UKPOL.CO.UK

Tag: 2016

  • Paul Monaghan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Paul Monaghan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Monaghan on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the progress made at the recent UN peace talks in Geneva on Syria.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The latest phase of UN-facilitated peace talks on Syria came to a pause in Geneva on 24 March. UN Special Envoy, Staffan de Mistura intends to reconvene the parties after the Easter break. This latest phase continued in the “proximity talks” format rather than direct talks between the parties. During their discussions with the UN Special Envoy, the High Negotiations Committee of the Syrian Opposition presented their plans for political transition. Conversely, we understand that the Syrian regime did not engage on issues of substance during their discussions with the UN Special Envoy. At the conclusion of this round of talks, the UN produced a paper outlining its assessment of the “points of convergence” between the opposition and regime and has invited both sides to consider it before talks resume on or around 10 April.

  • 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, pursuant to the Answer of 18 April 2016 to Question 33610, how much funding the Government has allocated to (a) the Global Forum, (b) the World Bank, (c) the OECD and (d) each developing country to (i) improve the exchange of information to help tackle tax avoidance and (ii) improve tax capacity-building in each year since 2009-10.

    Mr David Gauke

    The UK government is committed to tackling tax avoidance at the global level and is supportive of using tax policy to help fund sustainable development. We support much of the work international organisations, such as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the World Bank, undertake in the area of international tax.

    The OECD Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) project reviewed the international tax rules to ensure profits are taxed where economic activities are performed. The UK government is committed to consistent and effective implementation of the OECD BEPS outputs. Since 2009-10, the UK government has contributed £339,580 in 2012-13 and £394,789 in 2015-16. In addition, the UK government supports and contributes to the work of the OECD’s Global Forum on addressing the risks to tax compliance posed by non-cooperative tax jurisdictions.

    The UK government does not hold specific figures for the amount of official development assistance (ODA) spent on tax and development for the years since 2009-10.Until recently, it was not possible to disaggregate funding for tax reform and capacity building from wider public financial management programmes.

  • Anne Main – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Anne Main – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anne Main on 2016-06-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many meetings the team working on projects to improve Turkey’s prospects of joining the EU, based at the British Embassy in Ankara, have had with representatives of the Turkish government in the last 12 months.

    Mr David Lidington

    Staff in the projects team at the British Embassy in Ankara regularly meet their Turkish Government counterparts on a range of business, including promoting reform and democratisation towards European standards. The UK remains committed to supporting security and prosperity across Europe, where we will continue to have close relationships and mutual interests. In countries aspiring to join the EU, our bilateral focus will remain on strengthening stability, security, good governance and the economic fundamentals; and on building the resilience and capability to tackle global threats and challenges such as irregular migration and terrorism.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Trade

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Trade

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-09-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, on what trade deals his Department has begun the negotiation process; and if he will make a statement.

    Greg Hands

    The Prime Minister has established the Department for International Trade to promote British trade across the world, and to ensure the UK takes advantage of all the opportunities open to us. We are actively engaging with a broad range of international partners to discuss our trading relationships. Earlier this week my rt hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade met with the Australian Minister for Trade and Investment and the Prime Minister had a number of productive discussions with partners at the G20 summit in Hangzhou. We will continue this engagement to best promote British trade, and to ensure that Britain becomes the global leader in free trade.

  • Jeremy Lefroy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Jeremy Lefroy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jeremy Lefroy on 2016-10-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether it is his Department’s policy that all submarines being constructed for the Royal Navy meet shock standard BR3021 as a minimum in respect of hydroplane bolts.

    Harriett Baldwin

    Hydroplane bolts are externally located equipment, whereas the BR Standard referred to, albeit superseded, sets standards for internal equipment. The Department is satisfied that appropriate standards are met for this equipment in accordance with our existing guidance.

  • Baroness Jones of Whitchurch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Baroness Jones of Whitchurch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch on 2016-01-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are reviewing their decision to exclude small businesses from the Flood Re insurance package.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    While we recognise the difficult challenges that some small businesses could face in areas of high flood risk, we are not currently aware of evidence that there is a systemic problem with the availability of commercial flood insurance.

    We have, however, committed to work with the Association of British Insurers (ABI) and other stakeholders to monitor the insurance market for small businesses. We are keen to work across Government, and with a range of business interests, to better understand the nature and extent of any problem that might exist.

    The ABI have assured us that the insurance industry will continue to provide insurance to small businesses on a competitive basis.

  • Anne Main – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Anne Main – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anne Main on 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department engaged in a contract with the Department of Health to transfer land within the Harperbury site for the proposed Harperbury Free School.

    Edward Timpson

    The negotiation for land for the site of Harperbury Free School was part of a wider land sale for new homes which was being negotiated by the Department of Health. Heads of Terms for the sale were agreed in September 2014 and subsequently revised in October 2015.

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-02-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of (a) people from black and minority ethnic backgrounds, (b) white northern Europeans, (c) mixed race people and (d) people from other ethnic backgrounds found a matching stem cell donor in each year since 2003-04.

    Jane Ellison

    The Department does not hold this information.

  • Keith Vaz – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Keith Vaz – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Keith Vaz on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many contracts with the NHS for diabetes education Spirit Healthcare holds.

    Jane Ellison

    The information requested is not held centrally.

  • 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, how many companies in each business sector have been registered with HM Revenue and Customs’ Supervised Business Register in each year since 2009-10; and what estimate his Department has made of the proportion of companies which were not registered with a professional body as required by anti-money laundering regulations in each such year.

    Mr David Gauke

    The number of HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) anti-money laundering supervision registrations by sector in each year since 2009 are given in the table below. HMRC does not have an estimate of businesses not registered for supervision that should be, but as part of its supervisory role actively undertakes to identify such businesses by using its own data and working with other supervisors and agencies.

    End of year…

    2009/2010

    2010/2011

    2011/2012

    2012/2013

    2013/2014

    2014/2015

    2015/2016

    Money Service Business registrations*

    3,585

    3,633

    3,691

    3,480

    2,850

    2,373

    2,177

    High Value Dealer registrations

    1,173

    1,193

    1,332

    1,336

    1,294

    1,035

    881

    Accountancy Service Provider registrations

    12,689

    12,941

    13,009

    13,151

    13,246

    13,120

    13,131

    Trust or Company Service Provider registrations

    2,301

    2,340

    2,442

    2,531

    2,577

    2,640

    2,729

    Estate Agency Business registrations**

    7,809

    8,710

    9,305

    Total registrations***

    18,219

    18,570

    18,799

    18,740

    18,182

    26,032

    26,371

    * From 2011/2012, the Money Service Business (MSB) sector includes a very small number of Bill Payment Service Providers (BPSPs) and Telecommunications, Digital and IT Payment Service Providers (TDITPSPs)

    ** Before 2013/2014 Estate Agency Businesses (EABs) were supervised by the Office of Fair Trading. HMRC is now the sole supervisor of EABs.

    *** The sums of sector breakdowns are less than the total registration figures because a business may be registered for more than one sector. HMRC does not double-count businesses when calculating total registrations.