HC Deb 07 October 2003 vol 411 cc5-6W
Dr. Cable:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of 17 July 2003, Official Report,columns 454–55W, on tax credit helplines, how many calls to the working tax credit helpline were expected in the first year of operation; and if he will make a statement. [128752]

Dawn Primarolo:

There was no single forecast of calls or callers to the child and working tax credit helplines.

Mr. Laws:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of the total cost of the July 1997 Budget decision to abolish payable tax credits for pension schemes and UK companies for each year from 1997–98 to 2005–06; and if he will make a statement. [130012]

Dawn Primarolo

[holding answer 16 September 2003]:The estimated effects of the abolition of payable tax credits were published in the Financial Statement and Budget Report in July 1997. The abolition of payable tax credits was part of a wider package of corporation tax reforms, and its actual effects cannot be separately identified.

Mr. Flight:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his latest estimate is of the amount of research and development expenditure incurred by small and medium-sized companies that will qualify for the research and development tax credit in 2000–01. [131043]

Dawn Primarolo

[holding answer 18 September 2003]: There are no published estimates of the amount of research and development expenditure incurred by small and medium-sized companies in 2000–01 that will qualify for the research and development tax credit. We have received over 1;700 claims by small and medium-sized companies relating to R&D expenditure in 2000–01.