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Written Answers to Questions
Wednesday 15 June 2011
Culture, Media and Sport
Departmental Responsibilities
Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what the (a) dates and (b) subjects were of his (i) public engagements and meetings and (ii) meetings with ministerial colleagues in (A) January, (B) February, (C) March, (D) April and (E) May 2011. [58030]
Mr Jeremy Hunt: The lists of my meetings with outside interest groups are published quarterly on the Department for Culture, Media and Sport's website:
http://www.transparency.culture.gov.uk/
Meetings for the quarter ended March 2011 will be published in due course.
Meetings between Ministers, many of which are informal and ad hoc, are not routinely logged.
Information on public engagements could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Gambling
Mr Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 23 May 2011, Official Report, columns 349-50W, on gambling, what financial provision his Department has made for research, education and treatment of problem gambling in (a) 2011-12 and (b) 2012-13; and if he will estimate the likely funding for such activities from industry in each of those years. [58427]
John Penrose: Research, education and treatment into problem gambling are funded by the industry rather than the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. Their funding target for 2011-12 is £7 million and the target for 2012-13 has not yet been set. Future funding targets are to be agreed in the autumn when the 2011-12 strategy is presented.
Government Art Collection
Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what holdings of the Government Art Collection are on display in locations outside London. [59824]
Mr Vaizey: Details of the Government Art Collection's holdings outside London and within the UK will shortly be deposited in the Libraries of both Houses. Until their recent closure, another 99 works of art were on display in various regional government offices.
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Olympic Games 2012: Betting
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the potential effects on the London 2012 Olympic games of sports betting integrity breaches; and what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of arrangements to prevent such breaches in relation to those games. [58549]
Hugh Robertson: There are already established processes and protocols to identify and manage any risks or threats to sports betting integrity in Great Britain. Our present assessment, based on the experience of previous Olympic events, is that there is a relatively low risk of a major sports betting integrity issue occurring at the London 2012 games. The impact of any such incident could be significant so we do need to ensure that the UK is well prepared to respond to any concerns that arise. Officials from the department are already working with the Gambling Commission, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic games, licensed betting operators and the police to ensure effective preparations are made in advance of the 2012 games. I will be attending the IOC's meeting on betting integrity on 15 June having attended an initial meeting on this issue on 1 March 2011.
Olympic Games 2012: Security
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what the (a) timetable and (b) schedule is of the forthcoming London 2012 Olympics safety and security testing exercise. [59318]
James Brokenshire: I have been asked to reply.
The Home Office along with the Government Olympic Executive, the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic games, the Greater London Authority, Department for Transport and other partners are putting in place a programme of exercises to test the effectiveness, resilience and decision-making capability of key games-time structures and processes. The programme is being finalised and an announcement will be made in due course.
Sports: Betting
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what support his Department provides to national sports governing bodies to assist them in countering any threat to sporting integrity from sports betting. [58294]
Hugh Robertson: The sports' governing bodies have the primary responsibility for countering the threat to sporting integrity from sports betting. In line with the recommendations of the independent report by Rick Parry, the Sports Betting Group has been working on a number of measures to tackle sports betting integrity. This includes leading on the code of conduct and providing assistance to those sports governing bodies that require help in relation to the code.
The Gambling Commission's Sports Betting Intelligence Unit (SBIU) works closely with sports governing bodies to share information and intelligence about potentially corrupt betting activity involving sport.
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I am a member of the President of the IOC's working group on illegal and irregular betting and that group expects to bring forward proposals by the end of the year.
Home Department
Asylum: Human Rights
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications made by asylum seekers under Article 8 of Schedule 1 of the Human Rights Act 1998 were upheld by the courts in each year since 2000. [58467]
Damian Green [holding answer 9 June 2011]: The information is not available. The United Kingdom Border Agency's Case Information Database does not record the specific reasons why an appeal is allowed and the requested information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost through the examination of a large number of individual case files.
A sample of 401 allowed asylum appeal determinations from across the UK for the period October to December 2010 was recently analysed and cross referenced with computer records. Of the 401, the Immigration Judge presiding over the case upheld the Article 8 claim made by asylum seekers in 33 cases (8.2%).
Figures published in the Control of Immigration: Quarterly statistical summary Q1 2011 show that there were 3,040 asylum appeals determined in the period October to December 2010 of which 805 (26%) were allowed.
