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19 Oct 2004 : Column 583W—continued
Inheritance Tax
Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what his estimate is of the number of estates on which inheritance tax was paid which were valued at (a) £250,000 to £300,000, (b) £300,000 to £400,000, (c) £400,000 to £500,000, (d) £500,000 to £750,000, (e) £750,000 to £1 million, (f) £1 million to £2 million, (g) £2 million to £5 million and (h) more than £5 million in each of the last three years; [192136]
(2) what his estimate is of the total number of estates (a) paying inheritance tax and (b) not paying inheritance tax in each year from 1984–85 to 2004–05; and if he will make a statement. [192137]
Dawn Primarolo: The available information relating to estates notified for probate for deaths in 1998–99 to 2001–02 is published in Table 12.3 on the Inland Revenue website at: www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/stats/inheritance tax/table 12–3.xls
These estates represent about 40 per cent. of all UK estates. Data for earlier years is published in table 12.4 of Inland Revenue Statistics 2000 and earlier editions, copies of which are in the House of Commons Library.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of the total cost of raising the inheritance tax-exempt threshold to (a) £500,000 and (b) £1 million; and if he will make a statement. [192138]
Dawn Primarolo: The full year cost of raising the threshold to (a) £500,000 and (b) £1 million would be £1.6 billion and £2.5 billion respectively in 2004–05 terms.
Inland Revenue Office (Preston)
David Winnick: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether letters from hon. Members on behalf of constituents on tax credit matters should be addressed to the Inland Revenue in Preston; what procedures are involved in the Preston office dealing with such correspondence; and whether it is the practice to acknowledge such correspondence once received. [192625]
Dawn Primarolo: If hon. Members have a query about tax credits they may phone the Tax Credit Office's MP's Hotline—the numbers have been circulated to hon. Members—or write to the Customer Relations Team at Tax Credit Office, Preston, PR1 OSB.
The Tax Credit Office will acknowledge receipt of Members' letters and aim to reply in full to 80 per cent. of letters within 15 working days.
Insolvency Act
Mr. Brazier: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) statutory demands, (b) bankruptcy petitions and (c) winding-up petitions raised in accordance with the provisions of the Insolvency Act 1986 by the Inland Revenue or HM Customs and Excise, which include estimated assessments contrary to section 267 of the Act, have been issued since 1986. [192256]
Dawn Primarolo:
Customs and Excise and Inland Revenue do not consider there to be any conflict between section 267 of the Insolvency Act 1986 and the use of estimated assessments, either wholly or in part, as
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the basis of a petition debt. The Revenue Departments take the view that none of the petitions so raised are contrary to section 267 of the Act. Neither of the Revenue Departments maintain statistics regarding the component parts of a petition debt.
Manufacturing (Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the change in the number of people employed in manufacturing industry in Shrewsbury and Atcham has been since 1997. [192292]
Mr. Timms: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Paul Marsden, dated 19 October 2004:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about numbers employed in the manufacturing industry in Shrewsbury and Atcham. (192292)
The attached table shows the information requested, relating to jobs in Shrewsbury and Atcham, for 1997 and the latest year available, 2002.
| Numbers of employees | |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 4,500 |
| 2002 | 4,600 |
| Change from 1997 to 2002(15) | 100 |
(14) Employee jobs only, not self-employed jobs.
(15) The 1997 to 2002 change has been rounded to the nearest hundred separately from rounded levels for 1997 and 2002.
Sources:
1997; Annual Employment Survey, rescaled.
2002; Annual Business Inquiry
National Savings
Mr. Waterson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what amounts of National Savings remained unclaimed in each of the last five years. [192276]
Mr. Timms: "Unclaimed monies" in the National Savings and Investments Product Accounts refer to monies where: the product has been redeemed by the Treasury; monthly interest or prizes are due; or to un-cashed savings stamps; and where the sums are transferable to the Commissioners for the Reduction of the National Debt. The totals unclaimed at 31 March in each of the last five years are as follows:
| (£ million) | |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 21.6 |
| 2001 | 28.9 |
| 2002 | 30.2 |
| 2003 | 31.9 |
| 2004 | (unaudited) 33.6 |
Oil (Tax Yield)
Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much tax oil generates at (a) $30, (b) $40, (c) $45, (d) $50 and (e) $55 US dollars per barrel. [192451]
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John Healey: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Waveney (Mr. Blizzard) on 21 June 2004, Official Report, column 1205W.
Updated forecasts of the public finances incorporating the impact of higher oil prices will be published in the pre-Budget report later this year.
Oil Prices (Revenue Projections)
Sir George Young: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what difference he expects in his projection of revenue received by the Treasury in this financial year as a consequence of the rise in oil prices. [191372]
John Healey: Updated forecasts of the public finances incorporating the impact of higher oil prices will be published in the pre-Budget report later this year.
Organic Imports
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people were prosecuted in the last 12 months for offences relating to the import through airports of banned organic materials. [192200]
Dawn Primarolo: Since October 2003 HM Customs and Excise prosecutions in relation to animals, plants or their products imported through airports (but excluding cases involving illegal drugs or any counterfeit organic materials) have involved:
four people prosecuted under the products of animal origin regulations, and
one person prosecuted under endangered species regulations.
Personal Allowances
Mr. Goodman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost in 2004–05 would have been of giving couples the option of transferring to a partner any unused part of the basic personal allowance of £4,745 if relief were restricted to a maximum of 22 per cent. and the option was restricted to (a) married couples with a child aged four years or under, (b) married couples with a child aged 14 years or under, (c) married or cohabiting couples, living together as husband and wife, with a child aged four years or under and (d) married or cohabiting couples, living together as husband and wife, with a child aged 14 years and under. [191716]
Dawn Primarolo: The cost in 2004–05 through lower income tax of giving couples the option of transferring to a partner the full basic personal allowance of £4,745 if relief were restricted to a maximum of 22 per cent. for the four options are listed.
| Option | £ million |
|---|---|
| (a) Married couples with a child aged four years or under | 260 |
| (b) Married couples with a child aged 14 years or under | 660 |
| (c) Married or cohabiting couples, living together as husband and wife, with a child aged four years or under | 320 |
| (d) Married or cohabiting couples, living together as husband and wife, with a child aged 14 years and under | 740 |
Note:
Figures rounded to the nearest £10 million. They exclude any estimate of behavioural response to the tax change.
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