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5 Jan 2010 : Column 178W—continued

Transfer Pricing

Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many advance pricing agreements (a) have been made and (b) were in force with multinational companies in each year since 2005; and in how many such cases (i) enforcement action was taken and (ii) penalties levied in transfer pricing disputes in each year. [307353]

Mr. Timms: The information requested is provided in the following tables.

Advance pricing agreements

 Made In force

2006

14

33

2007

16

37

2008

15

46


 Number of cases involving large business where transfer pricing adjustments were made

2006-07

14

2007-08

16

2008-09

15


In 2008-09 49 cases involving smaller businesses were settled involving adjustments.

No penalties were charged on transfer pricing issues in the years 2006-07 and 2007-08, penalties have been charged during 2008-09 but details of the number of cases where a penalty was appropriate is not readily available.


5 Jan 2010 : Column 179W

Welfare Tax Credits

John Battle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the longest time has been between a tax credit claim being made and payment being started for (a) a UK national (b) all non-UK EEA nationals, (c) a A8 EEA national, (d) a A2 EEA national and (e) a non-European national in (i) 2005-06, (ii) 2006-07, (iii) 2007-08 and (iv) 2008-09. [308106]

Mr. Timms: The specific information requested is only available at disproportionate cost.

For information about HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) targets and performance outturn in relation to tax credit in 2007-08 and earlier years, I refer my right hon. Friend to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Northavon (Steve Webb) on 24 February 2009, Official Report, columns 534-36W. Information for 2008-09 was published at paragraph 2.6 in the HMRC departmental report published at:

More complex claims, including those from customers arriving from abroad, often require HMRC to make more detailed inquiries, and so HMRC may be unable to process and pay them within the usual target times. HMRC is continuously working to identify how resources can be most effectively deployed to achieve its revised aims.

Welfare Tax Credits: Appeals

John Battle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many appeals relating to tax credits were lodged by (a) UK nationals, (b) non-UK EEA nationals, (c) A8 EEA nationals, (d) A2 EEA nationals and (e) non-European nationals in (i) 2005-06, (ii) 2006-07, (iii) 2007-08 and (iv) 2008-09; [308110]

(2) how many appeals in child benefit cases were lodged by (a) UK nationals, (b) non-UK EEA nationals, (c) A8 EEA nationals, (d) A2 EEA nationals and (e) non-European nationals in (i) 2005-06, (ii) 2006-07, (iii) 2007-08 and (iv) 2008-09. [308119]

Mr. Timms: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) does not collect information on appeals by nationality of the appellants.

For information about the numbers of appeals made against tax credits decisions in 2005-06; 2006-07 and 2007-08 I refer my right hon. Friend to the answers given to my right hon. Friend the Member for Birkenhead (Mr. Field) and the hon. Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr. Hammond) on 11 March 2008, Official Report, columns 371-72W, and the answer I gave the hon. Member for Cardiff Central (Jenny Willott) on 13 October 2008, Official Report, column 1004W. HMRC received around 12,100 appeals against tax credits decisions in 2008-09.

The number of appeals made against child benefit decisions in each year is shown in the following table.


5 Jan 2010 : Column 180W

 Child Benefit ( T housand)

2005-06

3.3

2006-07(1)

3.7

2007-08

4.2

2008-09

6.0

(1 )Appeals from N Ireland Child Benefit customers included from 13 March 2006.

Welfare Tax Credits: Complaints

John Battle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the (a) average and (b) longest time to resolve a tax credits complaint by a member of the public was in (i) 2005-06, (ii) 2006-07, (iii) 2007-08 and (iv) 2008-09. [308111]

Mr. Timms: The information on average and longest time is not available.

The following table sets out the time taken to provide a substantive response to written complaints on tax credits in 2008-09.

