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16 Jun 2003 : Column 37W—continued
Terrorism
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on (a) progress made and (b) measures yet to be achieved in attaining satisfactory collaboration from (i) the banking and financial sector and (ii) national regulatory bodies of the member states of the United Nations in the war against terrorism. [118882]
Mr. Boateng: The UK banking and financial sector gives the Government its fullest support in the fight against terrorism. UK institutions have successfully frozen some US$100 million of terrorist funds before and since 11 September and provide regular reports to the Bank of England on the totals held. Currently, around $58 million remains frozen.
All the relevant institutions in UN member states work collaboratively to ensure that United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1373 (regarding terrorist financing generally) and 1390 (targeting the Taliban and al-Qaeda) are enforced.
Construction Industry
Mr. Hurst: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many tax returns based upon the CIS4 scheme were received for the tax years (a) 1999–2000, (b) 2000–01 and (c) 2001–02. [118826]
Dawn Primarolo: The number of tax returns received relating to the Construction Industry Scheme in 2000–01 was 590,000. The figures for 1999–2000 cannot be accurately provided as this tax year included both the previous and current schemes, while the figures for 2001–02 are not yet available.
Mr. Hurst: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the loss to the National Insurance Fund resulting from wrongly defined self-employment in the construction industry in each tax year since 1990–91. [118827]
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Dawn Primarolo: The Inland Revenue has no information that can accurately provide an estimate of revenue which may have been lost in cases where the contract has not been categorised correctly.
The tax and national insurance rules, which distinguish the employed from the self-employed, are intended to apply to all workers. The Inland Revenue polices compliance with those rules in all industries, including the construction industry, to ensure that people are paying their tax and national insurance contributions on the correct basis.
Mr. Hurst: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many CIS4 cards have been issued in each tax year since the inception of the scheme. [118824]
Dawn Primarolo: The figures for the number of CIS4 cards issued in each tax year since the scheme began are as follows:
| Number | |
|---|---|
| December 1998 to 5 April 2000 | 789,957 |
| 6 April 2000 to 5 April 2001 | 229,630 |
| 6 April 2001 to 5 April 2002 | 222,874 |
| 6 April 2002 to 5 April 2003 | 272,104 |
Crown Estate
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many media officers have been employed by the Crown Estate in each year since 1985. [118618]
John Healey: The Crown Estate has employed a maximum of three media officers and one administrative support officer in any one year since 1985.
Dover Harbour Board
Mr. Chope: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer to what extent the borrowing authorisation of £50.4 million of the Dover Harbour Board is included in the Government's PSBR; and if he will make a statement. [118596]
Mr. Boateng [holding answer 10 June 2003]: Dover Harbour Board is classified to the public corporation sector in the national accounts. Thus spending and borrowing of Dover Harbour Board is public sector spending and borrowing, in particular its borrowing from the private sector is included in Public Sector Net Borrowing. While facilities to borrow do not themselves impact on PSNB the draw down of that facility to finance expenditure would.
Euro
Lynne Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his reasons are for deciding that it is not necessary to rejoin the ERM before joining the euro. [118857]
John Healey: I refer my hon. Friend to the Chancellor's Statement to the House on 9 June 2003.
Higher Rate Taxpayers
Mr. Stevenson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of the population liable for
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tax in (a) Stoke-on-Trent, South constituency and (b) Stoke-on-Trent unitary authority are (i) higher rate taxpayers and (ii) exempt from paying tax. [119155]
Dawn Primarolo: The information is given in the table below.
| Area | Percentage |
|---|---|
| (a) Stoke-on-Trent South Constituency | 2 |
| (b) Stoke-on-Trent Unitary Authority | 2 |
No one who is liable to tax is exempt from paying tax.
The estimates are based on the Survey of Personal Incomes 2000–2001
Inland Revenue (Technology Systems)
Mr. Leigh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what further steps have been taken since the Government's response to the Committee of Public Accounts' 38th Report of Session 2001–02, to encourage competition for the supply of information technology systems when the Inland Revenue's contracts with Accenture and Electronic Data Systems come up for renewal in 2004. [119671]
Dawn Primarolo: The Inland Revenue has continued to work actively with the three short-listed bidders. A final version of the Invitation to Tender was issued on 13 December 2002 and the Department held a number of briefings with each bidder to help them respond to that document. All three bidders submitted comprehensive responses on 14 March 2003 and these are now being evaluated. The responses show that the IT services industry is very serious about the competition with seven leading IT suppliers engaged in one or other of the three bids for the contract. The Government believe that the steps taken have created a very real competition.
National Insurance
Bob Spink: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the (a) total reserves and (b) national insurance contributions were in (i) 1996–97 and (ii) 2003–04. [118755]
Dawn Primarolo: The requested information for 1996–97 was published by the DSS on 22 January 1998 in the White Paper HC465, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.
The requested information for 2003–04 was published by GAD in CM5746—Report by the Government Actuary on the drafts of the Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order 2003 and the Social Security (Contributions) (Re-rating and National Insurance Funds Payments) Order 2003, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.
Official Spelling
Bob Russell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy that all official (a) correspondence, (b) reports and (c) documentation from his office uses the English spelling of words where this differs from the US version. [118749]
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John Healey: Guidance issued by the Cabinet Office on the handling of ministerial and other correspondence emphasises the importance of ensuring that the quality of all replies is high and that departmental publications accord with its guidance on plain written English.
Personal Debt
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to reduce the level of personal debt within the UK. [119236]
Mr. Boateng: The Government aims to provide a framework of macroeconomic stability and awareness of financial issues within which people can make informed, responsible decisions about how much debt it is prudent to incur.
Tax Credits
Mr. Martlew: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to advertise (a) the changes in the system for claiming for housing and council tax benefit, (b) the loss of the automatic right to help with health costs and (c) the loss of the automatic right to milk tokens following the changes in the child tax credit; and if he will make a statement. [118554]
Dawn Primarolo: The introduction of the child tax credit has caused no changes in the rules for claiming housing or council tax benefits. As before, these benefits are adjusted to take into account tax credit income. Families on income support or income based jobseeker's allowance who are also in receipt of housing and council tax benefit have been notified about the introduction of tax credits. If they require any information or require help with their tax credit claim, they can go to their local Jobcentre Plus Office.
Low income families will remain entitled to help with health costs and milk tokens while they receive child tax credit. The Inland Revenue has published a leaflet, "WT6—Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit—Other Types of Help You May Be Able To Get", which explains how the tax credits can help families receive other benefits such as having health costs met and getting milk tokens. The leaflet is available from Inland Revenue Offices and Enquiry Centres and online at the Inland Revenue website.
Ms Atherton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what provisions he plans to ensure that working tax credit continues to be paid without interruption to the father of dependent children when his wife dies. [118985]
Dawn Primarolo: The father should contact the Inland Revenue to bring to an end the tax credit award made to him and his wife and make a fresh claim for tax credits in his name alone. In these circumstances, the Revenue will do everything it can to see that the new award is set up as quickly and smoothly as possible.
To be eligible to continue to receive Working Tax Credit, the father will need to be in work for at least 16 hours a week. As a lone parent, he can claim the lone parent element of Working Tax Credit. In addition, the father could receive help with the costs of registered or approved childcare. He should also claim Child Tax
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Credit and Child Benefit registered or approved childcare. He should also claim Child Tax Credit and Child Benefit.
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