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13 Sep 2006 : Column 2336W—continued
Fuel Duties
Mr. Spellar: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the level of fuel duty is per litre for (a) petrol and (b) diesel; and what the level would be if the fuel duty escalator had been retained. [90905]
John Healey: The current level of duty for ultra low sulphur petrol and diesel is 47.1p per litre.
The fuel duty escalator was introduced in 1993 and removed in 1999.
If the fuel duty escalator had been retained and (1) fuel duty had increased the escalator by 6 per cent. in real terms at every Budget and (2) there had been no reduction in fuel duty of 3p per litre in 2000 for the introduction of ultra low sulphur petrol and diesel, then fuel duty for ULSP and ULSD would currently be 83.91p per litre.
Further information on current and historical duty rates for petrol and diesel can be found in table 4 of the HM Revenue and Customs “Hydrocarbon Oils Bulletin”, which can be found on the HM Revenue and Customs website:
http://www.uktradeinfo.com/index.cfm?task=bullhydro
Gross Domestic Product
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of gross domestic product he expects net taxes and national insurance contributions, less North sea revenues, to be in 2007-08; and what the equivalent percentage was in each of the last 30 years. [90911]
Ed Balls: Data on net taxes and national insurance contributions and North sea revenues as a percentage of GDP back to 1973-74 and Budget 2006 projections for 2007-08 can be found in table C1 of the Public Finances Databank (available on the web at: http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/economic_data_and tools/finance_spending_statistics/pubsec_finance/psf_statistics.cfm).
HM Revenue and Customs (Tribunals)
Bob Russell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what guidance is issued by his Department to individuals and businesses who were successful in tribunal cases against HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and where HMRC is appealing that decision to the High Court. [90976]
John Healey: None. It is the responsibility of the Tribunal to provide guidance in these circumstances.
Bob Russell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost of appeal cases made by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to the High Court against Tribunal decisions of General Commissioners was in each of the last five years; and what revenue was obtained as a result of decisions made in favour of HMRC. [90998]
John Healey: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Bob Russell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many cases of appeal against Tribunal decisions of General Commissioners were made by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to the High Court in each of the last five years; how many of these cases were heard; and in how many such cases the decision was made in favour of HMRC. [90999]
John Healey: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Home Working
Mr. Leech: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the Government's policy is on encouraging working from home through tax incentives to employers and employees to reduce carbon dioxide emissions associated with journeys to and from work. [90650]
Ed Balls: The Government believe that flexible working is good for both business and families. Business may draw on a wider pool of skills and talents, improve recruitment and retention rates and increase staff morale and productivity. Employees may find working hours to match their family caring responsibilities and spend more time with their children.
The Government introduced a new right to request flexible working for parents of children under six and disabled children in 2003 and will extend this to carers of adults from next April. There is no tax charge where an employee works regularly at home under agreed flexible working arrangements and his or her employer reimburses their additional costs of working at home.
Immigrant Workers
Mr. Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what the estimate is of the number of immigrant workers from Eastern European accession countries who are claiming tax credit in the UK; what the cost of such payments to public funds was in the last period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement; [90547]
(2) how many people claimed tax credits for their children living outside the United Kingdom in (a) 2003-04, (b) 2004-05 and (c) 2005-06; and what the cost was to the Exchequer in each year. [90763]
Dawn Primarolo:
A quarterly report, last produced on 22 August 2006 by the Home Office, Department for Work and Pensions, HM Revenue and Customs and Department for Communities and Local Government
is published on the Home Office immigration and nationality directorate's website, http://www.ind. home office.gov.uk/aboutus/reports/accession_monitoring_ report, and provides detailed information including the number of workers from the new member states of the EU who are claiming tax credits.
The other information is not available.
Mr. Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether migrant workers from Bulgaria and Romania will be eligible for tax credits if they were permitted to enter the UK to work after those countries joined the EU; and if he will make a statement. [90548]
Dawn Primarolo: No date has been set for the accession of Romania and Bulgaria. Once that decision is made, member states will decide on what access to labour markets they will give to Romania and Bulgaria.
Mr. Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the decision was taken to allow migrant workers coming to the UK to claim tax credits for family members living abroad; what criteria govern such payments; and if he will make a statement. [90764]
Dawn Primarolo: Benefits including the child tax credit for workers' families is governed by European Community (EC) law, which have been in place since the UK joined the European Economic Community in 1973.
Income Inequality
Simon Hughes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what levels of income inequality were in (a) 1997 and (b) 2006; and if he will make a statement. [91100]
John Healey: There is no single measure or source of data on household income inequality.
However, I refer the hon. Gentleman to the DWP publication “Households Below Average Income” and the ONS publication “The Effects of Taxes and Benefits on Household Income, 2004-05”.
International Finance
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether countries other than the UK and France have committed themselves to the IFF, as distinct from the IFFIm; what commitment to date extends only to a working group charged with considering feasibility; and on what dates that working group has met. [90907]
Ed Balls: France and the UK agreed at the Paris conference on innovative financing in March jointly to establish a working group to consider the implementation of an IFF going to health and education and funded by an air ticket levy as well as by other revenues from the Landau report. Discussions with the French and other countries have continued including on broader innovative financing mechanisms and on initiatives such as UNITAID and AMCs.
