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8 Dec 2003 : Column 339W—continued
Research and Development Tax Credit
John Barrett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the take-up of the research and development tax credit in Scotland. [142821]
Dawn Primarolo: Research and development tax credits were introduced for small and medium companies in 2000. They were extended to all companies in 2002 and further improvements were made in 2003. No specific figures are available for Scotland, but the credits helped over 3,000 innovative SME companies nationally in 2001–02, the latest year for which complete data is available.
Regional Pay Flexibility
Mr. Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library his guidance on regional flexibilities in pay. [142328]
Mr. Boateng: I have already done so. The guidance is also accessible on the Treasury's website.
Regulations (Consultation)
Brian Cotter: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of regulations introduced by the
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Department have been subject to a consultation period of less than 12 weeks since the introduction of the Code of Practice on Consultations. [142486]
Ruth Kelly: I refer the hon. Gentleman to my answer to the hon. Member for Twickenham (Dr. Cable) on 21 October 2003 Official Report, column 489W.
Small Businesses (Consultation)
Brian Cotter: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department uses a database of individual small businesses for consultation purposes. [142479]
Ruth Kelly: HM Treasury uses a variety of methods to engage small businesses in consultation exercises. As well as being available on the department's website and through its public enquiries unit all consultation documents are also often circulated alongside the Budget and Pre-Budget Reports. Where appropriate, the department has used 'roadshows' or visits around the UK to further engage with interested parties, including small businesses. The department works closely with the DTI's Small Business Service, which maintains strong contacts with small businesses and acts as secretariat to the Small Business Council. As such the department maintains close relationships with many small businesses and their representatives, but does not maintain a single database for this purpose.
Tax Cases
Mr. Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the tax cases involving United Kingdom companies which have been (a) decided and (b) entered for decision in the European Court of Justice in the last five years; and if he will estimate the net revenue effect in each case. [142184]
Dawn Primarolo: Notice is published in the Official Journal of the European Communities (C Series) of the commencement of all cases before the European Court of Justice, including tax cases. A summary of judgments of the court is also so published, and the full text is available on the Europa website. The Official Journal is available in the Library of the House.
Tax Revenue
Mr. Chope: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 2 December 2003, Official Report, column 38W, if he will give separate figures for (a) Bournemouth and (b) Poole. [142500]
Dawn Primarolo: The requested information is given in the following table.
| £ million | |
|---|---|
| Bournemouth Unitary Authority | 7.7 |
| Poole Unitary Authority | 6.9 |
Estimates are based upon the 2000–01 Survey of Personal Incomes. The effects of the illustrative changes can be scaled up or down over a reasonably wide range. The results exclude any behavioural response to the tax change.
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Taxation
Mr. Edward Davey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what (a) social security contributions and (b) taxes on income were as a percentage of household income in each year since 1999. [142219]
Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Edward Davey, dated 8 December 2003:
- As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking for social security contributions and taxes on income as a percentage of household income. (142219)
- Estimates in the following table are taken from Table 3 in the analysis "The effects of taxes and benefits on household income 2001–02" produced by the Office for National Statistics and published on 21st October 2003 on the National Statistics website at: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/taxesbenefits.
- The analysis includes measures of income inequality for the United Kingdom as a whole based on data from the Expenditure and Food Survey (EPS), formerly the Family Expenditure Survey (FES). This is a sample survey covering about 7,500 households in the UK. The Family Resources Survey would have been an alternative source with a larger sample size, or National Accounts estimates for the households and non-profit institutions serving households (NPISH) sector, but the taxes and benefits analysis has been used for consistency with answers to other recent parliamentary questions.
- The table shows social security contributions and taxes on income as a percentage of gross income for UK households. Social security contributions are defined as employees' and self employed contributions to National Insurance and National Health Services. Taxes on income are defined as income tax less tax relief at source on life assurance premiums. Gross income includes income from earnings, occupational pensions and investments and cash benefits such as state retirement pensions and income support. It does not take account of deductions for taxes.
| 1999–2000 | 2000–01 | 2001–02 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social security contributions | 3.9 | 3.8 | 3.8 |
| Taxes on income | 13.4 | 13.7 | 13.8 |
Source:Office for National Statistics, based on the analysis 'The effects of taxes and benefits on household income', published on the ONS website and in Economic Trends.
Top-up Fees
Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the impact of the Government's proposals for top-up fees on the operation of the Barnett Formula; and if he will make a statement. [142766]
Mr. Boateng: Tuition fees are a devolved matter for the Scottish Executive. The Barnett Formula provides the devolved administrations with a population-based share of comparable increases in spending of Government Departments.
VAT (Places of Worship)
Sue Doughty: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will raise with his counterparts in the Council of
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Ministers the feasibility of a change to the rules preventing reduced rates of VAT for repair and maintenance of places of worship; and if he will make a statement. [142202]
John Healey: I refer the hon. Lady to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Warrington, North (Helen Jones) on 18 September 2003, Official Report, column 971W.
Waste Generation
Mr. Drew: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans there are to bring forward a public service agreement target to reduce the amount of waste generated in the UK; and what discussions he has had with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister on this subject in advance of the forthcoming Spending Round. [142255]
Mr. Boateng: The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs currently has a PSA target to enable 25 per cent. of household waste to be recycled or composted by 2005–06. We will be reviewing this target as part of Spending Review 2004.
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER
Brighton and Hove Albion
Norman Baker: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which directors of Brighton and Hove Albion football club (a) he has and (b) other Ministers in his Department have met since 1 January 2002; and if he will make a statement. [142431]
Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was set up in May 2002. No Ministers in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister have held meetings with any directors of Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club since the Office was established.
Norman Baker: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list those hon. Members from whom he has received oral representations in respect of the outstanding planning application relating to the possible construction of a football stadium at Falmer, East Sussex. [142432]
Keith Hill: I understand that the hon. Member appeared at the inquiry held into the proposals at Falmer. No other hon. Members have made oral representations on this case.
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