To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the estimated current cost to the Exchequer in (a) lost income tax and (b) lost national insurance contributions of companies paying low-paid employees earning below tax and national insurance thresholds via share options. [37074]

The Inland Revenue does not hold centrally collated information regarding tax revenue forgone under relieved share option schemes. However, a sample of such schemes available to the Inland Revenue indicates that very few employees currently earning below income tax and national insurance thresholds realise gains under share option schemes which would otherwise have brought them into income tax. Information regarding national insurance contribution revenue forgone is not available.