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Tax Credits
Lord Steinberg asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Bach: Estimates of the number of overpaid tax credit awards and overpaid amounts for each year of new tax credits up to 2006-07 are published in table 9 of HM Revenue and Customs 2007-08 Accounts. Report by the Comptroller and Auditor General. Table 11 in the same report provides estimates of the total amount of tax credit debt, including the total amounts recovered or written off as at 5 April 2008.
This publication is available on the HMRC website at: http://www.hmrc.qov.uk/about/hmrc-dep-acct07O8.pdf.
Taxation: Inheritance Tax
Lord Steinberg asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Bach: The inheritance tax nil-rate band currently stands at £312,000. The Chancellor announced at Budget 2006 that the nil-rate band would rise to £325,000 for 2009-10 and at Budget 2007 that it would rise to £350,000 for 2010-11.
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Taxation: VAT
Lord James of Blackheath asked Her Majesty's Government:
Following the judgment of the House of Lords on 18 July 2007 in Sempra Metals Limited v HM Commissioners of Inland Revenue and another, what would be the additional cost to the Treasury of having to pay compound interest rather than simple interest in relation to currently outstanding VAT claims and in relation to VAT claims previously paid. [HL5260]
Lord Bach: The information requested is not available.
Lord James of Blackheath asked Her Majesty's Government:
Following the publication of the litigation and settlements strategy by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), whether HMRC will not litigate all VAT matters and instead settle certain cases where HMRC believes its prospects of success to be low.[HL5261]
Lord Bach: HMRC's litigation and settlement strategy sets out principles for bringing tax disputes to a conclusion. The strategy makes it clear that HMRC will focus on issues where it has a strong case or where a fundamental point of principle is at stake, recognising that sometimes both HMRC and taxpayers would benefit from a clarification of the law.
Lord James of Blackheath asked Her Majesty's Government:
Following the judgment of the House of Lords on 23 January in Condé Nast Publications Limited v HM Revenue and Customs and the creation of a new deadline for the presentation of previously disallowed claims for wrongly collected VAT, (a) what is the current value of all claims for which HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) already acknowledge a liability to repay; (b) what is the current value of all claims which HMRC recognise as outstanding but which have yet to be finally agreed; and (c) what value HMRC has estimated for the previously time-barred claims which are likely to be submitted by 31 March 2009; and [HL5259]
Following the judgment of the House of Lords on 23 January in Condé Nast Publications Limited v HM Revenue and Customs and the creation of a new deadline for the presentation of previously disallowed claims for wrongly collected VAT, (a) what amount has been allowed in the Red Book for payments to be made in respect of VAT claims in 2008-09; (b) how much HM Revenue and Customs expects to pay in 2008-09; and (c) what amounts are expected to be paid for each subsequent year up to 2012-13.[HL5262]
Lord Davies of Oldham: As at 29 August 2008, HMRC has repaid VAT and related statutory interest claims totalling approx £l billion as a result of the litigation in Fleming and Condé Nast, of which approximately £200 million has been repaid so far
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Transport: Cambridgeshire Guided Busway
Lord Berkeley asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the Cambridgeshire guided busway operation will be liable for business rates; and, if so, how these will be assessed.[HL5244]
Lord Bach: The Cambridgeshire guided busway operation will be liable for business rates if, when in operation, it will be possible to identify a party which is in beneficial and exclusive occupation, whether of the whole busway or parts of it. The busway will be assessed, to the extent that it is so occupied, on the same basis as other rateable property.
Turkey: Religious Freedom
Lord Patten asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have made, or intend to make, representations to the Government of Turkey concerning the religious freedoms of the Alevis, in particular their undertakings to recognise the Alevi houses of worship known as cemeulers and the rights of parents to withdraw children from compulsory Sunni Islam religious education classes. [HL5138]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Malloch-Brown): The issue of religious freedom of Alevi and other minority groups in Turkey is raised routinely as part of the EU's political dialogue with Turkey and is also covered in the European Commission's annual progress reports on Turkey. The Government continue to encourage Turkey to make swift progress on fundamental human rights reforms and to implement the decisions of domestic courts and the European Court of Human Rights in full. We are aware that the Turkish Government are actively considering how they can best support freedom of religion for the Alevis as well as the reform of compulsory religious education in schools more generally, but no final decision has yet been taken on either issue.
Answers received between Tuesday 23 September and Monday 29 September 2008
Asylum Seekers
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have given consideration to The Rights of Women Seeking Asylum: A Charter, produced by Asylum Aid and other non-governmental organisations; and whether they will respond to it.[HL5278]
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord West of Spithead): Officials at the United Kingdom Border Agency are considering the publication, The Rights of Women Seeking Asylum: A Charter. We intend to respond to it and officials will arrange to meet with Asylum Aid to discuss it shortly.
Asylum Seekers: North Korea
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
What help they have received from the Government of South Korea in identifying around 450 people claiming asylum in the United Kingdom as North Koreans; and whether, if an applicant's fingerprints have been taken for the EURODAC computer system but do not match with the South Korean national fingerprint system, they will inform that applicant’s legal representative.[HL5215]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord West of Spithead): In late 2007 there was an increase in the number of applications from North Korean asylum seekers. Intelligence indicated some of the alleged North Koreans had in fact gained South Korean citizenship through the South Korean “New Settler” scheme, and were concealing their South Korean status.
