15 Jan 2013 : Column 736W
Young People: Unemployment
Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent steps he has taken to support 16 to 24-year-olds not in employment, education or training. [136775]
Mr Laws: We are raising the age of compulsory participation in education or training in England to 17 later this year and to 18 in 2015. We are spending a record £7.5 billion in 2012-13 to ensure that there are sufficient education and training places for all 16 to 19-year-olds in England who wish to remain in education and training.
Young people who are not in education, employment or training are often focused on employment, but lack the necessary skills or experience to secure sustainable jobs. On 10 January, the Government published a discussion paper on a proposed new Traineeships programme—this is available at:
www.education.gov.uk/traineeships
Traineeships would provide young people aged 16 to 24 in England with a flexible package of support including work skills training, high quality work experience, English and mathematics. This will equip young people with the skills they need to compete for apprenticeships and other jobs.
Education and training is an area of devolved responsibility. Information about education and training provision for young people in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is available from devolved Administrations.
Across Great Britain, young unemployed people receive intensive support from Jobcentre Plus and from the Government's new Work programme to help them look for work, develop their skills and secure real, lasting jobs. In addition, we are spending almost £1 billion to provide additional targeted help through the Youth Contract, including through work experience and wage incentives.
Communities and Local Government
Charities: Finance
Hazel Blears: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much and what proportion of expenditure was allocated to charities by each local authority in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012. [137003]
Mr Foster: This is not information the Department holds or requires from local authorities.
We are reining in top-down inspection and micro-management of local government. Instead we are increasing local accountability of local government, such as through the Code of Recommended Practice for Local Authorities on Data Transparency which enshrines the principles of transparency and sets out minimum expectations of what data should be published, thereby empowering local people to scrutinise the spending decisions of local councils. The publication of spend data over £500, grants to the voluntary and community sector, and copies of contracts and tenders to business and the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector form part of that minimum expectation.
15 Jan 2013 : Column 737W
The Department has recently consulted on updating the Code of Recommended Practice and making it a legal requirement to publish data specified in the code. Officials are currently considering the responses. The Local Government Association has also recently consulted on publishing voluntary and community sector spending data, so they can help local authorities publish this information in a useful and comparable way.
Cycling
Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will provide details on the scheme to reimburse staff in his Department for cycling mileage; and how much such reimbursements have cost his Department in each year since 2010. [137383]
Brandon Lewis: The Department allows staff to claim for business mileage travelled by a bicycle, as opposed to travelling to a business meeting by car or train. The Department pays the prevailing HMRC rate.
£14.20 has been claimed since 2010-11. This reflects the practical fact that staff are unlikely to travel a very long distance by bicycle, as opposed to travelling by car or train, etc.
My Department also operates a Cycle to Work scheme for staff, but this is separate from business mileage.
Dogs
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the kennelling costs to all local authorities due to dangerous or stray dogs in England and Wales were in 2012. [137211]
Brandon Lewis: These figures are not held centrally.
Fire Services: Greater London
Mr Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent discussions he has had with the London Fire Authority regarding the management of the AssetCo contract. [136655]
Brandon Lewis: This is an operational matter for the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority, which is overseen by the London Mayor Assembly.
Ministers regularly meet with representatives of local government to discuss a range of matters; such meetings are published on my Department’s website.
Fraud
Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 9 January 2013, Official Report, column 277W, on fraud, if he will provide specific details of the two cases of fraud experienced by his Department in July 2010; and whether any police arrests were made. [137384]
Brandon Lewis:
The two cases of fraud experienced by the Department, in July 2010; were both related to
15 Jan 2013 : Column 738W
season ticket advance abuses. For one of these cases police were involved but did not charge the individual with any offence.
The total value of £5,105 was recovered from both individuals and they were dismissed.
Green Belt
Mr Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his policy is on local authorities proposing to build on Green Belt land as part of their development plan. [136632]
Nick Boles: The Government attach great importance to Green Belt protection and the coalition agreement pledges to maintain its safeguards. The fundamental aim of Green Belt policy is to prevent urban sprawl by keeping land permanently open; the essential characteristics of Green Belts are their openness and their permanence.
to check the unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas;
to prevent neighbouring towns merging into one another;
to assist in safeguarding the countryside from encroachment;
to preserve the setting and special character of historic towns; and
to assist in urban regeneration, by encouraging the recycling of derelict and other urban land.
