The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Burrowes on 2016-02-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of Sunday trading devolution on the premium pay of shopworkers.
Nick Boles
In view of the will of the House of Commons, we are no longer proposing to give local authorities the ability to extend the Sunday trading hours of large shops.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Royston Smith on 2016-03-08.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what effect recent reductions in fuel duty have had on economic growth.
Damian Hinds
The government recognises the link between low fuel prices and economic growth, which is why we have frozen fuel duty for the sixth year in a row.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Reynolds on 2016-04-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what requirements are placed on the building of new academies to demonstrate (a) local need and (b) parental demand.
Edward Timpson
When applying to set up a new mainstream or 16-19 free school, applicants must demonstrate that there is a need for the school. They could do this by showing that there is either a projected shortage of school places in the relevant phase in the area where the school is proposed; a need for more high quality school places; or a need for greater local choice and diversity.
Applicants applying to set up special or alternative provision free schools must demonstrate that they have a commitment from commissioners that they will purchase places at the free school.
In relation to demand, all applicants must demonstrate that the proposed school will be popular and fill to capacity. To do this, applicants must provide evidence that they have effectively marketed the school to a cross-section of the local community and parents.
The department publishes guidance for applicants on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/opening-a-free-school
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-05-18.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will conduct a consultation with small and medium-sized enterprises on potential steps to support and encourage the take up of employee share ownership schemes after the withdrawal of the valuation check service by HM Revenue and Customs on 31 March 2016; 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
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Knight on 2016-06-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether he plans to take steps to ensure that the costs of social care do not rise as a result of the introduction of the national living wage.
Alistair Burt
The introduction of the National Living Wage is part of Government’s wider approach to move from a low wage, high tax, high welfare society to a higher wage, lower tax, lower welfare society. The national living wage is an important step in rewarding the valuable contribution made by care workers, who often fall into the lowest earning occupations. It is expected that any increase in costs in the care sector associated with the National Living Wage will be partly met by higher productivity, efficiencies and will also help deliver better-quality care through improvements in staff retention and commitment.
Local authorities are responsible for ensuring the availability of high quality social care in their areas and the commissioning of local services for those people who are entitled to public funding. They are locally accountable for how their budgets are allocated and spent. The terms and conditions of contracts negotiated between local authorities acting as commissioners of services and providers on an open market are a local matter that should reflect local conditions.
However, under the Care Act, local authorities must have regard to fostering an effective workforce with the appropriate capabilities when shaping their local markets. The Act and its statutory guidance are absolutely clear that prices and fee rates agreed with providers must reflect these new duties, including the National Living Wage. The Department has also worked with the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, the Local Government Association and care providers to co-produce a set of commissioning standards to support local authorities to assess and improve their commissioning practices. These standards are based on best practice and amplify the requirements set out in statutory guidance.
As part of the Autumn Spending Review the Government is giving local authorities access to £3.5 billion of new support for social care by 2019/20. Councils will be able to introduce a new Social Care Precept, allowing them to increase council tax by 2% above the existing threshold. This could raise up to £2 billion a year for social care by 2019/20. From April 2017, the Spending Review makes available social care funds for local government, rising to £1.5 billion by 2019/20, to be included in the Better Care Fund. Taken together, the new precept and additional Better Care Fund contribution mean local government has access to the funding it needs to increase social care spending in real terms by the end of the Parliament and meet costs from the introduction of the National Living Wage.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-09-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 9 May 2016 to Question 36103, whether the Government has requested access to any post-activity operational reports of air strikes by Saudi Arabia in Yemen.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
There are a small number of UK Liaison Officers based in the Saudi Air Operations Centre that have access to Coalition reporting data. These are fast jet post mission reporting data only. These liaison officers are not embedded personnel taking part in the Saudi Arabian-led Coalition operations and are not involved in carrying out strikes, directing or conducting operations in Yemen or selecting targets and are not involved in the Saudi targeting decision-making process. All UK personnel remain under UK command and control.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Joan Ryan on 2015-11-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Sri Lankan counterpart on the detention of Tamil political prisoners in Sri Lanka.
Mr Hugo Swire
We regularly raise matters of concern with the Sri Lankan government, including the Prevention of Terrorism Act and the detention of Tamil political prisoners without trial. I met Sri Lankan Foreign Minister, the Honourable Mangala Samaraweera MP, on 14 September in Geneva. I was encouraged by our discussion and by his speech to the UN Human Rights Council. He told members of the UN Human Rights Council that the Sri Lankan government would review and repeal the Prevention of Terrorism Act and replace it with anti-terrorism legislation in line with contemporary international best practices. I have also been encouraged by the recent announcements that bail has been granted to 39 prisoners being held under the Prevention of Terrorism Act.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2015-12-08.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many homeowners and businesses have received a grant from the Repair and Renew Grant fund, and what is the average payment.
Lord Gardiner of Kimble
Over 6,000 home and business owners have benefitted from the Repair and Renew Grant scheme to help protect their property against future flooding events. The average payment was £3,918.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Toby Perkins on 2016-01-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent representations he has received in favour of Government involvement in any part of the running of departments or divisions of Rolls Royce connected to that company’s production of the Nuclear Reactor Component of the Successor Programme.
Mr Philip Dunne
The Ministry of Defence has received no such representations.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Hanson on 2016-02-10.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the average hourly earnings of (a) female, (b) male, (c) full-time and (d) part-time employees of his Department were in each of the last five years.
Harriett Baldwin
This information is published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on their website http://www.ons.gov.uk. ONS figures include both the mean and median gender pay gaps for the Civil Service and HM Treasury. The ONS headline estimates are also calculated using hourly earnings excluding overtime.
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