Police Accountability
18. Mr Rob Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent steps her Department has taken to improve the accountability of the police. [128832]
Glyn Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent steps her Department has taken to improve the accountability of the police. [128834]
Damian Green: The public voted in their millions last Thursday for their local police and crime commissioners. These directly elected individuals will ensure the police deal with the issues that really matter to the communities they serve, as the public will be holding them directly to account.
Antisocial Behaviour
19. Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department has taken to reduce levels of antisocial behaviour. [128833]
Mr Jeremy Browne: Our reforms are putting victims and communities at the heart of the response to antisocial behaviour. We have worked with eight police forces to test new ways of dealing with repeat and vulnerable victims, and are trialling the new Community Trigger with several leading local areas. We will also give front line professionals faster, more effective powers to protect the public.
Migration Controls
21. Mr Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment she has made of the potential effects on schools, housing and the NHS of the end of transitional controls on migration from Romania and Bulgaria. [128836]
Mr Harper: The Government do not routinely produce forecasts of levels of migration from individual countries.
The difficulty in producing a reliable forecast, which would need to take account of a variety of factors, is in this instance accentuated because we are not the only member state required to lift labour market restrictions in 2013.
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Arrest Warrants: Extradition
Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been extradited to the UK under a European arrest warrant for offences concerning (a) human trafficking, (b) child sex offences, (c) murder, (d) rape, (e) fraud, (f) grievous bodily harm, (g) robbery, (h) theft, (i) drug smuggling, (j) money laundering and (k) other offences to date; and if she will make a statement. [128830]
Mr Harper: It is not possible to break down by offence type the number of people who have been extradited to the UK under a European arrest warrant prior to 2009 due to the way data was recorded by the Serious Organised Crime Agency before this date. However, since April 2009 the figures are as follows:
| Offence type | Persons extradited post April 2009 |
Boarding Schools: Abuse
Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures exist to ensure that people who previously reported alleged incidents of sexual abuse at boarding schools will have their cases re-examined by the police, if requested. [127578]
Damian Green: Anyone with a complaint about the way their allegation was investigated by the police should contact the police force concerned, their police authority or the Independent Police Complaints Commission.
Boko Haram
Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Nigerian group Boko Haram, or associated groups, has a presence in the UK; what steps police forces are taking to monitor any such groups for illegal activity; and if she will make a statement. [127535]
James Brokenshire [holding answer 12 November 2012]: In relation to any presence by the organisation in the UK, I am unable to comment on intelligence matters.
We are confident the police have the appropriate powers to deal with terrorism or fundraising for illegal purposes in the UK.
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Bovine Tuberculosis
Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what additional funding the Government has allocated to local police forces to help them meet costs associated with the proposed badger cull; what funding the Government has allocated for the same purpose in the next financial year; and if she will make a statement; [127064]
(2) what estimate she has made of the cost to each police force in England of policing the proposed badger cull; what proportion of such costs have already been borne by each force; and how much she expects each force to spend on costs associated with the badger cull in the next two financial years. [127078]
Damian Green: The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) recently announced that the badger cull has been postponed until summer 2013. The police forces involved with the cull will be making a Special Grant application to the Home Office in respect of the planning and operational costs of this operation. Applications will be considered by the Home Office, HM Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) and DEFRA. Any payments made by the Home Office will be reimbursed by DEFRA. We do not yet have estimated costs for the operation that will take place in 2013.
The police forces have made Special Grant applications in respect of the planning costs incurred by them before the cull was postponed. We have received claims from two of the four police forces that were involved in the planning process. The claims total £80,000. These claims are currently being considered by the Home Office, HMIC and DEFRA and a decision will be made in due course.
Counter-terrorism
Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what funding has been allocated to each local authority in England and Wales to support their work under the Prevent agenda. [128457]
James Brokenshire: Funding of up to £85,000 is allocated to 28 local authority Prevent priority areas to employ a Prevent co-ordinator.
In 2012-13 up to £3 million is available to priority areas to fund activities which address specific local risks and are designed to establish specific Prevent benefits. There is no automatic funding allocation and priority areas are invited to bid for funding to deliver these activities.
Crime: Merseyside
Mrs Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the effect on crime levels in Merseyside of the reduction in Government funding for the Community Safety Fund. [127755]
Mr Jeremy Browne
[holding answer 9 November 2012]: Community safety funding is paid to local authorities in England via the Local Services Support Grant issued by the Department for Communities and Local
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Government. This funding is non-ringfenced to allow maximum flexibility in local management of resources.
The latest recorded crime statistics published on 18 October 2012 show a 6% reduction in crime for Merseyside (from June 2011 to June 2012). I am pleased that Merseyside, like many other areas, has risen to the challenge of cutting crime with reduced budgets.
Draft Communications Data Bill
Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which civil liberties organisations she has met to discuss her draft Communications Data Bill. [127414]
James Brokenshire [holding answer 8 November 2012]: Home Office Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of partners, as well as organisations and individuals 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.
Ecstasy
Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what licences were held from her Department for the drugs used in the recent Channel 4 documentary on MDMA; what the process is for revoking such licences; and how the process of revocation would be initiated. [127941]
Mr Jeremy Browne: We do not publicly disclose the details of controlled drug licences that are issued.
Licences can be revoked if it is determined that a licence holder is acting outside the terms of their licence, or if it becomes apparent that a licence was either wrongly granted or fraudulently obtained.
Electoral Commission
Mr Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she last met representatives of the Electoral Commission. [128372]
Damian Green [holding answer 13 November 2012]: Home Office Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of partners, as well as organisations and individuals 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.
Imitation Firearms
Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many replica weapons were recovered by the police in each of the last five years. [128339]
Damian Green: The requested information is not collected centrally by the Home Office.
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However, the National Ballistics Intelligence Service (NABIS) manage the NABIS database which holds data on replica firearms recovered by the police. NABIS is funded through an agreement by an ACPO subscription arrangement from the 43 police forces of England and Wales. Scotland contributes through the Association of Chief Police Officer for Scotland (ACPOS).
The NABIS database has been in operation since January 2008 and available data for police forces in England and Wales (excluding British Transport police) and Scotland are provided in table A.