Kettering Borough Council
Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what conclusions were drawn by Treasury officials from their recent visit to Kettering borough council about the local implementation of the sustainable communities programme. [90615]
Ed Balls: As part of its evidence gathering and analysis phase, officials from the Supporting Housing Growth Review team, along with officials from DCLG and other key infrastructure departments, have conducted a series of case study workshops with officials from local authorities across the country. The visit to North Northamptonshire was one of these visits. The review will report to Treasury Ministers as part of the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review.
Land Use Planning
Mr. Truswell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which representatives of (a) business, (b) community groups and (c) non-government organisations the Barker Review Team (i) met and (ii) received representations from during the compilation of its interim report on land use planning. [90773]
Ed Balls: The full list of representatives can be found on page 181 in annex A of the Barker Review of Land Use Planning interim report. This can be found on the Treasury website at:
http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/independent reviews/ barker_review_land_use_planning/barkerreview_land_use_planning_index.cfm
Mr. Truswell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what arrangements he has made for consultation on the interim Barker Report on land use planning; and whether Cabinet Office guidance on consultation will apply to these arrangements. [90774]
Ed Balls: Her Majesty's Treasury have not arranged any consultation on Ms Barker's interim report on land use planning. A formal consultation was carried out as part of Kate Barker's independent Review of Land Use Planning during January-March 2006. The interim report published on 4 July sets out Ms Barker's analysis to date and is not a consultation document. However, it is understood that Ms Barker is still welcoming views and has proposed a deadline for those views of 19 September 2006.
North Sea Revenues
Mr. Salmond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the latest forecasts are for North sea revenue for each year to 2010-11 (a) as a percentage of gross domestic product, (b) in cash terms and (c) in real terms on 2006 prices; and if he will make a statement. [90564]
Ed Balls: Projections for North sea revenues can be found in Tables C8 and C9 of Budget 2006.
Parliamentary Questions
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to reply to the right hon. Member for Birkenhead regarding the tax credits of his constituent Mr. Delaney. [90644]
Dawn Primarolo: My right hon. Friend wrote to me on 22 June 2005 and HM Revenue and Customs responded on my behalf on 18 August 2005.
There has been no further correspondence between myself and my right hon. Friend regarding his constituent.
Public Sector Pensions
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to paragraph 36 of the Note by the Government Actuary’s Department and HM Treasury, Unfunded Public Service Pension Schemes: 2005 Cash Flow Projections Assumptions and Data, June 2006, what estimate he has made of the cash inflows that will arise from member contributions, expressed as a percentage of GDP. [90913]
John Healey: Full estimates of the size of cash inflows that will arise from member contributions are in the process of being developed, and are not yet available.
Peter Bottomley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his latest estimate is of the deficit in public sector pension funds; what the estimate was 12 months before; and which five funds have the largest estimated deficits. [90967]
John Healey: The latest available estimate of the total liabilities of unfunded public service occupational pension schemes was set out in the note from HM Treasury, “Total liability of unfunded public service occupational pension schemes as at March 2005”, a copy of which was placed in the House of Commons Library on 2 March 2006.
Public Service Agreements
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for how many spending review (SR) 2002 public service agreement (PSA) targets his Department received summary assessments in the latest autumn performance reports, expressed as a proportion of the total number of SR 2002 PSA targets. [90906]
Ed Balls: Due to data lags and the fact that some targets have an end date in the future, a full tally is not yet possible.
Red Diesel
Mr. Drew: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress is being made in the negotiations to extend the derogation from the EU for the use of red diesel for marine uses. [91003]
John Healey:
In line with the timetable set out by the European Commission, the UK will be submitting in October a formal application for renewal of the
derogation enabling pleasure boats to use red diesel. This application will be informed by the case that the Government set out in the partial RIA published at the Budget and is continuing to build with the cooperation of the boating industry.
Standard Life
Mr. Drew: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether (a) his Department and (b) the Financial Services Authority undertook monitoring of the recent demutualisation ballot conducted by Standard Life. [91004]
Ed Balls: The process of demutualisation in any organisation will be based on their specific rules, articles of memorandum as well as the legislative framework under which they operate.
These requirements will be binding on all members who will normally have the opportunity to vote on the proposals.
The Standard Life demutualisation ballot was conducted in accordance with their existing regulations and guidance on voting was given in the Proposal for members and policyholders.
The Treasury is not responsible for or involved in the conduct of such votes; however the FSA in its role as regulator reviewed the Proposal for regulatory compliance. The fairness of the Proposal was checked by an independent expert appointed to report to the court.
Tax Credits
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the total amount of (a) working tax credit and (b) child tax credit erroneously paid to prisoners due to (i) fraud, (ii) customer error and (iii) official error in each year where figures are available. [91062]
John Healey: The information requested is not available.
Tax Relief
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much tax relief was claimed by employers who have seconded employees to schools in each year since 1997. [90797]
Ed Balls: There is no centrally available information on which to base an estimate of the total value of this relief.
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