Community Policing
Mr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she has taken in response to the report by Baroness Newlove on Clear Vision for Safe and Active Communities published by her Department. [58386]
James Brokenshire: The Government are considering the recommendations made by Baroness Newlove and my Department will continue to work closely with the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) in helping the Government to take forward the ideas and suggestions in her report that relate to crime reduction and community safety. Baroness Newlove will continue her work as Government champion for active, safer communities within DCLG.
Departmental Public Expenditure
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 7 June 2011, Official Report, column 240W, on departmental public expenditure, which stakeholders have made representations on the spending review settlement. [59623]
Damian Green:
This information is not held centrally. Representations would have been received across the Home Office and its agencies on particular elements of the spending review settlement, and a full list of these
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and the stakeholders concerned could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. We did carry out a specific consultation on the provisional police settlement, and received representations from Police Authority Chairs and Treasurers, Chief Constables, MPs and the Association of Police Authorities.
Departmental Responsibilities
Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what strategic framework her Department has developed for the delivery of its core functions during the comprehensive spending review period. [59726]
Damian Green: The strategic direction and framework of the Home Office during the spending review period is set by the Home Office Business Plan which is published on the Home Office website. The delivery of the Home Office Business Plan is supported internally through Agency, Group and Directorate business plans which are reviewed on a regular basis.
Entry Clearances: Overseas Students
Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will instruct the UK Border Agency to review the effects of recent changes to the English language requirements for students under tier 4 of the points-based system. [59821]
Damian Green: The new, tighter requirements for English language for tier 4 students are expected to help eliminate abuse of the system by ensuring that only genuine students who are able to complete the course can come to the UK. The impact of the changes implemented on 21 April this year will be monitored and reviewed along with the other changes made following the tier 4 review.
Motor Vehicles: Theft
Ms Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cars were stolen by the car keys first being stolen by robbery or burglary in each police force area in 2009-10; and how many recorded offences there were of domestic burglaries and robberies in which a vehicle was taken in each police force area in 2009-10. [58555]
James Brokenshire: The existing police recorded crime offences contain the offence classifications of ‘burglary in a dwelling' and ‘robbery of business or personal property' but the items stolen in these offences cannot be separately identified.
The Home Office commenced from April 2007 a separate ad hoc data collection on the number of robberies and domestic burglaries in which a vehicle is taken, as recorded by the police in England and Wales. This collection was made voluntary from April 2009 and only 20 of the 44 police forces in England and Wales provided data in 2009-10, which are provided in the table.
To reduce burden on the police, a decision was made to cease this collection from April 2011.
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| Offences recorded by the police, by police force area in England and Wales, in 2009-10 (1) | ||
| PFA | Robberies in which a vehicle is taken | Domestic burglaries in which a vehicle is taken |
| n/a = No data available (1) Data were received from 20 of the 44 police forces in England and Wales after this specific data collection was made voluntary by the Home Office as from April 2009. | ||
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Animal Welfare: Rabbits
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent steps her Department has taken to improve the welfare of factory-farmed rabbits; and if she will make a statement. [59567]
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Mr Paice: The welfare of farmed rabbits is protected by the general provisions in the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and the Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2007, which have a specific schedule relating to rabbit welfare. Additionally, DEFRA has a welfare code for rabbits which provides good husbandry advice and which producers are required by law to have access to and be familiar with. Failure to comply with this code may be relied upon in prosecution cases.
Flooding: Hertfordshire
Mrs Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to alleviate the risk of flooding along the River Colne in Hertfordshire. [59191]
Richard Benyon: The Environment Agency has calculated that the costs of constructing flood walls adjacent to the River Colne at Colney Heath would be greater than the benefit of doing so. The Environment Agency is planning to meet St Albans district council and Hertfordshire county council to consider other options for managing flood risk in the area.
Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has for the future of the Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme beyond 2013. [58198]
Richard Benyon: The Waste Review published on 14 June stated that the Government are planning to end LATS after the 2012-13 scheme year.
Natural Gas: Exploration
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with representatives of (a) Cuadrilla Resources and (b) the shale gas drilling industry on the future of shale gas exploration in the UK following the recent earth tremors in the Blackpool area. [59253]
Richard Benyon: Neither I nor the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Meriden (Mrs Spelman), has had any discussions with representatives of Cuadrilla Resources or the shale gas drilling industry on the future of shale gas exploration following the recent minor seismic activity. However, Environment Officers from the Environment Agency have had informal discussions with Cuadrilla regarding seismic activity during recent site visits.
