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Mortgage Interest Tax Relief (Scotland)
Mr. Wallace: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total cost of mortgage tax relief in Scotland in (i) 1996-97 and (ii) 1997-98; and what it is estimated to be for 1998-99. [78214]
Dawn Primarolo: The cost of mortgage interest relief in Scotland is estimated to be £180 million in 1996-97 and £200 million in 1997-98. These estimates are based on the regional distribution of the cost of mortgage interest relief from analysis of the Family Expenditure Surveys up to 1996-97. The estimates for 1997-98 are projections based on applying the same regional distribution as in 1996-97 to the total figure for 1997-98. It is not possible to provide reliable estimates below the United Kingdom level for 1998-99.
Personal Taxation
Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the work carried out by his Department since his answer of 5 May 1998, Official Report, columns 331-34, on taxation, in order to improve the quality of information on the personal tax payments for typical families. [78243]
Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 23 March 1999]: Estimating the impact of indirect taxes is imprecise as spending patterns vary widely between households with the same composition and income, with the consumption of the majority of goods and services far from universal. For example, only around one third of adults are smokers, just over half the adult population are in households paying vehicle excise duty and around 10 per cent. of households pay air passenger duty. This can be contrasted with direct taxes and benefits where at specified earnings and for particular household types there is a known benefit entitlement or tax liability. Treasury will keep under review what meaningful information on the indirect tax burden can be produced.
Additional Person's Allowance
Ms Buck:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of eligible single-parent households claimed the additional person's allowance in each of the last five years. [79041]
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Dawn Primarolo:
I regret that the information requested is not available.
Dr. Cable:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of numbers of the companies which will pay corporation tax at (a) 10 per cent. and (b) a marginal rate of 22.5 per cent. [79080]
Dawn Primarolo:
Around 270,000 small and growing companies will pay less tax on profits as a result of the Chancellor's proposal to introduce a new 10 per cent. rate of corporation tax from 1 April 2000. Around 150,000 companies will pay corporation tax at 10 per cent. on profits of up to £10,000. Around 120,000 companies with profits between £10,000 and £50,000 will pay tax at an average rate of between 10 per cent. and the small companies' rate (20 per cent. from 1 April 1999) and have a lower tax bill as a result. This represents tax at 10 per cent. on the first £10,000 of profit and tax at 22.5 per cent. on the amount by which profits exceed £10,000 (with a 20 per cent. small companies' rate of corporation tax).
Dr. Cable:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what accounting convention underlies the treatment of working families' tax credit as a tax reduction; and when the Government adopted that convention. [79088]
Dawn Primarolo:
The Working Families Tax Credit will be part of the income tax system. It will be administered by Inland Revenue as a credit of income tax. And it will be perceived by recipients, who will receive a higher post-tax pay packet as a result, as a credit of income tax. Accordingly, in the presentation of Government receipts in the Financial Statement and Budget Report and elsewhere, the Working Families Tax Credit is treated as an income tax credit, and netted off from gross income tax receipts in the calculation of aggregate net taxes and social security contributions. This treatment of the Working Families Tax Credit was adopted in the March 1998 Financial Statement and Budget Report, and was explained in paragraph B59.
Mr. Cotter:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the average annual total tax liability of holders of 714 certificates for each of the last three years. [79720]
Dawn Primarolo:
The average annual liability to income tax, of individual 714-holding subcontractors in the year 1995-96, was £1,800. Figures for later years are not yet available.
Mr. Duncan Smith:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 30 March 1999, Official Report, column 667, on the Social Security Committee on which public interest grounds under paragraph (1) section (IV) of the Ministerial Code he declined to give the information requested by the hon. Member for Chingford and Woodford Green in the question answered on 19 March 1999, Official Report, column 857. [80145]
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Mr. Gordon Brown:
As I explained in my answer of 30 March, I gave the hon. Member a detailed account of the position in my answer of 16 March.
Dr. Tonge:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when she (a) was first consulted about and (b) received the completed strategic export controls annual report. [79714]
Clare Short:
My Department was involved from an early stage in discussion on the format and content of the Annual Report. I was informed about the proposed report in June 1998 and saw the completed report on publication.
Dr. Tonge:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what levels of aid her Department has given to those countries listed in the Strategic Export Controls Annual Report. [79711]
Clare Short:
The latest figures can be found in Table 7 of Statistics on International Development, a copy of which is held in the Library of the House. No country breakdown is available for Pacific countries as bilateral assistance to the Pacific is provided under a single regional programme. Assistance to Ascension Island is included in St. Helena and Dependencies. All other countries listed in the Strategic Export Controls Annual Report, but not in Statistics on International Development, do not receive development assistance from my Department.
Dr. Tonge:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what contribution her Department made to the strategic export controls annual report. [79713]
Clare Short:
My Department was consulted during the drafting stages and contributed on areas of specific interest in line with its policy responsibilities.
Dr. Tonge:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will state the value and percentages of her Department's 1996-97 total expenditure which were dispersed to (a) northern non-Governmental organisations, (b) southern non-Governmental organisations and (c) other civil society organisations taking into account all forms of aid her Department employs. [79715]
Clare Short:
In 1996-97 the Department for International Development (DFID) expenditure through UK NGOs was £167 million which represented 15 per cent. of the bilateral programme and 8 per cent. of total expenditure. Information on spending through overseas NGOs and other civil society organisations is not held separately but is included in DFID's bilateral country programme expenditure.
Mr. Wilshire:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will publish a list, including names and dates, of all meetings that (a) she, (b) her officials, (c) her advisers and (d) her PPS have
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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. [79646]
Clare Short:
I refer to an answer given by the Prime Minister to the hon. Member for Lewes (Mr. Baker) on 9 March 1999, Official Report, column 168. The Ministerial Code also applies to Parliamentary Private secretaries when attending any meetings in an official or semi-official capacity.
Mr. Truswell:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what environmental appraisals of policy her Department has (a) completed, (b) started and (c) planned. [79620]
Clare Short:
The Department for International Development (DFID) policies for assistance to developing countries are set out in a number of public policy documents. These include: Country Strategy Papers (CSP's), which set out how DFID intends to achieve UK development objectives in the country concerned; Institutional Strategy Papers (ISPs), which detail how DFID will work with institutions such as the EU and UN, and sectoral strategy papers, including the DFID Policy Statement on the Environment, which was published in December 1998.
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