Tag: Mark Williams

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Williams on 2015-11-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will discuss with the Moroccan ambassador to the UK Morocco’s ban on the UN Secretary General’s Personal Envoy to the Western Sahara visiting Western Sahara during his visit to that region to facilitate negotiations called for by the UN Security Council.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

With Ambassadors of other members of the Group of Friends of Western Sahara, the British Ambassador to Morocco raised this issue with the Moroccan Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs on 13 November. The Group of Friends welcomed the assurances they received that the Secretary-General’s Envoy would not be prevented from visiting Western Sahara.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Williams on 2015-11-23.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when his Department plans to respond to the Eleventh Report from the Treasury Committee, Session 2014-15, Conduct and competition in SME lending, HC204.

Harriett Baldwin

The Government response, which was published on 21 December 2015, is available on gov.uk.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Williams on 2015-12-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what progress has been made in negotiations with Lloyd’s Bank plc about business banking services being offered through the Post Office.

George Freeman

The Post Office is negotiating with the major banks, including Lloyds and Barclays, with a view to extending and standardising the services available to the banks’ small business customers. These are commercial negotiations which are still ongoing. The Government is clear that completion of these negotiations should be a priority.

The Government is keen to see continued and wider availability of banking services through Post Office branches. In this context, we welcome the recent agreement between HSBC and the Post Office to provide HSBC’s business customers with services through Post Office branches.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Williams on 2015-12-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what progress has been made in negotiations with Barclays Bank plc about business banking services being offered through the Post Office.

George Freeman

The Post Office is negotiating with the major banks, including Lloyds and Barclays, with a view to extending and standardising the services available to the banks’ small business customers. These are commercial negotiations which are still ongoing. The Government is clear that completion of these negotiations should be a priority.

The Government is keen to see continued and wider availability of banking services through Post Office branches. In this context, we welcome the recent agreement between HSBC and the Post Office to provide HSBC’s business customers with services through Post Office branches.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Williams on 2015-12-15.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what information his Department holds on the number of communities of 5,000 people or more in England where there is no bank branch within a radius of three miles.

Harriett Baldwin

The Government does not hold the information requested.

Banks and building societies need to balance customer interests, market competition, and other commercial factors when considering their strategy. Decisions on the opening and closing of individual branches are taken by the management of each bank on a commercial basis without intervention from Government.

The Government welcomed the industry-wide Access to Banking protocol announced in March 2015. From the first of May this year, each participating bank has committed to carry out a number of steps if it is closing a branch, including the preparation of meaningful local impact assessments. There is a commitment to a review of the operation of the protocol after one year, and the Government looks forward to its conclusions.

The availability of alternative locations for accessing basic banking services is also important. The ongoing negotiation between the banks and the Post Office to agree a standard set of services – to be made available to personal and small business banking customers at Post Office counters across the country – remains vital. The Government is clear that completion of these negotiations should be a priority.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Williams on 2016-01-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 20 November 2015 to Question 1543, on Western Sahara: referendum, whether any referendum would put forward a choice between independence for Western Sahara and integration of that region with Morocco.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

The terms and choices of a referendum on the status of Western Sahara are for Morocco and the Polisario Front to agree as the two parties to the dispute. The UK fully supports UN-led efforts to encourage both parties to agree a lasting and mutually acceptable political solution that provides for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Williams on 2016-02-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many applications for emergency authorisation for the use of neonicotinoids have been received in 2016; and how many of those applications have been granted.

George Eustice

No applications have been received in 2016 for the emergency authorisation of neonicotinoids.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Williams on 2016-02-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many applications for emergency authorisation for the use of neonicotinoids have been received in 2016; and how many of those applications have been granted.

George Eustice

No applications have been received in 2016 for the emergency authorisation of neonicotinoids.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Williams on 2015-10-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what fiscal steps he plans to take to help unincorporated businesses with the introduction of the living wage.

Nick Boles

The Government believes that the new National Living Wage is affordable given the strength of the UK economy and labour market.

The Government will publish a full impact assessment for the introduction of the National Living Wage alongside the implementing regulations. This will contain a section on the impact on small businesses which includes many unincorporated businesses.

The Government is reducing Corporation Tax to 19% from 2017-18 and then to 18% from 2020-21; setting the Annual Investment Allowance at a new permanent level of £200,000; and increasing the Employment Allowance by £1,000 to £3,000 from 2016-17. The increase in the employment allowance means a business could employ four people on the National Living Wage and pay no National Insurance Contributions.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Williams on 2015-10-20.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what support the Government is giving to unincorporated businesses via the taxation system.

Mr David Gauke

The government is committed to supporting unincorporated businesses. At Budget 2015, the government announced that it would transform the tax system over the course of this Parliament by introducing digital tax accounts for everyone, removing the need for annual tax returns.

In addition, the government has introduced cash basis accounting so that the smallest businesses can report their income and expenses to HMRC in a simpler way.

Building on recommendations by the Office of Tax Simplification (OTS), the government will consult in autumn 2015 on abolishing Class 2 NICs and reforming Class 4 NICs. This will simplify the NICs system and reduce the administrative burden of NICs for millions of self-employed individuals.

At Summer Budget 2015, the Chancellor announced the Annual Investment Allowance would rise to its highest ever permanent level from January 2016.

The allowance enables businesses, including unincorporated businesses, to write down 100% of all qualifying investment in plant and machinery against its taxable profits up to £200,000, providing a cash flow benefit to companies who invest.