The below Parliamentary question was asked by Corri Wilson on 2016-02-05.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the incidence of members of the public receiving multiple letters from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) conveying conflicting information; and what steps HMRC is taking to reduce such occurrences.
Mr David Gauke
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) does not hold this data. However, they regularly publish general performance reports at Gov.uk.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-02-05.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what criteria and pay grades his Department uses to decide on pay rises for political aides and special advisors.
Matthew Hancock
All public servants, including special advisers, are subject to an overall 1% pay remit.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Corri Wilson on 2016-02-05.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans his Department has to improve HM Revenue and Customs’ response times to written correspondence from members of the public.
Mr David Gauke
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has taken major steps to improve their customer service, including recruiting 3,000 new staff into customer service roles and undertaking their biggest-ever training programme to enable them to build customer support teams that can move across a wide range of work according to customer demand. HMRC have also introduced digital mail scanning to help manage the more than 1million items of post they receive every month.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Corri Wilson on 2016-02-05.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the efficiency of HM Revenue and Customs in handling written correspondence from members of the public.
Mr David Gauke
Such a review has not been carried out recently. However, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) regularly publish general performance reports at Gov.uk. HMRC targets for post are to reply to 80% within 15 working days, 95% within 40 working days, and 90% accuracy.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Goodman on 2016-02-05.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what principles or framework HM Revenue and Customs uses to negotiate tax treaties with developing countries.
Mr David Gauke
The UK’s starting point in negotiations of tax treaties is based closely on the OECD Model Double Taxation Convention, which is also the basis for most other countries’ tax treaties. Some developing countries prefer to follow the UN Model Convention, the provisions of which differ in some areas to the OECD Model and the UK has agreed to adopt some of the UN provisions in its treaties with those countries. The object of the negotiations is to produce a text acceptable to both countries, balancing their preferences and reflecting compromises.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2016-02-05.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many and what proportion of tax credit claims reviewed by Concentrix have, following the review process, been paid in full; and for how long each such claim was suspended.
Mr David Gauke
The information requested is not available.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Goodman on 2016-02-05.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what double taxation treaties the Government expects to sign in the next 12 months.
Mr David Gauke
Negotiating double taxation treaties involves a number of stages including the requirement for ministerial and parliamentary approval in both countries. Even once the substantive provisions have been agreed, finalising certain technical issues is an unpredictable process over which the United Kingdom is not fully in control. It is therefore not possible to say which treaties will be ready for signature in the next 12 months. However, HM Revenue and Customs does publish the programme of tax treaty negotiations and news of signed treaties at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/double-taxation-agreements-developments-and-planned-negotiations.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen McPartland on 2016-02-05.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 21 January 2016 to Question 23515, what estimate he has made of the total cost to people who pay council tax in (a) Stevenage, (b) Hertfordshire and (c) England of the potential increase in council tax; and if he will make a statement.
Mr Marcus Jones
Council tax rates are completely up to local councils. All local authorities have the power to freeze council tax if they wish. Any council that wants to raise council tax above the referendum principle needs to go to their local area for consent.
Given the pressures councils face providing adult social care we are giving them the freedom to levy a 2 percent precept to help cover costs. Again, it is up to the responsible authority if they wish to exercise this.
Even if all authorities increase by the maximum under the referendum principles, council tax will still be lower in 2019-20 in real terms compared to 2010.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Simpson on 2016-02-05.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many people were recorded as homeless in each region in each of the last five years.
Mr Marcus Jones
The number of households accepted as being owed a main homelessness duty in each region of England in the last five financial years is shown in the atttached table.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2016-02-05.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what work the Digital Accessibility Alliance has completed or published since it was formed.
Mr Edward Vaizey
This Government recognises the importance of Digital Inclusion, and remains committed to seeing an improvement in the provision of digital information services for disabled people. Annual correspondence with the FTSE 100 companies has indicated that from 2013 to present there has been a steady increase in the number of companies that provide video relay. We welcome this positive progress, and public facing Government departments will continue to work with interested parties to ensure this continues.
We have also been monitoring progress of the provision of access services for Video on Demand (VoD) content since 2013 through engagement with the Authority for Television on Demand (ATVOD), platform operators content providers and broadcasters.
The Alliance for Digital Accessibility (formerly the Digital Accessibility Alliance), which has met twice since its formation, has created the environment for members to engage and discuss Accessibility issues.