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20 Dec 2005 : Column 2805W—continued
Road Haulage Industry
Mr. Paterson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people were employed in the road haulage industry in each year since 1997. [38648]
John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 20 December 2005:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about the number of people employed in road haulage. (38648)
The attached table provides information showing the number of jobs in the road haulage industry for each year from 1997 to 2004; the latest year for which information is available.
These estimates are from the Annual Business Inquiry and the Annual Employment Survey and, as with any sample survey, are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
| December | Employee jobs (Thousand) |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 270 |
| 1998 | 282 |
| 1999 | 277 |
| 2000 | 274 |
| 2001 | 278 |
| 2002 | 260 |
| 2003 | 269 |
| 2004 | 263 |
(23)SIC code 60.24; freight transport by road.
Source:
ABI (1998–2004) and rescaled AES (1997)
Tax Credits
Mr. Laws:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether a case where a tax credit recipient had been toldby HM Revenue and Customs staff on the helpline
20 Dec 2005 : Column 2806W
that the award was correct even though the recipient believed there to be an error would pass the Revenue's test of reasonableness for the writing off of overpayments. [25253]
Dawn Primarolo: Where a claimant disputes a tax credits overpayment on the grounds of mis-advice, HM Revenue and Customs can review the call records. In reviewing the call record HMRC would decide whether the claimant had provided the full information to the Helpline advisor at the time of the call that enabled the advisor to provide accurate advice to the claimant. If it is found that a claimant was mis-advised by a Helpline advisor, that overpayment would be written off.
Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1)what estimate he has made of the administration costs of research and development tax credits in the last year for which information is available; and if he will make a statement; [38345]
(2) what estimate he has made of the administration costs of vaccines research relief in the last year for which information is available; and if he will make a statement. [38346]
John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him to his previous question on 1 November 2005, Official Report, column 991W.
Tax Returns
Mr. Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many individuals used the HM Revenue and Customs online service to complete an online self-assessment in each year between 2002 and 2004. [36281]
Dawn Primarolo: The number of returns received electronically was:
Year of receipt | Self-assessment returns received electronically |
|---|---|
| 2001–02 | 419,236 |
| 2002–03 | 705,690 |
| 2003–04 | 1,107,004 |
| 2004–05 | 1,633,347 |
Mr. Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many complaints he has received on theoperation of the online self assessment tax return form since 6 April 2003; and what measures are in placeto correct problems with the operation of such forms. [36296]
Dawn Primarolo: The Chancellor of the Exchequer has received 19 complaints in connection with the operation of the online self assessment tax return form since 6 April 2003.
The Online-Services Helpdesk provides support for users of the online self assessment form and takes action to deal with any problems as they arise. In addition, HMRC has a rolling programme to improve and enhance the online service for its customers.
Mr. Liddell-Grainger:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will provide a greater range of relevantservices, including increasing the use of public
20 Dec 2005 : Column 2807W
and private partnerships specialising in online self-assessments, to help achieve HM Revenue and Customs target to obtain 35 per cent. of self-assessment returns electronically by 2007–08. [36300]
Dawn Primarolo: There is a delicate balance to be struck between providing a greater range of services, enhance existing services, and provide increased capacity and resilience of the online services.
The Department has worked closely with the public and private sector since the Self Assessment online service was introduced in 2000.
The HMRC Self Assessment online service was created in close consultation with the software industry and in 2003, we advertised in Government Opportunities" and encouraged potential Self Assessment filing partners to come forward. Various initiatives have since been established with independent software vendors, payroll companies and financial organisations. Equal prominence is given to third party software products on the Inland Revenue website.
An advertisement was published in December 2005 in The Banker" sought approaches from banks interested in developing innovative methods of enabling their customers to meet tax obligations.
Mr. Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent steps HM Revenue and Customs has taken to encourage UK individuals to file their tax returns on-line; and what further steps are planned. [36301]
Dawn Primarolo: HMRC has encouraged take-up of its online services with an active marketing campaign over the past four years. The online services message is also the predominant message in much of the Department's other marketing activity. For example, the Self Assessment campaign now includes a stand-alone television advertisement focusing on our online services, as well as several print and radio advertising campaigns with the same message.
Additionally, all paper tax returns promote the use of online filing
We plan to continue with the specific marketing activities mentioned above. Going forward the Department's plans and activities will be shaped by Lord Carter's Review of HMRC Online Services. This report is expected to be finalised in early spring 2006.
Unemployment
Peter Bottomley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people (a) are unemployed and (b) were unemployed in March in each parliamentary constituency ranked in order of the percentage change between the two dates. [38922]
John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 20 December 2005:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about unemployment.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles statistics of unemployment from the Labour Force Survey following International Labour Organisation definitions. However for small areas such as parliamentary constituencies, there is no suitable data available for a comparison between now and March 2005.
However, ONS also compiles statistics for local areas of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA). I am placing a table in the House of Commons Library showing the numbers of JSA claimants for all constituents for March 2005 and November 2005 listed in order of percentage difference between the two figures.
Changes between the two dates will be affected by seasonal influences which affect different areas in different ways.
VAT
Mr. Spring: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what assessment he has made of the impact of Article49 of the EC Treaty concerning the free movement of services on his Department's proposed policy changes for repayment of VAT under the 8th and 13th EC directives; [38175]
(2) whether under his Department's proposed policy changes for repayment of VAT under the 8th and 13th directives a hotel invoice made out in the name and address of the employee will be sufficient to allow UK registered VAT payers to deduct as input tax all the VAT which they incur on hotel accommodation for that employee while he is away from his principal place of work on a business trip. [38176]
Dawn Primarolo: I have written to the hon. Member about this matter.
Mr. Weir: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will consider reducing the rate of VAT payable on home security measures for those who have been the victims of crime. [38624]
Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 19 December 2005]: A reduced VAT rate of 5 per cent. already applies to certain grant-funded installations of security goods, such as locks, bolts and smoke alarms, for people aged 60 or over and for those in receipt of certain benefits, allowances or tax credits.
All taxes are kept under review and changes are announced by the Chancellor as part of the Budget process. To date the Government has been sparing in its use of VAT reduced rates and has only applied them when we are convinced that they offer the best-targeted and most efficient support for our social objectives compared with other options.
Outside the VAT system the Government has taken a number of measures designed to reduce crime and support improvements in domestic security. For example, in 2004 we launched a crime reduction publicity campaign, communicating home security advice across a variety of media to audiences in high crime areas.
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