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3 Nov 2008 : Column 102W—continued
Estimates of the number of claims for research and development tax credits and the costs of support claimed are published as National Statistics on the HM Revenue and Customs website at:
The amounts of research and development expenditure against which tax credits were claimed are given in the following table, by scheme and year:
| £ million, rounded to the nearest £10 million | ||||
| SME scheme | Large Company scheme | Vaccines Research Relief | All | |
| (1 )Negligible | ||||
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost was of the administration of the research and development tax credits scheme in each year since 2000; and how much was spent on (a) start-up costs, (b) publicity and marketing, (c) staff costs, (d) staff training, (e) evaluation and monitoring, (f) systems costs, (g) appeals and (h) other costs. [231987]
Angela Eagle: The costs of administering the research and development tax credits schemes are met out of HMRC’s general running costs and are not separately identified. Work on research and development claims is carried out across a number of business areas and a company tax return will include a range of different tax claims and adjustments of which a research and development tax relief claim will form only part.
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what the qualifying research and development expenditure threshold for the research and development tax credits system was in each year since 2000; [231988]
(2) for what reasons the qualifying research and development expenditure threshold for the research and development tax credits system was lowered from £25,000 to £10,000; and if he will make a statement. [231989]
Angela Eagle: The reduction in the minimum qualifying expenditure threshold for the R and D tax credit schemes from £25,000 to £10,000 was introduced in the Finance Act 2003. This was part of a package of improvements designed, after consultation with business, to improve the operation of the schemes and to make it easier for SMEs in particular to access the credits.
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many companies' research and development tax credits claims were reviewed by HM Revenue and Customs in each year since 2000. [231990]
Angela Eagle: The information requested is not available.
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate his Department has made of (a) the average compliance cost per business for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) claiming research and development tax credits in each year since 2000, (b) the total compliance costs for SMEs claiming research and development tax credits in each year since 2000, (c) the average compliance cost per business for large companies claiming research and development tax credits in each years since 2002 and (d) the total compliance costs for large companies claiming research and development tax credits in each year since 2002; and if he will make a statement. [231991]
Angela Eagle: Estimates of the compliance costs for companies claiming R and D tax credits were provided in the Regulatory Impact Assessments published when the schemes were introduced and are available on research and development tax credits page of the HM Revenue and Customs website:
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate his Department has made of the (a) likely change in the number of companies that will apply for research and development tax credits under the small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) scheme following the extension of the scheme to cover companies with fewer than 500 employees, (b) likely change in the number of research and development tax credits that will be claimed under the SME scheme and (c) likely change in the monetary value of research and development tax credits that will be claimed under the SME scheme over the next 12 months; and if he will make a statement. [231992]
Angela Eagle: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 20 March 2008, Official Report, column 1266W.
Revenue and Customs: Databases
Justine Greening: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what estimate he has made of the number of UK taxpayers whose personal details are held on HM Revenue and Customs’ Taxpayer Business System; [231704]
(2) what estimate he has made of the number of complaints received by HM Revenue and Customs on inaccurate personal data held on its Taxpayer Business System in each of the last four years; [231705]
(3) what estimate he has made of the proportion of UK taxpayers’ personal detail entries on HM Revenue and Customs’ Taxpayer Business System that contained inaccurate information in each of the last four years; [231706]
(4) what procedure governs the (a) alteration and (b) disclosure by HM Revenue and Customs staff of taxpayers’ personal details held on its Taxpayer Business System; [231707]
(5) what estimate he has made of the cost of correcting inaccurate personal information held on HM Revenue and Customs’ Taxpayer Business System in each of the last four years. [231708]
Mr. Timms: The Taxpayer Business Service is not a database. It is a method of accessing and amending details held elsewhere and does not itself hold personal data.
The TBS system allows records held in the central frameworks database to be viewed and amended. These frameworks hold personal details of approximately 47 million taxpayers and non-taxpayers. At any point in time, 3 million to 3.5 million records for individuals held on frameworks are inaccurate.
Information relating to the number of complaints about the state of the frameworks databases is not recorded. The cost of correcting database entries is not recorded separately.
Staff are only allowed to access the Taxpayer Business Service if they have a business need to do so. Where access rights are validated staff are able to amend the appropriate records. Staff must adhere to rigorous guidelines in relation to disclosure of data; They must establish that they have permission/legal authority to disclose it, and that the requestor has entitlement/legal right to receive it.
Revenue and Customs: Manpower
Mr. Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff of each (a) sex and (b) grade were employed at the Inland Revenue and HM Customs and Excise offices (i) Tyler’s House, (ii) Dencora Court, (iii) Alexander House, (iv) Portcullis House, (v) Shoeburyness Computer Complex, (vi) Kelting House in Southend-on-Sea, (vii) Kelting House, Basildon and (viii) Regent House, Basildon on (A) 31 March 2000, (B) 31 March 2002 and (C) 31 March 2004. [222371]
Mr. Timms: Tyler’s House and Dencora Court are the same building and there is no Kelting House in Southend on Sea.
Data for (A) 31 March 2000 is not retained by HMRC.
Subject to those provisos, the numbers of staff of each sex and grade in these buildings on (B) 31 March 2002 and (C) 31 March 2004 are as follows:
(A) 31 March 2000—not available
(B) 31 March 2002—160 female, 89 male
(C) 31 March 2004—175 female, 96 male
(A) 31 March 2000—not available
| (B) 31 March 2002 | |
| Grade | Headcount |
| (C) 31 March 2004 | |
| Grade | Headcount |
(A) 31 March 2000—not available
(B) 31 March 2002—1,112 female, 805 male
C) 31 March 2004—1,065 female, 762 male
(A) 31 March 2000—not available
| (B) 31 March 2002 | |
| Grade | Headcount |
| (C) 31 March 2004 | |
| Grade | Headcount |
(A) 31 March 2000—not available
(B) 31 March 2002—131 female, 125 male
(C) 31 March 2004—149 female, 133 male
(A) 31 March 2000—not available
| (B) 31 March 2002 | |
| Grade | Headcount |
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