§ Mr. FlookTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many projects he estimates will become financially unviable following the decision to make changes to the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme in(a) Somerset, (b) Dorset, (c) Devon, (d) Cornwall, (e) Wiltshire, (f) North Somerset, (g) Bristol and (h) Bath and North East Somerset. [86939]
§ John HealeyThe Government have made no such estimates. The recently proposed changes to the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme will ensure that around £47 million per annum will continue to be made available for spending on local community environmental projects, ensuring that the current level of support for these types of projects is maintained. In addition there will be around £100 million per annum of funding available under the new public spending programme for sustainable waste management projects.
Tax credits which have already been claimed by landfill operators, or which may be claimed until March 2003, will need to be spent under the existing LTCS arrangements. This will ensure that projects which have been allocated tax credit funding will continue to benefit until such time as they are completed.
No decisions have yet been made on the criteria or scope of the replacement spending scheme.
§ Mr. FlookTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many environmental projects which are funded by the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme have a completion date beyond March 2003 in(a) Somerset, (b) Dorset, (c) Devon, (d) Cornwall, (e) Wiltshire, (f) North Somerset, (g) Bristol and (h) Bath and North East Somerset. [86940]
§ John HealeyFrom details provided by ENTRUST, the regulator of the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme, the following estimates have been made of the number of projects with completion dates beyond March 2003 in each of the areas listed:
Area Number of Projects Somerset 18 Dorset 2 Cornwall 11 Wiltshire 10 North Somerset 0 Bristol 26 Bath and North East Somerset 0