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1 Dec 2010 : Column 831W—continued
Piracy
Mr Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his NATO counterparts on the development of policy to counter international piracy. [27107]
Mr Lidington: There have been no recent meetings at North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) at ministerial level specifically to discuss counter piracy. But, in the communiqué of its recent Lisbon summit, NATO renewed its commitment to counter piracy in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean through its Operation Ocean Shield.
NATO works closely alongside the EU's Operation Atalanta and the Combined Maritime Forces so as to respond effectively and coherently to the threat of piracy, including on allocation of assets to the large area of operations. NATO is also a key partner in the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia, working comprehensively to address operational, legal and regional capacity concerns to ensure that piracy is tackled on a sustainable basis, including at its roots.
The UK continues to support the operation, which has recently has had its mandate extended until 2012. The Royal Navy currently has a frigate and auxiliary vessel allocated to Operation Ocean Shield.
Business, Innovation and Skills
Agriculture: Training
Dr Poulter:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) how much funding from the public purse will be available for (a) apprenticeship schemes and (b) vocational courses in the agricultural
sector (i) nationally and (ii) in Central Suffolk and North Ipswich constituency in 2011-12. [26866]
(2) how many places will be available for (a) apprenticeship schemes and (b) vocational courses in the agricultural sector (i) nationally and (ii) in the Central Suffolk and North Ipswich constituency in 2011-12. [26867]
Mr Hayes: "Investing Skills for Sustainable Growth" was published on 16 November. In the 2011-12 financial year, we plan to invest £3.9 billion in FE skills for post 19 learners. This includes £3.7 billion for over three million adult training places funded through the Skills Funding Agency. In the 2011-12 financial year, £605 million is earmarked for adult apprenticeships. Spend on adult apprenticeships will increase by up to £250 million, relative to the previous Government, by the end of the spending review period, supporting an additional 75,000 people to start an apprenticeship by 2014-15.
In support of the coalition Government's principle of greater freedom, "Skills for Sustainable Growth and Investing in Skills for Sustainable Growth" set out the abolition of central targets and increased freedom and flexibility for further education colleges and training organisations to respond effectively to the needs of employers, learners and their communities. It will be for individual colleges and training organisations, working directly with their local partners, to determine the offer that best meets the needs of their communities.
From the 2011/12 academic year, there will be a single adult skills budget, with earmarked delivery for apprenticeships. As part of its allocations process later this year, the Skills Funding Agency will set out a minimum expectation of apprenticeships delivery. Further Education colleges and training organisations will be able to use their single adult skills budget allocation to expand apprenticeships. However, any diversion of funding away from apprenticeships is to be agreed with the Agency.
Information on learner participation and achievement in further education is published in a quarterly statistical first release (SFR). The latest SFR was published on 16 November and can be viewed at:
Credit: Regulation
Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether his Department has made an estimate of the numbers of UK residents who have been refused access to credit through banks and building societies in the last 10 years. [26472]
Mr Prisk [holding answer 30 November 2010]: The Government do not collect data on the number of UK residents refused credit by banks and building societies.
The Department of Business, Innovation and Skills commissions a quarterly survey (carried out by YouGov), which monitors the latest consumer credit and debt trends. The following table has been produced from this survey, showing the proportion of the population who have applied for credit (broken down by credit type) in the last six months and the outcome of this application.
| Proportion of the population who have applied for unsecured credit and the outcome of this application (where the outcome is known) in the last six months | |||
| Credit product | Proportion of the population who applied for credit/loans (percentage) | Application was rejected (percentage) | Percentage of total population |
| Notes: 1. Based on 2009-10 YouGov data, sample size 13,172. 2. The statistics in the table need to be interpreted with caution. Due to data limitations, we are unable to say how many individuals were refused credit completely in the last six months. For instance, a borrower may have refused a credit card, but was able to secure an overdraft facility. In addition, the values in the table cannot be summed, to produce statistics on the proportion of the population refused credit. This is because some borrowers may have been rejected for more than one credit product. Certain credit products have been excluded such as payday loans and home credit, which are unlikely to be offered by banks and building societies. | |||
Departmental Food
Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether his Department has guidelines on ensuring that food used for his Department's official functions is of domestic origin. [25438]
Mr Davey: The Department's contracted catering and conference supplier Baxterstorey are accredited to the Red Tractor Farm Assurance Scheme and are fully compliant, demonstrating robust support for enhanced animal welfare, environmental responsibility, quality produce and supporting British producers.
The Department adheres wherever possible to the five key objectives of the Public Sector Food Procurement Initiative (PSFPI). These objectives run in parallel to those of Baxterstorey, which form part of the policies that result in the approach to sustainable and ethical procurement. For example all eggs used on the departmental estate are British, Lion Brand standard and free range and 99% of all pork and bacon products are British and supplied by Red Tractor accredited suppliers.
Higher Education: Admissions
Elizabeth Truss: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the participation rate was of people aged 18 years in each income quintile entering higher education for the first time in the latest period for which figures are available. [27759]
Mr Willetts: The Department does not publish information in the form requested. Latest figures show that 15% of pupils aged 15 in 2003/04 who claimed free school meals (FSM) at English maintained schools progressed to HE by the age of 19 in 2007/08. The equivalent figure for young people who did not claim free school meals is 33%.
FSM eligibility is means tested and the majority of FSM young people are from households in receipt of some form of income support. Some 14% of young people claim free school meals.
These figures have been estimated using matched data from the National Pupil Database, the Higher Education Statistics Agency Student Record and the Learning and Skills Council Individualised Learner Record. Figures for 2008/09 will be available next year.
The Department uses a number of measures to monitor progress on participation of disadvantaged students, such as those from low participation neighbourhoods, and low socio-economic groups. However, figures in this answer have been provided as receipt of FSM is directly related to family income.
Higher Education: Finance
Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 11 November 2010, Official Report, column 480W, on higher education: finance, what the outcomes were of his discussions with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. [27309]
Mr Willetts: The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, my right hon. Friend the Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable) and I have discussed the proposed changes to higher education funding and student finance at Cabinet. Our statements to the House of Commons on this subject reflect the Government position, as agreed at these meetings.