Response times to written complaints on tax credits by the Tax Credit Office in 2008-09
Cleared within Percentage clearance Cumulative percentage

Less than 1 week

3

3

1 to 2 weeks

14

16

2 to 3 weeks

18

34

3 to 4 weeks

14

48

4 to 5 weeks

11

59

Over 5 weeks

41

100


For information relating to earlier years I refer my right hon. Friend to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban) on 18 February 2008, Official Report, columns 368-69W.

Welfare Tax Credits: Expenditure

Steve Webb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the cost to the Exchequer of reducing the second income threshold in the tax credit system from £50,000 to £40,000; and if he will estimate the number of people who would have their awards reduced to zero as a result. [304667]

Mr. Timms: The estimated annual saving from reducing the second income threshold from £50,000 to £40,000 is around £135 million. As a result of this change an estimated 195,000 families would have their awards reduced to zero, assuming a 6.67 per cent. taper rate for families with income above £40,000.

Wind Farms

Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many wind farms are on the Valuation Office Agency (a) local rating list and (b) national rating list; and what criteria are used to determine the list on which a hereditament is placed. [306728]

Ian Pearson: All 116 onshore wind farms in England and Wales appear on the local rating lists, none are on the central lists.

All hereditaments that are not exempt and not wholly domestic are required to be shown in a local rating list unless the Secretary of State has designated the occupier as a person whose hereditaments are required to be shown in a central list.


5 Jan 2010 : Column 181W

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Afghanistan

Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his Department's policy is on decompression periods for its staff working in Afghanistan. [305763]

Chris Bryant: Current Foreign and Commonwealth Office policy on decompression breaks in Afghanistan is that staff work a six week at Post/two weeks decompression break rotation. Decompression breaks are linked to the overall security situation, which can change over a posting. Staff may be reduced or withdrawn as the security situation improves.

Mr. Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department plans to increase the number of its personnel stationed in Afghanistan in the next 12 months. [307733]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: There are no plans to increase the number of staff in Afghanistan at present. However, we constantly review our staffing requirements to ensure we have sufficient numbers of staff to meet our objectives in Afghanistan.

Mr. Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans are in place to ensure that Christmas cards and gifts reach officials of his Department in Afghanistan in time for Christmas. [307736]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: We have an arrangement with the British Forces Post Office for the delivery of mail to civilian personnel serving in Afghanistan on behalf of the Government.

Afghanistan: Politics and Government

Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Prime Minister's Statement of 30 November 2009, Official Report, columns 831-36W, on Afghanistan and Pakistan, what agreements have been reached with (a) the government of Afghanistan and (b) international partners on sources of funding for the programme of economic growth; how much such funding he expects to be available to that programme; and when he expects that programme to be implemented. [304937]

Mr. Douglas Alexander: I have been asked to reply.

In June 2008, the Government of Afghanistan published its Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS), covering the period 2008 to 2013. The international community pledged a total of US $21 billion to the ANDS, with Afghan domestic revenues expected to contribute US $6.8 billion.

The Department for International Development (DFID) committed £510 million to implementation of the ANDS between 2009 and 2013. The alignment of DFID funding with ANDS priorities is enhanced by channelling at least 50 per cent. of resources through Afghan Government systems.


5 Jan 2010 : Column 182W

Afghanistan: Reconstruction

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what projects sponsored by his Department in Afghanistan have had their funding reduced in each year since 2001; and in respect of which such projects his Department plans to reduce its level of funding. [305471]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: While funding to some individual projects has decreased, total Foreign and Commonwealth Office programme expenditure in Afghanistan has increased from £11 million in financial year 2002-03 to £91.55 million in financial year 2009-10.

Reductions in individual project funding can occur for several reasons, including: reprioritisation between different projects within strategic programmes; activities within projects reaching their natural end; fluctuating currency exchange rates.

For the financial years 2001-02 to 2006-07 inclusive, the information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Since 2007 the following projects have had funding reduced when compared with the previous financial year:

Financial year 2007 to 2008

Financial year 2008 to 2009

Financial year 2009 to 2010

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