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  • Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-01-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what progress his Department has made on improving tenants’ access to longer-term family friendly tenancies.

    Brandon Lewis

    The Government supports longer tenancies, and promotes them through its Model Tenancy Agreement. Some mortgage lenders incorporated clauses in their agreements with landlords preventing them from granting tenancies of longer than a year. We have continued to encourage lenders to permit family friendly tenancies, and consequently the majority have now changed their policies, and permit tenancies of up to two to three years. We are encouraging those remaining lenders, who have not changed their policies, to do so and to promote the use of our Model Tenancy Agreement to their landlord customers.

    We also know that tenants value the flexibility that private renting offers and not all want longer tenancies. A recent report by Knight Frank reported that the majority of Private Rented Sector tenants (53%) favour a six month or one year tenancy. The average length of residence, according to the English Housing Survey 2013-14, was three and a half years.

  • Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-01-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will take steps to introduce mandatory electrical safety checks for private rented sector properties.

    Brandon Lewis

    The Government is committed to protecting tenants and has therefore agreed to carry out the necessary research to understand what, if any, legislative changes regarding electrical safety checks in the private rented sector should be introduced.

  • Bridget Phillipson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Bridget Phillipson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bridget Phillipson on 2016-01-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 14 December 2015 to Question 19988, what progress he has made on finalising monitoring arrangements; and if he will support monitoring of the use of public transport and investment in the North East’s bus and rail networks as part of those arrangements.

    James Wharton

    The Government is working with the North East Combined Authority on the implementation plan for its devolution deal, which will cover monitoring arrangements. The devolution deal will create an elected mayor, who will be directly accountable to local people and will have powers over transport among other things. It is for the future mayor to decide how to monitor transport policy, and for local people to hold the mayor and the Combined Authority to account.

  • Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-01-26.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the revenue that will accrue to the Exchequer from the insurance premium tax on health cash plans; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr David Gauke

    In 2014-15, total Insurance Premium Tax receipts were approximately £3bn. HM Revenue and Customs estimates that £10.9 million in revenue was received from Insurance Premium Tax on health cash plans in 2014-15.

  • Nigel Mills – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Nigel Mills – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Mills on 2016-01-26.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many notifications under section 92 of the Finance Act 2015 were received by HM Revenue and Customs during the period from 1 April 2015 to 31 December 2015.

    Mr David Gauke

    The Diverted Profits Tax is designed to counter contrived tax arrangements used by some multinationals to shift their profits to other countries. It is deliberately set at a higher rate than corporation tax, so it acts as a deterrent and encourages more companies to pay corporation tax.

    No notices under section 93 Finance Act 2015 were issued during the period 1 April 2015 to 31 December 2015 but HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) received notifications from eleven companies under section 92 in relation to section 86 Finance Act 2015.

    For companies with accounting periods ending on or before 31 March 2016 the notification period is six months from the end of that period. HMRC is not able to disclose details of notifications relating to sections 80 and 81 of the Finance Act 2015 due to its duty to protect taxpayer confidentiality.

  • Nigel Mills – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Nigel Mills – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Mills on 2016-01-26.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many notices under section 93 of the Finance Act 2015 were issued by HM Revenue and Customs in the period from 1 April 2015 to 31 December 2015.

    Mr David Gauke

    The Diverted Profits Tax is designed to counter contrived tax arrangements used by some multinationals to shift their profits to other countries. It is deliberately set at a higher rate than corporation tax, so it acts as a deterrent and encourages more companies to pay corporation tax.

    No notices under section 93 Finance Act 2015 were issued during the period 1 April 2015 to 31 December 2015 but HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) received notifications from eleven companies under section 92 in relation to section 86 Finance Act 2015.

    For companies with accounting periods ending on or before 31 March 2016 the notification period is six months from the end of that period. HMRC is not able to disclose details of notifications relating to sections 80 and 81 of the Finance Act 2015 due to its duty to protect taxpayer confidentiality.

  • Wes Streeting – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Wes Streeting – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Wes Streeting on 2016-01-26.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what meetings he has had with external organisations on Google’s tax arrangements in the last 12 months.

    Mr David Gauke

    Details of ministerial and permanent secretary meetings with external organisations on departmental business are published on a quarterly basis and are available on GOV.UK.

    HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is responsible for the conduct of enquiries, and Ministers are not informed of the progress of enquiries and play no part in agreeing the amount of tax to be paid by any taxpayer. HMRC is transparent about how conducts its enquiries and resolves matters under dispute. HMRC publish a Litigation and Settlement Strategy which prevents them from accepting a smaller settlement than they would expect to get in court.

  • Bill Wiggin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Bill Wiggin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Wiggin on 2016-01-26.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, to which (a) government departments, (b) agencies, (c) commercial companies and (d) charities HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) Fast Stream civil servants are (i) attached or (ii) seconded; what the average length of time is for such (A) attachments and (B) secondments; and what assessment HMRC makes of the benefits of those attachments and secondments to its own work and to the tax payer.

    Mr David Gauke

    Civil Service Resourcing coordinates the Fast Stream for the Civil Service and manages all Fast Streamers on the central corporate schemes.

    A list of Government departments, Agencies, Arms Length Bodies, NDPB’s, Commercial (private) organisations and charities to which Fast streamers are currently posted to as at January 2016 can be found at Annex A.

    • Fast stream postings in the Civil Service are either 6 or 12 months depending on the timing of the posting

    • The average length of time for a secondment to an external organisation is 6 months.

      Civil Service Resourcing assesses the value of these postings and placements to the Civil Service (including HMRC) in the following ways:

    • Individual performance management through postings; mid and end of scheme assessments to track developments against the Fast Stream aims (core skills, competency framework and leadership potential)

    • Posting and secondment evaluation to ensure the effectiveness of each posting in supporting Fast Streamers’ development.

    • Overall assessment via Fast Stream Annual survey to measure ongoing effectiveness of the Fast Stream

  • Stephen Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Stephen Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Phillips on 2016-01-26.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to table 2.7 on page 85 of the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015, which Departments will fund the cross-government overseas development aid spending set out in that table in each of the five years from 2015-16 to 2019-20.

    Greg Hands

    As set out in the strategy for official development assistance “UK Aid: tackling global challenges in the national interest”, published on 23 November, meeting our responsibilities to the world’s poorest while also serving and protecting the UK’s interests and security, requires us to harness skills from across government.

    The cross government ODA funding in “Table 2.7: Department for International Development (DFID)” is part of DFID’s total DEL settlement. DFID will transfer this to other government departments and cross government funds to spend on activities that can be classified as Official Development Assistance (ODA) according to the OECD definition.

  • Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-01-26.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy not to impose a tax on insurance premiums on health cash plans; and if he will make a statement.

    Harriett Baldwin

    All insurance premiums, including health cash plans, are exempt from VAT.

    Long term insurance products, including critical illness cover, life insurance and income protection insurance are exempt from IPT.

    Insurance Premium Tax is currently paid by insurers on all general insurance premiums. This includes health cash plans and other forms of medical insurance.