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Northern Ireland: Inland Revenue and Customs and Excise
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
What are the policies and priorities of the Inland Revenue and Customs and Excise with regard to organised crime in Northern Ireland; whether they differ from policy in the United Kingdom generally; and how many prosecutions and convictions each has secured in Northern Ireland in the current and previous two years. [HL28]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Lord McIntosh of Haringey): Both departments seek to tackle the specific criminal offences for which they have responsibility in Northern Ireland as elsewhere within the UK on the basis of the risks that exist. They do so throughout the UK irrespective of any other illegal activities undertaken by those individuals and groups that commit such crimes.
Prosecution data are not published in a consistent form across the various regimes for which the departments are responsible. Details of the prosecutions and convictions secured by Customs in the years 2001–02 and 2002–03, where available, are shown in the table below, along with details of Inland Revenue prosecutions for 2003–04 and the current year to the end of September. Details of Customs prosecutions and convictions for 2003–04 will be published in the department's annual report and accounts on 16 December.
6 Dec 2004 : Column WA25
1 Number of people sentenced.
Licensing Act 2003: Impact on Law and Order
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
What indices they have used to measure the effects of the Licensing Act 2003 on law and order; and whether sufficient time remains before the second appointed day to collect the baseline data needed for a proper assessment. [HL62]
Lord McIntosh of Haringey: There are already sufficient baseline data regarding alcohol-related crime and disorder available from the British Crime Survey to enable a thorough review of the impact of the 2003 Act to take place, but further work will be done to refine our understanding of the current position prior to the second appointed day. In addition, data collected during the summer enforcement campaign and the forthcoming campaign over the Christmas and New Year period will further inform the later review.
Pensions
Baroness Greengross asked Her Majesty's Government:
What was the cost in 2003–04 of tax relief for pension contributions at (a) the basic rate of tax; and (b) the higher rate of tax; and whether they will estimate by how much the basic full state pensions would have increased on a weekly and annual basis if the amount spent in 2003–04 on higher rate tax relief for private pension contributions had been spent on the state pension. [HL118]
Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The estimated cost of tax relief in billions of pounds for private pension contributions made in 2003–04 by marginal tax rate is provided in the table below.
| Contribution type | Non-Higher rate | Higher rate | Total |
| Individuals | 2.4 | 3.3 | 5.7 |
| Employer 1 | 4.5 | 6.2 | 10.7 |
1 On the assumption that contributions by the employer are not taxed as a benefit in kind to the employee, and that contributions are distributed in the same way as for individual contributions.
The estimates in the table do not represent the cost of withdrawing or restricting the current relief, since any such change would be likely to result in large behavioural changes. Due to the uncertainty of these behavioural changes, estimates are not available for how much the basic state pension could have increased.
Baroness Greengross asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will estimate what number and percentage of people aged over state pension age would pay (a) no tax; (b) tax at starting rate; (c) tax at basic rate; and (d) tax at the higher rate, if there were no age-related tax allowances for people aged 65 and over. [HL119]
Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The requested information is contained in the table below:
The estimates are based upon the Survey of Personal Incomes (SPI) 2001–02 and Budget 2003.
Note:
The SPI is not representative of non-taxpayers and given the nature of this analysis the estimates should be treated with caution, as some pensioners would become taxpayers.
(1) Men aged 65 and over and women aged 60 and over.
(2) Taxpayers with a marginal rate at the 10 per cent starting rate from an extra £1 of earnings.
(3) Taxpayers with a marginal rate at the 20 per cent lower rate for savings income or the 10 per cent ordinary dividend rate from an extra £1 of earnings.
(4) Taxpayers with a marginal rate at the basic rate from an extra £1 of earnings.
(5) Taxpayers with taxable income above the higher rate threshold.
(6) Pensioner population estimates provided by the Government Actuary's Department.
Baroness Greengross asked Her Majesty's Government:
What was the cost in 2003–04 of higher personal tax allowances for people aged over 65: and whether they will estimate by how much the basic full state pension would have increased on a weekly and annual basis if this sum had been spent on state pensions. [HL120]
Lord McIntosh of Haringey: I refer the noble Baroness to table T1.5 "Tax expenditures and structural reliefs" on the Inland Revenue website http://www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/stats/tax–expenditures/table1-5.pdf. Estimates are not available for how much the basic state pension could have increased if this sum had been spent on state pensions, due to the uncertainty of behavioural effects.
European Monetary System and EU Single Currency
Lord Dykes asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will re-examine the prospects for United Kingdom admission to the European monetary system and the European Union single currency in the light of recent major changes in leading world currency rates. [HL78]
Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The 2004 Budget reported progress on the Government's reform agenda since the June 2003 assessment of the five economic tests. As the Chancellor said in his Budget speech, "while the Government do not propose a euro assessment be initiated at the time of this Budget, the Treasury will again review progress at Budget time next year and report to the House".
Olympic Games 2012: London Bid
Lord Jopling asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether London's bid for the 2012 Olympic Games involves the disposition by NATO of a similar number of troops as the 3,500 NATO troops in attendance at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. [HL85]
Lord McIntosh of Haringey: Theme 12 of the Candidate File for the London 2012 Bid outlines the proposed security arrangements should London be selected to host the 2012 Olympics. A copy of the Candidate File was deposited in the Library of the House on 19 November 2004. Everything possible will be done to maintain public order and minimise the security risks but it would be premature at this stage to speculate about the measures that will be required and will be in place in 2012.
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