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24 Jan 2011 : Column 91W—continued
UK Journeys
Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate his Department has made of the number of UK journeys over (a) 50 miles and (b) 100 miles to be made in 2033. [31253]
Norman Baker: The Department for Transport has used the National Transport Model (NTM) to estimate that in 2035 there will be 210 million passenger trips per weekday on average by surface modes (including road and rail, but excluding freight), in Great Britain. Of these, 4.2 million are expected to be over 50 miles long, and 1.5 million trips over 100 miles long.
In addition, the Department for Transport published its most recent air passenger demand forecasts in "UK Air Passenger Demand and CO2 Forecasts" in January 2009, which is available at:
Under a scenario assuming no additional runways in the South East, and using the then latest available GDP projections, this set of forecasts implied that there would be 37.6 million domestic air journeys per year between UK airports in 2030. The Department keeps its aviation forecasts under review and will publish updated forecasts as appropriate.
Growth of trip numbers over the period to 2033 by particular modes, and for particular parts of the network, may differ from these overall figures.
In addition, HS2 Ltd has published a forecast showing it expects there to be 7 million 'long distance' trips daily in 2033. However, this is not comparable to the preceding NTM figures. This is because HS2 Ltd's model of 'long distance' travel is based on a subset of trips which differs from the national set used in the NTM, and its 'long distance' trips include some that are less than 50 miles long. This different dataset was chosen by HS2 Ltd to enable effective and efficient modelling of the likely impacts of HS2.
West Coast Railway Line
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what changes in capacity on the West Coast Main Line he expects to specify in the new franchise. [34431]
Mrs Villiers: The Department for Transport announced the launch of the competitions to refranchise Intercity West Coast on Tuesday 11 January. A stakeholder consultation document will be available soon that will outline the Department's plans.
Deputy Prime Minister
Voting Rights: Prisoners
Mr Bain: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of extending the franchise to people serving a custodial sentence of four years or less over the comprehensive spending review period. [34799]
Mr Harper: The cost of extending the franchise to some prisoners will depend on the numbers enfranchised and the number of prisoners who subsequently register to vote, as well as the detailed processes that are put in place to implement prisoner voting rights.
Mr Bain: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate he has made of the likely cost to the public purse of the provision of election communications by freepost to prisoners serving custodial sentences to whom the franchise is to be extended at the next general election. [34800]
Mr Harper: The Government have not made such an estimate.
The cost of extending the franchise to some prisoners will depend on the numbers enfranchised and the number of prisoners who subsequently register to vote, as well as the detailed processes that are put in place to implement prisoner voting rights. The cost of providing election communications by freepost will additionally depend on the number of candidates standing in each election.
Work and Pensions
Departmental Working Conditions
Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his Department's policy is on (a) the space provided per employee, (b) home working and (c) hot desking; how many employees it has on average per desk; and how much space on average there is per employee. [34599]
Chris Grayling: The information is as follows:
(a) Space provided per employee
The Department has a policy on the amount of space provided per employee which is a two-tier approach that recognises the Department occupies a variety of both adapted and purpose built space in order to deliver its services either through back office, contact centre or face to face with customers.
The policy and supporting guidance will be used by local managers and staff representatives when determining estate plans.
The Department has a policy on home working. An application to become a contractual home worker will be accepted only if the employee's role has been identified as being suitable for home working or a vacancy has been advertised as such. Applications will not be accepted if the role has been designated by the departmental business as only suitable for delivery from a business location.
If a role is considered to be suitable a home visit must be undertaken to determine whether the accommodation is suitable in terms of security, health and safety and practicality. Employees must also obtain clearance from their local authority, home insurer, mortgage lender or landlord to ensure that there are no terms, conditions or covenants that prevent the property from being used as a place of work.
The Department provides contractual home workers with the equipment and furniture they need to carry out their duties outside the parent office, but this remains the property of the Department and must be returned when the arrangement ceases for any reason.
All home working arrangements are conditional on the satisfactory completion of a six-month trial and review period.
The Department does not have a policy on 'hot desking'.
However through our Estate Strategy we are currently piloting 'hot desking' in part of one of our support locations in Leeds.
Future wider implementation is being currently considered as part of our efficiency planning to reduce corporate overheads by 40%.
How many employees it has on average per desk
The Department does not hold data on the number of desks.
How much space on average per employee
Under the annual cross-Government Property Benchmarking exercise for 2010 the Department had, on average, 10m(2) per full-time equivalent employee. This information is published in the State of the Estate Report which is laid before Parliament annually and excludes the customer facing areas of jobcentres.
The Department as a whole (and with regard to the two tiered space guidelines mentioned above) has an average amount of space per employee of 14.4m(2) as at January 2011.
Disability Living Allowance
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he has assessed the merits of providing for exemptions from the proposed compulsory annual review of the benefits of individuals claiming the mobility component of disability living allowance. [31942]
Maria Miller: On 6 December we launched a consultation on the reform of disability living allowance with the key proposal of a new benefit, to be known as personal independence payment, which will be introduced from 2013. A copy of the consultation document, 'Disability Living Allowance reform' (Cm 7984), has been placed in the Library and is also available on our website:
The consultation makes clear that key to personal independence payment will be an objective assessment of individual need, which we are developing in collaboration with a group of independent specialists in health, social care and disability, including disabled people. It is also our intention to ensure that everyone continues to receive the correct level of personal independence payment. We will, therefore, periodically review awards. Specific questions around these two aspects of personal independence payment have been asked in the consultation document, in particular how these aspects may affect individuals with particular disabilities or conditions.
Disability Living Allowance: Care Homes
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent representations he has received from charities on the withdrawal of the mobility component of disability living allowance for care home residents; and what response he has made to such representations. [34205]
Maria Miller: We have received a number of representations on the withdrawal of the mobility component of disability allowance for care home residents in the form of parliamentary questions and correspondence since the measure was announced. There was also an adjournment debate on this subject on 30 November 2010.
We have encouraged disabled people and their representatives to put forward their views on this proposal as part of the wider DLA reform consultation document, which was published on 6 December 2010 and will finish on 14 February 2011, after which the Government will publish their response.
Disability Living Allowance: Scotland
Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in (a) Rutherglen and Hamilton West constituency, (b) South Lanarkshire and (c) Scotland will have the mobility component of their disability living allowance withdrawn under his proposals for welfare reform. [34372]
Maria Miller: The consultation document 'Disability Living Allowance reform', published on 6 December 2010, sets out our proposals for DLA reform. We will replace DLA with personal independence payment, a new, more transparent and sustainable benefit with an objective assessment of individual need.
It is our proposal that personal independence payment will continue to have a mobility component, focused on the individual's ability to get around, as well as a daily living component, which will be based on the individual's ability to carry out other key activities necessary to be able to participate in daily life.
We are still consulting on the design of personal independence payment and the new assessment; the consultation period is scheduled to close on 14 February 2011. I am, therefore, unable to predict the outcome of the assessment and precisely how many people might see a change in their benefit entitlement.
Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in (a) Rutherglen and Hamilton West constituency, (b) South Lanarkshire and (c) Scotland are in receipt of the mobility component of disability living allowance. [34373]
Maria Miller: The information is reproduced in the following table.
| Disability living allowance recipients with mobility component May 2010 | |
| Number | |
| Notes: 1. Case load figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Totals show the number of people in receipt of an allowance, and excludes people with entitlement where the payment has been suspended, for example if they are in hospital. 3. These figures are published at: http://83.244.183.180/100pc/tabtool.html Source: DWP Information Directorate: 100% Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS) | |
Employment and Support Allowance
Stephen Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what financial support he plans to make available for individuals who do not qualify for income-related employment and support allowance (ESA) after 12 months in the work-related activity group of contributory ESA. [32333]
Maria Miller: A claimant who does not qualify for income-related employment and support allowance after they have received 12 months of contributory employment and support allowance in the work related activity group may be able to claim a number of benefits depending on their circumstances. Depending on their rental circumstances, they may be eligible for housing benefit and council tax benefit. If they are aged 60 or over, they may be eligible for pension credit. If they have a partner who is working 16 hours or more a week, they may be able to claim working tax credit. However, any benefit entitlement will depend on individual circumstances.
A claimant will retain any entitlement to disability living allowance, provided they continue to meet the qualifying conditions.
Employment and Support Allowance: Bexley
Mr Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of employment and support allowance (ESA) claimants in the London borough of Bexley have been judged fit for work since the introduction of ESA; and how many and what proportion of appeals against such a determination were successful. [34107]
Maria Miller: For ESA claims in Bexley local authority which started since the introduction of ESA in October 2008 up to February 2010 (the latest published national data), 830 out of 2,230 (22%) have been found fit for work.
180 appeals have been heard against these fit for work decisions to date and 80 of them found in favour of the appellant, i.e. 4% of all ESA claims assessed.
Note that further appeals are due to be heard against the 830 decisions.
Figures are rounded to the nearest 10
Equivalent national figures can be found in table 5 at the following link:
Due to the time it takes to hear an appeal (on average around six months) and that we do not record an appeal until it is heard, comparing the latest fit for work figures with the latest appeal figures will usually underestimate the proportion of people appealing the fit for work decision. Latest figures for Bexley suggest that around 22% of people found fit for work have gone on to have an appeal hearing, to date. However this figure will rise as more appeals are heard. The latest national figures show proportions of around 40% for the earliest cohorts of ESA claims but we expect that this will also continue to increase (we anticipate to around 50%).
The success rate of 56% (which is unlikely to change much as more appeals are heard) is higher than the national rate of 40%, however at local level we would expect some variation from the national figures due to various factors, particularly different disability and health condition profiles experienced across the country.
Employment Schemes
Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what types of work will be undertaken by jobseekers required to participate in the Mandatory Work Activity programme. [35674]
Chris Grayling: The Department will not specify the type of placement jobseekers will be doing. All placements will be delivered by contracted providers and will be of benefit to the local community, providing jobseekers with the disciplines and skills associated with work.
Housing Benefit: Scotland
Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of (a) housing benefit and (b) local housing allowance recipients in (i) South Lanarkshire and (ii) Rutherglen and Hamilton West constituency were also in receipt of (A) jobseeker's allowance and (B) employment and support allowance in the latest period for which figures are available. [29424]
Mr Russell Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of (a) housing benefit recipients and (b) local housing allowance recipients in (i) housing association and (ii) private sector housing in the (A) Dumfries and Galloway local authority area and (B) Dumfries and Galloway constituency were also in receipt of (1) jobseeker's allowance and (2) employment and support allowance in the latest period for which figures are available. [31541]
Steve Webb: The information is not available.
Information is only collected on the number of claimants on housing benefit in receipt of a passporting benefit. This includes those receiving income-based jobseeker's allowance and income-related employment and support allowance, but not those on contributory benefits.
The available information is shown in the following table. At present geographic breakdowns are only available for local authorities and regions. However, an exercise is being undertaken to add other geographical areas to the data; this will include parliamentary constituencies.
| Number of passported housing benefit recipients due to receipt of income-based jobseeker's allowance or income-related employment and support allowance, September 2010 | |||
| Dumfries and Galloway | South Lanarkshire | ||
| Number | Percentage | Number | |
| (1) Fewer than 5. Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 recipients. Source: Single housing benefit extract. | |||
Jobcentre Plus: Birkenhead
Mr Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people the Birkenhead Jobcentre Plus actively helped into work in each of the last 12 months. [35919]
Chris Grayling: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Darra Singh. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about how many people the Birkenhead Jobcentre Plus actively helped into work in each of the last 12 months. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
Jobcentre Plus provides information on the services and help available to people to look for work. There are many routes into employment and throughout the customer's journey they may have accessed a number of channels. The type of help required or provided will vary from customer to customer. This help is not limited solely to Jobcentre Plus, as we recognise the importance of the private and voluntary sector.
The table below, which is taken from data available from the NOMIS website for Jobseeker's Allowance customers only, gives the number of people that have moved into work either with our assistance or through other channels. The numbers only show those Jobseeker's Allowance customers who notified us that they have started work. It does not include those people who flowed off benefit into other destinations, e.g. claimed other benefits or went into Government supported training. We estimate off-flow into work as generally representing about 50% of the total number of people leaving the register. Our published off-flow figures (not yet available for the whole of 2010) will include all customers who started work, as confirmed by Her Majesty's Revenue & Customs.
| Birkenhead 2010 | |
| Number | |
| Source: The source of the data is the NOMIS. This is a departmental performance management, data capture and reporting tool. This type of internal management information does not form part of the official statistics outputs that are released by the Department in accordance with the UK Statistics Authority's Code of Practice. | |
Jobcentre Plus: Standards
Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent assessment he has made of the performance in reducing unemployment of (a) Jobcentre Plus and (b) private companies contracted by his Department. [34974]
Chris Grayling: Jobcentre Plus rose ably to the challenges presented by the recession and, while its work load doubled, the agency continued to perform strongly against its published targets, each day helping thousands of people to move quickly back into work. In 2009-10, Jobcentre Plus achieved 1.67 million recorded job outcomes. The latest available performance information, up to June 2010, shows Jobcentre Plus 20% above profile and on track to deliver the 2010-11 Job Outcome Target. Performance information is updated regularly and can be accessed through the Department's website:
It is important that Jobcentre Plus maintains this strong performance going forward, while we take steps to reduce waste and tackle the budget deficit to make every penny of taxpayers' money count. From April, we will be putting in place a new performance framework for Jobcentre Plus to further strengthen the focus on helping people move quickly off benefit into employment.
Our partners in the private sector are focused on helping some of our most disadvantaged customers into employment and provider performance information is also published regularly on the Department's website. The latest figures show that, in October 2010, flexible new deal providers delivered 4,570 job outcomes and 3,320 sustained jobs. This summer, we will be introducing the work programme which represents a step change for Welfare to Work in this country, creating a structure that treats people as individuals and allows providers greater freedom to tailor the right support to the individual needs of each customer.
Jobseeker's Allowance
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of jobseeker's allowance claimants aged 25 years and over are expected to have been in receipt of benefit for more than 12 months in each financial year from 2011-12 to 2014-15. [32606]
Chris Grayling: The Department does not produce forecasts of unemployment. The Department produces projections for business planning purposes which are aligned to the overall independent claimant count forecasts published by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) as part of the autumn forecast.
A number of policy changes will impact on JSA volumes, over the Parliament, including migration of incapacity benefit claimants to employment and support allowance and the lone parent obligation. These policy changes have been included in these projections. However, the projections do not include the impact of the planned work programme, or the introduction of universal credit.
On average, of those joining JSA, over 90% of people leave JSA within 12 months.
