Written Answers
Tuesday 4 June 2013
Afghanistan: Interpreters
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the resettlement options scheme to be offered to Afghan interpreters who have worked with the United Kingdom Armed Forces will include those working for the secret service; and, if not, why not.[HL500]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi): It is the policy of successive Governments not to comment on matters of intelligence and national security.
Agriculture: Intensive Farming
Questions
Asked by Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have received assessments of the whole carbon cycle of (1) a litre of milk, and (2) a kilogram of pork, produced under (a) traditional extensive husbandry methods, and (b) intensive indoor conditions. [HL482]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord De Mauley): A 2005 study for Defra: Determining the environmental burdens and resource use in the production of agricultural and horticultural commodities (IS0205) considered different dairy management systems (spring versus autumn calving). The study analysis, below, compared a range of milk production systems but did not include fully-housed dairy animals.
| Comparison burdens of production of some alternative milk production systems (kg CO2e per litre of milk) | ||||
| Non-organic | Organic | More fodder as maize | 60% High yielders | 20% autumn calving |
The table below gives carbon dioxide equivalent emissions (i.e. CO2 and methane/nitrous oxide emissions expressed as 002) of a kg of pig meat from a variety of systems:
| Indoor breeding and Finishing | Outdoor breeding, Indoor Finishing | Organic fully Outdoor |
Asked by Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many intensive dairy farms exist in the United Kingdom; and how many house more than (1) 500, and (2) 1000, dairy cows.[HL483]
Lord De Mauley: We do not collect data based on the intensiveness of farm businesses and to do so would be at disproportionate cost. However, at June 2010 there were an estimated 23,541 commercial holdings with dairy cows in the UK. Of these, 107 holdings had between 501 and 1,000 dairy cows and a further 10 holdings had more than 1,000 dairy cows.
These figures are from the 2010 Farm Structure Survey.
Architecture and the Built Environment
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the independent review of architecture, the built environment and a possible Government architecture policy, to be led by Sir Terry Farrell, will include the totality of places and not only buildings.[HL18]
Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The review of architecture and the built environment, which Sir Terry Farrell has been asked to carry out, will take a holistic approach to the built environment, and a public call for evidence will be issued soon allowing all stakeholders to submit their views on the subject.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they anticipate new guidance being added to the National Planning Policy Framework as a result of the report of the review of architecture and the built environment led by Sir Terry Farrell.[HL395]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (Baroness Hanham): There are no current plans to review the National Planning Policy Framework. The Government will consider the outcome and recommendations of the Farrell review when it is published.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will arrange for the terms of reference, membership and the experience of the membership of the advisory board of the review of architecture and the built environment led by Sir Terry Farrell to be published in the Official Report; and when they expect the review to report.[HL396]
Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The terms of reference were published on the www.gov.uk website on 25 March, together with the membership of Sir Terry Farrell’s advisory panel. Further details about the advisory panel will be published on the review’s website, www.farrellreview.co.uk shortly. This information will shortly be supplemented by a call for evidence which will give further details in respect of the subject areas under consideration. It is expected Sir Terry Farrell will produce a report by the end of the year.
Argentina
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they propose to impose sanctions on Argentina's exports to the United Kingdom if that country continues to claim the Falkland Islands.[HL447]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi): The UK has no doubt about its sovereignty over the Falkland Islands and surrounding maritime areas, nor of the Falkland Islanders’ right to decide their own future and their clear wish to remain an Overseas Territory of the UK, as expressed through the referendum held in March 2013. The Government actively challenge any statements issued by the current Government of Argentina suggesting otherwise.
As a member of the EU, the Government implement trade sanctions in accordance with agreed EU procedures. Imposing a sanctions regime on Argentina would breach our World Trade Organisation treaty commitments and risk escalating a trade dispute.
Audit Commission
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their detailed estimate of the cost of abolishing the Audit Commission.[HL514]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (Baroness Hanham): The abolition of the Audit Commission will save a substantial amount of taxpayers' money. The local audit impact assessment sets out the detailed estimate of the cost of abolishing the Audit Commission. In total, the gross transition costs relating to the abolition of the Audit Commission and the setting up of the new audit regime are estimated to be approximately £79.5 million. However, these transition costs are included in the overall assessment of net savings of £1.2 billion over the 10-year period from 2009-10 to 2019-20. A copy of the impact assessment has been placed in the Library of the House.
BBC: Charter
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will initiate an inquiry as to whether the BBC is fulfilling its Charter responsibilities and television licence holders are getting value for money.[HL141]
Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The Government do not intend to initiate an inquiry along these lines as the BBC Trust is responsible for holding the BBC to account for the performance of its functions and for its compliance with the law and regulatory requirements. The BBC Trust regularly carries out in-depth value for money reviews on areas of BBC expenditure, some of which are commissioned from independent consultants with specialist expertise and some of which are conducted by the National Audit Office.
Chagos Islands
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will commission an independent study to re-evaluate the science and practicality of resettlement of the Chagos Archipelago, in consultation with the Chagossians, in the light of the recent report by Dr Paul Kench which concluded that the 2002 feasibility study used untested models and contradictory evidence. [HL371]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi): We are currently reviewing our policy on the British Indian Ocean Territory. We do not have a timetable for the conclusion of this review but will update Parliament as soon as we are in a position to do so.
Child Minders and Nursery Staff
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to (1) the safety and well-being of (a) child minders, and (b) nursery staff, and (2) the estimated reduction in childcare costs, as part of their proposals to increase the number of children that may be cared for by a single adult.[HL471]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools (Lord Nash): The Government have considered the impact of the proposed staff: child ratio changes on providers, staff (including childminders) and children.
The Department for Education has produced analysis which examines the potential impact of the proposed ratio changes on both salaries for staff and fees for parents. That analysis is available here: https://www.gov. uk/government/publications/request-for-costs-and-benefits-of-the-childcare-ratios-proposed-in-more-great-childcare.
