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Maintenance Payments
Mr. Whittingdale: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many people will cease to receive tax relief on maintenance payments at (a) 10 per cent. and (b) 40 per cent. as a result of the change contained in the Finance Bill; [81586]
- (2) how much revenue will be raised in 2000-01 as a result of the removal of tax relief for maintenance payments. [81588]
Dawn Primarolo
[holding answer 20 April 1999]: There will be around 350,000 people who will cease to receive relief on maintenance payments in 2000-01 as a result of the 1999 Budget proposals, of which some 310,000 will cease to receive relief at 10 per cent., 20,000 will lose relief at basic rate and 20,000 at higher rate.
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There will be around £65 million raised for 2000-01 as a result of the removal of tax relief for maintenance payments. However, a new children's tax credit for families with children is being introduced in 2001-02. These reforms will modernise the personal tax system by getting rid of outdated allowances and bringing in a new relief which will concentrate resources where they are most needed--on families bringing up children.
Ms Lawrence:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what action has been taken to implement the recommendations of the Bath report into the compliance costs to employers of operating PAYE and NICs. [82135]
Dawn Primarolo:
The Government are committed to helping business in general, and small business in particular, meet their obligations by providing a range of help, guidance and assistance to them. The Budget contained a number of measures designed to increase support for small business including the creation of the Small Business Service and the new and improved services from the Inland Revenue and Customs and Excise.
The Report by Bath University contained 31 recommendations for Government. Around two-thirds of the recommendations have been accepted. A note providing a more detailed response has been placed in the Library of the House.
Mr. Loughton:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what estimate he has made of the revenue generation from the proposed increase in the stamp duty charge on all off-market transfers of tradeable securities; and what assessment he has made of the impact on the savings industry and smaller investors of the increase; [R] [79937]
Ms Hewitt
[holding answer 13 April 1999]: In order to streamline the administration of Stamp Duty, the Budget proposed that current charging provisions be standardised to provide for rounding up to a multiple of £5 in all cases, and that fixed stamp duties be set at £5. These changes will take effect from 1 October 1999. The proposals do not affect the stamp duty reserve tax charges on the bulk of share transactions, which are settled in dematerialised form within CREST.
About 1 million transfers of securities in a full year are expected to be subject to these reforms, yielding about £5 million. Most of these are fixed duty transfers involving nominees.
The impact of the new provision on the savings industry and on small investors is expected to be very small.
22 Apr 1999 : Column: 618
Ms Drown:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will list the local authority schemes that are being permitted to meet the funding costs of speed enforcement cameras from the money raised from fines and penalties; [80139]
Mr. Milburn:
At present no local authorities, or other organisations, are permitted to retain the receipts from fines relating to speed enforcement camera convictions.
In December 1998 the Treasury issued a press notice setting out criteria against which requests to offset receipts from fines/penalties against Departmental Expenditure Limits can be assessed. The criteria aim to increase the effectiveness of enforcement while ensuring that such fines continue to be set on justice and deterrence principles and are not used as a means of raising revenue.
The costs associated with speed enforcement cameras are borne by a range of different organisations, including the police, courts and local authorities. DETR, Home Office and Lord Chancellor's Department are currently considering whether receipts from speed enforcement camera related fines would meet the criteria. We would need to be clear that the receipts could be properly apportioned between the authorities involved.
The criteria relate specifically to netting off receipts from expenditure in Departmental Expenditure Limits. They do not directly apply to any local authority self financed expenditure, which is not part of DEL. However, before allowing local authorities to retain a proportion of the receipts from speed camera related fines we would need to be satisfied that they would generally meet the same conditions.
Mr. Hood:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the outcome of the ECOFIN Council held in Brussels on 16 to 18 April; and if he will make a statement. [81687]
Ms Hewitt:
There was an informal meeting of EU Finance and Economic Ministers and Central Bank Governors in Dresden on 16 to 18 April. In accordance with the usual procedures at these informal meetings, there were no decisions and no minutes were taken.
Mr. MacShane:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list in euros the value of the tax and duty imposed on a litre of (a) wine, (b) beer and (c) spirits at 40 degree strength in each EU member state. [81728]
Mrs. Roche:
The table shows the excise duty in euros and the percentage rate of VAT.
Because of the VAT component, the total tax will depend on retail selling prices in each member state. Comparable information on this is not available.
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(2) if he will make a statement on the proposed increase in the stamp duty charge on all off-market transfers of tradeable securities; if this includes transfers into nominee registration, from 50p to £5; on what date the increase is planned to take effect; and what estimate his Department has made of the likely number of annual transfers to which this charge (i) would have applied in 1998-99 and (ii) will apply in 1999-2000. [R] [79936]
(2) what criteria must be met for a local authority to be permitted to meet the funding costs of speed enforcement cameras from the money raised from fines and penalties. [80140]
| Excise | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wine | Beer | Spirits at 40 0 | VAT | |
| (euro per litre) | percentage | |||
| Austria | 0.0 | 0.2 | 2.9 | 20.0 |
| Belgium | 0.5 | 0.2 | 6.6 | 21.0 |
| Denmark | 0.9 | 0.5 | 14.7 | 25.0 |
| Finland | 2.4 | 1.4 | 20.4 | 22.0 |
| France | 0.0 | 0.1 | 5.8 | 20.6 |
| Germany | 0.0 | 0.1 | 5.2 | 16.0 |
| Greece | 0.0 | 0.2 | 3.8 | 18.0 |
| Ireland | 2.8 | 1.0 | 11.4 | 21.0 |
| Italy | 0.0 | 0.2 | 2.6 | 20.0 |
| Luxembourg | 0.0 | 0.1 | 4.1 | 15.0 |
| Netherlands | 0.5 | 0.2 | 6.0 | 17.5 |
| Portugal | 0.0 | 0.1 | 3.3 | 17.0 |
| Spain | 0.0 | 0.1 | 2.7 | 16.0 |
| Sweden | 3.2 | 0.9 | 23.8 | 25.0 |
| UK | 2.2 | 0.8 | 11.4 | 17.5 |
Note:
The figures shown for wine are for still table wine. For beer a strength of 5% alcohol by volume or 12.5 degrees Plato is assumed.
Source:
European Commission Excise Duty Tables. (Directorate General XXI) Excise Duty Tables (December 1998).
Friendly Societies
Mr. Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the impact on friendly societies of the introduction of (a) individual savings accounts, (b) individual learning accounts and (c) stakeholder pensions. [81693]
Ms Hewitt: Given their traditional roots and financial expertise, friendly societies are well placed to take advantage of the opportunities offered by individual savings accounts, individual learning accounts and stakeholder pensions.
Self-employed (National Insurance)
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the oral answer to the hon. Member for South-West Hertfordshire (Mr. Page), 15 April 1999, Official Report, column 358, on national insurance and the self-employed, what factors underlie the difference between that answer and the figures in Table 1-11 of the Red Book. [81718]
Mrs. Roche: As explained in the Red Book (page 115, final paragraph) the figures in Table 1.11 are on a National Accounts Basis. For National Insurance Contributions this means that the figures depend on when the liability arises, not when the cash is expected to be received.
The question from the hon. Member for South-West Hertfordshire (Mr. Page) asked for the change in the amount to be paid by the self-employed in 2000-01, so the answer gave an estimate of the effect on actual National Insurance Contributions receipts in 2000-01.
Credit Unions
Mr. McNamara:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if mutual shares held by a credit union member held in a common bond can be one of his special savings schemes covered by ISAs. [81606]
22 Apr 1999 : Column: 620
Ms Hewitt:
No. Shares in credit unions are not a qualifying investment for individual savings accounts.
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