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Tax Credits

Mr. Webb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the (a) total cost and (b) cost per claimant of administering (i) working families tax credit, (ii) children's tax credit, (iii) child tax credit and (iv) working tax credit in the last 12 months. [50991]

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answers given to the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire (Mr. Kirkwood) on 9 November 2001, Official Report, column 438W, and the hon. Member for Truro and St. Austell (Matthew Taylor) on 29 June 2000, Official Report, column 590W.

There is no administrative cost attached to child tax credit and working tax credit in 2000–01.

Resource Accounts

Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when each of the resource accounts for 2000–01 were published; what the (a) greatest, (b) median and (c) least number of days that elapsed was between each of the resource accounts being (i) laid formally upon the Table and (ii) made generally available to the public; what the median number of days that elapsed was between each of the resource accounts for 1999–2000 being (A) laid formally upon the Table and (B) made generally available to the public; and if he will make a statement. [51467]

Mr. Andrew Smith: The dates on which Departments' resource accounts for 1999–2000 and 2000–01 were published and laid are shown in the following table.

1999–2000

Departments	HC No.	Cmd No.(15)	Laid	Published	Working days between laying and publishing
Armed Forces Pension Scheme—MOD	4	—	13 December 2000	13 December 2000	0
British Trade International	—	—	—	—	—
Cabinet Office	—	5053	30 March 2001	5 July 2001	64
Cabinet Office: Civil Superannuation	—	5061	30 March 2001	29 March 2001	-1
Central Office for Information	190	—	31 January 2001	19 April 2001	54
Charity Commission	191	—	31 January 2001	28 March 2001	40
Crown Estate	192	—	31 January 2001	19 April 2001	54
Crown Prosecution Service	193	—	31 January 2001	30 March 2001	42
Customs & Excise	165	—	31 January 2001	31 January 2001	0
DCMS	181	—	31 January 2001	31 January 2001	0
Defence—MOD Consolidated	50	—	31 January 2001	1 February 2001	1
Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions	—	5054	30 March 2001	29 March 2001	(17)-1
Department of Health	194	—	31 January 2001	22 March 2001	36
Department of National Savings	830	—	2 November 2000	3 November 2000	1
DFEE	182	—	31 January 2001	22 March 2001	36
DfID	116	—	31 January 2001	3 May 2001	66
DfID—Superannuation Pensions	187	—	31 January 2001	3 May 2001	66
DSS	183	—	31 January 2001	16 February 2001	12
DTI—Main	11	—	20 December 2000	1 February 2001	27
ECGD	51	—	20 December 2000	20 December 2000	0
FCO	195	—	31 January 2001	30 March 2001	42
Food Standards Agency(18)	—	—	—	—	—
Food Standards Agency Consolidated(18)	—	—	—	—	—
Forestry Commission	196	—	31 January 2001	27 April 2001	62
Forestry Commission Pension Scheme	201	—	31 January 2001	22 March 2001	36
GAD	153	—	31 January 2001	31 January 2001	0
HM Treasury	—	5062	30 March 2001	11 May 2001	30
Home Office	—	5055	30 March 2001	27 April 2001	20
Inland Revenue	129	—	24 January 2001	24 January 2001	0
Intervention Board Executive Agency	833	—	9 November 2000	9 November 2000	0
Lord Chancellor's Department	—	5056	30 March 2001	30 April 2001	21
MAFF	—	5057	30 March 2001	27 April 2001	20
National Investment and Loans Office	798	—	22 November 2000	22 November 2000	0
NHS Pension Scheme (England and Wales)	188	—	31 January 2001	11 May 2001	72
Northern Ireland Court Service	199	—	31 January 2001	30 March 2001	42
Northern Ireland Office	—	5058	30 March 2001	27 April 2001	21
Office for National Statistics	185	—	31 January 2001	2 April 2001	43
Ofgem	24	—	20 December 2000	20 December 2000	0
Ofsted	155	—	25 January 2001	15 February 2001	15
Oft	75	—	31 January 2001	31 January 2001	0
Oftel	151	—	31 January 2001	31 January 2001	0
Ofwat	176	—	31 January 2001	31 January 2001	0
ORR	184	—	31 January 2001	21 March 2001	35
Postal Services Commission(18)	—	—	—	—	—
Privy Council Office	197	—	31 January 2001	9 February 2001	7
Public Records Office	134	—	25 January 2001	25 January 2001	0
Scotland Office	186	—	31 January 2001	27 April 2001	62
Security and Intelligence Agencies	—	5059	4 April 2001	12 April 2001	6
Serious Fraud Office	198	—	31 January 2001	7 March 2001	25
Teachers Pension Scheme	189	—	31 January 2001	22 March 2001	36
Treasury Solicitors	—	5060	30 March 2001	30 April 2001	21
UK Atomic Energy Authority—DTI	10	—	20 December 2000	31 January 2001	27
Wales Office	96	—	24 January 2001	24 January 2001	0

