House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 5 Apr 2001 (pt 1)

5 Apr 2001 : Column: 239W

Written Answers to Questions

Thursday 5 April 2001

TREASURY

IR35

Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the additional costs of benefit entitlements by contractors deemed to be employees under IR35. [157110]

Dawn Primarolo: IR35 does not affect the employment rights of any worker employed through a personal service company in any way.

Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what revisions he plans to make to the Inland Revenue rules consequent upon the judgment of the IR35 case. [157099]

Dawn Primarolo: The court dismissed the challenge to the legislation on service provision by intermediaries. The Inland Revenue will review the guidance material used by its staff regarding the interpretation of the law.

Foster Carers

Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what response the Inland Revenue has made to the representations from foster carers' organisations and the Department of Health regarding its proposals for taxing payments to foster carers. [157067]

Dawn Primarolo: The Inland Revenue is working with the Department of Health and a number of organisations representing foster carers to design a simple method by which foster carers can choose to calculate the income tax due on the reward element of their payments using standard, agreed, costs. Alternatively, foster carers would be able to rely upon actual costs. The Inland Revenue plans to introduce the new arrangements as soon as practicable. In the interim, the Inland Revenue will maintain existing agreements for calculating the reward element of payments, in accordance with representations made by care organisations.

Foot and Mouth

Mr. Flynn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the (a) maximum and (b) minimum total cost to public funds of the foot and mouth outbreak. [157007]

Mr. Andrew Smith: The Treasury, MAFF and other interested Departments are keeping a range of possible outcomes under review. At this stage it is not possible to estimate the final cost of the outbreak with any reliability.

Customs and Excise

Mr. Welsh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people were employed (a) full-time and (b) part-time with HM Customs and Excise in (i) Scotland and (ii) the UK in 1999-2000 and 2000-01. [155305]

5 Apr 2001 : Column: 240W

Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 23 March 2001]: Staff in post figures for Customs and Excise are published in the Cabinet Office's "Civil Service Staff in Post" summaries, copies of which are in the Library.

In 1999-2000 there were an average of 1,322 full-time and 80 part-time staff employed in Scotland by HM Customs and Excise. The equivalent figures for the UK were 21,522 full-time and 2,029 part-time.

For 2000-01, Scotland had an average of 1,206 full-time and 87 part-time staff. In the UK as a whole 20,965 full-time and 2,133 part-time staff were employed.

Mr. Welsh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) personal computers, (b) printers, (c) fax machines, (d) servers and (e) vehicles were based in HM Customs and Excise in (i) Scotland and (ii) the UK in the years 1999-2000 and 2000-01. [155306]

Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 23 March 2001]: The information is as follows:

Year ending March 2000 Year ending March 2001

UK of which Scotland UK of which Scotland

Faxes 775 123 801 80

Personal Computers 18,533 1,084 19,615 1,097

Printers 4,792 225 4,536 168

Servers 533 34 389 32

Vehicles:

Cars 1,595 65 1,780 79

Commercial 57 5 77 5

	Year ending March 2000	Year ending March 2001
	UK	of which Scotland	UK	of which Scotland
Faxes	775	123	801	80
Personal Computers	18,533	1,084	19,615	1,097
Printers	4,792	225	4,536	168
Servers	533	34	389	32

Vehicles:
Cars	1,595	65	1,780	79
Commercial	57	5	77	5

Note:

The reduction in the number of printers and servers recorded in March 2001 are as a result of the efficiency savings implemented by ICL.

Mr. Alan Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many full-time equivalent staff were employed as HM Customs and Excise officers in British (a) airports and (b) ports in each of the last 10 years. [157033]

Dawn Primarolo: The information in the form requested is not available for previous years.

Currently (April 2000), there are approximately 2,113 Customs and Excise staff working in British airports and 2,109 staff working in British ports.

However, many staff working in customs and anti- smuggling areas are not based at a port or airport, or in the UK. They are excluded from the figures.

Working Families Tax Credit

Mr. Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what data he collects on the income distribution of recipients of the Working Families Tax Credit with incomes over £250 per week. [157048]

Dawn Primarolo: The Working Families Tax Credit (WFTC) application form requires applicants to report their earnings, and those of their partner (if any). Statistical analyses of WFTC awards are based on a 5 per cent. sample of awards in Great Britain. Subject to sampling error, this sample can be used to generate information on the number of WFTC recipients according to bands of gross weekly earnings of the main earner.

