14 Jul 2004 : Column 1133W

Written Answers to Questions

Wednesday 14 July 2004

TREASURY

Departmental Electricity Use

Norman Lamb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much (a) his Department and (b) agencies of the Department spent on electricity use in each year from 1997 to date. [181845]

Ruth Kelly: Available information is set out as follows.

HM Customs and Excise, Inland Revenue and Valuation Office Agency

Since 2001–02, the estate has been managed under the STEPS contract:

£

2001–02 9,500,000

2002–03 11,889,000

2003–04 12,062,000

	£
2001–02	9,500,000
2002–03	11,889,000
2003–04	12,062,000

Information for earlier years could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Office for National Statistics

Information is only held from 1998.

£

1997–98 Not available

1998–99 675,000

1999–2000 673,000

2000–01 533,000

2001–02 613,000

2002–03 536,000

2003–04 633,000

Royal Mint

£

1997–98 1,376,000

1998–99 1,403,000

1999–2000 1,658,000

2000–01 1,363,000

2001–02 1,158,000

2002–03 950,000

2003–04 1,071,000

Debt Management Office

£

1997–98 Not available

1998–99 8,000

1999–2000 10,000

2000–01 10,000

2001–02 11,000

2002–03 13,000

2003–04 48,000

14 Jul 2004 : Column 1134W

	£
1997–98	Not available
1998–99	675,000
1999–2000	673,000
2000–01	533,000
2001–02	613,000
2002–03	536,000
2003–04	633,000

	£
1997–98	1,376,000
1998–99	1,403,000
1999–2000	1,658,000
2000–01	1,363,000
2001–02	1,158,000
2002–03	950,000
2003–04	1,071,000

	£
1997–98	Not available
1998–99	8,000
1999–2000	10,000
2000–01	10,000
2001–02	11,000
2002–03	13,000
2003–04	48,000

National Savings & Investments

NS&I are minor occupiers of Inland Revenue buildings and are charged quarterly for utilities. Disaggregated data on electricity consumption is not available.

Government Actuary's Department

Since July 2003 £31,000 has been spent on electricity. Information for earlier years is not available.

Office of Government Commerce

OGC came into being in 2000 and OGC Buying Solutions was established in 2001:
£

OGC OGCBS Total

2000–01 164,986.00 — 165,000

2001–02 196,693.00 9,500.00 206,000

2002–03 180,688.00 9,100.00 190,000

2003–04 188,719.00 9,000.00 198,000

HM Treasury

£

1997–98 221,000

1998–99 218,000

1999–2000 257,000

2000–01 161,000

2001–02 134,000

2002–03 288,000

	OGC	OGCBS	Total
2000–01	164,986.00	—	165,000
2001–02	196,693.00	9,500.00	206,000
2002–03	180,688.00	9,100.00	190,000
2003–04	188,719.00	9,000.00	198,000

	£
1997–98	221,000
1998–99	218,000
1999–2000	257,000
2000–01	161,000
2001–02	134,000
2002–03	288,000

Departmental Sustainable Development Impacts

Norman Lamb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what have been identified as the most significant sustainable development impacts in relation to the operation of his Department's estate. [181849]

John Healey: Energy and water consumption, waste, travel and procurement.

Departmental Water Use

Norman Lamb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much (a) his Department and (b) agencies of the Department spent on water and sewerage services in each year since 1997. [181846]

Ruth Kelly: The information requested is given in the following table:

IR/HMCE
+ VOA HMT OGC ONS GAD Royal Mint

1997–98 ⁽¹⁾— 51,646 — ⁽²⁾— ⁽³⁾— 187,497

1998–99 ⁽¹⁾— 56,232 — 75,270 ⁽³⁾— 187,027

1999–2000 ⁽¹⁾— 44,448 — 83,301 ⁽³⁾— 166,210

2000–01 ⁽¹⁾— 35,724 33,688 118,561 ⁽³⁾— 152,177

2001–02 ⁽¹⁾— 43,523 24,245 124,808 ⁽³⁾— 153,464

2002–03 1,719,594 14,839 19,754 100,197 ⁽³⁾— 136,356

2003–04 2,489,589 19,389 11,785 101,263 ⁽³⁾— 161,511

⁽¹⁾The information for years 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01 and 2001–02 is not available to us and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
⁽²⁾No records for 1997–98
⁽³⁾Information included within IR figures for 1997 to October 1999 and HMCE from October1999 to July 2003. No information on charges for the period from July 2003.
All values given are in £s.

