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  • Lord Myners – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Myners – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Myners on 2016-04-14.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether children of a first marriage are disadvantaged compared with the children of subsequent marriages under current inheritance tax rules.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    Inheritance tax is generally levied on estates rather than on beneficiaries. Although any legacies to a spouse or civil partner will be exempt, the relationship between the deceased and the beneficiaries usually has no effect on the inheritance tax liability of an estate under the current rules. The children of first marriages and of subsequent marriages, and indeed other beneficiaries of the deceased, will generally be treated in the same way.

    The Government considered whether children of a first marriage would be disadvantaged compared with children of subsequent marriages when developing legislation for the new residence allowance. This is being phased in from April 2017 for individuals who leave their home to their children, grandchildren or other direct descendants. The definition of direct descendants includes a person who was at any time a step-child of the deceased so it would apply equally to children of first and any subsequent marriages.

  • Lord Scriven – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Lord Scriven – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Scriven on 2016-04-14.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the cost and headcount implications of moving the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills office from Sheffield to London by 2018, as indicated in BIS2020 Finance and Headcount.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    The Government does not comment on leaked documents.

  • Lord Scriven – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Scriven – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Scriven on 2016-04-14.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government on what date they were informed that NHS England was considering implementing a sugar tax in NHS premises by 2020.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    We have a range of conversations about key issues at Ministerial and official level with NHS England. NHS England is independent and the decision on a sugar levy on the National Health Service estate is a matter for them operationally. We are interested to see the results of their consultation on a sugar levy.

  • Lord Touhig – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord Touhig – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Touhig on 2016-04-14.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the annual operating cost of the Welbeck Defence Sixth Form College.

    Earl Howe

    The annual operating cost for the Welbeck Defence Sixth Form College for academic year 1 September 2015 to 31 August 2016 is £14,532,603.

  • Viscount Waverley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Viscount Waverley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Viscount Waverley on 2016-04-14.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, in the event of the UK leaving the EU, they intend to advise UK citizens living in EU member states to take citizenship in their country of residence in order to protect their legal rights.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The Government’s view is that the UK will be stronger, safer and better off in a reformed EU. Should the UK choose to stay in the EU, British citizens will be able to work, live and retire abroad as they do now. UK citizens and citizens from other Member States living in the UK get a range of rights from our membership of the EU. If the UK were to leave the EU, all of these rights would have to be covered in a successor arrangement. If we left the EU without agreeing what would happen to these rights, it would at the least bring them into serious question, creating difficulty for UK citizens who relied on them.

  • Viscount Waverley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Viscount Waverley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Viscount Waverley on 2016-04-14.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the event of the UK leaving the EU, how they intend to change the status of domicile, if at all, in relation to UK citizens living in EU member states.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    Domicile in the UK is an English common law concept which is distinct from citizenship and nationality. It is not dependent on EU law nor on the UK’s membership of the EU.

  • Viscount Waverley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Viscount Waverley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Viscount Waverley on 2016-04-14.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, in the event of the UK leaving the EU, UK citizens living in EU member states would continue to be treated as all other UK citizens in the event of their death, in particular regarding their domicile status and death duties on their estates.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    Domicile in the UK is an English common law concept which is distinct from citizenship and nationality. It is not dependent on EU law nor on the UK’s membership of the EU.

  • Viscount Waverley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Viscount Waverley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Viscount Waverley on 2016-04-14.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government why UK citizens who have been resident in other EU member states for more than 15 years who pay taxes and social security in the UK and are treated as domiciled in the UK have been excluded from voting in the referendum on 23 June.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The franchise for the EU referendum is based on the current UK Parliamentary franchise and includes British citizens who have lived overseas for fewer than 15 years and were registered to vote before they left the UK. This means that many overseas voters will be able to participate in the referendum and we are supporting the Electoral Commission in their efforts to encourage as many as possible to register to vote. The Government intends to introduce legislation to scrap the 15 year rule as a permanent change to the Parliamentary franchise in due course.

  • Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws on 2016-04-14.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of freedom of expression in Bangladesh, including the threats of criminal defamation against individual journalists and editors, and whether they will raise any specific concerns with the government of Bangladesh.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We believe that a vibrant civil society and free media, able to challenge and hold authority to account, are fundamental to a democratic and economically successful society. We have made clear our concerns about freedom of expression in Bangladesh, most recently in a press statement about the murder of Nazimuddin Samad. In that statement the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth East (Mr Ellwood), restated our position that the right to freedom of expression and open debate in Bangladesh must be upheld.

  • Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws on 2016-04-14.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the Bangladesh Law Commission’s proposed new law, now entitled Bangladesh Liberation War (Denial, Distortion, Opposition) Crime Law, and its implications for freedom of expression in that country.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The proposed new Bangladesh Liberation War (Denial, Distortion, Opposition) Crime Law is in the initial consultation phase. We will continue to watch the development of its provisions closely, raising as appropriate any concerns that might arise.