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8 Sept 2004 : Column 1299W—continued
PA Spiral Case
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to create a structure to remedy the position in the case of the Names who were victims of fraud in the PA Spiral case (Thomas LJ in Sphere Drake v EIU and SCB); and if he will make a statement. [186574]
Ruth Kelly: It is understood that this particular matter is still before the courts and the Government does not comment on matters that are before the courts. There are existing remedies which victims of fraud can seek to obtain through the courts.
Pensioners (Tax Payments)
Mr. David Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total amount of (a) income and (b) council tax paid by pensioners was in the latest year for which figures are available; and what the average payment was per pensioner who pays each tax. [187351]
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Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Willets, dated 8 September 2004:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions asking, for the latest year for which figures are available, for the total amount of (a) income tax and (b) council tax. paid by pensioners and the average tax per pensioner who paid each tax (187351), and how many pensioners paid each tax (187355).
For estimates relating to income tax please see table 3.12 "Income and tax for individuals aged 65 and above, by region and country, 2001–02" on the Inland Revenue website: www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/stats/income distribution/table-312–2001–02.pdf. The information in this table relates to individual taxpayers, not households, who are aged 65 and above. This table does not include female taxpaying pensioners aged between 60 and 65. It shows there were about 4.1 million pensioners taxpayers aged 65 or over in the UK in 2001–02, with income tax liability of £8.2 billion. This gives an average tax of about £2,000 per pensioner taxpayer (aged 65 or over).
Estimates for council tax paid by pensioner households have been produced from the Office for National Statistics' analysis "The effects of taxes and benefits on household income" published on the National Statistics website on 6 May 2004 at: www.statistics.gov.uk/taxesbenefits
The analysis includes measures of income inequality for households in the United Kingdom as a whole based on data from the Expenditure and Food Survey. This is a sample survey covering about 7,000 households in the UK and sample sizes for pensioner households are only sufficient to give very approximate estimates.
Estimates for 2002–03 suggest that that single and couple pensioner households in GB paid about £3.6 billion in council tax net of benefits and discounts. The average council tax paid by the approximately five million pensioner households (single and couples) who paid council tax (i.e. their council tax was greater than zero) was about £700 per year. Council tax is not paid in Northern Ireland. Net council tax is defined as gross council tax less benefits and discounts, where a household reports taking up a council tax benefit entitlement.
These estimates of numbers of pensioners and payments of council tax may not match population data or administrative payments data because of sample size and weighting issues, as well as possible inaccurate reporting by respondents.
Pensioner households have been defined as those where the Household Reference Person is retired or unoccupied and aged 65 or more and male, or 60 years of age or more and female, and economically inactive.
Detailed information on the definition of the Household Reference Person can be found in Appendix D of the document at the following address:
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme social/Family Spending 2002–03/Family Spending 2002–03 revised.pdf
Pensions (Tax Relief)
Mr. Love: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what estimates he has made of the impact on public funds in tax relief of the introduction of the £1.4 million limit on pension savings; and if he will make a statement; [186635]
(2) what estimates he has made of the cost to public funds in tax relief of introducing a limit on pension savings of (a) £1.3 million, (b) £1 million, (c) £750,000, (d) £500,000 and (e) an amount reflecting a pension just above benefit levels; and if he will make a statement. [186636]
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Ruth Kelly: Available estimates of the Exchequer cost of the introduction of the new simplified tax regime for pensions are contained in paragraph 48 of "Simplifying the taxation of pensions regulatory impact assessment", a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.
The £1.5 million lifetime allowance to be introduced from April 2006 broadly replicates the maximum fund an individual can accrue under the current occupational pension rules. The exchequer impact of introducing a lower allowance would depend upon uncertain changes in the pensions savings of individuals at or approaching the lower lifetime allowance and any consequent changes to other parts of the new regime resulting from a lower allowance. Due to the uncertainty of estimating the size and direction of these behavioural effects no estimates are available.
Population Register
Harry Cohen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the savings to public funds arising from (a) the implementation of the population register database by the Registrar General, (b) the proposed introduction of an identity card by the Home Office and (c) the data-sharing proposals of the Department for Constitutional Affairs. [185954]
Ruth Kelly: The potential cost savings from the Citizen Information Project are being developed. No decision has yet been taken as to whether or not the population register should proceed to implementation but we could expect benefits to arise both in the form of efficiency savings and in improved public services.
There have been discussions between the Treasury and the Home Office on the implications of Identity Cards dating back to before the publication of the consultation paper on entitlement cards and identity fraud. However, the introduction of Identity Cards is a long-term undertaking, and discussions will continue. HM Treasury will continue to be involved with ongoing analysis.
The DCA Legal Guidance on Public Sector Data Sharing sets out the legal and regulatory framework governing data sharing. The Government are not able to estimate savings to public funds that may result from the better understanding of this framework which has followed the publication of the Guidance.
With-profits Fund Schemes
Mr. Love:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what plans (a) he and (b) the Financial Services
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Authority has for further regulation of with-profits fund schemes offered by insurance companies; and if he will make a statement; [186628]
(2) when the consultation by the Financial Services Authority on Treating With-Profits Customers Fairly, CP 207, will conclude; when the results will be published; and if he will make a statement; [186629]
(3) what research has been undertaken into the impact on mutual insurers of the proposals contained in the consultation on Treating With-Profits Customers Fairly; and if he will make a statement. [186630]
Ruth Kelly: Insurance regulation is the responsibility of the Financial Services Authority (FSA).
The FSA published Consultation Paper (CP) 04/14 on 19 August 2004 which provides feedback on CP 207 and makes revised proposals for further consultation. The FSA will continue to consult widely about its proposals, including among the mutual insurance sector. CP 04/14 specifically addresses a number of points made by firms within the mutual insurance sector in response to the first consultation.
The FSA will continue to monitor the impact on firms and consumers of existing and future changes to with-profits regulation.
Work Force Statistics
Mr. Woodward: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate the Government have made of the percentage of people aged 50 to 65 who were (a) registered as unemployed and (b) economically inactive in (i) St. Helens and (ii) the UK, broken down by region, in each year since 1997. [186940]
Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Shaun Woodward, dated 8 September 2004:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about unemployment and economic inactivity for people aged 50 to 65. (186940)
The attached table gives estimates for the percentages of people aged 50 to 65 who are (a) unemployed and (b) economically inactive in the St. Helens Local Authority District and the UK by region for the three months ending in May of each year from 1997 to 2004.
Estimates are taken from the Labour Force Survey (LFS). As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to sampling variability. Estimates for UK regions and for St. Helens Local Authority District are based on small sample sizes and are subject to a high level of sampling variability. In particular, year- to-year changes are likely to show considerable volatility.
(22) Unemployed as a per cent. of total population aged 50 to 65.
(23) Economically inactive as a per cent. of total population aged 50 to 65.
(24) Not seasonally adjusted
(25) LFS sample included no cases on which an estimate could be based.
Important Note:
Estimates for UK regions and for St. Helens Local Authority District are based on small sample sizes and are subject to a high level of sampling variability. They should be treated with caution. In particular, year-to-year changes are likely to show considerable volatility, and should not be used is isolation from the estimates for a sequence of years.
Source:
ONS Labour Force Survey
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