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22 Jan 2004 : Column 1417W—continued

Zimbabwe

Mr. Best: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Home Office about reducing the time taken by the Home Office to respond to requests for information made by the Visa Section of the British High Commission in Harare about visa applicants. [149487]

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Mr. Mullin: With effect from 10 January, new procedures have been set in place to ensure that requests for information from our diplomatic posts overseas are dealt with expeditiously by the Home Office. In line with these new procedures, the Home Office will notify the Visa Section as soon as they receive the request for information and agree a timescale for providing it. It is envisaged that these measures will create a secure and faster system for exchanging information between the Visa Sections at all our posts including the British Embassy in Harare and the Home Office.

TREASURY

Mortality Statistics

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many deaths from (a) circulatory disease and (b) cancer were recorded in each year since 1997. [149868]

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.

Letter from Len Cook to Paul Burstow, dated 22 January 2004:

As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many deaths from (a) circulatory disease and (b) cancer were recorded in each year since 1997.(149868)

The latest year for which data are available is 2002. Figures for all circulatory diseases and cancer are shown in the table below for each year from 1997 to 2002.

Number of deaths from circulatory diseases and cancer⁽¹⁰⁾, England and Wales, 1997 to 2002⁽¹¹⁾

Calendar year	(a) Circulatory diseases	(b) Cancer
1997	228,443	137,618
1998	226,675	138,306
1999	219,087	136,181
2000	207,228	134,793
2001(12)	211,842	139,135
2002(12)	209,433	140,174

⁽¹⁰⁾ The cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9)for the years 1997 to 2000, and the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) for 2001 and 2002. The codes used are listed below:

Diseases of the circulatory system—/CD-9 390–459; ICD-10100–199;

Neoplasms—1CD-9 140–239; ICD-10 COO-D48.

⁽¹¹⁾ Figures are based on deaths occurring in each calendar year.

⁽¹²⁾ The introduction of ICD-10 for coding cause of death in 2001 means that data for circulatory diseases and cancer are not completely comparable with data for years before this date. The data should therefore be interpreted with caution. The effect of change in classification in 2001 on deaths from these causes is described in a report published in May 2002.*

Office for National Statistics. Results of the ICD-10 bridge coding study, England and Wales, 1999. Health

Statistics Quarterly 14 (2002), 75–83.

Child Care

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assistance with child care costs is provided through the child care element of the working tax credit. [150206]

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Dawn Primarolo: The child care element of the working tax credit can provide help with up to 70 per cent. of eligible child care costs subject to weekly maximum limits. For one child the maximum cost that a family can claim for is £135 a week, increasing to £200 a week for the costs of two or more children. This means that the maximum weekly value of the child care element is £94.50 for one child and £140 for two or more children.

Double Taxation Agreement (Switzerland)

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the standard for exchange of information set out in the Double Taxation Agreement between the UK and Switzerland. [149923]

Dawn Primarolo: In broad terms, the Agreement provides for each country to exchange such information at their disposal as is necessary for carrying out the provisions of the Agreement so long as doing so would not disclose any trade, business, banking, industrial or professional secret or trade process and would not be at variance with the regulations and practice of either country.

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the implications for the current Double Taxation Agreement between the UK and Switzerland of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's Report on Improving Access to Bank Information for Tax Purposes: The 2003 Progress Report, with particular reference to exchange of information on criminal, civil and administrative matters. [149924]

Dawn Primarolo: This Government are committed to effective exchange of information between countries as a vital tool in the fight against cross border tax evasion and avoidance. We have been at the forefront of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's initiative on improving access to bank information for tax purposes. We shall continue to urge those countries that have not yet taken the necessary steps to allow appropriate access to bank information for all tax purposes, to do so as soon as possible.

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what agreements the Government have entered into with Switzerland in compliance with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development standard for exchange of information for tax purposes by 2006. [149925]

Dawn Primarolo: The UK has entered into no such agreements.

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assurances the Government has given to Switzerland in relation to the EU Directive on the Taxation of Savings Income, under the Double Taxation Agreement, with particular reference to exchange of information in criminal, civil and adminstrative matters. [149926]

Dawn Primarolo: The Government has not given any assurances to Switzerland under the Double Taxation Agreement in relation to the EU Directive on the Taxation of Savings Income.

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Employer Compliance Review

Mr. Letwin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the progress of the Inland Revenue's Employer Compliance Review. [149860]

Dawn Primarolo: Employer compliance operations are under continuous review through the Inland Revenue's quality assurance programme.

Reviews of specific employers are confidential.

Financial Services (Mutual Ownership)

Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department plans to review the role of mutual ownership in the investment sector; what steps he is taking to ensure that investors have a choice of mutual ownership in that sector; and if he will make a statement. [149730]

Ruth Kelly: The Government recognise the contribution of the mutual sector, in competition with other service providers, to providing greater choice and diversity in the market. In the current market, consumers have a choice of ownership model for their investment.

Fuel Tax

Mr. James Gray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the tax revenue which would be lost if the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs target for conversion of petrol cars to liquid petroleum gas was achieved. [149279]

John Healey: The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs does not have a target for conversion of petrol cars to liquid petroleum gas.

Mr. Gray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much revenue was raised in the last financial year from (a) four star petrol, (b) unleaded petrol and (c) liquid petroleum gas used in vehicles. [149278]

John Healey: The revenue raised by the Exchequer from fuel duties is published by HM Customs and Excise at www.uktradeinfo.com in the Hydrocarbon Oils Bulletin. The amounts for financial year 2002–03 are:

(a) 1.6 million from leaded petrol ¹ ;


(b) 10.7 million from unleaded petrol;


(c) 8.1 million from road fuel gases ²


¹ Revenue from leaded petrol is approximately equivalent to that from four star but includes other grades.

² Revenue from road fuel gases includes that from liquid petroleum gas (approximately 96 per cent.) and compressed natural gas (approximately 4 per cent.).

Income and Corporation Taxes Act

Mr. Letwin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much tax revenue was raised under section 660A of the Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988 in the last year; and if he will make a statement. [R] [149817]

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is not available.

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Income and Corporation Taxes Act/IR35

Mr. Letwin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consultation he carried out before introducing the IR35 regulation. [R] [149814]

Dawn Primarolo: The intention to legislate the tax treatment of people working through intermediaries was announced in the 1999 Budget, a year before the changes were due to take effect. This was followed by extensive consultation. By the end of August 1999, the Inland Revenue had provided over 1,800 copies of the original proposals to whoever asked for them, and held consultative meetings with 38 representative bodies. Over 1,700 written comments and suggestions were received, considered and used to inform development of the intermediaries legislation.

Mr. Letwin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consultation he carried out before reinterpreting section 660A of the Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988. [R] [149813]

Dawn Primarolo: There has been no reinterpretation of Section 660A of the Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988. The Inland Revenue published in April 2003 guidance on their existing interpretation.

Mr. Letwin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the progress of (a) the IR35 regulation and (b) section 660A of the Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988 regulation in securing additional tax revenue. [R] [149861]

Dawn Primarolo: Those covered by the intermediaries legislation are required to register with the Inland Revenue as employers and to operate PAYE/NIC in accordance with the legislation. The Inland Revenue does not routinely collect data in respect of specific types of employer from either PAYE/NIC returns or in respect of its Employer Compliance Review programme. It is therefore not possible to isolate the increase to the exchequer arising from this legislation. Information on the amount of tax charged under Section 660A Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988 is not available.

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