You are here: Parliament home page > Parliamentary business > Publications and Records > Hansard > Commons Debates > Commons Debates by date > Commons Debates - previous sessions > Bound Volume Hansard - Written Answers
Previous Section Index Home Page

Working Families Tax Credit

Mr. Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what action he is taking to help Working Families Tax Credit recipients who have been refused a mortgage because of the reluctance of mortgage providers to count WFTC payments as income. [9814]

Ruth Kelly: It is a discretionary matter for individual mortgage providers to decide whether or not to count WFTC as income when considering mortgage applications.

Winter Deaths

Mr. Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many excess winter deaths have occurred in each year since 1979; and what the provisional figures for the winter of 2000–01 are. [9813]

25 Oct 2001 : Column: 377W

Ruth Kelly: The information falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.

Letter from Karen Dunnell to Mr. David Willetts, dated 24 October 2001:



Excess winter deaths(18), all ages, all causes, England and Wales, 1979–2000, 2000–01(19)

Winter (December to March)Number of deaths
1979–80(20)30,110
1980–81(20)32,900
1981–82(20)42,380
1982–83(20)42,820
1983–84(20)30,240
1984–85(20)47,380
1985–86(20)49,330
1986–87(20)26,370
1987–88(20)32,970
1988–89(20)21,160
1989–90(20)47,200
1990–91(20)37,940
1991–92(20)34,850
1992–93(20)25,650
1993–94(20)25,900
1994–95(20)27,290
1995–96(20)40,190
1996–97(20)47,680
1997–98(20)22,900
1998–99(20)46,840
1999–2000(20)48,440
2000–01(21)25,000

(18) Excess winter deaths are defined by the Office for National Statistics as the difference between the number of deaths during the four winter months (December to March) and the average number of deaths the preceding autumn (August to November) and the following summer (April to July)

(19) Provisional

(20) Rounded to the nearest 10

(21) Provisional, rounded to the nearest 100


Bank Accounts (Terrorists)

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the bank accounts which have been frozen since 11 September on the ground of terrorist associations. [10080]

Ruth Kelly: The legislation implementing UNSCR 1373 in the UK does not empower the Government to disclose details of individual accounts frozen without the consent of the financial institutions holding the accounts of suspected terrorists.

The list of individuals and institutions covered by the freezing order has been published by the Bank of England Sanctions Unit.

Consultation Documents

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consultation documents have been issued by (a) his Department, (b) HM Customs and Excise and (c) HM Inland Revenue since 1 April 2000; and if he will list in each case the opening and closing dates of the consultation. [9776]

25 Oct 2001 : Column: 378W

Ruth Kelly: Details of HM Treasury and Inland Revenue consultation papers, including their opening and closing dates are available on their respective public internet websites. Customs and Excise (C&E) have issued four consultation documents since 1 April 2000. An up to date list of C&E consultation documents is expected to be listed on their public website at the end of December 2001.

Turkey

Harry Cohen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans there are to reschedule Turkey's debts; and if he will make a statement. [9120]

Ruth Kelly: Turkey is implementing an IMF programme, supported by $19 billion of IMF resources, which is currently on track. The IMF Board has the flexibility to delay repayments on these loans, if circumstances require. Turkey continues to honour all its bilateral obligations, including to the UK Government.

Taxation

Mr. Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer by what criteria he decides which (a) tax levies, (b) tax reliefs and (c) tax credits are administered by (i) HM Customs and Excise and (ii) the Inland Revenue. [9761]

Ruth Kelly: In general, direct taxes and associated credits and entitlements, are administered by the Inland Revenue, and indirect taxes and customs control systems are administered by HM Customs and Excise.

Further information on the administrative responsibilities of HM Customs and Excise and Inland Revenue are set out in their respective annual reports.

ISAs

Mr. Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will provide a breakdown of the take-up rate of ISAs by each earnings quintile, since their introduction. [9754]

Ruth Kelly: Information by earnings quintile is not readily available. However, analysis from the 2000–01 NOP Financial Research Survey suggests that around a fifth of all ISAs and a quarter of mini cash ISAs are held by those earning less than £11,500 per year, compared with around one in five TESSAs and one in six PEPs.

Gambling

Ms Ward: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the impact upon revenue of the implementation of the recommendations made in the gambling review report. [8617]

Mr. Boateng: The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport is currently consulting on the gambling review report's recommendations and no decisions have been made about their implementation.

Customs and Excise

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what the total publicity and advertising budget for HM Customs and Excise was in (a) 2000–01 and (b) 2001–02; [9183]

25 Oct 2001 : Column: 379W

Mr. Boateng [holding answer 22 October 2001]: Where available, final estimates of these costs will be published in the annual report of the Commissioners of Her Majesty's Customs and Excise later this year.

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of complaints against HM Customs and Excise were upheld by the Adjudication Office in (a) 2000–01 and (b) 2001–02 to the most recent date for which information is available. [9175]

Mr. Boateng: The outcome of complaints investigated by the Adjudicator's Office in 2000–01 was set out in the Adjudicator's annual report, published on 11 July 2001. The outcome of complaints investigated in 2001–02 will be set out in the Adjudicator's 2002 annual report due to be published next year.

European Court of Justice Judgments

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the implications for (a) UK tax law and (b) Government revenue of the 9 October Judgment of the European Court of Justice in Case C-409/98, Commissioners of HM Customs and Excise v. Mirror Group plc; and if he will make a statement. [9170]

Mr. Boateng: No change in UK tax legislation is needed as a result of this judgment. The impact on tax revenue will depend on the UK courts' decision on an issue which has been referred back to them by the European Court of Justice.

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the implications for (a) UK tax law and (b) Government revenue of the 4 October judgment of the European Court of Justice in Case C-326/99 "Stichting 'Goed Woren' v. Staatssecretaris van Financien"; and if he will make a statement. [9168]

Mr. Boateng: As the judgment of the European Court of Justice in this Dutch case is in line with UK policy, it has no impact on UK tax legislation or revenue.

25 Oct 2001 : Column: 380W

Next Section Index Home Page