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10 Feb 2009 : Column 1849W—continued
Government Departments: Temporary Employment
Mr. Letwin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much each central Government Department spent on contract and agency staff, standard chart of account code 51404000 in 2007-08. [247567]
Yvette Cooper: The spending recorded against account ‘Contract and Agency Staff (excluding Consultants)’ is combined with other accounts in all published outputs. It is only at this aggregated level that accurate information is available centrally.
Housing Market
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent steps the Government has taken to stimulate the housing market. [255839]
Angela Eagle: On 2 September 2008 the Government announced a £1 billion package of measures to help and support home owners in financial difficulty, first-time buyers, and the house building industry. This included the announcement of the launch of HomeBuy Direct, a new shared equity scheme which offers first-time buyers the opportunity to buy their own homes. In addition, the Government announced that Stamp Duty Land Tax would not apply to purchases of residential property of £175,000 or less for the next 12 months from 3 September 2008.
Furthermore, the Government announced at the pre-Budget report on 24 November 2008 that it would bring forward up to £775 million on investment in housing and regeneration to help offset the impact of economic shocks to priority programmes, and provide support to the construction sector.
Income Tax
Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will estimate the cost to the Exchequer of raising the income tax personal allowance to £11,000 and raising the higher rate of income tax by (a) 1 per cent., (b) 2 per cent., (c) 3 per cent., (d) 4 per cent. and (e) 5 per cent. in 2009-10; [255673]
(2) if he will estimate the cost to the Exchequer of raising the income tax personal allowance to £11,000 and lowering the higher rate of income tax by (a) 1 per cent., (b) 2 per cent., (c) 3 per cent., (d) 4 per cent. and (e) 5 per cent. in 2009-10; [255674]
(3) what estimate he has made of the cost to the Exchequer of raising the income tax personal allowance to £12,000 and lowering the higher rate of income tax by (a) 1 per cent., (b) 2 per cent., (c) 3 per cent., (d) 4 per cent. and (e) 5 per cent. in 2009-10; [255698]
(4) what estimate he has made of the cost to the Exchequer of raising the income tax personal allowance to £8,000 and lowering the higher rate of income tax by (a) 1 per cent., (b) 2 per cent., (c) 3 per cent., (d) 4 per cent. and (e) 5 per cent. in 2009-10; [255699]
(5) what estimate he has made of the cost to the Exchequer of raising the income tax personal allowance to (a) £8,000, (b) £9,000, (c) £10,000, (d) £11,000 and (e) £12,000 in 2009-10; [255714]
(6) what estimate he has made of the cost to the Exchequer of raising the income tax personal allowance to (a) £8,000, (b) £9,000 and (c) £10,000 and raising the higher rate of income tax by (i) 1 per cent., (ii) 2 per cent., (iii) 3 per cent., (iv) 4 per cent. and (v) 5 per cent. in 2009-10. [255715]
Mr. Timms: The estimates of increasing the personal allowance alone or increasing the personal allowance and raising or lowering the higher rate of income tax can be approximated from table 1.6 ‘Direct effects of illustrative tax changes’ on the HM Revenue and Customs website at:
The figures exclude any estimate of behavioural response.
Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what estimate he has made of the cost to the Exchequer of raising the income tax personal allowance to (a) £8,000, (b) £9,000, (c) £10,000, (d) £11,000 and (e) £12,000 and raising the basic rate of income tax by (i) one per cent., (ii) two per cent., (iii) three per cent., (iv) four per cent. and (v) five per cent. in 2009-10; [255687]
(2) if he will estimate the cost to the Exchequer of raising the income tax personal allowance to (a) £8,000, (b) £9,000, (c) £10,000, (d) £11,000 and (e) £12,000 and lowering the basic rate of income tax by (i) one per cent., (ii) two per cent., (iii) three per cent., (iv) four per cent. and (v) five per cent. in 2009-10. [255688]
Mr. Timms: The information requested is not available. The information available on the Exchequer effect of changes to personal allowances and income tax rates provides for costs estimates to be made where one variable, either personal allowances or income tax rates, is altered. In scenarios involving the changing of both variables cost estimates cannot be derived as in these cases the margin of error would be excessive.
