Kosovo: Peacekeeping Operations
Mr Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contribution the UK is making to the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo. [81298]
Mr Lidington: The UK continues to provide strong political support and direction to the EU Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX). In terms of secondments, the UK currently provides 35 secondees to the Mission, including the Deputy Head of Mission, the Heads of Customs and Organised Crime, judges, police officers and the Chief Spokesperson. While the UK does not contribute separate funding directly to the EULEX budget, the overall UK contribution to the EU CFSP Budget is 15% in 2011, amounting therefore to £19.6 million in the case of CFSP funding for EULEX.
Middle East: Armed Conflict
Mr McCann: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his Egyptian counterpart on relations with Israel following terrorist attacks in southern Israel. [80759]
Alistair Burt: I issued a statement on 18 August 2011 condemning the attacks in southern Israel earlier that day, calling them appalling and senseless acts of violence and offering sincere condolences to the family and friends of those injured and killed.
We have reiterated these messages to Egyptian officials, and the Egyptians have reassured us that they take their responsibilities very seriously.
In the Prime Minister's statement on 10 September 2011, he welcomed Egypt's agreement that it would uphold Egypt's international agreements including its peace treaty with Israel, stated that we looked to Egypt to honour this agreement, and urged both countries to work together to resolve current tensions and enhance regional stability.
We continue to deliver our key messages on the importance of upholding Egypt-Israeli relations in discussions at official level with both our Egyptian and Israeli interlocutors.
Mr McCann: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his Israeli counterpart on relations with Egypt following terrorist attacks in southern Israel. [80760]
Alistair Burt: I issued a statement on 18 August 2011 condemning the attacks in southern Israel earlier that day, calling them appalling and senseless acts of violence and offering sincere condolences to the family and friends of those injured and killed.
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We have reiterated these messages to Egyptian officials, and the Egyptians have reassured us that they take their responsibilities very seriously.
In the Prime Minister's statement on 10 September 2011, he welcomed Egypt's agreement that it would uphold Egypt's international agreements including its peace treaty with Israel, stated that we looked to Egypt to honour this agreement, and urged both countries to work together to resolve current tensions and enhance regional stability.
We continue to deliver our key messages on the importance of upholding Egypt-Israeli relations in discussions at official level with both our Egyptian and Israeli interlocutors.
Middle East: Reconciliation
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has had meetings with groups working to promote reconciliation in Israel and Palestine since May 2010. [80899]
Alistair Burt: Both my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and I have attended numerous meetings here in the UK, in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories with groups who are working to promote reconciliation and have an interest in resolving the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.
North Korea: Crimes against Humanity
Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on the establishment of a UN Commission of Inquiry to investigate crimes against humanity in North Korea. [80923]
Mr Jeremy Browne: The UK focuses its efforts on working with international partners to encourage North Korea to allow access to the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in North Korea. The UK also works with international partners to sponsor annual resolutions against North Korea in the UN General Assembly and the Human Rights Council. We are not against the idea of a UN Commission of Inquiry to investigate crimes against humanity in North Korea. However, it is highly unlikely that such an inquiry could be established through the UN Security Council (UNSC) as not all UNSC members would agree.
North Korea: Human Rights
Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to raise violations of human rights by the Government of North Korea (a) in prison camps and (b) elsewhere. [80922]
Mr Jeremy Browne:
We use every opportunity to raise violations of human rights in prison camps and elsewhere with the North Korean Government, both through our engagement with the North Korean embassy in London and through our embassy in Pyongyang. In addition to this, we also asked North Korea to provide further
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information on a range of issues in the Human Rights Council (HRC) including freedom of expression, religious freedoms and the death penalty. Finally, we support UN and EU resolutions on North Korea on an annual basis to raise awareness and promote international action.
North Korea: Prisons
Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the (a) size, (b) extent of use and (c) conditions of prison camps in North Korea. [80921]
Mr Jeremy Browne: I recently met Shin Dong-Hyuk, a North Korean defector who spent the first 23 years of his life in a labour camp. His account and those of other defectors show that torture and beatings are still widely practised in the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea's (DPRK) prison camps. Most inmates endure hard labour, poor access to food, and lack of medical care. Some 150,000 to 200,000 political prisoners are reported to be serving terms in DPRK camps. A lack of transparency and independent verification mean that we are unable to assess the situation directly. This is why we regularly urge the North Korean regime to allow access to the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in North Korea to verity the situation independently.
South Sudan
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many officials of his Department are stationed in South Sudan. [80847]
Mr Bellingham: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 9 September 2011, Official Report, column 878W.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next plans to visit South Sudan. [80849]
Mr Bellingham: For security and operational reasons we do not comment on or announce visits.
