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Tag: 2016

  • Chris Stephens – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Chris Stephens – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Stephens on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the preparedness is of the Animal and Plant Health Agency to react to and control a potential future animal health outbreak similar in scale to the foot and mouth outbreak of 2001.

    George Eustice

    The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), compiles the UK contingency plan for exotic notifiable disease that sits above plans designed by Defra and the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland Governments.

    These are key documents that describe the strategic, tactical and operational responses required to any incursion of exotic notifiable disease, such as foot and mouth disease. These plans are complemented by specific GB disease control strategies and APHA work with the Government Departments in each administration to produce the necessary operational instructions.

    To ensure the plans and instructions are fit for purpose, the UK runs a national animal disease exercise roughly every other year on various exotic diseases and we regularly include foot and mouth disease in those exercises.

    The next national exercise will be in June 2018 and will be based on a foot and mouth disease scenario.

    APHA also create and manage an annual programme of regional or country exercises designed to identify best practice and any gaps in existing plans or procedures. They also run table-top exercises for APHA’s policy customers to identify issues that may arise from new and emerging threats such as African Horse Sickness.

  • Kate Hoey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Kate Hoey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Hoey on 2016-05-04.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which government websites include a link to information on the EU referendum.

    John Penrose

    The only Government websites currently linking to information on the EU referendum are Gov.uk and eureferendum.gov.uk.

    “

  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-06-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, when she expects the Bonfield Review of consumer advice, protection standards and enforcement for energy efficiency and renewable energy to be published.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The Bonfield Review is an independent review, being led by Peter Bonfield. We expect the review to be published in the near future and will announce the date in due course.

  • Norman Lamb – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Norman Lamb – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Norman Lamb on 2016-09-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what role his Department played in drafting the Government’s childhood obesity plan.

    Margot James

    I refer the Rt hon Member to the reply I gave to Question UIN 44973.

    “

  • Mary Glindon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Mary Glindon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mary Glindon on 2016-10-21.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the value of salary sacrifice company cars to employers in the public sector for (a) recruiting and (b) retaining for staff.

    Jane Ellison

    The Government has recently consulted on proposals to limit the range of benefits in kind, such as company cars, that attract income tax and National Insurance Contributions advantages when they are provided as part of salary sacrifice arrangements. Responses have been received from a wide range of interested parties and the Government’s response will be published in due course.

    The Government is committed to encouraging company car drivers to take-up the driving of ultra-low emissions vehicles. A separate consultation published on 10 August sets out proposals to incentivise the take up of low and ultra-low emissions company cars.

  • Lord Pearson of Rannoch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Pearson of Rannoch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Pearson of Rannoch on 2016-01-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to alter the timing of school exams to accommodate Muslim children during Ramadan, and whether they have similar plans to accommodate Jewish children and the children of other non-Christian religions during their religious festivals.

    Lord Nash

    This is a matter for the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) and I have asked its Chief Regulator, Glenys Stacey, to write directly to the Noble Lord. A copy of her reply will be placed in the House of Lords Library.

  • Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Chapman on 2016-02-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which assets of his Department took part in the rescue of MV Verity on 29 January 2016.

    Penny Mordaunt

    No assets from the Ministry of Defence took part in the rescue of the MV Verity on 29 January 2016. There were no Royal Navy ships in the immediate vicinity.

    His Netherlands Majesty’s Ship De Ruyter responded while in the area undergoing training and assisted the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.

  • Grahame Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Grahame Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2016-02-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on developing a cross-departmental strategy to improve access and availability to fitness and sports facilities to improve public health.

    Jane Ellison

    The Department works closely with other Government departments to achieve a joined-up approach to improving the public’s health, including with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport in the development and implementation of their Sporting Future: A New Strategy for an Active Nation.

  • Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he expects the UK-China human rights dialogue to take place.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    The next round of the annual UK-China Human Rights Dialogue will take place in London. The date is still being agreed with the Chinese Government.

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-05-04.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with which countries the UK has negotiated agreements on the exchange of tax information which (a) are in compliance with the OECD’s standard for such agreements and (b) provide for the automatic exchange of tax information since the OECD’s standard was released in July 2014.

    Mr David Gauke

    The UK has exchange of tax information agreements with 142 different jurisdictions, through Double Taxation Agreements and Tax Information Exchange Agreements, and also as party to the OECD/Council of Europe Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters (the ‘Multilateral Convention’).

    A list of the international agreements the UK is party to can be found on Gov.uk under ‘Tax Treaties’, and details of which jurisdictions have entered the Multilateral Convention into force alongside the UK can be found on the OECD website.

    Of the 142 international tax agreements the UK is party to, only the following 12 do not meet the international standard for exchange of information on request:

    1. Egypt

    2. Fiji

    3. Gambia

    4. Israel

    5. Jamaica

    6. Kenya

    7. Namibia

    8. Oman

    9. Papua new Guinea

    10. Sri Lanka

    11. Swaziland

    12. Zimbabwe

      That international standard does not apply to automatic exchange. The standard for automatic exchange the question refers to (as published by the OECD in July 2014) is the Common Reporting Standard, the globally acceptable standard on automatic exchange of information with respect of financial accounts information.

      The means of ensuring this standard was through a common Competent Authority Agreement, which supplements the international tax agreement allowing for exchange of tax information, rather than being an international tax agreement itself. There is no standard for automatic exchange in international tax agreements; just whether the agreement allows for it or not.

      It is the UK policy to interpret international tax agreements to allow automatic exchange even where not expressly stated, with the exception of cases where the exchange of information provision clearly uses restrictive wording that would preclude such an exchange.