Green Belt policy, as outlined in Chapter 9 of the National Planning Policy Framework, is clear that most forms of new development are inappropriate development in the Green Belt and should not be approved other than in very special circumstances. Similarly, Green Belt boundaries should not be altered other than in exceptional circumstances, through the preparation or review of Local Plans, a process involving public consultation and robust, independent examination in public.
There is some brownfield land in the Green Belt, for example, disused quarries or scrap-yards, and local councils can consider putting such brownfield land to better use in a way which is consistent with Green Belt policy and provided they preserve the openness of the Green Belt.
It is the Government's policy to revoke the remaining Regional Strategies of the last Administration, subject to the outcome of environment assessments currently under way. This will remove top-down pressure to review Green Belt boundaries in around 30 areas across England.
Local Government: Equal Pay
Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he is taking to assist local authorities in meeting requirements for equal pay for men and women; and if he will make a statement. [136522]
Brandon Lewis: This Government remain fully committed to equality and to equal pay in every workforce. However, local authorities are independent employers in their own right and the Government have no role in the way they manage their workforces, including how they exercise their responsibilities to ensure they comply with equal pay legislation.
15 Jan 2013 : Column 739W
The Government recognise that some authorities may still be seeking to manage costs arising from equal pay claims. In announcing the Provisional Local Government Settlement on 19 December 2012, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, my right hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr Pickles), confirmed that he would be taking steps to enable authorities to use capital receipts from asset sales raised in or after 2012-13 to fund outstanding equal pay costs. In addition, the Government propose to amend relevant regulations to extend an accounting flexibility allowing authorities not to charge such costs to their revenues until payments are due. This flexibility, which would otherwise end on 1 April 2013, would be extended to 1 April 2016.
Local Government: Newspaper Press
Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will make it his policy to allow local authorities to publish statutory notices only on their websites rather than in local newspapers. [136541]
Brandon Lewis: The purpose of statutory notices is to ensure that the public are informed of decisions by their local authority which may affect their quality of life, local amenity or their property. This is especially the case in relation to planning applications, where there is a limited period for local residents to make representations.
Notwithstanding, Ministers have been clear that, in an internet age, commercial newspapers should expect over time less state advertising as more information is syndicated online by local authorities for free. The flipside is the free press should not face state unfair competition from town hall newspapers and municipal propaganda dressed up as local reporting.
Non-domestic Rates
Sir Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he is taking to review the business rate multiplier; and if he will make a statement. [136441]
Brandon Lewis: The Government's commitment to the annual Retail Price Index cap means that there has been no real terms increase in business rates since 1990.
We announced in the autumn statement of 5 December 2012, Official Report, columns 871-882, a further one year extension—making three and a half years in total—of the temporary doubling of Small Business-Rate Relief. The increased level of relief will therefore apply throughout the whole of the 2013-14 billing year.
We also announced a new measure which will mean that empty new builds will be exempt from empty property rates for up to 18 months up to state aid limits between 1 October 2013 and 31 October 2016.
Further support on business rates would need to be balanced against the costs involved, the targeted support we have already provided on business rates and the overriding need to reduce public expenditure and support the economy generally by reducing the deficit.
15 Jan 2013 : Column 740W
Parking: Morecambe
David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will assist in establishing a free parking scheme in Morecambe. [136257]
Mr Prisk [holding answer 10 January 2013]:The Government are supporting the Morecambe town team bid—one of the 27 Portas Pilot areas benefiting from up to £100,000 and a comprehensive package of support to test their plans, including those for parking.
In relation to free parking, I refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 1 November 2012, Official Report, columns 345-46W.
Shops
Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 7 January 2013, Official Report, column 130W, on shops, what his Department's projections are for the sales profits and surplus rental income of the pop-up shop at Eland House for the year 2013. [136562]
Mr Prisk: I refer the hon. Member to my previous answer. This is a matter for StartUp Britain.
Social Enterprises
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance his Department issues to local authorities on the accountability and regulatory arrangements for social enterprises delivering services under commission from local authorities using public funds; and if he will make a statement. [136648]
Brandon Lewis: Ministers have not issued guidance to local authorities on these matters. Local authorities remain accountable for the performance of their statutory functions. When they commission other organisations to deliver services on their behalf, they must put appropriate oversight arrangements in place.
