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10 Oct 2005 : Column 288W—continued
Hong Kong Tax Rebate
Mr. Boris Johnson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer why HM Revenue and Customs is unable to waive interest penalties with regard to the Hong Kong tax rebate. [16589]
Dawn Primarolo:
Because of tax rebates made by the Hong Kong Government, some people found that they had additional income chargeable to tax in the UK. Under the normal tax legislation, interest (but not penalties) is chargeable on the UK tax paid after the statutory due date. There is no provision in the interest legislation to allow that charge to be waived.
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Illegal Arms Shipments
John Battle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what investigations the Government are making into allegations of illegal arms shipments to the Democratic Republic of Congo by UK-based firms; and if he will make a statement. [15937]
Dawn Primarolo: HM Revenue and Customs is not aware of any fresh allegations of UK entities involved in the illegal supply of arms to the Democratic Republic of Congo. HMRC are aware of allegations made in 2003, and recently repeated, involving arms flights between Albania and Rwanda. Inquiries were conducted but no evidence found of criminal offences by the UK companies named in the reports.
HMRC takes seriously its responsibility in the enforcement of international arms embargoes and conducts appropriate enquiries into allegations of illegal activity within the UK or by UK nationals overseas.
IMF
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps the UK has taken to encourage improved accountability of the International Monetary Fund to (a) governments and (b) parliaments of developing countries. [15716]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The UK is committed to enhancing the accountability of the IMF to all of its membership. As a practical example of this, for the past six years, the UK Government have published a report to Parliament on the activities of the IMF. In addition, the UK has pushed for wider transparency from the institution as a whole through, for example, increased publication of IMF documents which has facilitated more accountability by parliaments and civil society, including in developing countries.
As a practical way of increasing the voice of developing countries in the IMF and thus enhancing the responsiveness of the Fund to developing country concerns, the UK, with other donors, has also established a trust fund to build the analytical capacity of sub-Saharan African Executive Directors in order to better enable them to represent their constituencies more effectively at the IMF. The UK will also continue to argue for a package of further reforms and, in particular, an increase in the Basic Vote, to enhance the voice of developing countries within the IMF.
Income and Corporation Taxes Act
Mr. Gauke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the costs to business in the year 1 April 2004 to 30 March 2005 of the changes to schedule 28AA Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988 introduced by the Finance Act 2004. [16175]
Dawn Primarolo:
Estimates of the financial implications of the changes for businesses in 2004–05 are set out in a Regulatory Impact Assessment Reform of Corporation Tax—Reform of Rules on Transfer Pricing and Thin Capitalisation", published in March
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2004. The changes included a new exemption from transfer pricing rules for most small and medium sized enterprises.
Infant Deaths
Mr. Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many infant deaths there were in the United Kingdom in each of the last five years; and what the rate per 10,000 population was in each year. [16574]
John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the national statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell to Mr. David Amess, dated 10 October 2005:
As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many infant deaths there were in the United Kingdom and the rate per 10,000. (16574)
The most recent year for which provisional figures are available is 2004. These figures are based on provisional data. There were 3,660 infant deaths in the United Kingdom in 2004. The rate was 51.1 per 10,000 live births.
Figures for earlier years, based on final data, are published in Population Trends and Health Statistics Quarterly (Table 2.1). These publications are available in the House of Commons Library. The provisional number of deaths for 2004 shown in these publications is incorrect. Correct provisional figure for 2004 will be published in the November edition of Health Statistics Quarterly.
Inheritance Tax
Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people have applied for conditional exemption from inheritance tax in the last 12 months; and how this tax relief is being amended to take into account the implementation of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. [15100]
Dawn Primarolo: 31 new conditional exemption claims have been made in the 12 months to July 2005, of which 24 were concerned solely with chattels. Of the seven claims involving land, five were concerned with historic buildings and their immediate surroundings; one with land of scenic, historic or scientific interest; and one with both a historic building and its immediate surroundings, and land of scenic, historic or scientific interest.