Nurseries and childminders must continue to meet the welfare and safeguarding requirements in the Early Years Foundation Stage framework.
| Table 1: Nursery ratios summary | ||||
| Provider | Nurseries | |||
| Age | Under 1 | 1 | 2 | 3+ |
|
England (proposed ratios where there are high quality staff) | ||||
Source: DfE obtained figures by a bespoke survey of 15 OECD countries (fieldwork carried out in 2012).
England - Over-3s ratio is 1:13 if led by a teacher.
France - Ratios vary by provider type: crèches (1:5 children who cannot walk and 1:8 children who can walk); jardins d’éveil (1:12 children between two and three years old); kindergartens and pre-schools (1:26 children aged three to compulsory schooling, where led by a teacher).
Ireland - In sessional pre-school provision the staff:child ratio is 1:11 for children aged 2.5 years to six years. In full/part time daycare provision the ratio is 1:6 for two year olds and 1:8 for three to six year olds.
Germany - although there are no national mandatory staff: child ratios, individual Länder (regions) are free to set their own regulations.
| Table 2: Childminder ratios summary | |||||||
| Childminders | |||||||
| Age | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
Source: DfE obtained figures by a bespoke survey of 15 OECD countries (fieldwork carried out in 2012).
England (current) - Childminders can have a maximum of six children under the age of 8, a maximum of three young children (until 1st September following their 5th birthday), and a maximum of one child under 1.
England (proposed) - Childminders can have a maximum of six children under the age of 8, a maximum of four young children (until 1st September following their 5th birthday), and a maximum of two children under 1. Ratios can be exceeded by one for reasonable periods of time to allow for overlaps between children.
Denmark - The number of children per adult is regulated by law.
Ireland - Childminders can care for five children (including their own) and no more than two under the aged of 15 months.
Source: Figures obtained via a DfE survey of UK Embassies (November 2012), in the case of England via the Childcare and Early Years Providers Survey 2011 and for France: INSEE / déclarations obligatoires des entreprises aux organismes sociaux (màj. extrapolée 2012). Primary school teacher salaries are from Eurydice (2012) Teachers’ and School Heads’ Salaries and Allowances in Europe, 2011/12, and OECD (2012) Education at a glance.
1. Figures are converted using Purchasing Power Parity (PPP). All figures have been rounded to the nearest 50.
2. For England, France and Finland, the salaries for childcare workers and supervisors are averages. For the remaining countries, salaries are based on mid-point estimates.
3. The salaries for childcare workers, supervisors/managers and primary school teachers are for staff in the private and public sectors, apart from the figure for primary teachers in England which is for the public sector only.
4. The salaries for childcare workers and supervisors/managers are on a full-time basis. The typical working patterns and definitions of full-time will differ by country. For England the definition of full-time used is 39 hours per week for 52 weeks per year.
5. The salary figures for supervisors in England are for staff defined as those who are qualified to supervise a group of children on their own. They do not necessarily supervise other members of staff. This is different from a senior manager who is the person with overall responsibility for managing the provision in a setting. For the other countries the salaries are for staff in either a supervisory or a managerial role.
6. The childcare worker and supervisor salary figures for England are based on staff in private, voluntary and maintained full daycare settings only.
7. For the Netherlands, the childminder salary is based on approximately £4 per child per hour for a maximum of five children for an average of 21.6 hours per week for 52 weeks per year.
Notes on Primary school teacher salaries:
8. Denmark – includes part-time workers.
9. France – based on the mid-point of the salary scale for a primary teacher with the minimum required qualifications.
10. Sweden – covers teachers in primary and lower secondary, includes part-time workers.
11. Salary data for primary school teachers in Germany not available.
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Question
Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will publish their assessment of the outcomes and effectiveness of the United Kingdom Government-funded programme training the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s military forces at Cranfield University and the Royal Military Academy; and what impact that programme has had on the levels of the rape of civilians by members of the military in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.[HL223]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Astor of Hever): Since 2006, two military officers from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have undertaken the managing defence in the wider security context (MDWSC) course at Cranfield University. No one from DRC has attended the Royal Military Academy during this period.
The MDWSC is a seven-week course aimed at middle ranking officers and officials. It examines approaches to the governance and management of defence in developed and transitional democracies and addresses issues such as policy development, leadership, governance, international law, and change management. Like all UK military education and training for overseas nations
it presents the same foundations of rule of law, democratic control of Armed Forces, and respect for human rights as underpin training to our own Armed Forces.
Defence education in DRC targets potential future leaders within the DRC military, and is intended to inculcate a mind set of change, encouraging acceptance of the need for greater accountability, improved respect for human rights, and a longer term process of reform. It is unlikely that we would be able to identify any direct correlation between this targeted training and sexual violence in the DRC.
Embryology
Question
Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Viscount Younger of Leckie on 11 February (WA 99–100), whether they will place in the Library of the House a copy of the advice obtained from the Medical Research Council in which it was stated that researchers in Newcastle have overcome challenges associated with somatic cell nuclear transfer on the basis of insights gained from pronuclear transfer; and whether they will indicate when a detailed account of those advances will be provided by the researchers concerned; and in which future publication the data will be described. [HL380]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Viscount Younger of Leckie): The advice obtained from the Medical Research Council (MRC) was essentially that stated in the original Answer.
A research paper describing further findings of the MRC grant to the University of Newcastle, Improving the Efficiency of Human Somatic cell Nuclear Transfer (SCNT) has been submitted for publication and is currently in scientific review. This paper was referred to on 5 November 2012 (WA 167-168) and 11 February 2013 (WA 99-100).
The manuscript submitted includes a detailed account of how the researchers have addressed some of the challenges associated with somatic cell nuclear transfer. Once the paper is published, the researchers will be in a position to provide further information on how the development of specific technical modifications were informed by their research on pronuclear transfer, which shared some of the technical challenges of somatic cell nuclear transfer.
Further information on the content of the paper and the journal cannot be provided at present as this may compromise publication. As the manuscript is currently in scientific review the likely date of publication is not known.
