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8 Jun 2004 : Column 370W—continued
Business Premise Renovation Allowance
Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was claimed in Business Premise Renovation Allowance in each qualifying ward in Wales, listed in descending order. [177350]
Dawn Primarolo: As announced by the Chancellor in Budget 2004, the proposed Business Premises Renovation Allowance scheme will be introduced in 2005, subject to state aid approval.
Child Benefit
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people within Tamworth constituency receive child benefit (a) through an Order Book, (b) through a Post Office Card Account and (c) paid directly into a bank or building society account. [176905]
Dawn Primarolo: Nationally, about 15 per cent. of child benefit (CB) recipients were being paid by Order Books at mid-May 2004, although arrangements are in place for some of these to move to direct payment when their books run out. About 5 per cent. of CB recipients have supplied Post Office Card Account details to Inland Revenue for payment.
Separate figures are not available for each constituency. There were an estimated 12,000 child benefit recipients in the Tamworth constituency at November 2003.
Customs and Excise
Mr. Paice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff from Customs and Excise were employed at UK seaports and airports in each of the last five years. [177175]
John Healey: Statistics on the number of HM Customs and Excise staff employed at UK seaports and airports are not held centrally. Staff are increasingly formed into mobile teams working at seaports, airports and inland locations according to risk in order to improve the impact of their activity.
Departmental Administration Budgets
Mr. Letwin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made towards the 5 per cent. reduction in real terms in his Department's administration budget by 2008 which he announced in the House on 17 March 2004, Official Report, column 331. [176513]
8 Jun 2004 : Column 371W
Mr. Boateng: HM Treasury's Spending Review 2004 settlement, agreed at the time of the Budget, fixes the Department's administration budget in cash terms at the 2005–06 level through to 2007–08. At forecast rates of inflation, that represents a real terms reduction of more than 5 per cent. There will be further announcements in the Spending Review.
Gift Aid
John Barrett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many responses he has received to the consultation he announced in the 2004 Budget on ending the entitlement of charities to claim gift aid on day memberships; and what percentage this represents of the number of organisations written to about this consultation. [177417]
John Healey: The Inland Revenue has written to 118 organisations—of which 84 are charities and 34 are representative bodies. A copy of this letter has been placed on the Inland Revenue website. At 8 June the Inland Revenue had received 14 written responses, representing almost 12 per cent. of those written to. Charities and representative bodies have until 11 June to respond.
Officials and I have also held a series of constructive meetings with sector representatives and we will report this outcome of the consultation in due course.
Home Computer Initiative
Miss Kirkbride: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) employers and (b) employees have taken part in the Home Computer Initiative in each year since its inception. [176985]
Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Lady to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Eddisbury (Mr. O'Brien), on 27 February 2004, Official Report, columns 591–92W.
Miss Kirkbride: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to promote the Home Computer Initiative (HCI) within the public sector; and whether he plans to offer the HCI to civil servants. [176986]
Dawn Primarolo: The Head of the Home Civil Service has written to the Heads of Civil Service departments to inform them of the initiative and to encourage them to adopt computer loan schemes within their departments.
Income Tax
Mr. Battle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many senior citizens in (a) Leeds metropolitan district council and (b) Leeds, West constituency have qualified for the 10p rate of income tax in each year since its introduction. [176982]
Dawn Primarolo: The requested information is given in the following table.
| 2000–01 | 2001–02 | |
|---|---|---|
| (a) Leeds Metropolitan District | 47 | 51 |
| (b) Leeds West Constituency | — | 4 |
8 Jun 2004 : Column 372W
All income taxpayers benefit from the 10p starting rate. In the Survey of Personal Incomes the sample size of pensioners living in Leeds, West constituency is relatively small compared to other constituencies so a reliable estimate cannot be given for 2000–01. All estimates should be treated with caution because of sampling variation. Estimates are based on the 2000–01 and 2001–02 Survey of Personal Incomes. Figures for 1999–2000 are currently not available.
