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Self-assessment Tax Returns

Norman Lamb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on progress with processing self-assessment tax returns. [161382]

Dawn Primarolo: The Inland Revenue have met their target to process 99 per cent. of returns received by 31 January by 31 March every year since self-assessment was introduced and fully expect to do so again this year.

Norman Lamb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many self-assessment tax returns due by 31 January have been received by the Inland Revenue; how many are outstanding; and how many remain outstanding in relation to each of the last five tax years. [161383]

Dawn Primarolo: Details of the results for this year will be published with the Budget documentation on 17 March.

The following table gives details for the previous five years of returns still outstanding at the end of February 2004.

Tax year	Returns still outstanding at end of February 2004
1997–98	48,392
1998–99	74,313
1999–2000	120,833
2000–01	190,966
2001–02	326,703

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South Yorkshire Electorate

Jeff Ennis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the change in size of electorate for each South Yorkshire parliamentary constituency was between 2001 and 2003. [161336]

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

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Letter from John Pullinger to Mr. Jeff Ennis, dated 16 March 2004:

The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your question concerning the change in size of parliamentary electorate for each South Yorkshire parliamentary constituency between 2001 and 2003. I am replying in his absence. (161336)
Attached is a table showing the total and percentage change of the number of registered parliamentary electors in South Yorkshire over the period 1 December 2001 to 1 December 2003.
It should be noted that these figures represent the number of registered electors. In many cases, larger decreases may be due to 'cleaning' the registers to ensure that they accurately reflect the electorate, rather than 'real' decreases in the number of electors.
Parliamentary electors on the 2001, 2002 and 2003 electoral registers: South Yorkshire

	Total parliamentary electors as at 1 December:				Percentage
	2001	2002	2003	Change 2001–03	change 2001–03
Barnsley Central	60,861	60,588	60,578	-283	-0.5
Barnsley East and Mexborough	66,389	66,821	67,042	653	1.0
Barnsley West and Penistone	66,498	66,988	66,886	388	0.6
Don Valley	67,431	67,537	67,369	-62	-0.1
Doncaster Central	65,902	65,745	65,916	14	0.0
Doncaster North	62,101	61,773	61,886	-215	-0.3
Rother Valley	70,350	69,202	67,682	-2,668	-3.8
Rotherham	58,892	56,955	54,827	-4,065	-6.9
Sheffield Central	60,169	59,979	58,708	-1,461	-2.4
Sheffield, Attercliffe	68,205	67,938	67,382	-823	-1.2
Sheffield, Brightside	53,601	52,781	51,031	-2,570	-4.8
Sheffield, Hallam	59,110	59,274	58,236	-874	-1.5
Sheffield, Heeley	61,374	60,472	59,428	-1,946	-3.2
Sheffield, Hillsborough	74,771	74,820	74,595	-176	-0.2
Wentworth	65,365	64,480	63,104	-2,261	-3.5




Source:

Office for National Statistics.

Suspicious Transaction Reports

Mr. Oaten: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) suspicious transaction reports and (b) suspicious activity reports relating to financial matters have been made in each of the last five years; and what proportion of each resulted in (i) prosecution and (ii) conviction in each year. [160200]

Caroline Flint: I have been asked to reply.

Under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (PoCA) individuals and businesses have various obligations to make disclosures to the National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS) if they have grounds to believe that money laundering is taking place. These disclosure reports are usually now referred to as "Suspicious Activity Reports", but until recently were known as "Suspicious Transaction Reports".

The number of disclosures made to NCIS in each of the last five years was as follows:

	Number
1999	15,115
2000	18,447
2001	29,976
2002	56,023
2003	94,708

The information provided by disclosures is used by law enforcement agencies in a range of ways to detect crime and trace the proceeds of crime. For example, such information may contribute to an ongoing investigation or be the trigger for a new one, or may be held on the relevant intelligence databases for use in future cases.

Given the variety of ways in which this information is used, it is not possible to link particular disclosures with particular prosecutions and convictions. But the reporting system is a key element of the UK's defences against money laundering. In their 2003 review for the Government of the system, the consultants KPMG examined a sample of disclosures. Of those whose impact could be specifically identified, one-third were found to have contributed to a positive law enforcement outcome such as prosecution, confiscation of criminal proceeds or cash seizure. More recent analysis by NCIS in relation to the impact of one category of disclosures (those where an institution has sought consent to proceed with a transaction) suggests that in the last year £25 million of assets have been seized, restrained or returned to the victim.

Mr. Oaten: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions and representations he has had on the (a) effectiveness and (b) benefit of (i) suspicious transaction and (ii) suspicious activity reports; and what plans he has to change the reporting system. [160201]

Caroline Flint: I have been asked to reply.

Under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 individuals and businesses have various obligations to make disclosures to the National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS) if they have grounds to believe that money laundering is taking place. These disclosure reports

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are usually now referred to as "Suspicious Activity Reports", but until recently were known as "Suspicious Transaction Reports".

The reporting system is a key element in the United Kingdom's defences against money laundering and an important source of intelligence on all types of acquisitive crime (drugs trafficking, theft, fraud, and all other types of crime committed for financial gain). It is crucial to ensure that the system is effective and that the costs it places on the private sector are proportionate. It was against this background that the Government commissioned the consultants KPMG to examine the reporting system and to make recommendations as to how it could be improved. The Home Office published KPMG's report on 8 July 2003, and set up a Taskforce to support the process of modernising and streamlining the reporting system, as recommended in the report. The Taskforce's membership is drawn from key interested parties in the public and private sectors and the Financial Services Authority.

A major programme to improve the reporting system has been under way in recent months, which has led to substantial improvements in the timeliness and quality of the information NCIS provide to law enforcement agencies. We have received a number of representations from private sector institutions about ways in which the reporting system should be improved. These have been taken into consideration as part of the reform programme.

The success of the reporting system relies heavily on the contribution of reporting institutions. To help build a healthy partnership and to benefit from the input of all those involved in the system we are in regular dialogue with these institutions.

Tax Credits

Mr. Simmonds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many parents have claimed Child Care Credit as part of the Working Families Tax Credit in each year since 1998; and how many are entitled to claim who have not done so. [161014]

Dawn Primarolo: Working Families Tax Credit (WFTC) was introduced in October 1999. A time series of the number of families claiming the Child Care Tax Credit as part of WFTC is shown in Table 1.3 of "Working Families Tax Credit Statistics. Quarterly Enquiry. November 2002".

WFTC was replaced by working tax credit (WTC) at April 2003. The number of families benefiting from the child care element of WTC is shown in Table 4.4 of each issue of "Child and Working Tax Credits. Quarterly Statistics". The introduction of WTC has resulted in a large increase in the number of families benefiting from this help with their child care costs.

Overall take-up rates for WFTC for 2000–01 and 2001–02 are shown in "Working Families Tax Credit Estimates of Take-up rates". Separate estimates for families entitled to the child care tax credit are not available.

All the documents referred to appear on the Inland Revenue website, at www/inlandrevenue.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/menu.htm.

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