Local Enterprise Partnerships
Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has to fund the development of local enterprise partnerships; by what mechanisms such partnerships will be able to bid for funds from his Department to fulfil their duties; and if he will make a statement. [27714]
Mr Prisk: No central Government spending has been allocated specifically to fund the activities of local enterprise partnerships. As set out in the White Paper on Local Growth local enterprise partnerships will be expected to fund their own day-to-day running costs and will also want to consider how they can obtain the best value for public money by leveraging in private sector investment. The mechanisms for how local enterprise partnerships may bid for centrally available funds, such as the regional growth fund, will be specific to the fund itself. Details regarding how to access the regional growth fund can be found on the Department's website at the following address:
Manufacturing Industries: Trade Competitiveness
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has to support competitiveness in the manufacturing sector. [27090]
Mr Prisk: The Government are supporting manufacturing by creating a stable business environment that will give businesses the confidence they need to plan and invest. We are doing this by creating a more supportive tax environment, freeing up credit through the banking system, reducing regulation, maximising the flexibility of the labour market and focusing on training and apprenticeships. The Government announced in the spending review that they will invest up to £200 million to support manufacturing and business development focusing on high growth business and innovation particularly among small and medium sized businesses.
The Government have launched their comprehensive growth review and this will ensure that all Departments are actively removing barriers faced by industry.
As part of the phased reporting process, we will conduct a detailed look into barriers to growth within advanced manufacturing.
Also on 6 December we will be launching a new approach to manufacturing that will highlight key ambitions, identify growth opportunities and set out a new framework of actions for both Government and industry.
Regional Growth Fund
Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 11 November 2010, Official Report, column 485W, on the Regional Growth Fund, what types of proposals will meet the criteria to be considered as strategic investment programmes. [27335]
Mr Prisk: There will be a separate bidding form and guidance for programme proposals, which will be made available in early 2011. Programme proposals are therefore not included within the first bidding round.
UK Trade and Investment: Bahrain
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps UKTI is taking to increase trade and investment with the Kingdom of Bahrain. [27807]
Mr Prisk: UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) supports business with Bahrain through trade and investment teams based in the British embassy in Manama and in the UK. UKTI provides a broad range of support for British companies-from conferences and trade missions to support for trade fairs and exhibitions-and also oversees annual trade and economic talks with Bahrain aimed at prioritising opportunities and improving the environment for bilateral trade and investment. The most recent talks resulted in the signature of a bilateral Double Taxation Agreement in March 2010.
Recent examples of support for business with Bahrain include visits by the Lord Mayor of the City of London in February; and by the UK's Special Representative for International Trade and Investment, HRH The Duke of York, in May. UKTI organised scoping visits to Bahrain in the spring of 2010 focused on the creative industries and sports infrastructure sectors; and also organised a UK pavilion of 18 companies at the World Islamic Banking Conference in Manama in November. Regular events are organised by UKTI in the UK to
raise awareness of opportunities in Bahrain, including a middle east road show in February and a financial services road show in September. UKTI also staged a 'Britain in the Region' event in Dubai in November aimed at encouraging British companies with regional headquarters in Dubai into other markets in the middle east, including Bahrain.
Attorney-General
EU Law
Priti Patel: To ask the Attorney-General how many EU directives are pending transposition into domestic legislation by the Law Officers' Department; and what estimate he has made of the cost of each such transposition. [27482]
The Attorney-General: The information is as follows:
1. None
2. None.
Prime Minister
Pupils: Bullying
Mrs Glindon: To ask the Prime Minister if he will establish a Cabinet Sub-Committee on the prevention of and responses to bullying in schools. [27708]
The Prime Minister: The Schools White Paper made clear our expectation that all schools should take a zero tolerance approach to bullying. Bullying in schools is discussed by the relevant Cabinet Committees.
Culture, Media and Sport
Arts: Cumbria County Council
Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent assessment he has made of the effect of local authority funding reductions on arts organisations based in the Cumbria county council area. [27729]
Mr Vaizey: It is central Government's role to empower local communities and local authorities to make the decisions that they feel are most appropriate for their area.
The Department will continue to fund the arts through Arts Council England, who provide support to a number of regularly funded organisations across the country.
Arts: Sunderland City Council
Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent assessment he has made of the likely effects of local authority funding reductions on arts organisations in the Sunderland city council area. [27805]
Mr Vaizey: It is central Government's role to empower local communities and local authorities to make the decisions that they feel are most appropriate for their area.
The Department will continue to fund the arts through Arts Council England, who provide support to a number of regularly funded organisations across the country.
Broadband
Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the cost to the economy of the introduction of high-speed broadband services across the UK by 2015; and if he will make a statement. [27683]
Mr Vaizey [holding answer 30 November 2010]: Overall, we believe there will be a net benefit to the economy from the introduction of superfast broadband. The Government have made no recent estimate of the costs of deploying superfast broadband. The Broadband Stakeholder Group recently published a complementary report on the costs of fixed wireless and satellite broadband.
The Government have committed £530 million to facilitate the delivery of universal broadband and stimulate private sector investment to deliver the best superfast broadband network in Europe by 2015.
Co-production Agreement between the UK and Israel
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the revenue likely to be raised as a result of the co-production agreement between the UK and Israel in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012, (d) 2013 and (e) 2014. [27239]
Mr Vaizey: We have estimated an average annual benefit of between £0.5 million and £2.5 million. The monetised benefits reflect spending on films which would not have occurred without the treaty being in place. The range reflects a lower case scenario where one film is made every two years with £1 million UK spend, and the upper case involves five films with £1 million spend made every two years.
In addition, research indicates that film locations can get up to a 30% boost in bookings from fans visiting locations from their favourite film (e.g. the Harry Potter films have helped boost tourism in the Northumberland area by 16%). As well as clear tourism potential, there are cultural benefits to the UK of greater film diversity. Given that the film industry largely comprises Single Purpose Vehicles it is difficult to predict in advance how many businesses will make use of the treaty. We do not believe it will be significantly higher than projections, particularly in the first few years.
