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9 Oct 2006 : Column 304W—continued
Hywel Williams: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many fraudulent claims for tax credits there were in each constituency in England and Wales in each of the last three years; and what the total of fraudulent claims represented as a percentage of tax credits paid in each year. [91428]
Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is not available by parliamentary constituency and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Estimates of levels of error and fraud on finalised 2003-04 awards were published on 11 July 2006 at:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/error-fraud.htm
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many demands for repayments of alleged overpayments of tax credits have been cancelled due to the Treasury accepting that (a) the overpayment was due to official error and (b) recovery would cause hardship. [91820]
Dawn Primarolo: The information is as follows:
(a) HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) only seeks direct recovery of tax credits overpayments and issues notices to pay where an award has ended. HMRC does not separately record details of direct recovery cases where some or all of an overpayment has been written off due to official error according to the criteria set out in code of practice 26 “What happens if we have paid you too much tax credit?”.
(b) I refer my right hon. Friend to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 4 July 2006, Official Report, column 998W.
Mr. Gray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many tax credit forms were (a) issued and (b) printed in 2005; on how many occasions HM Revenue and Customs has informed applicants that there were no forms available; and what action a claimant should take if no forms are available. [91861]
Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is not available.
Tobacco
David Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what estimate he has made of (a) the amount in (i) weight and (ii) value of hand-rolled tobacco previously exported to the Benelux countries subsequently returning to the UK and (b) the proportion which was smuggled in the most recent year for which figures are available; [89206]
(2) if he will estimate the amount in (a) weight and (b) value of exports of hand-rolled tobacco from the United Kingdom to each of the Benelux countries in the most recent year for which figures are available; [89212]
(3) what estimate he has made of the (a) weight and (b) value of hand-rolled tobacco exported from the UK to each of the Benelux countries in the latest year for which figures are available. [91839]
John Healey:
HM Revenue and Customs publish estimates of revenue loss from legal cross-border shopping activity and the total UK illicit market in hand-rolling tobacco. The latest estimates were
published in “Measuring Indirect Tax Losses — 2005”, published by HM Revenue and Customs in the pre-Budget report and is available from the House of Commons Library.
Ms Keeble: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what steps are being taken to tackle the smuggling of tobacco and tobacco products; and if he will make a statement; [89217]
(2) what estimate he has made of the revenue which has been lost to the Government through (a) the smuggling and (b) the counterfeiting of (i) tobacco and (ii) tobacco products in each of the last three years; [89218]
(3) how much he estimates will be recovered as a result of measures to combat the counterfeiting of tobacco and tobacco products in each of the next three years. [89219]
John Healey: The most recent HMRC estimate of the revenue lost to the UK Exchequer through the illicit trade in tobacco is for 2003-04. The latest estimates were published in “Measuring Indirect Tax Losses—2005” by HM Revenue and Customs in the pre-Budget report and is available from the House of Commons Library. The Government launched the original “Tackling Tobacco Strategy” in 2000 and successfully reduced the size of the illicit market by a quarter from 21 per cent. to 16 per cent in 2003-04. HMRC has a revised PSA target to reduce the illicit market to 13 per cent. by 2007-08.
At Budget 2006 the Government published “New Responses to New Challenges: Reinforcing the Tackling Tobacco Strategy” and announced new measures designed to tackle HRT smuggling and counterfeit cigarettes. These new measures include working with the tobacco manufacturers and the introduction of supply chain control legislation. A copy of “New Responses to New Challenges: Reinforcing the Tackling Tobacco Strategy” can be found on the HMRC website www.hmrc.gsi.gov.uk. This included a new operational target for HMRC to reduce the illicit HRT market by 1,200 tonnes by 2007-08.
Unclaimed Assets
Jenny Willott: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of unclaimed (a) dividends and shares and (b) assets in (i) national savings accounts, (ii) bank and building society accounts and (iii) life insurance policies; and if he will make a statement. [89076]
Ed Balls: The Government and the industry have agreed that the definition of an unclaimed asset should generally cover bank and building society accounts where there has been no customer activity for a period of 15 years as that will best identify those accounts that are genuinely unclaimed. On this basis, initial record searches by the industry suggest that several hundred million pounds may currently lie unclaimed.
National Savings and Investments estimate the value of its unclaimed assets in savings accounts with no customer activity for 15 years to be £439.4 million.
The Government have made no official estimate of the value of unclaimed assets held in life policies.
