To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many higher rate taxpayers there were in (a) the Twickenham constituency, (b) the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and (c) London as a proportion of the total tax-paying population in each area in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement. [105548]

Estimates of the number of higher rate taxpayers as a proportion of the total tax-paying population in (a) Twickenham constituency, (b) the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and (c) London are shown as follows.

Number of higher rate taxpayers as a percentage of the total tax- paying population for the respective geographical areas
Percentage
	Twickenham1	Richmond upon Thames	London2
1995–96	—	25.3	12.4
1996–97	—	21.2	12.3
1997–98	—	—	12.2
1998–99	—	—	13.0
1999–2000	—	—	—
2000–01	29.3	29.8	15.7
1 Parliamentary constituency.
2 Government office region.

Estimates are based on the Survey of Personal Incomes (SPI). Constituency level estimates were not compiled before 1998–99, and sub-regional estimates are not available for 1997–98 and 1998–99. Statistics based on the 1999–2000 SPI have been withdrawn temporarily following concerns over the reliability of this survey. Revised estimates will be available as soon as the re-compilation of the 1999–2000 SPI has been completed. These will follow the release of results based on the 2001–02 SPI in October 2003.