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Winter Fuel Payment
Mr. Brake:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what environmental impact assessment was carried out on the £100 winter payment announced in the Budget. [78887]
13 Apr 1999 : Column: 118
Ms Hewitt:
Table 5.1 of the 1999 Economic and Fiscal Strategy Report and Financial Statement and Budget Report contains an appraisal of those Budget measures which have a significant impact on the environment or whose aim is primarily environmental. The increase in the winter payment was not primarily an environmental measure, nor do we expect it to have a significant impact on the environment.
Dr. Cable:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the projected revenue implications in 1999-2000 and 2000-01 of the abolition of dividend tax credits of non-taxpaying pensioners (a) on the assumption that savers fully switch into ISAs and (b) on the assumption that there is no switching. [79087]
Ms Hewitt:
To correct a bias in the tax system against the retention of profits for investment, payable tax credits on dividends paid to individuals have been withdrawn from 5 April 1999. The potential revenue impact of withdrawing payable tax credits from non-taxpaying pensioners after 5 April is about £25 million a year. The effect will, however, be reduced to the extent that investors who switched their investments into PEPs before 5 April this year, or into ISAs after that date, or into interest bearing investments on which non-taxpayers can reclaim tax deducted at source on interest paid. As a result the effect could be very much less than £25 million a year.
Mr. Laurence Robertson:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what further plans he has to transfer taxation on motorists from vehicle excise duty to petrol; and if he will make a statement. [78915]
Ms Hewitt
[holding answer 26 March 1999]: My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer's recent Budget statement details current policy on vehicle taxation.
Mr. Mitchell:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 3 March 1999, Official Report, column 808, if sterling will enter the single currency at (a) a lower level than the present exchange rate, (b) a higher level than the present exchange rate or (c) the present exchange rate; and if the rate will be maintained for two years before entry. [79404]
Ms Hewitt:
The Government's position on the exchange rate of sterling was set out in my previous answers of 3 March 1999, Official Report, column 80.
Mr. Burstow:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 24 March 1999, Official Report, column 256, concerning the 10 pence tax rate, what factors he took into account when deciding not to extend the 10 pence rate to the savings income of people of pensionable age. [79268]
13 Apr 1999 : Column: 119
Mr. Burstow:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 24 March 1999, Official Report, column 256, concerning the 10p tax rate, what estimate he has made of the cost of applying the 10p rate to the savings income of people of pensionable age; and how many people would benefit. [79269]
Dawn Primarolo
[holding answer 29 March 1999]: Pensioners benefited from a package worth £1 billion a year in the Budget, including measures like the minimum income guarantee, winter fuel allowance and the minimum tax guarantee. It is estimated that if the 10p rate applied to savings income about 950,000 people of pensionable age would be affected, at a cost of around £55 million.
Jackie Ballard:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the factors behind his decision to raise diesel fuel duty at a higher rate than petrol duty; and if he will make a statement. [79542]
Ms Hewitt:
The main factors behind the decision announced in the 1998 Budget to move to a fairer taxation of diesel relative to petrol are the higher energy and carbon contents of diesel, and the adverse affect that the use of diesel has on local air quality, caused by the high levels of particulates and nitrogen oxide emissions from diesel use.
However, following the 1999 Budget the duty rate on ultra low sulphur diesel is the same as unleaded petrol. Ultra low sulphur diesel is now over 40 per cent. of the diesel market and some industry sources predict that this will rise to 100 per cent. before the end of the year.
Mr. Maclean:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the agenda for the ECOFIN Council on 16 to 18 April. [79575]
Ms Hewitt:
The ECOFIN meeting on 16-18 April is an Informal, and therefore has no formal agenda.
Mr. Bob Russell:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department has spent on legal fees relating to the Bus Employees Superannuation Trust, (a) in total and (b) in connection with the High Court hearing on 1 March. [79540]
Mr. Milburn:
The Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions is responsible for issues in relation to the Bus Employees Superannuation Trust.
13 Apr 1999 : Column: 120
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him today, Official Report, column 58, by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, my hon. Friend the Member for Hampstead and Highgate (Ms Jackson), which provides details of expenditure by that Department.
Mr. Alan Campbell:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he has received the Registrar General's report on options for improving the system of access to historical records; and if he will make a statement on the report. [79718]
Ms Hewitt:
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Hazel Grove (Mr. Stunell) on 24 February 1999, Official Report, column 286.
Mr. Wilshire:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a list, including names and dates, of all meetings that (a) he, (b) his officials, (c) his advisers and (d) his PPS have held during (i) 1997, (ii) 1998 and (iii) 1999 with people who work for political lobbying firms or for businesses that are members of the Public Relations Consultants Association. [79639]
Ms Hewitt:
I refer the hon. Member to the answer which the Prime Minister gave to the hon. Member for Lewes (Mr. Baker) on 9 March 1999, Official Report, column 168.
Mr. Stunell:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will introduce legislation to raise the maximum permitted deposit with a credit union. [79694]
Ms Hewitt:
We have no current plans to do so.
Ms Lawrence:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to publish the Summary of Departmental Investment Strategies in the White Paper, Public Services for the Future: Modernisation, Reform, Accountability, (Cm. 4181). [80717]
Mr. Milburn:
Departmental Investment Strategies (DISs) set out how the additional resources allocated to finance capital projects in the Comprehensive Spending Review will be managed in order to deliver the Government's objectives. DISs also provide a statement of how Departments make the best use of their existing asset base. Each Department has included a summary of its DIS in its Departmental Report and has made arrangements for the full text of their DIS to be published.
The Government today published a document entitled "Departmental Investment Strategies: A Summary" which provides an overview of the DISs published by Departments. Copies are available in the Vote Office.
13 Apr 1999 : Column: 121
Mr. Malcolm Bruce:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the annual cost of extending the application of the 10p tax rate to include income from investment; and if he will make a statement. [77685]
Dawn Primarolo
[holding answer 19 March 1999]: The 10p starting rate has been introduced to improve work incentives and help make work pay. Income from investment is already taxed generously. Most savers will continue to enjoy the benefit of the lower rate at 20p on their savings rather than the basic rate at 23p (22p from April 2000). And our introduction of Individual Savings Accounts in April this year means all savers can investment substantial amounts tax-free each year.
Mrs. Roche [holding answer 29 March 1999]: Most savers continue to enjoy the benefit of the lower rate of 20p on their savings which are already treated favourably and the introduction of the individual savings account means that all savers--including pensioners--can invest substantial amounts tax-free. The new Pensioner Bonds announced in the Budget offer pensioners the security of a guaranteed income but with greater flexibility by giving them greater access to their savings and formed part of a wider package for pensioners worth £1 billion.
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