5 Apr 2001 : Column: 239W
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.
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.
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.
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 |
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.
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.
£ | |
---|---|
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.
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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