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17 Sept 2003 : Column 857W—continued
Urology/Gastrointestinal Surgery (Children)
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what level of support is routinely offered to children discharged from hospital after complex urology and gastrointestinal surgery received in primary care; [129292]
- (2) if he will make a statement on the current situation whereby acute unit nurses are travelling from regional centres to primary care trusts in order to support children who have had urology and gastrointestinal surgery. [129294]
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Dr. Ladyman: The successful transition of care for a child in these circumstances is reliant on preparations made by the regional centre in close liaison with local primary health care staff and the community nursing team. Levels of support will accord with the child's degree of dependency and transitional arrangements will include input from the regional centre appropriate to the child's recovery.
A national service framework (NSF) for children is currently under development. This will set standards aimed at raising the quality of the health and social care
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services that children receive. The first part of the NSF, relating to hospital standards, was published in April. Successive parts of the NSF will be published next year, and will include consideration of the best means to support children post-discharge following complex surgery.
Vehicles (London)
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) frontline ambulances, (b) patient transport vehicles, (c) fast response cars, (d) medical motorbikes, (e) medical cycles and (f) special baby care units are available for London; and if he will make a statement. [128767]
Mr. Hutton: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 8 September 2003, Official Report, column 185W.
TREASURY
Air Passenger Duty
Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his latest estimate is of the total cost of the changes to air passenger duty announced in the March 2000 Budget for each year from 2000–01 to 2005–06; and if he will make a statement. [130124]
John Healey: The estimated cost to the Exchequer of the changes made to the air passenger duty at Budget 2000 are published in Table 1.2 of that year's FSBR (HC346) as:
| £ million | |
|---|---|
| 2000–01 | 5 |
| 2001–02 | 80 |
| 2002–03 | 90 |
No estimates have been made for other years.
All-employee Share Plan
Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his latest estimate is of the total annual cost of the all-employee share plan introduced in the March 2000 Budget for each year from 2000–01 to 2005–06; and if he will make a statement. [130135]
Ruth Kelly: Estimates of the cost of Share Incentive Plan (SIP) are published annually in Inland Revenue Statistics and the Tax Ready Reckoner. The latest estimates are:
| 2000–01 | 2001–02 | 2002–03 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income tax | 10 | 45 | 150 |
| National insurance | 5 | 30 | 90 |
| Total | 15 | 75 | 240 |
No estimates have yet been made for subsequent tax years.
Capital Gains Tax
Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what his estimate is of the revenue yield from
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abolishing capital gains tax and taxing capital gains at the marginal rate of income tax; and if he will make a statement; [130140]
- (2) what his latest estimate is of the cost of capital gains tax exemptions, excluding that relating to the disposal of the only or main residence, broken down in cash terms by each income decile; [130550]
(3) what his estimate is of the effect on the revenue yield from capital gains tax of simultaneously abolishing the (a) taper relief, (b) annual exempt amount and (c) gains accrued but unrealised at death, in each year from 2003–04 to 2005–06, broken down to show the cash effects on each income decile; and if he will make a statement. [130551]
Dawn Primarolo: Estimates of the cost, on an accrual basis, of capital gains tax exemptions and reliefs for 2001–02 and 2002–03 are published in Table A3.1 in the Budget Report 2003.
There are no estimates of the revenue yield from abolishing capital gains tax and taxing capital gains at the marginal rate of tax, except at a disproportionate cost.
There are no estimates on the revenue yield of a simultaneous abolition of taper relief, annual exempt amount and gains accrued but unrealised at death, except at a disproportionate cost. The total cost of these reliefs and exceptions in Table A3.1, referred to above, does not take account of any interaction between the abolition of one relief or exemption and subsequent changes in the cost of the others.
Figures for later years are not available; breakdown of reliefs/exemptions by income decile is only available at a disproportionate cost.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what his estimate is of the revenue yield of (a) abolishing the capital gains tax annual exempt amount for (i) individuals and (ii) trustees and (b) reducing to £2,000 per annum the capital gains tax annual exempt amount for (A) individuals and (B) trustees; and if he will make a statement; [130149]
- (2) what his estimate is of the revenue which would be raised by reducing the capital gains tax exempt amount to the level of the personal income tax allowance for (a) 2003–04 and (b) 2004–05; and if he will make a statement. [130233]
Dawn Primarolo: The total estimated yield on an accruals basis from abolishing capital gains tax annual exempt amount for individuals and trusts in 2001–02 and 2002–03 is published in Table A3.1 in the Budget Report 2003. They exclude any behavioural response to the tax change.
The total estimated yield on an accruals basis from reducing individuals capital gains tax annual exempt amount to £2,000 or setting it to the personal income tax allowance in 2003–04 and 2004–05 is set out in the following table.
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| Yield, £ millions | 2003–04 | 2004–05 |
|---|---|---|
| Individuals AEA set to £2,000 per annum (Trust AEA = £1 ,000) | 190 | 240 |
| Individuals AEA set to Personal Income Tax Allowance (Trust AEA = half the Personal Allowance) | 70 | 90 |
The figures are consistent with the assumptions made in the Budget 2003 on future asset prices, and take into account the likely taxpayer behavioural responses to the tax change. The Annual Exempt Amount for Trusts is assumed to be half that of individuals.
The model used to cost CGT changes of this type links the AEA for individuals and trusts according to current practice. It is not possible to separately model the Annual Exempt Amount for individuals and trusts.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what action he is taking to prevent avoidance activities in relation to capital gains tax; and if he will make a statement. [130555]
Dawn Primarolo: This Government are committed to tackling avoidance of tax and have introduced a number of anti-avoidance measures relating to capital gains tax. We continue to monitor the position and shall not hesitate to introduce further legislation to protect the tax base when it is necessary to do so.
Changing Jobs
Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to assist those for whom a move to new employment would impose cash flow problems. [129858]
John Healey: The Government recognise that the transition from welfare to work can be difficult for many. Consequently it has developed a range of measures to ease the move to new employment. The Job Grant offers £100 to longer-term benefit claimants who move into work. From October 2004 eligibility for the Job Grant will be extended and a new higher rate of £250 for households with children will be introduced.
These enhanced arrangements will replace the Back to Work Bonus and the lone parent Income Support run-on.
They will also be complemented by further changes to additional support. From April 2003, access to the Adviser Discretion Fund (ADF) has been extended to all those who have been claiming benefits for six months or more to meet essential costs of moving into work. In addition, from April 2004 a series of measures to simplify the administration of Housing Benefit will be introduced. These will include ending the requirement for claimants to submit a new claim each time they return to work. Instead they will only need to report their change in circumstances, making the move into work easier and smoother.
Further details of all these measures can be found in the 2002 Pre-Budget Report and 2003 Budget Report.
Child Trust Fund
Mr. Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will publish the proposals for the Child Trust Fund. [130746]
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Ruth Kelly: The Child Trust Fund is intended to encourage parents and children to develop the savings habit. It will ensure that every child, whatever their family background, will have access at the age of 18 when they begin their adult life, to a stock of assets which they can invest in their future.
It will also help children and their parents to understand the benefits of saving and investment and how to engage with financial institutions.
Detailed proposals covering the nature of the Child Trust Fund, how it will operate and the information and guidance that will be provided will be published shortly.
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