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6 Jun 2005 : Column 290W—continued
Data Protection
Mr. Gerrard: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what instructions he has given to Inland Revenue offices on the application of the Data Protection (Processing of Sensitive Personal Data) (Elected Representatives) Order 2002 to communications to the Revenue from hon. Members on behalf of their constituents. [1533]
Dawn Primarolo: No specific instructions have been given HMRC offices as regards the application of the Data Protection (Processing of Sensitive Personal Data) (Elected Representatives) Order 2002.
Departmental Expenditure Limit (Wales)
Ian Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the departmental expenditure limit for the (a) former Welsh Office and (b) National Assembly for Wales was in each year since 1997. [1281]
Mr. Des Browne: Data on Departmental Expenditure Limits, including the Welsh Assembly DEL, are published in the annual Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses. The latest data is in Table 1.11 of the 2005 edition of Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses (Cm6521).
The Departmental Expenditure Limit for the Wales Office is contained within the Departmental Expenditure Limit of the Department for Constitutional Affairs.
EU Aid Provision
John Battle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much of the increased aid pledged by EU member states will be delivered (a) bilaterally, (b) via the EU, (c) via the World Bank, (d) via the UN AIDS Fund and (e) via other multilateral agencies; and if he will make a statement. [1725]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The EU member states made an historic commitment last month to double aid by 2010. Taking account of faster timetables towards the UN target of 0.7 per cent. ODA/GNI, EU aid will double from $40 billion in 2004 to $80 billion in 2010. It will be for individual member states to decide how the increased aid will be allocated.
EU Budget Rebate
Kate Hoey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the UK's gross contribution to the EU will be for the years 2004 to 2008 (a) including and (b) excluding the UK abatement. [1643]
Mr. Ivan Lewis:
The latest forecast of the UK's gross contributions, before and after abatement, for the period 2004–05 to 2007–08 are set out in the following table.
6 Jun 2005 : Column 291W
Gross contribution | Gross contribution after abatement | |
|---|---|---|
| 2004–05 | 12.1 | 8.4 |
| 2005–06 | 11.4 | 8.1 |
| 2006–07 | 13.5 | 9.4 |
| 2007–08 | 14.6 | 10.0 |
These estimates span the current Financial Perspective, which runs until 2006, and the beginning of the next Financial Perspective, which will set the EC Budget and policy framework for the period 2007 to 2013. Negotiations on the next Financial Perspective are ongoing and the above estimate for 2007–08 assumes an appropriately uprated roll forward of the status quo. It is without prejudice to the Government's assessment of the likely outcome of the ongoing negotiations on the next Financial Perspective.
Mr. Brady: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate his Department has made of the net UK contribution to the EU budget in each of the next 10 financial years if the UK rebate (a) remains in its current form and (b) is frozen at the current level. [1900]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Government's latest forecast of UK net contributions to the EC budget, which covers the period to 2007–08, was included in a footnote to Table C11 of the Financial Statement and Budget Report (HC 372, page 257) published on 15 March 2005. This forecast is used for public expenditure planning purposes and assumes an appropriately uprated roll forward of the status quo. The continuing inefficiencies and inequities on the expenditure side of the budget, and the resulting unfairness of the UK position, mean the abatement remains fully justified and is not up for negotiation.
EU Committees
Angus Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many times during the (a) Italian, (b) Irish and (c) Dutch presidency of the EU the (i)Committee on mutual assistance in customs and agricultural matters, including operation of the CIS, (ii)Customs Code Committee—general customs rules and (iii) Customs Code Committee—recovery of claims met; when and where these meetings took place; what UK Government expert was present; and if he will make a statement. [640]
Dawn Primarolo: All the following meetings were held in Brussels and were attended by an official of HM Customs and Excise.
EU Legislation
Mr. Davidson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what EU legislation was implemented by (a) the measure IR35 (National Insurance: Service Provision through Intermediaries) in October 1999, (b) the Tax Credits Act 1999 and Accompanying Regulations (Working Families Tax Credit), (c) the Aggregates Levy (General) Regulations 2002 and (d) the Child Trust Funds Act 2004. [1711]
Dawn Primarolo: No EU legislation was implemented as a result of any of these measures.
Fraud
Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the level of identity fraud associated with the new tax credits; and if he will make a statement. [2076]
Dawn Primarolo: HMRC are currently reviewing a random sample of finalised 2003–04 awards—the first year of working tax credit and child tax credit—to monitor the level of fraud and claimant error. However they will only be in a position to give an indication of the level of fraud or error later this year when that exercise has been completed.
To help prevent identity fraud HMRC:
Continually review their IT, business support and processes to identify any vulnerability to attacks
Review the weighting and effectiveness of their detailed risk rules to rapidly identify cases for proactive intervention by specialist teams, such as stopping payment, or commencing a criminal investigation.
A new criminal offence of tax credit fraud has also been introduced and HMRC have successfully prosecuted 260 tax credit cases since 2003.
In any instance where HMRC do discover that a genuine claimant's identity has been misused by others, it aims to remedy the situation as quickly as possible and minimise any distress caused by those unlawfully impersonating that individual.
6 Jun 2005 : Column 293W
Fuel Duty
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on levels of fuel duty and their impact on the competitiveness of UK road hauliers. [2120]
John Healey: The duty rate for ultra-low sulphur diesel is now 1.72 pence per litre less than it was in 2000. This equates to a duty rate reduction of around 12 per cent. in real terms since then.
We recognise the concern within the UK haulage industry about its competitiveness with overseas hauliers, and are therefore implementing our plans to introduce a lorry road-user charge, accompanied by offsetting tax cuts for hauliers who purchase duty-paid fuel in the UK.
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