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Self-Assessment Returns
The Paymaster General (Dawn Primarolo): I can today publish figures for the number of Self-Assessment returns filed by the 2003 January deadline.
The Inland Revenue has met its SDA target of 90.5 per cent. of SA taxpayers filing their 2001/02 tax return on time. The Department achieved 90.54 per cent.:
- 8,371,251—returns were received, out of 9,246,131 issued
The number of returns filed electronically rose significantly. At 31st January 2003, around 700,000 had been received electronically. 325,000 of these were received from Internet filers, compared with around 75,000 in the same period last year. The remainder were received from agents using the Electronic Lodgement Service (ELS).
- an extensive media campaign, involving TV, radio and newspaper ads
front-line staff reminding people about the deadline in day-to-day contact with customers
phoning a quarter of a million (mainly new-to-SA) customers to remind them about the deadline, and offer help.
a News Release in the run-up to the deadline, emphasising the message about late filing penalties, and interest and tax surcharges for late payment
publicity on the Internet, promoting the Department's electronic services
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DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER
Business Rates
The Minister for Local Government and the Regions (Mr. Nick Raynsford): I have today laid in Parliament new clauses by way of an amendment to the Local Government Bill which will provide for local authorities to retain some or all of growth in business rate revenues.
These proposals will allow us to introduce a scheme, along the lines the Chancellor announced in his 2002 Pre-Budget Report. The scheme will increase the incentives for business and local authorities to work in partnership to maximise local economic growth and regeneration while at the same time generating additional resources to address local priorities.
Any scheme introduced will generate additional revenues from increases in the tax base generated by local authorities successfully encouraging growth, and not from increasing the tax on existing business. The money raised would be genuinely additional to local authorities and they will be free to decide how to spend it.
The scheme will only allow local authorities to keep revenues associated with any growth in the business rate tax base and will not replace the current business rate pooling system. The business rate pool acts to reduce the unfairness of business rates and ensure that revenues are distributed in a more equitable way.
It is not the Government's intention that the new scheme should only serve to reward authorities that are already doing well at the expense of declining areas. We are looking at a range of options to get the best distributional fit, with each local authority receiving an incentive that is relevant to them, whilst keeping the scheme as simple as practical.
We have also been clear that local authorities will not bear the downside risk of a declining business rate tax base. We are considering options that will allow local authorities to benefit from the scheme, even though they are in a situation of economic decline, should they manage to slow the pace of decline.
We will be consulting on the options, including the distributional consequences, in the summer
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Cyprus
The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr. Jack Straw): The Government's aim remains a comprehensive settlement in time for a reunited Cyprus to accede to the European Union on 16 April. For this to happen, the UN has set 28 February as the deadline for a decision on the Secretary-General's proposals. On Sunday 23 February Kofi Annan put forward ideas to the two sides on how he might revise his 10 December proposals, and is consulting the governments in Ankara and Athens before his historic visit to Nicosia tomorrow. President-elect, Mr. Tassos Papadopoulos, has made clear that the change of government underway in Cyprus will not impede the UN timetable. The UK has supported the UN
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throughout this process, and has welcomed the balanced and comprehensive settlement proposals tabled by the Secretary-General. We urge both sides now to secure a settlement.
During the intensive negotiations which followed the Copenhagen European Council, it became clear that the issue of territorial readjustment was a key one, needing to be resolved if there was to be a settlement. In particular, it became clear that both sides attached great importance to adjustments which represented a relatively small percentage of the area of Cyprus. The Government therefore gave urgent consideration to whether it could in some way help to bridge the remaining gap. A decision was reached to inform the UN Secretary-General that Britain would be prepared to cede part of the UK's Sovereign Base Areas and this offer has now been included in the UN Secretary-General's ideas of 23 February.
The offer consists of 45 square miles just under half of the total area of the SBAs. This makes up 1.2 per cent. of the area of the new state of affairs in Cyprus. The areas involved would bring a number of Cypriots living near Limassol, and in the Dhekelia Sovereign Base Area, within the administration of their respective constituent state. It will also open up areas of coastline for possible development. The areas involved do not contain military infrastructure, and this offer will not have any adverse impact on the functioning of the SBAs. The offer would only become valid if there were agreement by both sides to the UN's proposals. And, of course, legislation would be introduced to bring the transfer of territory into operation. In the event that either side in Cyprus rejects the proposals, or the proposals are rejected in a referendum by either side, the offer, along with the rest of the UN proposals, will become null and void.
We urge both sides not to let this historic opportunity to heal the division of Cyprus slip away; and to go the last mile to conclude negotiations and secure the settlement.
HEALTH
Medical Careers
The Minister of State, Department of Health (Mr. John Hutton): I have today placed in the Library copies of "Modernising Medical Careers" the response of the four UK Health Ministers to the consultation on "Unfinished Business: Proposals for Reform of the Senior House Officer grade"
The document sets out the results of our consultation which began last summer on the reform of training for senior house officers, who are doctors in the early stages of their specialist training. We received over 250 responses to our consultation and our proposals were broadly welcomed. The document we are publishing today sets the way ahead based on the results of the consultation and work which has been done since with the key stakeholders.
Plans for reform will also extend to general practice training and will embrace the existing non-consultant career grades with easier routes back into training.
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Partnerships will work to test these out in a variety of NHS environments. Pilot projects will start later on this year and with major implementation following in 2004.
TRANSPORT
Railway Safety
The Minister of State, Department of Transport (Mr. John Spellar): I am pleased to announce that today the Government has published its report on the management of the accidental obstruction of the railway by road vehicles. The report has been produced in response to the 19 separate recommendations made by the Health and Safety Commission 1 and Highways Agency 2 reports published in February last year.
The report sets out the work of representatives of the highway authorities, railway infrastructure authorities and other organisations to identify the steps we consider should be taken jointly by railway infrastructure authorities and highway authorities to manage the risk of the accidental incursion of road vehicles onto the railway. It includes a protocol for apportioning responsibility and costs of mitigation measures. Also, following the adoption of an initial risk prioritisation framework a second stage assessment process has been produced for sites where the risk of a road vehicle accidentally getting onto the railway is not clear cut. Good practice guidance measures have been identified to help mitigate risk at specific sites. British Transport Police have agreed to collect the data about such incidents on a common basis. In order to update the standards for safety barriers on major roads in a clear and open procedure, the Highways Agency has let a contract and set up a technical project board to steer the update of standards for safety barriers on major roads in a clear and open procedure.
Copies of the report will be sent to all local highway authorities and railway infrastructure authorities. Copies will be placed in the Library of the House. Details will be made available on the Department for Transport's website at http://www.roads.dft.gov.uk/roadnetwork/bridgesites/index.htm
- 1 "Obstruction of the railway by road vehicles" ISBN 07176 2294 0 available from HSE books price £5.00 or to download at http://www.hse.gov.uk/railway/obstruct.pdf
2 "To review the standards for the provision of nearside safety fences on major roads" available to download at http://www.highways.gov.uk/
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