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Income Tax
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer have many (a) working and (b) non-working people do not pay income tax in the United Kingdom. [26145]
Dawn Primarolo: Inland Revenue estimate that out of the 27.8 million taxpayers in 2000–01 in the United Kingdom (UK), 23.4 million had employment or self- employment income. These estimates are based on the Survey of Personal Incomes and are consistent with the November 2001 pre-Budget report.
The ONS population estimate for the UK in 2000 is 59.8 million.
The ONS estimate for the number of people in employment in the UK based on the September–November 2000 Labour Force Survey is 28.0 million.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of the people of (a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland paid income tax at (i) the basic rate and (ii) the higher rate in each of the last four years. [27437]
Dawn Primarolo: The proportions requested are in the table.
(5) Taxpayers with a marginal rate at 20 per cent. lower rate for savings or 10 per cent. ordinary dividend rate from £1 of extra earnings are excluded from this column as they are in the "savers" category.
(6) Provisional
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Estimates are based on the Survey of Personal Incomes and the 2000–01 is consistent with the November 2001 pre-Budget report.
Income Tax Bands
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many tax units in the latest year available are married couples falling within each £1,000 income band up to an income of £30,000 and thereafter in £10,000 income bands up to £100,000; and how many wives and husbands fall within each band, giving the average incomes of wives and husbands within each band separately and the same figures in aggregate for those tax units on incomes in excess of £10,000. [26204]
Dawn Primarolo: It would be possible to provide an answer only at disproportionate cost.
Fraud
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the average amount of money recovered annually by (a) a Department for Work and Pensions senior fraud inspector and (b) a senior investigation officer in the Inland Revenue. [26238]
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Dawn Primarolo: There is no position of 'senior fraud inspector' in the Department for Work and Pensions. Nor is it possible to separate the total amount of overpaid benefit recovered into overpayments due to fraud and those due to other reasons. It is therefore not possible to say what is the average amount of money recovered annually by a Department for Work and Pensions senior fraud inspector.
The term 'senior investigation officer' does not refer to any specific group of Inland Revenue staff. However, the Inland Revenue annual report, available in the House of Commons Library, details the additional liability identified as a result of work to tackle non-compliance undertaken by specialist offices such as the Large Business Office and the Special Compliance Office.
Working Mothers
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the effect on Treasury revenues in 2001–02 of introducing an allowance against income rate of (a) £2000 and (b) £4000 for (i) all working mothers and (ii) all working mothers with at least one child under five years, giving both full and first year costs for each. [26144]
Dawn Primarolo: The cost to the Exchequer of introducing the personal allowances for these groups is shown in the table:
| Increase in personal allowance | Working mother type | Full year costs (£ million) | First year costs (£ million) |
|---|---|---|---|
| (a) £2,000 pa | (i) All | 1,200 | 1,050 |
| (a) £2,000 pa | (ii) With child under five | 400 | 350 |
| (b) £4,000 pa | (i) All | 2,200 | 1,900 |
| (b) £4,000 pa | (ii) With child under five | 700 | 600 |
Note:
The estimates are calculated in 2001–02 prices, using data from the 1999–2000 Family Resources Survey held in the standard IGoTM tax benefit model. The first year costs have been estimated on a national accounts basis.
Private Finance Initiative
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list those public investment projects within his Department's responsibility which have attracted private capital in each of the last four years. [26109]
Mr. Andrew Smith: The information is given in the table:
| Department and project | 1997–98 | 1998–99 | 1999–2000 | 2000–01 | 2001–02 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HMCE | |||||
| PFI Infrastructure Project | — | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| HMT | |||||
| GOGGS | — | — | — | Yes | — |
| IR | |||||
| Manchester | Yes | Yes | — | — | — |
| Bootle | — | Yes | Yes | Yes | — |
| Glasgow | Yes | Yes | — | — | — |
| Edinburgh | Yes | Yes | — | — | — |
| Stockport | — | Yes | Yes | — | — |
| NIRS2 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| NED | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| STEPS | — | — | — | — | Yes |
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Inland Revenue Rewards
Mr. Gray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what have been, in each of the three years to 31 March 2001, Inland Revenue's estimates for sums to be expended in rewarding individuals under section 32 of the Inland Revenue Regulation Act 1890; what the sum voted for this category of expenditure was; what Inland Revenue's actual expenditure was; and how much of this expenditure related to rewards to ordinary members of the public. [26844]
Dawn Primarolo: The total amounts paid in rewarding individuals under section 32 of Inland Revenue Regulation Act 1890 for each of the three years ended 31 March 1999, 2000 and 2001 respectively were £15,000, £17,965 and £5,075. All of these amounts were paid to members of the public.
Because of the relatively small sums involved, the Inland Revenue does not vote a sum nor earmark particular funds for this category of expenditure.
Excess Votes
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many excess votes there were in each of the last four years, indicating the amount and the department responsible in each case. [27919]
Mr. Andrew Smith: Details of excess votes are presented to Parliament in February of the financial year following the excess in a House of Commons paper entitled "Statement of Excesses" (SoE). For 2000–01 the SoE will be presented towards the end of February. For the previous three financial years the relevant HC papers are numbered as follows—1997–98 HC239, 1998–99 HC276 and 1999–2000 HC323.
Public Works Loans
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much money is on loan to local authorities by the Public Works Loan Board; which local authorities are borrowing; and what the sum involved is in each case. [27933]
Ruth Kelly: As at 31 March 2001, outstanding PWLB debt amounted to £47,169,517,807 divided between 350 of the 443 principal authorities in England, Scotland and Wales. This information was published in the PWLB's annual report for 2000–01. The PWLB operates a banking relationship with its local authority clients and does not disclose individual levels of borrowing.
Fuel Levy
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the fuel levy of 20 pence per litre for biodiesel will come into effect. [28927]
Mr. Boateng: We are planning to introduce a new reduced rate of excise duty for biodiesel used as a road fuel, to be set at 20 pence per litre below the rate for ultra-low sulphur diesel, in Budget 2002.
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