Stephen Crouch
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what dates Mr Stephen Crouch has visited his Department since April 2010. [81113]
Mr Lidington: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for North Durham (Mr Jones) on 8 November 2011, Official Report, column 157W.
Communities and Local Government
Adam Werritty
Mr Kevan Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether (a) he, (b) any Ministers and (c) officials of his Department have met (i) Mr Michael Hintze, (ii) Mr Tony
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Buckingham, (iii) Mr Michael Davis, (iv) Mr Poju Zabludowicz, (v) Jon Moulton and (vi) Stephen Crouch; and where any such meetings took place. [78654]
Robert Neill: Details of Ministers’ and the permanent secretary’s meetings with external organisations are published on a quarterly basis and are available at:
www.communities.gov.uk/corporate/transparencyingovernment/
None of these meetings involved the individuals mentioned in the hon. Member’s question.
Information in respect of other officials’ meetings is not held centrally, but I am not aware of any official meetings with these individuals.
Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether (a) he, (b) officials of his Department and (c) special advisers in his Department have met Mr Adam Werritty on official business since May 2010; and how many such meetings took place (i) on his Department’s premises and (ii) elsewhere. [78853]
Robert Neill: I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the right hon. Member for Leeds Central (Hilary Benn) on 24 October 2011, Official Report, column 58W.
Special advisers in this Department have had no such meetings with Mr Werritty.
Records are not held centrally of all officials’ meetings, but I am not aware of any officials having met with Mr Werritty.
Bell Pottinger Group
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on what dates he has met representatives of (a) Bell Pottinger Group and (b) its subsidiaries; and what was discussed. [81264]
Robert Neill: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 24 October 2011, Official Report, column 60W.
Council Tax
Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what methodology his Department used to cost the proposal to freeze council tax for 2012-13; and whether the funding for this proposal will come from his Department’s existing budget. [76343]
Robert Neill:
The methodology used to cost the proposal to freeze council tax for 2012-13 assumed that every billing and major precepting authority in England would not increase its basic amount of council tax (the band D amount) in 2012-13 compared with 2011-12. For each such authority, a notional council tax requirement was calculated by multiplying the authority’s 2011-12 basic amount of council tax by an estimate of its 2012-13 tax base. For police authorities, and fire and rescue authorities, the grant to be made available was estimated to be 3% of the notional council tax requirement; and for other principal authorities, 2.5%. Slightly different percentages were used for the Greater London authority and the
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City of London to reflect the atypical proportion of their expenditure that is devoted to delivering police and/or fire services. The tax base for billing authorities in 2012-13 was estimated by reference to the three-year average growth in their tax bases from 2008-09 to 2011-12. The tax base for precepting authorities was estimated by aggregating the component billing authority tax base estimates.
Actual grant payments will be determined on the basis of the tax bases eventually reported to the Department by billing authorities in March 2012. The Department’s delegated expenditure limit for local government in 2011-12 will be increased to reflect this commitment.
Consultants
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many full-time equivalent staff are employed on consultancy contracts in his Department; and if he will make a statement. [77488]
Robert Neill: The following table sets out the number of full-time equivalent staff currently employed on consultancy contracts within the Department:
I refer the hon. Member to my answers of 12 October 2011, Official Report, columns 448-49W, on the need for Enhanced Audits of the European Regional Development Fund Programme.
Design Services
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what contracts his Department has awarded for design services since May 2010; and what information his Department holds on the location of such companies. [80182]
Robert Neill: The Department for Communities and Local Government ran one advertising campaign in 2010-11—Fire Kills—that aimed to encourage people to test their smoke alarm regularly in order to prevent fatalities and injuries from fire in the home. The contract for the creative work associated with this was awarded to agency RKCR/Y&R, located in London.
Freedom of Information Requests
Jon Trickett:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government in respect of how many responses to requests for information received by his Department under the Freedom of Information
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Act 2000 the reason of
(a)
commercially sensitive information,
(b)
information not held,
(c)
information too costly to provide and
(d)
vexatious or repeated requests has been given in response since January 2010. [78892]
Robert Neill: In the 18-month period from January 2010 to June 2011, the Department for Communities and Local Government refused (a) 33 requests on grounds that the information was commercially sensitive and disclosure would have been prejudicial to some party's commercial interests; (b) 173 requests where the information requested was not held; (c) 35 requests on grounds that locating and extracting the information would exceed the proportionate cost limit—including five requests where fees notices were issued but no payment was received; and (d) 24 requests that were deemed vexatious or repeated. Figures for the months since June 2011 have not been included in these totals since these figures have not yet been prepared for submitting to Ministry of Justice for publication in ‘Freedom of Information: Statistics of Implementation in Central Government’ for the third quarter of 2011.
