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13 Mar 2009 : Column 811W—continued
Ian Pearson:
Retaining the PFI structure will mean that the private sector will continue to bear the risk of cost over runs and delays. As such equity investors will
continue to bear the primary risk in these projects. Where available, private sector debt will continue to be provided and will therefore also take risk.
Royal Bank of Scotland
Mr. Bone: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 3 March 2009, Official Report, column 1423W, on the Royal Bank of Scotland, what tax losses and allowances will not be claimed by Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS); what amount of tax losses and allowances will be forgone by RBS; which RBS tax losses and allowances will be set against previous profits; and what the total figure that could be claimed by RBS in tax losses and allowances is. [263450]
Ian Pearson: RBS has agreed not to claim certain UK tax losses and allowances for a number of years, meaning that when they do return to profitability, they will not be able to benefit from the losses accrued in the intervening period. Final arrangements are subject to ongoing discussions with, and quantification by, HMRC.
Further information about RBS's undertakings will be available when all of the detailed terms of RBS's entry into the asset protection scheme have been finalised.
Taxation
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what expenditure his Department incurred in paying interest on tax refunds in each of the last five years. [262727]
Mr. Timms: The information requested is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people received tax refunds from HM Revenue and Customs and its predecessor in each of the last five years. [262728]
Mr. Timms: Information on the number of people receiving income tax repayments is not available. The following table provides the numbers of income tax repayments made to individuals. In some cases, one person will have received more than one repayment.
| Total number of repayments (million) | |
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was charged in interest on unpaid tax by HM Revenue and Customs and its predecessor in each of the last five years. [262729]
Mr. Timms: Amounts of interest charged on unpaid direct taxes are not available on a financial year basis, HM Revenue and Customs collect figures to an annual October date.
The table provides the amount of interest charged for 2003-04 to 2006-07, figures for 2007-08 have not yet been finalised. These figures do not necessarily equate to interest received by HMRC and do not include interest charged on corporation tax liabilities raised prior to the start of CT self assessment (CTSA).
| Table 1: Interest charged on direct taxes (excluding pre-CTSA charges) | |
| Period | £ million |
The following table provides figures for the interest charged on unpaid VAT; these run from 1 April to 31 March each year. Data are not readily available for indirect taxes other than VAT, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
| Table 2: Interest charged on VAT | |
| £ million | |
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the effect on his Department's revenue of reducing the amount of interest paid on tax refunds to zero in 2008-09. [262730]
Mr. Timms: No such estimate has been made.
Taxation: Business
Rosie Cooper: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to reduce the burden of tax on small and medium-sized enterprises which work with young people most at risk of committing anti-social behaviour. [263018]
Mr. Timms: The Chancellor announced a number of measures at the 2008 pre-Budget report to reduce the burden of taxation on small and medium-sized enterprises, including a deferral of the planned increase in the small companies' rate of corporation tax, the business payment support service and more generous use of the loss carry-back rules. Currently, there are no plans to provide specific tax reliefs for businesses that work with young people most at risk of committing anti-social behaviour.
Wales
Departmental Bank Services
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales with which banks his Department has or has had contracts for the provision of financial advice, for the financial year 2008-09. [262750]
Departmental Lost Property
John Mason: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what property has been lost or stolen from his Department in the last 12 months; and what the estimated cost was of replacement of such property. [263164]
Departmental Official Hospitality
Mr. Rob Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much his Department has spent on (a) alcohol and (b) food in each of the last five years. [261162]
Mr. Paul Murphy: The Wales Office hosts a limited number of receptions over a year to mark, for example St. David's Day. Parliamentarians, journalists and those with an interest in Welsh affairs are invited. In some years these have been supplemented by joint Wales Office/National Assembly for Wales receptions. The cost over the last five years were:
| £ | ||
| On food | On alcohol | |
| (1)( )In London. | ||
In 2005-06 the cost of a Cardiff reception included alcohol, but this was not listed separately, therefore has been included in the figure for food.
Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what his Department's entertainment budget was in each of the last five years. [261283]
Mr. Paul Murphy: My Department does not have an entertainment budget, however in the last five years we have spent the following amount on receptions.
| £ | |
From 2005-06 figures are reckoned on a different basis to reflect costs more fully.
Departmental Translation Services
David T.C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the average cost per word of outsourced translations of his Department's documents has been in the last 12 months. [262731]
Mr. Paul Murphy: The Wales Office pays an average of 10p per word for outsourced translation of documents.
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