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  • Charlie Elphicke – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Charlie Elphicke – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charlie Elphicke on 2014-06-27.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 19 June 2014, Official Report, column 675W, on Mapeley, how many years the Private Finance Initiative contract between HM Revenue and Customs and Mapeley Steps Contractor Limited has left to run.

    Mr David Gauke

    As explained in the answer I gave on 1 July 2014, Official Report, Column Reference 581W, a copy of the contract, which runs until April 2021, can be viewed on the National Archive website at http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/freedom/steps-contract.htm

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  • Joan Walley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Joan Walley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Joan Walley on 2014-06-27.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress he has made in reducing levels of tax avoidance in the UK’s Overseas Territories.

    Mr David Gauke

    The UK Government is at the forefront of the global response to international aggressive tax planning and cross-border evasion, driving the international tax, transparency and trade agenda forward under the UK’s G8 presidency in 2013, and fully backing the OECD’s Base Erosion and Profit Shifting project.

    Under the Prime Minister’s leadership of the G8, the UK has led a global leap forward in international tax transparency, meaning there are fewer places to hide. We are imposing tough new sanctions for those who do not come forward under HM Revenue and Customs’ (HMRC) offshore disclosure facilities. There will be serious consequences for those who continue to believe they can hide wealth offshore, when later on this year HMRC will consult on a new strict liability criminal offence that could mean jail for those who do not declare taxable offshore income. HMRC will also consult on tougher civil sanctions. In addition, last year the Government entered into a series of Intergovernmental Agreements with the overseas territories which will ensure that from September 2016 HMRC will receive details of UK residents who have bank accounts and other investments in the overseas territories.

    HMRC co-operates with tax authorities in other countries, in areas such as exchange of information and recovery of tax. Following the commitments made at the G8, all of the UK’s Overseas Territories with financial centres and the Crown Dependencies have taken significant steps forward on tax transparency putting them at the forefront of this agenda globally. In addition to signing agreements with the UK for the automatic exchange of tax information, they have also agreed to be early adopters of the new global standard for automatic exchange of tax information, committing to an ambitious timetable of implementation as members of a group of 44 countries and jurisdictions.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2014-06-27.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which Government departments use (a) Pearson VUE and (b) Pearson Professional Centres for delivering tests; and if he will provide details of each such use.

    Mr Francis Maude

    This is information is not held centrally.

    Civil Service Resourcing do not use Pearson VUE and Pearson Professional Centres.

  • John Denham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    John Denham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Denham on 2014-06-27.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what his Department’s policy is on funding organisations that restrict their employment to members of particular faiths.

    Mr Francis Maude

    All organisations funded by the Cabinet Office have to adhere to relevant employment legislation including the Equal Opportunities Act and Sex Discrimination Act.

  • John Denham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    John Denham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Denham on 2014-06-27.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which organisations funded by his Department restrict employment to members of particular faiths.

    Mr Francis Maude

    All organisations funded by the Cabinet Office have to adhere to relevant employment legislation including the Equal Opportunities Act and Sex Discrimination Act.

  • Philip Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Philip Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2014-06-27.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will take steps to reduce the number of grades in the Civil Service.

    Mr Francis Maude

    Arrangements for setting grades below the Senior Civil Service (SCS) are delegated to departments and not held centrally. For the SCS, grading arrangements are determined centrally by the Cabinet Office. There are four main grades in the SCS.

    To deliver a flatter structure in the Civil Service, departments are, as set out in the Civil Service Reform Plan, reviewing their structures as part of ongoing change programmes and departmental improvement plans.

  • Alan Johnson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Alan Johnson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alan Johnson on 2014-06-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, when he expects the report from the Insolvency Service into the collapse of Comet to be published.

    Jo Swinson

    The Insolvency Service’s fact-finding inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the insolvency of Comet Group Ltd is being conducted under section 447 of the Companies Act. Publication of the findings of such investigations is prohibited by law although when an inquiry results in the winding up of the company, or the prosecution or disqualification of its directors, this is publicised.

  • Charles Kennedy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Charles Kennedy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charles Kennedy on 2014-06-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will bring forward plans to enable the Green Investment Bank to purchase equity in existing offshore projects to enable similar investment in onshore wind turbine construction; and if he will make a statement.

    Michael Fallon

    The role of the Green Investment Bank (GIB) is to help finance green infrastructure projects. The terms of its state aid approval do not allow it to invest in specific supply chain companies or activities such as turbine manufacturing. GIB has already taken equity stakes in a number of operating offshore wind farms.

  • Anas Sarwar – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Anas Sarwar – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anas Sarwar on 2014-06-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what his policy is on increasing the research budget for science to 0.7 per cent of gross domestic product.

    Mr David Willetts

    The Government recognises that science and research is vital in driving economic growth. Our ambition is to make the UK the best place in the world to do science and research.

    In 2012, Government expenditure on science and research through the Research Councils and the Higher Education funding bodies was £4.9bn, equal to 0.3% of GDP. In the same year total public spending on science was 0.6% of GDP. Total UK spending on Research & Development was 1.7% of GDP.

    In the recent Spending Review, Government made a long-term commitment to investment in science and research infrastructure: increasing capital investment in real terms to £1.1bn in 2015-16 and growing this in line with inflation each year to 2020-21. We also continued to protect the science resource ring fence in cash terms for financial year 2015-16. On the basis of existing commitments, the Government’s investment in science through the Research Councils and Higher Education funding bodies will be £5.9Bn[1] in 2015-16, an increase in cash terms of 20% since 2012.

    [1] Cash terms including additional spending announced in AS13 and Budget 14

  • Anas Sarwar – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Anas Sarwar – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anas Sarwar on 2014-06-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, in how many green infrastructure projects the Green Investment Bank has invested in Scotland.

    Michael Fallon

    The Green Investment Bank (GIB) has helped finance energy efficiency improvements at two distilleries in Scotland and expects to finance similar projects at further distilleries soon. GIB has also financed introduction of energy efficient lighting at NCP car parks across the UK, including a number located in Scotland, and GIB is in advanced discussions with Glasgow City Council to finance replacement of 10,000 old street lights in Glasgow with energy efficient LED lights, with the longer term aim of replacing up to 50,000 lights across the city. Full details about projects supported by GIB may be found on the bank’s website at www.greeninvestmentbank.com.

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