Departmental Mobile Phones
Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many mobile telephones and BlackBerrys were provided to staff in his Department between June 2007 and May 2010; and what the total cost to the public purse was of (a) line rental, (b) insurance and (c) purchase of such telecommunications equipment. [68324]
Robert Neill: For the period 1 June 2007 to 1 May 2010 the Department spent £563,529 on mobile phones and BlackBerry devices (please note that this is the cost of all mobile devices including 39 3G cards that provide mobile internet access for nomadic laptop users). The total number of mobile phones and BlackBerry devices on issue to staff on 1 May 2010 was 735. Historical data detailing phones issued to staff in 2007 are not available.
The Department does not pay for insurance and the expenditure above could be broken down into equipment cost and line rental only at disproportionate cost.
Since the general election, my Department has taken steps to reduce spending in this area and improve value for money.
Procurement
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many contracts his Department has awarded directly to (a) small, (b) medium-sized and (c) large businesses in each month since May 2010; what the value was of such contracts; and if he will make a statement. [75119]
Robert Neill: This information on contract awards is not held centrally and could be answered only at disproportionate cost.
However we are able to provide a breakdown of actual expenditure with small, medium and large business for the period requested which is set out in the following table:
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| £ | |||
|
|
(a) Small | (b) Medium | (c) Large |
As part of the Government's wider agenda to open up opportunities to small and medium-sized enterprises, DCLG has published its ‘pipeline' of business, which will be updated on a quarterly basis, on the departmental website and has also placed guidance on the website to support these enterprises when bidding for business.
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many contracts his Department has advertised on the Contracts Finder website in each month since May 2010; what the value was of such contracts; what proportion were awarded to (a) third sector organisations and (b) small businesses; and if he will make a statement. [75121]
Robert Neill: The following table provides a month by month breakdown of the contract opportunities and values published by DCLG on Contracts Finder (since it launched in January 2011) from February 2011 to October 2011. There is no present capability to highlight contract awards to third sector organisations on Contracts Finder.
|
|
Total number | Small businesses | Percentage proportion awarded to small businesses | Total contract value (£) |
As part of the Government's wider agenda to open up opportunities to small and medium sized enterprises, DCLG has published its ‘pipeline' of business, which will be updated on a quarterly basis, on the departmental website and has also placed guidance on the website to support these enterprises when bidding for business.
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Voluntary Work
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what volunteering (a) he and (b) other Ministers in his Department have undertaken as part of the One Day Challenge; what the nature of the work undertaken was; on what dates it took place; and what the names were of the organisations assisted. [76246]
Robert Neill: Charitable giving is a personal matter for individuals, although it is encouraged by Government. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and his ministerial team, like all Government Ministers, have pledged to undertake a “One Day Challenge” with a charity or community group of their choice. This is a clear and public commitment by Ministers to give their time to help others. The pledge aims to inspire others to consider how they might be able to support their communities to benefit themselves, as well as their chosen organisations.
A list of the charities and voluntary groups that Ministers are closely involved with can also be found in the Cabinet Office’s List of Ministers’ Interests at:
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/sites/default/files/resources/ministers-interests.pdf
Written Questions
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether draft answers to parliamentary questions prepared by officials in his Department are cleared by special advisers (a) before and (b) after the relevant Minister. [79588]
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Robert Neill: Ministerial clearance is always the final stage before a parliamentary question is answered.
Fire Services
Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will place in the Library a copy of the Gateway Review final report on FireControl. [80240]
Robert Neill: A copy of the Office of Government Commerce—Gateway Review 3B Investment Decision report has been deposited in the Library of the House. As the project was not subject to the Gateway Review 4 Readiness for Service, this is the most recent Gateway Review report.
Housing
Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many net additional dwellings were created in England in each year between 1990-91 and 2000-01 inclusive; and how many and what proportion of such dwellings were (a) net build completions, (b) net conversions, (c) net change of use, (d) net other gains and (e) demolitions in each such year. [81231]
Grant Shapps: Estimates as available are shown in the following table. A full breakdown for the period requested is not possible because the Department for Communities and Local Government's official statistics series on ‘net supply of housing' began in 2000-01.