Women and Equalities
Equalities Act 2010
Lyn Brown: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what plans she has to implement section 78 of the Equalities Act 2010. [58729]
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Mrs May: The Government are committed to working with business to develop a voluntary approach to gender pay reporting in the private and voluntary sector. While we work with business and others to ensure this approach is successful, we will not commence, amend or repeal section 78 of the Equality Act 2010.
Pay: Equal Opportunities
Lyn Brown: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what assessment she has made of the effects of higher levels of private sector employment on the gender pay gap. [58730]
Mrs May: The causes of the pay gap are varied and include work histories, skills levels, the industries and occupations in which women and men work, and labour market conditions. The complex interaction between these factors means it is not possible to accurately forecast changes to the pay gap.
Communities and Local Government
Community Relations: Finance
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding his Department provided to each local authority for community cohesion projects in (a) 2011-12 and (b) each of the last three financial years. [59346] [Official Report, 29 June 2011, Vol. 530, c. 5MC.]
Andrew Stunell: Between 2008-09 and 2010-11 funding for cohesion projects was provided to local authorities via unringfenced Area Based Grant. In 2011-12, general unringfenced funding of £190.540 million was allocated to local authorities in England through Local Services Support Grant with the freedom to use it to meet locally identified priorities, including community cohesion.
The following table shows funding allocation for cohesion projects for each local authority from 2008-09 to 2010-11.
| Communities and Local Government Area Based Grant: Cohesion | |||
| Local authority | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 |
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Derelict Land: Planning Permission
Jackie Doyle-Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what powers Natural England has to impose planning conditions on brownfield sites; and if he will make a statement. [59348]
Robert Neill: Natural England has no powers to impose conditions on planning consents as it does not determine planning applications. It does, however, have an important advisory role within the planning system and is a statutory consultee for development plans, environmental impact assessments, strategic environmental assessment and planning applications that are likely to impact upon its particular interests. In this capacity it may, where appropriate, seek to mitigate impacts on, or to enhance, the natural environment through the use of planning conditions.
EU Grants and Loans: North East England
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding from the European regional development fund was allocated to projects in the North East in the latest period for which figures are available. [59522]
Robert Neill: The north-east received £318 million of the European regional development fund under the competitiveness strand.
Chi Onwurah:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of the European Regional Development Fund was
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allocated to projects in the North East in the latest period for which figures are available. [59523]
Robert Neill: The total allocation to the north-east as a proportion of the total European Regional Development Fund for the England Competitiveness strand is 13%.
The total allocation to the north-east as a proportion of the European Regional Development Fund Competitiveness and Convergence as a whole is 11%.
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of the European Regional Development Fund allocated to the North East of England (a) has been allocated and (b) he expects to have been allocated by the end of the current funding round. [59527]
Robert Neill: 65% of the North East European Regional Development Fund allocation has been allocated to date.
It is expected that 100% of the European Regional Development Fund allocated to the North East will be allocated by the end of the current funding period in 2013.
Fire Services
Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) how many of the principal fire officers of the Cambridgeshire fire and rescue service have their main residence in Cambridgeshire; [59811]
(2) how much was spent on new equipment for Manea fire station under each category of cost in each of the last three years; [59837]
(3) on what date a firefighter was last recruited to Manea fire station; [59838]
(4) how much Cambridgeshire fire and rescue service has spent on legal fees for each type of work undertaken in each of the last three years; and which legal firms were employed in each such case; [59839]
(5) how many compromise agreements have been signed by Cambridgeshire fire and rescue service in each of the last three years; what the monetary value was of each such agreement; and how many included a confidentiality clause; [59840]
(6) for how many hours Manea fire station was unable to respond to calls or off the run due to a lack of (a) personnel and (b) skills in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [59841]
Robert Neill: This information is not held centrally.
Local Authority Business Growth Incentives Scheme
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the Local Authority Business Growth Incentive scheme. [59320]
Robert Neill:
The Government agrees with the conclusions of Sir Michael Lyons that the Local Authority Business Growth Incentive scheme was complex, unpredictable and not transparent. Instead, the Local
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Government Resource Review is considering proposals to allow local authorities to keep at least a proportion of their business rates. Such an approach could help set free many local councils from dependency on central Government funding and provide incentives, through the business rates system, for them to promote economic growth.
