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  • Geoffrey Cox – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Geoffrey Cox – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Geoffrey Cox on 2016-03-21.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of a reduction in VAT for small businesses in the tourism sector.

    Mr David Gauke

    The Government has reviewed the economic case for a reduction in VAT for the hospitality sector.

    In our view there is insufficient evidence to justify a reduction in VAT.

    Reducing VAT on all tourism related activities would have a potential cost in excess of £10 billion in the first year alone.

  • Mike Freer – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Mike Freer – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Freer on 2016-03-21.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many properties valued at or over £1 million were sold in October to December (a) 2014 and (b) 2015; and how much was raised in stamp duty land tax in each of those periods.

    Mr David Gauke

    The table below summarises estimates for the number of and yield from property transactions between October and December 2014 and 2015. The estimates for 2014 include transactions in Scotland whereas estimates for 2015 do not because SDLT ceased to be applicable to Scottish transactions from 1 April 2015. The figures for the 2015-16 financial year are provisional.

    October to December 2014

    October to December 2015

    Residential Transactions at or over £1m (Number)

    4,800

    5,300

    Residential Transactions at or over £1m (Stamp Duty Land Tax)

    £577 million

    £674 million

    Non-Residential Transactions at or over £1m (Number)

    3,800

    3,600

    Non-Residential Transactions at or over £1m (Stamp Duty Land Tax)

    £708 million

    £731 million

    Total Stamp Duty Land Tax

    £2.87 billion

    £2.91 billion
  • Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-03-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to paragraphs 1.140 and 1.142 of the Budget 2016, whether it is his policy that apprentices over the age of 25 will be subject to the national living wage or the apprentice rate of the national minimum wage.

    Nick Boles

    Apprentices under the age of 19 or in the first year of their apprenticeship are entitled to at least the National Minimum Wage apprentice rate – currently set at £3.30 per hour.

    All other apprentices are entitled to at least the minimum wage rate appropriate for their age, which for over-25s is the National Living Wage rate of £7.20 per hour.

  • Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-03-21.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 1.205 of the Budget 2016, if he will publish the calculations referred to in footnote 143 on the potential costs to consumers of the rise in the standard rate of insurance premium tax.

    Harriett Baldwin

    We do not usually publish such calculations.

  • Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-03-21.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what training is provided to HM Revenue and Customs national minimum wage inspectors on identification and investigation of cases of human trafficking.

    Mr David Gauke

    HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has developed a specific training package targeting Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking which is mandatory for all visiting officers. This training advises officers on the indicators to look for and the responses to take where exploitation is suspected.

    HMRC participates in multi-agency investigations into cases of Modern Slavery where there are potential tax or National Minimum Wage (NMW) offences. Since February 2015, HMRC has opened 73 tax investigations in cases where Modern Slavery is suspected. HMRC does not collate specific data on any NMW arrears identified in cases involving Modern Slavery.

  • Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-03-21.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the budgetary implications of lower-than-predicted growth rates for government departments other than the Department for International Development.

    Greg Hands

    Departmental budgets were set at Spending Review 2015.

    Budget 2016 announced an adjustment to Official Development Assistance spend to account for the lower growth forecast.

  • Alison Thewliss – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Alison Thewliss – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison Thewliss on 2016-03-21.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department plans to include non-prescription incontinence pads, maternity pads and breast pads used by breastfeeding mothers in the definition of sanitary products for the purposes of zero rating under VAT.

    Mr David Gauke

    The zero rate of VAT will apply to any sanitary protection product that is designed and marketed solely for the absorption of collection of menstrual flow or lochia, including:

    • Sanitary towels
    • Sanitary pads
    • Tampons
    • Keepers
    • Maternity pads

    Eligible incontinence products, for sale to disabled people, are already zero rated.

  • Emma Reynolds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Emma Reynolds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emma Reynolds on 2016-03-21.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of jobs that have been created by foreign direct investment from other EU countries in each region and constituent part of the UK in each of the last five years.

    Mr David Gauke

    UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) have reported on the number of jobs associated with foreign direct investment projects in UK regions in the ‘Foreign Direct Investment projects by UK Region (2010/11 to 2014/15)’ report. This can be found here:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/foreign-direct-investment-projects-by-ukti-regions-201011-to-201415/foreign-direct-investment-projects-by-uk-region-201011-to-201415

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-03-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 2 March 2016 to Question 27887, what proportion of undecided and withdrawn appeals were (a) undecided and (b) withdrawn in each year since 2009-10; and for what reasons the number of undecided and withdrawn appeals is higher in 2015-16 than in any of the previous six years.

    Brandon Lewis

    The attached table shows the number of undecided and withdrawn planning appeals, these were previously combined in the table in the answer of 2 March.

    The undecided number for 2015-16 is much higher than other years because it includes the live casework that is in the system at present, awaiting a decision.

    The number of withdrawn planning appeals has ranged between 500 and 630 for all years except 2009-2010, when the number of appeals received was higher.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-03-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department has made of its spending on reducing homelessness in each of the next five years; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    Since 2010 we have invested over £500 million to enable local authorities and the voluntary sector to support those vulnerable and at risk of homelessness. One person without a home is one too many and we are committed to do all we can to prevent homelessness. We have protected the homelessness prevention funding local authorities receive, totalling £315 million by 2019-20. This builds on our Spending Review commitment to increase central government funding to £139 million over the course of this Parliament. We will work with homelessness organisations to consider other options, including legislation, to ensure those at risk of homelessness get earlier and more effective support.

    We also announced at Budget £100 million to deliver low cost ‘move on’ accommodation to enable people leaving hostels and refuges to make a sustainable recovery from a homelessness crisis, providing at least 2,000 places for vulnerable people to enable independent living.