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Trading Partners
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what (a) the coefficient of the exchange rates variation with sterling and (b) the value in sterling of reciprocal trade with the UK was for each of the United Kingdom's 20 principal trading partners from 1997 until 31 December 2001. [71813]
Ruth Kelly: The coefficient of variation of a data series can be calculated by dividing the standard deviation by the mean.
A detailed geographical breakdown of UK trade is published by the Office For National Statistics in section 9 of the annual Balance of Payments publication (The Pink Book). The ONS also publishes a list of the UK's top
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50 trading partners for goods exports and imports in the Monthly Review of External Trade Statistics. Both publications are available on the ONS website (http:// www.statistics.gov.uk/).
Employee Share Schemes
Mr. Howard: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received on the potential for employers to offer fractional shares within employee share schemes; and if he will make a statement. [71697]
Dawn Primarolo: The Chancellor of the Exchequer has not received any representations on the potential for employers to offer fractional shares within employee share schemes.
Payroll Software
Lembit Öpik: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how much is set aside for Government Departments to replace their existing payroll provision with new software which has the Inland Revenue payroll standard; and if he will make a statement; [71709]
- (2) which Government Departments have filed their P14 and P35 IR documents electronically; when those Departments that have not filed electronically will do so; and if he will make a statement; [71706]
(3) which elements of the payroll standard the Government's payroll provisions do not meet; and if he will make a statement; [71708]
(4) how much is to be set aside to enhance Government Departments' existing software to comply with the Inland Revenue payroll standard and undertake the testing; and if he will make a statement; [71710]
(5) which Government Departments pay their employees through software that has the Inland Revenue payroll standard; and if he will make a statement. [71707]
Dawn Primarolo: This information is not available or could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Quality standards for mandatory electronic filing of employers' end of year tax returns have not yet been settled.
Tax Return Errors
Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what (a) financial and (b) promotional incentives are offered to staff at the Inland Revenue for investigating errors in tax returns. [71870]
Dawn Primarolo: No financial or promotional incentives are offered to Inland Revenue staff specifically for investigating errors in tax returns. However, annual pay awards take account of overall individual performance.
National Rail
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether debt incurred by National Rail will be included in the net cash requirement. [72098]
Mr. Boateng: The Office for National Statistics has decided that Network Rail will be classified as a private sector company in national accounts. Therefore, its borrowing will not be included in the public sector net cash requirement.
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Enterprise Investment Scheme
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on take-up of the Enterprise Investment Scheme. [71660]
Dawn Primarolo: Information on investment in EIS companies is published on the Inland Revenue website. The latest figures for take-up of EIS for the last three years are:
| £ million | |
|---|---|
| 1998–99 | 278.1 |
| 1999–2000 | 469.0 |
| 2000–01 | 661.6 |
The figures for 2001–02 will be available in September. The amounts for the earlier years will also be updated then as there is a considerable time lag between the year to which the claim relates and the receipt of the claim.
Inland Revenue
Mr. Salmond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many outstanding claims are pending in respect of the cases at issue in Clark (Inspector of Taxes) v. Perks and other appeals. [72566]
Dawn Primarolo: 720 claims were still receiving consideration as at 19 July 2002.
Mr. Salmond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what he estimates to be the total potential payout due from the Inland Revenue to claimants stemming from the cases at issue in Clark (Inspector of Taxes) v. Perks and other appeals. [72568]
Dawn Primarolo: No estimate of the total to be repaid has been made.
Mr. Salmond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what redress can be sought by claimants who have not been paid their back-tax, pursuant to the Court of Appeal's decision Clark (Inspector of Taxes) v. Perks and other appeals. [72571]
Dawn Primarolo: If a taxpayer wants to find out why a decision on their entitlement to a tax repayment has not yet been made they should follow up their claim with the Inland Revenue involved. If they are concerned about the way in which their claim is being handled they should contact the officer in charge.
Mr. Salmond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reason payments have ceased following the Court of Appeal's decision Clark (Inspector of Taxes) v. Perks and other appeals; and if he will make a statement. [72570]
Dawn Primarolo: They have not ceased. Repayment claims continue to be considered.
Mr. Salmond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for which years claimants may have valid claims for refunds from the Inland Revenue after the Court of Appeal's decision, Clark (Inspector of Taxes) v. Perks and other appeals. [72569]
Dawn Primarolo: Taxpayers who were employed on a jack up rig before 17 March 1998 may be entitled to claim the foreign earnings deduction for tax years up to and
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including the year ended 5 April 1998 (1997–98). Taxpayers have until 31 October 2002 to request a return for 1996–97 and until 31 October 2003 to request one for 1997–98. For the year 1995–96 and earlier years claims can only be made within six years of the end of the tax year in which an assessment was made.
Mr. Salmond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the (a) lowest, (b) highest and (c) average payout to claimants stemming from the cases at issue in Clark (Inspector of Taxes) v. Perks and other appeals. [72567]
Dawn Primarolo: The lowest repayment to date is £11. The highest is £70,590 and the average is £5,333.
Mr. Salmond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many claims made by offshore workers have been paid as a result of the court decisions in Clark (Inspector of Taxes) v. Perks and other appeals. [72565]
Dawn Primarolo: 851 repayments of tax have been made up to 19 July 2002.
Mr. Salmond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Court of Appeal's decision Clark (Inspector of Taxes) v. Perks and other appeals, for what reason taxpayers who overpaid due to mistaken classifications between offshore jack-up rigs and ships, have not been repaid in full. [72572]
Dawn Primarolo: All taxpayers who establish a valid claim to the foreign earnings deduction will have the tax they overpaid as a result refunded. Work is still continuing in some cases to determine whether the various conditions for entitlement to FED are satisfied.
Mr. Salmond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the status is of claims made by offshore workers regarding payment to them by the Inland Revenue stemming from the court decisions in Clark (Inspector of Taxes) v. Perks and other appeals; and if he will make a statement. [72564]
Dawn Primarolo: A majority of these claims have now been dealt with and either repayments made, or the claims turned down because entitlement to the foreign earnings deduction has not been established. Decisions will be made on the cases that remain under consideration in due course.
Development Assistance
John Barrett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 15 July 2002, Official Report, column 73W, on development assistance, what strategy he has for raising UK official development assistance to the UN target of 0.7 per cent. of GNP from 2005–06. [72544]
John Healey: Since this Government came to power our aid has doubled and our aid ratio has increased from 0.26 per cent. in 1997, to 0.32 per cent. in 2001. The Government have pledged our aid ratio will rise to 0.40 per cent. in 2005–06, its highest level since 1981. This will take the UK above the commitment agreement at the UN Financing for Development conference held at Monterrey in March, to bring the EU average oda/GNI ratio to 0.39 per cent. by 2005–06. This is also more than double the current G7 country oda/GNI average of 0.18 per cent. and above the current OECD average of 0.22 per cent.
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Any timetable beyond 2005–06 is a matter for future Parliaments.
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