The Local Authority Business Growth Incentive scheme ran for three years (2005-06 -2007-08), and then there was a break for a year, before it was established for a further two year period (2009-10 – 2010-11), although the second year payments were cancelled. In between the two schemes, the previous administration ran two consultations (October 2007 and August 2008) on how it might be reformed.
Non-domestic Rates
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans he has to introduce a Business Increase Bonus scheme. [59319]
Robert Neill: The White Paper—“Local growth: realising every place’s potential”—confirmed that the Government would consider how to deliver better growth incentives in the business rates system, and sought views on the merits of a broader business rates retention model.
The Local Government Resource Review is now considering options to allow local authorities to keep at least a proportion of their business rates and provide direct financial incentives for local authorities to promote economic growth. It will deliver proposals by July 2011.
Planning
Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the potential effect on the (a) construction and (b) development industry of his policies on localism. [58344]
Andrew Stunell: There has been a sustained shortfall in housing development; the previous Government's model of top-down housing targets that imposed development on local authorities and local communities did not deliver the housing this country needs.
This Government are committed to seeing a major upswing in housing to meet Britain's housing need and seeing more homes that people want in the places that people want them. We have put in place a package of reforms to get the industry moving again, including localist policies—such as transferring power from central Government to councils and local people, and replacing top down targets with fiscal incentives for local authorities to promote development—and other actions such as reductions in regulation on house-builders, and assistance to first time buyers.
By promoting housing growth, these policies will have a positive impact upon the construction and development industry.
I would note that house-building starts in England are up 22% in 2010-11, compared to 2009-10 (DCLG, House building: March Quarter 2011 England, 19 May 2011) and the value of new housing construction has
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risen by 23% (in constant price terms) over the same period (ONS, Ouput in the construction Industry, Q1 2011,13 May 2011).
Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps his Department is taking to ensure that Neighbourhood Planning Front Runners have access to adequate professional expertise in the property sector. [59341]
Robert Neill: The Department has made available grants of £20,000 to each neighbourhood planning front runner. These grants may be spent in any way that the recipient council considers appropriate in connection with delivering its project and this may include procuring support from the property profession. In addition, the Department will shortly award grants totalling £3.2 million to four organisations to enable them to provide advice, guidance and other support to community groups and individuals wishing to engage with the planning system. That may include advice, guidance and other support derived from the property sector.
Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance he plans to provide to communities wishing to develop neighbourhood plans. [59407]
Robert Neill: We are working with the neighbourhood planning front runners and representative organisations on guidance that will help communities and local authorities with neighbourhood planning.
Regional Growth Fund
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many successful regional growth fund bids are eligible for match funding from the European regional development fund in the most recently announced funding round. [59521]
Robert Neill: One successful bid under round one of the regional growth fund indicated in the application that it had also bid for European regional development fund support. Other successful regional growth fund bids may also have been eligible for ERDF but did not indicate in the bid that they were also applying for ERDF support.
Social Rented Housing: Housing Occupancy
Mrs Mensch: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the number of social homes which are under-occupied in (a) each local authority area, (b) each region and (c) England. [59354]
Grant Shapps: It is estimated that 423,000 households were under-occupied in the social rented sector in England in 2009-10. This estimate is a three year average based on data from the Survey of English Housing (2007-08) and the English Housing Survey (2008-09 and 2009-10). Households are said to be under-occupied if they have at least two bedrooms more than they need as measured by the bedroom standard.
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Regional estimates for 2009-10 are due to be published on 5 July 2011 in the English Housing Survey Household Report 2009-10.
It is not possible to provide estimates at local authority level as sample sizes are too small.
Travellers: Caravan Sites
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) with reference to his Department's consultation on planning for Traveller sites, what plans he has to allow local authorities to establish pitch and plot allocation targets lower than those in local and regional plans; [59426]
(2) with reference to his Department's consultation on planning for Traveller sites, whether a risk assessment has been undertaken of the legal implications for local authorities of introducing new pitch and plot allocation targets lower than those in local and regional plans. [59427]
Robert Neill: The Government carried out an impact assessment to look at the likely costs and benefits of the policy, including those on local authorities. The Government do not anticipate that their new policy will result in any new burdens on local authorities.