The estimates of net supply are derived from the differences between successive annual stock estimates. Some estimates for net conversions and demolitions are shown where available, based on local authority returns in some years. Estimates are not available for net change of use and net other gains and losses.
| Net additional dwellings completed, England | New build completions | Net conversions | Demolitions | |||||
|
|
(000s) Number | (000s) Percentage (1) | (000s) Number | (000s) Percentage (1) | (000s) Number | (000s) Percentage (1) e | (000s) Number | (000s) Percentage (1) |
| (1) Percentages in the table do not sum to 100 because estimates are not available for net change of use and net other gains and losses. (2) Prior to 1991, dwelling stock estimates were compiled as at 31 December each year. From 1991 onwards this was changed to 31 March each year. Therefore, no meaningful figure for the change in dwelling stock between 1990 and 1991 can be provided. Sources: Net additional dwellings: data for 2000-01 were collected in the Housing Flows Reconciliation return from local authorities. Prior to this, estimates of net housing supply were calculated from the dwelling stock estimates in Live Table 104: “Dwelling stock by tenure, England”, available on the Department for Communities and Local Government website at the following link. http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingresearch/housingstatistics/housingstatisticsby/stockincludingvacants/livetables/ New build completions: “House Building statistics”, available on the Department for Communities and Local Government website at the following link. http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingresearch/housingstatistics/housingstatisticsby/housebuilding/ | ||||||||
Housing: Construction
Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many houses were built in Ashfield constituency between 2005 and 2011; and what proportion of such houses were affordable housing. [80435]
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Andrew Stunell
[holding answer 14 November 2011]:Statistics on house building are not available on a parliamentary constituency basis, but the following table shows the number of new homes built in Ashfield district council area in each year from 2005 to the second quarter of 2011, according to the Department
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for Communities and Local Government's House Building National Statistics. Ashfield has seen 2,390 new homes over this time period of which 380 units were in the affordable housing sector which equates to 16% of the total.
|
|
Private enterprise | Housing association | Local authority | Total |
| Source: New build completions from P2 monthly and quarterly returns submitted by local authorities and the National House-Building Council to DCLG. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 units. | ||||
The Department for Communities and Local Government also produces an annual National Statistics series dedicated to the supply of affordable housing. This provides more detail on the types and providers of new affordable housing and includes acquisitions of existing dwellings as well as new build. Because of differences in data sources and timing these statistics can give different estimates of affordable new build from the House Building statistics above. These statistics are available on the Department for Communities and Local Government website at the following link.
http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingresearch/housingstatistics/housingstatisticsby/affordablehousingsupply/
Local Government: Pensions
Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what economic impact assessment his Department has carried out on the effect of proposed changes to the Local Government Pension Scheme on Workington constituency. [80761]
Robert Neill: I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to the hon. Members for Gedling (Vernon Coaker) and for Stoke-on-Trent Central (Tristram Hunt), on 7 November 2011, Official Report, column 23W.
Local Government: Public Consultation
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent progress he has made on implementing the coalition agreement to give residents the power to instigate local referendums on any local issue. [80378]
Robert Neill: I refer my hon. Friend to the proceedings on the consideration of Lords Amendments to the Localism Bill at 7 November 2011, Official Report, columns 84-85.
MoveUK
Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the estimated gross cost was to the taxpayer of the collapse of the MoveUK housing exchange scheme that replaced the HOMES scheme; and what assessment he has made of the reasons for the failure of the MoveUK scheme. [80381]
Grant Shapps: The previous Government negotiated a confidential financial settlement with the MoveUK contractor in June 2007. In addition to this the Government paid £1.06 million for the development of the software and IT infrastructure for the failed service.
MoveUK was a centrally prescribed service, funded at the tax payers' expense, which the previous Government designed and then failed to deliver. In the first two years of MoveUK, the contractor only achieved half the number of moves of its predecessors and had no clear strategy to improve this. In contrast, I have successfully launched HomeSwap Direct which will allow tenants wishing to move to see details of all possible swaps across the United Kingdom for the first time ever. This was achieved with no cost to tax payers through negotiation with existing mutual exchange service providers and builds on services which are already working effectively.
Organised Crime: Departmental Coordination
Meg Hillier: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which Minister in his Department is a member of the inter-ministerial group dealing with gang culture; and on what dates they have attended meetings of the group. [79049]
Robert Neill [holding answer 7 November 2011]: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government attends the inter-ministerial group on gangs. The group has met on a number of occasions.
15 Nov 2011 : Column 703W
Parish Councils: Non-domestic Rates
Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment his Department has made of the merits of extending to parish councils the exemption on business rates on properties for trusts; and if he will make a statement. [80565]
Robert Neill: There is no exemption from business rates for properties held on trust. A property occupied by charitable trustees only may receive 80% mandatory charity relief provided the property is used for charitable purposes. Local councils pay rates like any other public body and are not eligible for business rates reliefs.
Planning Permission
Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate his Department has made of the amount of land that is available with planning permission for (a) employment and (b) industrial development in each local authority area in (i) 2007-08, (ii) 2008-09, (iii) 2009-10, (iv) 2010-11 and (v) the current financial year. [79323]
Robert Neill: The Department has not estimated the amount of land that is available with planning permission for employment or industrial development. The Department collects summary statistics on planning applications but these do not include information on land areas.