Energy: Prices
Questions
Asked by Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay
To ask Her Majesty’s Government which United Kingdom regulatory body or bodies are responsible for regulating price-reporting agencies in the energy sector.[HL340]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (Baroness Verma): There is no specific, regulatory framework in the UK and on a pan-European level governing the activities of Price Reporting Agencies (PRAs). Those forming price reports or providing information to price reporters in the energy sector are, however, required to comply with generally/applicable legislation, including the European Regulation on Wholesale Energy Integrity and Transparency as well as competition law.
The International Organisation of Securities Commissions, of which the Financial Conduct Authority is a member, published Principles for Oil Price Reporting Agencies to follow in October 2012. IOSCO is currently reviewing their implementation by all PRAs.
OFGEM is currently assessing the broader role and impact on the gas and electricity markets of price benchmarking including Price Reporting Agencies.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Deighton on 11 March (WA 14), stating that they had “not seen evidence of the manipulation of Brent crude prices by financial speculators”, and in the light of the recent raids on oil companies by the European Commission, when they were first advised by the European Union, United Kingdom competition authorities or the Financial Services Authority that market manipulation was suspected.[HL390]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Deighton): The European Commission announced on Tuesday 14 May 2013 that it had carried out “unannounced inspections at the premises of several companies active in and providing services to the crude oil, refined oil products and biofuels sectors”. Government officials first became aware of the European Commission's concerns that “companies may have colluded in reporting distorted prices to a Price Reporting Agency to manipulate the published prices for a number of oil and biofuel products” and that “the companies may have prevented others from participating in the price assessment process, with a view to distorting published prices” on that day. Government officials were in contact with the Office of Fair Trading on 15 May about this investigation.
EU: Taxation
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the threshold of domestic turnover for registration for VAT in each member state of the European Union; and whether the European Commission has made any proposal to harmonise those thresholds.[HL466]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Deighton): The European Commission publishes details of VAT registration thresholds in the member states. Their latest edition (March 2012) can be found at:
http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/resources/documents/taxation/vat/traders/vat_community/vat_in_ec_annexi.pdf.
No proposal has been made by the European Commission to harmonise VAT registration thresholds.
Finance: Investment Trusts
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to ensure that the remuneration of United Kingdom-based investment trust and unit trust fund managers is not restricted by European regulation.[HL391]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Deighton): The Government do not intend to apply the majority of the provisions of the alternative investment fund managers directive (AIFMD) to small managers of investment funds, including the new remuneration requirements.
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is considering ESMA guidelines on remuneration for full scope AIFMD managers. The FCA will determine whether application of the guidelines is appropriate and it will make a policy statement in due course.
The Government are also working to secure a balanced outcome in the ongoing UCITS V negotiations that will promote sound remuneration practices without imposing restrictions.
First World War: Commemoration
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of current pressures on public spending, how they will ensure that plans to commemorate the centenary of the First World War provide value for money; and whether they have considered cancelling those plans.[HL506]
Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The First World War centenary commemoration programme of funded activity, announced by the Prime Minister in October 2012, will provide a legacy that will extend beyond the 2014-18 period. This will include the opening of the new First World War Galleries at the Imperial War Museum, valuable education and community benefits arising from the government-funded Battlefield Visits programme for maintained secondary schools in England, as well as lottery-funded projects that will either support nationally important assets such as HMS “Caroline” or link communities to their local First World War heritage. These activities will deliver significant value by ensuring that an understanding of the events of 1914-18, at home and on the Front Line, will be passed to future generations.
Fuel Laundering
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the amount of fuel duty evaded as a result of illegal fuel laundering plants.[HL401]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have entered into arrangements with any individuals or companies to pay fuel duty on illegally traded fuel in order that those individuals or companies could avoid prosecution.[HL402]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many prosecutions have occurred in the last three years for which figures are available of individuals or companies suspected of laundering or selling illegally produced fuel.[HL403]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they last discussed the operation of fuel laundering plants with the Government of the Republic of Ireland; and what was the outcome of those discussions. [HL404]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any information linking Irish Republican paramilitary organisations to the production and distribution of laundered fuel in the United Kingdom; and, if so, what is the estimated annual value of such sales.[HL405]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether Irish Republican organisations have been found to own or operate businesses engaged in the distribution or production of laundered fuel products in the United Kingdom.[HL406]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Deighton): HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) does not have a figure for fuel duty evaded as a result of fuel laundering as this is only one aspect of fuel fraud. However, the Government publish tax gap figures resulting from the illicit use of fuel on pages 23-26 of HMRC's Measuring Tax Gaps 20121.
HMRC policy is to arrest any individuals suspected of involvement in fuel fraud, where it is proportionate to do so. Where there is sufficient evidence HMRC reports them to the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) for prosecution. Civil penalties may also be applied to lower level misdemeanours that would not warrant criminal action HMRC has never entered into an arrangement with individuals or companies whereby in return for payment of duties they would secure an amnesty from prosecution.
Figures for oils fraud prosecutions in the past three years are set out below and available in Annex B of the Northern Ireland Department of Justice consultation document on excise evasion sentencing2.
HMRC chairs the quarterly meeting of the Cross Border Fuel group, a sub-group of the Organised Crime Task Force. This group has representation from HMRC, the Police Service of Northern Ireland, Serious Organised Crime Agency, An Garda Siochana, the Revenue Commissioners, Criminal Assets Bureau and the Environment Agencies from both North and South of the border. Operational co-operation and understanding is considerable and there have been many joint successes. Issues discussed include current and planned operational activity across the civil and criminal regimes, and the group is constantly considering new ways of responding to criminal attack from the illicit trade in fuel. The last meeting was on 27 February.
As a tax collection agency HMRC is responsible for tackling fraud, and targets those involved in fraud because they are robbing the Exchequer of vital public revenues. Any other connections that fraudsters may have are the responsibility of other agencies and not HMRC. HMRC's focus is firmly and solely on stopping fraud and protecting the revenue.
