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  • Roberta Blackman-Woods – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Roberta Blackman-Woods – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roberta Blackman-Woods on 2016-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether it is his policy that his Department’s changes to security of tenure for council tenants will apply to (a) the tenancies of existing tenants and (b) existing tenants when they transfer to a new local authority property; and when he plans that those changes will come into effect.

    Brandon Lewis

    The changes will not apply to existing lifetime tenants who remain in their own home.

    If tenants are required to move home by their landlord, for example to allow demolition and regeneration work to take place, they will be granted a tenancy with no less security in their new home.

    Where existing lifetime tenants seek to transfer, local authorities will retain a discretion to offer the tenant a further lifetime tenancy in their new home. We will set out the circumstances in which local authorities may exercise this discretion in regulations. We expect these will include where tenants downsize into a smaller home or move for work.

    We expect that the provisions will come into force early next year, subject to passage of the Bill and implementation of the regulations.

  • Steve Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Steve Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Reed on 2016-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how the Transitional Grant in the local government spending review is funded.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    DCLG has reprioritised existing spending in addition to using unallocated and contingency budgets to fund the transitional grant.

  • Carolyn Harris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Carolyn Harris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Carolyn Harris on 2016-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment he has made of the level of compliance with regulations on electrical safety in care homes in England.

    Justin Tomlinson

    There has been no recent assessment of the level of compliance with the regulations on electrical safety in care homes in England by the Health and Safety Executive, Local Authorities or the Care Quality Commission.

    There is general guidance for dutyholders on expected electrical standards on the HSE website http://www.hse.gov.uk/index.htm and specific guidance for social care in HSE publication Health and Safety in Care homes chapter 4. http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/hsg220.htm.

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  • Craig Mackinlay – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Craig Mackinlay – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Mackinlay on 2016-02-11.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many Seed Enterprise Investment Schemes HM Revenue and Customs have (a) registered and (b) approved in each financial year since 6 April 2012.

    Mr David Gauke

    HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) does not currently publish information on the number of Seed Enterprise Investment Schemes applications received and accepted.

    Official statistics on the number of companies raising funds, the number of subscriptions and amounts raised under SEIS in 2012-13 and 2013-14 are available to view at www.gov.uk/government/statistics/enterprise-and-seed-enterprise-investment-schemes-january-2016.

    The first official statistics for 2014-15 will be published in April 2016, alongside statistics for the Enterprise Investment Scheme. HMRC plans to publish new statistics within this release on the number of companies applying for the scheme and the number of those who are successful.

  • Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-02-11.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the HM Revenue and Customs policy paper, Income tax: changes to dividend taxation, published in December 2015, if he will publish the data and calculations used as the basis for the statement that 95 per cent of all taxpayers will either gain or be unaffected by changes to dividend taxes.

    Mr David Gauke

    The HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) policy paper “Income Tax: changes to dividend taxation” sets out the estimated impacts of the reforms to dividend taxation announced in Summer Budget 2015. At Summer Budget 2015, the Chancellor announced that the dividend tax credit will be replaced by a new £5,000 tax-free dividend allowance from April 2016 and that dividend tax rates would be amended from the same date.

    The tax base comprises dividend income subject to income tax, estimated using the Survey of Personal Incomes and other HMRC administrative data, and projected in line with OBR determinants. This is used to calculate the number of affected persons.

    An explanation of the methodology can be found in the Summer Budget 2015 policy costings document:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/443195/Policy_costings_summer_budget_2015.pdf

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  • Steve Rotheram – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Steve Rotheram – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Rotheram on 2016-02-11.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the average annual change in tax relief for a person employed via an employment intermediary as a result of the Government’s proposed changes to income tax relief for travel and subsistence.

    Mr David Gauke

    I refer the honourable gentleman to the Tax Information and Impact Note published at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/income-tax-employment-intermediaries-and-relief-for-travel-and-subsistence/income-tax-employment-intermediaries-and-relief-for-travel-and-subsistence.

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  • David Hanson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    David Hanson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Hanson on 2016-02-11.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many Financial Conduct Authority staff are (a) seconded to his Department and (b) work in the private office of each Minister of his Department.

    Harriett Baldwin

    HM Treasury currently has 3 secondments in from the Financial Conduct Authority. None of these work in any ministerial private office.

  • John Mann – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    John Mann – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Mann on 2016-02-11.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the effect on the public purse of the transfer of licence fee rates tax receipts to devolved city region authorities.

    Greg Hands

    No such assessment has been made.

  • Christopher Chope – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Christopher Chope – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2016-02-11.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the implications are for the Government’s policy on balanced budgets of the decision of the Scottish Government not to enhance the powers of the Scottish Fiscal Commission; and if he will make a statement.

    Greg Hands

    The Treasury is continuing to discuss all elements of the fiscal framework with the Scottish Government, including the Scottish Affairs Committee’s recommendation that economic forecasting for the Scottish government should be done by a body independent of government.

    The UK government remains optimistic that a deal can be reached that is fair for taxpayers across the UK.

  • Christopher Chope – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Christopher Chope – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2016-02-11.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the oral evidence by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury to the Scottish Affairs Committee on 3 February 2016, Question 173, what steps he is taking to ensure that proposals for the revised fiscal framework with Scotland will be subject to parliamentary scrutiny.

    Greg Hands

    I welcome the scrutiny which the Fiscal Framework has received so far. While the exact nature of further framework scrutiny will depend on its final content and format, it is my current intention to deposit the final document detailing the agreement in the House libraries as soon as possible once an agreement is reached, make a statement to the House as soon as possible after an agreement is reached, and to set out what it means for the UK and for Scotland and to make annual reports to Parliament on the operation of the Framework.

    Elements of the Fiscal Framework may require legislative change. Where this is the case the appropriate legislative procedure will be followed and the Government hopes these changes will receive thorough scrutiny in Parliament.

    Once the Fiscal Framework is agreed, the Government would welcome further scrutiny from Parliamentary Committees in both Houses.