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Bereavement Allowance
Mrs. Ray Michie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what Government policy is on paying Bereavement Allowance to all men widowed between 6 April 1994 and 5 April 2000; and if he will make a statement. [139647]
Dawn Primarolo: The Government recognise that the system of tax allowances which applied before 2000 did not target support fairly on those who needed it most. A new system has now been introduced, which focuses resources on families with children. Most widows and widowers with children under 16 will, from next April, be entitled to the Children's Tax Credit, worth over twice as much as the Widow's Bereavement Allowance. We believe that this will give the right support to those who need it most.
Residential Conversions (VAT)
Mr. Loughton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the estimated number of properties that will be converted for residential use under his VAT proposals for regeneration. [138221]
Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 13 November 2000]: Customs and Excise estimate that conversion activity which results in an estimated net gain of approximately 10,000 dwellings per year will benefit from the reduction in the VAT rate from 17.5 per cent. to 5 per cent. for work on residential to residential conversions.
Enterprise Incentive Schemes
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his oral statement of 8 November 2000, Official Report, column 317, what the qualifying conditions are, including conditions relating to size, for companies to establish enterprise incentive schemes in order to grant share options up to a company limit of £2.5 million. [138621]
Mr. Timms: Enterprise Management Incentives are targeted at small higher risk trading companies, whether listed or unlisted. The qualifying conditions are set out in Schedule 14 of this year's Finance Act, and are listed also in the Inland Revenue's share schemes website: www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/shareschemes/emi. In his recent oral statement, the Chancellor announced a consultation on a more flexible limit to the value of shares under option of £2.5 million per company, and on lifting the limit on the number of employees.
Financial Services and Markets Act
Mr. Kidney: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his target date is for N2 for the Financial Services Authority. [139844]
Miss Melanie Johnson: On 18 July 2000 I announced a target of about a year's time for the coming into force of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (known as "N2").
Mr. Kidney: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what secondary legislation remains to be enacted before the Financial Services Authority can start to exercise its powers under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. [139843]
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Miss Melanie Johnson: A list of the secondary legislation to be enacted before the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 comes into force was attached to a Treasury paper, "Financial Services and Markets Act: The Way Ahead", published in August 2000. The paper is available on the Treasury's website (www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/legislation).
Brit Disc
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he has sought approval from the European Commission for the Brit disc. [139111]
Mr. Timms: The Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in the pre-Budget Report that the Government intend to introduce a vignette or user charge that would require foreign lorries to contribute towards the cost of maintaining British roads, subject to consultation with the European Commission and other interested parties where appropriate.
Landfill
Mr. Bill O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to amend the regulations governing landfill tax credits to ensure that local schemes funded by landfill tax are transparent and that value for money is obtained; and if he will make a statement. [139585]
Mr. Timms: The Chancellor announced in this year's pre-Budget Report that the Government will further explore how the landfill tax credit scheme can be reformed, to ensure that the resources can be better used to increase recycling rates, particularly of household waste. We will be considering a range of options for reform in the run-up to Budget 2001.
Mr. Bill O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the impact of landfill tax credits on council tax precepts. [139586]
Mr. Timms: Any impact of landfill tax credits on council tax precepts should be minimal. Operators of landfill sites who are registered for landfill tax may claim tax credits for contributions that they make to support environmental projects. Under the landfill tax environmental bodies credit scheme, it is the landfill site operator who determines which projects to support. Although local authorities may be involved in such projects, they should have no direct control over the expenditure of environmental bodies and therefore will be unable to assume that funding will be forthcoming for the purposes of setting their budgets. It is possible, however, that a local authority may decide not to incur discretionary expenditure on an environmental project if it learns that that project has received alternative funding through an environmental body funded by landfill tax credits.
Petrol Duty
Mr. Maclean: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the impact of the current level of petrol duty on productivity and competitiveness in the UK economy. [136918]
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Mr. Timms: The Chancellor takes into account all relevant environmental, social and economic factors, including productivity and competitiveness, when forming his Budget.
Incomes
Mr. Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the amount of income kept after taxes for each decile of the population in each of the last 20 years. [139602]
Miss Melanie Johnson [holding answer 21 November 2000]: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
Letter from John Pullinger to Mr. Chris Ruane, dated 23 November 2000:
- The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question on the amount of income kept after taxes for each decile of the population in each of the last 20 years (139695). I am replying in his absence.