Information on other types of replica weapons recovered by the police is not collected centrally.
| Table A: Replica firearms recovered by the police, 2008 to 2012(1, 2) | |
| Year(3) | Number of replica firearms recovered by the police |
| (1) Data are provided by the National Ballistics Intelligence Service (NABIS), who manage the NABIS database on behalf of the Home Office. (2) Data are provided by police forces in England and Wales (excluding British Transport Police). Data for Scottish police forces have been included since April 2011. (3) Data are in line with those held in the NABIS database as at 12 November 2012. | |
Islam
Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations she has received on recording Islamophobia as a separate category of hate crime; and if she will make a statement. [127686]
Mr Jeremy Browne: The Government is committed to improving the recording of all hate crimes. We recently published the first set of Official Statistics on hate crimes recorded by the police, which included those crimes motivated by religious hatred. Some police forces capture data on hate crimes against particular faith groups for intelligence purposes, and we would encourage this where it reflects local priorities. However, we also strive to strike the right balance between recording crime to the appropriate national level of detail and imposing new burdens on the police, and as a result have no current plans to mandate that forces have in place specific systems to separately record hate crimes against particular faith groups.
Mass Media
Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which proprietors, editors and senior executives of (a) newspapers and (b) other media organisations she has met since 1 July 2012. [127523]
James Brokenshire [holding answer 8 November 2012]: This information is routinely published on the Home Office website.
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Details of meetings with external organisations including newspaper and other media proprietors, editors and senior executives for the period 1 July to 30 September 2012 is currently being collated and will be published in due course.
Police
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers were in each basic command unit in each police force area in England and Wales on 31 March 2012. [127767]
Damian Green [holding answer 12 November 2012]: The requested information is not collected by the Home Office. The number of police officers at basic command unit level ceased to be collected from 2011-12.
Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she has taken to ensure that the police are rewarded appropriately. [128723]
Damian Green: The Government asked Tom Winsor to carry out an independent review of police officer and staff remuneration and conditions. This is providing the basis for constructive discussions about how to achieve a fair system of pay and conditions.
Police and Crime Commissioners: Elections
Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 25 October 2012, Official Report, column 1012W, on police and crime commissioners, whether she has set a target for the turnout for the elections for police and crime commissioners. [127375]
Damian Green [holding answer 8 November 2012]: No.
Police and Crime Commissioners: Wales
Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 23 October 2012, Official Report, column 764W, on police and crime commissioners: Wales, whether the £350,000 includes costs for staffing, new stationery and the disposal of unused ballot papers. [128362]
Damian Green [holding answer 13 November 2012]: The £350,000 figure is the full cost of the various contingencies taken by police area returning officers. The Home Office does not hold details beyond that set out in the previous answer to which the hon. Member refers.
Police Custody: Death
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many people died whilst in police custody in each calendar year (a) from 2001 to 2011 and (b) in 2012 to date; [127224]
(2) how many people died, by ethnic group, whilst in police custody in each calendar year (a) from 2001 to 2011 and (b) in 2012 to date; [127225]
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(3) how many people died whilst in police custody in each police authority area in each calendar year (a) from 2001 to 2011 and (b) in 2012 to date. [127227]
Damian Green: The data is not available in the format requested by the hon. Member.
Statistics on deaths in custody are published by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC). Their report, deaths in or following custody: an examination of the cases 1998-99 to 2008-09, published in August 2011, contains a breakdown of figures by financial year as well as overall figures for the period, split by ethnicity and by police force area. The report is available on the IPCC website at:
http://www.ipcc.gov.uk/en/Pages/deathscustodystudy.aspx
The IPCC’s annual reports into deaths in custody, deaths following or during police contact: statistics for England and Wales, are also available for the period 2004-05 to 2011-12 at:
http://www.ipcc.gov.uk/en/Pages/reports_polcustody.aspx
A copy of all of the above reports will be placed in the Library.
Police: Driving
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what steps are being taken to ensure that police officers are provided with adequate driving training for high-speed pursuits; [128322]
(2) how many people have died in the London borough of Havering as a result of accidents caused by high-speed police pursuits in the last 10 years; [128323]
(3) how many people have died as a result of accidents caused by high-speed police pursuits in the last 10 years. [128324]
Damian Green: Last year, the Secretary of State for the Home Department issued a statutory code of practice on the management of police pursuits, including the need for appropriate training.
Chief officers are legally required to have regard to this code. It is an operational matter for chief officers how training is provided.
The Home Office does not collect information about the number of deaths as a result of accidents caused by high speed police pursuits.
Figures collected by the Independent Police Complaints Commission from 2004-05 until 2011-12 show that 156 fatalities occurred in England and Wales as a result of accidents caused by police pursuits. There are no figures recorded on a local area or borough basis.
Police: Ethnic Groups
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many black and minority ethnic police community support officers of each ethnicity have applied to become full police constables within the Metropolitan Police Service in the last five years; [127600]
(2) how many black and minority ethnic applicants of each ethnicity have passed police assessment centre tests to become full police constables in the Metropolitan Police Service in the last five years. [127601]
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Damian Green: The requested information for the number of police community support officers who have applied to become full police constables is not collected by the Home Office.
The number of new entrants (police officers) appointed for black and minority ethnic applicants of each ethnicity in the Metropolitan Police Force in the last five years is provided within the following table. These applicants are assumed to have passed the police assessment centre tests to become full police constables.
| New entrants (police officers) appointed to the Metropolitan Police Service, by black and minority ethnic groups, 2007-08 to 2011-12(1, 2) | ||||
| Number | ||||
| Mixed | Black or Black British | Asian or Asian British | Chinese or Other | |
| (1) Data have not undergone usual quality assurance practices (including validation with individual police forces) and are therefore supplied for information purposes only. (2) The number of new entrants appointed is the number of people who actually started work for the police service within that financial year (i.e. went on the payroll). It excludes people who were offered a job but did not join. | ||||
Police: Job Satisfaction
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of (a) morale and (b) job satisfaction levels among police officers and staff. [127588]
Damian Green [holding answer 8 November 2012]: I take a keen interest in police morale and, along with other Ministers, meet police officers of all ranks from forces across England and Wales on a regular basis. Police forces' recruitment and retention rates compare extremely favourably to other workforces. The police have the lowest voluntary wastage of any sector and where forces recruit, application numbers remain high.
Primates: Animal Experiments
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will make it her policy to revoke Noveprim's accreditation to supply primates to UK laboratories; and if she will make a statement. [127604]
Mr Jeremy Browne: The Home Office has no powers under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 to approve or accredit overseas primate breeders. However, the use in regulated procedures of any non-human primate obtained from a source other than a United Kingdom based breeding or supplying establishment designated under the 1986 Act does require prior approval, which is only given if the conditions at the overseas breeding centre from which the animals originate are acceptable to the Home Office at the time of their supply.
