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16 Mar 2010 : Column 756W—continued
Economic Growth Forecasts
18. James Brokenshire: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with the Prime Minister on forecasts for economic growth. [322202]
Ian Pearson: The Chancellor and Prime Minister have regular discussions on a range of issues, including the prospects for the UK economy.
Government Debt
19. Miss McIntosh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received on his Department's programme for reducing the level of Government debt; and if he will make a statement. [322203]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Treasury Ministers and officials receive representations from a wide variety of organisations. It is not the Government's practice to provide details of such representations.
The 2009 pre-Budget report set out the Government's plans to ensure the sustainability of the public finances, and the Fiscal Responsibility Act has enshrined these plans in legislation.
The Chancellor will provide an update in his Budget statement on 24 March.
Fuel Duty
20. Sir Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the effect on motorists of the level of fuel duty. [322204]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Chancellor of the Exchequer takes a range of factors into consideration when contemplating rates of excise duty on road fuels. These include fiscal, economic, social and environmental considerations.
In the medium term, sound public finances are essential in order to protect stability, employment and growth for all UK residents, including motorists.
It is for this reason that at Budget 2009 the Chancellor announced that fuel duty would increase by 1p per litre in real term, in April 2010 to 2013. These changes will also help to save 2 million tonnes of CO2 per year, by 2013.
Public Expenditure
21. Mr. Heald: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with (a) the Prime Minister and (b) other ministerial colleagues on the mechanism to determine the level of public expenditure in the next three years. [322206]
Mr. Byrne: The Chancellor, discusses public expenditure with the Prime Minister on a regular basis.
The level of public expenditure beyond 2010-11 will be set out as part of the next spending review.
The Chancellor continues to make clear that the current level of global uncertainty means that it would be risky to undertake a spending review at this time. The timing of the next spending review will be announced in due course.
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much and what proportion of expenditure from the public purse in 2008-09 was spent in each constituent part of the UK. [322253]
Mr. Byrne [holding answer 15 March 2010]: Table 9.1 of the annual Public Expenditure and Statistical Analyses (PESA), published by the Treasury in June 2009, sets out the total identifiable expenditure on services by country and region for 2008-09:
(Cm7630).
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of (a) tax revenue and (b) other monies collected by his Department in 2008-09 came from (i) Wales, (ii) Scotland, (iii) Northern Ireland and (iv) England. [322254]
Mr. Byrne [holding answer 15 March 2010]: Figures on total tax revenue and other monies disaggregated by country are not available. Information on tax receipts at a UK level is given in table B10 of the pre-Budget report 2009:
(Cm 7747)
Budget Deficit
22. Mr. Evennett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent estimate he has made of the current and future level of the budget deficit; and if he will make a statement. [322207]
Mr. Byrne: The Chancellor of the Exchequer will provide an update on the Government's fiscal position, including forecasts for the public finances, at Budget.
The Fiscal Responsibility Act puts a legal obligation on the Government to more than halve the deficit over four years and see debt falling by 2015-16.
Interest Rates
23. Ms Keeble: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the effects on savers of low interest rates. [322208]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Government seek to support savings and asset ownership for all across the life cycle-from childhood, through working life and into retirement.
The Government recognise that low interest rates, while benefiting many people with mortgages, have meant that savers have seen their return from savings fall.
At Budget 2009 the Government announced a package of measures to help savers. This includes an increase in the ISA limits, an increase in the capital disregard for pensioner-related Housing and Council Tax Benefit, and a campaign encouraging 3.4 million beneficiaries of Pension Credit to claim back any tax they may have overpaid on their savings income.
Manufacturing
24. Mark Pritchard: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the effect on the economy of the level of activity in the manufacturing sector. [322209]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Manufacturing is a key part of the economy, accounting for over 13 per cent. of output and over 50 per cent. of exports. In common with other economies, UK manufacturers were hit hard by the global recession. However, manufacturing output grew by 0.8 per cent. in the last quarter of 2009 and private business surveys suggest that the outlook for manufacturing continues to improve.
