HC Deb 03 March 1989 vol 148 cc347-8W
Mr. Gordon Brown

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the total cost so far of business expansion tax relief for 1988–89; and what was the cost in previous years of the scheme.

Mr. Norman Lamont

A forecast of £100 million for the cost of relief for the business expansion scheme in 1988–89 was published in the Government's expenditure plans, 1989–90 to 1991–92, (Chapter 21), but no information is yet available centrally from official sources to provide a reliable estimate. The estimated cost of relief for earlier years is as follows:

£ million
1983–84 50
1984–85 75
1985–86 85
1986–87 95
1987–881 120

1 provisional

Mr. Gordon Brown

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how much tax relief has gone to the business expansion scheme on residential property; and what his estimate is of the full year cost of tax relief.

(2) what is his estimate of the cost of business expansion scheme tax relief on residential property in 1989–90 and 1990–91.

Mr. Norman Lamont

No information on the cost of the business expansion scheme tax relief for investments in residential property is yet available centrally from official sources. Costs in 1989–90 and 1990–91 will depend on take-up.