The available projections are in the table.
| 25+ Duration greater than 12 months (GB) | |
| Percentage | |
| Notes: 1. Figures represent the proportion of the 25+ JSA case load not the total JSA case load. 2. These proportions are based on the average point-in-time case load for Great Britain for each financial year. 3. Figures are subject to a significant degree of uncertainty. Source: DWP internal planning | |
Jobseeker's Allowance: Young People
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of jobseeker's allowance claimants aged 18 to 24 years are expected to have been in receipt of benefit for more than nine months in each financial year from 2011-12 to 2014-15. [32605]
Chris Grayling: The Department does not produce forecasts of unemployment. The Department produces projections for business planning purposes which are aligned to the overall independent claimant count forecasts published by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) as part of the autumn forecast.
A number of policy changes will impact on JSA volumes, over the Parliament, including migration of incapacity benefit claimants to employment and support allowance and the lone-parent obligation. These policy changes have been included in these projections. However, the projections do not include the impact of the planned Work programme, or the introduction of universal credit.
On average, of those joining JSA, over 90% of people leave JSA within 12 months.
The available projections are in the table.
| 18-24: Duration greater than nine months, GB | |
| Percentage | |
| Notes: 1. Figures represent the proportion of the 18 to 24 JSA caseload not the total JSA caseload. 2. These proportions are based on the average point-in-time caseload for Great Britain for each financial year. 3. Figures are subject to a significant degree of uncertainty. Source: DWP internal planning. | |
Motability
Dr Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what recent discussions his Department has had with the operators of the Motability scheme on the removal of the mobility component of disability living allowance for people in residential care; [31364]
(2) pursuant to the answer of 2 November 2010, Official Report, column 789W, on disability living allowance: care homes, whether Motability scheme users will be liable to pay financial penalties as a result of the cancellation of their car leasing arrangements. [31363]
Maria Miller: Motability is an independent charitable organisation and is wholly responsible for the administration of the Motability Scheme. The Department has had a number of discussions with Motability about this proposal and will continue to work closely with them to ensure that scheme customers affected by the measure are informed about the change as soon as possible. As an independent organisation it will be for Motability to decide how scheme customers affected by the measure will be managed. However, Motability has advised that it is not their current policy to impose penalties on customers who need to terminate their leases for reasons outside of their control.
Poverty: Children
Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects to (a) appoint the members of the Child Poverty Commission and (b) lay before Parliament a child poverty strategy. [31987]
Maria Miller: The Government's programme to reform public bodies demonstrates our determination to ensure that all public bodies must serve a useful purpose and provide value for money. In this context, the Government are reviewing plans to establish a Child Poverty Commission, as required by the Child Poverty Act.
We have today launched a consultation on our approach to tackling child poverty and improving life chances and social mobility. We will consider in the light of the
consulting findings and ahead of the publication of the Child Poverty Strategy how best to take forward plans for the Child Poverty Commission. We expect the strategy to be published next spring, as required by the Act.
Poverty: EU Action
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent steps he has taken to implement the EU strategy against poverty. [34383]
Chris Grayling: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave to the right hon. Member for Oxford East (Mr Smith) on 17 January 2011, Official Report, column 521W.
Remploy: Redundancy
Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) on what date Ministers in his Department last met those leading his Department's consultation on specialist disability employment programmes to discuss the announcement of voluntary redundancies at Remploy factories; [35765]
(2) for what reason his Department has announced voluntary redundancies at Remploy factories in advance of the close of its consultation on specialist disability employment programmes. [35766]
Maria Miller: Voluntary redundancies are a matter for Remploy management and employees. Remploy will continue to examine how best to deliver its businesses within the existing five-year modernisation plan funding and will continue to fulfil its mission of transforming lives by providing sustainable employment opportunities for disabled and disadvantaged people.
Ministers have not discussed the announcement of voluntary redundancies at Remploy factories with those leading the review of specialist disability employment programmes.
Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) on what date Ministers in his Department last met (a) Remploy, (b) trade unions and (c) officials of his Department to discuss the announcement of voluntary redundancies at Remploy factories. [35764]
(2) what steps his Department took to examine alternatives to voluntary redundancies at Remploy factories. [35767]
Maria Miller: Regular discussions take place between Ministers, officials, Remploy management and other key stakeholders to discuss issues relating to the company. The offer of voluntary redundancies is a decision made by Remploy management to help the continuing operation of the businesses within that budget and to help ensure all employees have meaningful work.
I am always happy to receive representations from Remploy staff, management and unions.
Retirement: Scotland
Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of additional workers in Scotland aged 65 years who are likely to remain in the workforce for the additional year in 2011 following the abolition of the default retirement age. [35440]
Mr Davey: I have been asked to reply.
Our impact assessment estimates that around 6,000 additional workers are likely to remain in the work force across the UK in the first year. No separate estimate has been made for Scotland. We do not have data that can estimate robustly the proportion likely to remain in the work force relative to the rest of the UK.
The full impact assessment was published on 13 January and is available at:
Social Security Benefits
Gareth Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many households in Dartford constituency received more than £500 per week in benefits in the latest period for which figures are available. [31857]
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many households in (a) London and (b) each parliamentary constituency receive more than £500 a week in benefits have no working adult; and if he will make a statement; [31767]
(2) how many households which receive more than £500 a week in benefits are in receipt of lone parent benefits in (a) London and (b) each parliamentary constituency; and if he will make a statement; [31663]
(3) how many households received more than £500 a week in benefits in (a) London and (b) each parliamentary constituency in the most recent period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [31664]
Chris Grayling: The information requested is not available as sample sizes are too small to yield reliable results for areas smaller than Great Britain.
Latest estimates show that in 2010-11 there are around 100,000 working age households in receipt of more than £500 a week in all benefits and tax credits. The great majority of these will have no working adult.
Given the relatively low numbers of people receiving more than £500 a week in benefits and the limitations from using survey data, which do not produce robust estimates for small sub groups of benefit claimants, it is not possible to estimate with confidence the number of these households in receipt of lone parent benefits.
Social Security Benefits: Aberdeen
Dr Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what targets his Department has set for the benefits reassessment trial programme in Aberdeen; and whether an interim report on its operation has been produced. [33504]
Chris Grayling: No targets were set for the reassessment trial in Aberdeen.
We anticipate the trial, involving 850 customers in Aberdeen and 850 in Burnley to conclude in the next few weeks. Current plans are for a report on the trial outcomes to be made available around the end of February 2011.
Social Security Benefits: Disability
Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effects of the introduction of fortnightly benefit payments of disability living allowance and incapacity benefit on the propensity of claimants to take out high interest loans. [31904]
Maria Miller: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I previously gave her on 19 November 2010, Official Report, columns 995-96W.
Social Security Benefits: Expenditure
Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate his Department made in the March 2010 Budget of the level of (a) caseload and (b) expenditure in respect of each of the main benefits in each year from 2010 to 2015. [33399]
Chris Grayling: The only forecast material that the last Government published in the March 2010 Budget was for 2010-11.
The information for 2010-11 is in the table.
| March 2010 Budget forecasts for 2010-11 | ||
| Case load (thousand) | Expenditure (£ million) | |
| Note: Some individuals are in receipt of more than one benefit. | ||
Social Security Benefits: Medical Examinations
Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the role of local GPs in medical assessments for the purposes of determining benefit suitability. [34376]
Maria Miller: Any information provided by a claimant's GP is fully considered by the Department's decision-makers, and there are processes in place to request this information where we think it would be helpful. However, GPs usually do not have specialist knowledge of disability analysis or the benefit system. Moreover, as advocates for their patients GPs are not well-placed to give independent advice to the Department on benefit entitlement.
