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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.

Asked by Lord Myners

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

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

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.



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Police: Stop and Search

Question

Asked by Lord Ouseley

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

Asked by Lord Tebbit

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

Asked by Lord Laird

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

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

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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