Steve Brine: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether updated local plans have primacy when determining planning applications. [79839]
Robert Neill [holding answer 10 November 2011]: Section 38(6) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 requires that planning applications be determined in accordance with the development plan for the area, unless other material considerations indicate otherwise.
This applies irrespective of how recently the plan was updated.
Rates and Rating: Ealing
Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the cash value was of the (a) domestic rate and (b) non-domestic rate expressed as pence in the pound in the London borough of Ealing in each financial year from 1986-87 until (i) the abolition of domestic rates and (ii) the introduction of the national non-domestic rate. [80239]
Robert Neill: The information requested is not held centrally.
Smoke Alarms: Procurement
Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many FireAngel ST-620 smoke alarms have been supplied through the FireBuy scheme to each Fire and Rescue Service (FRS); over what period those smoke alarms were procured; what the total cost has been to each FRS; and if he will make a statement. [81320]
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Robert Neill: This information is not held centrally and could be supplied only at a disproportionate cost.
FireBuy went into voluntary liquidation on 13 July 2011 as part of Government's review of arm’s length bodies. Its framework contracts, including smoke alarms, were formally novated to Wiltshire county council with the Consortium for Purchasing and Distribution Ltd managing these on Wiltshire's behalf.
Tenants: East of England
Mr Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many tenants of (a) Cross Keys Homes, (b) Accent Nene Housing, (c) Minster Housing and (d) Axiom Housing are in (i) full-time paid work, (ii) retired, (iii) not in paid work and (iv) in receipt of housing benefit; and if he will make a statement. [79823]
Robert Neill [holding answer 10 November 2011]: This information is not collected by the Department of Communities and Local Government or its executive body, the Homes and Communities Agency.
Voluntary Organisations: Finance
Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the total amount of funding given by his Department to the voluntary sector was in each of the last 15 years. [80739]
Andrew Stunell: The Department's records are not able to identify payments made to the voluntary sector over this time period. A list of payments made under Section 70 of the Charities Act 2006 to charities and voluntary groups is published in the Department's annual report and resource accounts on a yearly basis.
Annual reports and resource accounts for each year are published on the Department's website. Grant spending over £500 since 2008-09 is also published on the website as part of my Department's broader transparency agenda.
Treasury
Bank Services: Sharia
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with financial institutions on the provision of Sharia compliant bank accounts, savings accounts and mortgages; and what estimate he has made of the take-up of such accounts and mortgages in the latest period for which figures are available. [81304]
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 such meetings.
The Treasury does not collect data on the take-up of Sharia compliant accounts.
15 Nov 2011 : Column 705W
Design Services
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what contracts his Department has awarded for design services since May 2010; and what information his Department holds on the location of such companies. [80189]
Miss Chloe Smith: Since May 2010 HM Treasury has not awarded any contracts for design services.
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department has spent on design in respect of (a) logos, (b) buildings, (c) advertising, (d) stationery and (e) campaigns in the last year for which figures are available. [80198]
Miss Chloe Smith: During the last year HM Treasury has not incurred any spend for the design of logos, buildings, advertising, stationery or campaigns.
EU Grants and Loans
Mr Sanders: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will implement the provisions of the draft EU regulations relating to 2014-20 EU Structural Fund to ensure the inclusion of transition regions in the funding framework. [81112]
Mr Hoban: As set out in its response to the European Commission's Fifth report on Cohesion, the Government believe that regions graduating from convergence support should benefit from enhanced funding via a transitional arrangement.
Green Economy Council
Barry Gardiner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many meetings of the Green Economy Council he has attended. [80443]
Miss Chloe Smith: The Green Economy Council comprises Ministers from the Department for Business, Innovation for Skills, the Department of Energy and Climate Change and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and business representatives from a cross-section of industries and sectors. The full membership list is available online at:
http://nds.coi.gov.uk/content/detail.aspx?NewsAreald=2&ReleaseID=418063&SubjectId=2
Income Tax: Tax Rates and Bands
Owen Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many tax-planning schemes were disclosed to HM Revenue and Customs in the year preceding the announcement of the 50 per cent. rate of income tax on 22 April 2009; and how many have been disclosed since that announcement. [81243]
Mr Gauke: 138 direct tax avoidance schemes were disclosed to HMRC from 22( )April 2008 to 21 April 2009 under the Disclosure of Tax Avoidance Schemes (DOTAS) regime. From 22 April 2009 to date, 354 direct tax avoidance schemes have been disclosed.
Disclosed direct tax avoidance schemes can include arrangements which are not aimed at income tax avoidance. For example, schemes may aim to avoid capital gains
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tax, national insurance contributions or corporation tax. The disclosure statistics are published on the HMRC website at:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/avoidance/statsoct11.xls
Members: Correspondence
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to answer the letter from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton of 4 October 2011 regarding Mr M. Cowen. [81175]
Miss Chloe Smith: The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury, my noble Friend Lord Sassoon, replied to the right hon. Gentleman on 9 November 2011.
