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18 July 2006 : Column 363W—continued
Dawn Primarolo: Tax credits follows the policy set by the Home Office, that those who have not established their right to remain permanently in the UK should not have welfare provision on the same basis as those whose citizenship or status here gives them an entitlement to benefits and assistance when in need.
For this reason, apart from specified circumstances set out in the Tax Credits (Immigration) Regulations 2003, persons subject to immigration control are not eligible for tax credits.
The cost of the easement is included within tax credit remissions disclosed in HMRC's published accounts. Where the department has identified payments made in error, it has terminated the award so there will be no future payments.
Code of practice 26 sets out HMRC’s established practice not to recover amounts paid out due to official error where the claimant could reasonably have assumed the payment was correct.
The remaining information requested could be produced only at disproportionate cost.
Lynne Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what difference the latest changes in the disregard for increases in income will make in tax credit entitlement of a family whose income has risen by (a) £2,500 and (b) £25,000; and what the criteria are for allowing the respective disregards. [80067]
Dawn Primarolo: From 2006-07, a family’s annual income can rise up to £25,000 between one year and the next without affecting their tax credit entitlement in the first year of increase.
The previous income disregard amount was £2,500.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many of his Department's targets for tax credit administration were (a) met and (b) not met in each reporting period from 2003-04 to 2006-07; and if he will make a statement. [82831]
Dawn Primarolo: HM Revenue and Customs reports its performance against targets annually. Details can be found in the Board's Annual Reports for the relevant year. These are available at:
www.hmrc.gov.uk/about/reports.htm
Indicative results for 2006-07 will be available in the spring Report which will be published in 2007.
Rosie Cooper: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many recipients of tax credits in West Lancashire constituency are involved in disputes relating to overpayment; [83459]
(2) whether the tax credits MPs' hotline is able to make outgoing calls on request to contact constituents who are suffering problems with their tax credits; and how many cases of disputed tax credit payments there have been in West Lancashire since tax credits were introduced. [83644]
Dawn Primarolo: For information about the hon. Members' hotline I refer the hon. Lady to the answer I gave the right hon. Member for Birkenhead (Mr. Field) on 16 November 2005, Official Report, column 1237W.
Information about disputed tax credit payments and overpayments are not held at constituency level.
Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the level of fraud in the tax credit system in the last 12 months. [84929]
Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 13 July 2006]: I refer the hon. Member to the statement I made to the House on 11 July 2006, Official Report, columns 1281-2. Also to the HMRC publications “Child and Working Tax Credits: Error and fraud statistics 2003-04” and “Tackling error and fraud in the Child and Working Tax Credits” available on the HMRC website at:
www.hmrc.gov.uk/news/index.htm
Unemployment Statistics
Mr. Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the rate of (a) male and (b) female unemployment is in new towns in the United Kingdom. [85392]
John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 18 July 2006:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about unemployment in all the new towns in the United Kingdom. (85392)
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles statistics of unemployment for local areas from the Annual Population Survey following International Labour Organisation definitions. However, data are not available for towns. Table 1, attached, shows the unemployment rates, for males and females aged 16 and over, resident in the local authorities in Great Britain which contain recognised New Towns for the 12 months ending December 2005.
These estimates, as with any from sample surveys, are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
ONS also compiles statistics for local areas of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA). Table 2, attached, shows the proportions of males (aged 16 to 64) and females (aged 16 to 59) of working age, resident in local authorities in the United Kingdom which contain recognised New Towns, claiming JSA in June 2006.
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