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Remembrance Day
Mr Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will publish her correspondence with the Association of Chief Police Officers on the policing of Remembrance Day services in 2012. [126774]
Damian Green: There has been no correspondence between Home Office Ministers and the Association of Chief Police Officers about policing Remembrance Day services in 2012. The policing of Remembrance services is an operational matter for the police.
Sick Leave
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for how many and what proportion of days, on average, staff of her Department at each pay grade were absent from work as a result of ill health in each of the last five years. [127177]
James Brokenshire: The following table provides the rolling year average working days lost (RYAWDL) to sick absence for each pay grade in the Home Department for the financial year 2009-12.
| Average working days lost by grade 2009-12 | ||||
| Average working days lost (days)(1) | ||||
| Grade | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 |
| (1) Figures are given on a staff year basis and are based on paid civil servants only, including current employees and those who left the Home Office during the financial year, in line with Cabinet Office reporting guidelines. Figures for all years include Home Office headquarters, the United Kingdom Border Agency, Identity and Passport Service and Criminal Records Bureau. Figures for 2012 additionally include the National Fraud Authority, which became an Executive agency of the Home Office on 1 April 2011. Prior to February 2011, responses to requests for information relating to the ‘Home Department’ included information for headquarters employees only—Executive agencies were excluded from reported figures. Since February 2011, the Department has streamlined its reporting practices and departmental figures now include both headquarters and all Executive agencies. This means that it is not possible to make a direct comparison between information provided in this response and any responses made before February 2011. (2) In 2009 and 2012 there were a small number of employees whose grade was not known at the date of data extraction; normally as a consequence of pending transfers into the Department where the exporting Department has only sent partial data. This is corrected in a subsequent month when the transfer action is completed. Note: Extract Date: 1 April of each year given. (Figures are given on a financial year basis and for each year stated include the period from 1 April to 31 March). Source: Galena, the Home Office’s Oracle-based reporting solution, presenting Data View, the Department’s single source of Office for National Statistics compliant monthly corporate Human Resources data. | ||||
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UN Protocol on Illicit Manufacture and Trafficking Firearms
Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she plans to bring forward legislative proposals to ratify the UN Protocol Against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Their Parts and Components and Ammunition. [127348]
Damian Green: The UK already has some of the toughest firearms controls in the world which meet most of the obligations imposed by the Protocol. The Government will consider the question of ratification and what further steps may be needed to achieve this once the European Commission, which is also a signatory, becomes party to the Protocol.
Cabinet Office
Job Creation: Private Sector
Kate Green: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) what proportion of new jobs created in the private sector between August 2010 and August 2012 were part-time positions; [128604]
(2) what proportion of new jobs created in the private sector between August 2010 and August 2012 were permanent positions. [128605]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Glen Watson, dated November 2012:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Questions.
Information regarding jobs created is not available. As an alternative, it is estimated using the Labour Force Survey (LFS) that of the increase in private sector employment between July-September 2010 and July-September 2012:
40% was in part-time employment; and
84% was in permanent employment.
In the LFS the distinction between public and private sector is based on respondents' views about the organisation for which they work.
The estimates are derived from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) and are not seasonally adjusted. As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
Minimum Wage
Kate Green: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proportion of new jobs created in the private sector between August 2010 and August 2012 have been paid at the national minimum wage. [128628]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Glen Watson, dated November 2012:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of new jobs created in the private sector between August 2010 and August 2012 have been paid at the national minimum wage. (128628)
From the available sources of information it is not possible to estimate the proportion of new jobs created in the private sector between August 2010 and August 2012 which have been paid at the national minimum wage.
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A guide to measuring low pay and associated articles can be found on the National Statistics website at:
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/ashe/low-pay/april-2011--soc-2010-/index.html
Part-time Employment
Jim Shannon: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the number of part-time workers in England and Wales in each of the last three years. [128508]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Glen Watson, dated November 2012:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question.
The ONS compiles Labour Market Statistics on part-time employment for areas smaller than the UK following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions using the Annual Population Survey (APS).
Estimates of part-time workers resident in England and Wales have been produced for people aged 16 and over from the APS for:
the latest 12 month period ending June 2012
the 12 month periods ending December for 2009 to 2011.
As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty. A guide to the quality of the estimates accompanies the estimates for the latest period.
These figures along with a wide range of other labour market data for parliamentary constituencies and local authorities are also published on the Office for National Statistics' Nomis website:
www.nomisweb.co.uk
| Number of people working part-time(1) in England and Wales | |
| 12 months ending: | Part-time workers (thousand) |
| (1) Part-time workers are those that declared they were in part-time paid work in the 7 days prior to interview. (2) Coefficients of Variation have been calculated for the latest period as an indication of the quality of the estimates. Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV—for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5% we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220. Key: * 0 ≤ CV<5%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered precise ** 5 ≤ CV <10%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered reasonably precise *** 10 ≤ CV <20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered acceptable **** CV ≥ 20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes CV = Coefficient of Variation Source: Annual Population Survey | |
Pay
Mr Raab: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many employees of his Department are paid in excess of (a) £80,000 and (b) £100,000. [128488]
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Mr Hurd: Information on paybill can be found in the Cabinet Office's annual accounts which are published online at:
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/cabinet-office-annual-reports-and-accounts
In addition, as part of this Government's transparency programme, further detailed information is published online including information on staffing numbers, pay for senior officials and departmental organograms.
Temporary Employment: Tax Avoidance
Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether he will review Government procurement policy to ensure that money from the public purse does not support any suppliers who operate travel and subsistence schemes for the purpose of tax avoidance. [128743]
Miss Chloe Smith: The public procurement rules require suppliers to be excluded if they (or directors or other persons with control) have been convicted of various specific offences, which include “cheating the Revenue” and “fraudulent evasion”.
There are further grounds for exclusion at the discretion of the procurement authority, including failure to fulfil obligations related to payment of tax.
In addition, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) and the Cabinet Office are examining how the Government can use the procurement process for Government contracts to deter the very small minority of companies and individuals which evade tax and use aggressive tax avoidance schemes.
Voluntary Work: Young People
Joan Walley: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people from Stoke-on-Trent have taken part in each year of the National Citizen Service; and if he will make a statement. [128165]
Mr Hurd: 23 young people from Stoke-on-Trent participated in 2011. The 2012 pilots are still underway; the numbers participating will be made available with the publication of our independent evaluation report.
