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15 July 2011 : Column WA219

Written Answers

Friday 15 July 2011

Benefits: Tax Credit Helpline

Question

Asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark

To ask Her Majesty's Government, in each month since March 2010, what was (a) the volume of queries dealt with by the tax credit helpline in HM Revenue and Customs, and (b) the cost of administering and staffing the tax credit helpline. [HL10712]

The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Sassoon): The table below details the volume of calls handled by the HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) tax credits helpline in each month since March 2010. HMRC cannot, however, disaggregate the cost of administering and staffing the tax credits helpline from the total administration costs or the staffing costs of running its contact centre operations.

Tax credits
Month	Calls handled (in millions)
Apr 10	2.0
May 10	2.3
Jun 10	2.6
Jul 10	3.4
Aug 10	2.2
Sep 10	2.1
Oct 10	1.6
Nov 10	1.5
Dec 10	1.1
Jan 11	1.7
Feb 11	1.4
Mar 11	1.6
Apr 11	1.9
May 11	2.4

Broadcasting: Advertising

Question

Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool

To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent reports or representations they have received about the proposal of the Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice (BCAP) to allow commercial abortion providers to advertise on television and radio; and whether they will hold discussions with (a) the BCAP, and (b) OFCOM, about the appropriateness of such advertising.[HL10811]

Baroness Rawlings: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has received 577 representations since 1 January 2011. The Communications Act 2003 provides for Ofcom to have general responsibility for the regulation of the content of broadcasting services,

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including all programmes and advertisements. Under contracting-out arrangements, Ofcom has transferred day-to-day responsibility for broadcast advertising regulation to the Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice and the Advertising Standards Authority. It is for those bodies to consider the appropriateness of advertising.

Broadcasting: Digital Switchover

Question

Asked by Lord Kilclooney

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the digital television switchover in Northern Ireland is on schedule; and what is the date for the switchover. [HL10835]

Baroness Rawlings: Digital television switchover in Northern Ireland remains on schedule for 2012. Digital UK will announce the dates approximately 12 months in advance.

European External Action Service

Question

Asked by Lord Hylton

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many staff the European External Action Service has; and where they are deployed.[HL10770]

The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Howell of Guildford): The European External Action Service (EEAS) does not publish regular updates on the total number of staff it employs. However, the EEAS budget for 2011, agreed last year, requested funding for 3,720 staff slots. This included 1,643 policy and operational officers plus a further 2,077 additional staff including seconded national experts, contract agents, local agents and agency staff. The EEAS has its headquarters in Brussels. According to the EEAS, there are 125 delegations and eight multilateral representations around the world. Further details of delegations can be found on the EEAS website: http://eeas.europa.eu/index_en.htm.

Government Departments: Websites

Question

Asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark

To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the cost to public funds of the development and maintenance of the interactive A brief history of HM Treasury on the HM Treasury website. [HL10714]

The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Sassoon): The costs of HM Treasury's online operations are published as part of the Central Office of Information's

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Reporting on progress reports on Government on the internet. The costs of the interactive A brief history of HM Treasury, developed as part of HM Treasury's digital strategy to deliver more accessible and engaging information to citizens and stakeholders, are included in the 2009-10 report.

Government: Art Collection

Question

Asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark

To ask Her Majesty's Government what changes Ministers in each government department have made to the allocation of pieces from the Government Art Collection around the department since May 2010; and what has been the cost to public funds arising from any changes.[HL10715]

Baroness Rawlings: I am arranging for details of the Government Art Collection's allocation of pieces to government departments since May 2010 to be deposited in the Libraries of both Houses. The total cost for delivering and installing all the Minister's works is estimated at £22,246.

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Telephone Calls: Prices

Question

Asked by Lord Laird

To ask Her Majesty's Government which individual or body in Government monitors the pricing of telephone use to ensure telecommunications companies do not make excessive profits.[HL10764]

Baroness Rawlings: No individual or body in Government monitors the pricing of telephone use. Ofcom, the independent national regulator, has duties to monitor and report on communications markets, including telecommunications. It publishes a number of such reports annually that can be found via its website. These include reporting on prices, consumer satisfaction, choice and value in those markets.

In addition, Ofcom has powers under the significant market power framework to impose charges following a finding of market dominance. Over the past few years, it has deregulated virtually all retail markets and hence focuses on the regulation of wholesale services. With the implementation of the new EU framework, Ofcom now also has powers to impose maximum charges on specific telephone number ranges for the purposes of consumer protection, as well as having Competition Act powers to deal with abuse of dominance issues.

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