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11 Jun 2009 : Column WA155
11 Jun 2009 : Column WA155
11 Jun 2009 : Column WA155
Thursday 11 June 2009
Alcohol
Question
Asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno
To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the total revenue received by the Exchequer from the sale of alcoholic drink in 2008. [HL4064]
The Financial Services Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Myners): Total alcohol duty received by the Exchequer in 2008 was £8,689 million and is published in the National Statistics Beer and Cider bulletin available at www.uktradeinfo.com/index.cfm?task= bullbeer. The revenue from other taxes from the sale of alcoholic drink is not available.
Banking: Royal Bank of Scotland
Question
Asked by Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay
To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the value and duration of the outstanding Royal Bank of Scotland loans to Oleg Deripaska and his companies. [HL3982]
The Financial Services Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Myners): Subject to market disclosure requirements, information about customer exposures is a matter for the management of RBS.
11 Jun 2009 : Column WA156
Civil Service: Performance Pay
Question
Asked by Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay
To ask Her Majesty's Government (a) what the total monetary value of Senior Civil Service non-consolidated performance pay awards was in HM Treasury and its agencies, (b) how many and what proportion of the Senior Civil Service staff in HM Treasury and its agencies received performance pay awards by SCS pay band, and (c) how those awards were distributed by pay band and award category, for each of the past five years for which data are available. [HL3361]
The Financial Services Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Myners): The pay framework for Senior Civil Servants, including the size of SCS bonus pot, is published in the annual reports of the Review Body on Senior Salaries, copies of which are available in the Library of the House.
The table below sets out the information requested for Senior Civil Servants working within the Treasury Group in the years for which it is available. Figures for payments relating to performance during 2007-08, and paid during 2008-09, are not yet available. Information about bonuses paid during 2008-09 will be included in the Treasury's departmental report later this year.
HM Treasury includes consideration of the Senior Civil Servants at the UK Debt Management Office (DMO) at its pay committee due to small numbers involved.
| Table 1: Non-consolidated performance pay awards for Senior Civil Servants in the Treasury Group 2004-05 to 2006-07 | ||||
| Performance year: | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | |
Deen International
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Malloch-Brown on 14 May (WA 237—8) concerning a public relations campaign currently supported by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, what was the process by which Deen International was selected to provide the service. [HL4000]
Lord Davies of Oldham: “I am Muslim. I am British” is a community-led pilot initiative that was proposed to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) by Deen International. It is not a campaign initiated by the FCO.
In line with established procedures for such proposals, the FCO's Counter Terrorism and Radicalisation Programme Board, consisting of cross-Whitehall representation, considered the project carefully. The board was satisfied, after assessment in line with FCO programme and project best practice, that it would contribute to the objectives of the Prevent strands of the Government's counter-terrorism strategy and agreed to fund a pilot. No decision has yet been taken on whether to fund a further stage.
Dogger Bank
Question
Asked by Lord Taylor of Holbeach
To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 20 May (WA 316), whether the discussions with the Netherlands and Germany have considered how the three Governments should work together in enforcing the Dogger Bank special area of conservation; and, if so, when the results will be published. [HL4052]
Lord Davies of Oldham: The Government have not designated any part of the Dogger Bank in UK waters as a special area of conservation (SAC) under the EC Habitats Directive. Our statutory nature conservation body, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC), has put forward proposals for a SAC at Dogger Bank within UK waters. The proposals are currently being considered by Defra. JNCC plans, subject to approval, to conduct a formal consultation on the proposals before the end of 2009. If, following that consultation, any part of the Dogger Bank requires designation as an SAC, Defra plans to submit the site to the European Commission in 2010.
As no SAC has yet been designated in UK waters, no detailed discussions have taken place with the Netherlands and Germany regarding any enforcement measures that may be required to protect the area. However, as the Dogger Bank is a cross-boundary feature, officials from Defra and the JNCC have met regularly with their Dutch and German counterparts regarding the scientific justification for the designation of the Dogger Bank as an SAC, and the human activities that may affect its conservation status.
Ecological Debt
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they support the principle of repaying ecological debt to protect future generations. [HL4028]
Lord Davies of Oldham: The Government are committed to achieving the goal of sustainable development which is to enable all people throughout the world to satisfy their basic needs and enjoy a better quality of life, without compromising the quality of life of future generations. Living within environmental limits is an essential part of achieving that goal—respecting the limits of the planet's environment, resources and biodiversity—to improve our environment and ensure that the natural resources needed for life are unimpaired and remain so for future generations.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' Public Service Agreement (PSA) states that the Government's vision for the natural environment is to secure a diverse, healthy and resilient natural environment. To increase our understanding of the value of the natural environment to present and future generations, the Government are supporting a range of initiatives, including the economics of ecosystems and biodiversity study, and a national ecosystem assessment for the UK.
11 Jun 2009 : Column WA159
Equal Pay: Government Departments
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government what pay gaps there are in respect of gender, race and disability among employees of the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. [HL3381]
11 Jun 2009 : Column WA160
The Minister for Communications, Technology and Broadcasting (Lord Carter of Barnes): The departments' pay gaps in relation to gender are detailed in table 27 of the 2008 Civil Service Statistics which has been published on the internet and can be found using the following link at www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_labour/CivilService_tables_2008.xls.
The table below shows the pay gaps identified at May 2009 in relation to staff who have declared a disability to those who have not.
| Number of Staff (FTE) | Median FTE Base Pay | |||||||
| Band | Declared Disabled | Not Declared* | All Staff | % Declared | Declared Disabled | Not Declared* | All Staff | Gap |
- * Staff in BERR are able to choose not to declare their disability. These figures include staff who have not declared their disability or are not disabled.
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