We are revising the forms we send customers to encourage them to submit any additional information, including information from their GP, at the beginning of their claim.
State Retirement Pensions: Uprating
Mr Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of people who will receive a lower pension as a result of the decision to index pensions and benefits to the Consumer Price Index; and what consultation he undertook with (a) the UK Statistics Authority and (b) other bodies before taking the decision. [33658]
Steve Webb: The Department's analysis of the equality impact of the policy changes to state pension and benefit uprating in the 2011-12 financial year is due to be published shortly in the equality impact assessment of the 2011-12 uprating order.
The impact of using the consumer prices index (CPI) as the measure for price increases in private sector occupational pension schemes will vary from scheme to scheme. Consequently, the Department does not hold reliable data on the number of individuals affected. In preparing the impact assessment published on the Department's website on 8 December, we made a number of assumptions about the impact on schemes, and we are currently undertaking research to help improve the accuracy of those assumptions.
There are approximately 12 million active, deferred and pensioner members of public service pension schemes. These individuals are likely to be affected by the change to CPI, but as the level of price increases in the future is uncertain, it is not possible to make an accurate estimate of the impact of these changes on all individuals.
The effect of the change to CPI should be seen in the context of the restoration of the earnings link for the basic state pension, and the 'triple guarantee' that it will be increased by the highest of the growth in average earnings, prices or 2.5%.
The Department made use of a range of information provided by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) regarding price inflation indices. The UK Statistics Authority has oversight of the ONS.
Unemployed People: Disability
Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of unemployed disabled people in (a) Scotland, (b) England, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 years. [35863]
Maria Miller: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the table.
The number of unemployed disabled people in (a) Scotland and (b) England, as per the International Labour Organisation (ILO) definition of unemployment, is shown in the following table. We cannot provide estimates for Wales and Northern Ireland due to very small sample sizes in the source data set.
| ILO unemployed disabled people in England and Scotland, 2001-10 | ||
| Thousand | ||
| Scotland | England | |
| Notes: 1. Figures have been rounded to the nearest thousand cases. 2. The definition of disability used corresponds to the Disability Discrimination Act definition of disability. 3. The figures shown are for quarter 3 (July to September) in each year. Source: Labour Force Survey. | ||
Unemployed People: Dyslexia
Mr Rob Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the proportion of unemployed people resident in (a) Reading East constituency and (b) England who are dyslexic. [35449]
Mr Hurd: I have been asked to reply.
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated January 2011:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking for an estimate of the proportion of unemployed people resident in (a) Reading East constituency and (b) England who are dyslexic. (35449)
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles unemployment statistics for local areas from the Annual Population Survey (APS) following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions.
Unfortunately this source does not have information on the number of unemployed persons who are dyslexic.
Universal Credit
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether any recipients of the childcare element of working tax credit will have a reduction in the level of their payments as a result of the introduction of the proposed universal credit; and what estimate he has made of the likely weekly net change in the level of such payments for each decile of population in the period from the introduction of universal credit to May 2015. [34043]
Chris Grayling: The Government are continuing to work with key stakeholders to establish how support for child care could best be delivered as part of, or alongside, universal credit. We will take account of the evidence collected from recent pilots designed to test different ways of accessing the child care element of tax credits. We will announce our conclusions over the coming months.
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the likely weekly change in income of families with children with savings of over £16,000 attributable to the operation of the taper on the introduction of the universal credit between its introduction and May 2015. [34089]
Chris Grayling: The Government have committed to providing protection to ensure that households in receipt of the predecessor benefits will not experience a reduction in their income as a result of the introduction of universal credit.
Work Programme
Miss Begg: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what mechanisms will be in place to ensure that the Work programme will be fully available nationally by its proposed start date. [32129]
Chris Grayling:
The commercial process for the Work programme is on track. We have published the list of preferred bidders for the Framework for Employment
Related Support Services and will publish the Work Programme Invitation to Tender before the end of the month.
We want to ensure that as many people benefit from the Work Programme as soon as possible, and will launch the Work programme as soon as providers are ready to start delivery in each contract package area.
We aim to roll the Work Programme out nationally by the summer of 2011.
In the meantime, we are determined to ensure that there is continuity of provision, and that the transition to the Work programme does not leave any customer unsupported. Therefore, New Deal and Employment Zone contracts will be extended until June 2011, ensuring that customers referred to these programmes in March will be supported until the summer, when the Work programme will be rolled out.
Before their referral to the Work programme, customers will have access to support delivered through Jobcentre Plus, including access to work experience, help to volunteer or take advantage of peer-to-peer support, as well as help with basic skills or jobsearch techniques and access to the Jobcentre Plus flexible fund.
Dr Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many companies have registered an interest in tendering for the Work programme. [33505]
Chris Grayling: All 35 organisations who were successful in competing to be accepted on to the Framework Agreement for the Provision of Employment Related Support Services were invited to submit a tender for the Work programme contracts on 22 December 2010. Of those 35 organisations, 32 have indicated that they will be submitting bids.
Business, Innovation and Skills
Debts: Advisory Services
Glenda Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many submissions his Department has received in support of statutory regulation in the field of debt management; and if he will make a statement. [35152]
Mr Davey: The previous Administration conducted a consultation on whether a statutory debt management scheme should be introduced. We issued a summary of responses on 15 October 2010 which concluded that there was no strong consensus on the action that Government should take. The responses were published alongside our call for evidence 'Managing Borrowing and Dealing with Debt', which invited comments on the personal insolvency framework, including debt management. We have received a large number of responses to this call for evidence which are currently being analysed and will be published in due course. I have also received a number of letters on this subject.
Departmental Press Releases
Caroline Lucas:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on how many occasions his Department has provided embargoed media briefings
prior to an oral statement to the House since 26 May 2010; in respect of how many such briefings his Department was informed that the embargo had been breached; what steps were taken as a result of each such breach; and on how many occasions his Department has provided media briefings without an embargo prior to an oral statement to the House since 26 May 2010. [31912]
Mr Davey: The Department has, on one occasion since 26 May, provided an embargoed media briefing in advance of an oral statement to the House. The briefing related to the publication of the Postal Services Bill and was held with the aim of ensuring accurate reporting of a significant, complex and large piece of draft legislation. The embargo was not breached.
There are no instances of advanced media briefings given without an embargo, prior to an oral statement, since 26 May 2010.
Employment Law
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he expects to receive the report of the cross-departmental review of employment legislation. [35585]
Mr Davey: The Employment Law Review is an ongoing programme of work which will last the duration of the Parliament. Individual Departments are looking at their legislation area by area. We will make any announcements that result from the review in due course.
Employment Services: Females
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has for the provision of information on resources available to assist women and girls to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics following the withdrawal of funding to the UK Resource Centre for Women in Science Engineering and Technology. [33763]
Mr Willetts: Information on careers is currently available from a range of sources. The Department funds a number of initiatives which promote STEM careers including the Big Bang Fair, the STEMNET Ambassador programme, and the work of the National Academies, and works with a wider range of partners who work to raise awareness of STEM across society.