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether he has assessed the merits of extending to other countries the provisions of the co-production agreement agreed with Israel. [27248]
Mr Vaizey:
The recently signed film co-production agreements with Israel, and with the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) on behalf of the Palestinian Authority, were the ninth and tenth agreements respectively to be
signed in full. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport also has similar co-production agreements with Australia, Canada, France, Jamaica, New Zealand, South Africa, India and Morocco-the Moroccan treaty was signed last year but has yet to be fully ratified by the Moroccan authorities.
Copyright: Recordings
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will assess the likely effect on the British music industry of the expiry of 50 years' copyright on recordings in the next 10 years. [27347]
Mr Davey: I have been asked to reply.
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 18 November 2010, Official Report, columns 889-90W. There are no plans to undertake the work described.
Departmental Sponsorship
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what expenditure (a) his Department and (b) its non-departmental public bodies incurred on sponsorship in each year since 1997 for which figures are available. [27520]
John Penrose: The Department does not provide corporate sponsorship or branding for events but it does encourage sponsorship of its sectors from the world of business.
Data on expenditure incurred by non-departmental public bodies are not held centrally. Accordingly, I have asked the chief executive of each non-departmental public body to respond to the hon. Member for Witham directly. A copy of the responses will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Newsquest Media Group
Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent meetings (a) Ministers and (b) civil servants in his Department have had with directors of the Newsquest Media Group on local media provision. [27336]
Mr Vaizey: As part of Nicholas Shott's review of local TV he undertook a visit to Scotland where he met with a range of interested parties including Newsquest. He was accompanied by a member of his steering group and an official from the Department.
Treasury
Air Passenger Duty
Richard Fuller: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will change the basis for calculating air passenger duty banding from London to capital city of destination to London to destination; [26546]
(2) if he will change the air passenger duty banding for destinations in the Caribbean to be the same as that for destinations on the east coast of the United States. [26545]
Justine Greening: The June Budget stated 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.
Banks: Finance
Frank Dobson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the monetary value is of (a) loans and (b) guarantees given to UK banks by his Department since 2007. [26984]
Mr Hoban: A full breakdown of financial support provided to UK banks is published by the Treasury on a financial year basis. Details of the support provided for the years 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10 are set out in the Treasury's Resource Accounts for 2007-08 (HC 539), 2008-09 (HC 611) and 2009-10 (HC261), respectively.
Banks: Loans
Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 18 November 2010, Official Report, column 894W, on banks: loans, if he will undertake an assessment of trends in the criteria for setting personal guarantees for loans over the last 10 years. [27308]
Mr Hoban: In response to the Government's Green Paper on business finance, the British Bankers; Association (BBA) published the outcomes of their Business Finance Taskforce, which were written in conjunction with the six major UK banks.
As part of these commitments, the banks have agreed to fund and establish an independent business survey. This survey will provide more information of the experience of small businesses in applying for finance.
Copyright: Music
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the additional revenue to the Exchequer attributable to an extension to 75 years of musicians' copyright in the last 10 years. [27346]
Mr Gauke: I refer the hon. Gentlemen to the answer I gave him on 22 November 2010, Official Report, column 84W.
Employers' Liability: Asbestos
Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will bring forward proposals for a requirement for employers to insure themselves against potential harm caused to employees by asbestosis. [24112]
Chris Grayling: I have been asked to reply.
The Employers' Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969 requires employers carrying on business in Great Britain to insure their liability to their employees for bodily injury or disease sustained in the course of their employment. This Act ensures that those with asbestos-related diseases can claim compensation against their Employers' Liability insurance, where the employer has been negligent in exposing them to asbestos while at work.
However, a recent Court of Appeal case has considered how the wording of these Employers' Liability insurance policies affects civil compensation for mesothelioma sufferers and we had hoped that the judgment would have provided a general principle on how these policies should deal with their mesothelioma claims. The court decided that the policies should be interpreted based on the actual policy wording, which means that some sufferers may not be able to claim compensation if the insurance policy was worded in such a way that prevents a claim from being made. We expect this judgment to be appealed to the Supreme Court.
In February 2010 the previous Government published their consultation document, 'Accessing Compensation-Supporting people who need to trace Employers' Liability insurance', which set out proposals for people who need to find their Employers' Liability insurance policies in order to claim compensation. The consultation closed on 5 May 2010. There were two proposals; firstly an Employers' Liability Tracing Office, that would manage a database of EL policies. Secondly, an Employers' Liability Insurance Bureau which would be a compensation fund of last resort for those individuals who are unable to trace EL insurance records, ensuring they are able to receive compensation for injuries or diseases sustained during the course of their employment. We are in active discussions with all stakeholders on how this situation can be addressed and we will publish our response to the consultation in due course.
Income Tax
John Mann: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the amount of revenue which accrued from income tax from employees in each business sector in each of the last three years. [27548]
Mr Gauke: A sectoral breakdown of income tax revenues for the latest three years is not available.
Estimated shares of pay as you earn tax liabilities deducted from pay (excluding pensions) by industry to 2007-08 are published in table 2.10 on the HMRC website:
Total PAYE tax (excluding pensions) is estimated at £107.2 billion, £115.7 billion and £123.3 billion in respect of liabilities for 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08 respectively.
Members: Correspondence
Kevin Brennan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Chief Secretary to the Treasury plans to respond to the letters of 17 September 2010 and 1 November 2010 from the hon. Member for Cardiff West. [27753]
Mr Hoban: I have replied to the hon. Member.
Mortgages
Harriett Baldwin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) whether he has assessed the effect of the mortgage market proposals made by the Financial Services Authority on small businesses with a turnover under £1 million; [27483]
(2) what assessment he has made of the likely effect on house prices of the mortgage market proposals made by the Financial Services Authority; and if he will make a statement. [27484]
Mr Hoban: The Government are committed to a healthy housing and mortgage market.
