Blog

  • Phil Boswell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Phil Boswell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Phil Boswell on 2015-12-10.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much from the Funding for Lending scheme has been lent to small and medium-sized enterprises in (a) Scotland and (b) Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill constituency.

    Harriett Baldwin

    UK banks and building societies that participate in in the Funding for Lending Scheme (FLS) are able to borrow funding from the Bank of England, with the amount they are able to borrow (their ‘borrowing allowance’) linked to their net lending performance. FLS usage and lending data is published on the Bank of England website at the following link: http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/markets/Pages/FLS/extensiondata.aspx

  • Rebecca Long Bailey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Rebecca Long Bailey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rebecca Long Bailey on 2015-12-10.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what were the total receipts from the sale of Government assets (a) from 1 January to 7 May 2015 and (b) from 8 May 2015 to date; and whether any further such sales are expected to take place before the end of the calendar year.

    Greg Hands

    Reporting on asset sales is made on a financial year basis in departmental accounts. During the 2014-15 financial year the government received £4.2bn from sales of financial assets and £0.2bn from other commercial and financial assets. The timing of any further transactions is a commercial matter and the Government does not forecast exact timing of all sales within a particular fiscal year. Around £30bn of sales are expected in total during 2015-16.

  • Mike Kane – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Mike Kane – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Kane on 2015-12-10.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of (a) the current proportion of air passenger duty revenues which are raised from Manchester Airport and (b) the potential effect on that proportion of air passenger duty in Scotland being reduced by 50 per cent.

    Damian Hinds

    Air Passenger Duty is payable by airlines and not on a per airport basis. Therefore HMRC does not collect the data to produce a reliable estimate.

    The government is currently undertaking a consultation into options to support regional airports from the impacts of air passenger duty devolution. We are carefully considering the evidence we have received from stakeholders and will respond in due course.

  • Robert Flello – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Robert Flello – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Flello on 2015-12-10.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that lorry drivers have the correct status for the purposes of tax payment.

    Mr David Gauke

    It is the responsibility of engagers to determine the correct status of workers they engage. HM Revenue & Customs have developed an Employment Status Indicator to help engagers: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/employment-status-indicator

    There is also further help with the status of lorry drivers: www.hmrc.gov.uk/Manuals/esmmanual/ESM4210.htm

    HM Revenue & Customs is aware that false self-employment presents a tax risk and has deployed compliance resources to address that risk.

    “

  • Rebecca Long Bailey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Rebecca Long Bailey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rebecca Long Bailey on 2015-12-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in Salford and Eccles constituency are in receipt of (a) pension credit and (b) the carer addition.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The number of claimants in receipt of Pension Credit in Salford and Eccles constituency as at May 2015 is 4,750, of which 440 are also in receipt of the carer addition.

    Source: DWP, 100% data.

    Notes:

    1. Figures are rounded to the nearest ten; some additional disclosure control has also been applied. May 2015 is the latest available data.
    2. STATE PENSION AGE: The age at which men and women reach State Pension age is gradually increasing. Under current legislation, State Pension age for women will equalise with State Pension age for men at 65 in 2018. Both men’s and women’s State Pension age will increase from 65 to 66 between December 2018 and October 2020. The Pensions Bill 2013-14 contains provision for a State Pension age of 67 to be reached by 2028. For more information see:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/207966/espa.pdf.

    1. Parliamentary Constituency of claimant (Westminster) these constituencies are used for the Westminster parliament.

    “

  • Rebecca Long Bailey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Rebecca Long Bailey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rebecca Long Bailey on 2015-12-10.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps HM Revenue and Customs is talking to ensure that payroll taxes are collected from employers who pay wages in cash; what recent estimate he has made of the number of (a) employers using cash in hand for payroll and (b) employees receiving wages in cash; and what information he holds on the prevalence of payment of wages in cash in different sectors.

    Mr David Gauke

    HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) takes a risk-based approach to employer compliance interventions, checking that employers and contractors have complied with their tax obligations. There are a variety of methods by which employers make payment to their employees, and HMRC will check wages have been received net of the appropriate tax and National Insurance Contributions deductions as part of our compliance intervention activity, regardless of the method of payment. Where this activity identifies that there may be non-compliance with other taxes, HMRC takes steps to address this risk.

    Where inaccuracies are found, HMRC will consider whether a penalty is appropriate based on the behaviour which led to the inaccuracy. The penalty will be highest in circumstances in which the behaviour which led to the inaccuracy was deliberate.

    HMRC is conducting research into the role of cash in facilitating non-compliance, and into the trends which are likely to change that role. As part of this work, on 25 November 2015 HMRC published a call for evidence on cash, tax evasion and the hidden economy, which seeks a better understanding of what implications the trend away from cash has for tax compliance.

    The call for evidence is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/cash-tax-evasion-and-the-hidden-economy-call-for-evidence

    “

  • Seema Malhotra – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Seema Malhotra – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Malhotra on 2015-12-10.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his Oral statement of 25 November 2015, Official Report, column 1369, on the Spending Review and Autumn Statement, what the evidential basis is for his statement that inequality is down.

    Damian Hinds

    Household income inequality statistics are produced as part of the Office for National Statistics publication “The Effects of Taxes and Benefits on Household Income”, which can be found here:

    http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/household-income/the-effects-of-taxes-and-benefits-on-household-income/2013-2014/index.html

    “

  • Mrs Madeleine Moon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Mrs Madeleine Moon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mrs Madeleine Moon on 2015-12-10.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to reduce waiting times for the HMRC public service helpline.

    Mr David Gauke

    HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has recruited 3,000 new staff into customer service roles this year. In particular, this has increased the number of people available on its telephone helplines outside normal office hours, when many customers choose to call.

    HMRC has also undertaken its biggest-ever training programme as it seeks to build its customer support teams. This has included training 1,600 existing staff on a wider range of work to better meet customer demand.

    Average call waiting times have improved significantly. From April to June it was 19 mins; from July to September it was 13 mins; in November it was under 10 minutes.

  • Helen Jones – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Helen Jones – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Jones on 2015-12-10.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what information the Financial Conduct Authority holds on (a) the reasons for which Mourant Fund Services Ltd did not complete its transaction to take over the operation of the Connaught Income Fund in 2009 and (b) whether at the time Mourant Fund Services Ltd was in possession of information about the Connaught Income Fund which should have been reported to the regulatory authorities.

    Harriett Baldwin

    This is a matter for the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which is operationally independent from Government.

    This question has been passed on to the FCA. They will reply directly to the Honorable Member Helen Jones by letter. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

  • Ian Austin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Ian Austin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2015-12-10.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if HM Revenue and Customs will investigate enforcement of the minimum wage at Sports Direct.

    Mr David Gauke

    The Government takes the enforcement of National Minimum Wage very seriously.Any worker who believes that they are being paid below the minimum wage should make a complaint to the Acas helpline on 0300 123 1100. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) reviews every complaint that is referred to them by the Acas helpline. Additionally, HMRC collate and analyse data from various sources in order to identify those employers who are potentially more likely to be underpaying National Minimum Wage, so that they can undertake targeted enforcement against those employers.

    For reasons of confidentiality, HMRC do not divulge information relating to the affairs of an individual or company or confirm whether or not there is an ongoing enquiry.