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Shareholders

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of the total value of shares were owned by individuals and what the total value was (a) in the latest year for which figures are available and (b) in each year since 1992. [25298]

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

Letter from John Kidgell to Mr. John Bercow, dated 9 January 2002:

The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question on the ownership of shares. I am replying in his absence. (25298)

The Office for National Statistics conducts a Share Ownership survey. The most recent available data is for the 31st December 2000, and was published in "Share Ownership", which can be downloaded free from the National Statistics Website (www.statistics.gov.uk). This publication gives details of the value

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of shares held by private individuals (table B) and the percentage of the total stockmarket owned by value (table A) for all years in which a survey was conducted (1989–1994 and 1997–2000).

Revenue Report

Mr. Gray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the annual report by the Commissioners of Inland Revenue for the year ending 31 March 2001 will be published. [25205]

Mr. Andrew Smith: The Inland Revenue annual report for the year ending 31 March 2001 was published on 18 December 2001.

Tax Credits

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 18 December 2001, Official Report, column 199W, if the impact on business of the Tax Credits Bill will be known before he has announced the relevant rates and tapers in the 2002 Budget. [25820]

Mr. Andrew Smith: A Regulatory Impact Assessment was published, together with the Tax Credits Bill, on 29 November.

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 18 December 2001, Official Report, column 199W, when he will publish the evaluation of the updating of the impact of the working families tax credit and disabled person's tax credit. [25346]

Mr. Andrew Smith: Evaluation findings will be published in due course.

Export Credits Guarantee Department

Mr. Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on where the Treasury will source the funding for the increase in the net cash requirement of the Export Credits Guarantee Department in the Winter Supplementary Estimates. [25210]

Mr. Andrew Smith: Funding for the increase in the net cash requirement of the Export Credits Guarantee Department in the Winter Supplementary Estimate will be from the Consolidated Fund.

Working Families Tax Credit

David Cairns: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the impact of the working families tax credit on the income levels of the poorest working families in the Greenock and Inverclyde constituency. [25424]

Mr. Andrew Smith: The working families tax credit (WFTC) is a success in making work pay for families with children. At August 2001 WFTC was helping 1,270,000 families. This is 52 per cent. more families than were benefiting from family credit at its peak, and families were receiving on average around an extra £35 per week. In the Greenock and Inverclyde constituency 1,893 families with children were benefiting from WFTC at August 2001.

Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 17 December 2001, Official Report, column 33W, on working families tax credit, how many families had an increase in net income due to the working families tax credit regime of (a) 0 to

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10 per cent., (b) 10 to 20 per cent., (c) 100 to 110 per cent., (d) 110 to 120 per cent., (e) 120 to 130 per cent., (f) 130 to 140 per cent. and (g) 140 to 150 per cent. [25207]

Mr. Andrew Smith: It is estimated from the Family Resources Survey that, under the working families tax credit (WFTC) regime applying to awards starting from June 2001, the numbers of such families are about (a) 400,000 and (b) 270,000. The sample size is too small to yield any reliable estimates for (c) to (g) except those provided in the answer given to my right hon. Friend on 4 December 2001, Official Report, column 203W.

Notes:

1. Estimates are derived from 1999–2000 FRS with incomes projected forward to 2001–02 and assuming the 2001–02 regimes for income tax and national insurance contributions. They are subject to sampling error.

2. Increase in net income is defined as final net income less initial net income, assuming no behavioural change. Final net income is income as projected, including estimated entitlement to WFTC, housing benefit (HB) and council tax benefit (CTB). Initial net income is this less the estimated entitlement to WFTC, plus any consequent increase in estimated entitlement to HB and CTB.

International Tax Recoveries

Mr. Gray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answers of 25 October 2001, Official Report, column 374W, 21 November 2001, Official Report, column 360W, 30 November 2001, Official Report, column 1217W, and 17 December 2001, Official Report, column 28W, on international tax recoveries and with specific regard to the table analysing recoveries, 25 October 2001, Official Report, column 375W, how much was recovered in total under all heads of recovery in the year ending 31 March 2000 from taxpayers falling in all the bands from less than £1 million to £10 million to £50 million inclusive. [25204]

Mr. Andrew Smith: International tax recoveries are analysed as follows:

£ million

Band	Recovered
Less than £1 million	21
£1 million to £10 million	117
£10 million to £50 million	244
£50 million to £100 million	210

The written answer of 25 October indicated that there were no cases in the £50 million to £100 million category: in fact there were three.

Urban Regeneration

Dr. Kumar: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what schemes targeting urban regeneration needs are managed by his Department; how much each scheme has available to invest; what issues each scheme aims to tackle; and how much has been spent annually since 1997 (a) in the United Kingdom, (b) in Teesside, (c) in Redcar and Cleveland and Middlesbrough councils and (d) in the Middlesbrough, South and Cleveland, East constituency. [25478]

Ruth Kelly: No schemes targeting urban regeneration needs are currently managed, or have been managed since 1997, by the Chancellor's Departments and agencies.

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Biofuels

Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what plans he has to lower the duty on biodiesel to the same rate of tax as that levied on road fuel gases; and if he will make a statement; [25688]

(2) what plans he has to lower the duty on bioethanol fuel; and if he will make a statement on the Government's policy on encouraging the use of biofuels. [25687]

Mr. Boateng: Duty rates are reviewed annually as part of the Budget process. We have already announced that, subject to European agreement, we will introduce a lower rate of excise duty on biodiesel later this year, to be set at 20p per litre below the rate for ultra-low sulphur diesel.

Film Industry

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer who the beneficiaries were of tax breaks to the film industry in the last 12 months; and what sums were involved. [25284]

Mr. Andrew Smith: The estimated tax cost of relief provided to British qualifying films in 2000–01 under section 48 of the Finance (No. 2) Act 1997 was £90 million. We estimate that a further £50 million was provided under section 42 of the Finance (No. 2) Act 1992. Without sections 48 and 42 we estimate that the amount of tax relief given to the film industry would be halved. The names of the recipients of the tax relief cannot be disclosed on the grounds of taxpayer confidentiality.

Industrial and Provident Societies

Mr. Love: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list by local authority area those industrial and provident societies with registered addresses in London. [25456]

Ruth Kelly: The information is not readily available.

Oils Fraud (Northern Ireland)

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he last met his Irish counterpart to discuss action against oils fraud in Northern Ireland; and what the outcome of those discussions was. [25740]

Mr. Boateng: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Hull, North (Mr. McNamara) on 20 November 2001, Official Report, column 266W.

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