Simon Hughes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate how many pensioners in Greater London paid income tax at the (a) higher rate and (b) basic rate in each year since 1996–97; and what percentage of all (i) pensioner taxpayers and (ii) pensioners the figures represent in each case. [177046]
Dawn Primarolo: Estimates are in the following tables.
| Number: Thousan | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Number | Percentage of London pensioner taxpayers (i)(32) | Percentage of London pensioner taxpayers (ii)(32) | |
| 1996–97 | 27 | 7 | 3 |
| 1997–98 | 29 | 7 | 3 |
| 1998–99 | 33 | 6 | 3 |
| 2000–01 | 36 | 7 | 3 |
| 2001–02 | 33 | 7 | 3 |
| Number: Thousand | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Number | Percentage of London pensioner taxpayers (i)(32) | Percentage of London pensioner taxpayers (ii)(32) | |
| 1996–97(33) | 165 | 40 | 15 |
| 1997–98(33) | 210 | 49 | 20 |
| 1998–99(33) | 246 | 47 | 23 |
| 2000–01(34) | 371 | 74 | 36 |
| 2001–02(34) | 358 | 74 | 35 |
(31) Men aged 65 and over and women aged 60 and over.
(32) Mid-year population estimates supplied by the Office of National Statistics.
(33) From 1993–94 until 1998–99 the figures in the table do not include a number of taxpayers with taxable income in excess of the lower rate limit who only paid tax at the lower rate, not the basic rate. This was because only their dividend income and (from 1996–97) savings income took their taxable income above the lower rate limit. As such, this income was chargeable to tax at the lower rate and not the basic rate.
(34) In 1999–2000 the starting rate replaced the lower rate. In 1998–99 the 20 per cent. lower rate band was £4,300. In 1999–2000 the 10 per cent. starting rate band was £1,500. Some taxpayers who were paying at the lower rate of income tax started paying at the basic rate.
Estimates should be treated with caution because of sampling variation. The estimates are based on the Survey of Personal Incomes. Figures for 1999–2000 are currently not available.
Virginia Bottomley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate how many and what proportion of pensioners in (a) South West Surrey constituency and (b) Surrey paid income tax at (i) higher rate and (ii) basic rate in each year since 1996–97. [177266]
8 Jun 2004 : Column 373W
Dawn Primarolo: Estimates are in the following tables.
| Number: Thousand | ||
|---|---|---|
| Number(i) | Percentage of all Surrey pensioners(i)(36) | |
| 1996–97 | 8 | 4 |
| 1997–98 | 9 | 5 |
| 1998–99 | 13 | 7 |
| 2000–01 | 12 | 6 |
| 2001–02 | 12 | 6 |
| Number: Thousand | ||
|---|---|---|
| Number(ii) | Percentage of all Surrey pensioners(ii)(36) | |
| 1996–97 3, 5 | — | — |
| 1997–98 3 | 61 | 31 |
| 1998–99 3 | 67 | 34 |
| 2000–01 4 | 88 | 44 |
| 2001–02 4 | 80 | 40 |
(35) Men aged 65 and over and women aged 60 and over.
(36) Mid-year population estimates supplied by the Office of National Statistics.
(37) From 1993–94 until 1998–99 the figures in the table do not include a number of taxpayers with taxable income in excess of the lower rate limit who only paid tax at the lower rate, not the basic rate. This was because only their dividend income and (from 1996–97) savings income took their taxable income above the lower rate limit. As such, this income was chargeable to tax at the lower rate and not the basic rate.
(38) In 1999–2000 the starting rate replaced the lower rate. In 1998–99 the 20 per cent. lower rate band was £4,300. In 1999–2000 the 10 per cent. starting rate band was £1,500. Some taxpayers who were paying at the lower rate of income tax started paying at the basic rate.
(39) In the Survey of Personal Incomes the sample size of pensioners living in Surrey is relatively small compared to other geographical areas so a reliable estimate cannot be given for 1996–97.
In the Survey of Personal Incomes the sample size of pensioner taxpayers living in the South West Surrey constituency is relatively small compared to other geographical areas so reliable estimates cannot be given. Estimates should be treated with caution because of sampling variation. The estimates are based on the Survey of Personal Incomes. Figures for 1999–2000 are currently not available.
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