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Customs and Excise
Mr. Tynan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what action Customs and Excise is taking against internet sites selling tobacco products which give misleading information to customers about the legal status of their purchases. [139778]
Dawn Primarolo: A number of companies which advertise cigarettes at discounted prices on internet websites claim quite incorrectly that what they are doing is legal. In fact the purchase of tobacco by a private person in the UK from a trader elsewhere is described as
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Distance Selling and certain regulations apply. They require the vendor to account for duty and tax liable in the UK prior to dispatch of the goods. If this is not done the tobacco is liable to forfeiture on arrival in the UK.
The Government have made clear their determination to tackle this problem. As part of the strategy to achieve this, Customs recently launched a publicity campaign. The campaign includes adverts on internet search engines to warn consumers of these fraudulent cigarette sites. Customs have also written to all identified websites advising them of correct procedures to be followed. They have also notified Internet Service Providers (ISPs) whose sites are being used.
National Insurance
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 22 May 2000, Official Report,
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column 381W, on National Insurance (1) how many people in contracted-out money purchase pension schemes have received National Insurance contribution rebates that were previously outstanding; and how much these rebates are worth in total; [135772]
- (2) how many people are in contracted-out money purchase pension schemes that are owed outstanding National Insurance contribution rebates; how much these rebates are worth in total; and when the Government plan to have paid all the outstanding rebates. [135771]
Dawn Primarolo: There are approximately 22,000 people awaiting rebates for 1997-98 and the 1998-99 tax years. About £7.5 million of rebates remain to be paid. Approximately 258,000 people have received rebates that were previously outstanding and these rebates amounted to about £132.5 million. We expect to have reached the normal situation in relation to payment of outstanding rebates by March 2001.