The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Lavery on 2015-02-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether UK Export Finance has provided (a) loan guarantees and (b) low interest loans to Rio Tinto plc to support any of its investments or operations overseas in the last five years.
Matthew Hancock
UK Export Finance has not provided loan guarantees or low interest loans to Rio Tinto plc in the last five years.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Lavery on 2015-02-11.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department provides tax relief to encourage multinational mining corporations to maintain their headquarters in the UK.
Mr David Gauke
Since 2010 the Government has delivered a range of reforms to encourage investment in the UK, including the establishment of headquarter operations by multinational companies. The Government has cut the main rate of corporation tax from 28% to 21% and it will fall further to 20% this April, the lowest rate in the G20. In addition, the Government has introduced the Patent Box, increased the generosity of Research & Development tax credits and modernised the UK’s Controlled Foreign Company regime.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Lavery on 2015-02-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether any employees of Rio Tinto plc has been seconded to his Department in the last five years.
Amber Rudd
No employees of Rio Tinto plc have been seconded to the Department of Energy & Climate Change in the last five years.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Lavery on 2015-02-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether any former officials of his Department have taken employment with Rio Tinto plc in the last five years.
Amber Rudd
Our Business Appointments register shows that no former civil servant has taken employment with Rio Tinto plc immediately after leaving the Department of Energy & Climate Change.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Lavery on 2015-02-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether any former officials of his Department have taken employment with Rio Tinto plc in the last five years.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
The FCO does not hold details of employment taken up by former officials unless they have been subject to the business appointment rules. Records kept under the business appointment rules covering the last 3 years (2012 – 2014) show that no former members of staff have left the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) to join Rio Tinto plc.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Lavery on 2015-02-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether any employees of Rio Tinto plc have been seconded to his Department in the last five years.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
Our records show that in the last five years no employees of Rio Tinto plc have been seconded to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Lavery on 2015-02-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether any employees of Rio Tinto plc have been seconded to her Department in the last five years.
Justine Greening
Fewer than 5 former DFID officials have taken employment with Rio Tinto plc in the last five year. The exact number has been withheld to protect the identity of those individuals involved. No employees of Rio Tinto have been seconded to DFID in the last 5 years.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Lavery on 2015-02-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether any former officials in her Department have taken employment with Rio Tinto plc in the last five years.
Justine Greening
Fewer than 5 former DFID officials have taken employment with Rio Tinto plc in the last five year. The exact number has been withheld to protect the identity of those individuals involved. No employees of Rio Tinto have been seconded to DFID in the last 5 years.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Lavery on 2014-04-29.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will place in the Library a copy of the business case for the outsourcing of compliance checks on tax credits claims.
Nicky Morgan
From April to July 2013, HMRC carried out a trial to test whether it would be feasible to increase the number of compliance checks on tax credits claims, through the use of private sector resource. HMRC will publish the evaluation of the trial and the customer research report in due course.
It is not appropriate to place the business case in the public domain given the commercial sensitivities and the risk of prejudice to HMRC’s ability to tackle tax credits error and fraud.
In terms of the external costs of the trial, I refer the Hon Member to the Thirty-Fourth Report of the Committee of Public Accounts [2013/14] into HMRC Tax Collection: Annual Report & Accounts 2012–13, which may be found at http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmselect/cmpubacc/666/66602.htm. All internal HMRC operating costs are published annually in the HMRC Annual Report and Accounts.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Lavery on 2014-06-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will issue a statement cautioning UK businesses against investing in Moroccan-occupied Western Sahara.
Hugh Robertson
The British Government advises companies considering investing in Western Sahara to obtain independent legal advice. We make companies aware that such investment raises complex and sensitive issues.
We consider Morocco to be the de facto administering power of Western Sahara. We therefore consistently encourage Morocco to meet its commitments under Chapter XI, Article 73 of the UN Charter by ensuring that it acts to protect and further the interests of the people of the territory. This includes ensuring that the resources of the territory are used for the benefit of the people of the territory.