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6 Nov 2002 : Column 291W—continued
Thalidomide Trust
Pete Wishart: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much money the Government have paid into the Thalidomide Trust since 1973; how much tax the Government have collected from payments from the Thalidomide Trust to thalidomide victims; what tax rate is applied to payments to thalidomide victims from the Thalidomide Trust; and if he will estimate the uptake of tax reclaim under the previous fiscal system by thalidomide victims who pay tax on money from the Thalidomide Trust. [79354]
Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 4 November 2002]: The Government paid #5m into the Thalidomide trust in 1974, #800,000 in 1978, and #7m in 1996. Taxpayer confidentiality prevents the disclosure of specific details on how much tax the Government has collected from payments from the Thalidomide trust to thalidomide victims. As with other discretionary trusts, the trustees account for tax at 34 per cent. on the income they pay out. The beneficiaries are then subject to tax on this income in the normal way, and they may claim credit for the tax paid by the trustees. This tax treatment has not changed so it is not possible to estimate the uptake of tax reclaim under a previous fiscal system. Information on the numbers of thalidomide victims claiming tax repayment is not available.
Pete Wishart: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent meetings have been held between the Treasury and Thalidomide Action Group UK on the tax status of beneficiary payments from the Thalidomide Trust. [79356]
Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 4 November 2002]: The Chancellor has not held any meetings recently with the Thalidomide Action Group UK on the tax status of beneficiary payments from the Thalidomide Trust.
Pete Wishart: To ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much direct compensation the Government have paid to thalidomide victims since 1972. [79355]
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Dawn Primarolo: The Government have provided thalidomide victims with support from health and social services. In addition thalidomide victims benefit from payments from the Thalidomide Trust.
Departmental Recruitment
Mr. McNamara: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much has been spent in recruiting staff to his Department in (a) London and (b) the south east in each year since 1997. [78561]
Ruth Kelly [holding answer 4 November 2002]: The costs of recruiting staff fall largely to individual teams, and are charged to team budgets. Therefore information on the total cost of recruiting staff is not available centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Enterprise Zones
Albert Owen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans the Chancellor has to introduce Enterprise Zones in deprived areas of England and Wales. [79520]
Mr. Healey [holding answer 5 November 2002]: The Government have designated 2000 Enterprise Areas across the UK, comprising the most deprived wards in the country. In England these are the most deprived 15 per cent. of wards, and in Wales the most deprived 42 per cent. The Enterprise Areas already qualify for stamp duty relief on all transactions up to #150,000, and the Government will remove stamp duty for all non-residential transactions subject to State Aids approval. Businesses in Enterprise Areas are also eligible for other forms of assistance such as the Community Investment Tax Credit and the Phoenix Fund, and at the Pre-Budget Report the Government will publish details of further plans to boost awareness and take-up of these measures.
Working Families Tax Credit (Scotland)
John Thurso: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of how many families in Scotland are eligible to receive the working families tax credit. [79740]
Dawn Primarolo: No such estimate is available.
Mapeley Steps Ltd.
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answers of his answers of 22 October 2002, Official Report, column 213W, on estate sales, when Parliament was informed of the sales to Mapeley Steps Ltd; and whether the Watch House (Customs House), Cowes, has been sold. [78292]
Dawn Primarolo : The Inland Revenue and Customs & Excise issued a joint press release ''Strategic Transfer of the Estate to the Private Sector (Steps)'' (jw 4/01) on 9 March 2001, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House. This press release mistakenly stated that the transfer was made to Mapeley Ltd. The transfers were in fact made to Mapeley Steps Ltd and this has been corrected in subsequent press statements.
The Watch Tower, Cowes was sold to Mapeley Steps Ltd as part of the Steps arrangements.
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Cash Plan Providers
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1), what revenue he estimates would be generated by the taxation of the trading surpluses of non-profit distribution health cash plan providers; [78496]
(2) what recent representations he has received concerning proposed changes in the tax treatment of trading surpluses generated by non-profit health cash plan providers; what assessment he has made of the implications of the proposed changes for the level of voluntary donations made by this sector to the National Health Service and other health charities; and how many (a) non-profit health cash providers and (b) plan holders he anticipates will be affected; [78494]
(3) what assessment he has made of the impact of the taxation of the trading surpluses of non-profit distributing health cash plan providers on the level of donations made by such bodies to the NHS and medical charities. [78495]
Ruth Kelly: Ministers have received a number of letters about the tax treatment of health cash plan providers. Providers who are not trading on a mutual basis are able to make rule changes necessary to comply with the requirements that exempt them from tax. There is no retrospective tax charge. No information is available on the impact of these changes, or the revenue generated as these depend largely on decisions taken by individual providers.
Savings Gateway
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make a statement on the four Savings Gateway pilots. [78327]
Ruth Kelly: Pilots for the Savings Gateway were launched in August 2002. The Government will provide a statement on the progress of the pilots in the Pre-budget report.
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many full-time equivalent staff there were in the Treasury's departments in each of the last five years. [78412]
Ruth Kelly: The information on total employment (full-time equivalent) in the HM Treasury as at 1 April in each of the last five years is shown in the table:
| Date | Total Staff |
|---|---|
| Full-time equivalent | |
| 1 April 2002 | 1060 |
| 1 April 2001 | 875 |
| 1 April 2000 | 870 |
| 1 April 1999 | 926 |
| 1 April 1998 | 893 |
| 1 April 1997 | 888 |
Ms Walley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the success of the pilots for the Savings Gateway. [79396]
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Ruth Kelly: Pilots for the Savings Gateway were launched in August 2002 and will last for two and a half years including evaluation. The Government will provide a statement on the progress of the pilots in the Pre-budget Report.
Ministers (Tax)
David Davis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will list the taxable benefits from accommodation for Cabinet Ministers; [78643]
- (2) if he will list benefits in kind to Ministers that are (a) tax exempt and (b) not tax exempt; [78641]
(3) what the maximum tax liability is for each benefit in kind to Ministers; [78640]
(4) if the Government will initiate a review of benefits in kind to Ministers and their taxable status. [78642]
Ruth Kelly: Government Ministers occupying official residences provided by reason of their office meet the statutory conditions for exemption from the tax charge on living accommodation. Where exemption applies and associated services, such as heating, lighting, cleaning, decoration, are supplied as well there is a tax charge of 10 per cent. of the individual's net emoluments from the employment or office. These are the rules applying to all taxpayers.
Ministers of the Crown, along with the Speaker and Opposition office-holders, are exempt, under Section 200AA of the Income and Corporation Taxes Act, from tax on transport or subsistence benefits provided for them or their families; otherwise the benefits tax rules are the same for Ministers as for other taxpayers. There is no statutory maximum on the amount of benefits that can be provided for and taxed on an employee or office-holder.
The Government have no plans to review the tax treatment of benefits in kind provided to Ministers.
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