| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
14 Dec 2005 : Column 1975W—continued
Income Tax
Mr. Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many persons paid income tax at the higher rate in each financial year since January 1995; and how much was raised by the higher rate in current prices in each year. [34588]
Dawn Primarolo: Information on the estimated number of individuals who paid income tax at the higher rate in each financial year since 1990–91 is shown in 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.xls.
Information on the estimated amount of income tax liabilities in constant (2005–06) prices, before deducting tax credits, is in the table.
(5) Estimates after personal allowances but before tax credits are deducted.
(6) 2002–03 is the latest year for which data are available.
(7) Estimates for 2003–04 to 2005–06 are based on the 2002–03 SPI projected forward in line with Budget 2005 HM Treasury assumptions.
14 Dec 2005 : Column 1976W
Similar information for the years 1995–96 and 1996–97 is not available.
The income tax information is based upon the Survey of Personal Incomes (SPI).
Inland Revenue Staff (Computer Misuse)
Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many Inland Revenue staff in Northern Ireland have been dismissed as a result of misuse of computer systems in each of the last five years. [37600]
Dawn Primarolo: The former Inland Revenue started recording computer misuse information on a central database in 2003. It does not hold figures for earlier years. The periods shown are calendar years.
| Number | |
|---|---|
| 2003 | 4 |
| 2004 | 0 |
| 2005 | 0 |
The statistic for 2005 is the information held as at 12 December 2005. It is possible there may be more cases for 2005.
Iraq
Lembit Öpik: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much money the British Government have spent on military operations in Iraq since 20 March 2003; and if he will make a statement. [30101]
Mr. Des Browne: The net additional costs of military operations in Iraq are captured on an annual basis and published by the Ministry of Defence in their annual report and accounts. The costs in fiscal years 2002–03 through to 2004–05 were:
| £ million | |
|---|---|
| 2002–03 | 847 |
| 2003–04 | 1,311 |
| 2004–05 | 910 |
Chris Huhne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the (a) original estimated and (b) actual cost of the war in Iraq and ancillary operations has been in each year since the beginning of operations; what the reasons were for the difference in each year; whether the costs were met from (i) the Ministry of Defence budget and (ii) elsewhere in each year; from which budget lines costs were met in each year; and what economies have been made to offset those costs. [37043]
John Reid: I have been asked to reply.
The costs of operations are calculated on a net additional basis and audited figures are published each year in the Ministry of Defence's Annual Report and Accounts. Costs for financial years 2002–03, 2003–04 and 2004–05 for operations in Iraq were:
14 Dec 2005 : Column 1977W
| £ million | |
|---|---|
| 2002–03 | 847 |
| 2003–04 | 1,311 |
| 2004–05 | 910 |
| Total | 3,068 |
The respective estimates requested for operations in Iraq in the spring supplementary estimates and voted by Parliament for the above years were:
| £ million | |
|---|---|
| 2002–03 | 1,000 |
| 2003–04 | 1,539 |
| 2004–05 | 975 |
| Total | 3,514 |
The differences between estimates and final outturn figures are due to changing operational requirements and associated troop numbers as outlined in the MOD's Annual Report and Accounts.
The net additional costs of military operations in Iraq are funded from the Treasury reserve and not through re-prioritisation of the defence budget.
Lyons Review
Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will provide a break down by (a) Department and (b) location of the 6,300 relocations as a result of the Lyons Review announced in the pre-Budget report. [37149]
Mr. Des Browne: The information requested is as follows:
(8) Departments have confirmed 6,347 relocations completed by 30 September 2005. The location breakdown of a small number of these moves is presently being confirmed by Departments.
14 Dec 2005 : Column 1978W
Self-invested Personal Pensions
Chris Huhne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will publish the information on which he based his decision announced in the pre-Budget report to rescind the widening of self-invested personal pension plans eligible assets legislated for in the Finance Act 2004; [37057]
(2) on what dates meetings were held with representatives of the financial services industry at which his Department gathered information to assess the impact of the change in the rules concerning self-invested personal pension plans eligible assets announced in the pre-Budget report; and which (a) Ministers and (b) officials were present at each; [37058]
(3) if he will estimate the cost to providers of self-invested pension plans (SIPPs) of his change in the rules concerning eligible investments set out in the Finance Act 2004; and if he will publish the regulatory assessment made for (a) the initial change to SIPPS rules and (b) the decision announced in the pre-Budget report. [37325]
Mr. Ivan Lewis:
In order to prevent the potential abuse of the pension tax simplification rules, where people could claim tax relief in relation to pension contributions into self-invested personal pensions (SIPPs) for the purpose of funding purchases of holiday and second homes for their or their family's personal use, the Government announced in the pre-Budget report that, from 6 April 2006, SIPPs and all other forms of self-directed pension schemes will be prohibited from obtaining tax advantages when investing in residential property, and certain other assets such as fine wines.
14 Dec 2005 : Column 1979W
The legislation to bring the PBR announcement into effect will be included in Finance Bill 2006. The regulatory impact assessment assessing the impact of the whole of pension simplification was published in April 2004.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |