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TREASURY
Academies (Tax Relief)
Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what (a) tax, (b) VAT and (c) other excise duty reliefs and exemptions apply to (i) city academies, (ii) foundation schools and (iii) the sponsors of city academies for the cost of their sponsorship and related expenses. [21075]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: City academies and foundation schools benefit from the full range of VAT and direct tax reliefs available to charities. They are exempt from tax on most income and capital gains when these are applied to charitable purposes, and benefit from a range of VAT reliefs. These VAT reliefs include a zero rate for construction of buildings, or parts of buildings, where at least 90 per cent. of total use will be solely for a relevant charitable purpose, such as the provision of core education. City academies and foundation schools also qualify for a reduced VAT rate of 5 per cent. when they purchase fuel and power for use in the course of their charitable non-business activities.
Academies and foundation schools can reclaim any VAT they have incurred that relates to taxable activities, such as extended use of school facilities for which a taxable charge is made. They can also choose to reclaim from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) any VAT costs relating to non-business use of buildings, and to account for output tax on this non-business use over a twenty year period. In addition, local education authorities can reclaim from HMRC any VAT costs
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they have incurred in relation to foundation schools, or any VAT costs incurred by the foundation school when making purchases as an agent of the local education authority.
VAT is not chargeable on the sponsorship contribution made by academy sponsors. Where an academy sponsor makes the payment wholly and exclusively for the purposes of their trade and does not acquire any capital asset in return, the expenditure is allowable for tax purposes. Alternatively, if the sponsor is itself an educational charity the sponsorship payment would be treated as qualifying charitable expenditure and the income from which the sponsorship payment is made is potentially exempt from tax.
There are no special excise duty reliefs or exemptions available to academies, foundation schools or academy sponsors.
Child Trust Fund
Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much money has been allocated to publicising the Child Trust Fund for the periods (a) January to 31 December 2004, (b) January 2005 to 30 June 2005, (c) 30 June 2005 to 30 September 2005 and (d) 30 September 2005 to 31 December 2005, broken down by (i) radio, (ii) television and (iii) newspaper advertising; and if he will make a statement. [19589]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The objectives of the Child Trust Fund advertising campaign are:
to ensure that parents understand what they need to do to open an account and where they can go for more information; and
As at 20 August 2005, 1,927,000 vouchers had been issued and 889,000 accounts had been opened.
Total media spend on advertising during the periods listed above was as follows (these figures include any related media buying fees, but exclude VAT):
(12) Figures for 30 September 2005 to 31 December 2005 are approximate, as final costs will not be known until after the current burst of advertising has finished.
Compensation Payments
Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what payments for compensation for (a) discrimination and (b) unfair dismissal have been made by his Department and its agencies over the last three years; and if he will make a statement. [20010]
John Healey: Over the last three years the Chancellor's Department and its agencies have made payments for (a) discrimination of £153,700 in total and (b) unfair dismissal of £88,168 in total.
Corporation Tax (Northern Ireland)
Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the annual amount received from corporation tax in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years. [21180]
John Healey: The information is not available to estimate the annual amount received from corporation tax in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years.
Financial Services Authority
Gregory Barker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to reform the Financial Services Authority; and if he will make a statement. [20027]
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Mr. Ivan Lewis [holding answer 20 October 2005]: The two-year review of the Financial Services and Market Act 2000 was completed in December of last year. Following this review, the FSA has been working to refine further its cost-benefit analysis methodology and the implementation of it.
Gregory Barker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received regarding (a) expenditure on human resources and (b) senior staff pay and bonuses at the Financial Services Authority during the last 10 years. [20034]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Financial Services Authority (FSA) is operationally independent of Government. Expenditure on human resources, senior staff pay and bonuses are matters for the FSA Board. It is worth highlighting that the FSA consults on its business plan and the proposed level of fees each year.
The FSA Annual Report for 2004–05 provides details of the FSA's reward system.
Gregory Barker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received regarding malpractice at the Financial Services Authority; and if he will make a statement. [20035]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The FSA is one of the public bodies cited in a statement of complaint received from the Parliamentary Ombudsman which alleges maladministration in respect of the prudential regulation of Equitable Life. The allegation covers the period prior to December 2001; from January 1999 to that date the FSA carried out the prudential regulation of Equitable Life under contracting-out arrangements. The investigation of this complaint is continuing. A statement of complaint against the FSA only for this period has previously been investigated by the Parliamentary Ombudsman, who found there had been no maladministration.
Otherwise I am not aware of other representations regarding malpractice at the Financial Services Authority.
Fuel Oil Duty
Lembit Öpik: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much revenue the Government received from the duty levied on fuel oil in the financial years (a) 2002–03, (b) 2003–04 and (c) 2004–05; what revenue his Department estimates it will receive in the financial year 2005–06; and if he will make a statement. [21090]
Dawn Primarolo: Annual excise duty receipts for fuel oil are included in Table 3 of the HM Revenue and Customs statistical Bulletin for Hydrocarbon Oils, which can be found on a HM Revenue and Customs website address at:
Information on monthly receipts collected to September 2005 is available in the same table.
The estimated excise duty receipts for hydrocarbon oils in the financial year 2005–06 were published in the Budget 2005 Financial Statement and Budget Report, Table C8.
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Lembit Öpik: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much VAT the Treasury collected from the sale of fuel oil in the financial years (a) 2002–03, (b) 2003–04 and (c) 2004–05; what revenue his Department estimates it will receive in the financial year 2005–06; and if he will make a statement. [21091]
Dawn Primarolo: HM Revenue and Customs do not collect data on VAT for individual goods or services.
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