The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-05-03.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether industry analysts data was consulted in preparing the soft drinks industry levy.
Damian Hinds
Information on the key data and assumptions underpinning the costing of the soft drinks industry levy announced at Budget 2016 is available at page 12 in the Budget 2016 policy costings document available at:
“
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-06-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many armed forces personnel handed in a formal notice of resignation in each month between January 2010 and January 2014.
Mark Lancaster
Details of the number of trained Armed Forces personnel who handed in a formal notice of resignation during the period requested are given in the tables below. The information provided is an estimate of the number of applications made by Service personnel to leave before the end of their agreed engagement or commission period. It relates to those who have an application to leave recorded on their personnel record on the Joint Personnel Administration (JPA) system.
Voluntary Outflow is defined as all exits from trained personnel which are voluntarily generated by the individual before the end of their agreed engagement or commission period.
It should be noted that the figures for the Royal Navy/Royal Marines (RN/RM) and Army do not include people who requested to leave but had their application refused.
Royal Navy/Royal Marines
|
Month |
Number of Voluntary Outflow applications |
|
January 2010 |
130 |
|
February 2010 |
100 |
|
March 2010 |
110 |
|
April 2010 |
90 |
|
May 2010 |
110 |
|
June 2010 |
110 |
|
July 2010 |
90 |
|
August 2010 |
80 |
|
September 2010 |
100 |
|
October 2010 |
110 |
|
November 2010 |
70 |
|
December 2010 |
100 |
|
January 2011 |
80 |
|
February 2011 |
100 |
|
March 2011 |
120 |
|
April 2011 |
100 |
|
May 2011 |
120 |
|
June 2011 |
180 |
|
July 2011 |
160 |
|
August 2011 |
50 |
|
September 2011 |
210 |
|
October 2011 |
110 |
|
November 2011 |
190 |
|
December 2011 |
60 |
|
January 2012 |
90 |
|
February 2012 |
140 |
|
March 2012 |
180 |
|
April 2012 |
120 |
|
May 2012 |
100 |
|
June 2012 |
140 |
|
July 2012 |
120 |
|
August 2012 |
90 |
|
September 2012 |
150 |
|
October 2012 |
130 |
|
November 2012 |
100 |
|
December 2012 |
80 |
|
January 2013 |
100 |
|
February 2013 |
120 |
|
March 2013 |
140 |
|
April 2013 |
110 |
|
May 2013 |
140 |
|
June 2013 |
110 |
|
July 2013 |
140 |
|
August 2013 |
60 |
|
September 2013 |
130 |
|
October 2013 |
160 |
|
November 2013 |
150 |
|
December 2013 |
70 |
Army
|
Month |
Number of Voluntary Outflow applications |
|
January 2010 |
470 |
|
February 2010 |
370 |
|
March 2010 |
390 |
|
April 2010 |
360 |
|
May 2010 |
430 |
|
June 2010 |
430 |
|
July 2010 |
440 |
|
August 2010 |
330 |
|
September 2010 |
570 |
|
October 2010 |
370 |
|
November 2010 |
450 |
|
December 2010 |
220 |
|
January 2011 |
720 |
|
February 2011 |
490 |
|
March 2011 |
460 |
|
April 2011 |
450 |
|
May 2011 |
600 |
|
June 2011 |
560 |
|
July 2011 |
470 |
|
August 2011 |
460 |
|
September 2011 |
710 |
|
October 2011 |
520 |
|
November 2011 |
570 |
|
December 2011 |
230 |
|
January 2012 |
710 |
|
February 2012 |
540 |
|
March 2012 |
500 |
|
April 2012 |
460 |
|
May 2012 |
500 |
|
June 2012 |
450 |
|
July 2012 |
460 |
|
August 2012 |
360 |
|
September 2012 |
540 |
|
October 2012 |
460 |
|
November 2012 |
380 |
|
December 2012 |
150 |
|
January 2013 |
520 |
|
February 2013 |
380 |
|
March 2013 |
330 |
|
April 2013 |
410 |
|
May 2013 |
400 |
|
June 2013 |
580 |
|
July 2013 |
560 |
|
August 2013 |
260 |
|
September 2013 |
610 |
|
October 2013 |
440 |
|
November 2013 |
390 |
|
December 2013 |
200 |
Royal Air Force
|
Month |
Number of Voluntary Outflow applications |
|
January 2010 |
80 |
|
February 2010 |
80 |
|
March 2010 |
80 |
|
April 2010 |
60 |
|
May 2010 |
50 |
|
June 2010 |
70 |
|
July 2010 |
50 |
|
August 2010 |
60 |
|
September 2010 |
90 |
|
October 2010 |
60 |
|
November 2010 |
90 |
|
December 2010 |
50 |
|
January 2011 |
120 |
|
February 2011 |
80 |
|
March 2011 |
130 |
|
April 2011 |
90 |
|
May 2011 |
130 |
|
June 2011 |
120 |
|
July 2011 |
110 |
|
August 2011 |
120 |
|
September 2011 |
140 |
|
October 2011 |
110 |
|
November 2011 |
120 |
|
December 2011 |
80 |
|
January 2012 |
150 |
|
February 2012 |
130 |
|
March 2012 |
140 |
|
April 2012 |
120 |
|
May 2012 |
130 |
|
June 2012 |
160 |
|
July 2012 |
140 |
|
August 2012 |
130 |
|
September 2012 |
160 |
|
October 2012 |
190 |
|
November 2012 |
140 |
|
December 2012 |
100 |
|
January 2013 |
190 |
|
February 2013 |
130 |
|
March 2013 |
160 |
|
April 2013 |
140 |
|
May 2013 |
130 |
|
June 2013 |
140 |
|
July 2013 |
150 |
|
August 2013 |
110 |
|
September 2013 |
170 |
|
October 2013 |
150 |
|
November 2013 |
140 |
|
December 2013 |
110 |
In accordance with the Defence Statistics rounding policy, all figures are rounded to the nearest 10, and numbers ending in 5 have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to avoid systematic bias.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gavin Robinson on 2016-09-12.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has conducted research on the effect of a suspension of child tax credit payments when a change in circumstance has been assumed.