The new all-age careers service will bring together guidance resources for young people aged 13 to 19 and adults. They aim to provide professional, impartial, independent, comprehensive and diverse careers guidance to help young people and adults make informed choices about their careers, skills and learning, and to tackle any barriers to progression that they may face. They are working with the Careers Profession Alliance so that advisers have the up-to-date knowledge and skills they need to advise on career prospects, including for STEM subjects.
My officials will work with UKRC to secure continuing access to the information the organisation has collated in recent years on STEM career resources for women and girls.
Higher Education: Finance
Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether social work will be treated as a priority subject in his proposed changes to arrangements for higher education funding. [35675]
Mr Willetts: We will set out our views on the priorities for the Higher Education Funding Council for England teaching grant in the forthcoming Higher Education White Paper.
Higher Education: Standards
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent assessment he has made of the quality of university education in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement. [35871]
Mr Willetts: The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) has a statutory responsibility to provide for the assessment of the quality of education provided in institutions that it funds. HEFCE contracts with the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) to conduct quality assessments on its behalf. The QAA checks how well individual higher education institutions meet their responsibilities for maintaining academic standards and quality. The QAA publishes the findings of its institutional audits and reports annually to HEFCE on activity undertaken against contract. Those reports are available on the QAA's website. I am not in a position to respond about the assessment of the quality of university education in Wales.
In future, we have already announced our intention to publish a Higher Education White Paper covering a wide range of long-term issues.
Higher Education: Student Numbers
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people applied to enter higher education in 2011-12 in England and Wales (a) in total and (b) in full-time equivalent terms; and if he will make a statement. [35869]
Mr Willetts: Figures on applicants to Higher Education (HE) courses in 2011/12 have been supplied by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). Figures relate to applicants to full-time undergraduate courses. UCAS do not manage applications to part-time courses, so full-time equivalent figures are not available.
Latest figures provided by UCAS show that as at 20 December 2010, there had been 322,790 applicants from the UK and overseas for the 2011/12 academic year who had made at least one choice to an institution in England. 44,308 applicants had made at least one choice to an institution in Wales.
Applicants can make up to five choices on their application form (up to four if they are applying for medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine/science courses); therefore some applicants will be counted in both groups in the figures above. The figures will also contain applicants who have made choices to Scotland and Northern Ireland, as well as England and Wales.
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many funded places he expects there to be in higher education institutions for entry in 2011-12 in England and Wales (a) in total and (b) in full-time equivalent terms; and if he will make a statement. [35870]
Mr Willetts: We do not plan for the number of students attending institutions in Wales. In English higher education institutions we expect the number of full-time entrant places in 2011-12 to remain at 2010-11 levels. We announced in the 2011-12 Higher Education Funding Council for England Grant Letter that we were continuing to make provision for the 10,000 additional entrant places made available through the University Modernisation Fund in May 2010. There is not a student number control in place for part-time entrants, but given recent trends we would expect part-time entrant numbers to remain broadly constant. Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) data for 2009/10 showed no change in part-time entrants to English higher education institutions.
Overseas Students: EU Nationals
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many students from other EU member states he expects to attend English universities in each of the next three years; how many attended each university in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [35872]
Mr Willetts: We do not plan for the numbers of students domiciled in other EU member states separately from those domiciled in UK countries because students from anywhere within the EU are treated the same. The latest figures from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) are shown in the table and can be found in the Libraries of the House.
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of students from other EU member states he estimates will not repay their loans in each of the next three years; and if he will make a statement. [35873]
Mr Willetts: We do not have any estimates of the number of students who will not repay their loans in each of the next three years. The Student Loans Company (SLC) Official Statistics Supplement to the June 2010 Statistical First Release
shows the current position for EU students, in tables 1(iii), 1(iv), 2(iv), 2(v) and 3(iv) to 3(vi).
The SLC has well established mechanisms for recovering loans from all students who move abroad and we are confident that these will enable us to effectively collect repayments from EU students in the future.
Postal Services: Finance
Paul Uppal: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether the Royal Mail has made an estimate of the savings which would accrue from reducing the number of postal deliveries to five per week. [34782]
Mr Davey: The Government's policy, as set out in the Postal Services Bill, is that the minimum requirements for the universal postal service must include at least one delivery of letters to addresses or other identified points every Monday to Saturday.
As the universal service provider, Royal Mail will be obliged to meet this requirement. The costs involved in providing the universal postal service are a matter for Royal Mail and the regulator.
Science: Equal Opportunities
Meg Munn: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has to support women returning to work in science, engineering and technology after a career break. [32976]
Mr Willetts: The Government's approach to encouraging diversity in the STEM workforce, as set out in the science and research allocations published on 20 December 2010, will be refocused on specific actions integral to the programmes we fund. We will encourage those partners with whom we work closely to do likewise, and we will develop success measures that explicitly demonstrate progress on equality and diversity. This builds on the wider work of the Government to promote inclusive workplaces.
In partnership with the engineering institutions, industry and others, the Royal Academy of Engineering will develop a new diversity programme in engineering, and the wider STEM work force, to widen participation among under-represented groups.
We will continue to work with partners to consider how those individuals with particular needs, such as those returning to the workplace, might be supported.
Science: Higher Education
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many places for full-time equivalent students to study (a) life sciences (b) low-carbon technologies (c) digital technology and (d) advanced manufacturing at each university (i) there were in the last five years for which figures are available and (ii) he expects there to be in each of the next three years; and if he will make a statement. [35525]
Mr Willetts [holding answer 21 January 2011]: The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) uses the Joint Academic Coding System (JACS) to classify subject areas. As this classification system does not correspond exactly to the subjects specified, the nearest alternatives have been provided in the table. Figures in the table refer to the number of full-time equivalent students enrolled on courses in each academic year. Figures for the 2010/11 academic year will be available in January 2012 and can be found in the Libraries of the House. We do not plan for the number of students at a course or subject level.
Students: Loans
Jeremy Lefroy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the (a) monetary value and (b) proportion of student loans which will be irrecoverable for the purposes
of his Department's annually managed expenditure estimates for each year of the comprehensive spending review period. [34502]
Mr Willetts: In the spending review period the full-time student tuition fee loan outlay is estimated to be £3.5 billion in 2012-13, £5 billion in 2013-14 and £6 billion in 2014-15.
Additionally, outlay on maintenance loans is expected to be over £3 billion each year.
The proportion of student loans which will be irrecoverable over the lifetime of those loans is estimated to be about 30p in the pound. This has been used in setting the Department's non-cash budget as a ring-fenced part of its departmental expenditure limit budget for each year of the spending review.
Teachers: Qualifications
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has to require all new university academics with teaching responsibilities to undertake a teacher training qualification; and if he will make a statement. [35477]
Mr Willetts: This Government are committed to ensuring teaching excellence across the higher education sector. We are exploring with the sector ways in which excellent teaching can be promoted and incentivised, including through training. Plans for our wider programme of reform of higher education will be set out in the forthcoming White Paper.
Treasury
Air Passenger Duty
Ian Murray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the monetary value of amounts paid by prospective air passengers to carriers but not then paid to HM Revenue and Customs as air passenger duty as a result of cancelled or missed flights in (a) 2008, (b) 2009 and (c) 2010. [35293]
Justine Greening: APD is an excise duty that is levied on aircraft operators, not individual passengers. It is the airline which is responsible for paying the tax to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). Although they are not required to do so by law, generally airlines pass on the duty charge to their passengers by way of a separately identified charge in the ticket price, which may also include other elements such as passenger service charges, insurance surcharges or tax imposed by other governments. Since any additional charges applied at the discretion of the airline are outside the remit of HMRC, no estimates of their value are available.
