Norman Lamb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many taxpayers have filed their self- assessment tax returns via theinternet in each year since this service became available; whether he expects that the 50 per cent. target for internet filing ofself- assessment tax returns will be met by 2005; and if he will make a statement. [147648]Dawn Primarolo: The Inland Revenue received the following number of returns electronically in the following years: 2000-01: Thenumber of returns received electronically by the Inland Revenue was 336,127. 296,837 of these were received via the ElectronicLodgement Service and 39,290 via the Internet Service. 2001-02: The number of returns received electronically by the Inland Revenuewas 419,236. 343,009 of these were received via the Electronic Lodgement Service and 76,287 via the internet service. 2002-03: Thenumber of tax returns received electronically by the Inland Revenue was 705,690. 370,051 of these were received via the ElectronicLodgement Service and 335,639 via the Internet service. 2003-04: The number of tax returns received electronically by the InlandRevenue at 9 January 2004 was 649,338. 209,515 of these were received via the Electronic Lodgement Service and 439,823 via theInternet service.The target for electronic filing of self-assessment tax returns is that 25 per cent. of all self-assessment returns will be receivedelectronically by 5 April 2006. Electronically means by the Internet service or the Electronic Lodgement Service. The Inland Revenueis on course to meet this target.