The Government have also made no official estimate of the value of unclaimed share dividends or proceeds. This information is a matter between companies and their shareholders and is not held publicly.
Mr. Djanogly: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer to what use the Government intend to put unclaimed assets funds in the next 12 months. [92000]
Ed Balls: As set out in the PBR, the Government welcome the banking industry’s commitment to establish a scheme to allow genuinely unclaimed assets to be reinvested in the community. The Government and industry have agreed that the definition of an unclaimed asset should generally cover bank and building society accounts where there has been no customer activity for a period of 15 years as that will best identify those accounts that are genuinely unclaimed. The work on this scheme is ongoing.
The Government do not hold these unclaimed assets and so do not distribute them.
Mr. Djanogly: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much is held by the Government in unclaimed assets. [92015]
Ed Balls: The Government and industry have agreed that unclaimed assets should generally cover bank and building society accounts where there has been no customer activity for a period of 15 years as that will best identify those accounts that are genuinely unclaimed.
The Government do not hold these unclaimed assets.
VAT Fraud
Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate the Chancellor has made of the expected loss of revenue from VAT fraud in (a) 2005-06 and (b) 2006-07. [91124]
Dawn Primarolo:
[holding answer 13 September 2006]: Estimates for the level of losses due to VAT fraud are not available. However, estimates of the VAT gap, which includes losses due to fraud and avoidance,
are available in the paper “Measuring and Tackling Tax Losses-2005”, published in December 2005. A copy of this paper can be obtained from the House Library.
Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many claims for VAT were withheld on the suspicion of Missing Trader Intra-Community fraud in each of the last 12 quarters for which information is available; [87180]
(2) what steps are being taken to counter VAT carousel fraud; and what mechanisms are being put in place to ensure that companies not under suspicion of fraud achieve prompt settlement of VAT repayment. [91123]
Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 2 May 2006, Official Report, columns 1455-456W. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has committed significant additional resources to strengthen its strategy for tackling MTIC fraud, and there are now over 1400 staff engaged in that work.
In recent months, the level of VAT repayment claims from those suspected of trading in supply chains associated with MTIC fraud has risen considerably without known economic or commercial reasons. It is therefore only right that HMRC continues to take all necessary and proportionate steps to protect the tax base and satisfy itself that these repayment claims are valid.
HMRC does not hold the historic data necessary to answer this question and would incur disproportionate costs in producing such data.
Winter Fuel Allowance
Kate Hoey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will increase the winter fuel allowance in line with fuel price increases. [89286]
John Healey: The Government have committed to winter fuel payments of £200 for households with someone aged 60 or over, and £300 for households with someone aged 80 or over, for the remainder of this Parliament.
Tax and welfare policy is reviewed annually as part of the Budget process.
Written Answers to Questions
Monday 9 October 2006
Northern Ireland
Agency Staff
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what average hourly rate his Department paid to employment agencies for agency staff in each year since 1999, broken down by agency. [89608]
Mr. Hain: We cannot provide the information requested by the hon. Member. To identify the average hourly rate paid to employment agencies for staff for the Northern Ireland Office, excluding its agencies and NDPBS, would be at disproportionate cost.
Areas of Special Scientific Interest
Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what areas of special scientific interest were declared in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years. [92170]
David Cairns: The sites declared in each of the last five financial years were as follows:
Castletown
Ballynanaghten
Tullyard
Carrickastickan
Tullybrick Lough
Fymore Lough
Cullentra Lough
Killough Bay and Strand Lough
Outer Ards
Derryvore
Lough Doo
Tully Hill
Levallymore
Selshion
River Foyle and Tributaries
Lurgan Lough
Torr Head
Portrush West Strand
Castlewellan Lake
Black Lough
Derrycloony Lough
Conagher
Drumcrow
Newlands
Aghnadarragh
Fathom Upper
Aghanloo Wood
Copeland Islands
Cam Lough
Bonds Glen
Mullynaskeagh
Feystown
Ballymacombs More
Lenaghan Wood
Edenaclogh Wood
Rehaghy Wood
Banagher
Lough Corry
Lough Aleater
Lough Scolban
Lurgan River Wood
Ballypalady
Murrins
Lemnalary
River Roe and Tributaries
Antisocial Behaviour Orders
Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many individuals are under antisocial behaviour orders in each local government authority in Northern Ireland. [78729]
Mr. Hanson: The relevant authorities have notified the Northern Ireland Office of 13 antisocial behaviour orders being granted in Northern Ireland.
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