Public Sector: Part-time Employment
Rachel Reeves: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the proportion of public sector workers who work part time; and what proportion of such workers are women. [79793]
Mr Hurd [holding answer 10 November 2011]: 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 November 2011:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what estimate has made of the proportion of public sector workers who work part-time; and what proportion of such workers are women. (79793)
The latest period for which figures are available is 2010. ONS estimates that 38 per cent of public sector employees work part-time and that 85 per cent of these employees are women.
Public Sector: Pay
Rachel Reeves: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many public sector workers who worked (a) part-time and (b) full-time received a salary of less than £15,000 per annum in the latest period for which figures are available; and how many part-time public sector workers earned less than £15,000 per annum but received a full-time equivalent salary of greater than £15,000. [79794]
Mr Hurd [holding answer 10 November 2011]: 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 November 2011:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many public sector workers who worked (a) part-time and (b) full-time received a salary of less than £15,000 per annum in the latest period for which figures are available; and how many part-time public sector workers earned less than £15,000 per annum and received a full-time equivalent salary of greater than £15,000. (79794)
Annual levels of earnings are estimated from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), and are provided for all employees on adult rates of pay, who have been in the same job for more than a year. ASHE methodology cannot be used to
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provide estimates of the numbers of employees whose earnings is less than a specific amount, but can be used to provide estimates of percentage of employees in that category.
The ASHE, carried out in April each year, is the most comprehensive source of earnings information in the United Kingdom. It is a sample of all employees who are members of pay-as-you-earn (PAYE) schemes.
In 2010, the latest period for which figures are available, 70 per cent of part-time and 7 percent of full-time public sector employees earned less than £15,000 per annum. Of the part-time public sector employees who earned less than £15,000 per annum, ONS estimates that 60 per cent received a full-time equivalent salary greater than £15,000. Full-time equivalent salaries were derived from annual pay by pro-rating the part-time employees' paid hours worked to the median estimate of paid hours worked by full-time employees in the public sector.
Tax Allowances: Environment Protection
Barry Gardiner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many businesses have claimed enhanced capital allowances for (a) energy-saving plant and machinery, (b) water conservation plant and machinery and (c) low carbon dioxide emission cars in each year since 2001. [80442]
Miss Chloe Smith: Corporation tax returns identify whether a business has claimed enhanced capital allowances (ECA's) but do not distinguish between ECAs for energy-saving plant and machinery, water conservation plant and machinery and low carbon dioxide emission cars.
The following table gives the total number of companies estimated to have claimed ECAs on tax returns in each year from 2001 to 2009:
| Total number of companies | |
We are unable to provide the same data for unincorporated businesses as income tax returns have not required this information to be provided consistently since 2001.
Teachers: Pensions
Nadine Dorries: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if his Department will produce a valuation of the Teachers' Pension Scheme. [79186]
Mr Gibb: I have been asked to reply.
The Government put valuations of the public service pension schemes on hold while the consultation on the discount rate used to calculate contribution rates was taking place. The outcome of the consultation was announced in Budget 2011, but valuations remain on hold. Valuations are dependent on assumptions about the value of future costs, design of benefits and other factors. Many of these are currently under review as part of the Government's proposed reforms of the
15 Nov 2011 : Column 708W
public sector pension schemes. A decision on when to undertake the next valuation of the Teachers' Pension Scheme will be taken in due course.
VAT: Channel Islands
Mr Whittingdale: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to maintain low value consignment relief for genuinely indigenous businesses in the Channel Islands; and if he will make a statement. [81357]
Mr Gauke: I see no case for providing businesses based in the Channel Islands with a tax advantage compared to their UK-based competitors, particularly given the ease of access to the UK market provided by HMRC's import VAT pre-payment scheme for Channel Island-based companies.
VAT: Imports
Owen Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent estimate his Department has made of the cost of import relief for gifts (non-commercial consignments) sent from outside the EU. [81127]
Mr Gauke: No such estimate of the cost of the relief on gifts sent between private individuals has been made.
Owen Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate his Department has made of the increase in receipts to the Exchequer if his planned changes to low value consignment relief included all non-EU jurisdictions. [81128]
Mr Gauke: It was recently announced that effective from April 2012 the LVCR will be removed entirely from all imports from the Channel Islands. The estimate of the increase in receipts to the Exchequer from this measure will be announced in the autumn statement 2011. However, if the LVCR were to be removed from all non-EU jurisdictions as well, then the further increase from all non-EU jurisdictions would be of the order of £15 million.
