of tax debt out to private debt collection agencies.
Taxation: Aviation
John Thurso: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress he has made on his review of the taxation of air travel; and if he will make a statement. [14648]
Justine Greening [holding answer 13 September 2010]: The Budget announced that the Government will explore changes to the aviation tax system, including switching from a per-passenger to a per-plane duty. Major changes will be subject to consultation. Announcements on tax are made in the usual manner.
Taxation: Business
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects HM Revenue and Customs to conclude its review of the release of statistical information on time to pay arrangements. [13343]
Mr Gauke: HMRC intends to publish statistical information relating to the Business Payment Support Service in accordance with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics (2009). A copy of the code can be found at:
Publication, which has been pre-announced on the HMRC website at:
is currently planned for 9.30 am on 29 October 2010.
Taxation: Graduates
Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the average lifetime tax revenue that will accrue to the Exchequer from a (a) man and (b) woman who completed tertiary education in the last 12 months and is living in (i) the UK, (ii) the North East and (iii) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency. [15847]
Mr Gauke: HMRC administrative data on incomes and income tax do not include information on education level.
Information on income tax for all taxpayers by age and gender (Table 3.2), by income (Table 2.5), by region (Table 3.13) and by Parliamentary Constituency (Table 3.15) can be found on the HM Revenue and Customs website at:
Taxation: Rebates
Stephen Timms: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what procedure taxpayers receiving a demand for tax underpaid in a previous year will be required to follow to demonstrate that they have no liability; and if he will make a statement. [14635]
Mr Gauke: Individuals with concerns about the details of a PAYE end-of-year reconciliation calculation should contact HMRC on 0845 3000 627 or write to HMRC at the address shown on the calculation so that the matter can be investigated.
Stephen Timms: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether taxpayers whose net income for a previous year is reduced in the current tax calculation exercise will have their benefits for that year adjusted if necessary; and if he will make a statement. [14637]
Steve Webb: I have been asked to reply.
Income-related benefits such as pension credit, income support, jobseeker's allowance and employment and support allowance take account of income after tax. If
someone receives a change in their tax liability as a result of the reconciliation exercise, they can ask for their benefit to be looked at again. Whether or not any benefit adjustment is made will depend on the circumstances of each case.
VAT: Registration
Simon Kirby: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with the Chief Executive of HM Revenue and Customs on the issuing of value added tax registration numbers to new businesses; and if he will make a statement. [13370]
Mr Gauke: Treasury Ministers have discussions with the chief executive of HMRC on a regular basis as part of the process of policy development and delivery. It is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such discussions.
While HMRC aims to issue VAT registration numbers as quickly as possible, it is necessary to balance the speed of registration against the need to undertake further checks on some applications to safeguard the VAT system against fraud.
Waste Disposal: Whitsand Bay
Sheryll Murray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether any payments have been made to the Crown Estate for the deposition of dredged sediment at the Rame Head offshore disposal site, Whitsand Bay, Cornwall. [16297]
Justine Greening: The sum of £500 was paid to the Crown Estate in 2006 in acknowledgement of the proprietorial rights and interests in the area concerned.
Welfare Tax Credits
Mr Love: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the level of household income is above which a household with (a) one, (b) two and (c) three children will cease to receive tax credits from April 2012. [15444]
Mr Gauke: Tax credits are tailored to each family's specific set of circumstances in relation to the number of adults, the number of hours worked, the age of adults, numbers of children, numbers of disabled workers/children, and the level of child care each family is using. As a result there is no single level of household income beyond which families with one, two, or three children will cease to receive tax credits.
The tax credits entitlement questionnaire, which is available on the HMRC website, provides indicative entitlements on the basis of various sets of circumstances.
