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Landfill Tax Credit Scheme

Gregory Barker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many projects are likely to be affected by the ending of the waste management and recycling element of the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme in April 2003; which projects they are; and what representations he has received from the waste management industry about the proposal to end the waste management and recycling element of the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme. [91487]

John Healey: The Government estimates that approximately 300 projects are likely to be affected by the ending of the waste management and recycling element of the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme in April 2003. It is not possible to identify affected projects precisely given the information available about the scheme. However, information on the scheme and projects is available at www.ltcs.org.uk/database/default.asp. The Government receives representations from industry about a range of issues but the Treasury has not received any significant number from the waste management industry about the proposal to end the waste management and recycling element of the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme.

Gregory Barker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what assessment he has made of the likely impact on the match funding which will be lost when the waste management and recycling element of the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme ends in April 2003; [91498]

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(2) what assessment he made of the likely impact on the match funding available which would be lost before taking the decision to end the waste management and recycling element of the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme in April 2003. [91486]

John Healey: The impact of the changes to the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme on match funding was one of the factors which the Government took into account in deciding to make the changes announced in the 2002 Pre-Budget Report. No clear information is available on the quantities of match funding obtained by projects, nor the source of such match funding. However, a study by Glasgow Caledonian University for Entrust, the Scheme's regulator, has estimated that on average waste management and recycling projects have levered in approximately 34 per cent. funding in addition to Landfill Tax Credit Scheme funding. The Government recognises that the change from a tax credit scheme to public spending may reduce the availability of match funding but decided that the benefits of converting funding on waste management and recycling from tax credits to public spending outweigh any loss in match funding.

Gregory Barker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the impact of the ending of the waste management and recycling element of the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme on the match funding available (a) from the European Social Fund and (b) from other public funds. [91499]

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John Healey: The impact of the changes to the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme on match funding was one of the factors which the Government took into account in deciding to make the changes announced in the 2002 Pre-Budget Report. No clear information is available on the quantities of match funding obtained by projects. Information is also not available on the quantities of match funding from the European Social Fund or from other public funds. The lack of transparency in the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme was criticised by the Public Accounts Committee's report on the scheme in July 2002, and both the PAC and the National Audit Office have criticised the lack of information on the scheme. These factors were taken into account by the Government in its decision to make the changes announced in the 2002 Pre-Budget Report.

Gregory Barker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he received from industry relating to the likely impact on the ability to source match funding for recycling projects of the changes to the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme from April. [91500]

John Healey: The Government receives representations from industry about a range of issues. The Treasury has not received any significant number of representations from industry about the likely impact of the changes to the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme in April on the ability to source match funding for recycling projects.

Gregory Barker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total amount is of (a) European and (b) other match funding which will be lost when the waste management and recycling element of the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme ends in April. [91501]

John Healey: No precise figures are held on the quantity of match funding obtained by projects funded through the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme. However, a study by Glasgow Caledonian University for Entrust, the Scheme's regulator, has estimated that on average waste management and recycling projects have levered in approximately 34 per cent. funding in addition to Landfill Tax Credit Scheme funding.

Gregory Barker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many responses were received to the Treasury consultation on the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme which (a) supported and (b) opposed the proposal to end the waste management and recycling scheme from April 2003. [91485]

John Healey: 676 responses were received to the consultation on the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme. 45 per cent. of these were from organisations which had benefited directly from funding through the scheme and a further 30 per cent. were from local authorities. Of the total responses, 82 per cent. were in favour of retaining the scheme as a tax credit scheme. However, 62 per cent. also supported giving greater priority to funding for sustainable waste management.

The Government took the responses to the consultation into account in making its decisions on the future of the scheme, together with other information

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includinguding criticisms of the scheme by the Public Accounts Committee, the Environment, Transport and Regional Affairs Committee, and the National Audit Office.

The summary of responses to the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme consultation was published 4 September 2002 and is available on the DEFRA website.

Capital Modernisation Fund Applications

Ann McKechin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on his Department's assessment of the application by Citizens Advice Scotland to the Treasury's Capital Modernisation Fund in 2001 for funding of an electronic case recording system; and for what reasons the application was declined. [91458]

Mr. Boateng: The devolved administrations automatically receive a share of allocations made from the Capital Modernisation Fund for devolved matters, calculated according to the Barnett formula. Partial consequentials were awarded to the Scottish Executive in respect of an allocation made to the Department of Trade and Industry, on behalf of the National Citizens' Advice Bureaux in England and Wales, because the Department's responsibilities span both devolved and reserved matters.

Where it is not possible to fund a project fully because there are other higher priorities for funding, it is open to the Department and the devolved administration to consider whether they can fund the project from within the resources already allocated to them.

Ann McKechin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on his Department's assessment of the application by the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux to the Treasury's Capital Modernisation Fund in 2001 for funding of an electronic case recording system in England and Wales; and for what reasons the application was successful. [91459]

Mr. Boateng: The Department of Trade and Industry was allocated £20 million in 2001 to provide electronic access from Citizens' Advice Bureaux. The application was successful because it was considered that it met the criteria for the Capital Modernisation Fund, when judged against the other applications received for funding at that time.

Data Protection (Inland Revenue)

Norman Lamb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many breaches of the Data Protection Act there have been in respect of tax information supplied by taxpayers to the Inland Revenue; how many taxpayers are affected; whether an investigation has taken place in respect of such breaches; how many Inland Revenue staff have been involved in such breaches; and what reports he has received as to which agencies such information was sold. [92361]

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Mr. Boateng: There are only two known instances of Inland Revenue staff selling information about taxpayers. Two Inland Revenue employees did so in 1994 to a debt collection agency, and one employee sold information in 1996 to a solicitor. All three were dismissed from the Department and jailed. In relation to the Data Protection Act, there will also from time to time be technical and unintended breaches of the Act in an organisation as large as the Inland Revenue.

The Inland Revenue take very seriously both their general duty of confidentiality and the particular need to comply with the requirements of the Data Protection Act.

Financial Services Authority

Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to increase the powers and responsibilities of the Financial Services Authority; and if he will make a statement. [92563]

Ruth Kelly: The powers and responsibilities of the Financial Services Authority are set out in the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 and secondary legislation under it. The Government keeps the position under review to ensure that the regulation of financial services continues to strike the right balance between the interests of firms and consuMerseyside. Whenever the Government plans changes to the scope of regulation this is generally subject to full public consultation.

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