HC Deb 21 February 1989 vol 147 cc538-9W
Mr. Gordon Brown

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what is his estimate of the cost of private medical insurance tax relief for each of the five years following its introduction;

(2) how many elderly persons would be eligible for tax relief as private income; what is his estimate of the number who currently hold private medical insurance; and how many more he estimates will take out health insurance under this new scheme;

(3) what proportion of the cost of private medical insurance tax relief he estimates will be paid out to those who already have private medical insurance;

(4) what proportion of the cost of private medical insurance tax relief he estimates will go to taxpayers paying tax at 40 per cent.;

(5) how many persons over 60 years have private medical insurance; and what is his estimate of how many would be entitled to tax reliefs under his proposals;

(6) what is the estimate of the average cost of tax relief at the top rate for the typical private medical insurance policy for a person at the age of (a) 60 years, (b) 70 years and (c) 75 years.

Ms. Harman

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will estimate the cost of tax relief on premiums for health insurance for those aged 60 years or over under the National Health Service White Paper;

(2) if he will estimate the average cost per year of tax relief as proposed in the National Health Service White Paper for a person over 60 years who has private health insurance.

Mr. Tim Smith

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what will be the deadweight cost of giving income tax relief from April 1990 on medical insurance premiums for those aged 60 years and over.

85. Mr. Blunkett

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what he estimates the cost to be of introducing tax relief on private health insurance for the elderly, as proposed in "Working for Patients," Cm. 555.

Mr. Norman Lamont

[holding answers 6 February 1989, 9 February 1989, 16 February 1989 and 17 February 1989]: Estimates of the cost of this relief will be announced in the 1989–90 Financial Statement and Budget Report. The number of people affected and the average value of the relief will depend on the precise details of the scheme, which are under consideration.