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30 Jun 2010 : Column WA288
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Sassoon): The commission on banking has been asked to investigate complex issues. We understand that this will take time to get right and the commission has been asked to produce a final report by the end of September 2011. It will be for the commissioners to determine whether the commission will produce interim reports.
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Independent Commission on Banking will have its own budget; if so, how much has been allocated; and whether it will have a secretariat separate from HM Treasury, the Bank of England and the Financial Services Authority.[HL568]
Lord Sassoon: The commission will have its own secretariat and such resources as are necessary to complete its task.
National Gulf Veterans and Families Association
Questions
Asked by Lord Morris of Manchester
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Taylor of Holbeach on 17 June (WA 131-2), whether they will place the letter to the Deputy Prime Minister received on 13 May from Shaun Rusling of the National Gulf Veterans and Families Association and the reply to him in the Library of the House.[HL665]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Astor of Hever): My officials have contacted Mr Rusling to obtain his permission to disclose his letter to third parties. Should he give his consent we will place a copy in the Library of the House.
Asked by Lord Morris of Manchester
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Taylor of Holbeach on 17 June (WA 131-2), why the letter and enclosure from Shaun Rusling of the National Gulf Veterans and Families Association received by the Deputy Prime Minister on 13 May about his pre-election pledges of support for new help for Gulf veterans have been sent to a Defence Minister for reply. [HL667]
Lord Taylor of Holbeach: As the Ministry of Defence is responsible for the matters relating to Gulf War veterans raised by Mr Rusling and has the latest information on the subject, the Deputy Prime Minister asked the department to reply on behalf of the Government.
30 Jun 2010 : Column WA289
Police: Stop and Search
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many police stop and searches of each racial or ethnic group in the past three years led to arrests, charges and prosecutions.[HL662]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Neville-Jones): Current and historical data on stops and searches and arrests as a result of stops and searches by ethnicity are published in chapter 3 of the Ministry of Justice publication Statistics on Race and the Criminal Justice System 2008-09: A Ministry of Justice Publication under Section 95 of the Criminal Justice Act 1991. More detailed data are also provided within the supplementary tables relating to chapter 3.
The publication is available in the Library of the House. An online link is however provided for the Member's convenience, both to the publication and to the ministry's race and criminal justice webpage.
Data on those charged and prosecuted resulting from stop-and-search activities are not available centrally, but prosecution data, by ethnic breakdown, are available in chapter 4 of the statistics on race in the CJS publication.
http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/docs/stats-race-and-the-criminal-justice-system-2008-09c1.pdf.
http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/raceandcjs.htm.
Prisoners: Voting
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Answer by Lord McNally on 9 June (Official Report, col. 643), how they have ascertained the views of the general public on whether to allow prisoners to vote.[HL562]
The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (Lord McNally): The Government have not undertaken any formal exercise to gather or gauge the views of the general public on this matter. We are considering afresh the best way forward on the issue of prisoner voting rights.
Taxation: VAT
Question
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Sassoon): VAT is chargeable on all goods and services supplied in the UK by a taxable person for a consideration in the course of business, unless they are covered by exemptions or the zero rate.
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HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) publishes detailed guidance on the goods and services to which VAT applies at: www.hmrc.gov.uk/vat/managing/charging/charging.htm.
Unemployment
Question
Asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, in light of the rise in unemployment predicted in the Budget, they intend to follow the statement of the previous Prime Minister about "British jobs for British workers".[HL763]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Lord Freud): The Government will be taking action to reduce net migration from the hundreds of thousands it has been in recent years to the tens of thousands it used to be. A consultation process on the implementation of an annual limit on the number of non-EU migrants who come to the UK to work is currently under way.
We are committed to tackling the nearly 5 million people claiming one of the main out-of-work benefits, by reforming welfare and ensuring resident workers have the skills, attributes and help they need to be able to take up work.
Vehicles: Automatic Plate Recognition
Question
Asked by Lord Corbett of Castle Vale
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will request a report from the Chief Constable of the West Midlands on why there was no formal consultation on the placing of 169 automatic number-plate recognition cameras in the Washwood Heath, Sparkbrook, Moseley and Kings Heath areas of Birmingham as part of a counter-terrorism initiative. [HL674]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Neville-Jones): Consultation took place between West Midlands Police, Safer Birmingham Partnership and local authorities during the development of Project Champion, including with locally elected representatives.
However, following concerns raised at recent public meetings, Safer Birmingham Partnership, West Midlands Police and Birmingham City Council have acknowledged shortcomings with the consultation procedure and have agreed that a full and in-depth public consultation into the implementation of Project Champion is to take place.
This is primarily a local police operational matter. However, work is under way on CCTV regulation and the Government will be bringing forward proposals shortly.
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