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18 Mar 2003 : Column 682W—continued
Tax Evasion
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what (a) the average amount of tax evaded and (b) the total amount of tax evaded was in cases pursued by the Inland Revenue's special compliance office which have resulted in convictions, in each year since 1997. [102004]
Dawn Primarolo: The total amount of tax that was the subject of criminal offences successfully prosecuted by the Inland Revenue since 1997 is:
| 2001–02 | 6,201,945 |
| 2000–01 | 6,599,539 |
| 1999–2000 | 16,108,650 |
| 1998–99 | 9,575,906 |
| 1997–98 | 16,721,002 |
Values in particular cases range from less than £1,000 to over £5 million. These variations can cause significant fluctuations from year to year. Given this range of values we believe that average figures are unrepresentative.
Unclaimed Assets
Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how much has been donated to charities by the Unclaimed Assets Register donations scheme
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from dormant accounts in each year since its introduction (a) in total and (b) from (i) banks and (ii) building societies; [102910]
- (2) how many successful traces have been concluded on dormant accounts in each month since May 2001 by (a) the British Banking Association and (b) the Building Societies Association; [102908]
(3) how many charities have benefited in each year from the Unclaimed Assets Register donations scheme since its introduction; [102911]
(4) how many claims have been received in relation to dormant accounts in each month since May 2001 by (a) the British Banking Association and (b) the Building Societies Association; [102909]
(5) how much total assets have been successfully reunited with owners of dormant accounts in each month since May 2001 by (a) the British Banking Association and (b) the Building Societies Association. [102937]
Ruth Kelly: These are matters for the bodies involved.
VAT Registrations
Mr. Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the stock of VAT registrations was in each city and district within the county of Tyne and Wear in 1996; what the (a) gross and (b) net alterations to that stock were in each subsequent year; what the net alterations to the stock were as a percentage of the 1996 stock; and what the stock of VAT registrations was in 2002. [103732]
John Healey: The information requested on districts can be found on the Small Business Service website: www.sbs.gov.uk.
Data on cities are not available. Figures for 2002 will be available in October 2003.
Water Sprinklers
Mr. Hendry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will remove the VAT on the purchase and fitting of water sprinklers in domestic properties. [103673]
John Healey: When installed during the construction of a house, water sprinkler systems benefit from the general VAT zero rate that applies to the construction of new houses. Under the long-standing formal agreements with our European partners, the UK may keep its existing zero rates but may not extend their scope or introduce new ones. There is therefore no scope to remove VAT on the installation of water sprinkler systems in existing homes.
Working Families Tax Credit
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the results of the WFTC/DPTC evaluation programme will be released. [100793]
Dawn Primarolo: The results of the WFTC/DPTC evaluation programme will be published in due course.
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the reasons for miscalculation of working families' tax credit by the Inland Revenue; how many people were affected; what
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steps have been taken to correct the miscalculations; how much it has cost to correct the miscalculations; and if he will make a statement. [102508]
Dawn Primarolo: The small percentage of miscalculations in assessing applications for Working Families' Tax Credit (WFTC) arise for a variety of reasons, most commonly problems with the accuracy of the calculation of weekly or monthly earnings in the period leading up to the application. For the new Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit, which supersede WFTC, entitlement is not based on earnings for a specified period immediately before the claim. Therefore, the reason for miscalculation within WFTC should be eliminated in future.
For the 2001–02 financial year, the latest full year for which figures are available, over 90 per cent. of all WFTC applications were correctly assessed to the nearest penny. In those cases where a miscalculation is detected, action is taken to correct all underpayments and any overpayments that exceed one pound per week. No information is available on the cost of correcting these mistakes. As confirmed by the National Audit Office, the level of errors made in assessing WFTC applications is low in proportion to the aggregate amount paid.
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to publish figures for working families tax credit take-up in (a) 2001–02 and (b) 2002–03. [102993]
Dawn Primarolo: No reliable estimate of the take-up rate of the working families' tax credit in 2001–02 can be attempted until the Family Resources Survey for that year is analysed.
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with the Department for Work and Pensions concerning the potential for increased claims against the Social Fund, with particular reference to meeting the costs of additional alignment payments, during the introduction of the new tax credits. [102994]
Dawn Primarolo: The Department for Work and Pensions is working with the Inland Revenue to ensure that there is a seamless transition to the new tax credits system and that there is good liaison between the two organisations to ensure that awards of both tax credits and social security benefits are made promptly to people in the most urgent need. We do not expect to see increased claims for Social Fund alignment payments under the new tax credits.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Miners' Pension Funds
Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the funds allocated to her Department from the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme and the Mineworkers Pension Schemes which remain unpaid will be removed from the pension funds and paid into the consolidated fund. [102763]
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Mr. Wilson: The income streams from the Guarantor's Funds already created from valuation surpluses of each Scheme are payable to the Consolidated Fund in instalments over 10 year periods, the last of which will end in 2010–11.
Releases from the Investment Reserves are determined by the Schemes' actuary following completion of each actuarial valuation. As part of the Guarantee discussions with the Trustees last year, it was agreed in principle to extend the lifetime of the Investment Reserve beyond the 25 years agreed in 1994.
Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the entitlement of Her Majesty's Treasury is to sums from (a) the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme and (b) the Mineworkers Pension Scheme that have accrued but are yet to be paid. [102771]
Mr. Wilson: The actual amounts received by the Government will depend on future investment returns and any amounts applied in support of the pension guarantee as determined by the Schemes' periodic valuations.
Brazilian Sugar Industry
Mr. Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the level of public subsidy involved in the expansion of the Brazilian sugar industry. [100630]
Nigel Griffiths: I am told the DTI has no knowledge of public subsidy being applied to the expansion of the Brazilian sugar industry.
British Energy
Richard Ottaway: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether public funding to British Energy is being used to provide financial support in the cost of installing flue gas de-sulphurisation at British Energy's coal-fired Eggborough Power Station. [101921]
Mr. Wilson: The credit facility was provided to British Energy in respect of its working capital requirements and cash collateral for its trading activities. Details of individual payments are commercially confidential. As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, told the House on 7 March 2003, Official Report, column 89WS, BE have repaid all outstanding amounts under the credit facility.
Coal Mine Methane Energy
Mr. Sayeed: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent research has been conducted by her Department into the technology for coal mine methane capture; and what representations she has received on it. [102066]
Mr. Wilson: Technology for coal mine methane capture is considered a relatively mature technology, employed and proven at several mine sites in the UK, and therefore no recent research has been conducted into the technology.
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Mr. Sayeed: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many coal mine methane capture and generation plants she expects private companies to develop in the next three years. [102067]
Mr. Wilson: The number of coal mine methane capture and generation plants which could be developed by private companies in the next three years is a decision for industry to make in the light of market conditions, and not a decision for government.
Mr. Sayeed: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry for what reasons coal mine methane capture and electricity generation from disused coalmines receives no form of incentive through Government programmes. [102068]
Mr. Wilson: The Government recognise and value the benefits the coal mine methane industry provides by tapping the methane emissions from disused coal mines and putting them to good use for generation of electricity. We have already demonstrated this support through our securing exemption from the Climate Change Levy for electricity generated from CMM in last year's budget, and this is currently being cleared with the European Commission. In addition, we concluded from our investigations that the environmental benefits of CMM-use can also be rewarded using the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), and hence we support the study DEFRA has commissioned to determine a baseline for CMM emissions that could enable it to qualify for this Scheme.
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