UKPOL.CO.UK

Category: Speeches

  • Craig Whittaker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Craig Whittaker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2016-03-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to support small and medium-sized businesses in areas that have recently been affected by flooding.

    Anna Soubry

    Following this winter’s severe flooding across northern England, including Calderdale, this Government put in place a comprehensive response and Calderdale has already received over £9.8 million in funding for business and community support.

    Specifically for small and medium sized businesses there are three ways we are helping:

    – giving flooded businesses business rates relief (£1.6 million for Calderdale)

    – providing business recovery grants to help deal with exceptional costs borne by flooded businesses (£1.55 million paid out to businesses to date); and

    – grants to incorporate greater flood resilience into any repairs undertaken by flooded businesses, helping to reduce the future impacts of flooding (£52,000 paid out to date to homes and businesses in Calderdale).

    Other measures such as getting roads, bridges and rail services back working again and repairing and improving flood defences are also clearly a significant help. This includes the £5.5 m to repair Elland Bridge and to provide a temporary footbridge in the interim.

  • Stephen Gethins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Stephen Gethins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Gethins on 2016-04-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what consultation there has been with the Scottish Government on the implementation of the Polar Code from 1 January 2017.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Government has not yet implemented the Polar Code which is due to enter into force next year. However, we will formally consult all stakeholders, including the Scottish Government, before we introduce the UK Regulations.

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-05-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he expects the first Thameslink Class 700 train to enter revenue-earning service.

    Claire Perry

    The new Class 700 Thameslink trains built by Siemens will first enter service on the Brighton to Bedford route. It is important that when the trains are introduced that they operate reliably on these heavily used sections of the rail network. It is to this end that the trains are currently undergoing extensive testing on the Thameslink routes. They are also being used for driver training by Govia Thameslink Railway Ltd and operational testing of new infrastructure at stations on the Thameslink routes. This phase of testing is nearing completion and the trains are expected to enter passenger service in due course.

  • Rachel Reeves – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Rachel Reeves – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rachel Reeves on 2016-07-06.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential annual cost to the Exchequer of a reduction in corporation tax to (a) 15 (b) 14 and (c) 10 per cent.

    Mr David Gauke

    The corporation tax reductions since 2010 have been designed to increase the competitiveness of the UK business tax system and to support investment and jobs in the UK. Their positive effect has been evidenced by strong growth in GDP, employment, and business investment since 2010.

    The Chancellor has now set out his ambition to reduce the corporation tax rate further, to 15% or below, to reinforce this strategy and send a clear message that the UK is open for business.

    However, since 2010-11, onshore corporation tax receipts have increased almost 20%, despite lowering the rate from 28% to 20%.

  • Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-10-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of recent polling of the views of parents on religious selection in state-funded schools.

    Lord Nash

    We are consulting on proposals to enable more high quality providers of schools to establish new schools and we are keen to hear the views of parents as part of the consultation. Many faith schools are successful and popular with parents and we want to provide sufficient high quality places to meet demand. We will take account of all the responses received when considering the government’s response to the consultation.

  • Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-10-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 17 October 2016 to Question 48291, what bids his Department received for the provision of specialist steel required for the pressure hulls for the Successor submarine programme.

    Harriett Baldwin

    The management of the steel procurement process for the Successor programme is the responsibility of the Prime Contractor, BAE Systems. The Ministry of Defence conducted a technical assessment during the BAE Systems tendering process to ensure bids met specifications.

    There were four bids received in total. I am withholding details of the bidding firms as the disclosure of this information would be prejudicial to commercial interests.

    Other stages of construction will include grades of steel manufactured by British suppliers and we encourage them to take the opportunity to bid.

    85% of BAE Systems supply chain for the new submarines is based in the UK.

  • Kate Osamor – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Kate Osamor – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Osamor on 2015-11-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many women held in Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre have refused to eat for one or more consecutive days in 2015.

    James Brokenshire

    For the period 1 January 2015 to 30 June 2015 provisional management information shows that 84 women were recorded as refusing food or fluid at Yarl’s Wood immigration removal centre.

  • Baroness Worthington – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Baroness Worthington – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Worthington on 2015-12-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much stamp duty reserve tax has been repaid following the 2012 decision of the First-Tier Tribunal (Tax) in the case of HSBC Holdings PLC and the Bank of New York Mellon Corporation v HMRC (TC/2009/165484).

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    The First Tier Tribunal in the case of HSBC Holdings PLC and the Bank of New York Mellon Corporation v HMRC decided in March 2012 that the taxing of Stamp Duty Reserve Tax at 1.5% on a transfer of shares which is integral to a share capital raising exercise to a depositary receipt issuer or clearance service, infringed the Capital Duty Directive. Following that decision, HMRC has repaid a total of £168 million Stamp Duty Reserve Tax to various claimants.

  • Chris White – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Chris White – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris White on 2016-01-21.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many businesses benefited from video games tax relief in 2014-15; what the cost of that relief was to his Department in that year; and what the return on investment was for the economy as a result of that relief.

    Mr David Gauke

    Video Games Tax Relief is forecast to cost the Exchequer £10m in 2014-15. The first Official Statistics on the number of claims and cost of Video Games Tax Relief will be published in Summer 2016, allowing sufficient time for claims to have been submitted for the 2014-15 tax year. No estimate of the benefit for the economy as a whole is available.

    The forecast has been certified by the independent Office for Budget Responsibility and is consistent with their latest forecast of Corporation Tax receipts.

  • Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the rate of pay is for cleaners in his Department.

    Brandon Lewis

    The rate of pay for cleaners working in buildings managed by the Department for Communities and Local Government is between £6.70 and £8.00 per hour depending on seniority, location and duration of tenure. From April 2016, the Department will pay the National Living Wage.