Working Mothers
Alex Cunningham: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the maternal employment rate is in each (a) region and (b) local authority. [128958]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Glen Watson, dated November 2012:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what recent estimate there is of the maternal employment rate in each (a) region and (b) local authority area of the UK. 128958
The latest information available is from the Annual Population Survey household datasets for January to December 2011.
The estimates for each region of the UK can be found in the table.
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It is not possible to provide reliable estimates of the maternal employment rates for all the local authority areas due to small sample sizes. The estimates for the local authority areas which do have large enough sample sizes are included in the tables. As the tables are quite large they will be placed in the House of Commons library.
Scotland
Employment Agencies
Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what his policy is on the use of offshore employment companies in the supply of public sector workers in his Department. [128727]
David Mundell: The Scotland Office does not use offshore employment companies for the supply of public sector workers.
Work and Pensions
Consumer Prices Index
Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions he has had with (a) the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills and (b) the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the effect of changes in tuition fees on the consumer prices index; and what estimate he has made of the effect of such changes on his Department's pensions welfare budget at annual uprating in 2013. [128962]
Steve Webb: My Department discusses a number of issues with HM Treasury and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. The calculation of the consumer prices index (CPI) is a matter for the independent Office for National Statistics. Various Government policies impact on CPI inflation. The Office for Budget Responsibility takes account of the impact of Government policies on inflation and the Government's fiscal targets in their forecasts.
Decisions on uprating of state pensions and benefits will be announced at the time of the Chancellor's autumn statement.
Dementia
Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department is taking to support the Prime Minister's dementia challenge and the work of each of the challenge groups; what resources he has committed; what timescales he has set for this work; and if he will make a statement. [129010]
Esther McVey: We fully support the Prime Minister's Dementia Challenge. Our disability strategy—Fulfilling Potential—is exploring how we can help all disabled people, including people living with dementia, to realise their aspirations for life.
We have invited the Alzheimer's Society, to join a new disability action alliance, which will carry forward ideas proposed by disabled people, to help shape and deliver the outcomes disabled people want. One of the priorities the alliance will consider will be to promote inclusive communities and change attitudes and behaviours towards disabled people.
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Housing Benefit
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of households previously affected by the changes to the local housing allowance who have also been identified as being potentially affected by the household benefit cap; and if he will make a statement. [129020]
Mr Hoban: The information requested is not available.
Industrial Health and Safety
Jason McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many unpaid court fines for breaches of the Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations 1999 were recorded in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12. [128073]
Mrs Grant: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Ministry of Justice.
HM Courts and Tribunals Service systems do not identify how many fines remain outstanding for specific offences and therefore this information could be provided only at disproportionate cost as it would require a manual search of all fine accounts.
Musculoskeletal Disorders
Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what (a) information and (b) support is available to enable people with musculoskeletal conditions to remain in work. [127097]
Esther McVey: We are committed to ensuring that all disabled people, including those with musculoskeletal conditions, have the opportunities, chances and support that they need to get a job and remain in employment and there is a range of provision to help them.
We do not target our employment programmes exclusively at individuals with particular conditions such as musculoskeletal conditions. The Department's programmes aim to identify and meet the needs of the individual, including those with musculoskeletal conditions.
Access to Work provides additional support for individuals whose health or disability affects the way they do their job. It provides individuals and their employers with advice and support with extra costs which may arise because of an individual's needs. The type of support Access to Work provides can include awareness training for colleagues, support workers and specialist aids and equipment. Access to Work helped over 30,000 disabled people get or keep employment in 2011-12 and the Government is making an extra £15 million available for Access to Work over this Spending Review.
Work Choice provides tailored support to help disabled people who face the most complex barriers to employment, find and stay in work and ultimately help them progress into unsupported employment.
Information about the range of support available can be obtained from Jobcentre Plus disability employment advisers who can provide support and advice for disabled people who need help finding and retaining employment. They can also refer individuals to specialist programmes
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and advocate with employers on the individual's behalf. Information is also available on the Government's recently launched website
www.gov.uk
Occupational Pensions
Steve Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the conclusions of the recent report by the Pensions Institute, Caveat Venditor, on auto-enrolment. [128002]
Steve Webb: The Government welcomes contributions to the debate about how to ensure automatic enrolment meets its objectives. It is vitally important that people are enrolled in schemes that offer transparent and value for money charges. We continue to support the pensions industry to develop clear guidance. We are already seeing the positive effect that NEST is having on the industry. Workers are being enrolled into workplace pension schemes at much lower charges than in the past. I have also called for providers to guarantee not to enrol people into high cost legacy schemes and am pleased to see industry responding.
Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to ensure that employees offered offshore contracts receive the employer contributions to the new workplace pensions. [128905]
Steve Webb: The workplace pension reforms apply to a worker who is working or ordinarily works in the UK. This is intended to be a broad test which ensures the scope of automatic enrolment covers the wide range of working arrangements in the UK. This includes both those that already exist, but also provides a degree of future proofing.
The primary issue to be considered in determining whether a worker ordinarily works in the UK is where the worker is based. The starting point for determining this is what the worker's contract says and how it is operated in practice. Employers will need to consider factors including: where the worker begins and ends their work; where their private residence is; where the worker's headquarters is; whether they pay UK national insurance; and what currency they are paid in.
The only exception to this rule is offshore workers (for example those working on oil rigs) who are treated as ordinarily working in the UK if they are working in the UK territorial sea, UK continental shelf or in the UK sector of a cross-boundary field.
Pension, Disability and Carers Service
Mr Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the annual salary is of the chief operating officer of the Pension, Disability and Carers Service. [128921]
Mr Hoban: Since 1 October 2011 the Pensions, Disability and Carers Service ceased to exist as an Executive Agency. There is now a single chief operating officer responsible for the whole of DWP's operational delivery functions.
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The Department's organisation and salaries of the most senior people are available on the data.gov.uk website, which is updated on a regular basis and can be accessed at:
http://reference.data.gov.uk/gov-structure/organogram/?dept=dwp
Mr Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 12 November 2012, Official Report, column 83W, on Pension, Disability and Carers Service, for what reasons the information is not available in the requested format. [128922]
Mr Hoban: The Department for Work and Pensions records the number of hon. Members' letters addressed to the chief operating officer. The total number of letters signed by the chief operating officer is also recorded but is not categorised by type of letter.
