House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 14 Apr 2003 (pt 17)

14 Apr 2003 : Column 539W—continued

Capital Gains Tax

Mr. Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on (a) the liability of public

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benefit corporations to capital gains tax and (b) the circumstances in which they will pay capital gains tax. [107095]

Dawn Primarolo: Subject to parliamentary approval, NHS foundation trusts will be established as public benefit corporations authorised under the provisions set out in the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Bill. We are currently considering the detail of their tax treatment.

Census Records

Mr. John Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) which of the post-1920 decennial population census records for England and Wales are stored in the Central Repository at Hayes, Middlesex; and how much shelf space each of them occupies; [108532]

(3) what plans he has to (a) digitise and (b) micro-film post-1920 census records. [108534]

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Registrar General. I have asked him to reply.

Letter from Karen Dunnell to Mr. John Taylor, dated 14 April 2003:

The Registrar General for England and Wales has been asked to reply to your recent parliamentary questions on post-1920 Census records. I am replying in his absence. (10532, 10534,108550)

Under present legislation the 1921 Census returns will become open to public inspection on the first working day of 2022. The Office for National Statistics and the National Archives (Public Record Office) will work together on plans to make these returns available to the public nearer the time, in the light of the available technological options. The long-term plans for methods of storing Census records will be the responsibility of the National Archives once the forms are transferred to their custody.

None of the post 1920 Census records are currently digitised or microfilmed except for those for 2001. For this Census the forms were scanned and digitised by the Office for National Statistics as part of the processing of the results. The 2001 Census records have been microfilmed and the paper copies destroyed.

All of the extant post-1920 Census decennial population census records for England and Wales remain in our keeping, and none are stored at the Central Repository. There are no plans to relocate census records to the Midlands.

Children's Tax Credit

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many parents in Buckingham are estimated to be entitled to children's tax credit; how many are claiming children's tax credit; and if he will make a statement. [109241]

Dawn Primarolo: It is estimated that 670,000 families in the south east are expected to receive the child tax credit.

Departmental Accommodation

Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the building at 1 Horse Guards Road is wholly owned by HM Treasury; what his estimate is of the

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value of recent refurbishment work; what his latest estimate is of the market value of this building; and if he will make a statement. [107441]

Ruth Kelly [holding answer 8 April 2003]: 1 Horse Guards Road (1HGR), is a Crown freehold. During the 35 year PFI concession, a head lease has been granted to Exchequer Partnership for the building with an under lease back to the Treasury. At the end of the concession, the leases automatically terminate at no cost to the public sector. The total costs of the refurbishment for 1HGR were given in answer to the hon. Member for South Norfolk (Mr. Bacon) on 5 February 2002, Official Report, column 841W. The Treasury has been advised that the current open market value of 1 HGR is £71.6 million.

Enterprise Areas

Mr. Prisk: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of UK housing stock will benefit from stamp duty exemption in enterprise areas. [107674]

John Healey: The relief from stamp duty in disadvantaged areas has already benefited thousands of house-buyers and businesses since it was introduced on 30 November 2001 for all properties where the consideration does not exceed £150,000. The Inland Revenue estimates that around 4 per cent. of all transactions in UK residential property had claimed this relief in the period between implementation of the relief and 31 January 2003.

EU Tariffs

Mr. Bacon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the total revenue raised from EU tariffs in the last year for which figures are available, broken down by (a) exporting country from outside the EU and (b) EU importing country. [108978]

John Healey: EU member states operate a common tariff regime applicable, at the external frontier, to imports into the union. No tariffs apply to trade between member states. The revenue from tariffs (customs and agricultural duties) accrues to the EU budget.

Details of the total such revenue collected, broken down by importing member state, are published by the Treasury in "European Community Finances". The latest net figures (after deduction of 10 per cent. for collection costs) may be found in the statement on the 2002 EC Budget, July 2002, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House (CM 5547). Details of the total tariff revenue broken down by exporting country outside the EU are not available as such data is not collated or published in the format requested.

Euro

Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Treasury's assessment of the five economic tests will begin; and if he will make a statement. [109215]

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Ruth Kelly: The Government is committed to publishing a comprehensive and rigorous assessment of the five tests within two years of the start of this Parliament. The Government's preliminary and technical analysis supporting the five tests assessment and comprising 18 supporting studies will be published alongside the assessment.

Departments and other government bodies, including the DTI and the Office of Science and Technology, received training and guidance on the Phase 1 basis of budgeting from the Treasury during 1999 and 2000 in the lead up to Spending Review 2000. Departments were responsible for informing entities within their departmental boundaries such as Research Councils. All departmental budget baselines were converted onto the new basis as part of the Spending Review process to ensure that departments did not benefit or suffer from this transition, hence no additional funding was required.

Gratuities (Armed Forces)

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to tax the gratuity a member of Her Majesty's armed forces receives when leaving the armed forces; and if he will make a statement. [108922]

Ruth Kelly: I refer the hon. Gentleman to my answer of 19 March 2003, Official Report, column 760W.

Incomes

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people had income between (a) £4,616 and £6,535, (b) £6,536 and £30,420, (c) £30,421 and £34,515, (d) above £30,420 and (e) above £34,515 in (i) 2001–02 and (ii) 2002–03. [108697]

Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 11 April 2003]: Estimates for the number of taxpayers by income range are given in the following table.

Numbers in thousand

Number of taxpayers by range oftotal income 2001–02 2002–03

£4,615-£6,535 2,300 2,200

£6,536-£30,420 22,300 22,500

£0,421-£34,515 1,200 1,300

£30,420+ 4,300 4,700

£34,515+ 3,200 3,400

Number of taxpayers by range oftotal income	2001–02	2002–03
£4,615-£6,535	2,300	2,200
£6,536-£30,420	22,300	22,500
£0,421-£34,515	1,200	1,300
£30,420+	4,300	4,700
£34,515+	3,200	3,400

These estimates are based upon the 2000–01 Survey of Personal Incomes and are consistent with the Budget 2003.

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of people who will have income between (a) £4,616 and £6,575, (b) £6,576 and £30,940, (c) £30,941 and £35,115, (d) above £30,940 and (e) above £35,115 in (i) 2003–04 and (ii) 2004–05. [108698]

Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 11 April 2003]: Estimates for the number of taxpayers by income range are given in the following table.

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Numbers in thousands

Number of taxpayers by range oftotal income(£) 2003–04 2004–05

4,616–6,575 2,400 2,100

6,576–30,940 23,300 23,700

30,941–35,115 1,300 1,400

30,940 + 5,000 5,600

35,115 + 3,700 4,200

Number of taxpayers by range oftotal income(£)	2003–04	2004–05
4,616–6,575	2,400	2,100
6,576–30,940	23,300	23,700
30,941–35,115	1,300	1,400
30,940 +	5,000	5,600
35,115 +	3,700	4,200

These estimates are based upon the 2000–01 Survey of Personal Incomes and are consistent with the Budget 2003.

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