1http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/statistics/tax-gaps/mtg-2012.pdf
2http://www.dojni.gov.uk/index/public-consultations/current-consultations/unduly-lenient-sentencing-for-excise-fraud.pdf
G8
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what priority they are giving within the G8 to the furtherance of the principles of open, accountable, equitable and inclusive decision-making within international institutions and within the G8 itself.[HL312]
Lord Wallace of Saltaire: The Prime Minister's 2010 Governance for Growth report highlighted the importance of working to: build consensus in the areas where it is most needed; drive collective action; and support the work of existing international bodies and institutions. This year's G8 works in that spirit by delivering a concrete and ambitious agenda on tax, trade and transparency that benefits G8 countries and developing countries alike. For example, by working with organisations such as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) we will promote more effective rules and standards that support global economic activity.
The 2013 presidency will publish a comprehensive accountability report which will set out G8 progress against the previous 56 development commitments that were the subject of the 2010 comprehensive accountability report and the additional commitments leaders made at Muskoka, Deauville, and Camp David Summits. Comprehensive accountability reports will be published every three years covering progress against [all] G8 commitments.
Higher Education: Overseas Students
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of the budget for international aid is devoted to the provision of scholarships for overseas students to undertake higher education courses in the United Kingdom; and what plans there are to expand the provision of such scholarships.[HL419]
Baroness Northover: DfID primarily supports scholarships through the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission. A total of £87 million is committed to Commonwealth scholarships over four years from 2011-12 to 2014-15. In 2012, this was £21.06 million, which represented 0.24% of the UK’s overseas development assistance in 2012 . This is in line with DfID’s priorities to support programmes targeting those who most need financial support and reached the poorest and most marginalised. No decisions have been taken regarding future investment.
Housing
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government in how many houses income tax payers claim a tax allowance on income received from renting out a room in their house; what is their estimate of the number of householders who are prevented from renting out a room by the terms of a mortgage; and how many more householders they estimate would take advantage of such a tax allowance if not prevented from doing so in that way.[HL416]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Deighton): Under the rent-a-room relief, individuals may rent out a room in their main residence and receive up to £4,250 a year, rent free of income tax.
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) estimates that about 110,000 individuals claimed this allowance during the tax year 2010-11.
The Government do not hold information on the number of individuals that are restricted from renting out a room in their home because of provisions in their mortgage agreement with their lender as these are usually private agreements between individuals and their lenders.
Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the report, Build-It-Yourself: Understanding the changing landscape of the UK self-build market; and whether they will encourage lenders to facilitate finance for self-build housing projects.[HL437]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (Baroness Hanham): The Government welcome the report Build-It-Yourself Understanding the changing landscape of the UK self-build market, published by Lloyds Banking Group in partnership with the University of York on 20 May 2013, and is carefully considering its conclusions and recommendations in discussion with industry partners such as the National Self Build Association.
The Government support the report’s recommendation that lenders should consider how mortgage products can be tailored to specific procurement routes to aid delivery and will continue to encourage lenders to provide finance for self-build housing projects.
Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures they are initiating to facilitate the entry of younger and less affluent households into the self-build market; and what assessment they have made of how Germany and the Netherlands have used self-build to assist such groups.[HL438]
Baroness Hanham: The Government are determined that anyone who wants to build their own home should have the opportunity to do so, including younger and less affluent households.
The Government have been working closely with the self-build industry to introduce a comprehensive range of measures designed to enable the self-build sector to become a mainstream housing option for everyone. These include publishing proposals to give relief to self-builders from paying the Community Infrastructure Levy, asking local planning authorities to assess the need and plan for anyone wanting to build their own homes, bringing forward a surplus public sector land sites for self-build development, and, making available £44 million of funding to help aspiring self-builders and local community groups to get their projects off the ground.
As part of the preparation of the Self Build Action Plan, the Government worked with industry to assess a range of international self-build housing practices, including the approaches to self build in Germany and the Netherlands. Further detail is set out in An Action
Plan to promote the growth of self build housing
(July 2011). The Minister for Housing also led an international visit to Almere in the Netherlands in May 2012 to identify transferable lessons for self-build practice in England. Lessons from that visit are set out in
Planning for Custom Build Housing
—
A Practice Guide
(November 2012). Details are available on the National Self Build Association website at www.nasba.org.uk
Iran
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the purpose of Iranian enrichment of uranium; and on what evidence that assessment is based.[HL387]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi): The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)’s report of 21 February states that Iran’s declared purpose for enriching uranium is for fabrication of fuel for its nuclear facilities and research reactors. However, as the IAEA report notes, as of February 2013 Iran already had just under 6000kg of uranium enriched up to 5% and 167kg enriched up to 20%. This is enough enriched uranium for many years’ worth of fuel. We therefore assess that continuing enrichment by Iran and the expansion of its nuclear programme—in violation of UN Security Council Resolutions and Board of Governors—has no plausible civilian justification.
Israel
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have access to reports produced by the Temporary International Presence in Hebron since 1997; and what assessment they have made of whether the Israeli authorities have adopted any of the recommendations, and, if so, which.[HL384]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi): Our officials in Tel Aviv receive weekly Temporary International Presence in Hebron reports and have not made an assessment of the implementations of the recommendations. However, we continue to press the Israeli authorities to comply with their obligations under international law.
Israel and Palestine: West Bank
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the Government of Israel following the decision of that country's Supreme Court to allow Israeli companies to exploit
stone quarries in the West Bank, especially about the implications of that decision for international law.[HL386]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi): Officials at our embassy in Tel Aviv have not raised this specific case but we continue to press the Israeli authorities to comply with their obligations under international law.
Mayoral Referendums
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what, over and above the cost of routine local elections, was the total cost of holding 10 mayoral referendums in May 2012; and what was the cost for each individual referendum.[HL428]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (Baroness Hanham): The impact assessment on creating executive mayors estimated the additional costs of these referendums at just under £2.1 million. In addition, we agreed to refund costs incurred by the authorities on awareness campaigns where appropriate. We are now considering the local authorities’ claims and as soon as these are settled we will provide details to the House.