Social Security Benefits
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his policy is on regional benefit differentials; and if he will make a statement. [128485]
Mr Hoban: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for South Down (Ms Ritchie) on 4 July 2012, Official Report, column 669W.
State Retirement Pensions
Mr Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department is taking to ensure that women affected by changes in the state pension age are informed of such changes in sufficient time to allow them to rearrange their financial planning. [128953]
Steve Webb: We have written to over a million women whose state pension age was increased under the Pensions Acts of 1995 or 2011. These women were born between 6 April 1950 and 5 April 1955 inclusive. In addition we wrote to men born 6 December 1953 to 5 April 1955 whose pension age also increased under the 2011 Act.
We have now started to write to men and women born between 6 April 1955 and 5 April 1960 telling them their new state pension age will be 66.
These letters will be sent to around 4.6 million people over a period of two years. People can also find out their state pension age under current law by using the state pension calculator on the www.gov.uk website.
Vacancies
John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) full-time and (b) part-time vacancies were advertised in Jobcentre Plus in (i) Barrow and Furness constituency, (ii) Cumbria and (iii) the UK on the most recent date for which figures are available. [128722]
Mr Hoban: The numbers requested are as follows:
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| September 2012 | Full-time | Part-time |
| Note: Figures are provided for GB rather than UK, as relevant data for Northern Ireland are not available. Source: NOMIS | ||
Vacancies: Cumbria
John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many new vacancies were listed in Jobcentre Plus in (a) Barrow and Furness constituency and (b) Cumbria in each month of the last three years. [128721]
Mr Hoban: The numbers requested are shown in the table (please note no data were published nor are available for September 2010, believed due to an IT problem).
The data provided are the total vacancies notified. We are unable to say how many vacancies were new each month.
| Total vacancies notified | ||
| Number | ||
| Barrow and Furness | Cumbria | |
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| Data Source: NOMIS. | ||
Energy and Climate Change
Electricity and Gas (Energy Company Obligation) Order 2012
Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what discussions he had with industry representatives prior to the introduction of section 16(5) of the Electricity and Gas (Energy Company Obligation) Order 2012. [128461]
Mr Hayes: The Department has had a number of discussions with industry representatives over the development of the energy company obligation (ECO) policy. We consulted on the proposal that the ECO carbon saving obligation should focus primarily on promoting and installing solid wall insulation. Following views received during consultation, we ensured that the final design allowed certain other measures to be delivered as part of packages of work, including glazing measures where they meet the criteria in what is now section 16(8) of the revised draft Order. We also proposed that any measure should be allowed under the affordable warmth obligation provided it allows eligible households to heat homes more affordably, which includes glazing measures where they meet the criteria in section 16(8).
The hon. Member may wish to know that the revised Order, now entitled the ‘Energy Companies Obligation' Order 2012, was laid in Parliament on 30 October. Section 16(5) of the previous draft Order has now been renamed 16(8) in the revised draft Order.
Employment Agencies
Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his policy is on the use of offshore employment companies in the supply of public sector workers in his Department and its associated public bodies. [128733]
Gregory Barker: The Department of Energy and Climate Change policy on the use of offshore employment companies in the supply of public sector workers is consistent with the new rules for central Government Departments to ensure that contractors are meeting their tax obligations following the Chief Secretary to the Treasury Review of Tax Arrangements of Public Sector Appointees on 23 May 2012.
The Department of Energy and Climate Change does not distinguish between UK and overseas-based companies. DECC's standard terms and conditions requires contractors and their subcontractors, agents and personnel to comply with other applicable law. Clause 31 also specifically sets out payment of taxes requirements for contractors. Link:
http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/11/about-us/6466-decc-standard-terms-and-conditions-for-services-p.pdf
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Energy
Mr Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the domestic market share was of each of the six major energy suppliers for (a) gas and (b) electricity in each of the last 10 years. [129090]
Mr Hayes: The information requested is a matter for Ofgem. The Chief Executive of Ofgem will write to the right hon. Member directly, and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
Energy: Housing
Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the subsidy that will be available for energy efficient glazing following the introduction of section 16(5) of The Electricity and Gas (Energy Company Obligation) Order 2012. [128912]
Gregory Barker: The Government published its estimate of the impact of glazing measures under the Green Deal and energy company obligation (ECO) in its “Final Stage Impact Assessment for the Green Deal and ECO”:
http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/11/consultation/green-deal/5533-final-stage-impact-assessment-for-the-green-deal-a.pdf
Exhaust Emissions: Transport
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to section 30 of the Climate Change Act 2008, if he will bring forward proposals for regulations to reduce emissions from aviation and shipping; and if he will make a statement. [128616]
Gregory Barker: Emissions from domestic aviation and shipping are already included within the UK's carbon budgets. International aviation and shipping emissions are not yet included within this framework. The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, the right hon. Member for Kingston and Surbiton (Mr Davey), is taking into account the advice provided by the Committee on Climate Change and will respond by the end of 2012 as required by section 30 of the Climate Change Act 2008.
Fuel Poverty
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will bring forward proposals to allocate funds raised through the (a) Emissions Trading Scheme and (b) carbon floor price to programmes designed to reduce fuel poverty; and if he will make a statement. [128904]
Gregory Barker: The Government has no plans to bring forward proposals to allocate funds raised from the EU Emissions Trading System or the carbon price floor to fund specific projects.
It has been the view of successive UK governments that spending priorities should not, in general, be determined by the way in which revenue is raised as this is an inefficient means of allocating public
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funds. The Government already spends substantial amounts of money on climate adaptation and mitigation measures, both at home and abroad.
Garages and Petrol Stations: Closures
Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what information his Department holds on the number of petrol forecourts that have closed in the last 12 months. [128607]
Mr Hayes: In August 2012 there were 8,599 petrol filling stations open in the UK, compared to 8,763 sites in August 2011, according to Experian Catalist reports held by the Department.
DECC has commissioned a report on the retail market for road fuels to develop the evidence base on the impact of structural changes to the market over recent years. I have committed to write to all Members of Parliament with its findings later this year.
Glass: Recycling
Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department is taking to encourage re-use of glass jam jars. [126127]
Anna Soubry: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Department of Health.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 31 October 2012, Official Report, column 255W.
The Food Standards Agency is unaware of any programme initiated by itself or another Government Department to actively encourage or discourage the re-use of jam jars.