Animal Diseases: Finance
Mr Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what provision within the Contingency Reserve there is for emergency relief in respect of the outbreak of diseases affecting animals and livestock in the UK in each of the next four financial years. [35482]
Danny Alexander: The responsibility for animal health and welfare lies with the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). In Treasury budgetary guidance, Departments are encouraged not to allocate budgets fully against their programmes at the start of a financial year. This is to allow for contingency planning in the face of unforeseen pressures that emerge subsequently, including their known contingent liabilities.
In exceptional circumstances a Department may make a claim on the reserve. As part of the spending plans announced in spending reviews, the Government allocate a reserve for genuinely unforeseen contingencies that Departments cannot absorb within their departmental expenditure limits.
The overall size of the reserve is set out in Table 1 of the Spending Review document.
Child Benefit: Separated People
Mr Sanders: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will assess the compliance of child benefit eligibility rules for separated couples with shared custody with the rights of the child as expressed in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child; and if he will make a statement. [34970]
Mr Gauke: The UK fulfils the relevant obligations of the UN convention on the rights of the child by paying child benefit to parents, to provide financial support for the benefit of their child or children.
The law is clear that child benefit cannot be paid for the same child to two people in the same week. Section 144 of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992 states that where two or more persons would be entitled to child benefit in respect of the same child for the same week, only one of them only shall be entitled. The question of which of them is entitled is determined in accordance with schedule 10 to the Act.
Child Tax Credit and Child Benefit
Mr Sheerman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will review the effectiveness of the process by which child tax credit and child benefit are transferred to other family members when they assume guardianship of a child. [35003]
Mr Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is responsible for administering child tax credits and child benefit so I have been asked to reply.
The Department aims to pay 60% of all new tax credits claims in 15 calendar days and 69% of new child benefit claims in nine working days. It can take longer to award new claims where a child is involved in more than one tax credits and/or child benefit claim because HMRC must make separate inquiries to establish the correct entitlements.
HMRC Benefits and Credits keeps all of its procedural guidance under review seeking to make continuous improvements wherever necessary.
Corporation Tax
Caroline Lucas:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much of the corporation tax losses declared in respect of the accounting period ending in
(a) 2007-08, (b) 2008-09 and (c) 2009-10 was carried back for offset against profits of previous periods; how much corporation tax was repaid as a result of such carry-backs of losses in each such year; and what the monetary value was of the tax losses carried forward for offset against future profits at the end of each such year. [32815]
Mr Gauke: Loss relief policy remains unchanged since the inception of the Corporation Tax regime in 1965.
From HMRC databases it is estimated that in 2007-08 just over £5.1 billion of allowable losses were carried back by UK companies. In 2008-09 the figure increased to just under £7.8 billion. These figures represent the gross value and not the tax impact of allowing carry-back of these losses. Complete data for 2009-10 are not yet available.
With regard to your question as to the value of tax repayments, the data provided by corporation tax returns it is very difficult to separately identify the total value of repayments made purely from carry back of losses; or the final value of losses made in-year that are carried forward across corporate groups. As such, these figures cannot be provided.
Departmental Film
Kate Green: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department has spent on film production, including the filming of speeches, since May 2010. [34544]
Justine Greening: The Treasury has not spent anything on film production, including the filming of speeches, since May 2010.
Since May 2010, the Treasury has added three films to its website. On each occasion the films were produced at no cost to the Treasury in partnership with other Government Departments' in-house communications teams.
Departmental Procurement
Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) the non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible have taken to comply with the Guidance of the Office of Government Commerce on promoting skills through public procurement issued in 2009. [31328]
Justine Greening: Treasury Group Commercial undertake commercial and procurement activities on behalf of the whole of the Treasury Group (HM Treasury, the Debt Management Office, the Asset Protection Agency, UK Financial Investments). All members of the Treasury Group Commercial Team have been made aware of the OGC guidance on skills and apprenticeships in procurement.
Where appropriate contract conditions and performance requirements are included in major Treasury contracts.
The Treasury's major suppliers have been made aware of the policy and guidance. By the end of 2009-10, the Treasury's major suppliers had provided at least 16 apprenticeship places. The major suppliers also offer a
range of programmes including various NVQs, Skills for Life in Numeracy and Literacy, Investors in People, work placements and the Train to Gain initiative. At least one supplier has been awarded a National Employer Service contract, with the Learning and Skills Council.
Treasury Group Commercial, as part of the plan to transform its commercial function, is looking to develop its strategic relationships with key suppliers that will include promotion of policy objectives (e.g. Skills, Apprenticeships, SMEs and Low Carbon Efficiency).
The Royal Mint Advisory Committee has no independent procurement function.
Equality Impact Assessments
John McDonnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to his Department's paper Overview of the Impact of Spending Review 2010 on Equalities, which Departments were (a) included and (b) not included in the qualitative assessment referred to in paragraph 1.15 of the paper; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the source data on equality impact submitted by each Department referred to in paragraph 1.12. [29197]
Justine Greening: The information requested is as follows:
(a) The following Departments were included in the qualitative assessment of the equalities impact of the spending review which was published on 20 October:
Department for Education
Department of Health
Department of Culture Media and Sport
Communities and Local Government
Department for Transport
Business, Innovation and Skills
Department for Work and Pensions
Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Ministry of Justice
Home Office
Government Equalities Office.
(b) The following Departments were not included in the assessment:
Cabinet Office
Department for International Development
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
HM Revenue and Customs
HM Treasury
Home Office
Law Officer's Department
Ministry of Defence
Security and Intelligence Agencies.
A summary of the data submitted by each Department can be found in the publication 'Overview of the Impact of the Spending Review on Equalities' which was published alongside the spending review announcement. As these data relate to ongoing policy development, it would not be appropriate to place a copy in the Library at this stage.
Full impact assessments will be considered and published by the relevant Departments as the full details of these policies are finalised.
Equitable Life Assurance Society: Compensation
Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) when he expects compensation payments under the Equitable Life (Payments) Act 2010 to eligible with-profits annuitants to be made; [34747]
(2) when he expects compensation payments to eligible Equitable Life with-profits annuitants to commence. [35072]
Mr Hoban: The Government have announced their ambition to commence payments to all eligible policyholders in the middle of this year.
Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost of paying compensation to those Equitable Life with-profits annuitants who started their annuities before 1 September 1992. [35070]
Mr Hoban: With profits annuitants (WPAs) whose policies commenced before 1 September 1992 did so before any maladministration could have affected their investment decisions. Accordingly, they did not suffer a loss in respect of which any compensation would be appropriate.
The reduction in the levels of annuity payments that they have experienced is largely due to a combination of poor investment market performance, and the fact that early annuity payments were artificially high due to the structure of the product and over-bonusing.
Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether Equitable Life with-profits annuitants who are ineligible for full compensation will be able to claim some compensation if part of their annuities started after 1 September 1992. [35071]
Mr Hoban: With profit annuitants (WPAs) whose policies commenced before 1 September 1992 did so before any maladministration could have affected their investment decisions. Accordingly, they did not suffer a loss in respect of which any compensation would be appropriate.
In order to be eligible, a policyholder must have had a policy which was invested in Equitable Life's with profits fund and must have paid a premium into that policy during the period between 1 September 1992 and 31 December 2000.