The Government value social enterprise activity for its ability to remain financially self-sustaining while seeking innovative ways to serve an important social purpose. The Department issued best value guidance in 2011 which made it clear that local authorities should be responsive to the benefits and needs of voluntary and community sector organisations of all sizes, and should not seek pass on larger funding reductions to local authorities than they take on themselves. This can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/5945/1976926.pdf
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what discussions he has had with the Minister for the Cabinet Office on plans to introduce social enterprise zones; and if he will make a statement. [137430]
15 Jan 2013 : Column 741W
Mr Prisk: Ministers within the Department for Communities and Local Government regularly meet colleagues from other Departments to discuss a range of matters.
Social Rented Housing
Glenda Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will estimate the gap between demand and supply of social housing in (a) Greater London and (b) the UK; and if he will make a statement. [136712]
Mr Prisk: There were 1.85 million households on local authority waiting lists in England on 1 April 2012, 380,000 of whom were in London. During 2011-12, 250,000 social housing lettings were made to tenants new to social housing in England, 31,000 of which were in London.
Under the previous Administration housing waiting lists rose from 1.02 million in 1997 to 1.76 million in 2010. At the same time, the social housing stock decreased from 4.4 million in England in 1997 to 4.0 million in 2010.
This Government have taken steps to address this situation by increasing the supply of affordable housing and by reforming the social housing system so that local authorities and social landlords can make more efficient use of the social housing stock. It is important to appreciate that these reforms have only recently been enacted and the current waiting list is reflective of the outdated system they replace.
170,000 more affordable homes are being delivered across England during this spending review period (2011 to 2015) with £19.5 billion investment—with Government providing £4.5 billion and the private sector £15 billion.
Within London, I also note that the Mayor's proposed Housing Strategy states:
“£1.8 billion of public funding has been secured by the Mayor which will unlock an estimated additional £3.7 billion of other investment for London to enable 55,000 affordable homes to be delivered between 2011-15.”
(Mayor of London, ‘The Revised London Housing Strategy’, December 2011, p.35).
Almost 58,000 affordable homes were delivered in 2011-12. This is a third more than the average delivery in the ten years between 2000-01 and 2009-10.
Last year the Housing and Communities Agency exceeded its target by over 13,000.
The Localism Act 2011 has made radical reforms to the social housing system. Local authorities are now able to decide who qualifies for social housing their area and social landlords are free to match the length of tenancy to the needs, of the household.
By making full use of these new freedoms, local authorities and social landlords can use their social housing stock in a way which best meets the needs of their local area.
The Prevention of Social Housing Fraud Bill, subject to the approval of Parliament, will ensure that tenants who choose to cheat the system can be detected more easily so that the homes they occupy can be reallocated to those in genuine need on the waiting list.
15 Jan 2013 : Column 742W
Video Conferencing
Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 9 January 2013, Official Report, columns 279-80W, on video conferencing, if he will provide details of his Department's inclusive call tariff. [137382]
Brandon Lewis: As part of its main ICT solution the Department maintains a number of data circuits that link DCLG sites to each other to make an internal network. All video conference calls that involve departmental sites are routed via this established internal network to ensure that there are no additional call charges incurred. The call tariff is therefore zero for internal video conference calls.
Prime Minister
Cabinet: Chequers
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Prime Minister how many Cabinet meetings have taken place at Chequers since September 2011. [136962]
Development Aid
Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Prime Minister what his priorities are for the next meeting of the UN High Level Panel on the post-2015 development framework. [137453]
The Prime Minister: My objective for the High Level Panel meeting in Monrovia is to build further consensus on the panel's proposals, including on how to tackle the underlying causes of poverty.
Food Banks
Fiona O'Donnell: To ask the Prime Minister whether he has received any invitations to visit food banks since May 2010; and whether he plans to accept any current invitations. [137073]
The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to her on 29 November 2012, Official Report, column 455W.
Business, Innovation and Skills
Data Protection
Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on how many occasions each Minister in his Department carried classified documents on public transport in the last 12 months for which information is available. [137118]
Jo Swinson: This information is not held. Ministers handle official information in accordance with Government guidance.
Export Credit Guarantees: Argentina
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent representations he has had from (a) individuals and (b) groups regarding the £45 million in debts owed to UK Export Finance by Argentina. [136352]
15 Jan 2013 : Column 743W
Michael Fallon: Including the hon. Member's earlier parliamentary question (136356) and ministerial letter, UK Export Finance has received five inquiries in the last 12 months:
three from individuals; and
two from groups.
Fireworks
Mr Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what information his Department holds on the amount of spending by members of the public on fireworks in the last year for which figures are available. [137363]
Jo Swinson: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills does not hold this information nor is it available from the Office for National Statistics. Trade data from HMRC indicate that the UK imported nearly £23 million of fireworks in 2011 and there is no significant UK firework production. However, there is no indication of what proportion of these imports were purchased or used by members of the public as opposed to being used in professionally organised firework displays.
