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Royal Mail

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many claims for compensation were made and how much Royal Mail Group paid in compensation in each year since 1997 in respect of (a) first class, (b) second class, (c) special delivery next day, (d) special delivery 9.00 am, (e) recorded signed for and (f) standard parcels mail which was (i) delayed and (ii) severely delayed; and how many claims were made, and how much was paid in compensation, in each year since 1997 for (A) damage to valuable mail, (B) consequential loss and (C) delay to bulk mailings. [168671]

Mr. Timms: Compensation claims are an operational matter for Royal Mail Group and I have therefore asked the Chief Executive to reply direct to the hon. Member.

Utility Companies

Mr. Best: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many complaints were received by Energywatch on switching energy suppliers in the last year for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement. [167772]

Mr. Timms: During 2003, 3.1 million domestic gas customers and 4.2 million domestic electricity customers changed their suppler. In that period, Energywatch received 22,437 complaints from domestic consumers about the transfer process, including complaints about both erroneous transfers and problems in switching supplier. The gas and electricity industry, with the involvement of the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) and Energywatch, and with the encouragement of DTI, is currently engaged in a three-stage programme to establish the causes of difficulties within the transfer process and identify and implement solutions.

Vessel Procurements

Mr. Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for    Trade and Industry which sea-going vessel procurements she is considering; when she plans to issue invitations to tender; and whether the procurement will be limited to the UK for strategic reasons. [166539]

Mr. Jamieson: I have been asked to reply.

The General Lighthouse Authorities (GLAs) are developing proposals for the procurement of two multi-function tenders and a rapid response vessel to replace three of the GLAs1 current tenders. It is too early to know when invitations to tender will be issued or how and when the build contract will be placed.

Wind Farms

Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much money has been provided in capital grants to (a) off-shore and (b) on-shore wind farms since 1997; and if she will make a statement. [168055]

 
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Mr. Timms: Since 1997, the Government have committed £117 million in grant support to early off-shore wind farm development. No direct grant support has been provided for on-shore wind farm development.

DEFENCE

Airfield Support Services Project

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister on ensuring that the Airfield Support Services Project solution is compatible with the modernisation agenda for fire services. [167251]

Mr. Ingram: There have been no formal discussions between the Ministry of Defence and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister on the compatibility of the Airfield Support Services Project (ASSP) with the modernisation agenda for the Fire and Rescue Service.

The ASSP will be sufficiently flexible to adapt to any changes that might be brought about as a result of the modernisation programme.

Funding

Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what (a) resource and (b) capital expenditure was vired from RfR1 to RfR2 in the most recent financial year for which figures are available, in (i) cash and (ii) resource terms. [167047]

Mr. Ingram: Outturn for 2003–04 is not yet available. No funds were vired from RfRl to RfR2 during 2002–03.

Iraq

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the amounts of reparations that have been paid to Iraqis. [166927]

Mr. Ingram: Reparations are the compensation extracted as an indemnity from a defeated nation by the victors. Neither Iraq nor the United Kingdom has sought or paid reparations to the other.

Land Mines (Cress)

Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what research he has evaluated on genetically modified cress that changes colour when it comes into contact with landmine explosives. [166846]

Mr. Ingram: The Ministry of Defence is not currently involved in any research into mine detection using genetically modified cress.

A Danish company, Aresa Biotechnology, has developed a genetically modified cress plant that changes colour in response to nitrogen dioxide, which is sometimes a by-product of degrading explosives, in soil. The colour change has the potential to indicate the presence of mines, although not in all cases.

The MOD continues to monitor the progress of this research as it develops.
 
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TREASURY

Child Tax Credit

Mr. Pike: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families in Burnley have received child tax credit. [167906]

Dawn Primarolo: I refer my hon. Friend to my answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Burton (Mrs. Dean) on 15 March 2004, Official Report, column 98W.

Gift Aid

John Barrett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) pursuant to the answer of 30 March 2004, Official Report, columns 1350–51W, on Gift Aid, how many responses his Department received to the original consultation that followed the pre-Budget report; [166990]

(2) whether an assessment was made of the additional income that would be raised from the proposed changes to Gift Aid rules on day memberships, based on the responses received from charities in the original consultation that followed the pre-Budget report. [166991]

John Healey: Inland Revenue received 57 responses during the original consultation period. These came from charities, representative bodies and associations and other interested parties.

Tax reclaimed on so called "day memberships" using the Gift Aid scheme is not differentiated from tax reclaimed on other Gift Aid donations, so it is not possible to estimate the saving to the Exchequer of ending Gift Aid on admission charges. Information supplied during the original consultation would not enable an assessment to be made. However, the purpose of this measure is not revenue-raising, but is about maintaining the principles of Gift Aid as a scheme designed to encourage donations to charity.

Income Tax (Manchester)

Mr. Kaufman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many senior citizens in Manchester Gorton qualified for the 10p rate of income tax in each year since its introduction. [167472]

Dawn Primarolo: Reliable information is not available. The sample size of pensioners living in the Manchester Gorton constituency is relatively small compared to other constituencies in the Survey of Personal Incomes.

IT Equipment (Tax Exemption)

Mr. Pike: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many businesses in Burnley have benefited from the 100 per cent. tax exemption for the purchase of computer and internet equipment. [167907]

Dawn Primarolo: The information is not available.

Self-Assessment

Mr. Drew: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what guidance his Department issues to individuals who make a mistake when completing an on-line self
 
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assessment tax return because of misunderstanding whether the form P60 refers to gross or net income. [160102]

Dawn Primarolo: The Inland Revenue provides no specific guidance to individuals who make a mistake when completing an on-line self assessment tax return because of misunderstanding whether the form P60 refers to gross or net income but online help is available when completing the boxes relevant to information on P60.

Mr. Drew: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many complaints he has received over problems with the operation of the on-line self assessment tax return form. [160103]

Dawn Primarolo: The Chancellor of the Exchequer has received four complaints in connection with the operation of the on-line self assessment tax return form since 6 April 2003.

Norman Lamb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has carried out of the amount of tax due in respect of taxpayers who have failed to return self-assessment forms over the last five years. [166420]

Dawn Primarolo: It is not possible to calculate an accurate figure of the amount of tax due in respect of taxpayers who have failed to return self-assessment forms. The Inland Revenue have launched a three-year initiative to recover outstanding tax returns and any
 
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associated tax due from taxpayers who have failed to file, concentrating on cases where, on past history, there appears likely to be tax due.

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