Tag: Julian Knight

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Knight on 2016-05-10.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether it is his Department’s policy that employees should be offered the choice of either auto-enrolment or paying into a Lifetime ISA as a means for saving for their pension, or that employees who wish to invest in a Lifetime ISA must do so in addition to auto-enrolment.

Greg Hands

The new Lifetime ISA is an additional flexible savings product which will complement pensions to give savers greater freedom and choice to save for the long-term in a way that works for them.

With automatic enrolment already helping nine million people with their pensions, the Government remains committed to supporting people who save in different ways.

Increasing the choice of savings products available, the Lifetime ISA supports the Government’s ambition to encourage a regular savings habit amongst young people and to create a culture of long-term saving by offering the right products to suit their changing circumstances at different points in their lives.

From April 2017, people aged 18 to 40 will be able to save up to £4,000 each year into a Lifetime ISA and receive a 25% bonus from the Government. Under the new Lifetime ISA, young savers will no longer have to choose between saving for their first home purchase or for retirement.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Knight on 2016-07-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what further steps he plans to take to encourage buy-to-let mortgage lenders to allow longer tenancies.

Gavin Barwell

My Department has worked closely with the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) to encourage longer term tenancies in properties with a buy to let mortgage, including during the development of our Model Tenancy Agreement (MTA). The MTA enables longer tenancies, and addresses lender concerns by including appropriate break clauses. The CML estimates that the majority of buy to let mortgage lenders now permit tenancies of up to two to three years. We continue to encourage lenders to actively promote the use of the MTA to their landlord customers.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Knight on 2016-01-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether he plans to carry out an impact assessment after completion of the further education area review.

Nick Boles

Government will produce an evaluation of the area review programme and its potential to impact on groups protected by the Equality Act 2010. The reviews do not however, mandate action, and colleges are independent corporations, so it will be for each college’s governing body to assess the potential impact on groups protected by the Act, as part of its decision to accept or reject any recommendation requiring a change to their provision

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Knight on 2016-03-22.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of people in Solihull who will pay less income tax as a result of the increase in the personal allowance announced in Budget 2016.

Mr David Gauke

The £300 increase in the personal allowance announced at Budget 16 is estimated to have reduced income tax for 28.9 million income tax payers in 2017-18. Of these individuals, 2.4 million live in the West Midlands region, which includes the Parliamentary Constituency of Solihull.

These estimates are based on the 2013-14 Survey of Personal Incomes, projected to 2017-18 using economic assumptions consistent with the Office for Budget Responsibility’s March 2016 economic and fiscal outlook.

HM Treasury does not publish this information at constituency level.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Knight on 2016-05-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps the Government is taking to incentivise purchase of defibrillator equipment; and if he will discuss with the Chancellor of the Exchequer reviewing the VAT regulations that apply to such equipment.

Jane Ellison

In the budget in March, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that the Government is making available another £1 million to make public access defibrillators and coronary pulmonary resuscitation training more widely available in communities across England. This builds on last year’s funding of £1 million, which provided almost 700 more publicly accessible defibrillators in communities across England and increased the numbers of people trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Details on how this second tranche of the funding can be accessed will be available in due course.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer keeps all tax policy under review.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Knight on 2016-07-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what further steps he plans to take to ensure that people who require longer tenancies can get them.

Gavin Barwell

My Department has developed a Model Tenancy Agreement for use by landlords and tenants in the private rented sector, which encourages longer term tenancies for those who want them. We are working with the sector to actively promote the use of this and to identify any barriers. We have also established a working group focussed on affordability and security in the private rented sector which will look at what more we can do to help people who require longer tenancies to get them.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Knight on 2016-01-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she is taking to (a) help up-skill and (b) provide technical education for the Bangladeshi workforce.

Mr Desmond Swayne

DFID is supporting the upskilling of the Bangladeshi workforce through several projects in both the informal and formal sectors. Through our support to the Underprivileged Children’s Educational Programme, a local educational institution, nearly 45, 000 children have received general education and over 13, 000 have received technical and vocational training. Of the latter, 90% have been placed in formal employment or become self-employed. The programme focuses on working children in slums who dropped out of school.

DFID also launched ‘the Skills and Employment Programme in Bangladesh’ in October 2015. The programme aims to provide private sector training opportunities, with a particular focus on supporting women and disadvantaged populations, in the ready-made garments and construction sectors.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Knight on 2016-03-22.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his policy is on allowing for integration of the lifetime ISA and existing standard ISAs.

Mr David Gauke

The Government has announced it will be introducing a new Lifetime ISA, providing savers with the flexibility to save towards a first home and retirement at the same time.

Savers will be able to transfer savings from other ISAs as one way of funding their Lifetime ISA. These contributions will count towards the £4,000 Lifetime ISA limit and will receive a bonus. In line with existing rules, transfers from previous years’ ISA contributions will not count towards that year’s £20,000 overall ISA limit.

During the 2017-18 tax year only, those with a Help to Buy: ISA will be able to transfer in the savings they have built up before 6 April 2017 to the Lifetime ISA, and still save an additional £4,000 into a Lifetime ISA in that year. This means the whole amount will benefit from the 25% government bonus. Individuals will not be able to use a government bonus from both a Help to Buy: ISA and a Lifetime ISA to buy their first home.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Knight on 2016-05-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what obligations private hospitals and NHS foundation trusts have to share the medical records of patients who have used both services (a) in general and (b) when such trusts have referred patients to private hospitals.

George Freeman

We expect that all of the organisations involved in providing direct care to a National Health Service patient, irrespective of whether they are an NHS provider or a private sector provider under contract to the NHS, will share information that is relevant to the safe and timely provision of treatment and care.

The only exception should be if the patient objects to information about them being shared. This approach is consistent with the Caldicott Principles which state that “the duty to share data can be as important as the duty to protect confidentiality”. The duty to share information as described in Section 251B of the Health and Social Care Act 2012.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Knight on 2016-07-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will estimate the average cost of moving home for a family in the private rented sector.

Gavin Barwell

The department does not collect this information. However, we have set up a working group to look at affordability and security in the private rented sector and one of the issues this is considering is moving costs.