The Financial Services Authority (FSA) is conducting a wholesale review of mortgage regulation in the UK, the 'Mortgage Market Review'.
The Government believe that it is right for the FSA to ensure that the UK mortgage market has responsible lending practices. We will continue to work with the FSA, mortgage lenders and intermediaries, and consumer groups to ensure a mortgage market that is sustainable for all participants.
The FSA published 'Mortgage Market Review: Responsible Lending' in July which sets out the detail of some of the proposed changes. This paper forms one part of an ongoing consultation process.
The FSA has stated that it will fully assess the potential impact on the market before implementing any rule changes. Further, the FSA will consult in 2011 on transitional measures to help mitigate any adverse effects on existing borrowers.
Mr Syms: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) whether he has assessed the effect of the mortgage market proposals made by the Financial Services Authority on small businesses with a turnover under £1 million; [27533]
(2) whether he has assessed the effect of the Financial Services Authority's mortgage market review proposals on the (a) availability of mortgages and (b) operation of the housing market; and if he will make a statement; [27534]
(3) whether he has discussed with the Council of Mortgage Lenders the proposals on responsible lending made by the Financial Services Authority and their likely effect on the housing market; [27535]
(4) if he will take steps to ensure that the implementation of the Financial Services Authority's mortgage market review proposals does not have a negative effect on home-buyers and the housing market; [27536]
(5) what estimate he has made of the number of borrowers who may not be able to take out remortgages following the introduction of the Financial Services Authority's proposals for the mortgage market; and if he will bring forward measures to assist such borrowers; [27539]
(6) what estimate he has made of the number of mortgages granted since 2005 which would not have been issued under the Financial Services Authority's proposals for the mortgage market; [27540]
(7) if he will take steps to ensure that (a) self-employed and (b) other homebuyers with variable incomes will be able to obtain mortgages under the Financial Services Authority's proposals for the mortgage market; [27544]
(8) what assessment he has made of the likely effects of implementation of the Financial Services Authority's proposals on the availability of mortgage finance and on home-ownership in the UK. [27537]
Mr Hoban: The Government are committed to a healthy housing and mortgage market.
The Financial Services Authority (FSA) is conducting a wholesale review of mortgage regulation in the UK, the 'Mortgage Market Review'.
The Government believe that it is right for the FSA to ensure that the UK mortgage market has responsible lending practices. We will continue to work with the FSA, mortgage lenders and intermediaries, and consumer groups to ensure a mortgage market that is sustainable for all participants.
The FSA published 'Mortgage Market Review: Responsible Lending' in July, which sets out the details of some of the proposed changes. This paper forms one part of an ongoing consultation process.
The FSA has stated that it will fully assess the potential impact on the market before implementing any rule changes. Further, the FSA will consult in 2011 on transitional measures to help mitigate any adverse effects on existing borrowers.
Treasury Ministers and officials have discussions with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such discussions.
Private Finance Initiative: Newton Abbot
Anne Marie Morris: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what schemes under the Private Finance Initiative there are in Newton Abbot constituency. [26022]
Danny Alexander: A list of signed and in procurement PFI projects can be found on HM Treasury's website at:
For each PFI project, this list details the project name, the capital value, the constituency, the procuring authority and whether it is on or off balance sheet; as used by the ONS in calculating public sector net debt. This indicates that there are currently no PFI projects in the Newton Abbot constituency.
Revenue and Customs: Marketing
Priti Patel: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 23 November 2010, Official Report, column 274W, on incentives, from which of its budgets HM Revenue and Customs funds expenditure on promotional material; and how much has been spent from each such budget in each of the last three years. [27477]
Mr Gauke: In HMRC, promotional items may be printed paper, office supplies or non paper items. These items will have been purchased via a range of budgets including commodities such as print and paper/stationery. From these budgets promotional materials are not identifiable from other items and cannot be disaggregated except at disproportionate cost. No central record is held of the spend on promotional materials and is not available except at disproportionate cost.
Tax Yields
Mr Byrne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much revenue his Department raised through (a) personal, (b) direct business, (c) consumption, (d) property and (e) environmental taxes from the (i) business services, (ii) education, health and social work, (iii) financial intermediation, (iv) manufacturing, (v) other wholesale and retail trade, (vi) transport services, (vii) construction, (viii) real estate and renting, (ix) public administration, (x) oil and gas extraction, (xi) insurance and pension funding, (xii) hotels and restaurants, (xiii) recreational and social activities, (xiv) postal and telecommunications, (xv) other services, (xvi) energy, gas and water supply, (xvii) agriculture, forestry and fishing and (xviii) mining and quarrying except oil and gas sector in each financial year since 1997-98. [22559]
Mr Gauke: The full breakdown of tax receipts outlined in the question is not available.
HMRC produce a breakdown by broad industrial sector for corporation tax, PAYE income tax and class 1 national insurance contributions (NICs) and value added tax (VAT).
Historical figures for corporation tax receipts paid by several broadly-defined business sectors are regularly updated and published in table 11.1 on the HMRC National Statistics website. Receipts information is available from 1997-98 to 2009-10. The sectors are defined by HMRC's Summary Trade Classifications. The latest update is available here:
PAYE income tax and class 1 NICs received by HMRC in respect of employee and employer liabilities are split by sector as follows:
| £ billion | ||||||
| Sector | 1999-2000 | 2000-01 | 2001-02 | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 |
| £ billion | |||||
| Sector | 20 05-06 | 20 06-07 | 20 07-08 | 20 08-09 | 20 09-10 |
Data are available back to 1999-2000 only. The sectors are defined by the Office for National Statistics' Standard Industrial Classification 2003. The occupational pensions figures include all income tax on occupational pensions regardless of the sector in which the person was previously employed.
Declared VAT is published by trade group in the VAT factsheet, table 2-3:
Given that sectors for corporation tax, VAT and PAYE income tax and class 1 NICs are defined differently these sets of figures are not directly comparable.