The Government's proposed policy asks local authorities to use a robust evidence base of local need to support their planning approach for traveller sites. The targets local authorities set will be tested independently on a case-by-case basis through consultation and examination in public of local plans. Those local authorities who have targets imposed on them by regional plans may, therefore, reduce their target if they have a robust evidence base to support this approach.
The Localism Bill also proposes to abolish regional strategies and their associated top-down targets.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Afghanistan: Police
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many people of (a) Pashtun, (b) Tajik, (c) Hazaras and (d) Uzbek ethnicity there are in the Afghanistan National Security Force; what the ethnic composition is of (i) that force and (ii) the national population; and what steps he is taking to promote a nationally-representative Afghanistan National Security Force. [59715]
Alistair Burt: The following two tables illustrate the ethnic composition of the Afghan National Army and the Afghan National Police, alongside the approximate ethnic composition of Afghanistan's population.
As I outlined in my response to the right hon. Member for Paisley and Renfrewshire South (Mr Alexander) on 7 June 2011, Official Report, column 197W, the ethnic composition of the Afghan National Security Forces is broadly consistent with the Afghan population demographic, including in terms of Pashtun personnel. However, southern Pashtuns are under-represented in the army and the Afghan Ministry of Defence has—with the support of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation
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training mission—developed a recruitment campaign intended to address this. The situation with regard to the police is similar, but with Tajiks statistically over-represented.
| Afghan National Army, March 2011 | ||
| Percentage | ||
| Ethnicity | Afghanistan | Afghan National Army |
| Afghan National Police, May 2011 | ||
| Percentage | ||
| Ethnicity | Afghanistan | Afghan National Army |
Brazil: Mining
Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Brazilian Government for the (a) removal of illegal miners from the Yanomami territory and (b) prohibition of any form of mining on Yanomami land. [58904]
Mr Jeremy Browne: We regularly discuss human rights issues, including indigenous rights, with the Brazilian Government. I did so during my visit to Brazil last month.
Under the Brazilian constitution indigenous people have clear rights, including the protection of their cultural heritage and rights to occupy and use their traditional lands. The Brazilian Government's National Foundation for Indians (FUNAI) monitors and supports indigenous people's interests, but recognises that further work needs to be done to protect indigenous rights and ensure effective implementation of these legal frameworks. We will continue to support the Brazilian Government's own efforts in this area, where appropriate.
Children: Human Rights
Mark Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many representations his Department has received on the application of human rights legislation to British children in EU member states (a) between January 2005 and April 2010 and (b) since May 2010. [59154]
Mr Jeremy Browne: We do not hold the information the hon. Gentleman requests in this format as we do not keep a central record. The information would be available only at a disproportionate cost.
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Crown Relocations
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 24 May 2011, Official Report, column 584W, on Crown Relocations, how many other bids there were for the contract awarded to Crown Relocations his Department received. [58760]
Mr Lidington: The contract procurement was undertaken in 2004 following the legislated procurement process at that time. Five companies were invited to tender.
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs further to the answer of 24 May 2011, Official Report, column 584W, on Crown Relocations, on what date the contract with Crown Relocations (a) commenced and (b) expires; how many other companies bid for the contract; and how many items have been recorded as lost in transit by Crown Relocations since the commencement of the contract. [59243]
Mr Lidington: The contract with Crown Relocations commenced on 30 April 2004. At that time, five companies were invited to tender. An extension is in the process of being signed which will take the contract up to 30 April 2012. This will allow time for the current reprocurement activity to be completed.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not hold information on items lost in transit. The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Serco
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many contracts his Department holds with Serco; and what the (a) purpose and (b) monetary value of each such contract is. [58665]
Mr Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has no contracts with Serco within the UK.
As budgets in the FCO are devolved to over 260 posts overseas and details of their contracts are not held centrally, the information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Cabinet Office
Efficiency Savings
9. Jake Berry: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the efficiency savings achieved in 2011 to date. [59579]
Mr Maude: The controls we put in place in May last year have yielded savings of well over £3 billion in the short financial year that ended in March.
Reduced spend on marketing and advertising by over 80%
Saved £400 million through stopping low value projects
Reduced our on-going property costs by over £90 million
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Generated £800 million of savings by renegotiating contracts with our biggest suppliers
Saved over £850 million by new controls on hiring consultants
These savings will enable Departments to protect front line service delivery and protect public sector jobs.
