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18 Jul 2005 : Column 1331W—continued
Ministry of Defence (Funding)
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his plans for funding to the Ministry of Defence are over the next five years. [12567]
Mr. Des Browne: The Governments Spending Review 2004 published spending plans for the Ministry of Defence from 2004–05 to 2007–08. Spending plans for subsequent years will be published in the next Spending Review. The net additional costs of military operations are met in full from the Reserve.
PFI Initiatives
Adam Price: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 11 July 2005 to question reference 11365, if he will list the private finance initiative schemes undertaken since 1997 which have been classed as on the public sector balance sheet. [12825]
John Healey: I refer to the answer given by the former Chief Secretary to the Treasury (Paul Boateng) to the Member for Arundel and South Downs (Mr. Flight) on 5 January 2004, Official Report, column 165W.
Stamp Duty Returns
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many stamp duty land tax returns were made in the year ended 31 March 2005 in respect of transactions the value of which was below the stamp duty land tax threshold. [12024]
John Healey: The latest quarterly figures for the number of transactions in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in 2004–05, which were not liable to stamp duty land tax, on account of falling below the stamp duty land tax threshold, will be published on 21 July on the HMRC website at http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/survey_of_prop/table16–5.pdf.
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many penalties for failure to complete stamp duty land tax returns correctly and on time have been issued since the form was introduced; and what percentage of those penalties have subsequently been rescinded. [12047]
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John Healey: Approximately 67,000 late filing penalty notices have been issued. Over the same period over 2.6 million returns have been received. Penalty notices are issued where SDLT returns are received more than 30 days after the effective date of the relevant transaction.
A person can appeal against a late filing penalty if they believe that they have a 'reasonable excuse' for filing a return late. Guidance on HMRC's view of what constitutes a 'reasonable excuse' is contained in the leaflet 'Penalties for late land transaction returns' (SD7), which is available on the HMRC website at http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/leaflets/sd7.pdf. We issue a leaflet to each customer covering this information with their Penalty Notice. A figure for the number of cases where it is accepted that there is a 'reasonable excuse' is not available.
Tax Credits
Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people were employed in the administration of tax credits for each quarter from 2003 Q1 to 2005 Q2; and if he will make a statement. [8571]
Dawn Primarolo: Information is not available on a quarterly basis.
The number of staff employed in 2003–04 can be found at paragraph 2.2 of the Comptroller and Auditor General's Report for 2003–04 which can be found in the Board's Annual Report at: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/pdfs/report2004.pdf.
Around 8,200 staff were employed in 2004–05.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many tax credit interim payments were sent out in (a) 2003–04, (b) 2004–05 and (c) 2005–06 to date; what their total value was in each case; and if he will make a statement. [8585]
Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many emergency payments have been made by the Inland Revenue tax credits administration in each year since 2000; what the total value was of those emergency payments; and whether the payments were made by (i) cheque, (ii) direct payment and (iii)cash. [10277]
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many and what value of giro cheque payments made to tax credit claimants were not made via the tax credit computer in each month in (a) 2003–04, (b) 2004–05 and (c) April to June 2005. [11913]
Dawn Primarolo: For interim payments made in 2003–04 I refer the hon. Members to page 125 of the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General 2003–04, which can be found in the Board's Annual Report at http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/pdfs/report2004.pdf.
A breakdown of the interim payments made in 2004–05 and 2005–06 could be made available only at disproportionate cost.
Emergency payments are made by girocheque either in person at a HMRC Enquiry Centre or by post to the taxpayer.
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Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many Customs and Revenue staff were employed in dealing with tax credit (a) over-payments, (b) appeals and (c) complaints in each quarter from Q1 2002 to Q2 2005; and if he will make a statement. [9294]
Dawn Primarolo: Quarterly information for the period concerned is not available.
In respect of (a) , I refer the hon. Gentleman to my answer of 7 July 2005, Official Report, column 623W, to the hon. Member for Tatton (Mr. Osborne). For (c), Irefer to the answer I gave the hon. Gentlemen on 6 July 2005, Official Report, columns 436–7W. On (b), the full-time equivalent of around 160 staff were working on tax credit appeals at 28 May 2005.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what estimate he has made of the take-up rate of working tax credit; [12392]
(2) what proportion of working families with childrenare receiving tax credits; and if he will make a statement. [12407]
Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to my reply to him of 4 July 2005, Official Report, column 95W. Please note, however, that the figure for the average number of families benefiting from child and working tax credits in 2003–04 given in that answer should have been 5.7 million and not 5.5 million.
Tax Returns
Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what measures he has taken to encourage individuals to file their self assessment tax returns on time; and how much has been spent on such measures in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [12647]
Dawn Primarolo: HMRC (Inland Revenue to April 2005) has taken a number of steps to encourage individuals to file their self-assessment tax returns on time, including:
extensive media campaigns, involving TV, radio, billboards, railway/tube and newspaper advertisements;
increased press advertising in January, specifically aimed at the construction industry and self-employed;
national pro-active telephony campaign to remind those at highest risk of filing late about the deadline and pointing them towards help;
local newspaper press releases to advertise inquiry centre opening times around the filing deadline;
On the cost of the measures for the years 2000 to 2004, I refer the hon. Member back to the answers given to him on 19 November 2003, Official Report, column1093W, and to the hon. Member for West Dorset on 5 January 2004.
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The figure for media costs for self-assessment for 2004–05 was £7.5 million, inclusive of VAT.
Policy Costings
Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequerwhat costings of (a) Liberal Democrat and (b) Conservative party policies his Department has (i)undertaken, (ii) co-ordinated in the previous 12 months and (iii) advised upon in the previous 12 months. [7000]
Mr. Des Browne: I refer to the hon. Member to HM Treasury's website: www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/about/information/foi_disclosures/foi_disclosures_index.cfm
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