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Landfill Tax Credit Scheme

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Treasury will commence consultation on the proposed changes to the landfill tax credit scheme; and if he will make a statement. [27665]

Mr. Boateng: The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) will shortly be issuing a consultation document on the shape of any replacement scheme and how any transition arrangements could be managed to ensure that worthwhile projects continue to receive funding.

Euro Preparations Committee

Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer who are the members of the cross-party HM Treasury Euro-Preparations Committee; how many times the Committee has met in the last four years; on which dates meetings are scheduled during 2002; and if he will make a statement. [26540]

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will place in the Library copies of the minutes of the meetings of the cross-party Euro-Preparations Committee; [27488]

(2) if he will list those members of the House who serve on the Euro Preparations Committee. [27462]

Ruth Kelly: All parliamentary parties are invited to send representatives to attend the Cross Party Group on Euro Preparations. The group was reconvened after the last general election, and has met twice since then, the last occasion being 5 December 2001. The Committee plans to meet regularly throughout 2002. Minutes of the meetings are available to those that attend the group.

15 Jan 2002 : Column 234W

Eurozone

Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what forecasts have been produced by his Department of eurozone short-term interest rates over the period 2002–03; and if he will make a statement. [26541]

Ruth Kelly: The Treasury does not publish any interest rate forecasts. Further detail on Treasury economic forecasts can be found in the pre-Budget and Budget reports.

Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of (a) fiscal policy co-ordination in the eurozone and (b) monetary/fiscal policy co-ordination in the eurozone; and if he will make a statement. [26696]

Ruth Kelly: The Chancellor's June 2001 Mansion House speech set out the Government's thinking on how economic policies aimed at achieving stability and economic reform can create a more competitive and prosperous Europe.

VAT

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he plans to extend to (a) charities and (b) voluntary organisations, the provisions of section 33 of the VAT Act 1994 on the recovery of import tax. [26537]

Mr. Boateng: The Government have no plans to extend the section 33 refund scheme in this way.

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of the total annual amount of irrecoverable VAT paid by charities. [26538]

Mr. Boateng: No estimate has been made.

Tax Exemptions

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the cost to the Exchequer in each of the last four years of granting tax exemptions to the income, profits and gains of Government, foreign states and integral bodies of foreign Governments arising in the United Kingdom. [26110]

Dawn Primarolo: The table details the approximate amounts refunded during the last four years to states or organisations granted sovereign immunity from taxation. Precise details are not held of other income (such as interest) which is relieved from tax at source, or of capital gains. Some of these items would in any case be exempted and payable without deduction of tax under the terms of a double taxation convention, or the UK tax legislation, as those apply to any non resident.

£ million

Tax year	Total payments
1997–98	121
1998–99	63
1999–2000	16
2000–01	8
2001–02(27)	2

⁽²⁷⁾ To 31 December 2001

Notes:

1. The amounts shown include payments of tax credits attaching to dividends payable on shares in UK companies, and tax deducted from interest.

2. The legislation enabling payment of dividend tax credits to exempt bodies was repealed with effect from 6 April 1999. The amounts shown as refunded in subsequent years comprise tax credits attributable to periods prior to 6 April 1999, and tax deducted from interest.

15 Jan 2002 : Column 235W

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the gain to the Exchequer in each of the last four years of the exemptions granted by overseas Governments to the income, profits and gains of the United Kingdom Government and United Kingdom Government bodies arising within the jurisdiction of those overseas Governments. [26111]

Dawn Primarolo: The average gain to the UK Exchequer from exemptions granted by overseas Governments to income arising on the UK reserves invested abroad, is estimated as approximately £250 million for each of the last four years.

Tax Refunds

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much tax was refunded to states or organisations granted sovereign immunity in each year since 1990. [26272]

Dawn Primarolo: The table details the approximate amounts refunded to states or organisations granted sovereign immunity from taxation.

£ million

Tax year	Total paid
1990–91	138
1991–92	164
1992–93	116
1993–94	117
1994–95	99
1995–96	120
1996–97	89
1997–98	121
1998–99	63
1999–2000	16
2000–01	8
2001–02(28)	2

⁽²⁸⁾ To 31 December 2001

Notes:

1. The amounts shown include payments of tax credits attaching to dividends payable on shares in UK companies, and tax deducted from interest.

2. The figures for years to 1993–94 inclusive are inflated by some refunds (to international organisations) that did not depend upon sovereign immunity. This element has been removed from the amounts shown for 1994–95 onwards.

3. The legislation enabling payment of dividend tax credit to exempt bodies was repealed with effect from 6 April 1999. The amounts shown as refunded in subsequent years comprise tax credits attributable to periods prior to 6 April 1999 and tax deducted from interest.

Incomes

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was (a) the total unearned and (b) the total earned income of the top (i) one per cent., (ii) five per cent., (iii) 10 per cent., (iv) 20 per cent., (v) 25 per cent., (vi) 50 per cent., (vii) 70 per cent. and (viii) all taxpayers in each of the last five years. [26259]

Dawn Primarolo: The total amount of earned and investment income for the groups of taxpayers requested are in the table.

15 Jan 2002 : Column 236W

£ million

Group of taxpayers by range of total income	Earned income	Investment income	Total income
1997–98
Top 1 per cent.	38	10	47
Top 5 per cent.	87	15	102
Top 10 per cent.	127	19	146
Top 20 per cent.	191	22	213
Top 25 per cent.	218	23	240
Top 50 per cent.	320	27	347
Top 70 per cent.	376	30	405
All taxpayers	425	35	461
1998–99
Top 1 per cent.	44	10	54
Top 5 per cent.	99	16	115
Top 10 per cent.	143	19	162
Top 20 per cent.	211	24	234
Top 25 per cent.	239	25	264
Top 50 per cent.	346	33	378
Top 70 per cent.	405	36	441
All taxpayers	458	40	498
1999–2000
Top 1 per cent.	47	10	58
Top 5 per cent.	107	16	123
Top 10 per cent.	154	20	174
Top 20 per cent.	226	24	250
Top 25 per cent.	256	26	282
Top 50 per cent.	370	32	402
Top 70 per cent.	431	36	467
All taxpayers	487	40	527
2000–01
Top 1 per cent.	54	10	64
Top 5 per cent.	117	15	133
Top 10 per cent.	167	19	186
Top 20 per cent.	242	24	266
Top 25 per cent.	274	25	299
Top 50 per cent.	392	32	424
Top 70 per cent.	456	36	492
All taxpayers	513	40	553
2001–02
Top 1 per cent.	56	10	66
Top 5 per cent.	121	16	137
Top 10 per cent.	173	19	192
Top 20 per cent.	251	24	275
Top 25 per cent.	284	25	309
Top 50 per cent.	407	32	439
Top 70 per cent.	474	36	510
All taxpayers	534	39	574

Accountancy Services

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which accountancy firms have provided paid services to (a) his Department and (b) agencies for which he is responsible in each of the last four years. [27441]

Ruth Kelly: The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

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