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8 Jun 2006 : Column 861W—continued
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/about/ir-report2005.pdf.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his latest estimate is of the cost of administering the tax credits system in (a) 2005-06 and (b) 2006-07; and if he will make a statement. [75779]
Dawn Primarolo: The cost of managing and paying the child and working tax credits in the financial years 2005-06 and 2006-07 will not be available until the Trust Statement’s for those years are released.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what his latest estimate is of the amount of tax credit overpayments in (a) 2003-04 and (b) 2004-05 which will be recovered; [75790]
(2) how much of the tax credit overpayments in (a) 2003-04 and (b) 2004-05 has been recovered to date; and if he will make a statement. [75816]
Dawn Primarolo: The expected year of recovery of overpayments and amounts for 2003-04 tax credit awards, including amount recovered in 2004-05, are provided in the Comptroller and Auditor General’s Standard Report on the Accounts of the Inland Revenue 2004-05, which is available on the HMRC website at:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/about/ir-report2005.pdf
Figures for 2004-05 overpayments will not be available until the publication of the Comptroller and Auditor General’s Standard Report on the Accounts of the H M Revenue and Customs 2005-06.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people were in receipt of tax credits in each year since 1997. [75914]
Dawn Primarolo: Estimates for the number of recipients receiving working family tax credits and family credits between May 1998 and February 2003 appear in the quarterly published WFTC statistics. Estimates for the number of recipients receiving child and working tax credits for 2003-04 and 2004-05 awards, based on final family circumstances and incomes for 2003-04 and 2004-05, appear in the HMRC statistical publications “Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics. Finalised Awards 2003-04” and “Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics. Finalised Awards 2004-05”.
These publications can be found on the HMRC website at:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/menu.htm
Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) whether the Paymaster General remains the designated Treasury Minister responsible for oversight of the tax credits system; and if he will make a statement; [76190]
(2) what responsibilities the Chief Secretary to the Treasury has in relation to the tax credit system; and if he will make a statement. [76477]
Mr. Timms: The responsibilities of Treasury Ministers are set out on the Treasury website. The Paymaster General is the Minister responsible for tax credits.
Tax Returns
Mr. Robathan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the impact on the (a) staffing and (b) costs of accountancy firms of the change in filing deadlines for tax returns. [75878]
Dawn Primarolo: The Government are currently assessing the impacts on businesses of implementing the recommendations of Lord Carter of Coles' Review of HMRC online services, and HMRC has published a Partial Regulatory Impact Assessment which invites comments and evidence to inform the final assessment. The document can be viewed at:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/ria/pria-online-services.pdf
Mr. Robathan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consultation of accountancy firms was undertaken before the decision was made to change the deadline for filing tax returns from 31 January each year. [75879]
Dawn Primarolo: The proposed changes to the filing date were recommended by Lord Carter's review of HMRC online services. As part of that independent review Lord Carter and his review team consulted widely. Written submissions were also invited and over 70 were received, including several from firms of accountants. The review team included three members of the accountancy profession from different sized firms.
Unused Land and Buildings
Margaret Moran: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list Government-owned land and buildings (a) unused and (b) about to become unused in the next five years, broken down by county. [75925]
Mr. Timms: This information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Widowed Parents Allowance
Adam Price: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what criteria underlay the decision to class the widowed parents allowance as a second income; and if he will make a statement. [75850]
Dawn Primarolo: Widowed parents allowance, which is paid by the Department for Work and Pensions, is taxable because, as a continuing benefit, it is intended to replace lost earnings. The allowance replaced widowed mothers allowance, in the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992, which was also taxable.
Earnings-replacement benefits are taxable. This ensures equality of tax treatment in the same year between someone whose income is all from earnings and someone with the same level of income but which is derived partly from earnings and partly from benefit.
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