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21 Nov 2007 : Column 924W—continued
Taxation: Construction Industry
Mr. David Hamilton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many CIS4 tax returns required further investigation in each of the last five years for which figures are available; [166625]
(2) how many applications for CIS4 status were refused in each of the last five years for which figures are available; [166626]
(3) how many people hold CIS4 status; [166627]
(4) how many people made a CIS4 tax return in the financial year 2006-07. [166628]
Jane Kennedy: Under the former construction industry scheme, which ceased on 5 April 2007, the CIS 4 was a registration card which a sub-contractor in the construction industry needed to produce to a contractor in order to be paid. HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) were required to issue a CIS 4 to anyone working, or intending to work, as a sub-contractor in the construction industry. There was no other qualifying test, so refusal was extremely rare. Any payment made by a contractor to a CIS 4 holder was subject to a deduction on account of tax which was paid over to HMRC by the contractor. There was no requirement for a tax return specifically connected with the CIS 4. At the close of the former scheme, there were some 1.9 million CIS 4 holders.
Unemployment: Young People
Stephen Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people aged between 16 and 25 years were not in employment, education or vocational training in (a) 1990, (b) 1995, (c) 1997 and (d) 2000. [166733]
Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 21 November 2007:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about the number of people between the ages of 16 and 25 who are currently not in full-time education or training or in employment in (a) 1990, (b) 1995, (c) 1997 and (d) 2000. (166733)
Not seasonally adjusted and seasonally adjusted estimates for the educational status, economic activity and inactivity of young people are published each month in the Labour Market Statistics First Release in table 14, covering the UK for age groups, 16-17, 18-24, and 25 and over and are available at:
The attached table has been derived from the published seasonally adjusted table 14. It shows the number of people between the ages of 16 and 24, who are currently not in full-time education or training or in employment, for the three months ending September each year. These estimates are seasonally adjusted. Comparable estimates are not available for 1990.
Estimates are taken from the Labour Force Survey (LFS). As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
| Number of people between the age of 16 and 24, by gender who are currently not in full-time education( 1) or training( 1) or in employment( 2) United Kingdom, seasonally adjusted, 1995, 1997, 2000 | |||
| T housand | |||
| Three months ending September each year | All persons | Male | Female |
| (1) Refers to people who are not in full-time education or training. (2) People not in employment refers to those who are ILO unemployed or economically inactive. Note: Comparable estimates are not available for 1990. Source: ONS Labour Force Survey (LFS) | |||
VAT: Fraud
Mike Penning: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many civil value-added tax fraud cases were adopted for investigation in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement; [165284]
(2) what value of fines were imposed for value-added tax missing trader intra-community fraud in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement; [165285]
(3) what the average sentence was for those convicted of value-added tax missing trader intra-community fraud in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [165286]
Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Twickenham (Dr. Cable) on 7 November 2006, Official Report, column 1049W.
VAT: Registration
Lady Hermon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many businesses have had a VAT registration application processed in (a) less than three months, (b) three to six months, (c) six to nine months and (d) nine to 12 months in each of the last three years; [166205]
(2) if he will make a statement on progress being made in reducing the time taken for verification of VAT registration applications. [166206]
Jane Kennedy: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) does not record processing times for the time scales requested.
The improvement measures that HMRC has put in place are starting to have an impact. In October 2007, the average processing time for VAT registration applications was 28 days and 45 per cent. of applications were processed within the 14 day target. This represents a significant improvement since August 2007 when the average processing time peaked at 42 days. This upturn has taken place against an operational background that continues to present challenges, and alongside the ongoing need to operate pre-registration checks against serious abuse such as Missing Trader Intra-Community (MTIC) fraud.
Video Games: Research
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to HM Revenue and Custom's press release of 1 November, how much of the £150 million allocated by HM Revenue and Customs research and development units has been allocated to companies in the computer games industry. [166738]
Angela Eagle: The information requested is not available.
Wealth
Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of the nation's wealth was owned by (a) the wealthiest 5 per cent. and (b) the poorest 5 per cent. of the population in each year since 1997. [166348]
Jane Kennedy: Estimates for the wealthiest 5 per cent. are published in table 13.5 on the HM Revenue & Customs website at
HM Revenue & Customs' methodology does not produce corresponding estimates for the poorest 5 per cent.
Welfare Tax Credits
Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department is taking to make the system for claiming tax credits simpler. [163505]
Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for East Antrim (Sammy Wilson) earlier today (UIN 162340).
Sammy Wilson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will (a) simplify and (b) improve the comprehensibility to claimants of the procedures for claiming tax credits. [162340]
Jane Kennedy: HMRC is developing services to support customers through the claims process as a result of the tax credits transformation programme.
The improved support service already includes a new service which allows customers whose relationship has broken down to terminate their old joint claim and initiate a new single claim in one phone call, thereby simplifying the claims process at a time in their lives when they are most in need of the support tax credits provides.
Other service improvements soon to be piloted will focus on providing the right level of support to the right customer in order to make their experience of claiming as straightforward as possible. Different levels of support will be offered to ensure that customers receive the guidance they need to understand the claims procedure and get the tax credits payments they are entitled to as easily and quickly as possible.
Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the rate of increase was of (a) child and (b) working tax credit in each year since 1997. [166574]
Jane Kennedy: Child and working tax credits were introduced in April 2003. Information on the rates of the child and working tax credit elements from 2003-04 to 2007-08 is produced in table 2.1 of HM Treasury's publication “Tax and Benefit Reference Manual”, which is available in the House of Commons Library.
Welfare Tax Credits: Finance
Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was spent by his Department on administering each type of tax credit in each year since 1997. [166818]
Jane Kennedy: The costs of managing and paying working families and disabled person's tax credits are shown in Annexe 1 of the Inland Revenue Annual Report (footnote to Note 3) for 1999-2000 and 2000-01, and in the Inland Revenue Trust Statements at Note 3 for 2001-02, and Note 4 for 2002-03. The costs of managing and paying the child and working tax credits in the financial years from 2003-04 appear in Note 3 of the annual Departmental Trust Statements.
Welfare Tax Credits: Overpayments
Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to ensure that tax credit award notices are amended to provide more extensive details on overpayments. [164662]
Jane Kennedy: The tax credits award notice was revised from April 2006 to give the customer more information about entitlement, overpayments and recovery arrangements.
HM Revenue and Customs continue to keep the award notice under review.
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was overpaid in tax credits in each financial year since 2003-04; and how much of this overpayment he expects to recover. [166665]
Jane Kennedy [holding answer 20 November 2007]: Information relating to the recovery of overpayments of 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06 tax credit awards is contained in Section 2, table 4, of the Comptroller and Auditor Generals Standard Report in the HM Revenue and Customs 2006-07 Accounts, which is available on the HMRC website at: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/about/hmrc-accounts2007.htm. Information on recovery of overpaid tax credits in 2006-07 will be published in the HM Revenue and Customs 2007-08 Accounts, which are due to be released in the summer of 2008.
Working Tax Credit: Wales
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people in Wales received working tax credits, broken down by (a) age group and (b) sex in the latest period for which figures are available. [162893]
Jane Kennedy: The following table shows the estimated number of in-work families receiving the working tax credit in Wales, broken down by couples and singles, and by (a) age group and (b) sex, as at April 3rd 2007.
| Number of i n-work families receiving WTC (T housand) | ||
| Age | Couples | Singles |
| (1) "Sole Worker" is defined as an adult working at least 16 hours per week with second adult not in work. Note: The age used for couples is that of the eldest adult. | ||
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