Taxation: Music
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much tax revenue was raised in respect of the UK-based music industry in (a) 2005, (b) 2006, (c) 2007, (d) 2008 and (e) 2009. [27232]
Mr Gauke: The information required to answer the question is not available.
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has made a recent assessment of the merits of tax incentives to encourage the development of UK musical talent. [27234]
Mr Gauke: The Government seek to provide a competitive environment and tax system for businesses and individuals across the economy.
The Government believe that simplicity and stability are features of good tax policy, and that in general a tax system with fewer reliefs and allowances will provide the best incentive for economic growth.
VAT: Churches
Henry Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will seek agreement from the Council of Ministers to zero-rate value added tax on repairs to historic church buildings. [27098]
Mr Gauke: EU legislation agreed by successive Governments does not provide any scope for the introduction of new zero rates or the extension of existing zero rates. There is therefore no realistic prospect of securing agreement to the introduction of a new zero rate for repairs to historic church buildings. However, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport operates a scheme which makes grants equivalent to the VAT incurred in making repairs to listed buildings primarily used for worship. The Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme will continue until 2014-15 with a fixed annual budget of £12 million.
Communities and Local Government
Affordable Housing: Construction
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the effects of the proposed changes to rules under which new social housing can be constructed on the potential for small housing associations who do not construct new housing to amalgamate with other (a) large and (b) small housing associations; and if he will make a statement. [27097]
Grant Shapps: We continue to encourage housing associations to explore models for management or ownership rationalisation if this will deliver better value-for-money and improved services for tenants.
The Government do not have a fixed view about what size a Housing Association should be. There are excellent large and small Housing Associations in existence.
Localism Bill
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he plans to publish the Localism Bill. [27245]
Greg Clark: The Localism Bill contains a wide range of measures to shift power from central Government into the hands of individuals, communities and councils. The Bill frees local government from central and regional control and strengthens local democracy. In addition, it gives greater power over planning, housing and other services and allows councils and councillors to be better held to account.
The Bill will be published imminently.
Housing: Construction
Dr Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the number of new houses which would need to be built in Southampton unitary authority area in each of the next five years in order for the authority to establish a net income gain under the terms of the New Homes Bonus scheme. [27192]
Grant Shapps: The New Homes Bonus will start in April 2011 and will match fund the additional council tax raised for new homes and properties brought back into use for the following six years, with an additional amount for affordable homes.
The Department has set aside almost £l billion over the comprehensive spending review period for the scheme, including nearly £200 million in 2011-12 in year one. Funding beyond these levels will come from formula grant.
The New Homes Bonus consultation is available at;
This is accompanied by a calculator which will enable you to estimate grant from the New Homes Bonus for Southampton. This can be found at:
We will announce our proposals for the local government finance settlement for 2011-12, in the usual manner, in due course.
Housing: Costs
Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what information his Department holds on the average (a) cost of management charges, (b) cost of maintenance and (c) return on capital expenditure in respect of the housing stock in each sector in each region. [26690]
Andrew Stunell: The following table provides estimates of the average annual routine and planned maintenance costs per unit for social landlords, based on data provided to the Tenant Services Authority. Cost figures are derived from published financial statements, include only landlords managing more than 1,000 social homes and use end of year stock numbers to produce average costs. This information is not available on a regional basis.
| £'s per unit | ||||
| 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | |
There is no suitable measure with which to calculate the return on capital invested for this sector. This is because most social landlords are non-profit making organisations and the valuation of assets across the sector at both historical cost and current value prevents a valid aggregation of such measures.
The following table gives data on local authority expenditure on supervision and management and repairs, for council housing in 2007-08 and 2008-09 by region. This is taken from local authorities' annual second advance housing revenue account subsidy claim forms submitted to the Department for Communities and Local Government. The regional split in the table is derived from the 'Live tables on housing finance and household expenditure, Table 652' available on the Department's website at:
There is no suitable measure with which to calculate the return on capital invested for this sector.
Mortgages
Mr Syms: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his policy is on financial assistance to first-time homebuyers who commit a large proportion of their income in mortgage payments in order to get on to the property ladder. [27541]
Grant Shapps: The Government are committed to helping those who aspire to own their own home, through ensuring a return to economic and financial stability. The Government are seeking to achieve this through a programme of debt reduction and a commitment to abolish the structural deficit in the life of this Parliament. This will help to keep mortgage interest rates low and improve credit availability.
The coalition agreement included a commitment to promote shared ownership. While grant funding under the new investment model for affordable housing announced in the spending review will primarily target the new affordable rented product, there may be some scope for delivery of low cost home ownership as part of the contractual arrangements with providers where this is appropriate for local circumstances.
Park Homes: Caravan Sites
Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many residential park homes there are on licensed park home sites in each county. [27180]
Grant Shapps: These data are not collected.
The Department has made no official estimate on this, but soundings in the sector suggest there are approximately 85,000 park homes on 2,000 sites in England and 5,000 homes on 100 sites in Wales.
Poverty: Children
Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will take steps to ensure that local authorities are allocated the resources to meet their obligations under the Child Poverty Act 2010; and if he will make a statement. [23042]
Sarah Teather: I have been asked to reply.
The Government are committed to ending child poverty by 2020 and recognise the critical role of local authorities and other partners in achieving that aim. Part 2 of the Child Poverty Act 2010 introduced new duties for local partners to co-operate and carry out local child poverty needs assessments and develop joint child poverty strategies. In recognition of the potential costs of carrying out that work the Government have made an additional £9.5 million available this year to ensure local authorities have the resources to meet the local duties.
Funding will be provided for the remainder of this implementation year (2010-11) to support local authorities in England who are leading the co-operation around the duties. Payments will be distributed to all 'top-tier' local authorities via the area based grant and the first payments were made in October.
Squatting
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many incidents of squatting were recorded (a) in Brighton and Hove constituency and (b) nationally in (i) 2007, (ii) 2008, and (iii) 2009. [27236]
Grant Shapps: Information on the number of dwellings that are occupied by squatters is not held centrally.