Mr Love: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the monetary value is of each tax credit which is now to be uprated with reference to the consumer price index; and what estimate he has made of the monetary value of each in 2014-15 (a) with and (b) without the change in uprating method. [15450]
Mr Gauke: The information requested is provided in the following table.
| £ | |||
| Value in 2011-12 under CPI uprating | Value in 2014-15 under CPI uprating | Value in 2014-15 under RPI uprating | |
Working Tax Credit: Cumbernauld
Gregg McClymont: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many households in Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East constituency receive the 50 plus element of working tax credit. [16322]
Mr Gauke: This information is unavailable as it could lead to the disclosure of information relating to the tax affairs of individual taxpayers.
Provisional information on families receiving tax credits as at April 2010 can be found in the HMRC snapshot publication "Child and Working Tax Credits. Geographical Analysis, April 2010". This is available at:
Cabinet Office
Charities: Fraud
Tracey Crouch: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent estimate he has made of the annual cost to registered charities of fraudulent charity collections. [14795]
Mr Hurd: Licensing of public charitable collections is generally a matter for local licensing authorities in England and Wales. Records are not kept centrally of the number of licences issued whether for street or house to house collections and it would not be practicable to do so. Similarly estimates of the annual cost to charities of fraudulent charity collections are not kept, but charity sector estimates range between £5 million and £14 million.
Charities: Private Education
Mr Hepburn: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent representations he has received on the charitable status of independent schools; and if he will make a statement. [16450]
Mr Maude: I have received a small number of written representations from interested stakeholders about the charitable status of independent schools, and the Charity Commission's guidance on the public benefit requirement.
The Attorney-General has made a reference to the First Tier Tribunal (Charity) asking it to consider the operation of the public benefit requirement in relation to fee-charging charitable schools. As this matter is now before the Tribunal, it would not be appropriate to make a statement.
Civil Servants
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office which civil servants have attended (a) the Chemistry Club, (b) the Climate Change Forum and (c) other networking events in the last 12 months. [14961]
Mr Maude: The Cabinet Office does not keep a central record of which civil servants have attended networking events. Departments are required on a quarterly basis to publish information about hospitality recorded by civil servants at Director General level and above.
Civil Servants: North East and North West
Ian Swales: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many civil servants employed by (a) Government Departments, (b) executive agencies and (c) other Government bodies had their primary place of employment in (i) Redcar constituency, (ii) the North East and (iii) the North West in each of the last five years. [15839]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning how many civil servants employed by (a) Government departments, (b) executive agencies and (c) other Government employers had their primary place of employment in i) Redcar constituency, ii) the North East and iii) the North West in each of the last five years. (15839).
I regret that estimates of the numbers of civil servants employed by Government departments, executive agencies and other Government employers by constituency are not available.
Estimates for the North East and North West are based on the Mandate collection (2005-2006) which provides approximately 90 per cent coverage of Civil Service departments and agencies and the Annual Civil Service Employment Survey (2007-2009) which provides 100 per cent coverage. The requested data are attached at Annex A.
Annex A
| Civil service employment, Government Departments, executive agencies and other Government bodies in the North East and North West( 1) , all employees | ||||||||||
| Headcount | ||||||||||
| 2005( 2,3) | 2006( 2,3) | 2007( 4) | 2008( 4) | 2009( 5) | ||||||
| North East | North West | North East | North West | North East | North West | North East | North West | North East | North West | |
| (1) Numbers are rounded to the nearest ten. (2) Mandate Data Collection only-incomplete coverage of civil service departments. (3) Survey reference date 1 April. (4) Survey reference date 30 September. (5) Survey reference date 31 March. Source: Annual Civil Service Employment survey and Mandate Data Collection. | ||||||||||
Civil Servants: Resignations
Mr Umunna: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many civil servants identified as (a) from black and/or minority ethnic backgrounds and (b) disabled left employment before retirement age in (i) 2008-09, (ii) 2009-10 and (iii) 2010-11 to date. [15852]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated 21 September 2010:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning how many Civil Servants identified as (a) from black
and /or minority ethnic backgrounds and (b) disabled left employment before retirement age in (i) 2008-09, (ii) 2009-10 and (iii) 2010-11 to date. (15852)
Civil Service Statistics are published annually by the Office for National Statistics on the National Statistics website. Since April 2010, there has been no default retirement age across the Civil Service.