Migrant Domestic Workers
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of (1) the report by Fiona McTaggart MP and Matthew Lawrence, Service not servitude: protecting the rights of domestic workers, (2) the report by Kalayaan, Slavery by another name: the tied migrant domestic worker visa, and (3) the Republic of Ireland's Code of Practice for Protecting Persons Employed in Other People's Homes.[HL388]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Viscount Younger of Leckie): The Government are aware of the reports that the noble Lord raises.
The Government believe that existing safeguards protect the rights of domestic workers. This strikes the right balance between protecting vulnerable workers and ensuring that aspects of employment law which can carry criminal sanction are not extended to private households.
A copy of ILO Convention 189 and Recommendation 201 on decent work for domestic workers was laid in Parliament on 27 April 2012 as command paper 8338. The explanatory memorandum laid alongside this command paper sets out the UK position on this matter.
Mobile Phones
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will take action to protect owners of mobile phones from the unlimited liability for charges that occur when handsets are stolen.[HL163]
Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The Government are concerned that consumers are ultimately liable for unauthorised charges generated when their phone is lost or stolen up to the point at which they notify their operator. While the proportion of mobile phone consumers that face unexpectedly high bills (UHBs) as a result of unauthorised use of a lost or stolen mobile phone is relatively low, the financial harm to individual consumers can be significant—in some cases running into several thousand pounds. The Government want mobile operators to take effective action to protect their customers from unauthorised use of lost and stolen phones. We aim to set out the steps we expect operators to take and our proposed approach to securing protection for consumers against unlimited liability for unauthorised use of lost or stolen phones before summer Recess.
National Crime Agency
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have considered using their powers under Section 26 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 to direct that the necessary action is taken to give the National Crime Agency the powers to carry out police operations and recruit agents in Northern Ireland.[HL420]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Wales Office (Baroness Randerson): The framework under which policing operates in Northern Ireland is an important part of the political settlement. We have no current plans to legislate to give the National Crime Agency powers in the devolved sphere because the Northern Ireland Executive and Assembly have not signalled their consent.
We remain open to discussion with the Northern Ireland Executive about the operation of the National Crime Agency in Northern Ireland. The Crime and Courts Act includes order-making powers to extend the NCA’s operational capabilities to Northern Ireland, where appropriate, with the consent of the Assembly. In the mean time, the Government continue to work closely with the Northern Ireland Justice Minister to ensure that the people of Northern Ireland benefit as much as possible from the National Crime Agency.
Overseas Aid
Question
Asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much United Kingdom overseas aid was spent per head of United Kingdom population in the past five years, including funds distributed by the European Union; and how that figure compares to aid spent by (1) Germany, and (2) the United States.[HL412]
Baroness Northover: The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Development Assistance Committee (DAC) publish annual figures on net Official Development Assistance (ODA) spend for each calendar year for United Kingdom, Germany and the United States of America. This is detailed in Table 8 of the “Statistics on International Development” publication which is available online at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/statistics-on-international-development.
Population data from UN World Population Prospects (2010 Revision) are available online at http:/esa.un.org/unpd/wpp/Excel-Data/population.htm.
Overseas Territories
Questions
Asked by Lord Jones of Cheltenham
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress has been made in achieving the aims and objectives set out in Section 4 of the Overseas Territories White Paper (Cm 8374), published in June 2012, in so far as “strengthening accountability including by making the performance of public bodies and services more transparent” is concerned.[HL422]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi): At the Overseas Territories Joint Ministerial Council in December 2012, reported in a Written Ministerial Statement on 19 December 2012 (Official Report, col. 109WS) the UK and territory Governments committed to work together on a series of priority actions which will contribute to strengthening accountability and transparency, including:
to continue to develop democratic institutions that serve and take account of the interests of all the people in the territories;to encourage the adoption and implementation of the seven principles of public life set out by the UK Committee on Standards in Public life (namely, selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership);to strengthen public services to provide effective and efficient policy advice, public services and regulation;to put in place, as appropriate, and implement codes of practice for Ministers, Parliamentarians and public servants;to strengthen public financial management and ensure it is undertaken transparently and is open to external scrutiny in order to provide the conditions necessary for sustainable economic growth; andto promote systems for fair and transparent recruitment to the public services.
In pursuit of these goals, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has established a small programme to support training and the exchange of expertise between UK and territory public servants. We continue to encourage partnerships between territories and UK local authorities to share best practice.
Asked by Lord Jones of Cheltenham
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress has been made in achieving the aims and objectives set out in Section 4 of the Overseas Territories White Paper (Cm 8374), published in June 2012, in so far as giving power to people and communities across the Overseas Territories is concerned.[HL423]
Baroness Warsi: In the Overseas Territories White Paper, the Government said that we believe the fundamental structure of our constitutional relationships with the Overseas Territories is the right one. Powers are devolved to the elected Governments of the territories to the maximum extent possible consistent with the UK retaining those powers necessary to discharge its sovereign responsibilities in 1999. The previous Government launched a process of modernising the constitutions of the inhabited territories. We are continuing this work with a view to equipping each territory with a modern constitution. We expect these constitutions to continue to evolve and to require adjustment in the light of circumstances.
We continue to build stronger partnerships with the territories. In December 2012, UK Ministers and elected leaders from the territories met for the first time as the Joint Ministerial Council and agreed a detailed communiqué setting out a work plan for the year ahead. Further details are in the Written Ministerial Statement of 19 December 2012 (Official Report, col. 109WS).
Asked by Lord Jones of Cheltenham
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress has been made in achieving the aims and objectives set out in Section 4 of the Overseas Territories White Paper (Cm 8374), published in June 2012, in so far as making the performance of public bodies and services more accountable is concerned.[HL424]
Baroness Warsi: At the Overseas Territories Joint Ministerial Council in December 2012, reported in a Written Ministerial Statement on 19 December 2012 (Official Report, col. 109WS) the UK and territory Governments committed to work together on a series of priority actions which will contribute to strengthening accountability and transparency, including:
to continue to develop democratic institutions that serve and take account of the interests of all the people in the territories;to encourage the adoption and implementation of the seven principles of public life set out by the UK Committee on Standards in Public life (namely, selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership);to strengthen public services to provide effective and efficient policy advice, public services and regulation;to put in place, as appropriate, and implement codes of practice for Ministers, parliamentarians and public servants;to strengthen public financial management and ensure it is undertaken transparently and is open to
external scrutiny in order to provide the conditions necessary for sustainable economic growth; andto promote systems for fair and transparent recruitment to the public services.