Voluntary Sector
10. Rehman Chishti: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps he is taking to reduce the burden of regulation on the voluntary sector. [59580]
Mr Hurd: We are determined to reduce the red tape that prevents people from acting to improve their communities.
I invited Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts to investigate the question ‘what stops us all giving more time and money to charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises’. Last month his taskforce made recommendations such as making it easier to be a volunteer driver. We are now working across Government to implement as many of the recommendations as possible.
The Government have also set up a broader Red Tape Challenge.
12. Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps he is taking to reduce the burden of regulation on the voluntary sector. [59582]
Mr Hurd: We are determined to reduce the red tape that prevents people from acting to improve their communities.
I invited Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts to investigate the question ‘what stops us all giving more time and money to charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises’. Last month his taskforce made recommendations such as making it easier to be a volunteer driver. We are now working across Government to implement as many of the recommendations as possible.
The Government have also set up a broader Red Tape Challenge.
Charities: Mental Health
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will estimate the proportion of income of charities in England that is received by mental health charities. [59629]
Mr Hurd: Data from the Civil Society Almanac, produced by the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO), show that UK charities received a total of £35.5 billion in income in 2007-08. Of this income, £3.4 billion was received by charities working in the health sector in the UK. Figures are not available from this source to determine the proportion of income for charities in England that is received by mental health charities.
Company Accounts
Caroline Nokes:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many small businesses which would not otherwise produce quarterly accounts were asked to do so by the Office for National Statistics in the last
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12 months; and what estimate he has made of the cost to those small businesses of preparing such reports. [59983]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated June 2011:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning how many small businesses which would not otherwise produce quarterly accounts were asked to do so by the Office for National Statistics in the last 12 months; and what estimate has been made of the cost to those small businesses of preparing such reports (59983).
ONS does not require businesses to produce quarterly accounts. Our sample surveys require businesses to provide estimates of economic transactions. These do not require the production of quarterly accounts.
Departmental Billing
Gordon Banks: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) how many invoices his Department received in respect of goods or services supplied by tier 1 suppliers between 1 May 2010 and 1 April 2011; and how many of those invoices were not paid within the period specified in the Government's Fair Payment guidance; [55873]
(2) how many invoices the Prime Minister's Office received in respect of goods or services supplied by tier 1 suppliers between 1 May 2010 and 1 April 2011; and how many of those invoices were not paid within the period specified in the Government's Fair Payment guidance. [55860]
Mr Maude: For these purposes the Prime Minister’s Office forms an integral part of the Cabinet Office.
The information requested for Cabinet Office regarding the number of invoices received in respect of goods and services supplied for tier 1 suppliers between the time periods specified is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Information is available on the number of invoices received between 1 May 2010 and 1 April 2011, and the number not paid within the period as specified in line with Government policy.
The following table shows the breakdown of payments for the period requested
|
|
Number | Percentage |
The Cabinet Office does not have any contracts to which the Government’s Fair Payment Guidance refers. Therefore no invoices have been received for these goods and services.
Departmental Public Expenditure
Jon Trickett:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) under what budget headings and for what purposes the expenditure associated with transaction
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number
(a)
3000014029,
(b)
3000014121,
(c)
3000014389 and
(d)
3000014417 for January 2011 published on the Transparency website, was spent; [59706]
(2) under what budget headings and for what purposes the expenditure associated with transaction number (a) 3000014491, (b) 3000014634, (c) 3000014670, (d) 3000014777 and (e) 3000014951 for February 2011 published on the Transparency website, was spent; [59707]
(3) under what budget headings and for what purposes the expenditure associated with transaction number (a) 3000015192, (b) 3000015588, (c) 3000015699 and (d) 3000015859 for March 2011 published on the Transparency website was spent; [59708]
(4) how much was spent under each cost category in respect of transaction numbers (a) 3000013467, (b) 3000013581, (c) 300013749, (d) 3000013791 and (e) 3000013864 in December 2010 posted on the Transparency website and attributable to the Cabinet Office Central Department; [59755]
(5) how much was spent under each cost category in respect of transaction numbers (a) 3000012982, (b) 3000013043, (c) 300013058, (d) 3000013193, (e) 3000013225, (f) 3000013477 and (g) 3000013398 in November 2010 posted on the Transparency website and attributable to the Cabinet Office Central Department. [59756]
Mr Maude [holding answer 14 June 2011]: Details of how much was spent under each cost category and what the budget headings were can be found under the ‘expense type’ column of the CSV files for each month which can be found at:
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/cabinet-office-spend-data
Attorney-General
Trade Unions
Mr Raab: To ask the Attorney-General pursuant to the answer of 23 May 2011, Official Report, columns 376-7W, on trade unions, when he expects information to become available on (a) the number of staff of the Crown Prosecution Service entitled to work (i) full-time as trade union representatives and (ii) part-time on trade union activities, (b) the number of such staff paid more than £25,900 annually and (c) the cost to the public purse of employing such staff on such duties in 2010-11. [59779]
The Solicitor-General: Data for the financial year April 2010-11 are currently being collected and the overall figures should be finalised within the next four weeks. I will write to my hon. Friend with the updated figures once they are available. The position for 2010-11 is however unlikely to have changed significantly from that of the previous year.
