Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Ashworth on 2016-05-09.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that UK corporate tax rules do not incentivise companies to avoid tax in developing countries.

    Mr David Gauke

    The Government is committed to making sure multinational enterprises pay their share of tax. The UK has been at the forefront of multilateral action through the G20 and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to reform the international tax rules.

    We used our Presidency of the G8 in 2013 to successfully initiate the G20-OECD Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) project. The final recommendations were published by the OECD in October 2015, and endorsed by the G20 leaders in November 2015.

    The BEPS project represents major and unprecedented efforts. The international project involved over 60 countries, including developing countries, to work together on an equal footing to better align the taxation of profits with economic activity and value creation.

    The UK has been a leader on implementing the BEPS outputs – we have adopted the OECD country-by-country reporting template; and, at Budget 2016, the UK announced that it would be the first country to act on the OECD recommended rules on interest deductibility.

    The UK will continue to participate in international efforts to address BEPS by participating in the OECD’s inclusive framework to monitor implementation, which also involves developing countries, and in work to develop toolkits to assist developing countries implementing the BEPS outcomes.

  • Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2016-06-29.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures they are taking to ensure widespread access to reasonably priced accommodation for students in London and other metropoles.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    The Government recognises the need for a diverse housing stock, providing students with a choice of accommodation to suit their individual needs. Our national planning guidance encourages local authorities to plan for sufficient student accommodation whether it consists of communal halls of residence or self-contained dwellings, and whether or not it is on campus.

    The key to improving affordability is to build more homes. We are working to increase supply by accelerating the development of a new market for private renters, including our £1 billion build to rent fund and the £3.5 billion private rented sector debt guarantee scheme.

  • Lord Bradley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Bradley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Bradley on 2016-09-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government which (1) NHS Foundation Trusts, and (2) NHS Trusts, have an accumulated surplus of (a) up to £1 million, (b) £1–5 million, (c) £5–10 million, (d) £10–20 million, (e) £20–30 million, (f) £30–50 million, and (g) over £50 million.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    ‘Accumulated surplus’ has been interpreted to mean the closing balance of a trust’s retained earnings reserve at 31 March 2016. This represents the accumulated balance of annual surpluses and deficits, adjusted for any amounts offset against other reserves, such as the revaluation reserve. As this is an accumulated balance, it will differ from the annual surplus or deficit reported in the trust’s Statement of Comprehensive Income, which forms part of figures published for the provider sector by NHS Improvement.

    Trusts with accumulated surpluses in the bands specified are detailed in the attached document.

    All other trusts reported an accumulated deficit overall at 31 March 2016.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-11-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts from Arab League states on the threat posed by ISIS; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The UK has regular discussions with Arab League states, most of which are members of the Global Coalition to counter ISIL. It is crucial we work together to defeat ISIL. Ensuring peace and stability in the region is an important part of the UK’s counter ISIL strategy.

    ISIL has been on the agenda during all recent discussions with Arab League states. The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (David Cameron) and President Sisi spoke about a range of foreign policy issues, including ISIL, during his visit to London earlier this month. The Prime Minister also met His Majesty King Salman of Saudi Arabia in the margins of the G20. In October and November, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Philip Hammond) had extensive discussions about ISIL when he visited Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, and engaged with regional countries during the talks on Syria held in Vienna on 14 November.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2015-12-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to take steps to ensure that Turkey does not repatriate any genuine refugees, following the recent EU–Turkey financial agreement.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The UK cooperates closely with Turkey on migration and Turkey has consistently confirmed that their borders remain open to genuine refugees. We commend Turkey’s generosity in hosting over 2.2 million refugees from the crisis in Syria and Iraq. Enhanced cooperation between the EU and Turkey is critical to resolving the current migration crisis. At the EU-Turkey summit on 29 November, the EU agreed €3billion of additional support to Turkey to help ease its refugee burden and prevent further irregular migration to the EU. Turkey and the EU also agreed to activate the migration action plan. As part of this action plan, Turkey committed to accelerate procedures in order to readmit smoothly irregular migrants who are not in need of international protection, whilst ensuring that vulnerable people continue to be identified and taken care of.

  • Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-01-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Private Sponsorship Scheme for Syrian refugees; and what estimate she has made of the number of people likely to participate in that scheme.

    Richard Harrington

    The Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme is based on need and prioritises those who cannot be supported effectively in the region. As the refugees that are being resettled may have medical, social care or other needs, all of the arrivals to date have been placed with local authorities which are being provided with funding to ensure these needs can be addressed.

    We will build on offers of support to develop a community sponsorship scheme to allow individuals, charities, faith groups, churches and businesses to support refugees directly. This is why we are now working with the individuals and groups who have made offers on developing a sustainable model for helping vulnerable people settle and integrate in the UK and, where they are able, find employment.

    We are consulting international partners to understand how their schemes work, and with partners in the UK to make sure we design a scheme which works well here.

  • Henry Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Henry Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Henry Smith on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what her Department’s policy is on the installation of mandatory, independently-monitored CCTV in slaughterhouses and abattoirs.

    George Eustice

    I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the Rt. Hon. Member for Knowsley, George Howarth, on 24 June 2015, PQs UIN 2944 and 2945.

  • Keith Vaz – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Keith Vaz – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Keith Vaz on 2016-03-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many contracts the Home Office holds with Motorola Solutions.

    Mike Penning

    The Home Office holds three contracts with Motorola Solutions. These are:

    (a) The Public Safety Radio Communications Service (PSRCS) Framework Arrangement for the provision of the Airwave service to the police services of Eng-land, Scotland and Wales.

    (b) Contract ST03 10/641/9 for the provision of telecommunications services to the Immigration and Nationality Directorate.

    (c) Emergency Services Network (ESN) — Lot 2 User Services; one of the contracts that will replace the current Airwave contract.

    The cost to the public purse of the Home Office contract with Airwave in Financial Year 2015-16 is forecast to be £283 million comprising £230 million paid centrally by the Home Office and £53 million paid locally by police forces to Airwave. By way of comparison, under the newly procured Emergency Services Network, the policing share of costs is expected to be less than half of the current Airwave costs.

    Airwave Solutions Ltd provides mobile telecommunications services for emer-gency services. The Home Office Airwave contracts only relate to police forces, and immigration and nationality functions within the Home Office. The Home Office is not party to the contracts which many other organisations in the public sector have entered into with Airwave.

    The acquisition of Airwave by Motorola Solutions means all three Emergency Services contracts now end on 31st December 2019. This provides continuity of service for the transition to the Emergency Services Network.

  • Anne-Marie Trevelyan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Anne-Marie Trevelyan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anne-Marie Trevelyan on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 17 March 2016 to Question 30491 on A&E departments: EU nationals, whether he plans to collate or estimate the information requested.

    Alistair Burt

    There are no plans to collect, estimate or publish this information.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-05-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the contribution was to the public purse of BBC Worldwide in 2015.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    Profits from BBC Worldwide are returned to the BBC. The BBC will publish its annual report and accounts for 2015 outlining the contribution BBC Worldwide has made in that financial year in due course. In the 2014/15 annual report the income the BBC received from Worldwide was £851.3million.