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  • 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 2015-11-19.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what information has been provided to businesses to ensure that they are aware of their obligations under the Alcohol Wholesaler Registration scheme.

    Damian Hinds

    Guidance explaining the obligations of the scheme and who it applies to, the timeline for implementation and what businesses will need to do to prepare, is available on the Alcohol Wholesaler Registration Scheme web-page on Gov.UK. Available at:
    https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-alcohol-wholesaler-registration-scheme-awrs
    HMRC has consulted with industry on a detailed public notice for the scheme and intend to publish the final version by 1 December. HMRC has also made available to industry an information pack that explains all the key features of the new scheme. Further publicity is also planned in the coming months to enhance industry awareness of the new scheme.

    “

  • 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 2015-11-19.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the provisions of the Finance Act 2015 relating to penalties for late registration for the Alcohol Wholesaler Registration scheme will apply now implementation of that scheme has been delayed.

    Damian Hinds

    The new penalties for late application for registration for the Alcohol Wholesaler Registration scheme will still apply. However, HMRC will only issue penalties in circumstances where the revised deadlines for application for registration have been breached.

  • Douglas Carswell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Douglas Carswell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2015-11-19.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what account his Department took when preparing the Charter for Budget Responsibility, of the effect of (a) the Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union and (b) future EU treaty change in respect of that Treaty.

    Harriett Baldwin

    The UK is not a signatory of the Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union, which is also known as the ‘Fiscal Compact.’ The signatories of the Fiscal Compact have committed to incorporate it into the main EU treaties, within five years of it entering into force. However, it would be premature to speculate on the conclusions of future treaty change negotiations in respect of the Fiscal Compact, which will require unanimous agreement amongst all other Member States, including the UK.

    However, the UK does participate in the EU’s Stability and Growth Pact, which sets rules on Member States’ debt and deficits, although, unlike other Member States the UK cannot face any sanction under this process.

    The updated Charter for Budget Responsibility, which sets out the government’s fiscal and debt management objectives and the fiscal mandate, states the government must explain in each Budget Report how all significant fiscal policy measures introduced by the government since the last Budget maintain the path of the public finances in a position consistent with the government’s European commitments.

  • Douglas Carswell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Douglas Carswell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2015-11-19.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of households with dependents under the age of 18 that will be affected by the draft Tax Credits (Income Thresholds and Determination of Rates) (Amendment) Regulations 2015.

    Damian Hinds

    This information is not available.

    This Government is committed to moving from a high welfare, high tax, low wage economy to a lower welfare, lower tax, higher wage society. As the Chancellor has made clear, the Government will set out at Autumn Statement how we plan to achieve the same goal of reforming tax credits, saving the money we need to save to secure our economy, while at the same time helping in the transition.

  • Frank Field – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Frank Field – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2015-11-19.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many tax credit claimants have received help with the digital skills required to renew their tax credit claim in the last 12 months.

    Damian Hinds

    The information is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

  • Frank Field – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Frank Field – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2015-11-19.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many tax credit claimants have reported difficulties in renewing their claim online in the last 12 months.

    Damian Hinds

    The information is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

  • Gloria De Piero – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Gloria De Piero – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gloria De Piero on 2015-11-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the career progression of people aged 16 to 24 who have completed an apprenticeship since 2010.

    Nick Boles

    The Department assesses the impact of apprenticeships on career progression in a number of ways including measuring longer term wage and employment outcomes, short term employment outcomes and self-reported impacts. We also measure progression of advanced apprentices to higher education. Where possible the data are broken down by age band. Links to the relevant reports are provided below.

    Wage returns and employment outcomes for Further Education, including apprenticeships are published here:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/further-education-comparing-labour-market-economic-benefits-from-qualifications-gained

    Experimental data showing the learning and employment outcomes of learners completing further education training between 2010 and 2013 is published here:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/adult-further-education-outcome-based-success-measures-experimental-data-2010-to-2013

    Short term employment outcomes and self-reported impacts are published in the Evaluation of apprenticeships: learner survey which is published here:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apprenticeships-evaluation-learner-survey-2014

    Progression of advanced apprentices to higher education broken down by year and age band is published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/progression-of-apprentices-to-higher-education-second-cohort

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  • Ben Howlett – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Ben Howlett – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Howlett on 2015-11-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps his Department is taking to help increase the number of women completing PhDs in STEM subjects.

    Joseph Johnson

    The number of female doctorate qualifiers in STEM subjects increased from 5,485 in 2009/10 to 6,300 in 2013/14, an increase of 15%. The total number of doctorate qualifiers in STEM subjects also increased over this period, from 12,830 in 2009/10 to 14,020 in 2013/14, and the proportion of female doctorate qualifiers in STEM subjects who are female increased from 43% to 45%.[i]

    The Government is committed to developing a strong, diverse research community. The Research Councils and National Academies share this commitment. We are taking steps to encourage greater representation of women in STEM subjects at university and in the academic community through the establishment of a Diversity Steering Group and support for such initiatives as the Athena SWAN charter which promotes gender equality in academia.

    [i] Higher Education Statistics Agency: Number of Doctorate Qualifiers in STEM subjects by Gender. (Academic Years 2009/10 to 2013/14). Excel spreadsheet is attached to this PQ.

  • Ben Howlett – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    Ben Howlett – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Howlett on 2015-11-19.

    To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps her Department is taking to eliminate the gender pay gap.

    Caroline Dinenage

    The gender pay gap currently stands at 19.2%, the lowest on record. We are determined to accelerate this progress. To eliminate the gender pay gap within a generation, the Government is requiring larger employers to publish information about the pay and bonuses for men and women; extending our plans for gender pay gap reporting to the public sector; and working with business to have 33% of women on boards by 2020 and eliminate all-male boards in the FTSE 350.

  • Gloria De Piero – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Gloria De Piero – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gloria De Piero on 2015-11-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the effect of the proposed abolition of maintenance grants on the Government’s target of doubling the proportion of people from disadvantaged backgrounds entering higher education between 2009 and 2020.

    Joseph Johnson

    An Equality Analysis has been carried out and will be published alongside the regulations.