Treasury
Arch Cru
Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will consider the merits of initiating an investigation into the Financial Services Authority's role in relation to Arch Cru funds. [59611]
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Mr Hoban: The Financial Services Authority is currently investigating the issues surrounding the suspension and winding up of the Arch Cru funds. It would not be appropriate for the Government to comment on an ongoing investigation by the independent regulator.
Banks: Pay
Chris Leslie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what meetings he has had with his EU counterparts to discuss disclosure by banks of the number of employees paid salary and bonuses of more than £1 million per year. [59379]
Mr Hoban: Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings 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 meetings.
Construction Industry Scheme
Mr Umunna: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people were employed in the HM Revenue and Customs Construction Industry scheme enforcement unit in each year from 2005 to 2010. [52903]
Mr Gauke: Details of the number of staff employed in HM Revenue and Customs Construction Industry Teams are held only from April 2008.
|
|
Full-time equivalent |
In May 2010 the members of the Construction Industry Teams were integrated into mainstream teams in local compliance where they continue to carry out work on CIS enforcement.
Disadvantaged: Financial Services
Mr Buckland: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what plans he has for future provision of money advice in respect of (a) coping with unemployment and (b) managing the transition back into work using benefits; [59661]
(2) what plans he has for future provision of money advice for (a) consumers and (b) small businesses; [59663]
(3) what plans he has for future provision of money advice in respect of (a) managing mortgage arrears and (b) preventing repossessions. [59662]
Mr Hoban: The Money Advice Service is an independent body, established in the Financial Services Act 2010 to promote understanding of the financial system and raise levels of financial capability across the UK. It offers free and impartial financial information and advice to members of the public nationally online, by telephone, and face-to-face.
Its services cover the full spectrum of financial issues and include help and advice at key life stages, for example, for those starting work or facing redundancy. The Money Advice Service also directs individuals to
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more specialist help and advice where appropriate. For example, those in mortgage arrears who may risk losing their home may be directed to crisis debt advice.
The Money Advice Service is aimed at consumers rather than businesses. Business Link is the support service in England which provides businesses with impartial information and advice, including on finances, to start and develop their business. It is available online and by telephone. The devolved Administrations have equivalent support services to Business Link, which in some cases, also includes additional face to face support. Under the aegis of the British Bankers' Association Business Finance Taskforce, the major UK banks have also committed to creating a website for businesses in which they can get impartial information about how to secure finance and the best options for their business. They are also developing a business mentoring scheme which will be rolled out in phases across the country this year.
Financial Markets
Stephen Phillips: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to monitor the international derivatives market. [59414]
Mr Hoban: The UK Government are actively supporting the efforts to reduce systemic risk in derivatives through the measures announced in the European Markets Infrastructure Regulation. This includes supporting the obligation to require all derivative transactions to be reported to trade repositories.
Within the UK the Bank of England's interim Financial Policy Committee also has a monitoring function as part of its systemic remit to protect and enhance the UK financial system.
Fuels: Prices
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effects of the Energy Company Obligation on domestic fuel bills. [58193]
Gregory Barker: I have been asked to reply.
An assessment of this issue will be included in the impact assessment which will be published in the autumn, alongside our consultation on the detailed design of the ECO policy.
The effect ECO has on fuel bills will ultimately depend on the outcomes we require energy companies to deliver and how they choose to absorb or pass on costs.
