Tag: Jim McMahon

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim McMahon on 2016-02-22.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what formula was used to calculate the Government’s proposed living wage.

Harriett Baldwin

The Government has asked the Low Pay Commission to increase the National Living Wage to 60% of median earnings by 2020. This is a level consistent with the recommendations of leading experts in the Bain Report. Our target is for the National Living Wage to reach £9 by 2020.

On this basis, we have set the initial rate at £7.20 from April 2016. This marks the first step towards our target and represents a £900 a year increase in earnings for a full-time worker on the National Minimum Wage.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim McMahon on 2016-03-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 17 February 2016 to Question 26660, on housing: construction, if he will place in the Library any value for money review and impact assessment carried out on the decision made by the previous Government.

Brandon Lewis

An overview of all published evaluations of Housing Market Renewal, both pre- and post-cessation, are included in a briefing note that is already in the Library of the House, and which can be accessed online at:

http://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN05953/SN05953.pdf

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim McMahon on 2016-09-02.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of private landlords who will be affected by the tax relief change to higher rate taxpayers announced in the Summer Budget 2015.

Jane Ellison

HMRC estimate that 1 in 5 landlords will pay more tax as a result of this measure.

Given that only a small proportion of the housing market is affected by this change, the Government does not expect these changes to have a large impact on rent levels or house prices. The Office of Budget Responsibility (OBR) also expects the impact on the housing market will be small.

The Government will double the housing budget from 2018-19 and has set out the most ambitious affordable housing plan since the 1970s to support working people in their aim to own their own home, together the measures in the plan amount to over £20 billion of investment in housing between 2016-17 and 2020-21.

The level of housing benefits is dependent on a number of factors such as, household and individual circumstances in regards to employment and household income, inflation and rents. The Government does not expect a large impact on rent levels from this policy, and any impact would be dampened in the short term due to other policy decisions. Therefore, the government does not anticipate changes to the overall level of housing benefits as a result. Nevertheless, the government will continue to monitor rental levels charged in the private rented sector.

Landlords are required to maintain their properties to a legal minimum standard. The reform to the wear and tear allowance means that all landlords will now be able to offset the costs of replacing furnishings in their properties removing the previous disincentive to do so. The Government therefore does not think that the changes to the tax rules will reduce standards for tenants.

Some landlords may face difficult decisions regarding their properties. This is why the Government has chosen to act in a proportionate and gradual way. Basic rate income tax relief will still be available on a landlord’s finance costs, the restriction will not be introduced until April 2017 and then it will be phased in over 4 years. This gives landlords time to plan ahead of the changes.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim McMahon on 2016-01-26.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish the value for money review of the relocation of Oldham HM Revenue and Customs Office to Manchester city centre.

Mr David Gauke

The HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) office at Phoenix House, Oldham was announced for closure in February 2008 as part of HMRC’s earlier Regional Review Programme, and was partially vacated in November 2009 with the majority of staff relocating to Manchester and finally closed in May 2014.

HMRC has not undertaken a separate value for money review on the closure of the office in Oldham. The Change Programme, of which the Regional Review Programme formed part, has been reviewed by the National Audit Office as part of its role to scrutinise public spending for Parliament to assess value for money. The NAO carried out a specific review on cost reduction within HMRC in 2013. The report can be found on the attached link. https://www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/HMRC-reducing-cost-full-report.pdf

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim McMahon on 2016-02-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if the Government will bring forward proposals to review the needs-based formula for local government.

Mr Marcus Jones

By the end of this Parliament, local authorities will fund local services from their local taxes, including £26 billion raised from business rates.

We have announced that we will conduct a review of what the needs assessment formula should be in a world in which all local government spending is funded by local resources not central grant, and use it to determine the transition to 100% business rates retention. We will develop this approach in partnership with local government.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim McMahon on 2016-03-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children’s social worker vacancies remained unfilled in (a) 2014 and (b) 2015.

Edward Timpson

Information on the number of children’s social work vacancies in English local authorities is collected annually.

The most recent data, from 30 September 2015, was published by the Department for Education on 25 February 2016 and can be found on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/childrens-social-work-workforce-2015

More data is also found on GOV.UK:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/childrens-social-work-workforce-2013-to-2014

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim McMahon on 2016-09-02.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will estimate how much air passenger duty was paid by passengers using Manchester Airport in each year since 2011.

Jane Ellison

HM Revenue and Customs does not collect information on air passenger duty (APD) revenues by airport as APD is payable by airlines and not on a per airport basis.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim McMahon on 2016-01-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to prevent the E-ACT Academy chain from dismissing community governors from its school governing bodies.

Edward Timpson

In a Multi-Academy Trust (MAT), individual academies are all under the control of the trust board, as the legal entity. A trust is allowed to exercise its choice about whether and how to construct its local governing bodies for each academy. The composition of those boards and the range of functions delegated to any such boards, are all a matter for the board to determine. In all cases the board remains accountable for all of the academies in the MAT. We expect Government bodies to drive strong governance so that standards remain high. We trust these boards to decide on the most appropriate arrangements for their trust. They may choose to delegate duties to local governing bodies, but trustees maintain overall responsibility. E-ACT has reviewed its governance arrangements and is planning to change its regional and local governance structure.

The Secretary of State can intervene where a trust is in breach of its funding agreement due to a serious breakdown in governance.

Fewer, higher quality and more highly skilled boards overseeing groups of schools is central to the Government’s strategy for improving the quality of school governance. It is also the key to schools realising a wide range of other educational and financial benefits.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim McMahon on 2016-02-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what direct funding has been provided to local authorities in Greater Manchester to manage the community impact of asylum placements in those areas.

James Brokenshire

The Government has a legal obligation to provide support to asylum applicants who would otherwise be destitute. Support is provided in form of subsistence allowance and accommodation. The Government provides funding for Strategic Migration Partnerships which act as a focal point for all local authorities in the relevant region to consider and resolve any issues relating to dispersals and migration. The funding for the North West Strategic Migration Partnership for 2015/16 was £139,216.

The Government also provides additional funding to local authorities to support Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children, those leaving care and asylum seekers who are turning 18. The total funding for this population in 2014/5 financial year for Manchester City Council was £441,113.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim McMahon on 2016-03-16.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answers of 3 February 2016 to Question 24298 and 8 March 2016 to Question 28866, on Revenue and Customs: Greater Manchester, whether any value for money review was undertaken on the decision to relocate staff from Phoenix House, Oldham to Manchester.

Mr David Gauke

HM Revenue and Customs has not undertaken a separate value for money review on the decision to relocate staff from Phoenix House, Oldham to Manchester. I refer you to my answer of 8 March.

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