Manufacturing Industries: Ashfield
Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps UK Trade and Investment has taken to (a) promote and (b) encourage investment in manufacturing industries in Ashfield constituency. [136940]
Michael Fallon: UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) is engaging closely with all local enterprise partnerships (LEPs) to maximise opportunities for collaboration at the local level, including identifying local strengths and opportunities for foreign investors and developing local propositions in response to specific inquiries.
In Nottinghamshire, the Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire LEP (D2N2) promotes inward investment in the local area. D2N2 has signed an agreement with UKTI's delivery partner on local investment so that it has access to all inward investment inquiries and in addition, UKTI is beginning work on a series of marketing initiatives which will seek to increase awareness of the local offer among its overseas network.
The LEP has also recently been successful in securing a multi-million Regional Growth Fund bid, which, following due diligence, should be open to manufacturing businesses.
This opportunity has the potential to allow manufacturers to become more competitive and will add to the appeal of the area in attracting inward investment.
Manufacturing Industries: Scotland
Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with Ministers in the Scottish Government on the planned sector-specific industrial strategies. [136874]
Michael Fallon: BIS Minsters and officials are liaising with the devolved Administrations, including the Scottish Government, to take forward the sector-specific industrial strategies.
15 Jan 2013 : Column 744W
The Under-Secretary of State for Employment Relations and Consumer Affairs, the hon. Member for East Dunbartonshire (Jo Swinson), led a discussion on industrial strategy at a meeting of the Scottish Business Board chaired by the Secretary of State for Scotland, the right hon. Member for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk (Michael Moore), on 26 November 2012. Attending that meeting were the Under-Secretary of State for Scotland, my right hon. Friend the Member for Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale (David Mundell), and business leaders and officials from both the Scottish Government and the Scotland Office.
In addition, BIS officials visited Scotland in September 2012 to discuss the planned sector-specific industrial strategies and have continued to engage with them subsequently.
Each of the 11 sector teams leading the development of the sector strategies is also engaging with all of the devolved Administrations and Territorial Offices, including the Scottish Government and the Scotland Office.
PAYE
Sir Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) what steps his Department is taking to prepare small and medium-sized enterprises for the introduction of real-time PAYE; and if he will make a statement; [136442]
(2) what estimate he has made of the preparedness of small and medium-sized enterprises for the introduction of real-time PAYE; and if he will make a statement. [136443]
Michael Fallon: BIS helps small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) prepare for the introduction of real-time PAYE. This includes meetings with SME representatives and professional bodies to hear their concerns and relay them to HMRC for their consideration as they have developed the design of the real-time information (RTI) system and the support and guidance for SMEs. For example HMRC have recently published some specific easements to the requirement to report RTI to HMRC “on or before” the date employees are paid.
BIS and HMRC meet on a monthly basis to ensure both Departments are engaging with their customers on PAYE real-time information, particularly small and micro-businesses. BIS has also provided HMRC with additional opportunities to raise awareness of real time PAYE through our SME intermediary networks and written communications.
HMRC RTI communications and awareness plans that employers, particularly small employers, want to know about change at the time they need to take action. HMRC wrote to all employers in October 2012 telling them what they needed to do to prepare for real-time PAYE and HMRC will be writing to employers again in February 2013. They will continue to work closely with employers, payroll providers, software developers and business representatives to make it easy for employers to comply with operating PAYE in real time, and to make it part of their normal payroll processes.
HMRC is confident that awareness and preparedness are increasing in line with expectations. Employers in the pilot told HMRC that it took six months on average to prepare. This information was used in deciding when
15 Jan 2013 : Column 745W
to intensify the awareness campaign. Results on awareness have increased significantly between September and November.
BIS will continue its close engagement with HMRC and its stakeholders on real-time PAYE as it is rolled out.
Postgraduate Education
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many (a) UK national and (b) foreign students graduated from UK higher education institutions with (i) a doctoral and (ii) a masters level science and technology degree in the last three years. [136460]
15 Jan 2013 : Column 746W
Mr Willetts: The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) collects and publishes data on qualifiers from UK higher education institutions (HEIs). Information on the number of UK, EU and Non-EU domiciled students qualifying from Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) courses from UK HEIs for
the academic years 2009/10 to 2011/12 is provided in the following table.