Petrol
Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much petrol is currently kept as a strategic reserve; and for how many days that reserve is expected to last. [128608]
Mr Hayes: We place obligations on companies supplying petroleum products in the inland market requiring them to hold stocks of crude oil and its products equivalent to a minimum of 67.5 days of annual daily inland consumption, using powers under the Energy Act 1976. In August 2012, the latest period for which data are available, the UK held over 3 million tonnes of petrol, the equivalent of over 80 days of consumption.
From January 2013, companies will be required to meet a third of their individual obligation in finished products for petrol, diesel and aviation fuel. DECC is working with industry to ensure these obligations are efficiently met.
Universal Credit
Mr McCann: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how the qualifying conditions for each passported benefit for which he is responsible will change under universal credit. [128497]
Gregory Barker: The energy company obligation (ECO) and Warm Home Discount (WHD) scheme will overlap with the introduction of universal credit.
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Under the elements of the energy company obligation which are designed to provide support to low income households, energy suppliers will be required to meet heating cost saving and carbon saving targets through providing energy efficiency measures to households in receipt of specified means tested benefits. The draft ECO order has been laid before Parliament and is subject to its approval. The benefits listed in the order as eligibility criteria include working age benefits and therefore will be amended to include reference to universal credit.
The Warm Home Discount scheme regulations include a range of working age means-tested benefits which energy suppliers may choose to use as eligibility criteria for the Broader Group—subject to Ofgem's approval. The scheme regulations on the Broader Group require energy suppliers to provide energy bill rebates to a wider group of low income households beyond those low income pensioners assisted under the Core Group of the scheme. This list of working age benefits will be amended to include reference to universal credit.
We are working closely with DWP to ensure the introduction of universal credit works smoothly with our schemes and continues to target the support available at those most in need while reflecting the eligibility criteria currently within the schemes' legislation.
Wind Power
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the oral answer to the hon. Member for South Northamptonshire, of 1 November 2012, Official Report, column 369, on onshore wind farms, what target he has set for the capacity of onshore wind to be installed after 2020. [127696]
Mr Hayes: The ambition for renewable energy up to 2020 are set out in the renewables roadmap.
After 2020, our aim is that technologies will compete to meet our low carbon energy ambitions in the new market framework.
Treasury
Apprentices
Mr Marsden: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the speech of 29 October 2012, on delivering the regional renaissance, what the breakdown of the 34,000 apprenticeships he expects to be created in the first wave of City Deals is by City Deal. [126799]
Greg Clark [holding answer 5 November 2012]: I am responding as the Minister responsible for City Deals.
I am pleased to say that the core cities—the eight largest cities in England outside of London—have told us that the first wave of City Deals will create an estimated 38,560 new apprenticeships.
This means new opportunities for young people and small businesses across the country in our great cities.
The first wave of City Deals will support 3,560 new apprenticeships in Greater Birmingham and Solihull, 17,500 new apprenticeships in the Leeds area, 6,000
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new apprenticeships in the Liverpool area, 6,000 new apprenticeships in Greater Manchester, 500 new apprenticeships in Newcastle, 1,000 new apprenticeships in Nottingham, and 4,000 new apprenticeships in the Sheffield area.
In addition to this, Bristol and the West of England has committed to a 5% rise in apprenticeships.
Banks: Loans
Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of how his funding for lending scheme will benefit consumers; and what steps he has put in place to measure the success of the scheme. [127862]
Greg Clark: The Funding for Lending Scheme provides strong incentives to banks to make loans cheaper and more easily available for businesses and households. The Bank of England will publish quarterly data from 3 December 2012 showing, for each participating institution, the amount borrowed from the Bank and the net quarterly flows of lending to UK households and firms.
Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to ensure that banks and building societies publish the details of their mortgage lending made using his Funding for Lending scheme. [127871]
Greg Clark: The Bank of England will publish, for each institution participating in the Funding for Lending Scheme, the amount borrowed from the Bank and the net quarterly flows of lending to UK households and firms and the stock of loans as at 30 June 2012. The first publication will be on 3 December 2012. The Bank of England also publishes data on aggregate mortgage lending on a monthly basis.
Child Benefit
Mr Gregory Campbell:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost of child benefit was in 2011; and if he will estimate the cost of child benefit in 2015,
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if such benefit were restricted to two children at the current rate and assuming the continuance of current demographic trends for family size. [128125]
Mr Gauke: In 2010-11 the total spend on child benefit was £12.0 billion (rounded to the nearest £100 million).
If child benefit was restricted to two children in 2015-16, the estimate of total spend is £10.0 billion (rounded to the nearest £100 million). Government policy is that child benefit is paid to all families with children unless the highest earner in a household earns in excess of £50,000 per annum.
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the number of families in each parliamentary constituency who would be effected if child benefit were to be capped at two children per family. [128265]
Sajid Javid: Estimates at the parliamentary constituency level are not available.
Corporation Tax
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 26 October 2012, Official Report, columns 1092-3W, on capital gains tax, how many companies in (a) the UK, (b) England and (c) the north-east paid each rate of corporation tax for each of the last three years for which figures are available; and how many such companies were small and medium-sized enterprises. [126795]
Mr Gauke [holding answer 5 November 2012]: The figures provided in the following tables show the number of companies with liabilities at each rate of corporation tax for accounting periods ending in 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10. The table shows the numbers of these that are estimated to be small and medium-sized companies. The figures for England and the north-east are based on the location of the companies' registered office. This may be different to the location where the companies' activity takes place. This is the latest information available at reasonable cost with the requested level of breakdown.