Legal Opinion
Grant Shapps: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost to his Department was of external legal services in (a) 2006-07 and (b) 2007-08. [251365]
Angela Eagle: The Treasury’s net spending on legal advice in 2007-08 was £1,331,000. For the earlier year, I refer to the answer given to the hon. Member by the former Financial Secretary (John Healey) on 18 June 2007, Official Report, column 1494W.
Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme
Mr. Swire: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he plans to extend the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme beyond the end of March 2011. [255766]
Mr. Timms: The Government's long-term objective is to secure the necessary agreement at European level to allow the introduction of a reduced rate of VAT for church repairs, which is not currently permitted by EU VAT agreements. The European Commission has proposed changes to Directive 2006/112/EC to allow a reduced VAT rate to be applied to church repairs, as part of a broader proposal on reduced VAT rates, but member states' discussions of the proposal are ongoing. The Government will take into account any changes to EU VAT agreements when reviewing whether the current arrangements should be extended beyond 2011.
National Insurance Contributions
Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what estimate he has made of the cost to the Exchequer of raising the earnings threshold on national insurance contributions to (a) £5,000, (b) £6,000 and (c) £7,000 and lowering the class one employee main rate of national insurance contributions to (i) five per cent., (ii) six per cent., (iii) seven per cent., (iv) eight per cent., (v) nine per cent. and (vi) 10 per cent. in 2009-10; [255689]
(2) what estimate he has made of the cost to the Exchequer of raising the upper earnings level on national insurance contributions to £45,000 and raising the class one employee additional rate to (a) two per cent., (b) three per cent., (c) four per cent., (d) five per cent. (e) six per cent., (f) seven per cent., (g) eight per cent. and (h) nine per cent. in 2009-10; [255691]
(3) what estimate he has made of the cost to the Exchequer of raising the upper earnings level on national insurance contributions to (a) £45,000, (b) £46,000, (c) £47,000, (d) £48,000, (e) £49,000, (f) £50,000, (g) £51,000, (h) £52,000, (i) £53,000, (j) £54,000 and (k) £55,000 and lowering the Class 1 employee main rate to (i) two per cent., (ii) three per cent., (iii) four per cent., (iv) five per cent., (v) six per cent., (vi) seven per cent., (vii) eight per cent., (viii) nine per cent and (ix) 10 per cent. in 2009-10; [255694]
(4) if he will estimate the cost to the Exchequer of raising the upper earnings level on national insurance contributions to (a) £45,000, (b) £46,000, (c) £47,000, (d) £48,000, (e) £49,000, (f) £50,000, (g) £51,000, (h) £52,000, (i) £53,000, (j) £54,000, and (k) £55,000 and raising the Class 1 employee main rate to (i) 12 per cent., (ii) 13 per cent., (iii) 14 per cent. and (iv) 15 per cent. in 2009-10. [255697]
Mr. Timms:
The information requested is not available. The information available on the Exchequer effect of changes to national insurance contributions (NICs) rates and limits provides for costs estimates to be made
where one variable, either NICs rates or limits, is altered. In scenarios involving the changing of both variables cost estimates cannot be derived as in these cases the margin of error would be excessive.
Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what estimate he has made of the cost to the Exchequer of raising the Class 1 employee additional rate on national insurance contributions by (a) one percentage point, (b) two percentage points, (c) three percentage points, (d) four percentage points, (e) five percentage points, (f) six percentage points, (g) seven percentage points, (h) eight percentage points, (i) nine percentage points and (j) 10 percentage points in 2009-10; [255692]
(2) what estimate he has made of the cost to the Exchequer of raising the upper earnings level on national insurance contributions to (a) £45,000, (b) £46,000, (c) £47,000, (d) £48,000, (e) £49,000, (f) £50,000, (g) £51,000, (h) £52,000, (i) £53,000, (j) £54,000 and (k) £55,000 in 2009-10; and what estimate he has made of the cost of lowering the level to (i) £40,000, (ii) £41,000, (iii) £42,000 and (iv) £43,000 in 2009-10. [255696]
Mr. Timms: The Exchequer effect of changes in the Class 1 employee additional rate and to the upper earnings limit on national insurance contributions can be derived from table 1.6 ‘Direct effects of illustrative tax changes’ on the HM Revenue and Customs website at
The figures exclude any estimate of behavioural response.
