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  • Philip Davies – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Philip Davies – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2015-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much Bradford Metropolitan District Council received from central government in grants in (a) 2009-10 and (b) 2014-15; and if he will make a statement.

    Kris Hopkins

    In 2014-15, Bradford Metropolitan District Council is forecast to receive £655 million in government grants, excluding mandatory housing benefits, equivalent to £3,112 per dwelling. Per dwelling, this is in the top 20 highest in England. Including mandatory housing benefits, the forecast is £838 million (source: Revenue Account budget returns).

    In addition to this, Bradford Metropolitan District residents will also benefit from government grant funding to the West Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner, to the West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority and to the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.

    We do not hold detailed information on all the individual grants paid out across government departments over the time period.

    However, leaving aside schools spending which has changed due to the funding shift from local authorities to academies, in 2014-15, Bradford Metropoliton District Council’s net current expenditure excluding education is forecast to be £596 million (source: Revenue Account budget returns). This compares with £548 million in 2009-10 (source: Revenue Outturn returns), and is thus an increase in cash terms.

    Of course, every bit of the public sector needs to do its bit to pay off the deficit left by the last Administration, including local government which accounts for a quarter of all public spending. Yet these figures illustrate how claims in some parts of the local government sector about “cuts” are over-stated and mislead the public.

  • Ian Lavery – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Ian Lavery – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Lavery on 2015-02-11.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department provides tax relief to encourage multinational mining corporations to maintain their headquarters in the UK.

    Mr David Gauke

    Since 2010 the Government has delivered a range of reforms to encourage investment in the UK, including the establishment of headquarter operations by multinational companies. The Government has cut the main rate of corporation tax from 28% to 21% and it will fall further to 20% this April, the lowest rate in the G20. In addition, the Government has introduced the Patent Box, increased the generosity of Research & Development tax credits and modernised the UK’s Controlled Foreign Company regime.

  • Ian Lavery – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Ian Lavery – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Lavery on 2015-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether UK Export Finance has provided (a) loan guarantees and (b) low interest loans to Rio Tinto plc to support any of its investments or operations overseas in the last five years.

    Matthew Hancock

    UK Export Finance has not provided loan guarantees or low interest loans to Rio Tinto plc in the last five years.

  • Ian Lavery – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Ian Lavery – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Lavery on 2015-02-11.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether any former officials of his Department have taken employment with Rio Tinto plc in the last five years.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The Civil Service Business Appointments Rules, which are published on GOV.uk, apply to civil servants who intend to take up an appointment or employment after leaving the Civil Service and the approval process will differ depending upon the applicant’s seniority.

    The destination of leavers are not held centrally.

  • Paul Flynn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Paul Flynn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2015-02-11.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions his Department has had with the US (a) Treasury and (b) Justice Department on HSBC’s licence to operate in the US since HSBC’s prosecution by the US authorities for facilitating money laundering in 2012.

    Mr David Gauke

    Treasury Ministers and officials regularly discuss a wide range of issues with their counterparts in foreign jurisdictions.

  • Ian Lavery – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Ian Lavery – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Lavery on 2015-02-11.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether any employees of Rio Tinto plc were seconded to his Department in the last five years.

    Andrea Leadsom

    No employees of Rio Tinto plc have been seconded into HM Treasury in the last 5 years.

  • Paul Flynn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Paul Flynn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2015-02-11.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to permit publication of data by banks in the UK on the aggregate bank holdings of residents in other jurisdictions using the structure developed by the Bank for International Settlements for banking data collection.

    Mr David Gauke

    UK Banks are already subject to extensive disclosure requirements which have been substantially strengthened under this Government.

  • Paul Flynn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Paul Flynn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2015-02-11.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with (a) the Crown Prosecution Service, (b) the Attorney General, (c) HM Revenue and Customs and (d) the Financial Conduct Authority on the use by UK residents of the provisions of the European Savings Directive to avoid paying UK tax by opening anonymous bank accounts in jurisdictions abroad since 1 January 2015.

    Mr David Gauke

    The European Savings Directive has been in force since 2005. It is a mechanism for achieving tax compliance through either disclosure of investment income data to the tax jurisdiction of the individual concerned or (in limited circumstances) applying withholding tax at source as an alternative to information disclosure.

  • Jonathan Edwards – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Jonathan Edwards – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Edwards on 2015-02-11.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the amount of debt owed to HM Revenue and Customs in unpaid taxes.

    Mr David Gauke

    HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) publishes the total unpaid tax debt owed to HM Revenue and Customs within its Annual Reports and Accounts. The latest is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/330670/HMRC-annual-report-2013-14.pdf

  • Alison McGovern – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Alison McGovern – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison McGovern on 2015-02-11.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what effect he expects the judgement in Edenred (UK Group) v HM Treasury & Ors to have on the timescale for roll-out for the tax free childcare scheme contract.

    Priti Patel

    Tax-Free Childcare (TFC) will provide support to hard-working families for childcare costs. The introduction of TFC will give almost two million families the opportunity to receive up to £2,000 per annum of support per child, via a new simple online system.