Tenancy Deposit Schemes
Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of disputes in respect of tenancy deposit protection schemes resulted in a decision in favour of the tenant in (a) 2007-08, (b) 2008-9 and (c) 2009-10. [27750]
Grant Shapps: My Department does not hold this information. My hon. Friend may wish to contact the three companies running the tenancy deposit protection schemes directly.
Travellers: Caravan Sites
Mr Burley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he is taking to reduce the number of (a) squatters and (b) unauthorised encampments. [27311]
Grant Shapps: In relation to squatting, on 8 November I published an online guide for home owners affected by squatters. This sets out their rights and the action they can take. We are also taking steps to help get empty homes back into productive and lawful use, thus reducing the scope for squatting.
In relation to Parliament square, I refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 25 November 2010, Official Report, column 439.
In relation to unauthorised encampments, I refer my hon. Friend to the press notice of the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, my right hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr Pickles) on 29 August 2010, a copy of which is in the Library. It outlines the new Government's approach of providing incentives and support for authorised Traveller sites, while removing the counter-productive regime of top-down planning and ensuring fair play in the planning system.
The forthcoming Localism Bill and changes to secondary legislation will include provisions to end the abuse of retrospective planning permission and will give councils stronger powers to tackle unauthorised development in all its forms.
Working Neighbourhoods Fund
Mr Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the likely effects of the closure of the Working Neighbourhoods Fund on the most deprived communities in the country; and what sources of funding will be available to support such areas in the spending review period. [27456]
Robert Neill: The Working Neighbourhoods Fund was a time-limited, three year programme scheduled to run from 2009-11. In line with our equalities duties, an equality impact assessment into the completion of the Working Neighbourhoods Fund has been carried out and will be published in due course.
Businesses and local authorities in areas which currently receive the Fund will now be able to bid into the £1.4 billion Regional Growth Fund to kick-start private sector-led growth, the Department for Work and Pensions is also to introduce the Work Programme which will provide an integrated package of support providing personalised help for people who find themselves out of work.
The Government are also giving communities and neighbourhoods new rights, flexibilities, powers and tools that they could use to drive forward local regeneration and growth, for example through de-ringfencing of local budgets, and introducing incentives through the New Homes Bonus to direct more money to councils that build houses. The hon. Member should be aware that as outlined in the March 2010 Budget, the last Government were planning in-year cuts to the Working Neighbourhoods Fund.
Education
Business: Education
Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans his Department has for the future of enterprise education in primary schools; and if he will make a statement. [18817]
Mr Gibb:
The Department currently has a contract with the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust (SSAT) to run the Enterprise Network to support the extension
of enterprise education from a secondary school focus to the primary and FE sectors. The network is made up of Enterprise Learning Partnerships (ELPs), each chaired by a head teacher with representatives on the Board from two secondary schools, two primary schools, a special school, a further education college and an employer. There are currently 54 ELPs covering 99.6% of local authority areas in England. To date, 7,002 primary schools have been involved in the Enterprise Network activities. Lead practitioners for each sector of education, including primary, have been identified in each region to share their ideas for enterprise education with their peers.
The contract with SSAT ends in March 2011. Beyond that date, we expect the ELPs to become self-sustaining without Government funding, ensuring a network of local and teacher-led groups to support enterprise education in schools, including primary schools.
Departmental Redundancy
Ms Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the number of redundancies arising from the spending reductions proposed in the comprehensive spending review in respect of (a) his Department, (b) its non-departmental public bodies and (c) other public bodies which are dependent on his Department for funding. [21515]
Tim Loughton: Determining optimal work force reforms in order to live within the Department's spending review resource DEL settlement will be an ongoing process. Detailed decisions regarding the number of redundancies that may be required have yet to be finalised.
Free School Meals: Ealing
Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children in each ward in Ealing Southall constituency are eligible for free school meals; and whether he has made a recent estimate of the proportion of those children in each such ward who are claiming free meals. [23576]
Mr Gibb: The Department collects information on the number of pupils who meet the free school meals criteria and make a claim. Information is not available on the number of pupils who may be eligible but do not make a claim.
The number of pupils known to be eligible and claiming for free school meals is shown in the table.
Kristallnacht: Education
Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) whether the study of Kristallnacht is included in the curriculum at secondary school level; and if he will make a statement; [24890]
(2) what recent representations he has received on the inclusion of Kristallnacht in the curriculum at secondary school level; and if he will make a statement. [24891]
Mr Gibb: The teaching of the Holocaust is a compulsory part of the National Curriculum at secondary school level, but it is up to schools to determine whether the study of Kristallnacht should be included in this. As Kristallnacht was a key moment in the events leading up to the Holocaust, it is expected that most secondary schools would teach this.
The Department has provided funds, with the Pears Foundation, for a national programme of courses to help teachers address the concerns and issues they encounter when teaching about the Holocaust. Kristallnacht features prominently in one of the training activities for this programme.
The Secretary of State has not recently received any representations on the inclusion of Kristallnacht in the curriculum at secondary school level.
The Government are committed to reviewing the National Curriculum to restore it to its original purpose-a core national entitlement organised around subject disciplines. We plan to consult a wide range of academics, teachers and other interested parties to ensure that our core curriculum can compare with those of the highest performing countries in the world. More details about our plans to review the curriculum will be announced later in the year. As part of the consultation process there will be a number of opportunities to contribute.
Pre-school Education: Special Educational Needs
Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what measures are in place to identify pupils in pre-school education with special educational needs. [22918]
Sarah Teather [holding answer 9 November 2010]: We believe it is vital that children who have special educational needs and disabilities, including pre-school children, are identified as early as possible if they are to make the most of their education experience. There are currently provisions in place that impose legal requirements to identify, assess and make provision for these pre-school needs, for example through the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice and the Early Years Foundation Stage statutory framework. We want to strengthen the system so that all children are ready to engage in learning when they start formal schooling. The Tickell review is considering how young children's early learning should best be supported and the forthcoming Green Paper on Special Educational Needs and Disability will consider how we can achieve better educational outcomes and life chances for children and young people with special educational needs from the early years through to transition to adult life and employment.
