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Written Answers to Questions

Tuesday 2 November 2004

ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Forestry Commission (Grants)

Mr. Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what sum was awarded in grants to private woodland owners by the Forestry Commission in (a) 1998–99 and (b) 2002–03; and what proportion was funded from EU sources. [190917]

Mr. Bradshaw [holding answer 18 October 2004]: The value of grants awarded to private woodland owners in Great Britain by the Forestry Commission in:

(a) 1998–99 was £42.5 million of which £14.1 million was co-financed by the European Union; and

(b) 2002–03 was £37.8 million of which £12.6 million was co-financed by the European Union.

Sites of Special Scientific Interest

Mr. Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the impact of Network Rail's permitted development rights on sites of special scientific interest. [192825]

Mr. Bradshaw [pursuant to the reply, 21 October 2004, Official Report, c. 842W]: The answer given did not reflect the most up-to-date position and should have read as follows.

No specific assessment has been made. In exercising its statutory functions on SSSIs in England, Network Rail must notify English Nature and unless it follows English Nature's advice, it must minimise any damage

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and restore the site as far as practical. In Scotland, these are matters for the Scottish Executive and Scottish Natural Heritage.

TREASURY

Tax Credits

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many complaints were received by the tax credit office in (a) 1997, (b) 2001 and (c) 2004; what targets his Department has set for the number of errors reported in tax credit cases next year; what measures his Department is taking to ensure that the number of cases containing errors is reduced; and what compensation will be made to those people whose claims are dealt with incorrectly. [194495]

Dawn Primarolo: Details of the accuracy target up to 2004–05 for tax credits claims, renewals (for 2004–05 only) and changes of circumstance appear on page 29 of Inland Revenue's annual report for the year ending 31 March 2004. This can be found on the Department's website, www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk, at about/annual_ reps.htm. The target for 2005–06 has yet to be agreed.

The Inland Revenue's approach to compensation is set out in Code of Practice 1 "Putting things right". This is also available on the Department's website, at leaflets/c11.htm.

Allowances and Thresholds

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the effect on (a) income to the Treasury and (b) the number of taxpayers in each band, (i) assuming no other changes and (ii) assuming consequential savings in benefits of tax credits, of (A) raising the single person's allowance to (1) £10,000, (2) £15,000 and (3) £20,000, and (B) raising other allowances and thresholds proportionately. [195105]

Dawn Primarolo: The information is given in the following table.

(b) Change in taxpayer numbers (Thousand)

(a) Cost (£ billion) Starting rate Savers rate Basic rate Higher rate

(A) (1) PA increased to £10,000 28 -300 120 -4,690 -950

(A) (2) PA increased to £15,000 49 -580 110 -9,540 -1,490

(A) (3) PA increased to £20,000 63 -1,110 50 -13,130 -1,860

(B) (1) PA increased to £10,000 and other allowances and thresholds increased proportionately⁽¹⁾ 45 1,600 -110 -7,320 -2,750

(B) (2) PA increased to £15,000 and other allowances and thresholds increased proportionately⁽²⁾ 68 2,160 -280 -13,360 -3,130

(B) (3) PA increased to £20,000 and other allowances and thresholds increased proportionately⁽³⁾ 82 1,470 -430 -17,080 -3,260

⁽¹⁾ The thresholds and allowances were increased by 211 per cent. (£10,000 divided by £4,475—the PA in 2004–05)
⁽²⁾ The thresholds and allowances were increased by 316 per cent. (£15,000 divided by £4,475)
⁽³⁾ The thresholds and allowances were increased by 421 per cent. (£20,000 divided by £4,475)
Notes:
1. The estimates are based upon the Survey of Personal Incomes 2001–02 and are in line with final budget assumptions.
2. The estimates relate to the year 2004–05.

	(b) Change in taxpayer numbers (Thousand)
	(a) Cost (£ billion)	Starting rate	Savers rate	Basic rate	Higher rate
(A) (1) PA increased to £10,000	28	-300	120	-4,690	-950
(A) (2) PA increased to £15,000	49	-580	110	-9,540	-1,490
(A) (3) PA increased to £20,000	63	-1,110	50	-13,130	-1,860
(B) (1) PA increased to £10,000 and other allowances and thresholds increased proportionately⁽¹⁾	45	1,600	-110	-7,320	-2,750
(B) (2) PA increased to £15,000 and other allowances and thresholds increased proportionately⁽²⁾	68	2,160	-280	-13,360	-3,130
(B) (3) PA increased to £20,000 and other allowances and thresholds increased proportionately⁽³⁾	82	1,470	-430	-17,080	-3,260

There would be no savings from lower tax credits since tax credit entitlement is based on gross income.

The personal allowance is currently linked to the primary and secondary class 1 national insurance contributions thresholds and the class 4 lower profits limit. No cost has been included to increase these thresholds in line with the personal allowance.

The figures exclude any estimate of behavioural response to the tax change, which could be significant given the scale of the changes.

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Correspondence

David Winnick: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will instruct the office of Mr. J. Harra, Director, Inland Revenue, Tax Credit Office, Preston (a) to acknowledge without delay letters sent by hon. Members to him on behalf of their constituents and (b) to ensure that substantive replies are sent within 14 days. [195501]

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave him on 19 October 2004, Official Report, column 583W.

Customs and Excise

Mr. Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many IT consultants are currently contracted to work for Her Majesty's Customs and Excise at Alexandra House, Southend-on-Sea; and if he will make a statement. [195712]

Dawn Primarolo: There are currently 102 IT consultants contracted to work for Her Majesty's Customs and Excise at Alexander House, Southend-on-Sea.

Mr. Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the hourly rate of pay is of each IT consultant working on contract to Her Majesty's Customs and Excise; and if he will make a statement. [195713]

Dawn Primarolo: Her Majesty's Customs and Excise does not engage IT Consultancy on an hourly rate basis.

Customs and Immigration Regulations

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many sea containers entering each port have been found to be in contravention of British customs and immigration regulations in each year since 2001; [194701]

(2) what volume of cargo arriving at each airport has been found to be in contravention of British customs and immigration regulations in each year since 2001. [194707]

Dawn Primarolo: Her Majesty's Customs and Excise report against the prohibitions and restrictions they enforce in their annual and spring reports, which are available in the Library of the House.

Information is not held in the format requested. A breakdown of all the possible contraventions of British customs and immigration regulations at ports and airports for the last four years in respect of sea containers and air cargo could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Gambling

Miss Kirkbride: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what (a) representations he has received regarding the exemption of and (b) plans he has to exempt regional casinos offering category A machines from EU laws on money laundering. [194654]

John Healey: To inform our ongoing negotiations on the third EU Money Laundering Directive, HM Treasury held a wide-ranging consultation which has

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now closed. Representations have been received from a range of interested parties, including from the casino industry, and we are considering these.

Income Tax Evasion

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the level of evasion of income tax. [195254]

Dawn Primarolo: As tax authorities around the world recognise, the tax gap in relation to tax on income and profits is very difficult to measure, and presently there is no reliable method for estimating it. Nevertheless, the Inland Revenue is continuing to develop methodologies for measuring the tax gap in relation to all direct taxes.

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