Business: Government Assistance
Mr. Binley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many companies have used the Enterprise Investment Scheme in each year since its inception. [322712]
Ian Pearson: The estimated number of companies that have used the Enterprise Investment Scheme in each tax-year up to and including 2007-08 is published annually on the HMRC website:
The estimates for 2008-09 are scheduled to be published in December 2010.
Child Tax Credit: York
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families living in the City of York local authority area receive the child element of child tax credit; in respect of how many children that credit is paid; and what the average amount per week each such family received was in the latest period for which figures are available. [322109]
Mr. Timms: The latest information on the number of households benefiting from the child element of child tax credits, the number of children in those families and the average amount received in child and working tax credits, by local authority, is published in the HMRC publication "Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics Finalised Awards 2007-08. Geographical Analyses". This is available at:
The same information for 2008-09 will be published shortly.
Domicil
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate HM Revenue and Customs has made of the number of UK citizens who have permanent residence in the UK that have retained domicile in (a) Belize, (b) the Turks and Caicos Islands, (c) the Cayman Islands and (d) the Bahamas. [316918]
Mr. Timms [holding answer 22 February 2010]: The information requested is not available, as individuals are not required to declare their domicile to HM Revenue and Customs.
Employee Benefit Trusts
Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 5 January 2010, Official Report, column 161W, on employee benefit trusts, what the evidential basis is for HM Revenue and Customs' experience that employee benefit trusts with only one beneficiary are very uncommon. [316953]
Mr. Timms: In HMRC's experience, most companies that use employee benefit trusts (EBT) have more than one employee. This is because an EBT for only one employee would be ineffective for inheritance tax planning purposes.
Inheritance Tax: Housing
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 11 January 2010, Official Report, column 769W, on inheritance tax: housing, (1) what the gross increase in cash terms in revenue from inheritance tax as a result of challenges by the Valuation Office Agency was in each year before 2008-09 for which figures are available; [319645]
(2) how many individual properties had their assessment for inheritance tax increased in 2008-09 as the result of a challenge by the Valuation Office Agency. [319646]
Mr. Timms: The information requested is provided in the following tables.
| Gross increase in Inheritance tax revenues following challenge by the VOA, (£ million) | |
| Number of individual properties whose inheritance tax assessment was increased following challenge by the VOA | |
Non-domestic Rates: Ports
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many port businesses were physically inspected when the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) began to rate port businesses separately; how many were notified that they were being assessed; and from where the VOA derived the information to make its assessments. [322227]
Ian Pearson: Since May 2006, the Valuation Office Agency has inspected over 800 properties (hereditaments) within 55 ports in England and Wales as part of the ports review.
Information was collected from the statutory port operators, ratepayers and through physical inspection of the property. In cases where the information supported separate assessment, the ratepayer was served a notice informing them of the assessment.
Research and Development Tax Credit
Mr. Binley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many small businesses have applied for research and development tax relief in each of the last three years. [322692]
Ian Pearson: Annual figures on research and development tax credits are published as National Statistics on the HMRC website:
The latest figures show that the numbers of claims under the SME scheme were 4,960 in 2005-06, 5,270 in 2006-07, and 5,930 in 2007-08, and the amounts claimed were £180 million, £200 million and £250 million respectively. Figures for 2008-09 are not yet available.
Revenue and Customs: Data Protection
Mr. Duncan Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps have been taken to improve data security at HM Revenue and Customs premises since 2008-09. [317291]
Mr. Timms: HMRC has an extensive programme of work to improve data security. This programme ran throughout 2008-09 and is continuing.
clarifying accountabilities for data security;
improving physical and technical controls on access to and movement of bulk data, and use of removable media; and
driving cultural change through mandatory training for all staff, improved guidance and targeted communication.
Revenue and Customs: Manpower
Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many and what proportion of staff of HM Revenue and Customs were (a) on fixed term appointments and (b) agency workers in each of the last three years. [321068]
Mr. Timms [holding answer 8 March 2010]: The information is as follows:
(a) The information requested is provided in the following table.
| Fixed term appointments | ||
| Headcount | Percentage of HMRC total headcount | |
(b) Agency staff numbers are available only at disproportionate cost, as they are not centrally held by HM Revenue and Customs' systems.
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