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TREASURY
Tax Avoidance
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of personal portfolio bond holders who hold such instruments with the sole or main objective of avoiding tax. [45120]
Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 9 June 1998]: It is not known how many people hold personal portfolio bonds with the sole or main object of avoiding tax.
Public Houses (Uniform Business Rate)
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if his Department publishes guidelines in relation to uniform business rates and the value of public houses; [45019]
- (2) what measures are taken to monitor the accuracy of information given on forms used to assess uniform business rates for public houses; [45020]
(3) if (a) turnover prices and (b) the value of a property are taken into account in the setting of uniform business rates for public houses. [45018]
Dawn Primarolo
[holding answer 9 June 1998]: No general guidelines are published in relation to uniform business rates by HM Treasury. A guide relating to the valuation of public houses, entitled "Public Houses--Approved Guide to Valuation", is available to the general public as part of the Tolley's Tax Link CD-ROM from Tolley Publishing Co. Ltd. The guide forms part of the Valuation Office Agency's Rating Manual and sets out the agreement between the Valuation Office Agency and the Brewers and Licensed Retailers Association as to the method and broad levels of the value to be adopted for public houses as part of the revaluation of non-domestic property for business rates purposes, which came into effect on 1 April 1995.
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The rateable value of a public house, in common with other non-domestic property subject to business rates, is an estimate of the amount of rent for which the property might reasonably be expected to be let. The capital value of the property is not taken into account. In arriving at the rateable value for public houses, the Valuation Officer, an employee of the Valuation Office Agency, has regard to turnover when estimating fair maintainable receipts. This yardstick is adopted to analyse rents and to compare properties.
The Valuation Officer has a statutory power to request information which is required to compile and maintain lists of rateable values for business rates purposes. Those supplying the information, usually the occupiers/owners of the property or their representatives, sign a declaration of authenticity. The supply of false information can lead to prosecution. The accuracy of information given on forms will be considered at both the valuation stage and when dealing with appeals.
Mr. Wallace:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many demands for a sum of 24 pence or less have been issued by the Inland Revenue since 1 January to taxpayers who have been held to have under-declared their earnings under the self-assessment scheme. [44816]
Dawn Primarolo
[holding answer 9 June 1998]: The information is not available.
Ms Stuart:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many taxpayers were billed for amounts of less than £5 under self-assessment. [44318]
Dawn Primarolo:
The information is not available.
Dr. Cable:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many tax demands have been issued under the self-assessment initiative for sums under (a) £1 and (b) £10. [44973]
Dawn Primarolo:
The information is not available.
Mr. Malcolm Bruce:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will make a statement on his policy in respect of surpluses on the current balance measure of the UK budget deficit over the next five years; [44294]
Mr. Darling
[holding answer 4 June 1998]: I refer the hon. Gentlemen to the statement my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer made to the House today, Official Report, columns 1195-1201.
Mr. Oaten:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will provide details of the timetable for consultation on the eligibility criteria for the disabled person's tax credit. [44900]
Dawn Primarolo
[holding answer 8 June 1998]: The disabled person's tax credit will replace the disability working allowance from October 1999. The Government are presently considering ways to ensure the disabled
11 Jun 1998 : Column: 651
person's tax credit can be made more effective and attractive than the disability working allowance, and will be making announcements and consulting in due course.
Mr. Webb:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the tax yield from making child benefit taxable for (a) mothers who are higher-rate tax payers and (b) fathers who are higher-rate tax payers; and what would be the administrative cost of doing so. [44626]
Dawn Primarolo
[holding answer 8 June 1998]: If child benefit were taxed as part of the income of those mothers or lone fathers liable to tax at the higher rate of 40 per cent., the yield for 1998-99 would be about £40 million. If the benefit were taxed as part of the income of fathers and lone mothers liable to tax at the higher rate of 40 per cent., the yield for 1998-99 would be about £450 million. The administrative costs would depend on the precise way in which any tax charge was imposed.
Mr. Webb:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the yield for allowing income tax relief only on pension contributions up to a ceiling of (a) £4,000 per annum, (b) £6,000 per annum, (c) £8,000 per annum and (d) £10,000 per annum. [44627]
Dawn Primarolo
[holding answer 8 June 1998]: The distribution of tax relief by level of contribution of participants in occupational and personal pension schemes is not available.
Mr. Webb:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the cost to the Exchequer of giving tax relief on that part of employee and employer national insurance contributions which are treated as contributions to SERPS and which are not payable by those who have contracted out of SERPS. [44628]
Dawn Primarolo
[holding answer 8 June 1998]: The cost of income tax relief at the basic rate for the employee part of the age-related national insurance rebate if all those currently in SERPS contracted out into appropriate personal pensions is tentatively estimated at around £300 million each year at 1998-99 levels of earnings. Extending basic rate relief to the employer part of the national insurance rebate would cost approximately an additional £850 million.
Mr. Malcolm Bruce:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what action he is taking to constrain the growth of Departments' running costs; and if he will make a statement. [45181]
Mr. Darling:
The Government are committed to delivering high-quality public services at best value to the taxpayer. Expenditure on Departments' running costs is being closely scrutinised in the Comprehensive Spending Review. Controls on running costs will be maintained within the new spending plans announced at the conclusion of the Review.
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Mr. Fallon:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to oppose the application to the Channel Islands of the proposed Council Directive on the minimum effective taxation of savings income (COM(1998)295). [43687]
Dawn Primarolo:
We will be discussing this issue with the Channel Islands.
Mr. Gibb:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the Treasury definition of capital expenditure for the purposes of the Golden Rule. [45178]
Mr. Darling:
Definitions used for the purposes of the golden rule were set out in Annexe B of the March 1998 Financial Statement and Budget Report.
Mr. Gibb:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the proportions of the expected yield arising from the proposed abolition of the foreign earnings deduction to be paid by media and entertainment personalities with very high incomes. [44642]
Dawn Primarolo
[holding answer 10 June 1998]: About one half of the yield arising from the proposed changes to the rules for foreign earnings deductions will come from media and entertainment personalities.
Mr. Gibb:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many of those claiming foreign earnings deduction earned (a) less than £40,000 per annum, (b) between £40,000 to £50,000 per annum, (c) £50,000 to £60,000 per annum, (d) £60,000 to £75,000, (e) £75,000 to £100,000 and (f) above £100,000 per annum, in the latest year for which figures are available. [44641]
Dawn Primarolo
[holding answer 10 June 1998]: The degree of disaggregation requested is not available.
Mr. Gibb:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many of those claiming the foreign earnings deduction were people considered by the Treasury to be very high-earning individuals in the latest year for which figures are available. [44643]
Dawn Primarolo
[holding answer 10 June 1998]: There is no standard definition of what constitutes very high earnings.
(2) what is his policy on the ratio of public debt to national income; and if he will make a statement. [45174]
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