5 Apr 2001 : Column: 241W

Mr. Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) with respect to Table 5.3 of the Working Families Tax Credit Statistics, Quarterly Inquiry, August 2000, what assessment he has made of the factors underlying the average tax credit awards payable to (a) managers and administrators and (b) taxi drivers; [156833]

Dawn Primarolo: The table shows the average gross weekly earnings of the main earner in families receiving Working Families Tax Credit at August 2000 and who fall into each of the occupation types listed in the table referred to.

The average gross weekly earnings of main earners who are managers and administrators and included in the table is higher than the overall average, and the average gross weekly earnings of main earners who are taxi drivers is lower.

Average gross weekly earnings of the main earner in families receiving Working Families Tax Credit at August 2000, by occupation of the main earner

£

All occupations 158

Managers and administrators 174

Professional occupations 188

Associated professional and technical occupations 190

of which:

Scientific technicians 205

Health and social welfare associate professionals 184

Clerical and secretarial occupations 174

of which:

Administrative officers below EO grades in Civil Service/ Local Government 208

Clerks and cashiers 163

Receptionists and telephonists 157

Secretaries and typists 181

Other clerical occupations 183

Craft and related occupations (non-managerial workers) 172

of which:

Construction trades, skilled workers 171

Metal working, skilled workers 178

Food preparation trades 146

Personal and protective services 131

of which:

Chefs and cooks 124

Hotel porters, kitchen porters, catering assistants, counter hands etc. 118

Health and childcare occupations 143

Domestic staff 131

Cleaners, domestics, window cleaners and road sweepers 112

Sales occupations 134

of which:

Sales assistants 127

Sales occupations 145

Plant and machine operatives 169

of which:

Assemblers/lineworkers on electrical/electronic goods, cars, packers, bottlers, graders, sorters etc. 178

Transport and machinery operatives 203

Taxi-drivers 100

Other occupations 179

	£
All occupations	158
Managers and administrators	174
Professional occupations	188

Associated professional and technical occupations	190
of which:
Scientific technicians	205
Health and social welfare associate professionals	184

Clerical and secretarial occupations	174
of which:
Administrative officers below EO grades in Civil Service/ Local Government	208
Clerks and cashiers	163
Receptionists and telephonists	157
Secretaries and typists	181
Other clerical occupations	183

Craft and related occupations (non-managerial workers)	172
of which:
Construction trades, skilled workers	171
Metal working, skilled workers	178
Food preparation trades	146

Personal and protective services	131
of which:
Chefs and cooks	124
Hotel porters, kitchen porters, catering assistants, counter hands etc.	118
Health and childcare occupations	143
Domestic staff	131
Cleaners, domestics, window cleaners and road sweepers	112

Sales occupations	134
of which:
Sales assistants	127
Sales occupations	145

Plant and machine operatives	169
of which:
Assemblers/lineworkers on electrical/electronic goods, cars, packers, bottlers, graders, sorters etc.	178
Transport and machinery operatives	203
Taxi-drivers	100
Other occupations	179

5 Apr 2001 : Column: 242W

Mr. Cotter: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the waiting time is for receipt of Working Families Tax Credit application forms following an initial request. [156971]

Dawn Primarolo: The Working Families Tax Credit helpline aims to send out application packs to callers within 48 hours of a request being made to it. It sends out application packs by first-class post, and is currently up to date processing such requests.

Fiscal Intervention

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Rochford and Southend, East (Sir T. Taylor) of 7 December 2000, Official Report, column 2W, on fiscal intervention, what the average price per ounce was of gold at each phase of the gold sell-off; what quantity was sold at each phase; and what quantity of euros were bought. [157028]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The results of the 11 bimonthly gold auctions held since July 1999, including the allotment price per ounce and the amount of gold allotted, are published in Bank of England Press Notices issued on the day of each auction. Copies of the Press Notices have been placed in the House of Commons Library and can be found on the Bank of England's website (www.bankofengland.co.uk).

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