The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vernon Coaker on 2015-02-10.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent representations he has received on Equitable Life compensation packages; and if he will make a statement.
Andrea Leadsom
The Treasury continues to talk to many interested parties on this important issue.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Kawczynski on 2015-02-10.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the possible risk of Greek sovereign default and subsequent effects on the UK banking sector.
Andrea Leadsom
The Treasury regularly monitors global economic developments and their impact on the UK as part of the normal process of policy development. The UK is one of the most open economies in the world through trade and financial channels, and we are not immune to developments in the global economy. The best way to insulate the UK economy from any such instability is to stick to our long term economic plan.
The exposure of UK banks to Greece is small. Moreover the Bank of England’s recent stress tests showed that our banking sector is far stronger and better capitalised than before.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Kawczynski on 2015-02-10.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what information his Department holds on the number of employees at Eurostar International Limited who receive more than 50 days’ paid holiday per year.
Danny Alexander
Eurostar is run on a standalone commercial basis, as a result my department does not hold this information.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2015-02-10.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 9 February 2015 to Question 221932, what estimate he has made of the effect of the reduction in the rate of Supplementary Charge on levels of (a) employment, (b) exploration activity, (c) infrastructure maintenance and (d) decommissioning in the offshore oil and gas industry to date.
Priti Patel
The government recognises the importance of the UK oil and gas industry and its contribution to energy security and the UK economy. We are committed to the future of the industry and creating the right conditions to maximise economic recovery.
At Autumn Statement, the government published a radical plan for the future of the oil and gas fiscal regime and set out a package of measures, including the reduction in the rate of the Supplementary Charge, to tackle the fiscal challenges and ensure the UKCS continues to attract investment, simplify the current system, and remove barriers at all stages of the production life cycle. The package is expected to drive around £7bn of additional investment and 350m barrels of oil equivalent production.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2015-02-10.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 9 February 2015 to Question 221932, when the Joint Oil and Gas Industrial Strategy was published; what discussions he has had regarding the Strategy with his ministerial colleagues in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills since the fall in international oil prices; and what updates his Department has proposed to the Strategy since July 2014.
Priti Patel
Actions on fiscal matters fall under the responsibility of HM Treasury (as stated in the industrial strategy) and these actions are taken forward in collaboration with the Oil and Gas Fiscal Forum. The Forum is separate from the Oil and Gas Industry Council, who have responsibility for the Oil and Gas Industrial Strategy, in partnership with BIS.
The Oil and Gas Industrial Strategy is kept under review by the Oil and Gas Industry Council. The Council met in November 2014 and is due to meet next in March 2015.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2015-02-10.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish the names of individuals with whom HM Revenue and Customs has reached an out of court agreement to settle cases of tax evasion that came to light as a result of information from HSBC’s Swiss branch; and what the amount of tax evaded was in each case.
Mr David Gauke
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) can only name taxpayers in specific instances. The rules governing HMRC’s entitlement to publish details of deliberate defaulters are set out in Section 94 Finance Act 2009.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Barclay on 2015-02-10.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimates his Department has made of the amount that would be raised from hedge funds, or similar financial institutions, by closing tax loopholes arising from the use of mixed membership partnerships.
Mr David Gauke
As part of the partnerships review legislation was introduced in Finance Act 2014 to prevent tax-motivated allocations of business profits in partnerships where the partners include both individuals and companies (mixed membership partnerships).
During consultation, it became apparent that the use of mixed membership partnerships by hedge funds to avoid tax was widespread. As a result, the yield scored for the measure was increased by £1.92 bn over the scorecard period. All of this additional yield relates to the hedge fund sector.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2015-02-10.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to comments by the Minister of State for Care and Support in the Daily Telegraph on 7 February 2015, on investigations into minimum wage payment in the social care sector, when HM Revenue and Customs will complete its investigations into the six companies; how the companies to be investigated were identified; and if he will take steps to ensure that workers are compensated when breaches of the minimum wage are found to have taken place.
