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Community Sports Clubs
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost to HM Treasury of giving charitable status to community sports clubs. [8857]
Mr. Boateng: No such estimate has been made.
Private Finance Initiative
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library the terms of reference of the Mott MacDonald study of PFI; when he expects it to reach its conclusions; and if he will make a statement. [9385]
Mr. Andrew Smith: The study is intended to assess the scale of cost and time overruns and benefit shortfalls in major public sector procurement over a 20-year period. Projects in the defence, energy, health, IT, prisons and transport sectors are being examined, together with a few other projects of outstanding importance. No date has yet been set for the concluding report of the study because the second phase of work has not yet been agreed.
VAT Payers
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many taxable persons were registered for VAT in each of the financial years since the introduction of VAT in 1972 (a) in total and (b) broken down into (i) individuals and (ii) companies. [9171]
Mr. Boateng: Where available, information on the numbers of VAT-registered traders in the UK since 1972 has been published in Customs' annual departmental reports.
Customs' Estate
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the current estimate is of (a) the completion date and (b) the final cost of the (i) Southampton Rationalisation, (ii) Dorset House and (iii) Glasgow Estates projects. [9182]
Mr. Boateng: Where available, information on projects undertaken in relation to Customs' estate will be published in the Department's spring report.
Smuggling
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many smugglers' vehicles were (a) seized
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and (b) restored to their owners by HM Customs and Excise in (i) 2000–01 and (ii) 2001–02 to the latest date for which information is available. [9188]
Mr. Boateng: Figures for the number of vehicles seized by Customs during 2000–01 are contained in the Government's response to the independent report by John Roques into "The Collection of Excise Duties in HM Customs and Excise", House of Commons, Command 5329, July 2001, a copy of which was placed in the Library on 19 July. Information on the number of vehicles which were restored is not available. The number of vehicles Customs seize from smugglers during 2001–02 will be published on a full financial year basis during 2002–03.
Partnerships UK
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage stake in Partnerships UK has been sold to private investors; and how much has been raised by the sale of shares to date. [10250]
Mr. Andrew Smith: HM Treasury sold a 51 per cent. shareholding in PUK plc to private sector investors, following an offer for sale issued on 26 February 2001. A further 4.4 per cent. was legally transferred to the Scottish Ministers on 23 April.
A total of £45 million was raised by the transaction for Partnerships UK. Of this amount £24,949,998 was raised by the sale to the private sector and Scottish Ministers. The remainder represents the Treasury's investment in Partnerships UK.
Landfill Tax Credit Scheme
Bob Russell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the HM Treasury review of the landfill tax credit scheme will be completed; and if he will make a statement. [10232]
Mr. Boateng: The Government are committed to meeting the challenging targets for waste recycling set out in Waste Strategy 2000. As stated in Budget 2001, we are attracted to replacing all or part of the landfill tax credit scheme with a public spending programme to direct resources towards Government priorities on sustainable waste management. The Government, together with the devolved Administrations, are beginning work on developing options for a spending programme for consideration as part of the spending review 2002. In taking forward this work, the Government will consult with interested parties on the shape of any replacement scheme and the transition to any replacement.
Working Families Tax Credit
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps are taken to ensure that parents do not enrol their children in nursery on a temporary basis in order to claim working families tax credit. [10676]
Dawn Primarolo: Applicants for the working families tax credit provide confirmation from child care providers of the charges they have agreed with parents and that the service they provide is eligible for support through the child care tax credit.
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Applications may be selected for further inquiry on the basis of a risk assessment. Specialist staff may inquire formally into applications identified as requiring investigation.
Tax Revenue (Football)
Mr. Gareth R. Thomas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate how much tax revenue was generated from football in the last 12 months. [10988]
Dawn Primarolo: Estimates are not available of the tax revenue from football.
