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7 Feb 2005 : Column 1242W—continued
North Durham
Mr. Kevan Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people have benefited from child tax credit in North Durham since its inception. [214684]
Dawn Primarolo:
Estimates of the number of in-work families receiving tax credits (broken down by families with and without children) in each constituency appear in Child and Working Tax Credit Statistics. Geographical analyses." This can be found on the Inland Revenue website at www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/
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stats/personal-tax-credits/menu.htm. The estimates are based on a sample of cases, and are subject to sampling uncertainty.
Population Figures
Mr. Flook: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the population was in each of the last eight years in (a) South Gloucestershire, (b) City of Bristol, (c) North Somerset, (d) Bath and North East Somerset, (e) Taunton Deane, (f) Mendip, (g) West Somerset, (h) South Somerset and (i) Sedgemoor. [214650]
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Mr. Timms: The information requested falls within the responsibilities of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
Letter from Colin Mowl to Mr. Adrian Flook, dated 7 February 2005:
The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning the population of South Gloucestershire, City of Bristol, North Somerset, Bath and North East Somerset, Taunton Deane, Mendip, West Somerset, South Somerset and Sedgemoor for the last eight years. I am replying in his absence. (214650)
Source:
Office for National Statistics
Redundancies (Greater London)
Tom Cox: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many redundancies have taken place in the Greater London area in each of the last three years. [213387]
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. Tom Cox, dated 7 February 2005:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about redundancies in the Greater London area. (213387)
The Labour Force Survey (LFS) provides estimates of numbers of people made redundant according to their area of usual residence. People are asked in the survey if they were made redundant in the three months before their LFS interviews.
These estimates from Labour Force Survey (LFS) are, as with those from any statistical sample survey, subject to sampling variability.
| Three months ending November | Levels | Rate per 1,000 employees(8) |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 17,000 | 5.6 |
| 2003 | 16,000 | 5.7 |
| 2004 | 17,000 | 5.8 |
(8)Denominator for rate is the number of employees in the previous quarter.
Source:
ONS Labour Force Survey
Small Firms
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what changes his Department has made since 2001 to the way in which small firms are required to calculate the tax due on profits. [214183]
Dawn Primarolo: The Government want a simple and fair tax system for all small firms. To this end, they have made amendments to the rules relating to income tax and corporation tax in each Finance Act since 2001. These have not changed the basic calculation of profits for the purpose, which is income less deductions. These changes have however affected the ways in which many small firms are required or entitled to adjust their profits and take into account reliefs and allowances to calculate the tax due.
Tax Credits
Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1)how many compensatory payments have been made by the Inland Revenue for errors in tax credit payments in (a) 2002–03, (b) 2003–04 and (c) 2004–05; and if he will make a statement; [213891]
(2) what his latest estimate is of the number of compensation claims for tax credits errors by the Inland Revenue under the Code of Practice for Complaints in (a) 2002–03 and (b) 2003–04; how many claims have been authorised for compensation; and if he will make a statement. [213955]
Dawn Primarolo:
The circumstances in which the Inland Revenue will make compensation payments to its customers are explained in the Department's Code of Practice 1 Putting things right" which is available at www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk. The Department will pay
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compensation for reasonable costs incurred as a direct result of their mistakes or delays and to recognise worry and distress caused by those mistakes and delays.
The Department will make a compensation payment if they believe it is justified even if the customer has not asked for compensation. For compensation payments in 2002–03 I refer the hon. Member to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Hamilton, South (Mr. Tynan) on 23 June 2004, Official Report, column 1411W.
For the number of compensation payments in 2003–04, I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Northaven (Mr. Webb) and to the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 20 July 2004, Official Report, columns 191–92W.
For the number of compensation payments made between 1 April and 31 December I refer the hon. Member to the reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Birkenhead (Mr. Field), on 31 January 2005, Official Report, column 599W.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the computer problems which have been experienced by the Inland Revenue Tax Credits department over the last 18 months. [213941]
Dawn Primarolo: The IT support for New Tax Credits is a major new system.
The system has been stable and performing very well in terms of availability and speed for well over a year.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of the total (a) number and (b) monetary value of overpayments of (i) child tax credit and (ii) working credit in (A) 2002–03 and (B)2003–04; and if he will make a statement. [213947]
Dawn Primarolo: For working tax credit and child tax credit, I refer my hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Members for Northavon (Mr. Webb) and for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 15 November 2004, Official Report, columns 946–48W.
For working families and disabled person's tax credits I refer the hon. Member to my answer to the hon. Member for Eddisbury (Mr. O'Brien) on 12 November 2003, Official Report, column 394W.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1)how many incorrect payments of tax credits have been made by the Inland Revenue in (a) 2002–03, (b) 2003–04 and (c) 2004–05; and if he will make a statement; [213948]
(2) what his latest estimate is of the percentage error rate on payment of tax credits in 2003–04; and if he will make a statement. [213954]
Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for High Peak (Tom Levitt), on 26 January 2005, Official Report, column 407W.
The Department expects the level of processing accuracy in the current year to be markedly better than last year, in line with its target to decide 90 per cent. of tax credit claims, changes and renewals accurately. It will publish its performance against the current year's target in its Annual Report in due course.
7 Feb 2005 : Column 1246W
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy not to reclaim overpaid tax credits where the Department is responsible for overpayment. [213952]
Dawn Primarolo: The Inland Revenue's Code of Practice 26 (What happens if we have paid you too much tax credit?") sets out their approach to handling overpayments of tax credits.
A claimant will not be asked to pay back an overpayment where it was caused by a mistake by the Inland Revenue and it was reasonable for the claimant to think their award was right.
The Inland Revenue may also decide that a claimant should not be asked to pay back all or part of an overpayment, if this would cause hardship to the claimant and his/her family.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of the number of (a) child and (b) working tax credit applications in (i) 2003–04 and (ii) 2004–05; and if he will make a statement. [213956]
Dawn Primarolo: For the numbers of families who have successfully claimed tax credits in 2003–04 and 2004–05, I refer my hon. Member to 'Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics'. These publications can be found on the Inland Revenue website, at www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/menu.htm. The estimates are based on a sample of cases, and are subject to sampling uncertainty.
Numbers of families who have only made unsuccessful applications for tax credits are not available.
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