Mr David Gauke
The Government takes the enforcement of National Minimum Wage (NMW) very seriously. Any worker who believes that they are being paid below the minimum wage or is aware of an employer who does not meet NMW legislation should make a complaint to the Pay & Work Rights Helpline (PWRH) on 0800 917 2368.
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) are unable to comment on ongoing investigations.
I refer the honourable member to the answer provided to him at UIN 212652 on how HMRC identify sectors and employers for targeted investigation and enforcement.
Any arrears of pay due to workers are uprated to the current rate of NMW. The majority of employers identified as paying below the NMW will pay arrears on receipt of a formal Notice of Underpayment. Where they do not, HMRC will pursue recovery through the civil courts on behalf of the workers.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2015-02-10.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 3 February 2015 to Question 221932, what estimate he has made of the number of redundancies in the offshore drilling sector since the introduction of the Investment Allowance.
Priti Patel
The government understands the challenges currently facing the UK oil and gas industry and is following developments in the North Sea closely.
The Investment Allowance rewards companies investing in the long-term future of the basin – at all stages of the investment life cycle – and we would expect it to significantly reduce the effective tax rate for companies investing in the UK Continental Shelf.
Work on the design of the new Investment Allowance has been progressing rapidly since December – the government published a consultation document on its proposals on 22 January.
The government recognises the importance of the industry to local economies and as an employer. The report published by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, in partnership with Oil and Gas UK and OPITO (the Offshore Petroleum Industry Training Organisation) in December, “Fuelling the next generation: A study of the UK upstream oil and gas workforce” highlighted both the sector’s current contribution to employment and its future potential. The government will continue to work closely with industry through the Oil and Gas Industry Council and with the newly-formed Scottish Energy Jobs Taskforce to support jobs in the sector, develop the industry’s skills base and make sure this potential is realised.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roberta Blackman-Woods on 2015-02-10.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many and what proportion of commissioners from local government have attended the Commissioning Academy; and by which local authorities those commissioners are employed.
Mr Francis Maude
Through its programme of Civil Service Reform, the Government is taking urgent action to address long-standing skills gaps in the Civil Service. Our pioneering Commissioning Academy is building commercial capability across the public sector, and improving how public services are delivered.
To date 392 individuals have attended the central Commissioning Academy programmes, including 206 (52%) from central government. In the last year there was a 50% increase in demand for places on the programme, and it will be expanded to deliver 1,500 places by March 2016.
Commissioners have attended from the following local authorities:
Basildon Borough Council
Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council
Birmingham City Council
Bradford Metropolitan Borough Council
Bristol City Council
Canterbury and Coastal Clinical Commissioning Group
Cheltenham Borough Council
Cherwell District, South Northants and Stratford on Avon Councils
Cheshire East Council
Cheshire West and Chester Council
Cheshire West and Chester (a place-based group)
Cumbria County Council
Devon County Council
Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council
Essex County Council
Fenland District Council
Gloucestershire County Council
Harborough District Council
Horsham District Council
Kent County Council
Knowsley Council (Health and Social Care Integration)
Lancashire County Council
Leicestershire County Council
London Borough of Barnet
London Borough of Haringey
London Borough of Lambeth
London Borough of Lewisham
London Borough of Sutton
London Borough of Waltham Forest
Lowestoft Rising (Place based group)
Manchester City Council
Milton Keynes Council
Norfolk County Council
Northamptonshire County Council
Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council
Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council
Shropshire
Somerset County Council
Southend-on-sea Borough Council
Staffordshire County Council
Stoke-On-Trent City Council
Suffolk Coastal
Sunderland City Council
Surrey County Council
Swindon Borough Council
Tamworth Borough Council
Tri-borough councils: Hammersmith & Fulham, Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster
Wakefield Metropolitan District Council
Walsall Council
Warrington Borough Council
Waverley Borough Council
West Sussex County Council
Westminster City Council
Wirral Council
Worcestershire County Council
A number of other programmes sit alongside the central programme under the Commissioning Academy umbrella. 78 officials have attended local programmes in Norfolk and Staffordshire, modelled on the central programme, with participants drawn from local authorities and other public sector bodies in the local area. In addition, 8 councillors have attended a streamlined programme for Local Authority elected members.