The Countryside and Rights of Way Act does not materially increase the rights of public access to much of the land covered by conditional exemption (and much the greatest part of it by value of the relief given). Where the Act does apply to land for which conditional exemption is claimed, we will continue to require materially higher standards of public access and land management as a condition of inheritance tax exemption than the Act alone would secure.
Irish Light Dues Subsidy
Tom Brake: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) whether the Irish light dues subsidy counts against the public sector borrowing requirement; [16053]
(2) what representations he has received from the Department for Transport regarding the light dues tax and the subsidy to the Republic of Ireland. [16054]
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John Healey: HM Treasury has not received any representations from DfT on the collection of light dues or the funding of aids to navigation in Ireland. The operation of the General Lighthouse Fund is a matter for the Secretary of State for Transport in accordance with section 211 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995.
The General Lighthouse Fund, which receives light dues and pays for the maintenance of navigational aids, is classified as a UK public corporation and so its financial surplus serves to reduce the public sector net cash requirement.
Landfill Tax
Mrs. Dorries: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much revenue has been generated from the landfill tax, from landfill sites within the county of Bedfordshire in each year since 1997. [16401]
John Healey: Information on revenue from landfill tax can be found in the HM Revenue and Customs Landfill Tax Bulletin", which can be found on the HM Revenue and Customs website:
HM Revenue and Customs does not have a breakdown of landfill tax by county.
London Olympics
Susan Kramer: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of how much increased revenue from business taxes will accrue to the Treasury due to the 2012 Olympics. [15886]
Dawn Primarolo: No such estimate is currently available.
Media Relations
Mr. Salmond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much the Department has spent on external media relations in each of the last 12 months. [14676]
John Healey: The Treasury has not spent any money on external media relations in the last year.
MRSA
Mr. Scott: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer in how many patient deaths MRSA has been recorded as a contributing factor in (a) the King George hospital, Ilford, (b) Whipps Cross hospital, Leytonstone and (c) the Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospitals NHS Trust area in the last five years. [15093]
John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell to Mr. Scott, dated 10 October 2005:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking in how many patient deaths MRSA has been recorded as a contributing factor in (a) the King George Hospital, Ilford, (b) Whipps Cross Hospital, Leytonstone and (c) the Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospitals NHS Trust in the last five years. (15093)
Special analyses of MRSA deaths are undertaken annually by the Office for National Statistics for England and Wales. These are published in Health Statistics Quarterly. The latest year for
- which such figures are available is 2003. The number of deaths in NHS hospitals where MRSA was a contributory factor in the last five years was 3,229 out of a total of 1,468,710 deaths in NHS hospitals.
Figures for individual hospital sites in 2002 were given in answer to a question from Andrew Mackinlay MP in Hansard, 22 July 2004, Column 471W. There were fewer than five deaths in each of King George Hospital, Ilford, and Whipps Cross Hospital, Leytonstone, in 2002. Figures for further years could only be provided at disproportionate cost. No figures are routinely available for NHS Trusts.
Mr. Davey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer in how many patient deaths MRSA was recorded as a contributing factor in Kingston hospital in each of the last five years. [16681]
John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell to Edward Davey dated 10 October 2005:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking in how many patient deaths MRSA was recorded as a contributing factor in Kingston Hospital in each of the last five years. (16681)
Figures for individual hospitals are not produced routinely every year. The latest, for 2002, were given in answer to a questionfrom Andrew Mackinlay MP in Hansard, 22 July 2004, Column 471W. There were fewer than five deaths in Kingston Hospital in 2002. Figures for further years could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Special analyses of MRSA deaths are undertaken annually by ONS for England and Wales. These are published in Health Statistics Quarterly. The latest year for which such Figures are available is 2003. The number of deaths in NHS Hospitals where MRSA was a contributory factor in the last five years was 3,229 out of a total of 1,468,710 deaths in NHS Hospitals.
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