National Insurance Fund
Mr. Swire: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the merits of using future national insurance fund surpluses to fund an increase in the state pension. [255767]
Mr. Timms: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend (Mr. O'Brien) the Minister for Pension Reform on 5 March 2008, Official Report, column 2605W.
Any increase in the basic state pension has a cumulative impact on Government spending going forward. The Government consider the short-term use of the surplus on the national insurance fund in this way to be unsustainable in the long term.
Non-Domestic Rates: Empty Property
Mr. Crausby: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will reduce the level of liability for national non-domestic rates of empty business properties; and if he will make a statement. [255675]
Angela Eagle: In the pre-Budget report, the Government temporarily raised the threshold for exemption from national non-domestic rates on empty properties from £2,200 to £15,000 to take affect from 1 April 2009. As a result, an estimated 70 per cent. of empty properties will be exempt from business rates in the 2009-10 tax year.
Any further decisions on taxation are matters for the Budget and pre-Budget report.
Non-Domestic Rates: Ports
Mrs. Ellman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the performance of the Valuation Office Agency in relation to the issuing of backdated business tax bills for businesses in statutory ports in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement. [255841]
Mr. Timms: The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) is responsible solely for the assessment of business properties for rating, not for billing and collection matters and the date from which changes to rating lists take effect is prescribed by regulation.
The VOA has recognised that, in the exercise of re-assessing rateable values within ports, it should have done more to inform businesses of developments. In common with other executive agencies, the performance of the agency is reviewed on a regular basis. A planned three-yearly review of the framework within which it operates is currently under way and will report by 31 May 2009. Full details can be found at
Public Sector: Investment
Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of the level of public sector net investment in real terms, using 2006-07 prices, for each year from 2005-06 to 2014-15; and if he will make a statement. [255289]
Yvette Cooper: Figures for public sector net investment (PSNI) in nominal terms from 2005-06 to 2007-08 can be found on the Office of National Statistics (ONS) first release for the public sector finances (Table PSF1). The December 2008 release is available on:
Projections for PSNI in nominal terms (£ billion) and as a percentage of GDP up to 2013-14 can be found in Table B10 and Table B11 respectively of the 2008 pre-Budget report (p198).
Historical figures for PSNI in real terms using 2007-08 prices and GDP deflator values are available on Table B5 of the Public Finances Databank, which is available on:
GDP deflator values and projections can also be found on Table B1 of the 2008 pre-Budget report (p186) and are available on:
Public Sector: Pensions
Mr. Heald: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 13 January 2009, Official Report, columns 569-70W, on public sector: pensions, whether he has received representations on the affordability of public sector pensions since the publication of the report in March 2008; and if he will make a statement. [250358]
Yvette Cooper:
Treasury Ministers and officials receive representations from a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of
policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such representations.
Revenue and Customs: Brecon
Mr. Roger Williams: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent estimate he has made of the effect on HM Revenue and Customs expenditure of the closure of its office in Brecon, identifying (a) costs and (b) savings separately; and if he will make a statement. [255829]
Mr. Timms: The HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) office in Brecon is held under the terms of a PFI contract. Its closure will contribute to estimated annual estate savings of £4 million in Wales. These savings are only part of the overall savings HMRC expects to achieve as a result of business efficiencies arising from restructuring.
While HMRC recognises that there will be short-term costs associated with the closure of its office in Brecon, reliable figures will only be established once solutions have been found for all staff and the building has been vacated.
Revenue and Customs: Consultants
Mark Williams: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much HM Revenue and Customs spent on consultants in (a) total, (b) England, (c) Wales, (d) Scotland and (e) Northern Ireland in each of the last three years. [255606]
Mr. Timms: During the years 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08, HMRC spent a total of £254,470,000 on consultancy services, the split for each of the last three years is as follows:
| £ | |
The HMRC accounting codes do not enable identification of the geographical area of this spend.
State Retirement Pensions
Bob Spink: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse if the pension addition at age 80 were increased to (a) £2.50 and (b) £5.00 in each of the next five years. [252780]
Ms Rosie Winterton: I have been asked to reply.
The estimated cost of increasing the age addition, at age 80, to (a) £2.50 and (b) £5.00, in each of the next five years is shown in the following table, as well as additional expenditure relative to that of the current level.
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