Information for the academic year 2012/13 will become available from the Higher Education Statistics Agency in January 2014.
| Postgraduate qualifiers(1) from STEM(2) courses by domicile(3): UK higher education institutions: Academic years 2009/10 to 2011/12 | ||||
| Domicile | Postgraduate level | 2009/10 | 2010/11 | 2011/12 |
| (1) Figures are based on a HESA standard registration population and have been rounded up or down to the nearest five, so components may not sum to totals. (2) Subject information is shown as full person equivalents (FPEs) in the table. FPEs are derived by splitting student instances between the different subjects that make up their course aim. (3) Domicile refers to a student's permanent or home address prior to entry to their course. Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Student Record | ||||
Students: Terminal Illnesses
Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what financial support is available to students who have suspended their studies due to being diagnosed with a serious illness. [137407]
Mr Willetts: Full-time undergraduates in higher education who have suspended their studies due to illness will continue to receive payments of grants and loans for living and other costs for the first 60 days of absence from their course.
Where the period of suspension exceeds 60 days, Student Finance England has discretion to continue paying grants and loans for living and other costs to students who have suspended their studies. SFE will take into account the reasons for the student's absence, the length of the absence and the financial hardship caused by withdrawing support when making their decision.
Supermarkets: Unfair Practices
Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) what steps his Department is taking to tackle misleading supermarket offers; [136596]
(2) what recent discussions his Department has had with supermarkets regarding misleading offers in their stores. [136597]
Jo Swinson: BIS officials recently met with representatives from some supermarkets and other retailers to discuss how price indications which are not actually misleading, could nevertheless be made clearer and more helpful. A further meeting is planned on this subject in the coming months.
This Department has not had any discussions with supermarkets about alleged misleading offers in their stores in the recent past. I understand, however, that some supermarket companies have been engaged in discussions with the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) during 2012 on how to avoid misleading consumers.
Misleading offers by any trader are already regulated. The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations (CPRs) 2008 make it an offence for businesses to mislead consumers as to the price of products or the basis on which special offers are made. The regulations are independently enforced by local authority trading standards services and the OFT. The OFT recently announced that it had reached an agreement with eight leading supermarket chains, who have agreed to a set of OFT principles to address concerns over special offers and promotions for food and drink. The principles clarify the OFT's view on how promotional claims should be used so that consumers can rely on them being fair and meaningful. A copy of the OFT's press notice can be found at:
http://www.oft.gov.uk/news-and-updates/press/2012/116-12
15 Jan 2013 : Column 747W
Women's Library
Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will discuss with London Metropolitan University its decision to divest its responsibilities for the Women's Library based in Bethnal Green and Bow and steps to ensure that the Library remains accessible to all in its current purpose- built premises. [137168]
Mr Willetts: Higher education institutions are autonomous and responsible for how they manage their assets. The Women's Library has now transferred to the London School of Economics (LSE), which is committed to its future. This year, the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) has provided some £90,000 of special funding to support the library and is in discussion with LSE about future funding.
Deputy Prime Minister
Monarchy: Marriage
Mr Andrew Turner: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what discussions he has had with (a) the Church of England and (b) the Roman Catholic Church on the status of a member of the Roman Catholic Church who married into the Royal Family and had a child. [137401]
The Deputy Prime Minister:
I have met with members of the Church of England and the Catholic Church on several occasions to discuss various issues. Both the
15 Jan 2013 : Column 748W
Church of England and the Catholic Church have been kept informed at every stage as we have developed the Succession to the Crown Bill.
Cabinet Office
Business: East of England
Priti Patel: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many small and medium-sized businesses were operating in (a) Witham constituency, (b) Essex and (c) the east of England in each year since 1997. [137418]
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 January 2013:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning how many small and medium-sized businesses were operating in (a) Witham constituency, (b) Essex and (c) the East of England in each year since 1997. (137418)
The table below represents the number of businesses operating in the Witham constituency, Essex and the East of England and this has been defined by using a count of enterprises registered for VAT and/or PAYE. Small businesses have been defined as those with an employment between 0 and 49 and medium-sized businesses as those with an employment between 50 and 249.
Data are only available for the Witham constituency from 2010 onwards as the constituency was only created in 2010. Data for the region and county are available back to 2003.
| East of England | Essex county | Witham constituency | ||||
| Small0 to 49 | Medium50 to 249 | Small0 to 49 | Medium50 to 249 | Small0 to 49 | Medium50 to 249 | |
| Note: The figures have been rounded to the nearest 5. | ||||||
Annual statistics on the number of enterprises are available from the ONS release UK Business: Activity, Size and Location at:
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/bus-register/uk-business/index.html
Child Benefit
Mr Chope: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether the Office for National Statistics has classified the higher income child benefit charge as a tax. [137246]
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 January 2013:
As the Director General of the ONS, I have been asked to reply to your recent question.