Pupils: Disadvantaged
Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children who attended (a) maintained primary schools, (b) Catholic maintained primary schools, (c) maintained secondary schools and (d) Catholic maintained secondary schools lived in (i) the 10% most deprived super output areas (SOAs), (ii) the 20% most deprived SOAs, (iii) the 30% most deprived SOAs and (iv) the 10% least deprived SOAs as measured by the Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index in the school year 2009-10. [24895]
Mr Gibb: The requested information is shown in the following table:
| Number of pupils resident in each IDACI decile attending maintained schools and maintained Catholic schools by phase of education-2010 | ||||
| Primary( 1) | Secondary( 1, 2) | |||
| IDACI(3) decile of pupil residence | All s chools | Catholic s chools | All s chools | Catholic s chools |
| (1) Maintained schools only, includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Secondary includes academies and city technology colleges. (3) Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index 2007. Source: School Census 2010 | ||||
Schools: Holocaust Memorial Day
Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what arrangements his Department has made to mark Holocaust Memorial Day in schools in 2011; and if he will make a statement. [24889]
Mr Gibb: The Department funds the Holocaust Educational Trust's Lessons from Auschwitz project, which provides for two students (aged 16 to 18) from every school/sixth form college in England to visit Auschwitz-Birkenau. Many of the students who participate in the project will be marking Holocaust Memorial Day in their schools and local communities across the country.
Schools: Reading
Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent assessment he has made of the effects on attainment levels in reading and mathematics among the lowest achieving six and seven year olds of the Every Child a Reader programme; and if he will make a statement. [23201]
Mr Gibb: We regularly evaluate the progress of the programme against a range of management information. Evidence shows that Every Child a Reader has had a positive impact in raising the attainment of pupils in the programme, as well as indications of a positive whole-school effect.
All three Every Child programmes are currently undergoing robust independent evaluations, to report in late 2010 or early 2011, which will give a substantive view of the impact of the programmes.
Schools: Standards
Laura Sandys: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent assessment he has made of educational standards in secondary schools in (a) South Thanet constituency and (b) England. [24585]
Mr Gibb: In 2009 (the most recent year for which constituency level data are available) 52.4% of pupils in maintained schools in South Thanet achieved five or more GCSEs at grade A*-C or equivalent including English and maths, compared to 50.9% in England.
We remain concerned that almost half of young people are leaving compulsory education without meeting this standard. That is why we are reforming the school system to give schools more freedom and introducing the pupil premium to support children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Laura Sandys: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent assessment he has made of educational standards in primary schools in (a) South Thanet constituency and (b) England. [24586]
Mr Gibb: In 2009, the most recent year for which constituency level data are available, 62% of pupils in maintained schools in South Thanet achieved Level 4 or above in English and maths combined at Key Stage 2, compared to 72% in England.
We want all children, whatever their background, to achieve high standards in reading, writing and mathematics.
That is why we are introducing a pupil premium which will provide extra funding for those schools with the most challenging intakes.
Special Educational Needs: Children in Care
Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps his Department is taking to reduce the incidence of special educational needs among looked-after children. [22917]
Sarah Teather [holding answer 9 November 2010]: Just over half (52%) of looked after children have special educational needs (SEN). We are publishing a Green Paper which will set out how we will improve identification of and support for all children with SEN, including looked after children with SEN. All looked after children are required to have a care plan which is drawn up and reviewed by the local authority which looks after them. This overall plan must include a plan describing how the child's educational needs will be met and whether s/he has a statement.
Special Educational Needs: Lancashire
Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many teachers in Lancashire have a mandatory qualification in teaching deaf children; and what recent estimate he has made of the number of children in Lancashire who are deaf. [22810]
Sarah Teather [holding answer 15 November 2010]: We do not routinely collect data regarding the number of British sign language qualified teachers teaching deaf children in mainstream schools either nationally or by region. Local authorities are responsible for ensuring that teachers of hearing impaired and deaf children possess the appropriate mandatory qualification to undertake the role. It is a matter for local authorities to ensure that they have enough qualified teachers to meet their statutory commitments.
Regarding the estimate of the number of children in Lancashire who are deaf, these figures are available from the Statistical First Release 'Special Educational Needs in England: January 2010'. This shows that there were 426 pupils in Lancashire at School Action Plus or with statements that had hearing impairment as a primary need and were being educated within the maintained sector or at special schools as at January 2010.
At the end of the year the Government plan to publish a Green Paper on special educational needs and disabilities, which will explore how we can improve support for all children with special educational needs and disabilities, including those who are deaf or hearing impaired.
It is a priority to improve the educational outcomes for all children and we recognise the important role specialists, such as Teachers of the Deaf, play in meeting this goal.
UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will bring forward legislative proposals to incorporate the provisions of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child into his Ministerial responsibilities. [21731]
Sarah Teather [holding answer 4 November 2010]: The Government are committed to the implementation of the United Nations convention on the rights of the child (UNCRC) and take their obligations to the convention seriously.
In March 2010, the previous Administration published an analysis setting out how legislation, policy and practice comply with the UNCRC. That analysis is being reviewed in order to assess how broader changes in legislation and policy align with the UNCRC and will decide if any further action is needed to give further effect to the convention.
World War II: Education
Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether his Department has taken steps to promote (a) knowledge of and (b) interest in the 70(th) anniversary of the battle of Britain in schools; and if he will make a statement. [24888]
Mr Gibb: The battle of Britain was a significant event in the second world war; and the second world war is a compulsory subject in the secondary school curriculum. Schools determine whether to include the battle of Britain as part of their studies, and the Government believe that schools should be free to decide how best to mark the 70(th) anniversary of the battle of Britain.
Youth Services: Manpower
Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many full-time equivalent youth support workers there are in each local authority area. [21377]
Tim Loughton: The Department for Education does not collect these data. However, the Children's Workforce Development Council (CWDC) published an audit of the workforce in December 2009 and this includes some national level estimates of the numbers of youth and community workers. The report is available on CWDC's website at:
Work and Pensions
Atos Healthcare
Mr Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what services Atos is providing under contract to his Department; and whether he plans to renew his Department's contract with Atos in 2012. [26484]
Chris Grayling: The information is as follows.
