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Individual Savings Accounts
Mr. Love: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received from (a) friendly societies, (b) building societies and (c) co-operative societies on the individual savings account and its regulation; and if he will make a statement. [53904]
Mr. Geoffrey Robinson:
The Inland Revenue has received over 100 responses to the draft regulations for the individual savings account, which were issued for consultation in May. Six of these were from individual building societies and two from friendly societies, and
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responses were also received from the relevant representative bodies. No representations were received from co-operative societies. We are grateful for all the points made to us, which have been carefully considered.
Mr. Maude:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many income tax payers there were in each of the tax years from 1990-91 to 1998-99. [51735]
Dawn Primarolo:
The number of income taxpayers in each of the specified years is given in the table. They are based on the Survey of Personal Incomes for 1995-96 and earlier years. Figures for 1996-97 onwards are projected in line with the March 1998 Budget forecast.
| Number of income taxpayers (million) | |
|---|---|
| 1990-91 | 26.1 |
| 1991-92 | 25.7 |
| 1992-93 | 25.4 |
| 1993-94 | 25.0 |
| 1994-95 | 25.3 |
| 1995-96 | 25.8 |
| 1996-97(15) | 25.9 |
| 1997-98(15) | 26.1 |
| 1998-99(15) | 26.2 |
(15) Provisional
Mr. MacShane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 9 July 1998, Official Report, column 577, if he will provide comparable figures for two earner married couples with (a) one child aged four and (b) two children aged four and six. [51165]
Dawn Primarolo:
The data requested are given in the table.
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| Gross earnings (£ per week) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 150 | 200 | 250 | 300 | 400 | ||
| 2 earner married couple with 1 child under 4 | ||||||
| National Insurance | 3.88 | 9.76 | 14.76 | 19.76 | 29.76 | |
| Income Tax | 0.00 | 2.38 | 12.25 | 22.75 | 44.55 | |
| Child Benefit | 11.45 | 11.45 | 11.45 | 11.45 | 11.45 | |
| Family Credit | 24.97 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | |
| Tax and NICs less Child Benefit and Family Credit as a percentage of gross earnings | -21.69 | 0.35 | 6.22 | 10.35 | 15.71 | |
| Net income | 182.54 | 199.31 | 234.44 | 268.94 | 337.14 | |
| Equivalised Net Income | 154.69 | 168.90 | 198.68 | 227.92 | 285.71 | |
| 2 earner married couple with 1 child aged 4 and 1 child aged 6 | ||||||
| National Insurance | 3.88 | 9.76 | 14.76 | 19.76 | 29.76 | |
| Income Tax | 0.00 | 2.38 | 12.25 | 22.75 | 44.55 | |
| Child Benefit | 20.75 | 20.75 | 20.75 | 20.75 | 20.75 | |
| Family Credit | 37.32 | 8.10 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | |
| Tax and NICs less Child Benefit and Family Credit as a percentage of gross earnings | -36.13 | -8.35 | 2.50 | 7.25 | 13.39 | |
| Net income | 204.19 | 216.71 | 243.74 | 278.24 | 346.44 | |
| Equivalised Net Income | 146.90 | 155.90 | 175.35 | 200.17 | 249.24 | |
Note:
The figures are calculated on the basis that all earnings are from employment and that there are no other sources of income
The Married Couples Allowance has been allocated to the person earning 60 per cent. of the total
The standard McClements scales have been used to determine equivalised income. This is the same process that is used in the DSS's Households Below Average Income publication
Some of these families may also be entitled to housing benefit and council tax benefit. However, as this will depend upon the composition of the housing costs (between mortgage payments, council tax, and rent) housing benefit and council tax benefit have been left out of these figures
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Credit Unions
Mr. Gareth R. Thomas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received on reform of the regulations governing credit unions; and if he will make a statement. [53777]
Ms Hewitt: A number of representations have been received on reforming credit unions, including one from the Association of British Credit Unions. We will shortly be issuing a consultation document containing a package of measures designed to lift some of the restrictions in existing legislation, whilst maintaining the movement's focus on the less well off.
Widowers and Widows Benefits
Mr. Todd: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the Government will extend the entitlement to widows bereavement allowance to widowers. [53342]
Dawn Primarolo: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. and learned Member for Harborough (Mr. Garnier) on 3 July 1998, Official Report, columns 330-31.
Self-assessment
Mr. Kenneth Clarke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many late-filing penalty notices have been issued by the Inland Revenue to taxpayers due to submit 1996-97 self-assessment income tax returns; and how many of the penalty notices have proved (a) to be incorrect or (b) to be issued in error. [52761]
Dawn Primarolo: 670,000 late filing penalties have been issued to taxpayers whose 1996-97 self assessment tax returns were received after the filing deadline. About 8 million tax returns were filed on time. There are a number of circumstances in which a penalty notice may need to be cancelled. A common example would be where the taxpayer turns out to have a reasonable excuse for delivering the return late. However, there are no available statistics for the numbers of penalties which were discharged simply because they were incorrect or issued in error.
Information Technology
Mr. Kaufman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department spent on IT, itemising (a) personal computers, (b) main-frame, (c) mini- computers and (d) file servers in the last year for which figure are available. [52876]
Dawn Primarolo: In 1997-98 Her Majesty's Treasury spent as follows:
- (a) on Personal Computers: £612,512.00
- (b) on Main-frame: Nil
- (c) on Mini-Computers: Nil
- (d) on File Servers: £653,495.00.
Alcohol and Tobacco Smuggling
Mr. Sheerman:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many successful prosecutions there have been in each of the last five years for smuggling (a) alcohol and (b) tobacco into the United Kingdom from mainland Europe. [52297]
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Mr. Geoffrey Robinson:
The information requested is not available in this form, however, specific figures are available for the number of prosecutions generated by Excise Verification Officers for the smuggling of alcohol and/or tobacco from within the European Union.
1993-94: 44
1994-95: 515
1995-96: 438
1996-97: 502
1997-98: 417.
Charities Taxation
Mr. Caplin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on progress on the Review of Charities Taxation. [53938]
Dawn Primarolo: Over 3,000 replies were received in the first phase of the Review. The Government are determined to devote the time and attention necessary to do justice to all these contributions before launching the next phase. We expect to publish a Consultation Document in the autumn.
Funeral Payments
Mr. Timms: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to regulate pre-payments for funerals. [53939]
Ms Hewitt: The planned legislation to establish the Financial Services Authority as a single financial regulator provides the opportunity to put in place some essential protections for pre-payments for funerals. Pre-payments for funerals will be included in the scope of regulation under the Bill. However, we will be looking at ways of excluding from direct regulation under the Bill arrangements that offer sufficient protection, such as plans backed by life insurance policies, which meet certain criteria. Consumer concerns about the conduct of the funeral business will remain the responsibility of the Department of Trade and Industry.
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