In support of these goals, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has established a small programme to support training and the exchange of expertise between UK and territory public servants. We continue to encourage partnerships between territories and UK local authorities to share best practice.
Asked by Lord Jones of Cheltenham
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to identify individual Overseas Territories which can be presented to other territories as examples of best practice in respect of any of the aspirations mentioned in Section 4 of the Overseas Territories White Paper (Cm 8374), published in June 2012. [HL425]
Baroness Warsi: We recognise and cherish the diversity of the Overseas Territories. We continue to encourage them to identify and share best practice, including through meetings of Heads of Public Services and between UK Ministers and Territory leaders at the annual Overseas Territories Joint Ministerial Council.
Pakistan
Question
Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will hold discussions with the incoming Government of Pakistan about the action being taken to investigate the murder of Pakistan’s Minister for Minorities, Shahbaz Bhatti.[HL379]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi): The assassination of Shahbaz Bhatti in March 2011 for his vocal support for religious freedom was an appalling and cowardly act. It is important for those responsible to be brought to justice. The investigation into Mr Bhatti’s death is a matter for the Pakistani authorities.
We will continue to raise the issue of religious freedom, including the death of Mr Bhatti, with the Pakistani authorities.
Pensioners: Assets
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many old-age pensioners they estimate possess assets exceeding £2 million.[HL408]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Deighton): The HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) Personal Wealth Statistics for 2008-10 estimates the number of individuals aged over 65 in the identified
wealth population with assets over £2 million to be 30,000. This is published on the HMRC website in National Statistics table 13.3
1. These estimates are based on the wealth owned by estates represented by those passing through probate in each year, grossed up to that of the living using mortality rates.
Alternative estimates are provided below, based on the Office for National Statistics' Wealth and Assets Survey. These statistics are not directly comparable with the HMRC Personal Wealth Statistics, as they are (i) based on households rather than individuals, (ii) use a different definition of wealth which, for example, includes the value of private pension funds.
An estimated 2.8% of individuals over the state pension age2 (312 thousand individuals) live in a household where the total wealth3 in excess of £2 million.
An estimated 2.1% of households headed4 by an individual over state pension age (155 thousand households) have total wealth estimated to exceed £2 million.
1http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/statistics/wealth/table 13-3.pdf.
2Individuals above State Pension Age (SPA) are males aged above 64 and females above 59.
3Total wealth of a household is a net wealth measure for each household created by adding together the different types of household wealth; property wealth (net), financial wealth (net), physical wealth and private pension wealth. It should be noted that it does not include business assets, accrued rights to state pensions or assets held in trusts.
4The Household Head or HRP is defined as follows: in households with a sole householder, that person is the HRP, in households with joint householders the person with the highest income is taken as the HRP, if both householders have exactly the same income, the older is taken as the HRP.
Source
: Wealth and Assets Survey of Great Britain, 2008-10, Office for National Statistics
Piracy
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of any trends in acts of piracy in the Indian Ocean and of the number of people who have been held hostage as a result of acts of piracy on that ocean.[HL457]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi): The volume of hijackings in the Indian Ocean peaked between 2009 and 2011, with an average of 171 attacks per year. However, last year saw a dramatic decline in pirate attacks off the coast of Somalia to just 35, with the number of ships seized falling by over 80% compared to the previous year. The last successful hijacking was in May 2012 and so far this year there have been three unsuccessful attacks. This is the combined result of continued military naval action at sea, greater shipping compliance with industry best management practice and increased use of embarked private security companies. Although there have been as many as 736 hostages held by Somali pirates, 54 hostages remain in pirate hands, often subjected to terrible conditions with no knowledge of when, or even if, they will be released.
Despite the successes, progress is fragile and reversible. Lasting solutions to piracy lie on the land as underlined by the recent Somalia Conference in London, whether in stepping up international efforts to prosecute those behind piracy or in supporting greater stability, prosperity and rule of law. The UK continues to play a leading role in providing such support. For example, the Regional Anti-Piracy Prosecutions Intelligence Co-ordination Centre (RAPPICC) was opened in Seychelles in February with UK support. This focuses on what we can do to intercept financial flows and to bring to justice those organising and benefiting from piracy.
Planning
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government which local authorities sought exemption from the proposed relaxation of planning rules for change of use from offices to residential, but had their applications rejected by Ministers.[HL277]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government from which departments were Ministers or officials involved in making decisions on whether local authorities which had sought exemption from the proposed relaxation of planning rules for change of use from offices to residential should have their request agreed.[HL278]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government from which bodies or consultants advice was sought before determining the list of local authorities to be refused exemption from the proposed relaxation of planning rules for change of use from offices to residential; and what fees were paid to any consultants involved in assessing or advising on applications.[HL279]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (Baroness Hanham): The Department for Communities and Local Government received requests for exemption from the permitted development rights for change of use from office to residential uses from 165 local planning authorities. The identity of those local planning authorities which successfully requested an exemption have been published in the Town and County Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995, as amended by the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (Amendment) (England) Order 2013. We do not routinely publish lists of local authorities who have made unsuccessful applications to ensure that they are not deterred from participating in similar exercises in the future.
The permitted development rights policy and decisions on which local authorities would be granted an exemption have been agreed across government departments in the usual way.
The department commissioned independent advisers, Arup, to provide specialist and expert assistance on commercial property markets. The total value of the work carried out was £66,790.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, as part of the proposed relaxation of planning controls on farm buildings, they will also relax controls on previous barn conversions to dwellings (where not
scheduled or in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) to enable improvements in line with those applicable to local homes.[HL430]
Baroness Hanham: The new limits for householder permitted development rights apply to dwelling houses outside Article (5) land and sites of special scientific interest, unless the planning permission granting the permission for the change of use included a condition preventing any extension of the property. It is possible at any time to make an application to the local planning authority to remove or vary a planning condition.