VAT: Tax Rates and Bands
Owen Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will assess the effect of the recent increase in VAT on (a) household spending, (b) levels of household disposable income and (c) consumer confidence. [81126]
Mr Gauke: Sustainable public finances are essential for consumer confidence.
Decisive action taken by the Government in the comprehensive spending review and June Budget, including the increase in VAT, put the public finances and Government spending on a sustainable footing. This has prevented the turmoil seen in other countries' sovereign debt markets spreading to the UK and undermining confidence and the recovery in the private sector.
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Wales
Adam Werritty
Mr Hain: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether (a) she, (b) her Ministers and (c) officials in her Department have met (i) Mr Michael Hintze, (ii) Mr Tony Buckingham, (iii) Mr Michael Davis, (iv) Mr Poju Zabludowicz, (v) Mr Jon Moulton and (vi) Mr Stephen Crouch; and where any such meetings took place. [80575]
Mr David Jones: I refer the right hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave on 8 November 2011, Official Report, column 165W, to the hon. Member for North Durham (Mr Jones).
Anti-Semitism
Mr Hain: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps her Department has taken to combat anti-Semitism since July 2010; and if she will make a statement. [80582]
Mr David Jones: The Government are committed to confronting anti-Semitism wherever it is found. Policy on tackling anti-Semitism across the UK is co-ordinated by the Department for Communities and Local Government through the cross-Government working group on anti-Semitism. This group meets on a quarterly basis and includes representatives from the Community Security Trust, the Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Jewish Leadership Council.
The Government's approach to tackling anti-Semitism across the United Kingdom can be found in the “Three Years on Progress Report” which is available in the Library and at this link:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/communities/antisemitismresponse
The Equality Act 2010 also demonstrates the Government's commitment to promotion of racial and religious equality across Wales and Great Britain. The Welsh Government also have responsibility for some aspects of community cohesion in Wales and the Government are working closely with the Welsh Government to ensure progress in these areas is consistent across the UK.
Bell Pottinger Group
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether (a) Ministers, (b) officials and (c) political advisers in her Department have met representatives of (i) Bell Pottinger Group or (ii) each of its subsidiaries in the last five years; on what dates any such meetings took place; and what was discussed. [80044]
Mr David Jones: Since May 2010, the Wales Office publishes information on ministerial meetings with external organisations and hospitality received on a quarterly basis.
We do not hold centrally records of engagements as requested by the hon. Gentleman, and the information requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
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Communication
Mr Hain: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment she has made of the communications needs of her Department since May 2010. [80579]
Mr David Jones: Assessment of the skills, focus and requirements of the Wales Office is an ongoing process across all aspects of the Department's responsibilities.
In terms of communications, this has led to the greater focus on social media, targeted communications with interested groups, events and improving media monitoring, as well as carrying out existing press office duties.
Creative Industries
Mr Hain: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps she is taking to increase access to finance by small and medium-sized enterprises in the creative industries in Wales. [80620]
Mr David Jones: The Government recognise that to support growth in the private sector, including in the creative industries, a flow of credit must be available to viable SMEs.
In February 2011, the Government reached an agreement with five of the UK's biggest banks that secured £190 billion of new business lending and will increase lending to SMEs across the sectors to £76 billion, a 15% increase on the amount lent in 2010. £56.1 billion of this has been lent to SMEs in the first three quarters of 2011.
Departmental Buildings
Mr Hain: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what (a) building and (b) refurbishment projects her Department has undertaken since May 2010; and what the cost of each such project has been. [80531]
Mr David Jones: The information requested is as follows:
(a) There have been no building projects undertaken.
(b) I refer the right hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave on 7 July 2011, Official Report, column 1308W. An additional project was started over the summer recess to repair and replace damaged and worn bathroom and kitchen fittings in the Department's London building, to address a number of health and safety issues, and to make good other damage. This project is not completed and so the final cost is not yet available.
Official Hospitality
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much her Department spent on hospitality for events hosted by each Minister in her Department in each of the last 12 months. [73658]
Mr David Jones: In the financial year 2010-11 the Wales Office spent £44.64 in December 2010 and £936 in March 2011 on events hosted by the Secretary of State for Wales, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chesham and Amersham (Mrs Gillan).
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Ministerial Photographs
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much her Department has spent on ministerial (a) photoshoots and (b) videos since May 2010. [67528]
Ministerial Meetings
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales on how many occasions a request for a meeting by an hon. Member of each political party was refused by (a) a Minister in her Department directly and (b) her Department on behalf of a Minister in November 2010. [67585]
Mr David Jones: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given on 12 July 2011, Official Report, column 221W.
