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Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-05-18.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what (a) meetings he has had with external organisations and (b) steps he has taken to encourage the take up of employee share ownership schemes in small and medium-sized businesses in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr David Gauke

    Tax-advantaged employee share schemes are greatly valued by both companies and employers, and the government wants to make sure that the rules surrounding these schemes are as simple and clear as possible. Budget 2016 made a number of changes to the rules for employment-related securities and options which will make these schemes fairer and easier for taxpayers to understand, and therefore encourage businesses to use them.

    An HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) commissioned report conducted by Oxera considered the effect of the tax-advantaged employee share schemes on productivity. The report is available at: http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20110203095056/http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/research/tax-advantaged-report2.pdf.

    The government’s most recent assessment of the cost of the tax-advantaged employee share schemes to the Exchequer is provided in the table below.

    Forecast cost of Income Tax relief (2015-16)

    Forecast cost of National Insurance relief (2015-16)

    Share Incentive Plan

    £220 million

    £165 million

    Save As You Earn

    £180 million

    £140 million

    Enterprise Management Incentives

    £70 million

    £40 million

    Company Share Option Plan

    £70 million

    £40 million

    HMRC has not withdrawn the valuation checking service for the tax-advantaged employee share schemes. However, HMRC has withdrawn other checks for non-tax advantaged schemes as, in the majority of cases, acceptable valuations were submitted. Therefore, the valuation service added no value and is seen as unnecessary.

    The government keeps all areas of the tax system under review and as part of that in always interested in understanding the views of all interested parties.

    Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. Details of ministerial and permanent secretary meetings with external organisations on departmental business are published on a quarterly basis and are available at: http://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-gifts-and-overseas-travel

    “

  • Julian Knight – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Julian Knight – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Knight on 2016-06-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reasons Mohammed Amir has been granted a visa to travel to the UK for the Test series between England and Pakistan.

    James Brokenshire

    In order to safeguard an individual’s personal information and comply with the Data Protection Act 1998 the Home Office is limited in what information it can provide when the request is made by someone who is not the applicant. The Home Office is therefore unable to provide the information requested.

  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-09-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 13 June 2016 to Question 39705, what assessment his Department has made of Ethiopa’s progress on providing independent legal access for Andargachew Tsege.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    ​On 1 June 2016, Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam assured the then Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), that Mr Tsege would be allowed access to independent legal advice to allow him to discuss options under the Ethiopian legal system. Since then, the Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Mr Johnson) has raised Mr Tsege’s case with his Ethiopian counterpart, Foreign Minister Tedros, on 3 occasions, most recently during the UN General Assembly in New York, insisting that the Ethiopians follow through with their commitment to allow legal access. The British Government will continue to do so until Mr Tsege is given access to independent legal advice.

  • Joan Ryan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Joan Ryan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Joan Ryan on 2015-11-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether 18 to 21 year olds who live in supported accommodation will be able to claim the housing element of universal credit when they move out of supported accommodation.

    Justin Tomlinson

    From April 2017 the Government will remove automatic entitlement to housing support for 18-21 year olds in Universal Credit. This rule, which will apply to new claims from those who are out of work, will ensure parity with those young adults who are in employment but are unable to afford to leave home. However, there will be circumstances where it is reasonable to support a young person in living independently. The Department is discussing this issue with key stakeholders in order to determine which groups might be exempt from the general rule. This includes many organisations that provide supported accommodation for young people. It is too early to confirm the outcome from those discussions.

  • Lord Kilclooney – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Kilclooney – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kilclooney on 2015-12-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the UK, as one of the three guarantor powers of Cyprus, was consulted in connection with the request by Russia to the government of Cyprus for the provision of military facilities on that island.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We have discussed with the Republic of Cyprus their dialogue with the Russian Federation on the provision of facilities for humanitarian and emergency purposes. The Republic of Cyprus have stated very clearly that they have no plans for a Russian military base on the island.

    The UK remains fully engaged on issues of regional security with the Republic of Cyprus, while recognising that it is for the Republic of Cyprus to decide which bilateral agreements to sign.

  • David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2016-01-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, in how many countries UK Reapers are currently operational.

    Penny Mordaunt

    UK Reapers are currently operational in Iraq and Syria. No UK Reapers have been deployed to Libya, and no personnel from UK Reaper Squadrons have been deployed to Libya, Kenya or Somalia in the last three years.

  • Seema Kennedy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Seema Kennedy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Kennedy on 2016-02-10.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions his Department has had with the financial sector and employer groups on workplace money management and workplace payroll savings schemes.

    Harriett Baldwin

    The government is committed to supporting savers, and government officials meet regularly with the Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals to discuss the role that payroll deduction can play in promoting workplace saving, particularly in relation to the credit union movement. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is funding a £38m project to enable participating credit unions to expand their services to many more consumers, including to employees via workplace payroll savings. DWP is also looking into providing payroll savings facilities for their staff who are members of a credit union.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-03-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate his Department has made of the total number of military personnel supporting operations against Daesh in each month since December 2015; and if he will make a statement.

    Penny Mordaunt

    The UK is one of over 60 nations contributing to US-led Operation Inherent Resolve, the overarching anti-Daesh global coalition. This global coalition, which includes the US, Arab, European, Asian and Australasian partners, is working with the Government of Iraq and regional neigbours to defeat Daesh in both Iraq and Syria.

    We cannot comment on the size of contributions made by other nations, but the UK plays an important role both in terms of numbers of personnel supporting the mission and the unique capabilities we contribute.

    The UK contribution in terms of numbers of personnel has remained relatively constant since December 2015 at around 2,000, of which around 1,000 are deployed across the region.

  • Barry Gardiner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Barry Gardiner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Gardiner on 2016-04-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what consultation with local authorities her Department carried out before the decision was taken to discontinue Government funding to the Climate Local programme.

    Rory Stewart

    Climate Local is a Local Government Association initiative which was in part supported by the Environment Agency’s Climate Ready Support Service. The Climate Ready Support Service was initiated as a time-limited programme and came to an end in March this year. It is for the Local Government Association and the members of Climate Local to determine its further activities. Adaptation is integrated throughout the work of all Government departments who continue to deliver, alongside local Government and many other organisations, their commitments set out in the National Adaptation Programme.

  • Rachel Reeves – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Rachel Reeves – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rachel Reeves on 2016-05-18.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress he has made in increasing the long-term growth rate of Yorkshire to at least the long-term growth rate of the whole of the UK in accordance with the Long-Term Economic Plan for Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire.

    Greg Hands

    The Office for National Statistics have not yet published an estimate of how the Yorkshire economy has grown following the announcement of the Long Term Economic Plan for Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire in February 2015.