We expect competitive pressure between the energy companies to help keep costs down.
Income Tax
Dr Huppert: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what amount of taxable income comprised personal earnings above £150,000 in each month of each of the last 10 tax years; [59626]
(2) how much was collected in income tax on earnings above £150,000 (a) through pay as you earn, (b) through self-assessment and (c) overall in each month in each of the last 10 tax years. [59627]
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Mr Gauke: The estimated amount of total income excluding savings and dividends above £150,000, after deductions and allowances, and the estimated income tax liability on this income, split between taxpayers on self assessment and pay as you earn only, is shown in the following table. The third column shows estimated total tax paid through SA and PAYE for taxpayers who are on SA and the fourth column shows estimated tax paid through PAYE for taxpayers who are on PAYE only.
| £ million | |||
|
|
Income (excluding savings and dividends) (1) | Income tax from taxpayers on self assessment | Income tax from taxpayers on pay as you earn only |
| (1) After deductions and allowances (including allowances as income tax reductions, e.g. married couples allowance). | |||
The estimates for 2000-01 to 2007-08 are based on the Survey of personal incomes (SPI). For 2008-09 onwards tax return data is not available for analysis. Estimates in the table are based on the 2007-08 SPI using economic assumptions consistent with the Office for Budget Responsibility's March 2011 economic and fiscal outlook,
The information is not available on a monthly basis.
Members: Correspondence
Sir Alan Beith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Financial Secretary to the Treasury plans to respond to the letters of 1 March 2011 and 21 April 2011 from the right hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed on the Financial Services Compensation Scheme and FSA fees. [59534]
Mr Hoban: I wrote to all right hon. and hon. Members on 1 March 2011 to set out the Government's overall position on the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. This letter was in response to any outstanding correspondence that hon. Members may have raised.
National Insurance Contributions
Rachel Reeves: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate additional national insurance payments which would have been due in (a) employee and (b) employer contributions if the pensions contracting-out regime had not been in place in each year since 1990. [57274]
Mr Gauke
[holding answer 24 May 2011]:Estimates of the additional national insurance contributions for 2000-01 to 2009-10 that would have been due if
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contracting-out from the state second pension had not been available are shown in the following table.
Estimates for previous years are not available.
| £ million | |||
|
|
Employee contributions | Employer contributions | Total |
Non-domestic Rates: Appeals
Mrs Mensch: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many appeals have been received by the Valuation Office Agency against national non-domestic rates valuations (a) in each of the last five years for which figures are available and (b) in 2011-12 to date; [59334]
(2) how many appeals against national non-domestic rate valuations were received by the Valuation Office Agency in relation to 2010 revaluations of non-domestic property in each local authority area in (a) each of the last three years and (b) 2011-12 to date; [59360]
(3) how many appeals against national non-domestic rate valuations were received by the Valuation Office Agency (a) in relation to the 2005 rating and (b) in each of the last three years for which figures are available. [59361]
Mr Gauke: The following table details the number of proposals (appeals) to alter the rating list received by the Valuation Office Agency in relation to the 2000, 2005 and 2010 England and Wales rating lists, for each of the previous five financial years.
| Proposals received with respect to compiled rating lists | ||||
| Financial year | 2000 (1) | 2005 (2) | 2010 (3) | Total |
| (1) Proposals to amend the 2.000 list could potentially be made up to six months after the list was closed on 1 April 2006. (2) Similarly proposals to amend the 2005 list can be potentially made until 1 October 2011. (3) The20l0 rating list came into operation on the 1 April 2010 therefore there are no proposals with respect to this list for earlier financial years (4 )1 April 2011 to 30 April 2011 | ||||
Latest figures for the number of proposals (appeals) received by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) in relation to the 2010 local rating list by local authority for the 2010-11 financial year were published on 12 May 2011 in Table 3.2 of the “Local Rating List: Challenges” publication on the VOA website in the following location:
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http://www.voa.gov.uk/publications/statistical_releases/May-2011-local-rating/Challenges/Table%203.2.xls
The 2010 rating list came into operation on the 1 April 2010 therefore there are no proposals (appeals) with respect to this list for earlier financial years. The number of Proposals (appeals) received by the VOA in relation to the 2010 rating list in 2011-12 financial year to date (30 April 2011) broken down by local authority has been placed in the Library of the House.