Security Vetting
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people were in possession of a security pass for her main Departmental headquarters, including multi-site headquarters and not including staff or contractors, in each month since May 2010. [77924]
Mr David Jones: The Wales Office issues security passes to a small number of people with a business need for regular access to the Department's main building, including hon. Members involved with parliamentary business for the Department, and some members of support staff in Ministers' Commons offices.
In October 2011, there were four such passholders. The information is not held for previous months and can be calculated only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Training
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much her Department has spent on training for Ministers since May 2010; and what the purpose was of such training. [67529]
Farmers
Mr Hain: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many (1) meetings she has had with (a) the CBI and (b) the TUC since her appointment; [80478]
(2) times she has met representatives of (a) the Countryside Alliance, (b) the National Farmers
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Union,
(c)
the Farmers' Union of Wales and
(d)
other countryside groups since May 2010. [80480]
Mr David Jones: Since May 2010, the Wales Office has published meetings with external organisations on its website on a quarterly basis.
High Speed 2 Railway Line
Mr Hain: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions she has had with Ministers in the Department for Transport on High Speed 2. [80612]
Mr David Jones: In line with the Ministerial Code, I am the Wales Office Minister handling all matters relating to High Speed 2.
I have regular discussions with a range of interested parties, including Ministers in the Department for Transport, on issues that affect Wales, including rail infrastructure.
Mr Hain: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Transport on the economic implications of the HS2 line for Wales. [80538]
Mr David Jones: I have regular discussions with a range of interested parties, including Ministers in the Department for Transport, on issues that affect Wales, including rail infrastructure.
The Government are currently undertaking analysis of the responses received from the recent consultation on a new national high-speed rail network. This is part of a wider programme of modernisation of the rail network, including electrification of the Great Western main line to Cardiff. The consultation considered a range of issues including potential economic implications for Wales.
Industry: Manpower
Mr Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many jobs have been (a) created and (b) lost in each industrial sector in Wales since May 2010. [67788]
Mr David Jones: Workforce jobs for industries in Wales for the period between quarter 2 2010 to quarter 2 2011 are outlined in the following table.
| JOBS04 Workforce Jobs by region and Industry | |||||
| Date by yearly quarter | |||||
| Industry | 2010 Q2 | 2010 Q3 | 2010 Q4 | 2011 Q1 | 2011 Q2 |
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|
Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles |
|||||
| Source: ONS: JOBS04 Workforce Jobs by Region and Industry September 2011 | |||||
Third Sector
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the name is of each charity and voluntary organisation Ministers in her Department have visited since May 2010. [67531]
Mr David Jones: The Secretary of State for Wales, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chesham and Amersham (Mrs Gillan), and I frequently visit a variety of charitable and voluntary organisations. Meetings with such organisations are listed on the Wales Office's website.
Youth Parliament
Mr Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions she has had with ministerial colleagues in the Department for Education on establishing Youth Parliament members for constituencies in Wales. [79941]
Mr David Jones: We recognise the importance of allowing young people to represent the views of their peers and to contribute to Government policies that affect them.
The Secretary of State for Wales, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chesham and Amersham (Mrs Gillan), is due to discuss Welsh representation and other issues with the UK Youth Parliament in the weeks to come.
Work and Pensions
Children: Day Care
Bob Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to assist middle income families with the costs of child care. [80117]
Maria Miller: Low and middle income families who qualify for universal credit will have access to support with child care costs if the lone parent or both members of the couple are working.
Families will be able to recover 70% of monthly child care costs up to £760 for one child or £1,300 for two or more children (therefore total help available is £532 and £910). This is equivalent to the current arrangements in tax credits of 70% of child care costs up to £175 for one child and £300 for two or more children per week.
Crisis Loans
Dr Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many Social Fund crisis loans were paid in each Jobcentre Plus budget area in each region in each of the last 12 months. [80342]
Steve Webb: The information is as follows:
| 2010-11 | ||||||
| Region | Budget a rea | November | December | January | February | March |
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15 Nov 2011 : Column 716W
| 2011-12 | ||||||||
| Region | Budget a rea | April | May | June | July | August | September | October |
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15 Nov 2011 : Column 718W
| Notes: 1. Figures are based on the number of initial awards. 2. Figures are from November 2010-11 to October 2011-12. 3. BDC—Benefit Delivery Centre. 4. BOBS—Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Surrey. 5. HIKYS—Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent and Sussex. | ||||||||
Dr Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many Social Fund crisis loans were (a) granted and (b) refused to (i) individuals registered as disabled, (ii) individuals over the pension age and (iii) lone parent households in each of the last 12 months. [80347]
Steve Webb: Please see the following tables.
| Crisis loan awards by client over last 12 months | ||||
|
|
|
Disabled | Pensioner | Lone Parent |