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Income Tax

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many and what percentage of taxpayers in (a) West Lancashire and (b) the UK paid tax at the (i) basic rate and (ii) higher rate in 2004–05. [27843]

Dawn Primarolo: I refer my hon. Friend to table 2.1 'Number of individual income taxpayers' on the HM Revenue and Customs internet website http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/income_tax/table2–1.pdf.

The percentages of individuals paying income tax at the basic rate and higher rate in the UK can be calculated from the data provided in the table.

The income tax information is based upon the 2002–03 Survey of Personal Incomes (SPI) projected forward to 2004–05 in line with Budget 2005 assumptions.

Latest information on the estimated number of income taxpayers and their mean and median total income in West Lancashire constituency is shown in table 3.15 'Total Income by Parliamentary Constituency' on the HM Revenue and Customs internet website http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/income_distribution/table-3–15.xls.
 
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Similar information for West Lancashire district is shown in table 3.14 'Total income by borough and district or unitary authority' http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/income_distribution/menu-by-year.htm#314.

A breakdown by tax bands is not available because the sample sizes for marginal rates at constituency and district level are very small and demonstrate a large variability year on year.

Ministerial Travel

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much has been spent in each year from 1 May 1997 on ministerial travel, broken down by (a) provision and running costs of vehicular transport, (b) first class travel by rail, (c) standard class travel by rail, (d) first class travel by air, (e) club or equivalent class travel by air and (f) economy class travel by air. [27680]

John Healey: My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary at the Cabinet Office (Mr. Murphy) has asked Roy Burke, chief executive of the Government Car and Despatch Agency (GCDA) to write to the hon. Member with details of the costs of ministerial vehicles provided to Departments in 2004–05. Copies of his letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

For information for the financial years 2000–01 to 2003–04 I refer the hon. Member to the letters from the chief executive of the GCDA to the hon. Member for Buckingham (John Bercow) dated 10 January 2005 and to the then hon. Member for Arundel and South Downs (Howard Flight) dated 13 September 2003. Copies of these letters are available in the Library of the House.

In respect of overseas travel by Ministers, since 1999 the Government have published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing £500 or more during each financial year. The Government have also published on an annual basis the cost of all Ministers' visits overseas. Copies of the lists are available in the Library of the House. These report information for the financial years 1995–96 to 2004–05. Information for 2005–06 will be published as soon as it is ready after the end

of the current financial year. Detailed analysis of other forms of ministerial travel could be provided only at disproportionate cost. All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the rules set out in the Ministerial Code and Travel by Ministers, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.

Mike Penning: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list, for each year since 1995, the number of flights, including helicopter flights, taken by Ministers within his Department for UK and overseas visits; on how many occasions (a) charter flights were used and (b) first and club class tickets were obtained; and who accompanied the ministers on each trip. [27803]

John Healey: In respect of overseas travel by Ministers, since 1999 the Government have published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing £500 or more during each financial year. The list indicates when non-scheduled flights were used, and shows how many officials accompanied Ministers in those circumstances. The Government have also published on an annual basis the
 
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cost of all Ministers' visits overseas. Copies of the lists are available in the Libraries of the House. These report information reaching back to 1995–06. Information for 2005–06 will be published after the end of the financial year.

Equivalent detail about domestic travel could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the rules set out in the Ministerial Code and Travel by Ministers, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.

National Debt

Mr. Holloway: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the long-term impact on tax rates of the national debt. [28647]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: The sustainable investment rule ensures public sector net debt and debt interest payments stay at a low and sustainable level. This ensures the Government's objective of sound public finances and that spending and taxation impact fairly within and between generations.

Budget 2005 projections show public sector net debt remains low, stabilising at around 37 per cent. of GDP by the end of the forecast period, well below the 40 per cent. level and comfortably meeting the sustainable investment rule.

Updated projections will be published in the 2005 pre-Budget report as usual, taking into account all relevant factors and developments.

P11D Returns

Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to (a) amend the current definition of those subject to P11D returns as higher rate earners and (b) raise the threshold for the requirement to submit a P11D return. [28623]

Dawn Primarolo: The current definition of those subject to P11D returns is a director or employee who earned at a rate of £8,500 a year or more". There are no plans to change the criteria or to raise the threshold.

Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people on the national minimum wage he estimates are required to submit P11D returns as higher rate earners. [28624]

Dawn Primarolo: This information is not available.

Parliamentary Questions

Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) when he will provide substantive answers to the questions from the hon. Member for Birkenhead tabled on 19 October 2005, (references 21082 and 21173.); [26809]

(2) when he will provide substantive answers to the questions from the hon. Member for Birkenhead tabled on 19 October 2005 (references 21141 and 21147); [26810]

(3) when he will provide a substantive answer to the question from the hon. Member for Birkenhead tabled on 21 October 2005 (reference 22002). [26812]

 
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Dawn Primarolo: I have answered the five questions concerned.

Peformance-related Pay

Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many officials of Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs are to receive performance-related pay (PRP) in 2005–06; and for how many staff PRP is directly linked to revenue collection targets. [28611]

Dawn Primarolo: In HMRC, all pay awards are performance-related, because staff must achieve a satisfactory standard of performance to qualify for an award.

From 2006, the top 20 per cent. of staff will receive an additional non-consolidated, non-pensionable bonus. Approximately 85 per cent. of HMRC staff work in business units concerned with revenue collection. The PRP of these staff is directly linked to revenue collection targets.

The remaining 15 per cent. of staff work in business units, which support the work of those delivering revenue collection targets. There is therefore an indirect link between revenue collection targets and the PRP of these staff.

Pensions

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 10 October 2005, Official Report, column 306W, on pensions, what the total public sector pension deficit liability was in 1997 calculated on any available basis; and what the basis of the calculation was of the £460 billion figure given. [27369]

Mr. Des Browne: An estimate of the total of pension assets and liabilities across the public sector is not available.

For the basis of the calculation of the £460 billion figure for the unfunded public service pension liabilities I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member on 11 November 2005, Official Report, column 775–76W.

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