Jane Ellison
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) regularly carries out checks on tax credits awards, including Child Tax Credit, to reduce error and fraud. These checks identify potential risks with ongoing tax credits claims.
Depending on the level of risk found, HMRC may ask customers for more information about their claim and circumstances, or a compliance team might undertake a full examination.
In most cases, HMRC does not suspend the payment of tax credits payments during the check. It only does this where information held indicates that this is a reasonable step to prevent payments being made in error. In these cases, if a customer demonstrates that the claim is correct, HMRC reinstates payments immediately.
In these circumstances, making further payments would therefore result in increased overpayments of tax credits overall which the customer would have to repay.
HMRC has not carried out research into the specific aspect of the tax credits system related to suspension of Child Tax Credits.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Knight on 2016-10-19.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what research his Department has carried out into the potential for widening of the secondary annuity market.
Simon Kirby
At March Budget 2015 the government announced proposals to remove the current restrictions on selling existing annuities, and to create the conditions for a secondary market in annuities to develop. The intention was that pensioners would be able to sell the income they receive from their annuity in return for a lump sum.
The government undertook extensive consultation with industry and consumer groups to understand the conditions that would be necessary for there to be a vibrant market and to achieve good outcomes for consumers. However, it became increasingly clear that creating the conditions to allow a competitive market to emerge could not be balanced with sufficient consumer protections.
It also became clear that there would be insufficient purchasers to create a competitive market. This means there was a high risk of significant consumer detriment as consumers would be likely to get poor value for their annuity income streams and incur high costs for selling. Furthermore, the steps that the government would have needed to take to create purchasing demand in the market would have undermined important consumer protections.
In these circumstances the government concluded that it would not be in consumers’ interests to continue with this policy.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2015-11-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much was spent from the public purse on the payment of the state pension to non-UK citizens in each European Economic Area country for each year from 1997-98 to 2014-15.
Justin Tomlinson
Entitlement to UK State Pension is based on UK national insurance contributions and credits which enables pensioners, many of whom are UK nationals, to receive their state pensions abroad.
The Department for Work and Pensions does not hold data on the nationality of State Pension claimants however;
State Pension expenditure by country of residence is published on Gov.UK https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/464096/state-pension-by-country-2014-15.xlsx.
Expenditure is not broken down by nationality.
“
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-12-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of the Syrian Vulnerable Person Relocation scheme in each year until 2020.
Richard Harrington
The first 12 months of each refugee’s resettlement costs under the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement (VPR) Scheme will be funded using Official Development Assistance, meaning over £460 million of the overseas aid budget will be used by 2019-20. At the Spending Review the Government committed £129 million to assist with local authority costs over years 2-5 of the scheme.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Whitty on 2016-01-18.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures they are undertaking, both nationally and internationally, to reverse the global decline in the bee population.
Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The Government is committed to supporting pollinators, including bees, through the National Pollinator Strategy for England. This is an exciting 10 year plan, with comprehensive action to protect pollinators on farmland and across towns, cities and the countryside.
In November 2015 Defra published an implementation plan highlighting significant progress in the first year of the strategy, delivered through collaboration between government and non-government partners. This includes £900 million Defra has made available for the new Countryside Stewardship scheme, launched in July 2015. For the first time ever this contains dedicated management options for pollinators as part of the Wild Pollinator and Farm Wildlife Package.
We have been working to raise public awareness and engagement, holding the first Pollinator Awareness Week in July 2015. This promotes our Bees’ Needs Call to Action, setting out simple actions that any individual or business can take to provide food and shelter for pollinators.
Internationally, Defra hosted two successful events on pollinators at the Milan Expo in July 2015, and following this is working with academics to explore opportunities to build on the innovative work the UK is doing for bees. The UK is also an active member of the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), with UK experts contributing to the IPBES assessment of the state of knowledge on pollinators, the reasons for their decline and the policy options to protect them. The final report of this assessment will be considered and approved by Governments at the 4th IPBES Plenary Meeting in February 2016.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Murrison on 2016-02-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what metrics his Department uses to measure the effectiveness of deposit protection schemes.
Brandon Lewis
The Tenancy Deposit Schemes provide monthly reports on service performance and six monthly statistical returns covering deposits accepted, the number of complaints received and the number of cases adjudicated upon. These reports are discussed quarterly with the Department.
The Tenancy Deposit Schemes in England are currently protecting over 3 million deposits on behalf of tenants, helping to raise standards in the private rented sector and ensuring that tenants are treated fairly at the end of the tenancy.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Falconer of Thoroton on 2016-03-01.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many years’ worth in sentences have been handed out to offenders brought back to the UK from Spain under a European Arrest Warrant under Operation Captura.
Lord Faulks
This information is not held centrally and can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
The National Crime Agency publishes statistics on the operation of the European Arrest Warrant. These can be found on their website.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gavin Newlands on 2016-04-08.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress his Department has made on its review of the treatment of VAT in airside retail shops.
Mr David Gauke
On 31 December 2015, the Chancellor announced a review of the tax treatment of airside retail sales, with a view to identifying options for passengers to receive more of the direct benefits. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has completed its initial fact finding.
The Government is keen to identify options that provide overall best value for travellers. This means fully understanding the potential impacts of possible changes on travellers, retailers and airports, and I have asked HMRC to explore these thoroughly. Once this work has been completed, decisions on the best way forward will be made in the autumn.