30 Apr 2002 : Column 723W

2000–01

Departments	HC No.	Cmd No.(15)	Laid	Published(16)	Working days between laying and publishing
Armed Forces Pension Scheme—MOD	245	—	21 November 2001	21 November 2001	0
British Trade International	526	—	30 January 2002	13 February 2002	11
Cabinet Office	—	5443	28 February 2002	—	—
Cabinet Office: Civil Superannuation	554	—	31 January 2002	18 March 2002	32
Central Office for Information	566	—	31 January 2002	31 January 2002	0
Charity Commission	565	—	31 January 2002	27 February 2002	19
Crown Estate	544	—	30 January 2002	30 January 2002	0
Crown Prosecution Service	540	—	31 January 2002	31 January 2002	0
Customs and Excise	530	—	30 January 2002	26 March 2002	39
DCMS	469	—	9 January 2002	9 January 2002	0
Defence—MOD Consolidated	443	—	17 December 2001	18 December 2001	1
Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions	536	—	31 January 2002	4 February 2002	2
Department of Health	567	—	31 January 2002	15 April 2002	52
Department of National Savings	121	—	24 October 2001	24 October 2001	0
DFEE	551	—	31 January 2002	18 February 2002	12
DfID	512	—	30 January 2002	26 February 2002	19
DfID—Superannuation Pensions	514	—	30 January 2002	26 February 2002	19
DSS	491	—	31 January 2002	31 January 2002	0
DTI—Main	503	—	23 January 2002	23 January 2002	0
ECGD	441	—	10 January 2002	10 January 2002	0
FCO	553	—	31 January 2002	7 March 2002	24
Food Standards Agency(18)	513	—	31 January 2002	7 February 2002	6
Food Standards Agency Consolidated(18)	594	—	5 February 2002	(19)5 February 2002	0
Forestry Commission	527	—	31 January 2002	—	—
Forestry Commission Pension Scheme	535	—	31 January 2002	—	—
GAD	284	—	31 October 2001	31 October 2001	0
HM Treasury	573	—	31 January 2002	14 March 2002	30
Home Office	—	5444	28 February 2002	—	—
Inland Revenue	425	—	12 December 2001	12 December 2001	0
Intervention Board Executive Agency	123	—	31 October 2001	31 October 2001	0
Lord Chancellor's Department	568	—	31 January 2002	—	—
MAFF	—	5447	28 February 2002	—	—
National Investment and Loans Office	321	—	31 October 2001	31 October 2001	0
NHS Pension Scheme (England and Wales)	569	—	31 January 2002	1 March 2002	21
Northern Ireland Court Service	570	—	31 January 2002	3 April 2002	44
Northern Ireland Office	—	5445	28 February 2002	11 April 2002	30
Office for National Statistics	122	—	31 January 2002	—	—
Ofgem	170	—	19 July 2001	19 July 2001	0
Ofsted	403	—	5 December 2001	5 December 2001	0
Oft	538	—	30 January 2002	30 January 2002	0
Oftel	416	—	12 December 2001	12 December 2001	0
Ofwat	313	—	21 November 2001	21 November 2001	0
ORR	490	—	30 January 2002	14 February 2002	11
Postal Services Commission(18)	495	—	30 January 2002	30 January 2002	0
Privy Council Office	571	—	31 January 2002	11 February 2002	7
Public Records Office	362	—	21 November 2001	21 November 2001	0
Scotland Office	531	—	31 January 2002	6 February 2002	4
Security and Intelligence Agencies	—	5446	28 February 2002	14 March 2002	10
Serious Fraud Office	572	—	30 January 2002	18 March 2002	33
Teachers Pension Scheme	552	—	31 January 2002	8 February 2002	6
Treasury Solicitors	574	—	31 January 2002	24 April 2002	59
UK Atomic Energy Authority—DTI	504	—	23 January 2002	23 January 2002	0
Wales Office	288	—	28 November 2001	28 November 2001	0

⁽¹⁵⁾ With the agreement of the NAO, these accounts were presented to Parliament on a non-statutory basis as Command papers with a target date of 30 March 2001 for the 1999–2000 accounts 24 April 2002 for the 2000–01 accounts.

⁽¹⁶⁾ Where no date is shown the accounts were not published by 24 April 2002.

⁽¹⁷⁾ This non-statutory resource account was published the day before it was presented to Parliament.

⁽¹⁸⁾ These organisations did not prepare resource accounts in 1999–2000.

⁽¹⁹⁾ Formal resource accounts were not separately published but included in the Food Standards Agency's annual report and accounts (HC 488). The publication date of HC 488 os given in the table.

30 Apr 2002 : Column 725W

As at 24 April 2002, and excluding those Departments which had not published their resource accounts by that date, the greatest, median and least number of working days elapsing between resource accounts for 2000–01 being laid formally upon the Table and made generally available to the public are:

Greatest: 59


Median: 1


Least: 0.

There are eight accounts still to be published and the Treasury is following up late publication with the Departments concerned.

The median number of working days elapsing between resource accounts for 1999–2000 being laid formally upon the Table and made generally available to the public was 21.

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