Blog

  • John Healey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    John Healey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Healey on 2016-01-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 29 January 2016 to Question 23606, if he will estimate the proportion of housing association tenants that will become eligible for Right to Buy in each of the next three years.

    Brandon Lewis

    The Government is working with the National Housing Federation and the sector on the implementation of the voluntary agreement, which will make Right to Buy equivalent discounts available to 1.3 million housing association tenants. Ahead of full implementation, on the 25 November, we launched a pilot scheme with five housing associations, which will inform the design and delivery of the main Voluntary Right to Buy scheme.

  • Helen Hayes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Helen Hayes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Hayes on 2016-01-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether residents living in supported housing will be exempt from the local housing allowance cap.

    Justin Tomlinson

    We value the work of the supported housing sector extremely highly and are working closely with them to ensure they are supported as effectively as possible.

    As part of this, we have commissioned an evidence review of supported housing.

    The results of this research will determine any appropriate exemptions.

  • Grant Shapps – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Grant Shapps – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grant Shapps on 2016-01-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that social housing tenants who would like superfast broadband can access connections; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    The Government is on target to deliver access to superfast broadband for 95% of all UK premises – including social housing – by December 2017, and to extend coverage beyond that as far as possible. We do not hold a breakdown of this information by housing tenure centrally, however this investment is benefiting all types of housing, as well as businesses, and we are proud to be delivering on this critical piece of infrastructure as set out in our manifesto.

    Currently, superfast broadband is available to almost 90 per cent of homes and businesses in the UK – up from 45 per cent in 2010. Around 5 per cent of UK homes and business are currently experiencing connection speeds below 10 Mbit/s.

    Having reduced the proportion of all UK premises with speeds less than 2 Mbit/s substantially from 11% in 2010 to around 1% in December last year, we have now implemented our commitment of having at least 2 Mbit/s per second basic broadband available to all homes and businesses.

    All premises which are not currently scheduled to get an increase in speed to at least this level are eligible for a subsidised satellite broadband service that can deliver speeds of 10Mbps or more.

    The Prime Minister has also announced the Government’s intention to implement a new broadband Universal Service Obligation (USO) which is set at 10 Mbit/s. This new broadband USO will give people the legal right to request an affordable broadband connection, at a reasonable cost threshold, no matter where they live. We will be consulting on these proposals shortly.

  • Grant Shapps – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Grant Shapps – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grant Shapps on 2016-01-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many residences classified as social housing (a) do not have access to superfast broadband, (b) have connections slower than 10 Mbit/s and (c) have connections slower than 2Mbit/s; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    The Government is on target to deliver access to superfast broadband for 95% of all UK premises – including social housing – by December 2017, and to extend coverage beyond that as far as possible. We do not hold a breakdown of this information by housing tenure centrally, however this investment is benefiting all types of housing, as well as businesses, and we are proud to be delivering on this critical piece of infrastructure as set out in our manifesto.

    Currently, superfast broadband is available to almost 90 per cent of homes and businesses in the UK – up from 45 per cent in 2010. Around 5 per cent of UK homes and business are currently experiencing connection speeds below 10 Mbit/s.

    Having reduced the proportion of all UK premises with speeds less than 2 Mbit/s substantially from 11% in 2010 to around 1% in December last year, we have now implemented our commitment of having at least 2 Mbit/s per second basic broadband available to all homes and businesses.

    All premises which are not currently scheduled to get an increase in speed to at least this level are eligible for a subsidised satellite broadband service that can deliver speeds of 10Mbps or more.

    The Prime Minister has also announced the Government’s intention to implement a new broadband Universal Service Obligation (USO) which is set at 10 Mbit/s. This new broadband USO will give people the legal right to request an affordable broadband connection, at a reasonable cost threshold, no matter where they live. We will be consulting on these proposals shortly.

  • Helen Hayes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Helen Hayes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Hayes on 2016-01-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the postponement of the introduction of the one per cent rent reduction for supported housing requires the postponement of the introduction of the local housing allowance cap for residents living in supported housing.

    Justin Tomlinson

    We value the work of the supported housing sector extremely highly and are working closely with them to ensure they are supported as effectively as possible.

    As part of this we have commissioned an evidence review of supported housing.

    The results of this research will determine our future policy development and any appropriate exemptions.

  • Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-01-29.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether hon. Members can raise issues relating to Concentrix when using the hotline to HM Revenue and Customs for hon. Members.

    Mr David Gauke

    I refer the honorable lady to the answer I provided on 23 November to question 17151. http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2015-11-23/17151/

    “

  • Chris Stephens – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Chris Stephens – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Stephens on 2016-01-29.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans his Department has assessed for changing the status of HM Revenue and Customs Digital Technology Services to enable it to become profit-making.

    Mr David Gauke

    The company was set up as a not-for-profit and there are no plans to change its status to a profit-making entity.

  • Chris Stephens – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Chris Stephens – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Stephens on 2016-01-29.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when his Department’s discussions with Capgemini and Fujitsu began on the replacement of the HM Revenue and Customs IT Aspire contract.

    Mr David Gauke

    HM Revenue and Customs’ discussions with its IT partners have taken place on a regular basis since the Aspire contract began in 2004. The Department created the Aspire Replacement Programme in 2013 to manage discussions with its partners, following the Memorandum of Understanding in 2012 which led to the adaption of the Aspire contract.

  • Chris Stephens – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Chris Stephens – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Stephens on 2016-01-29.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how the replacement of the HM Revenue and Customs IT Aspire contract will be conducted; and whether it will be conducted in separate tranches.

    Mr David Gauke

    On 5 August 2015, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) announced the next step in its plans to transition from the Aspire contract. The Department is seeking to establish a truly world class IT operation that has the right mix of technology, processes and skills in a multi-sourced model to deliver its digital vision – and savings of up to 24 per cent on its £800m annual IT budget by 2020-21.

    HMRC is making significant progress in preparing for the end of the Aspire IT contract in 2017. In December 2015, three services previously delivered by Capgemini were successfully brought under HMRC’s direct control.

  • David Amess – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    David Amess – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2016-01-29.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much revenue has accrued to the public purse from Fixed Odds Betting Terminals in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

    Damian Hinds

    Total Machine Games Duty (MGD) receipts for the years ending 31 March 2015 and 2014 were £562 million and £502 million. Total Amusement Machine Licence Duty receipts for the year ending 31 March 2013 were £151million.

    Receipts from fixed odds betting terminals are not separately identified in the figures published in HMRC’s Tax & Duty bulletin. The bulletin can be found here:

    https://www.uktradeinfo.com/Statistics/Pages/TaxAndDutyBulletins.aspx

    “