Statistics for 2010-11 have not yet been published. The requested data for years 2008 and 2009 are attached at Annex A.
Annex A
| Civil Service Employment; Civil Service leavers before retirement age( 1, 2) -All employees | ||
| Headcount | ||
| 2008( 3) | 2009( 3) | |
| (1) Numbers are rounded to the nearest ten. (2) For the purpose of this analysis retirement age has been taken to be 65 years. (3 )Survey reference date 31 March. Source: Annual Civil Service Employment Survey | ||
Departmental Consultants
Alun Cairns: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the (a) average and (b) highest daily rate paid to consultants by his Department was in each of the last five years. [12664]
Mr Maude: The information requested for Cabinet Office is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
In May 2010 the Government announced a freeze on new consultancy expenditure. Any exception to this freeze (where the estimated value is over £20,000) must be approved by the relevant Minister. In the case of the Cabinet Office, the Minister for the Cabinet Office approves any exception to the consultancy freeze. Expenditure on consultancy is only allowed if the consultancy is deemed to be operationally necessary, or the work cannot be done by in-house staff. All consultancy contracts are subject to a review every three months, for a maximum of nine months. Where contracts go beyond nine months, they must be submitted for approved to the Efficiency and Reform Group for consideration by the Chief Secretary and the Minister for the Cabinet Office.
Departmental Empty Property
Matthew Hancock: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much his Department spent on vacant properties in each year since 1997. [13012]
Mr Maude: This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Fines
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many transport-related fines his Department has settled on behalf of its staff in each year since 2005; and what the cost to the public purse was in each such year. [13273]
Mr Maude: The information requested for Cabinet Office is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Responsibilities
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office which (a) individuals, (b) companies and (c) other organisations he has met in an official capacity since taking office. [16425]
Mr Maude: The Government are committed to publishing information on Ministers' meetings with external organisations on a quarterly basis. Information for the first period (13 May to 31 July 2010) will be published shortly.
Departmental Training
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many external training courses were attended by staff of his Department in the last 12 months; and what the cost to the public purse was of each such course. [13272]
Mr Maude: All Cabinet Office management units have delegated responsibility for spend against their training budgets. The individual management units decide on appropriate training to meet their business needs. Information on attendance and cost is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Government Departments: Billing
Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will publish all Government department invoice payment performance records on a monthly basis in a single location. [13380]
Mr Maude: As set out in the Coalition Programme, greater transparency across Government is at the heart of our shared commitment to enable the public to hold politicians and public bodies to account and to reduce the deficit and deliver better value for money in public spending. I agree that this should extend to invoice payment performance records, and I have asked officials in my Department, the Treasury and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to report urgently to the Transparency Board on how the hon. Member's suggestion can be implemented.
Government Departments: Internet
Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many websites operated by Government departments there were in each year since 2006. [9969]
Mr Maude:
No central records are held with accurate figures for the total number of websites operated by central Government and non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) going back to 2006. Many websites were not reported and through work done by the coalition Government from 11 May 2010, we have already identified a further 81. The current number of open websites reported by Government Departments on 10 August 2010 is 742 that are operated by Departments and their NDPBs plus 103 operated by museums, charities, limited
companies and partnerships in which the Government have a role. I shall be announcing plans alongside the spending review to close up to 75% of sites for which the Government are responsible.
Richard Harrington: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) what estimate he has made of Government expenditure on websites paid for from the public purse in the last 12 months; [15936]
(2) what recent estimate he has made of the monthly average number of visits to Government websites; [15937]
(3) what recent estimate he has made of the number of websites funded from the public purse which generate revenue. [15938]
Mr Hurd: I have asked the chief executive of the Central Office of Information to write to my hon. Friend.
