Tag: Helen Goodman

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Goodman on 2016-06-08.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Department for International Development had any role in the current negotiations of tax treaties with (a) Malawi, (b) Lesotho, (c) Ghana and (d) Nepal.

Mr David Gauke

The Government recognises that developing countries may have different preferences from those of the UK and is willing to accommodate these preferences as part of a balanced agreement that is acceptable to both sides.

By governing the taxation of cross-border income flows in a predictable manner and eliminating double taxation and excessive taxation, tax treaties promote international trade and investment, leading to sustainable tax revenues, which are vital in financing for development.

Treasury Ministers decide the UK’s treaty negotiation programme following consultation with a number of interested parties, including the Department for International Development.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Goodman on 2016-09-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with her Cabinet colleagues on preventing self-employed adults with violent or sexual convictions providing extracurricular classes or sessions to children where there is no governing body for that sport or activity.

Edward Timpson

Schools are aware of their responsibilities in ensuring that any self-employed individual who is providing extra-curricular classes or sessions on their behalf has been subject to the necessary and appropriate checks, which could include checking individual status with the relevant sports or activity governing body.

If those checks reveal convictions for violence the school will then determine the appropriateness or otherwise of allowing that individual to continue to provide classes or sessions.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Goodman on 2016-09-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with (a) Cabinet colleagues and (b) stakeholders on repealing the birds and habitats directives.

Dr Thérèse Coffey

The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has not discussed repealing the birds and habitats directives with either Cabinet colleagues or stakeholders.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Goodman on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what proportion of the Department’s funding has been allocated to women’s health initiatives, including education in (a) 2016-17, (b) 2017-18 and (c) 2018-19.

James Wharton

The UK, as a member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) Development Assistance Committee (DAC), is committed to transparent reporting of development assistance in a way that permits international comparisons. Whilst comparison codes are available to separately identify funding for family planning and for reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health, the same is not true specifically for women’s health initiatives.

DFID is in the process of developing our plans to 2020, so future spending has not yet been determined.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Goodman on 2016-10-10.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the implication for his Department’s policies of the Children’s Society’s recent report, Damage of Debt; and if his Department will introduce a statutory breathing space scheme for families in debt.

Simon Kirby

The Government noted the report with interest and is grateful for the important work that The Children’s Society does. The Government is committed to supporting individuals in problem debt.

The Government is exploring whether some form of “breathing space” would be a useful and viable addition to the range of formal and informal debt solutions available to consumers and creditors. Officials in HM Treasury and the Insolvency Service have been asked to discuss this issue with stakeholders and the Government will report back this autumn.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Goodman on 2015-10-30.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to assess, mitigate and monitor macro-economic risks associated with trends in (a) environmental degradation, (b) resource scarcity, (c) climate change and (d) other aspects of the natural environment.

Greg Hands

HM Treasury regularly undertakes activities to monitor and assess key macroeconomic risks across all sectors of the economy, in line with current priorities.

The Treasury also feeds into the wider work on environmental risks that is undertaken across government: and in particular, through consideration of the analysis, advice and recommendations of the Natural Capital Committee which reports to the government, including HM Treasury, via the Economic Affairs Committee. The NCC’s work includes assessments of environmental trends and their impacts on the economy. The government’s response to the NCC’s third State of Natural Capital Report sets out how this work will be taken forward, including through the development of a 25 Year Environment Plan which will focus on those environmental assets that are most vulnerable to unsustainable use and where investment will deliver the greatest benefit.The Treasury is working closely with Defra to develop this plan.

Departments also work together on the UK contribution to the activities of the EU Raw Materials Initiative, which includes ongoing work that assesses and mitigates materials risks. Additionally, under the Climate Change Act 2008, the Government has a statutory role to produce, on a five-yearly cycle, an assessment of the risks and opportunities for the UK arising from climate change. Reporting under the Adaptation Reporting Power (as set out under the Climate Change Act), allows us to assess how key sectors are identifying risks from climate change and addressing them.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Goodman on 2016-01-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the government of Bahrain on (a) the treatment of opposition leaders in that country and (b) medical facilities available to Hassan Mushaima.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

We regularly discuss human rights and reform with the Government of Bahrain – including at the biannual UK-Bahrain Joint Working Group meeting which was most recently held in November 2015. The UK continues to encourage the Government of Bahrain to meet its human rights obligations, including the treatment of detainees in detention, and to honour all conventions to which it is a party. We are aware of the case of Hassan Mushaima and have raised it with the Government of Bahrain.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Goodman on 2016-01-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure schools in deprived areas have adequate money in their budgets to take children on school trips connected to the curriculum.

Mr Sam Gyimah

At the last Spending Review, the Chancellor announced that the Government would meet its manifesto commitment to protect the core schools budget throughout this Parliament. We have also protected the pupil premium at its current rates, worth £2.5 billion annually. Additionally, all local authorities must include a deprivation factor in their local funding formulae, through which they distribute funding to schools in their locality. It is for individual schools to decide how best to use their funding to raise the attainment of pupils, including those from deprived backgrounds, which can include visits in support of the curriculum.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Goodman on 2016-02-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what meetings (a) he and (b) Ministers of his Department have had with (i) arms manufacturers, (ii) tobacco manufacturers and (iii) representatives of the Israeli embassy since the period covered in the Cabinet Office’s most recent ministerial gifts, hospitality, travel and meetings data release.

Jane Ellison

Departments publish details of Ministers meetings’ with external organisations routinely on Gov.uk.

Details of meetings held during the period October – December 2015 will be published in due course.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Goodman on 2016-03-01.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether a manual reporting option will remain available to small businesses under the proposal to move to a quarterly digital tax reporting system by 2020.

Mr David Gauke

The Government will consult on the details of the Making Tax Digital proposals throughout 2016, including digital exclusion issues.

HM Revenue and Customs’ (HMRC) vision is for everyone to deal with their tax affairs digitally by default, although the Department does of course recognise its responsibility and legal duty to ensure equal and fair access to services. For those who genuinely cannot get online, for example due to disability, geographical or other reasons, non-digital alternatives will be provided.