Railtrack
Mr. Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when his Department was involved in the discussions between Railtrack and the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions after 1 July on Project Rainbow and related matters. [10916]
Mr. Andrew Smith: Treasury officials are in contact on a daily basis with a wide variety of organisations, both inside and outside government, concerning a wide range of issues.
Brownfield Sites
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the uptake has been of the advance payable tax credit for clearing and developing brownfield sites; and if he will make a statement. [10973]
Mr. Boateng: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to him by the Economic Secretary on 25 October 2001, Official Report, column 375W.
Manufacturing
Mr. Key: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will make a statement on the impact of business tax and regulation upon the profitability of British manufacturing; [10657]
- (2) if he will make a statement on the effects of business tax and regulation upon the competitiveness of manufacturing. [10656]
Mr. Boateng: Successive Budgets have set out new measures as part of the Government's clear strategy to boost competition, productivity, enterprise and innovation, skills, investment and encourage economic growth across all regions. The Government seek to make Britain the most competitive environment for business in the world.
The Government are committed to tackling regulatory burdens and supporting business. Lord Haskins' better regulation task force has been established to advise the Government on regulatory issues. The new Regulatory Reform Act 2001 will also play a vital role in the drive to reform over-burdensome legislation. Under this Act, over 50 potential reforms have been identified, with nine measures out to consultation and one potential regulatory reform order already laid. The panel for regulatory accountability calls departmental regulatory reform Ministers to account for their Department's regulatory performance. The Government are also committed to publishing regulatory impact assessments for all new measures having an impact on business.
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Correspondence
Mr. Webb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Northavon of 9 August regarding a lorry belonging to Westfield International Transport seized by HM Customs; and if he will ensure that the lorry is released as soon as possible. [11140]
Mr. Boateng: I have already replied to the hon. Member.
Climate Change Levy
Mr. Key: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage share of (a) UK gross domestic product and (b) the total to be raised by the climate change levy, the UK engineering industry will contribute in the next financial year. [10696]
Mr. Boateng: On the most recently available figures, engineering represents an estimated 6 per cent. of gross domestic product.
The impact of CCL on any sector will be determined by a number of factors, including:
- The future energy consumption of firms in the sector and the use they make of levy funded energy efficiency support.
- Employment levels in those sectors and the benefits received from the levy funded national insurance contribution cuts.
- The number of energy intensive firms in that sector that are eligible to receive a discount on the main rates of the levy by signing up to an energy efficiency agreement.
- What use firms in that sector make of electricity generated from levy exempt 'new' renewable sources of energy and combined heat and power.
Mr. Boateng: The climate change levy will raise an estimated £1 billion a year, all of which will be recycled back to business through cuts in employers' national insurance contributions and support for energy efficiency. While the levy is broadly revenue neutral across manufacturing and service sectors, it is not possible to say exactly what effect the levy will have on any specific sector or industry. That will depend on a number of factors including:
- The future energy consumption of firms in the sector and the use they make of levy funded energy efficiency support.
Employment levels in those sectors and the benefits received from the levy funded national insurance contribution cuts.
The number of energy intensive firms in that sector that are eligible to receive a discount on the main rates of the levy by signing up to an energy efficiency agreement.
What use firms in that sector make of electricity generated from levy exempt 'new' renewable sources of energy and combined heat and power.
Mr. Boateng: The climate change levy only became operational in April this year and the first payments are still being received by Customs and Excise. It is too early to assess its impact, but the levy is operating in the planned revenue neutral manner.
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The impact on any specific sector will depend on a number of factors including:
- The future energy consumption of firms in the sector and the use they make of levy funded energy efficiency support.
Employment levels in those sectors and the benefits received from the levy funded national insurance contribution cuts.
The number of energy intensive firms in that sector that are eligible to receive a discount on the main rates of the levy by signing up to an energy efficiency agreement.
What use firms in that sector make of electricity generated from levy exempt 'new' renewable sources of energy and combined heat and power.
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