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25 Oct 2006 : Column 1956W—continued
VAT (Boilers)
Alan Duncan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects HM Revenue and Customs to produce an advice note on the implementation of the 5 per cent. rate of VAT on renewable-fuel boilers. [96662]
Dawn Primarolo: Advice on the scope of the reduced rate of VAT for renewable fuel boilers can be found in HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) Notice 708/6, “Energy-saving materials”, a revised edition of which was published in August 2006. It is available from HMRC’s National Advice Service on 0845 010 9000 or via their website at www.hmrc.gov.uk.
VAT Fraud
Alan Duncan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect of missing trader intra-community VAT fraud in the UK. [96661]
Dawn Primarolo: HMRC’s latest annual estimates of attempted MTIC fraud were published in “Measuring Indirect Tax Losses—2005”, which is available from the House of Commons Library or from the following website:
www.hmrc.gov.uk/pbr2005/mitl2005.pdf
The estimate for 2005-06 will be published at PBR 2006.
Voluntary Organisations
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent considerations he has given to permitting the reclamation of VAT on fundraising activities by voluntary organisations. [96615]
Dawn Primarolo: Under the normal rules of VAT, VAT registered voluntary organisations can reclaim the VAT that they incur, including on their fundraising costs, when this relates to taxable business activities.
Charities also benefit from special VAT exemptions and reliefs on the income of certain fundraising activities—such as the sale of goods and services at certain fundraising events, and the sale of donated goods. European VAT agreements entered into by successive governments mean that it is not possible to extend these fundraising reliefs and exemptions, or to introduce any new ones.
The voluntary sector’s irrecoverable VAT costs have been considered by the Government in two major reviews since 1997. In the course of these reviews it was not possible to find a VAT solution that was practical, efficient, affordable, well-targeted and based on principle. Therefore, the Government have focused their support for charitable giving outside the VAT system, for example through gift aid, under which charities can claim the equivalent of 28p for every £1 donated. In 2005-06 the Government repaid £728 million to charities under this scheme.
Wages and Incomes
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the (a) average wage for (i) full-time male, (ii) full-time female, (iii) part-time male and (iv) part-time female employees and (b) average household income for working age households was in (A) the London borough of Haringey area and (B) across London in (1) cash and (2) constant price terms in each of the last 10 years. [96654]
John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the national statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 24 October 2006:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question what the (a) average wage for (i) full-time male, (ii) full-time female, (iii) part time male and (iv) part time female employees and (b) average household income for working age households was for working age households was in (A) the London Borough of Haringey area and (B) across London in (1) cash and (2) constant price terms in each of the last 10 years. (96654).
Currently average earnings are estimated from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), and are provided for employees on adult rates of pay whose pay was unaffected by absence during the pay period. This is the standard definition used for ASHE. The ASHE does not collect data on the self employed and people who do unpaid work.
I have attached tables containing statistics on earnings from the ASHE for the years 1997-2005 for both the London Borough of Haringey and the Government Office Region of London. The second set of table shows these earnings statistics expressed in 2005 prices by uprating with the Retail Price Index (RPI).
Average household income for working age households by council area is not available. Household income statistics for all households in the UK, based on the Family Resources Survey, are produced by the Department of Work and Pensions. Additionally the Office for National Statistics has produced statistics for wards for 2001-02 only. These estimates are based on a statistical model and are experimental statistics—they have been developed in accordance with the principles set out in the National Statistics Code of Practice but are not accredited as National Statistics.
The ASHE, carried out in April of each year, is the most comprehensive source of earnings information in the United Kingdom. It is a one per cent sample of all employees who are members of pay-as-you-earn (PAYE) schemes, but because of its sampling frame, it has difficulty capturing data on people with very low pay. It is therefore likely to under-represent relatively low paid staff earning below the tax threshold.
| Gross weekly (cash £) pay for employee jobs( a) by place of work | ||||||||
| Borough of Haringey | ||||||||
| Median | Mean | |||||||
| Full-time | Part-time | Full-time | Part-time | |||||
| Male | Female | Male | Female | Male | Female | Male | Female | |
| Gross weekly (cash £) pay for employee jobs( a) by place of work | ||||||||
| London | ||||||||
| Median | Mean | |||||||
| Full-time | Part-time | Full-time | Part-time | |||||
| Male | Female | Male | Female | Male | Female | Male | Female | |
| Gross weekly (constant price( c) £) pay for employee jobs( a) by place of work | ||||||||
| Borough of Haringey | ||||||||
| Median | Mean | |||||||
| Full-time | Part-time | Full-time | Part-time | |||||
| Male | Female | Male | Female | Male | Female | Male | Female | |
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