UK officials have agreed in principle with the South Korean authorities to check the fingerprints of alleged North Korean asylum seekers against the South Korean citizenship database. This will be done on a bilateral basis between Governments, in confidence and in a secure format.
Fingerprint matching results will be used in a fair and open manner and incorporated into the case by case decision-making process. In cases where no match is identified, this will be made available in the normal manner and seen as supporting evidence showing that the applicant is not in fact South Korean.
Cybercrime
Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer asked Her Majesty's Government:
Which elements of the critical national infrastructure are protected by an air gap; and which are connected to the internet. [HL5203]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord West of Spithead): It is not in our national security interests to provide the specific information requested on elements of our critical national infrastructure. In general terms, it is the responsibility of the businesses and organisations that comprise the UK’s critical national infrastructure to identify and implement appropriate protective measures relating to information security, in proportion to the risks they face.
To help them to achieve this, protective security advice about the steps they can take to protect themselves against instances such as electronic attack is provided
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Government: Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
What engagements the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland had in Northern Ireland in May and June; and [HL4782]
What were the public engagements of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland during April 2008. [HL4815]
Lord Rooker: The information requested by the noble Lord is held by the Northern Ireland Office. However, the disclosure of some of this information, including details of internal or interdepartmental meetings with Ministers or officials, would be prejudicial to the effective conduct of public affairs.
During that time the Secretary of State has had various meetings in Northern Ireland with Ministers, local political representatives, key public figures and officials.
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland plans to visit the United States; if so, when; and for what reason. [HL5121]
Lord Rooker: I refer the noble Lord to the Answer I gave on 29 January 2008, Official Report, col. WA106.
Home Office
Lord Jopling asked Her Majesty's Government:
What is their reaction to the Financial Times ratings of “The Best and Worst in Whitehall” of 12 May which rated the Home Office the lowest department on 14 out of 40; and what discussion and changes have taken place in Home Office senior management at official and ministerial level to improve its rating. [HL5119]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord West of Spithead): The Financial Times ratings referred to were based on the results of the first Capability Review of the Home Office, which was published in July 2006. Following that review the department produced and implemented a Reform Action Plan to tackle the issues highlighted. A second capability review was carried out in June 2008 which found that there had been significant improvement, rating the Home Office at 25 out of 40. It noted that the Home Office had improved on seven of the 10 capability indicators, four of them by two places. There are no longer any areas which are of “serious concern” or require “urgent development”. The external reviewers
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Immigration: Vaccination
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
What arrangements the UK Border Agency has to vaccinate infants with HIV-positive mothers for tuberculosis.[HL5214]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord West of Spithead): Migrants to the UK living in the community are generally expected to take responsibility for safeguarding their own health and that of their children. However, the UK Border Agency aims to ensure that all asylum seekers it supports, who are entitled to National Health Service treatment without charge while awaiting a final decision on their claims, are able to access appropriate medical care for themselves and their dependants.
Children detained with their mothers in immigration removal centres have access to on-site primary healthcare services. The provision of vaccinations to such children is a matter of clinical judgement for the healthcare professionals concerned.
Northern Ireland Office: Bonuses
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
When bonuses were first paid to employees of the Northern Ireland Office; why they were created; and what is the percentage increase of awards in each year. [HL5120]
Lord Rooker: The Northern Ireland Office currently operates three types of bonus scheme:
A non-consolidated bonus scheme for Senior Civil Service (SCS) staff;A non-consolidated bonus scheme for staff below the SCS; anda non-consolidated special bonus scheme.Non-consolidated bonuses were introduced as they are non-pensionable, result in no additional future pension liability, and reward staff for performance in a particular year rather than being consolidated into their pay for future years.
In relation to SCS staff, the Government decided in 2002 that a non-consolidated bonus scheme should be phased in, on the basis of recommendations from the Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB). This scheme is an integral part of all Whitehall and Northern Ireland government departments’ pay arrangements for their SCS employees.
Recommendations are made in successive annual SSRB reports, to which the Government respond. In 2002, the bonus pot was introduced at 2.3 per cent of the overall SCS paybill. It has increased in subsequent years and in 2008 is 8.6 per cent.
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In 2004 the NIO introduced a non-consolidated bonus scheme for staff below SCS, in line with broader government policy. The amount allocated was 0.54 per cent of overall paybill for staff below SCS and it has remained at this level.
In 1989, a non-consolidated special bonus scheme was introduced for all staff with an allocation equalling 0.1 per cent of the overall paybill. The bonus pot increased in subsequent years. Since 1996 it has been 0.4 per cent of overall paybill. The scheme was introduced to reward individual contributions during the year which were considered to be particularly meritorious. Such schemes are common in government departments.
Northern Ireland Office: Business Cases
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether in 2007 the Northern Ireland Office funded organisations which have not submitted a business case for funding; and, if so, what were those organisations. [HL5008]
Lord Rooker: The Northern Ireland Office has responsibility for the sponsorship and funding of a range of different bodies.
Appropriate mechanisms are in place for determining the levels of funding for these bodies in accordance with the principles of accountability and value for money, and consistent with HM Treasury accounting rules (managing public money).
The other agreed processes that the Northern Ireland Office may use for the allocation of funding include applications, action plans, submission of estimates and management statements. Other processes may be considered if they fully meet the requirements of the department.
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