Railways: East Coast Main Line
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to seek competitive tenders for the new supply or upgrade of the East Coast Main Line electric passenger rolling stock.[HL376]
Earl Attlee: A decision has already been made to replace diesel rolling stock on East Coast with rolling stock provided by the Intercity Express Programme (IEP).
A decision on the replacement of electric rolling stock on East Coast by IEP trains is expected to be taken in the summer. This will either result in IEP rolling stock replacing the existing electric passenger rolling stock, or if IEP phase 2 is not approved, then any new supply or upgrade would be for bidders of the East Coast franchise competition to consider.
Railways: High Speed 2
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the projected average fare for HS2 at the commencement of the service from London to Birmingham, for the whole journey and per kilometre travelled.[HL477]
Earl Attlee: The economic case for HS2 assumes that high speed fares are broadly comparable to classic fares.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the procedure for appeal for those applicants turned down for compensation under the Government’s exceptional hardship scheme for HS2.[HL478]
Earl Attlee: Applicants who are turned down for compensation under the exceptional hardship scheme are able to reapply to the scheme, and there is no limit to the number of times they can re-apply.
All applicants who are turned down are given feedback on the reasons for which they were turned down, and this feedback can be used to inform any re-applications.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will publish the names of the members of the independent panel for the exceptional hardship scheme for HS2.[HL479]
Earl Attlee: The names of the independent exceptional hardship scheme panel members are already published, along with details of their background, on the HS2 Ltd website at: http://www.hs2.org.uk/sites/default/files/inserts/EHS%20Panel%20Members.pdf.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will publish a list of those to be consulted on the proposed property bond for HS2.[HL480]
Earl Attlee: The Government will not restrict consultation on a property bond to one specific group. It has undertaken to launch a consultation on long-term property compensation options which will include a property bond. This will be a public consultation where all members of the general public, as well as interest groups, members of parliament and professional bodies will be free to consider the information provided and respond accordingly.
Railways: Network Rail
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their forecast of Government funding for Network Rail based on Network Rail’s business plan for 2014–19. [HL476]
Earl Attlee: The Government’s rail investment strategy, published in July 2012, sets out the following funding per year for the railway for 2014-19.
| 2014-15 | 2015-16 | 2016-17 | 2017-18 | 2018-19 | Total | |
All prices are in £m, nominal, and negative numbers represent income to the Department for Transport. The illustrative split of funding is based on the access charging regime for 2009-14.
The final level of funding for the period will be determined by the independent Office of Rail Regulation’s final determination, due to be published on 31 October 2013.
Roads: Litter
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect to clear the litter from the A14 trunk road between the M6 and the M1.[HL397]
Earl Attlee: The removal of litter from the A14 trunk road between the M6 and the M1 is the responsibility of two Local Authorities, Harborough District Council and Daventry District Council.
Harborough District Council have confirmed to the Highways Agency that they litter pick their section of the A14 on a six-weekly cycle.
Daventry District Council has confirmed that they carried out a litter pick of the A14 at junction 19 of the M1 (Catthorpe Interchange) within the last fortnight.
Roads: M4
Question
Asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Attlee on 7 February concerning the M4 bus lane (WA 881), whether they have now made a decision about its removal and the restoration of that part of the M4 to motorway status; and, if not, why not.[HL453]
Earl Attlee: Analysis of the environmental assessment, which includes a review of the speed limit, has not yet been completed. Once this is completed, the Highways Agency will be in a position to make a decision on how best to proceed.
Roads: Motorways
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether motorists wrongly convicted as a result of the use of unlawful Advanced Message Indicators on the motorway network will be compensated, and any penalty points issued as a result of their use cancelled. [HL426]
Earl Attlee: It would ultimately be for the courts to decide if a sign is lawful but the Government would vigorously defend any challenge to the use of Advanced Motorway Indicators. Defendants who have been convicted in a magistrates’ court of a road traffic offence may seek to appeal to a higher court against their conviction.
Roads: Speed Limits
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government on what legal basis the statutory instruments applying variable speed limits on specified motorways were overridden by the special authorisation given by the Secretary of State on 27 November 2012; and whether they plan to revoke or replace the statutory instruments as a result.[HL370]
Earl Attlee: The Secretary of State for Transport's special traffic sign authorisation, given under the powers of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, does not override the statutory instruments applying variable speed limits on specified motorways and as such there is no plan to revoke or replace the statutory instruments.
Royal Mail
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, in the light of Royal Mail's return to profitability, they will reassess plans to privatise it.[HL505]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Viscount Younger of Leckie): Royal Mail’s results are another encouraging step, showing how its staff and management together with Government’s reforms are putting the company on a sustainable footing.
The final stage of our reforms is to give Royal Mail future access to capital through a sale of shares by Government this financial year (2013-14). Royal Mail is one of Britain’s biggest companies and it needs future access to private capital to be able to continue its modernisation programme and to seize opportunities for growth such as the boom in on-line shopping.
We are committed to a sale but its structure and timing remain open. Government are committed to implementing its reforms in full to ensure that we achieve our overall objective of securing the universal postal service.
Schools: National Curriculum
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will review (1) the remit of, and (2) the name given to, the new draft national curriculum to reflect (a) its application to English schools only, and (b) that academies and free schools are under no legal obligation to follow it.[HL470]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools (Lord Nash): We do not propose to review either the remit of, or the name given to, the proposed new national curriculum.
Since the devolution of powers to the National Assembly for Wales, the four nations of the United Kingdom have had separate statutory curriculum arrangements. The remit of the current review was therefore always restricted to maintained schools in England, and all formal documentation refers to the national curriculum for England.
While academies and free schools do not have to follow the prescribed national curriculum, we would expect that they have due regard to it as a benchmark of appropriate standards when planning their school curricula.