| Number of companies with liabilities at each rate of corporation tax and those with a registered office in England and the north-east | |||
| For accounting periods ending in 2007-08 | |||
| Small profits rate | Marginal rate | Main rate | |
| For accounting periods ending in 2008-09 | |||
| Small profits rate | Marginal rate | Main rate | |
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| For accounting periods ending in 2009-10 | |||
| Small profits rate | Marginal rate | Main rate | |
| Small Profits Rate = 21% and Main Rate = 28% Notes: 1. For the purpose of allocating a company to a country/region, the postcode of the company's registered office has been used. This may not relate to where all of a company's activity takes place. 2. UK totals include a small proportion of companies whose postcodes are unknown. The amount of companies assigned to England and the north-east include a small amount of unknown postcodes (where the postcode is unknown, the companies have been given the same distribution across the regions as where the data are complete). 3. For the purpose of this analysis, a small or medium-sized enterprise has been defined as having less than 250 employees and at least one of a trading turnover of less than or equal to 50 million Euros, or balance sheet total of less than or equal to 43 million Euros in their accounting period (appropriate exchange rates have been used for each year). Companies where this information is not readily available have been apportioned to the size categories in line with the distribution for companies where the size can be ascertained. 4. For the purpose of this analysis, HMRC define the terms as follows: a. CT liabilities are considered to be accrued in the financial year of the end date of the company's accounting period. b. Small Profits Rate: Since April 2010, the lower rate of corporation tax has been called the Small Profits Rate (SPR) rather than Small Companies’ Rate (SCR). This makes clear that it is the size of the profits, rather than the size of the company, which determines the tax rate to be applied. c. Marginal Relief: This can be claimed by companies with taxable profits between the lower and upper limits, to enable a smooth transition between the small profits rate and the main rate of CT. d. Main Rate: The rate of corporation tax paid by companies with profits above the lower limit. Companies with profits between the lower and upper limit are taxed at main rate but can usually claim Marginal Relief. 5. Figures are based on companies only and exclude unincorporated businesses. Figures are rounded to the nearest 1,000. | |||
Stephen Barclay: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many appeals against HM Revenue and Customs decisions on corporation tax have been made to the First-tier Tribunal (Tax) or its predecessor in each year since 2004. [129017]
Mr Gauke: Appeals relating to corporation tax received by the First-tier Tax Tribunal which began on 1 April 2009:
| Total | Penalty cases | other | |
Reliable figures for corporation tax cases dealt with by the General and Special Commissioners of Income Tax, the predecessors of the First-tier Tax Tribunal are not available.
Economic Situation: Forecasts
Graham Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with the Bank of England on the full publication of the details of the Compass forecasting model. [127977]
Greg Clark: The Chancellor of the Exchequer regularly meets with the Governor of the Bank of England to discuss a wide range of issues.
The Compass forecasting model and publication of details about it is the responsibility of the Bank of England.
Excise Duties: Fuels
George Freeman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how much revenue he raised from fuel duty from (a) rural and (b) urban areas in each of the last five years; [128420]
(2) what estimate he has made on the effect of rising fuel prices on the average disposable income for people in (a) rural and (b) urban areas in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [128422]
Sajid Javid: The Treasury does not hold rural and urban disaggregated information on tax receipts from fuel duty.
The Office for National Statistics routinely publishes data on household expenditure. This includes data series CSSC on transport fuel expenditure, contained in the Office's ‘Consumer Trends Excel Dataset, Current Price, Seasonally Adjusted, Q2 2012', which is available online through the Office's website at:
www.ons.gov.uk
The Office also publishes information on Household Disposable Income Across the UK. The Office's most recent data release of 13 July 2012 is available through its website.
Gift Aid
Jack Lopresti: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if the Government will support efforts to ensure that claiming Gift Aid on donations made either online or by text message to multiple charities can be covered by one single Gift Aid claim; [128081]
(2) if he will review the system for making Gift Aid declarations for text donations; and whether he plans to make any announcement in 2012 on legislative changes that will allow the process of claiming for multiple charities to be streamlined. [128082]
Sajid Javid: The Government is keen to make Gift Aid as easy and as accessible as possible to donors and charities. Gift Aid is already available on text donations and on other forms of digital giving, subject to the right infrastructure being in place.
As Gift Aid is a tax relief, it is necessary to ensure that Gift Aid declarations are correctly collected and recorded and donors understand what they are signing
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up to. Donors remain liable for any tax reclaimed by the charity if they have not paid enough tax to cover the claim on their donation.
HM Revenue and Customs has been discussing with charity representatives how the sector might set up a Gift Aid database for participating donors and charities to use to eliminate the need for donors to make a Gift Aid declaration to each charity they support.
Gift Aid: Schools
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) which schools in Scotland (a) are registered for Gift Aid and (b) have received gift aid payments in each of the last three years for which figures are available; [128261]
(2) what the total value of gift aid payments claimed by schools in Scotland is in each of the last three years for which figures are available; [128262]
(3) he will publish the value of gift aid payments made to each individual school in Scotland claiming such payments in each of the last three years for which figures are available. [128263]
Sajid Javid: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) does not separately identify Gift Aid claims by reference to the types of organisations that make the claims or by reference to the location of the organisations within the UK.
For reasons of taxpayer confidentiality, HMRC is not able to disclose details of Gift Aid income received by individual charities. Amounts of tax repaid to charities in the UK on donations under Gift Aid are published in Table 10.3 on the HMRC website at:
www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/charities/menu.htm
In 2011-12 a total of £1,057 million (provisional figure) was repaid to UK charities under Gift Aid.
Government Departments: Procurement
Jon Trickett:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department monitors whether Government contractors that win Government contracts pay the
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appropriate amount of tax in the UK; and whether any sanctions exist if Government contractors fail to pay the appropriate amount of tax in the UK. [128253]
Mr Gauke: Consideration of what tax compliance checks to carry out is a matter for each individual Department when procuring Government contracts. The Chief Secretary to the Treasury, the right hon. Member for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey (Danny Alexander), announced on 25 September that HMRC and the Cabinet Office had been tasked with looking into how the Government as a whole can use the procurement process for government contracts to deter the very small minority of companies and individuals that do so from evading tax and from using aggressive tax avoidance schemes. More details will be made available later in the year.
Government Securities
Mark Reckless: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether paying interest coupons on gilts to the Bank of England's Asset Purchase Facility causes the Public Sector Net Cash Requirement to be lower than would be the case if those gilts were still held by the private sector. [128481]
Greg Clark: As the Bank of England's Asset Purchase Facility is part of the public sector, the coupon income that it receives reduces the public sector net cash requirement.
Imports: Eggs
Neil Parish: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether dried whole egg, dried egg albumin, dried egg yolk, special dried egg powder mixes and other types of dried egg imports are included in HM Revenue and Customs' commodity code groups. [129055]
Mr Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) confirm that all goods imported into the European Union are covered by a commodity code listed in the customs tariff. If the dried egg yolk and dried egg albumin do not contain other ingredients the commodity codes are likely to be:
| Commodity code | |
|
Dried egg albumin unfit, or rendered to be unfit, for human consumption | |
HMRC advise me that the classification of the other egg powder products listed may not be straightforward. The following commodity codes may be appropriate:
| Commodity code | |
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However, it is important to note that these two commodity codes only include egg powder products where they do not contain additional ingredients such as salt.