Letter from Mark Lund, dated 6 October 2010:
As Chief Executive of the Central Office of Information (COI), I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Questions 15936 and 15937 regarding Government websites.
PQ15936/7
Expenditure on websites is unacceptably high and an announcement will be made as part of the Spending Review of how it is planned to cut costs substantially. In line with Public Accounts Committee recommendations in their 16th report of session 2007/8 Government on the Internet: Progress in delivering information and services online (March 2008), department-run websites reported costs and usage for 2009/10, which may be found on the COI website at
Arm's-length bodies are required to report this financial year and this will be published in June 2011.
PQ15938
This information is not held centrally. I am however pleased to report that the number of websites will significantly reduce and an announcement about all those that will close will be made as part of the Spending Review.
Government Departments: Pay
Stephen Hammond: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much each Department paid in bonus awards in 2009. [12751]
Mr Maude: Reward arrangements, including the criteria for non-consolidated performance pay, below the senior civil service are delegated to individual Departments and agencies. As such data on non-consolidated performance payments below the SCS are not held centrally and would be available only at a disproportionate cost.
Government Departments: Press Cuttings
Mr Jenkin: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much (a) each Government Department and (b) the Government as a whole spent on press cuttings services in each of the last 12 months. [15795]
Mr Maude: The Cabinet Office does not keep a central record of all Government Departments' spend on press cuttings services. Any such records if they are held would be a matter for each Government Department.
Government Departments: Procurement
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps his Department takes when a Government department breaches competitive tendering guidelines. [14974]
Mr Maude: The Cabinet Office provides guidance and support to help Departments comply with public sector procurement rules; assists them in taking remedial action when necessary; and promulgates lessons learned to prevent a recurrence of poor practice.
We provide a feedback service for suppliers and other parties to escalate concerns over poor procurement practice, including breaches of competitive tendering guidelines.
In cases where the European Commission instigates infraction proceedings against the United Kingdom for a failure to comply with procurement rules we work with the procurement authority to resolve the issues raised.
Mike Freer: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps his Department has taken to encourage central procurement of (a) stationery, (b) information technology and (c) office supplies across Government Departments. [15365]
Mr Maude: We have mandated that all spending on common goods and service categories by Government Departments should take place through centrally agreed contracting vehicles. This includes the procurement of office supplies, including stationery, and ICT hardware.
Government Departments: Publicity
Philip Davies: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what (a) legislation and (b) guidance issued by his Department governs the content of publications funded from the public purse. [15570]
Mr Maude: The information requested is as follows:
(a) There is no legislation "issued by" Cabinet Office governing the content of publications
(b) Guidance issued by Cabinet Office that governs the content of publications is available on The Cabinet Office website in the form of a downloadable pdf. There is a writing guide, editorial guide and publication guidelines for consistency in production of publications.
Government Departments: Recruitment
Mr Wallace: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much was spent on advertising jobs in central Government Departments in The Guardian and The Observer newspapers in (a) 2007, (b) 2008 and (c) 2009. [13187]
Mr Maude: The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.
Jobseeker's Allowance
Mr Umunna: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many individuals resident in (a) Great Britain, (b) London, (c) the London borough of Lambeth and (d) Streatham constituency had been in receipt of jobseeker's allowance for more than 12 months in each month from January to September 2010. [15806]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated September 2010:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many individuals resident in (a) Great Britain, (b) London, (c) the London Borough of Lambeth and (d) Streatham constituency had been in receipt of jobseeker's allowance for more than 12 months in each month from January to September 2010. (15806)
Table 1 provides this information from January 2010 to the latest available period of August 2010.
National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at
| Table 1. Numbe r of persons claiming Jobseeker' s Allowance for more than 12 months resident in (a) Great Britain, (b) London, (c) London b orough of Lambeth, (d) Streatham constituency | ||||
| Great Britain | London | Lambeth | Streatham | |
| Note: Data rounded to nearest 5 Source: Jobcentre Plus administrative system | ||||
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