Tag: Lord Taylor of Warwick

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2015-11-30.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the World Economic Forum Global Gender Gap Report 2015, which found that women are being paid the average wage men earned in 2006.

Baroness Williams of Trafford

New figures released by the Office for National Statistics show that the gender pay gap in the UK remains the lowest on record.

There are now also more women on FTSE Boards and running businesses than ever before, and this year the UK was ranked as the best place in Europe for female entrepreneurs.

I am proud of our achievements, but recognise there is still more we must do. This is why the government is introducing new regulations that will require larger employers to publish their gender pay gap information. This will encourage companies to take action and drive change on this important issue.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2016-01-18.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they respond to the chief executive of Shell, who claims that oil and gas companies would be negatively affected in the event that the UK leaves the EU.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

The Government is fighting hard to fix the aspects of our EU membership that cause so much frustration in the United Kingdom – so we can get a better deal for our country and secure our future.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2016-02-09.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they plan to take to clarify the tax rules relating to fines imposed on banks.

Lord O’Neill of Gatley

Fines imposed as a punishment by regulators are non-deductible for UK Corporation Tax purposes, while compensation expenditure arising from trading activity is in principle deductible.

However, the government took steps in Finance Act (No2) 2015 to make compensation associated with bank misconduct and mis-selling non-deductible and offset the deductibility of administrative costs associated with this compensation through a taxable receipt. This action is forecast by the OBR to increase banks’ tax payments by around £1bn over the next 5 years.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2016-04-18.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the claim by the FSB and Administrative Burdens Advisory Board that the proposed HM Revenue and Customs plans for quarterly tax returns would create a significant administrative and financial burden for small businesses.

Lord O’Neill of Gatley

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has consulted informally to understand how the Making Tax Digital changes will affect businesses. This initial assessment shows a reduction in on-going administrative burdens over the longer-term, contributing to HMRC’s overall target to reduce tax administration by £400m by 2020.

HMRC will publish its initial assessment as part of the formal consultation process, working with stakeholders throughout 2016 to develop understanding, ensuring the final design is focused on reducing burdens.

As with any other tax measure, a detailed assessment of the impact on administrative burdens will be published alongside draft legislation, expected to be in December 2016.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2016-06-29.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the risks that companies may delay investment and hiring new staff in the UK in the light of the result of the referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe

My Rt hon Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer, my Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Governor of the Bank of England have been clear that although there is uncertainty ahead, the UK is very much open for business and investment.

Since the referendum, the Government has been actively engaged with businesses of all types and in all sectors to understand their concerns. In the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, my Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State and other ministers are holding a series of roundtables with business organisations and with CEOs and senior representatives from many of our biggest employers. The Secretary of State also chairs the new business engagement inter-ministerial group, which brings ministers across Government together to discuss issues and challenges facing business, including creating opportunities for investment and trade.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2016-09-13.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the figures released by the Office for National Statistics showing that 29 per cent of graduates earn less per hour than an average non-graduate who has completed an apprenticeship.

Lord Nash

The evidence consistently points to good returns both for graduates and for those who have completed an apprenticeship. According to the same statistical release from the Office for National Statistics, median gross hourly pay for graduate employees is £15.38, compared to £11.02 for non-graduates who have completed an apprenticeship.

The Government recognises, however, that the benefits of further and higher education will differ between individuals, and between subjects and institutions chosen. It is important for young people to consider the available information and select a route through education that is right for them; whether that be an apprenticeship, higher education study or further education. They may also consider factors other than salary, when selecting their courses of study.

That is why the Government is introducing policies such as a Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) that will provide clear information to students on where the best outcomes from higher education provision can be found. The Department for Education will also continue to release information through websites such as Unistats and other channels to help young people make the right choices when considering whether to enter further or higher education. This includes taking advantage of the Longitudinal Education Outcomes dataset to provide better information on the potential returns from different education routes.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2015-11-10.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to promote the role of women researchers in the global agriculture sector.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe

Government is committed to developing a strong, diverse research community. The Research Councils and National Academies share this commitment.

Government is working with its partner organisations to promote equality across all research disciplines and has established a Diversity Steering Group to guide this work.

To improve the diversity of research fellowship awards, the National Academies are working to encourage more applications from under-represented groups and to guard against discrimination in the selection process. Government has also commissioned the Research Councils to develop an action plan to improve the diversity of grant applications and peer-review rates.

As an international example, Government and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council have jointly funded four research programmes involving collaborative projects between UK researchers and partners in sub-Saharan Africa or South Asia.

All programmes have included research capacity building in developing countries and have had an increasing focus on integrating gender into agricultural research.

The most recent programme, Zoonoses and Emerging Livestock Systems (ZELS) includes a studentship programme and of the twelve PhD students who have been appointed, eight are women.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2015-11-30.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they plan to take to promote racial diversity in the film industry.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe

This Government is committed to promoting diversity in the film industry. We support the British Film Institute’s (BFI) newly launched £1 million Diversity Fund, which works to provide professional development opportunities to people from underrepresented groups, as well as funding to organisations that are looking to support diversity projects. The BFI has also recently extended its Diversity Standards to cover all Film Fund Lottery schemes which support film development, production and distribution, and widen access to film in the UK.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2016-01-18.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is being done to overcome the low level of exports contributing to the UK’s trade deficit.

Lord Maude of Horsham

I refer the noble Lord to the written statement I made on trade on Tuesday 19th January

The statement outlines a new, whole-of-government approach to expanding the number of exporters and the value they generate for the British economy. This will be delivered through a transformed UK Trade and Investment (UKTI), focused on priority markets and sectors. We will develop better digital platforms, work more closely with partners (including in the private sector) and make sure that our services match the needs of companies.

UKTI will co-ordinate and review the UK’s export performance on behalf of the Cross-Government Exports Implementation Taskforce, led by the Secretary of State for Business Innovation and Skills.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2016-02-09.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the case for £50 notes no longer being issued by central banks in order to help tackle crime.

Lord O’Neill of Gatley

The Government is fully committed to fighting all forms of financial crime, including money laundering and terrorist financing. In 2010, UK banks voluntarily withdrew the €500 note from sale in this country on the basis of analysis from our law enforcement agencies regarding its use by criminal groups. Such high denomination notes are attractive to criminals due to their high-value to low-volume ratio.

By contrast, the highest denomination note issued by the Bank of England is the £50 note whose value is far less than that of truly high denomination notes. Furthermore, the £50 note plays an important role as a reliable store-of-value and enables financial inclusion.