The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2015-10-22.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will provide information on the (a) age, (b) race, (c) gender, (d) religion and (e) region of residence of the 700 individuals referred to in paragraph 88 of her Department’s Counter-Extremism Strategy, published on 19 October 2015.
Karen Bradley
The Home Office intends to publish Channel data in the near future.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-10-22.
To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to the Answer of 11 September 2015 to Question 8501, on the Wilson Doctrine, what responsibilities he has in relation to the operation of the Wilson Doctrine; what responsibilities the Home Secretary has in relation to that Doctrine; and if he will make a statement.
Mr David Cameron
I refer the hon. Member to the position on the Wilson Doctrine set out by the Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May) during the debate on 19 October 2015, Official Report, column 700.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Evans on 2015-10-22.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of cases of complaints about gas safety are investigated by the HSE.
Justin Tomlinson
Over five years 2010/2011 – 2014/15 the Health and Safety Executive has investigated 12,000 of 12,100 gas safety cases.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale on 2015-10-21.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what terms they seek in taxation treaties with developing countries, and how they agree those terms before opening negotiations.
Lord O’Neill of Gatley
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) have responsibility for negotiating the UK’s double taxation agreements, subject to oversight by HM Treasury. HMRC run an annual consultation exercise to establish the negotiating priorities for the coming year, which are then approved by ministers. As part of this exercise they consider representations made by UK businesses, NGOs and government departments, including the Department for International Development, as well as the UK’s diplomatic missions throughout the world. When the programme is published it also invites representations about our forward programme.
HMRC’s programme for 2015/16 covers the following countries: Colombia, Fiji*, Ghana, Guernsey, India, Isle of Man, Israel, Jersey, Kazakhstan*, Kyrgyzstan, Lesotho*, Malawi*, Portugal*, Russia, Thailand*, Turkmenistan*, UAE*, US, Uruguay*.
The UK’s starting point in negotiations is based closely on the OECD Model Double Taxation Convention, which is also the basis for most other countries’ tax treaties. Some developing countries prefer to follow the UN Model, the provisions of which differ in some areas to the OECD Model, and the UK has agreed to adopt these provisions in its treaties. The object of the negotiations is to produce a text acceptable to both countries, balancing their preferences. There is no timetable for how long negotiations should take. It is quite normal for negotiations to take two to three rounds to complete.
Consultation during the negotiations would be rare.
*Negotiations largely completed.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2015-10-21.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many schools were placed in special measures in (1) 2013–14, and (2) 2014–15.
Lord Nash
This is a matter for Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw. I have asked him to write to you and a copy of his reply will be placed in the libraries of the House of Commons.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Bishop of St Albans on 2015-10-21.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect to have fulfilled the agri-environment scheme payments to farmers, and how they will ensure that delays in making such payments do not happen next year.
Lord Gardiner of Kimble
We recognise the importance of early payments to the rural community. As at 22 October, Environmental Stewardship advance payments had been made to 25,200 agreement holders with a total value of £62.5 million. Natural England and the Rural Payments Agency continue to work to get payments out as soon as possible with the aim of making the remaining advance payments in November and December.
This year, 2015, has been a transitional year as new Common Agricultural Policy rules have taken effect. Whilst we would expect these payments to start earlier next year, from 2018 new EU rules will prevent any payments being made before 16 October.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Martin John Docherty on 2015-10-21.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment his Department has made of the effects of the Transparency of Lobbying, Non-Party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act 2014 on the activities of trades unions during the 2015 general election period.
John Penrose
Section 39 of the Transparency of Lobbying, Non-Party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act 2014 provides for a post-election review of the operation of the regulatory regime governing third parties at the 2015 General Election.
Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts CBE is currently conducting this independent review.
Ministers must lay a copy of his report before Parliament and publish it by November 2016.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Elliott on 2015-10-21.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to ensure that every region and constituent part of the UK benefits from money raised from Libor fines.
Greg Hands
In the last two financial years HM Treasury has received £1.3bn in LIBOR and FX banks fines. All LIBOR penalties received in this time period have been allocated to military or other uniformed charities. All foreign exchange penalties received in this time period have been allocated to create a fund for advanced care in GP practices and community healthcare facilities.
Each bid for charitable funding from Libor fines is considered on its individual merits and with a clear intention that awards should benefit the widest range of military charities and good causes across the whole of the United Kingdom.
Awards of Libor funds are usually made at the Autumn Statement or the Budget.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Brown on 2015-10-21.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the cost of administering the proposed safety net mechanism for local authorities which lose more than 7.5 per cent of their business rate revenue in a year; and to what budget this will fall.
Mr Marcus Jones
The Government intends to move to 100% business rates retention in England by the end of this Parliament. We have confirmed that as part of the new system there will continue to be redistribution of local tax revenue between authorities and protections in place for authorities that see their business rates income fall significantly. Over the coming months we will be working with local government on the details of the scheme.
Ahead of final decisions, it is too early to assess what the impact will be on individual areas or authorities, but before the start of the financial year, local authorities in the North-East estimated that the total business rates income for 2015-16 would be £854.58 million.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2015-10-21.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential effect on employment in the hospitality sector of reducing the VAT rate in that sector to 10 per cent.
Mr David Gauke
The Government has reviewed the economic case for a reduction in VAT for the hospitality sector.
The Government position was set out in the Westminster Hall debate on 17 March 2015.