As the exact composition of the products is not known and their classification may not be straightforward, HMRC tell me that they provide verbal classification advice via the Tariff Classification Helpline on 01702 366077.
Mortgages
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information his Department holds on how many mortgages have been taken out in the London borough of Havering in each of the last five years; [128221]
(2) how many people have (a) applied for and (b) been granted a buy-to-let mortgage in each of the last five years. [128215]
Sajid Javid: The Government does not collect or publish data on mortgage applications and approvals. A number of organisations including the Bank of England and the Council of Mortgage Lenders collect data on mortgages, which they make available publically.
National Insurance Contributions: Musicians
Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received on the liability of self-employed musicians for Class 1 national insurance contributions since the judgment of the Upper Tribunal in the case of ITV Services Ltd v. Commissioners for HM Revenue and Customs [2012] UKVT 47 (7CC); and if he will make a statement. [128680]
Mr Gauke: The Government has received a small number of representations from musicians regarding the application of Class 1 national insurance contributions to self-employed musicians. This follows meetings between HM Revenue and Customs and the Musicians Union in which the consequences for musicians of the Upper Tribunal judgment in the case of ITV Services Ltd v. HM Revenue and Customs were explained.
The Government is acutely aware of the concerns of self-employed musicians regarding the application of Class 1 national insurance contributions. An appeal by ITV Services is due to be heard by the Court of Appeal in December. Once the Court hands down its judgment, the Government will be better able to consider fully the position of self-employed musicians and the application of Class 1 national insurance contributions.
Offshore Industry
Caroline Flint: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what fiscal measures are in place to encourage oil and gas exploration. [128469]
Sajid Javid: The Government is committed to a fiscal regime for oil and gas that encourages investment and innovation while ensuring a fair return for the Exchequer.
This year, the Government has announced a range of measures to encourage oil and gas investment, to help maximise the economic production of the UK's oil and
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gas reserves and unlock billions of pounds of new oil and gas investment. These include extensions to the field allowance regime to encourage investment in commercially marginal fields and projects, and a commitment to provide greater certainty on decommissioning relief. Together with existing field allowances and enhanced capital allowances, these measures will help ensure that the oil and gas tax regime continues to encourage both exploration and development.
Personal Income
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many people in each region have an annual income in excess of (a) £1 million and (b) £2 million; [128655]
(2) what estimate his Department has made of the number of people living in London who earn more than £1 million a year. [128656]
Mr Gauke: Numbers of UK taxpayers with total income of £1 million and £2 million and over are published in Table 2.5 ‘Income tax liabilities, by Income Range, 2009-10 to 2012-13' available on the HMRC website at:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/income_tax/table2-5.pdf
These estimates are based on Survey of Personal Incomes (SPI) data for 2009-10.
A regional breakdown of these figures is not published, due to small sample sizes.
Regional breakdowns of taxpayer numbers by marginal rate of tax, gender and age are available in Table 2.2 ‘Number of individual income taxpayers by marginal rate, gender and age, by country and region':
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/income_tax/table2-2.pdf
Public Sector Debt
Mr Raab: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to address UK net debt. [126520]
Greg Clark [holding answer 6 November 2012]:The Government has set out a comprehensive plan to set debt on a downward trajectory. The Budget sets out a total consolidation of £155 billion per year by 2016-17, with 81% of this coming from spending reductions.
Regional Planning and Development
Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much funding the Government plans to award to successful applicants for the second wave of City Deals. [126701]
Greg Clark [holding answer 5 November 2012]:I am responding as the Minister responsible for City Deals.
The second wave of City Deals will build on the first, giving more cities and their wider areas the tools to power their own growth.
City Deals aim to decentralise powers and budgets currently held centrally to help drive economic growth in our cities.
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Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the likely cost of the bidding process for the second wave of City Deals to (a) central Government, (b) local government and (c) local enterprise partnerships. [126702]
Greg Clark: I am responding as the Minister responsible for City Deals.
The Government have invited 20 cities and their wider areas to put forward initial proposals for a Wave 2 City Deal. This opportunity is optional and it will be up to local areas to decide how they approach it and what resources they put into it.
My officials in the Cities Policy Unit, working with BIS Local, will provide support to all 20 cities and their wider areas to develop their initial proposals.
Initial proposals submitted by cities and their wider areas will be considered by a cross-Whitehall panel of officials and then by Ministers during the normal course of business, therefore there will be no additional cost to central Government.
Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department have had with local government leaders in the Tees Valley on the submission of a wave two City Deal bid. [126703]
Greg Clark [holding answer 5 November 2012]: I am responding as the Minister responsible for City Deals.
Tees Valley leaders were invited to submit an expression of interest for a Wave 2 City Deal on 29 October. The Government are committed to support Tees Valley along with the other 19 cities and their wider areas to submit proposals that will deliver growth and jobs for their communities. Throughout this process there will be an open dialogue with local leaders and conversations are ongoing.
Revenue and Customs: Cumbernauld
Gregg McClymont: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff were employed at HM Revenue and Customs Cumbernauld on (a) 13 November 2012 and (b) 6 May 2010. [128906]
Mr Gauke: HMRC staff in post data is taken at the last day of the month. There were 1,273 staff employed in Cumbernauld on 31 October 2012 and 1,498 on 30 April 2010.
Social Enterprises
Chris White: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he has taken to include social enterprise in the Government's growth agenda; and if he will make a statement. [127886]
Sajid Javid: The Treasury is conducting an internal review of the financial barriers to social enterprise, as announced at Budget 2012. The review will report to Ministers in due course.
The Government supports the diversification of non-bank finance for businesses, particularly SMEs—including social enterprises. The Regional Growth Fund has co-funded a £60 million wholesale fund for community
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development finance institutions, and the Business Finance Taskforce has introduced a pilot network for the referral of businesses that are declined finance to the Community Development Finance Association.
Staff
Mike Freer: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department spent on (a) recruitment agency fees, (b) outplacement agency fees for displaced or redundant staff and (c) staff training in each of the last 12 months. [125758]
Sajid Javid: The Department’s accounting system does not separately identify the recruitment agency fee element of an invoice, and this information could not be extracted within the disproportionate cost threshold.
Spending on outplacement agency fees for displaced or redundant staff and staff training during 2011-12 can be found in the following table; this also includes the equivalent figure for 2009-10.
| £ | ||
| Staff training | Outplacement agency fees | |