Shipbuilding
Question
Asked by Lord West of Spithead
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they are going to fulfil their commitment to provide at least £230 million per annum of ship building work to BAE Systems after completion of HMS Prince of Wales and before the T26 frigate build starts. [HL460]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Astor of Hever): The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is engaged in detailed discussions with BAE Systems Maritime—Naval Ships, the MoD's industrial partner for designated complex warship design, build and elements of support work under the terms of business agreement signed in 2009, to address any potential workload gap between the drawdown of the QEC programme and the start of build work on the planned T26 GCS once the design has been matured and the Main Gate approved. These discussions are exploring a number of options about how best to deliver the future shipbuilding programme at the lowest cost to the defence enterprise, and in a way that sustains key skills.
Sri Lanka
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the remarks by the Deputy Prime Minister on 15 May (Official Report, Commons, col. 634), what improvements they expect to see in Sri Lanka by the time of the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting later this year.[HL456]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi): The attendance of many world leaders at Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) will shine the media spotlight on Sri Lanka, including on its human rights record.
We firmly hope that the Sri Lankan Government will recognise that it has an opportunity to clearly demonstrate a commitment to shared Commonwealth values. This would include holding free and fair Northern Provincial Council elections in September and making concrete progress against the recommendations of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission.
We also hope to see concrete progress on respect for human rights including media freedom, the rule of law and independence of the judiciary. It will be crucial that Sri Lanka ensures that non-governmental organisations and the media have a full and proper access to CHOGM so that their voices can be heard.
Syria
Question
Asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the comments by Baroness Northover on 15 May (Official Report, col. 404), what measures are in place to ensure that the £12.1 million of assistance provided to the “moderate opposition” in Syria in
2012 and the present £170 million for humanitarian aid are not reaching Islamist insurgents whose aims and objectives are contrary to the interests of the United Kingdom.[HL414]
Baroness Northover: All the humanitarian aid the UK provides to Syria is channelled through trusted neutral and impartial humanitarian agencies that have a proven track record of delivering humanitarian aid in complex environments. To ensure that aid provided is not misappropriated we work with multilateral agencies such as the UN and International non-governmental organisations to carry out due diligence checks. We will continue to monitor the situation inside Syria and the region to ensure UK aid is not misused.
Taxation: Avoidance and Evasion
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress has been made by HM Revenue and Customs in securing increased tax payments from individual and corporate tax avoiders, including those based in tax havens; and what figures are available to demonstrate that progress.[HL504]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Deighton): HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) collected £16.7 billion of additional revenues from compliance work in 2011-12—this is £2.8 billion more than in 2010-11. In addition, HMRC collected £14.8 billion additional revenue from large businesses between 2010-11 and 2011-12. Budget 2013 further announced a significant crackdown on tax avoidance and offshore evasion which, in total, raises over £4.6 billion in new revenue over the next five years. Also at Budget, HMRC published two leaflets, Levelling the tax playing field and No safe havens. The leaflets provide further details of the progress and notable successes HMRC has achieved in tacking tax avoidance and evasion since 2010.
Taxation: VAT
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many businesses or self-employed persons in the United Kingdom are registered for VAT; and how many businesses or persons have been given permission not to register on the grounds that their turnover is below the registration threshold.[HL442]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Deighton): Details of the total number of businesses registered for VAT are published in the monthly VAT Bulletin series which is available on the HM Revenue and Customs website1. The latest number of live VAT registered traders in the United Kingdom for 2012-13 is 1,917,517 and includes registered businesses whose turnover is below the VAT registration threshold.
Businesses or persons are not required to seek permission to register for VAT if their turnover is below the registration threshold.
1http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/statistics/vat.htm#1
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the loss of revenue to HM Revenue and Customs from the sales of goods and services by businesses and self-employed persons not registered for VAT.[HL443]
Lord Deighton: Details of the estimated loss of revenue due to the VAT registration threshold are available in the “Main tax expenditures and structural reliefs” (Table 1.5) on the HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) website. The latest estimate (2012-13) for the revenue lost to HMRC by businesses and self-employed persons below the turnover limit for VAT registration is £1.75 billion.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of how many new jobs have been created in each of the last five years by the exemption from registration for VAT.[HL444]
Lord Deighton: The Government have not made such estimates. The VAT registration threshold is determined by the need to balance administrative burdens against revenue and fair competition considerations.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the contribution to gross domestic product of businesses and self-employed persons not registered for VAT.[HL445]
Lord Deighton: The Government have not made such an assessment.
Turkey
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what information they have received about those responsible for two explosions near the Syrian frontier in Turkey; and whether that has any implications for their policy towards Syria.[HL303]
Lord Newby: The Reyhanii attacks were the deadliest terrorist attacks in modern Turkish history. Fifty one people died, and many more were injured. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right honourable friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), condemned the atrocities and offered the UK's condolences to those affected. We do not yet know who carried out the attacks. The Turkish authorities continue to investigate and it would be inappropriate to speculate at this time.
These attacks will not change our policy on Syria, and will only strengthen our commitment to find a peaceful political solution to the conflict. Turkey shares this common aim with the UK. We have worked closely with Turkey since the beginning of the civil conflict in Syria, particularly on co-ordination of support to the opposition. As a key member of the Friends of Syria group, Turkey will have an important role to play in the build up to the Geneva CE conference and beyond.
We welcome Turkey's generous provision of refuge for hundreds of thousands of Syrians who have tied the violence and their efforts to minimise the impact of the conflict on regional stability. We should pay tribute to the Turkish people, who are showing their hospitality to huge numbers of refugees while enduring outrageous bomb attacks, such as the one that we saw a taw days ago. In order to support the refugee response, the UK has provided over £6 million in humanitarian aid in Turkey, including £1 million to the Turkish Red Crescent.
Universal Credit
Question
Asked by Baroness Lister of Burtersett
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of universal credit claimants they estimate to be in receipt of earnings not covered by real time information.[HL493]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Lord Freud): We intend to publish official statistics on pathfinder areas in Autumn 2013 and on nationally implemented Universal Credit from Autumn 2014.