- I would refer you to figures of average household incomes by decile groups given in a series of articles, "The effects of taxes and benefits on household income", published in Economic Trends since the 1960s. The latest article, giving the figures for 1998-99, appeared in the April 2000 edition. The figures you require are in Table 2A, Appendix 1, page 62. This table shows both disposable income, which is after direct taxes (Income tax, National Insurance contributions and Local taxes), and post tax income, which is after both direct taxes and indirect taxes (such as VAT, tobacco duty etc). Details of which previous editions of Economic Trends carry the earlier articles in this series can be found on page 83 of this publication. I understand that the House of Commons Library contains the necessary back issues of Economic Trends.
- Comparisons of the latest figures with the corresponding figures in earlier articles in this series should be made with caution because of changes in coverage and treatment over the years. The methodology appendix on pages 76 to 83 of the latest article contains a description of these changes.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Duplicate Payments of Benefit
Mr. Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list all cases of duplicate payments of benefit in the past year with a value over £1,000,000. [138335]
Mr. Rooker [holding answer 14 November 2000]: The administration of benefit payments is a matter for Alexis Cleveland the Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. She will write to my right hon. Friend.
Letter from Alexis Cleveland to Mr. Frank Field, dated 22 November 2000:
- The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to respond to your recent Parliamentary Question requesting a list of all cases of duplicate payments of benefit in the past year with a value over £1,000,000.
- No individual payment of over £1m has been issued.
- I hope this is helpful.
Council Tax Benefit
Mr. Coleman: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many Council Tax Benefit claims there
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were in the last 12 months in respect of (a) Band F, (b) Band G and (c) Band H properties in (i) London and (ii) England. [138632]
Angela Eagle: The information requested is not available for the last 12 months. The latest available information is in the table.
| Band | England | London |
|---|---|---|
| F | 29,000 | 14,000 |
| G | 10,000 | 6,000 |
| H | (7)-- | (7)-- |
(7) Signifies the data are nil or negligible
Notes:
1. The data refer to households, which may be a single person, a couple or a family
2. The figures have been rounded to the nearest thousand
Source:
Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Management Information System, annual 1 per cent. sample in May 1999
Mr. Coleman: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what average annual cost is borne by restricted households claiming Council Tax Benefit for (a) Band F, (b) Band G and (c) Band H properties in (i) London and (ii) England. [138631]
Angela Eagle: The information is in the table.
| £ | ||
|---|---|---|
| Band | England | London |
| F | 153.20 | 157.70 |
| G | 315.00 | (8)-- |
| H | (8)-- | (8)-- |
(8) Insufficient data for statistically reliable estimates
Notes:
1. The data refer to households, which may be a single person, a couple or a family
2. The figures have been rounded to the nearest 10 pence
3. The data exclude any cases where there is Transitional Protection in place, ie the Council Tax and Council Tax Benefit is not restricted to Band E
Source:
Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Management Information System, annual 1 per cent. sample, taken in May 1999
Mr. Coleman: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what recent representations he has received from bodies representing (a) local government, (b) registered social landlords and (c) Council Tax payers about Council Tax Benefit restrictions; and if he will make a statement. [138630]
Angela Eagle: We have received no recent representations from representative bodies. However, our records show that during the last three months we have received representations from two individual Council Tax Benefit recipients.
Mr. Coleman: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what the savings to the Exchequer of the Council Tax Benefit restriction scheme have been in each year of its operation. [138657]
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Angela Eagle: It is estimated that the Council Tax Benefit restrictions for people living in properties in Bands F, G and H reduced spending on Council Tax Benefit by £1.5 million in 1998-99 and £4.5 million in 1999-2000.
Mr. Coleman: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many Council Tax Benefit claims are restricted to Band E; and what percentage this represents of properties, for (a) England and (b) London by (i) all property types, (ii) registered social landlords and (iii) local authority properties. [138628]
Angela Eagle: The information is in the table.
| England | London | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| All properties | |||
| Total properties | 20,842,000 | 3,040,000 | |
| Number of restrictions | 18,000 | 7,000 | |
| Percentage | Less than 0.5 | Less than 0.5 | |
| Registered social landlord/housing association properties | |||
| Total properties | 1,039,000 | 218,000 | |
| Number of restrictions | 1,000 | 1,000 | |
| Percentage | Less than 0.5 | Less than 0.5 | |
| Local authority properties | |||
| Total properties | 3,309,000 | 596,000 | |
| Number of restrictions | 1,000 | 1,000 | |
| Percentage | Less than 0.5 | Less than 0.5 | |
Notes:
1. The data refer to households, which may be a single person, a couple or a family.
2. The numbers of cases have been rounded to the nearest thousand.
Source:
Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Management Information System, annual 1 per cent. sample, taken in May 1999.
Housing and Construction Statistics published March 2000 by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions. (Dwelling figures--December 1998).
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