| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
7 May 2009 : Column 422W—continued
Tax Allowances: Personal Savings
Harry Cohen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reason the higher annual ISA investment limit will be available only to those aged 50 years and above for the tax year 2009-10. [272831]
Ian Pearson: The Government recognise that low interest rates, which are benefiting many people with mortgages, have meant that savers have seen their return from savings fall. In particular, this has affected people who are retired, or are beginning to prepare for retirement, who are more reliant on their savings income to meet day-to-day needs or fund discretionary purchases.
As announced in Budget 2009, the Government are therefore taking targeted action now to help people aged 50 and over with their savings. The ISA limits are being raised for those aged 50 and over from 2009-10, enabling them to move more of their savings into a tax-advantaged ISA, rewarding those who have saved by improving their
The Government also recognise that people need to be supported to save as the economy emerges from the downturn, and therefore the ISA limits will increase to the same level for all savers from April 2010.
Taxation: Bingo
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what assessment he has made of the effect on the bingo industry of the changes to taxation announced in the 2009 Budget; [272846]
(2) what estimate he has made of the net change in revenue to the Exchequer from changes to the taxation of bingo clubs announced in the 2009 Budget. [272847]
Angela Eagle: The estimated revenue impacts of the changes to the taxation of bingo are set out in Table A1 of the 2009 Financial Statement and Budget Report. The revenue impacts of the relevant Budget measures are shown in the following table.
| £ million, +ve is an Exchequer yield | |||||
| Indexed | Non-indexed | ||||
| Measure number | Description | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2009-10 |
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much accrued to the Exchequer in taxes on gross profits made by the bingo industry in each of the last five years. [272941]
Angela Eagle: HM Revenue and Customs publishes receipts from bingo duty on the UKTradeInfo website:
Mr. Don Foster:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to Table A1 of the Budget
2009 Red Book, item 49, how much HM Treasury received in value added tax from the bingo industry in each of the last five years. [273293]
Angela Eagle: HM Revenue and Customs does not collect data on VAT from individual goods and services.
However, it is possible to estimate the amount of VAT paid by the bingo industry based on bingo duty receipts. In 2008-09, the bingo industry is estimated to have paid around £65 million in VAT on bingo participation fees.
Taxation: Pensioners
Steve Webb:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) with reference to the answer of 11 February 2004, Official Report, columns 1490-1W, on pensions (tax relief), if he will estimate the amount of tax relief on pension contributions provided in each financial year
since 2003-04 (a) in total and (b) for (i) higher rate taxpayers and (ii) basic rate taxpayers; [264594]
(2) if he will estimate the number of taxpayers receiving pension tax relief at the (a) higher and (b) basic rate in each year since 2003-04; and what percentage of all taxpayers below state pension age these figures represent in each case. [264596]
Ian Pearson: Estimates of total tax relief on pension contributions from 1998-99 to 2007-08 can be found at:
Estimates of relief attributable and number of taxpayers receiving relief by marginal rate are only available for employee and individual contributions. These estimates, along with the proportion of taxpayers receiving relief, are given in the following tables.
It is not possible to provide such a breakdown for employer contributions.
| Table 1: Total amount of tax relief and higher rate relief | ||||
| Higher rate | ||||
| Total amount of tax r elief (£ million) | Amount of tax relief at HR (£ million) | Number in receipt (thousand) | Number receiving a s a proportion of all taxpayers— below SPA only (percentage) | |
| Table 2: Total amount of tax relief and non-higher rate relief | ||||
| Non-higher rate | ||||
| Total amount of tax relief (£ million) | Amount of tax relief at BR (£ million) | Number in receipt (thousand) | Number receiving as a proportion of taxpayers—below SPA only (percentage) | |
| Notes: 1. Figures up to 2006-07 are based on the Survey of Personal Incomes in that year. 2. Figures for 2007-08 are based on the Survey of Personal Incomes in 2006-07 projected forward one year in line with pre-Budget 2008 report. 3. Figures for the amount of tax relief have been rounded to the nearest £100 million. 4. Figures for the number in receipt have been rounded to the nearest 100,000. 5. While the total amount of relief and number in receipt includes some individuals over state pension age, these individuals have been excluded from the final column showing the number receiving as a proportion of taxpayers below state pension age. | ||||
Valuation Office: Conferences
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) of 9 February 2009, Official Report, columns 1629-30W, on Valuation Office: overseas visits, if he will place in the Library a copy of the presentation and handouts produced by the representative of the Valuation Office Agency at the (a) Russian Society of Appraisers Conference in Moscow, (b) European Valuers Conference in Warsaw and (c) International Property Tax Institute Conference in Beijing. [272966]
Mr. Timms: A copy of the presentations for (a) and (c) will be placed in the Library.
I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst (Robert Neill) on 12 November 2008, Official Report, column 1262W regarding (b).
Welfare Tax Credits
Mr. Allen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects the HM Revenue and Customs investigation into the tax credit case of the constituent of the hon. Member for Nottingham North, Mrs. Carmen Angus, to be concluded. [272796]
Mr. Timms: I am not able to publish details of an individual’s dealings with HMRC.
Steve Webb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to publish statistics on the take-up rates for (a) child and (b) working tax credit for (i) 2006-07 and (ii) 2007-08. [273424]
Mr. Timms: The 2006-07 take-up rates for child and working tax credit have been published on the HMRC website at:
The 2007-08 take-up rates are planned to be published in spring 2010.
Welfare Tax Credits: Eligibility
Mr. Allen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department has measures in place to give financial assistance to vulnerable families on low incomes pending the outcome of investigations into tax credit eligibility. [272795]
Mr. Timms: HM Revenue and Customs will make manual payments of tax credits in exceptional circumstances to prevent hardship, or where a claimant is temporarily out of payment.
Related guidance is available on the Department's website at:
Duchy of Lancaster
Death: Gamma Butyrolactone
Mr. Evans: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many death certificates issued in each of the last three years ascribed the primary cause of death to the use of gamma butyrolactone. [272886]
Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated May 2009:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many death certificates issued in each of the last three years ascribed the primary cause of death to the use of gamma butyrolactone. (272886)
Gamma butyrolactone (GBL) is a precursor chemical that is rapidly converted to gamma hydroxybutyrate (GHB) when ingested into the human body. Consequently, it is not possible to provide reliable figures on deaths related to GBL separately from deaths involving GHB, as it is not possible to separately identify these substances at post mortem.
The table attached provides the number of deaths where the underlying cause was drug poisoning and GHB was mentioned anywhere on the death certificate, either alone or together with other substances, in England and Wales, from 2005 to 2007 (the latest year available). GBL was specifically mentioned on the death certificate in one of these deaths.
Where more than one drug is mentioned on the death certificate, it is not always possible to tell which of them was primarily responsible for the death.
| Table 1. Number of deaths attributed to drug poisoning( 1) where gamma hydroxybutyrate (GHB) was mentioned on the death certificate, England and Wales( 2) , 2005 to 2007( 3) | |||
| Deaths | |||
| Gamma hydroxybutyrate only | Gamma hydroxybutyrate and other substances | Total mentions of gamma hydroxybutyrate | |
| (1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10). Deaths were included where the underlying cause was due to drug poisoning (shown in box 1 below) and where gamma hydroxybutyrate was mentioned on the death certificate. (2) Figures for England and Wales include deaths of non-residents. (3) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year. | |||
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |