Tag: Kelvin Hopkins

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kelvin Hopkins on 2016-03-16.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to require large companies to publish a country-by-country report in their annual financial report.

Mr David Gauke

The UK supports efforts to improve tax transparency. We initiated the international work on country-by-country (CbC) reporting to tax authorities during our G8 Presidency in 2013, calling on the OECD to develop a template for this as part of the BEPS project.

The UK was the first to commit to implementing the OECD model with legislation in Finance Act 2015. We signed the OECD agreement to share the CbC reports with other tax authorities in January 2016 and issued our final CbC reporting regulations on 26 February 2016.

The Government believes that there is scope for greater transparency by pressing the case for public CbC reporting on a multilateral basis. As the Chancellor has said, this is something that the UK will seek to promote internationally.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kelvin Hopkins on 2016-03-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to publish her Department’s proposals on repealing or amending Section 24 of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.

Karen Bradley

The Government intends to publish its intentions about the review of Section 24 of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 shortly.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kelvin Hopkins on 2016-07-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many (a) planned and (b) unplanned cancellations of train services operated by Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) under the emergency timetable introduced from 11 July 2016 would place GTR in breach of the level of cancellations set out in the Remedial Plan agreed between GTR and his Department in February 2016.

Claire Perry

Under the Franchise Agreement, where GTR can provide the evidence that cancellations are due to official or unofficial industrial action, they can claim Force Majeure, which they have done. The Govia Thameslink Railway Franchise Agreement in Schedule 7.1 sets out the performance benchmarks and financial regime that is in place in relation to cancellations. A copy of the Franchise Agreement can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/govia-thameslink .

The department is monitoring the position on a regular basis.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kelvin Hopkins on 2016-02-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the end-dates are of his Department’s contracts with Hewlett Packard Enterprise; which such contracts he plans to extend, for what reasons and to what dates; and if he will make a statement.

Justin Tomlinson

The Department has four contracts with Hewlett Packard Enterprise: Application Development and Application Maintenance & Support – these two contracts expired on 29/02/2016 and an extension has been agreed to 28/02/2018. Hosting – this contract runs till 23/02/2018. Desktop – this contract runs till 08/01/2017. DWP future contracting plans are commercially sensitive. The Department is progressing its strategy to deliver its technology requirements, and this includes both in-house services, and externally provided services sourced through procurement exercises using open competitions under the EU Procurement Directives and call-off competitions under Government Frameworks.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kelvin Hopkins on 2016-03-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to ban auditors from selling tax avoidance schemes to their audit clients.

Anna Soubry

The new EU Audit Regulation (537/2014) prohibits the provision of tax services by audit firms to their audit clients. This includes services relating to tax avoidance. The prohibition will apply where those audit clients are banks, building societies, insurers and issuers of shares or debt securities on a regulated market in the EU (e.g. the main market of the London Stock Exchange). The Regulation was agreed by the European Parliament and the Council in 2014 and will apply from 17 June 2016.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kelvin Hopkins on 2016-03-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if she will make it a condition of energy firms’ licences that the staff of those firms’ entire retail operation are directly employed in the UK.

Andrea Leadsom

The management of energy companies’ retail operations, including the location of its staff, is a commercial matter for the individual companies.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kelvin Hopkins on 2016-07-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the emergency timetable for Southern Rail services to be introduced from 11 July 2016 is in breach of the level of planned service train cancellations set out in the Remedial Plan agreed between Govia Thameslink Railway and his Department in February 2016.

Claire Perry

Under the Franchise Agreement, where GTR can provide the evidence that cancellations are due to official or unofficial industrial action, they can claim Force Majeure, which they have done. The Govia Thameslink Railway Franchise Agreement in Schedule 7.1 sets out the performance benchmarks and financial regime that is in place in relation to cancellations. A copy of the Franchise Agreement can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/govia-thameslink .

The department is monitoring the position on a regular basis.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kelvin Hopkins on 2016-02-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his Department’s plans are for the delivery of IT and digital services after the end dates of current contracts.

Justin Tomlinson

The Department anticipates a shift in the way in which citizens will engage with the Department – with greater digital interaction in the future. Digital Technology, Data and Security capabilities are a key enabler of this shift. The Department is progressing its strategy to deliver the underpinning technology requirements, and this includes both in-house services and externally provided services through procurement exercises using open competitions under the EU Procurement Directives and call-off competitions under Government Frameworks, such as GCloud and Crown Hosting.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kelvin Hopkins on 2016-03-16.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the judgment in Schofield v HM Revenue and Customs [2012] EWCA Civ 927 (11 July 2012), what steps his Department has taken against PricewaterhouseCoopers for designing and marketing the tax avoidance scheme rejected by the court.

Mr David Gauke

It is not possible for HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to provide details of any action taken in connection with these organisations.

In the March 2015 Budget, the Government challenged the accountancy and tax professional bodies to improve how they deal with their members who promote tax avoidance schemes.

The professional bodies have responded positively to this challenge and are working with HMRC to agree a new standard to which their members will need to adhere.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kelvin Hopkins on 2016-03-23.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will place a full copy of Lord Justice Bingham’s report Inquiry into the Supervision of The Bank of Credit and Commerce International, published in October 1992, on the closure of The Bank of Credit and Commerce International (HC 198 1992/93), in the Library.

Harriett Baldwin

As requested by the Hon. Member, a copy of the document will be made available in the Library of the House.