§ Mr. HowardTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people were employed by the Inland Revenue to process applications for(a) child tax credit and (b) working tax credit in each month since April 2002. [111388]
§ Dawn PrimaroloThe numbers of staff employed by the Inland Revenue on processing claims to new tax credits in the year to 31 March 2003 were as follows:
Number September 2002 19 October 2002 978 November 2002 1,941 December 2002 2,578 January 2003 3,455 February 2003 4,336 March 2003 4,502 The figures quoted are monthly full time equivalents.
§ Mr. WillettsTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the amount he will collect in(a) income tax and (b) national insurance from people entitled to one or both of the new child and working tax credits in (i) 2003–04 and (ii) 2004–05. [107408]
§ Dawn PrimaroloThe estimated liabilities for those expected to receive Child Tax Credit, Working Tax Credit or both are given in the table. The income tax liabilities exclude the negative tax element of the tax credits
£ billion 2003–04 2004–05 Income tax 14.5 15.7 Employee and self-employed national insurance contributions 7.0 7.4
§ Mr. WillettsTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much of the expenditure on each of the new personal tax credits in(a) 2003–04 and (b) 2004–05 will be defined as (i) negative taxation and (ii) public expenditure. [107409]
§ Dawn PrimaroloThe estimates are given in the table.
£ billion 2003–04 2004–05 Child tax credit Negative taxation 2.6 3.0 Public expenditure 5.5 8.5 Working tax credit Negative taxation 0.6 0.7 Public expenditure 2.4 2.6
§ Mr. WillettsTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the Answer by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Work and Pensions on 2 April 2003,Official Report, column 721W, on benefits, for what reasons information on the number of individuals eligible for (a) working tax credit and (b) child tax credit is not available. [110936]
488W
§ Mr. HowardTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of households eligible for(a) child tax credit, (b) working tax credit and (c) both. [111392]
§ Dawn Primarolo[holding answer 1 May 2003]:Reliable information on the eligible population for the Working and Child Tax Credits will not be available until survey data for 2003–04 has been produced and analysed.
§ Mr. BradyTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of 8 May,Official Report, columns 791–2W, on Tax Credits, which Inland Revenue offices have made interim payments of child tax credit; and how many payments there were and what their value was, broken down by office. [113196]
§ Dawn Primarolo[holding answer 13 May 2003]: In the vast majority of cases, special arrangements for payment of Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit are not necessary.
Where, exceptionally, a payment is due but has not, for some reason been received, all local Inland Revenue Enquiry Offices have the ability to issue same day interim payments. Collated figures for the number and value of interim payments of Child Tax Credit are not readily available.
§ Mr. HowardTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has set a deadline for the payment of all overdue tax credits. [111383]
§ Dawn PrimaroloThe Revenue has set up tax credit awards for all claims made by 25 April or, if not, it is because more information is needed from claimants or further checks are required before a decision is made. Over 3.3 million awards are being paid. This includes the 2 million families opting to get their money every 4 weeks, who were sent their first payment of tax credits by Friday 2 May, as planned.