14 Jul 2004 : Column 1135W

	IR/HMCE + VOA	HMT	OGC	ONS	GAD	Royal Mint
1997–98	⁽¹⁾—	51,646	—	⁽²⁾—	⁽³⁾—	187,497
1998–99	⁽¹⁾—	56,232	—	75,270	⁽³⁾—	187,027
1999–2000	⁽¹⁾—	44,448	—	83,301	⁽³⁾—	166,210
2000–01	⁽¹⁾—	35,724	33,688	118,561	⁽³⁾—	152,177
2001–02	⁽¹⁾—	43,523	24,245	124,808	⁽³⁾—	153,464
2002–03	1,719,594	14,839	19,754	100,197	⁽³⁾—	136,356
2003–04	2,489,589	19,389	11,785	101,263	⁽³⁾—	161,511

Income Tax (Pensioners)

Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the cost to public funds of exempting all pensioners from income tax for the first £10,000 of their earnings; and how many individual (a) pensioners and (b) pensioner households this would benefit. [182737]

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to my answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Bassetlaw (John Mann) on 20 May 2004, Official Report, column 1200W.

Inland Revenue Annual Report

Mr. Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what main categories of expenditure are contained within other miscellaneous expenditure shown in the Inland Revenue Annual Report for the year 2002–03 on page 69 at table 3; and what the main reasons are for the increase in this figure between 2001–02 and 2002–03. [181939]

Dawn Primarolo: The main categories of expenditure contained within the other miscellaneous expenditure item are as follows:

£ million

2002–03 2002–01 Main cause for increase

Legal Costs 25.0 22.1 —

Consultancy 48.4 31.0 Additional expenditure in development of E Business; and to progress the Aspire project to procure an IT service partner, from July 2004, following the end of the contract with EDS.

Contracted Out Services 16.5 18.1 —

Publicity 25.1 12.5 Increased level of spending especially to publicise New Tax Credits and use of the internet for filing tax returns.

Post Office Charges 16.5 10.3 Increased payment to the Post Office, particularly in set up costs for the Post Office Card Account (POCA) which is now being used as a method of payment for child benefit and new tax credits.

Losses 20.2 7.4 £16.6 million of recoverable VAT was reported as a loss when it was not recovered within the prescribed 30 day time limit. This amount is included in HM Customs and Excise Trust Statement as VAT receipt, so the net cost to Government is nil.

Special Payments 28.8 7.8 Compensation to pension providers arising from delayed payment of Age Related Rebates, caused by difficulties with the National Insurance Recording System 2.

Valuation Office Agency 23.6 23.6 —

Miscellaneous 15.3 16.5 —

Total 219.4 149.3 —

14 Jul 2004 : Column 1136W

	£ million
	2002–03	2002–01	Main cause for increase
Legal Costs	25.0	22.1	—
Consultancy	48.4	31.0	Additional expenditure in development of E Business; and to progress the Aspire project to procure an IT service partner, from July 2004, following the end of the contract with EDS.
Contracted Out Services	16.5	18.1	—
Publicity	25.1	12.5	Increased level of spending especially to publicise New Tax Credits and use of the internet for filing tax returns.
Post Office Charges	16.5	10.3	Increased payment to the Post Office, particularly in set up costs for the Post Office Card Account (POCA) which is now being used as a method of payment for child benefit and new tax credits.
Losses	20.2	7.4	£16.6 million of recoverable VAT was reported as a loss when it was not recovered within the prescribed 30 day time limit. This amount is included in HM Customs and Excise Trust Statement as VAT receipt, so the net cost to Government is nil.
Special Payments	28.8	7.8	Compensation to pension providers arising from delayed payment of Age Related Rebates, caused by difficulties with the National Insurance Recording System 2.
Valuation Office Agency	23.6	23.6	—
Miscellaneous	15.3	16.5	—
Total	219.4	149.3	—

Pension Contributions (Tax Relief)

Mr. Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost to the Exchequer of tax relief on pension contributions (a) in each year since 1997 and (b) in each of the next five years in the light of the revised Office for National Statistics figures for pension contributions published on 30 June. [182866]

Dawn Primarolo: Available estimates of tax relief on private pensions are contained in table 7.9 of Inland Revenue Statistics. The latest version is on the Inland Revenue website; http://www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/stats/pensions/table7 9.pdf.

These estimates are due to be updated in September 2004.

Tax Credit Overpayments

Mr. Best: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what assessment he has made of the financial difficulties faced by (a) working tax credit and (b) child tax credit claimants as a result of overpayments made during 2003–04; and if he will make a statement; [183322]

(2) if he will introduce an amnesty for claimants who received overpayments of tax credits in the year 2003–04 as a result of the administrative problems experienced by the Inland Revenue. [183323]

Dawn Primarolo: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to the hon. Member for Northavon (Mr. Webb) on 9 March 2004, Official Report, column 1482W.

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