Excise Duties: Alcoholic Drinks
Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what consultation the Government plans to undertake on potential changes to the classification of duty on ready-to-drink beverages; [35769]
(2) whether his Department has undertaken an impact assessment in respect of any proposed change to the classification of duty on ready-to-drink beverages. [35770]
Justine Greening:
The June Budget announced a review of the taxation of alcohol, which included ready-to-drink beverages, and the Treasury held an informal consultation over the summer. Evidence and submissions were received
from industry, health groups and academics. The Government reported on the review in November, and the results are available online at:
Excise Duties: Fuels
Ann McKechin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of progress on the introduction of a pilot scheme to discount fuel duty on petrol and diesel in the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isles and the Isles of Scilly; and if he will consider extending the scheme to other rural communities in Scotland following the increase in the level of value added tax and fuel duty. [35446]
Justine Greening: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Na h-Eileanan an Iar (Mr MacNeil) on 21 December 2010, Official Report, column 1143W. The Government are considering the exact scope of the pilot and at present has announced its intention to include the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isles, and the Isles of Scilly.
Ian Murray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the merits of introducing a fuel duty escalator for the road haulage industry; and what representations he has received on this matter. [35494]
Mr Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what his policy is on relief for fuel costs for haulage companies registered in the UK; [35906]
(2) what assessment he has made of the potential barriers to the introduction of any relief for fuel costs to be provided to haulage companies registered in the UK. [35972]
Justine Greening: The Chancellor keeps all taxes under review along Budget timelines and routinely receives representations from stakeholders on a range of tax issues.
Hauliers may reclaim VAT and deduct other business costs including fuel costs under existing business tax arrangements.
Financial Inclusion Fund
Mr Gyimah: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has for the future of the Financial Inclusion Fund. [35348]
Karl Turner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has for funding the Financial Inclusion Fund after April 2011. [35851]
Mr Hoban: The Financial Inclusion Fund will close at the end of March this year.
The Government will work closely with industry and other stakeholders to ensure that tackling financial exclusion remains a high priority.
Financial Services: Crime
Nic Dakin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to announce the outcome of decisions on the structure of an economic crime agency. [34876]
James Brokenshire: I have been asked to reply.
The Government will be consulting on proposals for the Economic Crime Agency in the spring of 2011. Following that consultation we will consider the responses carefully before making any final decisions.
Forestry Commission: Land
Mr Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what estimate he has made of the likely level of net accruals to the Exchequer arising from the sale of Forestry Commission land accounting for (a) income tax, (b) capital gains tax and (c) inheritance tax forgone through such sales during the comprehensive spending review period; [34743]
(2) if he will estimate the cost to the Exchequer of tax relief on the purchase and ownership of woodland and forests in each of the (a) last and (b) next four financial years. [34744]
Mr Gauke: An estimate of accrued income tax, capital gains tax and inheritance tax foregone from the sale of Forestry Commission land is not available.
The main inheritance tax reliefs for woodland and forests are business property relief and woodlands relief. Business property relief has been estimated to cost £205 million in 2010-11, but this is a wide ranging relief and the cost in relation to woodland and forests is not available. The cost of woodlands relief in 2010-11 has been estimated to be negligible (less than £5 million). Published estimates of the costs of business property relief and woodlands relief can be found in HMRC's published Ready Reckoner tables at:
respectively. Estimates for later years are not available.
Estimates of the cost to the Exchequer of tax reliefs for other taxes are not available.
Fuels: Prices
Mr Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what assessment he has made of the effects of changes in automotive fuel prices on (a) inflation and (b) growth in each of the next four financial years; [34740]
(2) what assessment he has made of the effects of levels of fuel duty on (a) output and (b) growth in the road haulage industry in each of the next four financial years. [34801]
Justine Greening: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 17 November 2010, Official Report, column 576W. Through the measures set out in Budget 2010 the Government are tackling the fiscal deficit to secure growth and provide the confidence all businesses need to invest. The haulage industry will be affected by a range of Budget measures such as fuel duty and corporation tax changes.
Inflation
Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effects of inflation on the reduction of the budget deficit. [35320]
Justine Greening: The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) produced its latest forecast for inflation and the public finances in its November Economic and Fiscal Outlook 2010, available here:
The OBR will publish an updated assessment of inflation and the public finances at the Budget on 23 March 2011.
PAYE
Mr Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many national insurance (NI) contributions deducted from pay and recorded on form P14 were not credited to NI accounts in each year since 5 April 2004; and what the monetary value is of the contributions yet to be credited. [34576]
Mr Gauke: The number of unmatched P14s and the associated monetary values of the contributions received for the tax years requested are as follows:
| Tax year | P14s not matched | Monetary value of contributions (£) |
| (1) Figures not yet available. | ||
PAYE: United States Internal Revenue Service
Mr Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many meetings his Department has had with the United States Internal Revenue Service on the operation of PAYE in the last 12 months; and what the outcome of such meetings was. [34575]
Mr Gauke: Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations as part of the process of policy development and delivery. It is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.
Public Expenditure: Northern Ireland
Naomi Long: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the potential effects of the removal of end-year flexibility on the block grant for Northern Ireland. [35568]
Danny Alexander: The Government are abolishing the end-year flexibility system, including all accumulated stocks, at the end of 2010-11 and replacing it with a new system from 2011-12 which will retain an incentive to avoid wasteful end-year spending and strengthen spending control. Further detail will be set out later this financial year.
The Government are standing by their existing commitment to the Northern Ireland Executive to draw down end-year flexibility (EYF) in the current year and their commitment to carry forward underspends for the
Department of Justice under the terms of the £800 million funding package which accompanied the devolution of Policing and Justice.
Public Finance
Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the average maturity of UK sovereign debt; and what information for benchmarking purposes his Department holds on the average maturity of sovereign debt of each EU member state. [35208]
Mr Hoban: As at 30 September 2010, the market value weighted average maturity of the UK's sovereign debt was 13.47 years. The Treasury does not routinely collect data on the average maturity of other sovereign issuers' debt portfolios. On occasion, the Treasury has made comparison with other countries using data from the OECD publication "Central Government Debt: Statistical Yearbook", available at:
The Treasury does not currently hold up-to-date information on the average maturity of other countries' sovereign debt.
Alex Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate his Department has made of the likely level of the cyclically-adjusted budget deficit in cash terms in (a) 2014-15 and (b) 2015-16. [35881]
Justine Greening: The latest forecast for cyclically adjusted public sector net borrowing as a percentage of GDP can be found in table 4.23 of the OBR's Economic and Fiscal Outlook (EFO). The latest forecast for non-seasonally adjusted money GDP can be found in table 4.2 of the EFO.
Public Sector: Employment
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the change in public sector employment in Brighton and Hove in (a) 2010 and (b) 2011. [34857]
Danny Alexander: The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) published, as part of the 'Economic and Fiscal Outlook' on 29 November 2010, projections for general government employment to 2015-16, which can be found on the following webpage:
The OBR has not published forecasts on a sub-national level.
Revenue and Customs: Closures
Mr Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many local tax offices closed in each year since 2005. [34421]
Mr Gauke:
The number of HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) offices closed in each year since 2005 are given in the following table. Most of HMRC's business is organised on national lines and it does not use the
classification of 'local tax office'. Therefore the numbers provided are the total number of HMRC offices closed in each year.
| Total number of HMRC offices closed | |
Revenue and Customs: Correspondence
Mr Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what proportion of notifications of change of address received by HM Revenue and Customs were acted upon in each of the last five years; [34552]
(2) what proportion of mail sent by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) was returned undelivered in each of the last five years; and what estimate he has made of the cost to HMRC of undelivered mail in each such year. [34560]
Mr Gauke: The information requested is available only at disproportionate cost, as HMRC does not hold this data.