ONS announced that the Higher Income Child Benefit Charge was to be classified as a tax in the October 2012 release “National Accounts Sector Classification—Classification Update, October 2012” which can be found on the ONS website here
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/na-classification/national-accounts-sector-classification/classification-update---october-2012/index.html
Employment: Kilmarnock
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proportion of people were employed in (a) public sector, (b) private sector and (c) third sector organisations in Kilmarnock and Loudoun constituency in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [137425]
15 Jan 2013 : Column 749W
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 January 2013:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking, what proportion of people were employed in (a) public sector, (b) private sector and (c) third sector organisations in Kilmarnock and Loudoun constituency in each of the last five years for which figures are available. (137425)
Public and private sector employment statistics for local areas can be calculated from the Annual Population Survey (APS). Individuals in the APS are classified to the public or private sector according to their responses to the survey.
Estimates on people employed in the third sector are currently not available from the APS. Individuals employed in voluntary organisations, charities and trusts are generally included in private sector estimates.
The table shows the number and percentage of people who were employed in the public or private sector in Kilmarnock and Loudoun parliamentary constituency, according to APS interviews held during the period October 2011 to September 2012, the latest period available, and the 12 month periods ending in December from 2007 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 is given in the table.
National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
| Number of people employed in the public and private sectors(1) in Kilmarnock and Loudoun parliamentary constituency | ||||
| Public | Private | |||
| 12 months ending: | Thousand | Percentage | Thousand | Percentage |
| (1) Individuals in the APS are classified to the public or private sector according to their responses to the survey. (2) Coefficients of Variation have been calculated for the latest period as an indication of the quality of the estimates. See Guide to Quality. 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 Source: Annual Population Survey | ||||
Occupied Territories
Richard Burden:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer of 17 December 2012, Official Report, column 559W, on charities: Israel, whether he has informed the Charity Commission of the European Council decision of 16 June 2005 on the
15 Jan 2013 : Column 750W
abolition of financial and tax incentives, subsidies and exemptions to organisations benefiting Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and their inhabitants. [136830]
Mr Hurd: The Charity Commission is aware of the European Council declaration.
Pay
Luciana Berger: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the average annual salary was for (a) men and (b) women in full-time employment in (i) Liverpool, Wavertree constituency, (ii) the North West and (iii) England in the latest period for which figures are available. [137067]
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 January 2013:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what the average annual salary was for (a) men and (b) women in full-time employment in (i) Liverpool, Wavertree constituency, (ii) the North West and (iii) England in the latest period for which figures are available. (137067)
The Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), carried out in April each year, is the most comprehensive source of earnings information in the United Kingdom. Annual levels of earnings are estimated from ASHE, and are provided for employees on adult rates of pay, who have been in the same job for more than a year.
The following table shows median gross annual earnings for employee jobs in (i) Liverpool, Wavertree constituency, (ii) the North West and (iii) England for full-time males and full-time females, for the tax year ending 5 April 2012.
| Median gross annual earnings for full-time males and full-time females(a) in (i) Liverpool, Wavertree constituency, (ii) North West and (iii) England, for the tax year ending 5 April 2012 | |||
| £ | |||
| Liverpool, Wavertree constituency(b) | North West(c) | England | |
| (a) Employees on adult rates who have been in the same job for more than one year. (b) Parliamentary constituency. (c) UK Region. Guide to quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of a figure, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV—for example, for an average of 200 with a CV of 5%, we would expect the population average to be within the range 180 to 220. Key: CV <= 5% * CV > 5% and <= 10% ** CV > 10% and <= 20% Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), Office for National Statistics. | |||
Temporary Employment
Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many temporary staff have been recruited to his Department in each month since July 2012. [135698]
15 Jan 2013 : Column 751W
Mr Maude: In 2011-12 the Government reduced expenditure on temporary staff by £745 million between 2009-10 and 2011-12.We have ensured though an external recruitment freeze that external recruitment is only for urgent operational or business-critical posts and approval for external recruitment must first be sought from a ministerial-led departmental committee.
The Cabinet Office recruited 46 temporary employees during the period 1 July to 31 December 2012.
15 Jan 2013 : Column 752W
| Number | |