Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Nicholas Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Nicholas Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Brown on 2016-02-08.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress the Government has made on the implementation of the OECD’s Base Erosion and Profit Shifting programme; and what assessment he has made of the effect of that programme on the collection of corporation tax in the UK.

    Mr David Gauke

    The UK has been at the forefront of international efforts to tackle corporate tax avoidance through the OECD Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) project, which was completed in 2015.

    The UK has committed to introducing country-by-country reporting from 1 January 2016 and rules to deal with hybrid mismatch arrangements from 1 January 2017. As set out in Autumn Statement 2014, these measures are estimated to yield around £45 million and £260 million respectively over the next five years. The policy costings were certified by the independent Office for Budget Responsibility.

    The Government has also consulted on the OECD recommendations on the design of rules to prevent groups from gaining excessive tax deductions for interest expense, and how the OECD report on the definition of substantial activities in the context of preferential intellectual property regimes impacts the UK Patent Box.

  • Caroline Flint – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Caroline Flint – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Flint on 2016-03-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what proportion of his Department’s invoices for goods and services supplied by (a) private companies and (b) small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are completed on time; and what proportion of the (i) number and (ii) value of contracts between his Department and private companies are held by SMEs.

    Brandon Lewis

    The proportion of the Department’s invoices for goods and services supplied by private companies and small and medium-sized enterprises cannot be reliably extrapolated from our current payment system as it doesn’t link or split payment performance in this way.

    As of the last quarter, the Department paid 89% of invoices within 5 days. The Department’s prompt payment data can be accessed via this link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dclg-and-pins-prompt-payment-data-2015

    Of the Department’s current contracts, 33% are held by small and medium-sized enterprises. The Department’s annual spend on these as a proportion of our overall spend with suppliers is 25.4%.

  • Grahame Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Grahame Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding has been allocated to improve local transport infrastructure in Easington constituency in each of the next five years.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    Easington constituency in County Durham is in the area covered by the North East Combined Authority and North East Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP). The Combined Authority receives annual capital allocations for Highways Maintenance and Integrated Transport and it is for the Combined Authority and Durham County Council to decide how much of this funding is spent in Easington Constituency.

    The North East LEP has been awarded Local Growth Funding for two schemes in the Easington constituency. The proposal to construct a new station at Horden has been allocated £3.3 million and the package of five junction improvements on the A1 and A19, which includes a scheme at the A19/A182 Seaham Murton Interchange, has been allocated £19.0 million.

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-05-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 3 May 2016 to Question 35753, how many and which companies have not confirmed to Companies House that they no longer have bearer shares; and what action he plans to take against such companies.

    Anna Soubry

    As of 6 May 2016, 63 companies had not informed Companies House that they no longer have bearer shares.

    No action will be taken against these companies at the present time. There is no statutory obligation for any company that has converted bearer shares to registered shares to inform Companies House until it delivers its annual return or confirmation statement.

    I have requested the Registrar of Companies to write to the Hon Member with the list of the company names.

  • Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-06-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Rwanda concerning reports that women are being imprisoned for having an abortion after being raped.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We are aware of concerns that it is difficult for women in Rwanda to secure the required sign-off by a judge and two doctors for an abortion, and that this may be driving victims of rape to seek illegal abortions.

    We have been clear that Rwanda must do more to give citizens the full civil and political rights that they deserve, including through a justice system which takes into account the challenges faced by women and girls and delivers for victims of crime.

    We have also been working jointly with the Government of Rwanda to deliver a robust drive against gender-based violence. I refer my noble Friend to the answer that the noble Baroness Verma gave on 20 June regarding the Department for International Development’s £4.6 million programme to empower women and girls and tackle the drivers of gender-based violence.

  • Holly Lynch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Holly Lynch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Holly Lynch on 2016-09-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effect on police safety of the distinction between the offences of assault on a police officer or police community support officer and resisting arrest.

    Brandon Lewis

    I want to be clear that an assault of any kind on a police officer or Police Community Support Officer is wholly unacceptable. The choice of which is the most appropriate offence to charge an offender with is one that the Crown Prosecution Service must take.

    Sentencing guidelines already provide for assault of a police officer to be treated more severely in appropriate cases. The courts need to be able to take into account all the circumstances of each case.

  • Philip Davies – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Philip Davies – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average length of clinical time spent on duty each week by a hospital consultant was in 2014-15.

    Ben Gummer

    This is information is not collected centrally.

  • Phil Boswell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Phil Boswell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Phil Boswell on 2015-12-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what progress is being made on the Glasgow and Clyde Valley City Deal.

    James Wharton

    The Glasgow and Clyde Valley City Deal is progressing well. Local partners are committed to a programme of 20 infrastructure projects over twenty years. The Glasgow and Clyde Valley Cabinet are agreeing business cases, with construction work to begin in due course.

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-01-20.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether any North Korean banks or businesses have direct or indirect access to the UK’s financial system, and whether any UK banks provide financial services to (1) North Korean individuals or entities, or (2) any third-party banks or entities that have engaged with North Korean individuals or entities engaged in sanctionable conduct.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    In 2006 the United Nations imposed restrictions on a range of goods from entering or leaving North Korea and imposed a travel ban and asset freeze against those persons designated as persons who engage in or provide support for North Korea’s nuclear-related, other weapons of mass destruction related and ballistic missile-related programmes. These restrictions were implemented in the EU in 2007, and have subsequently been expanded by the EU.

    The EU regulation prohibits financial institutions establishing new correspondent banking relationships with North Korean financial institutions if there are reasonable grounds to believe that this could contribute to North Korea’s nuclear-related, other weapons of mass destructions related or ballistic missile-related programmes.

    HM Treasury is responsible for implementing these financial sanctions in the UK. Failing to comply with financial sanctions is a criminal offence and HM Treasury works closely with law enforcement to ensure breaches of sanctions are dealt with appropriately.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to categorise houses which are overcrowded and have fewer than three storeys as houses in multiple occupation; and if he will make a statement.

    Brandon Lewis

    The Department has recently consulted on options for extending the scope of mandatory licensing to include those Houses in Multiple Occcupation in England with fewer than three storeys. We plan to announce our proposals and next steps in the spring.