Statutory Concessions
Mr Mark Williams: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he assessed the potential effects on caravan sites of the withdrawal of statutory concessions. [34210]
Mr Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is withdrawing three extra statutory concessions (ESC) which relate to caravan sites, all with effect from 1 January 2012, because they exceed the scope of HMRC's administrative discretion. These cover the VAT treatment of connection to the gas or electricity mains supply, the recharge of non-domestic (business) rates and the recharge of water and sewerage rates. All of these concessions must be withdrawn because there are no legal vires in EU law which would permit them to be introduced in UK legislation.
Although some initial estimates have been made, we anticipate representations from those affected by the withdrawal. Impact assessments will be prepared once these representations have been considered.
Tax Avoidance: Parliamentary Scrutiny
Mr Sanders: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make if his policy to refer all tax disputes concerning liabilities greater than £500 million for parliamentary scrutiny prior to action by HM Revenue and Customs. [34973]
Mr Gauke: The Government have no plans to refer tax disputes for parliamentary scrutiny.
There is already a statutory framework for settling all tax disputes. HMRC are authorised to settle disputes with taxpayers. However, where a settlement cannot be reached in that way the case is referred to the tax tribunal.
Tax Yields
Mr Byrne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will place in the Library the data for the chart on housing and financial sector receipts on page 187 of the 2009 Pre-Budget Report in respect of each year set out in that chart; [33323]
(2) if he will place in the Library a breakdown in cash terms of receipts to the Exchequer for the chart on housing and financial sector receipts on page 187 of the 2009 pre-Budget report in respect of each year set out in that chart. [33324]
Mr Gauke: The data for "Chart a: Housing and financial sector receipts", on page 187 of the 2009 pre-Budget report is shown as follows.
| Housing and financial sector receipts | ||
| Percentage of GDP | £ billion | |
The data for the chart is shown both as a percentage of GDP and in cash terms.
Taxation
Jack Dromey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effects on (a) men and (b) women of proposals to (i) increase the rate of value added tax, (ii) increase capital gains tax, (iii) use the consumer price index for calculating benefits and tax credits, (iv) abolish the Child Trust Fund, (v) reduce the Health in Pregnancy grant, (vi) reduce the Sure Start maternity grant and (vii) change public sector pensions. [6918]
Mr Gauke: The Treasury takes its equalities responsibilities very seriously. At the Budget, the Government published more information than ever before about the impact of the Budget in Annex A which showed the impact of tax and welfare changes on households.
At the spending review, the Treasury published the document "Overview of Equalities Impacts of the Spending Review" alongside the announcement. This set out a qualitative analysis of the likely impacts of the spending review on groups protected by equalities legislation, including women.
For each of the policies listed, the Treasury has made the following assessment of the proportionate impact on (a) men and (b) women:
(i) Increase the rate of value added tax
The effect of the VAT change on men and women was considered and it was concluded that no effect on gender equality was expected as a result of this measure (because spending is best measured at a household level).
Accordingly no specific results were included in the published impact assessment, although that document notes that gender equality was one of the types of testing undertaken.
(ii) Increase capital gains tax
No estimate has been made of the proportionate impact on men or women of proposals to increase capital gains tax.
(iii) Use the consumer price index for calculating benefits and tax credits
It is not possible to calculate robust estimates of the proportionate impact on men and women arising from the switch to CPI indexation for public sector pensions and benefits.
This is because any such estimates would be based on assumptions about future rates of inflation, which would become more uncertain in later years. There is also uncertainty about behavioural or macro-economic effects which would affect the accuracy of any estimates for later years.
(iv) Abolish the child trust fund
No specific gender impact of the ending of eligibility to the Child Trust Fund has been identified. The Child Trust Fund was intended to be for the benefit of the child, and children of both genders were eligible in exactly the same way. As such there will be no specific gender impact.
A gender impact assessment was published alongside the Savings Accounts and Health in Pregnancy Grant Bill (now the Savings Accounts and Health in Pregnancy Grant Act 2010). This is available at:
(v) Reduce the health in pregnancy grant
A gender impact assessment was published alongside the Savings Accounts and Health in Pregnancy Grant Bill (now the Savings Accounts and Health in Pregnancy Grant Act 2010). This is available at:
(vi) Reduce the Sure Start maternity grant
The effect of the restriction of SSMG to first children on gender was considered by DWP as part of its equality impact assessment, which will be published in due course. DWP do not have individual level data to assess this impact. However, DWP expects that the majority of recipients of the SSMG are female and therefore likely to be particularly affected by this measure.
(vii) Change public sector pensions
The value of a pension depends on unique individual factors such as work history, salary and personal financial decisions. Therefore it would not be possible to give an assessment of the proportionate financial impact of the switch to CPI indexation by gender without making large and sweeping assumptions about a complex set of inter-relating factors.
Yvette Cooper: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the average (a) cost and (b) benefit to (i) men and (ii) women by 2014-15 attributable to the (A) increase in capital gains tax, (B) increase in the rate of value added tax, (C) one-year freeze on council tax, (D) changes to disability living allowance, (E) changes to tax credits, (F) freeze on child benefit, (G) changes to housing benefit, (H) changes to lone parent conditionality and (I) uprating of (1) public sector pensions, (2) additional state pension, (3) child tax credits, (4) working tax credits, (5) jobseeker's allowance, (6) disability living allowance, (7) employment and support allowance, (8) income support and (9) carers' allowance in line with the consumer prices index announced in the June 2010 Budget. [12921]
Mr Gauke: The Treasury takes its equalities responsibilities very seriously. At the Budget, the Government published more information than ever before about the impact of the Budget in Annex A which showed the impact of tax and welfare changes on households.
At the spending review, the Treasury published the document 'Overview of Equalities Impacts of the Spending Review' alongside the announcement. This set out a qualitative analysis of the likely impacts of the spending review on groups protected by equalities legislation, including women.
The Treasury has made the following estimates of the average (a) cost and (b) benefit to men and women by 2014-15 for each of the following policies:
(A) Increase in capital gains tax
No estimate has been made of the average cost to men or women by 2014-15 attributable to the increase in capital gains tax.
(B) Increase in the rate of value added tax
The effect of the VAT change on men and women was considered and it was concluded that no effect on gender equality was expected as a result of this measure (because spending is best measured at a household level).
Accordingly no specific results were included in the published impact assessment, although that document notes that gender equality was one of the types of testing undertaken.
(C) One-year freeze on council tax
There are no robust estimates of the benefits of the council tax freeze in England due to the fact council taxpayers are liable to pay council tax regardless of their gender.
(D) Changes to disability living allowance
The June 2010 Budget announced that the Government will introduce the use of objective medical assessments for all DLA claimants from 2013-4. There is no particular reason to think that a fair medical assessment will have a particular impact on men or women.
A full equality impact assessment will be carried out and published by the DWP once the terms of this policy have been developed.
This information is not available. Tax credits are paid on a household basis. In order to understand the impact of changes to tax credits on men and women it is necessary to know how families share their income between themselves and their children (if any).
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