Following a competitive tender exercise the medical services agreement between Atos Healthcare and the Department for Work and Pensions was awarded on 15 March 2005 by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. The contract went live on 1 September 2005, for a period of seven years, with options to extend for a further three and two years. On 1 November 2010 I awarded a contract extension to 31 August 2015 to
facilitate the delivery of incapacity benefit reassessment. The new disability living allowance assessment service from 2013, is not included in the extension contractual arrangements but will be awarded through a competitive tendering process.
The scope of the medical services agreement is to provide medical advice to Department for Work and Pensions; Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs; Service Personnel and Veterans Agency; and Tribunals Service to support decisions in relation to a number of benefits and pensions, including but not limited to:
Incapacity benefits
Employment and support allowance
Industrial injuries disablement benefits
Disability living allowance (to be competed in 2013)
Attendance allowance
Statutory sick pay/statutory maternity pay
Child trust fund
War pension
Vaccine Damage Payment scheme
Financial Assistance scheme
Compensation Recovery scheme
Appeals tribunal service
Following a competitive tender exercise the occupational health framework agreement between Atos Healthcare and the Department for Work and Pensions was awarded on 30 May 2008 by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.
The framework agreement went live on 3 August 2008 and was for a period of three years, with an option to extend for a further two years. The Department for Work and Pensions is currently considering the option to extend.
The scope of the occupational health framework ensures the Department has access to professional occupational health guidance, enabling obligations under the Equality Act 2010 (especially in respect of disabled workers) to be fulfilled and also to prevent or resolve instances of sickness absence. Such guidance will normally be about the applicability of the Equality Act; the effect of illness on an employee's functional capability; and measures that can be taken to reduce the effects of illness on functional capability or to rehabilitate an employee from sick leave to work. Services available via the agreement include but are not limited to:
Attendance management support
Pre-employment health screening
Audiology screening
Absence related case conferences
Atos also provides IT services to the Department under the Stand Alone Support Services (SASA) Contract. That covers the provision of development, support, enhancement and consultancy services for mostly small scale DWP IT applications.
Children: Maintenance
Alok Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the average difference between the amounts paid by clients of the Child Support Agency on the (a) pre-2002 and (b) post-2002 scheme. [24372]
Maria Miller: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested and I have seen the response.
In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner as the Child Support Agency is now the responsibility of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission.
You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the average difference between in amounts paid by clients of the Child Support Agency on the (a) pre-2002 and (b) post-2002 scheme. [24372]
The table shows average collections on cases administered under old scheme rules compared to average collections on cases administered under current scheme rules for each quarter.
Average collections have been calculated by dividing the total amount of maintenance collected and arranged under each scheme by the number of cases paying maintenance as at the end of each quarter.
Total collections and caseload figures include cases administered on the CS2 and CSCS computer systems as well as cases administered off system. However, the value of maintenance direct payments within the collections figure only include off system cases from April 2008.
Average collections and arrangements will be directly impacted by the average assessment value. The average assessment of Old Scheme cases is significantly lower than Current Scheme cases due to differences in policy between the schemes. The majority of cases in receipt of benefit on the Old Scheme are nil-assessed, whereas cases in receipt of benefit on the Current Scheme are given a weekly assessment of £5.00. 29% of cases on the Current Scheme have an assessment between £0.01 and £5.00, which significantly reduces the average assessment value.
I hope you find this answer helpful.
| Table 1: Average monthly collections and arrangements by scheme | |||
| £ | |||
| Month | Average monthly collections/arrangements old scheme | Average monthly collections/arrangements current scheme | Difference |
| Notes: 1. Figures rounded to the nearest £1. 2. Figures include value of maintenance collected as well as value of maintenance direct arrangements. | |||
Jessica Lee: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in how many assessed cases currently being dealt with by the Child Support Agency child maintenance liability is abated to take account of shared care arrangements; and what proportion of these cases are abated by (a) one seventh, (b) two sevenths, (c) three sevenths and (d) one half. [26442]
Maria Miller: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to my hon. Friend with the information requested and I have seen the response.
In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner as the Child Support Agency is now the responsibility of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission.
You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in how many assessed cases currently being dealt with by the Child Support Agency child maintenance liability is abated to take account of shared care arrangements; and what proportion of these cases are abated by (a) one seventh (b) two sevenths (c) three sevenths and (d) one half. [26442]
Information is not available on the value that maintenance assessments have been abated by when taking into account shared care arrangements.
Information is available on the number of nights each qualifying child on cases administered on the CSCS computer system spends with the parent with care. Information is also available on the number of current scheme cases administered on the CS2 computer system with a shared care arrangement in place. However, no robust information is available for old scheme cases administered on the CS2 computer system or for cases administered off system.
A shared care arrangement is defined for current scheme cases as those cases where the qualifying child or children spends at least 52 nights per year with the non-resident parent. As at September 2010 there were 145,500 such cases, which is 22% of the assessed caseload.
The table shows the number of cases administered on the CSCS computer system with a shared care arrangement in place. They are shown split by the number of nights spent with the parent with care for the qualifying child that spends the least nights with that parent.
I hope you find this answer helpful.
| Table 1: CSCS cases with a shared care arrangement: September 2010 | |
| Nights spent with parent with care per week | Number of assessed cases |
| Notes: 1. Figures rounded to nearest 100. 2. A case where the child spends one night per week with the parent with care is recorded on the CSCS computer system as 0 nights. Likewise, cases where the child spends six nights per week with the parent with care are recorded on the CSCS computer system as seven nights. These categories can therefore not be separated and are therefore not shown. 3. Management information on cases administered on the CSCS computer system records the number of nights each individual child spends with the parent with care. It is possible that the number of nights is different for children within the same case. Therefore, in the attached response, the child which spends the least number of nights with the parent with care has been used in the table. | |
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