The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-04-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much of the Local Growth Fund has been earmarked for (a) housing loan finance and (b) flexible grant funding.
James Wharton
The £12 billion Local Growth Fund includes £2 billion for housing loan finance and up to £7.1 billion of flexible grant funding.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rachel Reeves on 2016-05-19.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the potential effect of reductions in capital gains tax rates announced in the Budget 2016 on (a) the prevalence of converting income into capital gains and (b) income tax receipts.
Mr David Gauke
Budget 2016 announced reductions in the basic rate of Capital Gains Tax (CGT) to 10% and the main rate to 20%, excluding gains on residential property and carried interest. The purpose of these changes is to encourage individuals to invest in companies, helping them to access the capital they need to expand and create jobs.
The estimated cost of this measure was published at Budget 2016 and provided in the table below:
Table 1: Total estimated Exchequer impact of Budget 2016 CGT basic and main rate reductions
|
2016-17 |
2017-18 |
2018-19 |
2019-20 |
2020-21 |
|
|
£m |
-105 |
-630 |
-605 |
-670 |
-735 |
The costing in Table 1 includes an estimate of the impacts on CGT, Income Tax and Stamp Duty Land Tax receipts. The total estimated Exchequer cost accounts for behavioural responses, including greater realisation of gains, and increased incentive to take capital gains relative to income. This can include a wide range of behavioural changes. The impact on Income Tax is only one aspect of this costing.
No separate estimate was made of the impact on CGT receipts of converting income into capital gains. Finance Bill 2016 contains provisions to strengthen anti-avoidance rules to prevent opportunities for people to shift income to capital in order to gain a tax advantage, through making changes to the Transactions in Securities Rules and introducing a new Targeted Anti Avoidance Rule.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-07-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will hold discussions with representatives of gyms on ensuring that the fitness levels of new members is assessed before they use such gyms.
Tracey Crouch
I meet regularly with ukactive, an organisation with members and partners across the UK active lifestyle sector, and others in the gym and physical activity sector. Whilst arrangements made for new members are for leisure providers to determine, our Sport Strategy, Sporting Future, published last December, highlighted the importance of giving those getting involved in sport, particularly for the first time, the best possible experience.
In addition, ukactive’s Code of Practice – which is designed to ensure the safety and wellbeing of health and fitness operators and customers – also stipulates that providers must offer all facility users an exercise induction, and many physical activity, fitness and leisure operators require all new members to sign a ‘Health Commitment Statement’.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-09-15.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will postpone the proposed implementation date of the secondary market for annuities in April 2017 until an appropriate tax code for pensioners is finalised.
Simon Kirby
To date, the Government has published the following consultation documents in relation to the secondary market in annuities policy:
Creating a secondary annuity market – March 2015
Creating a secondary annuity market: response to the call for evidence – December 2015
Creating a secondary annuity market: tax framework – April 2016
Creating a secondary market for annuities – secondary legislation – April 2016
These consultations have now closed. The Government will respond shortly.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Leslie on 2015-11-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the cost to the public purse was of benefit fraud in (a) 2014-15 and (b) 2013-14; and what proportion of total expenditure on housing benefit that cost represented in each of those years.
Justin Tomlinson
Overpayments in the benefit system have fallen to a record low of 1.8% for 2014-15.
In 2013-14 total benefit expenditure excluding housing benefit was £140bn, of which the cost of benefit fraud was £0.77bn (0.55%). Similarly, Housing Benefit expenditure was £24.2bn, of which the cost of benefit fraud was £0.43bn (1.78%).
In 2014-15 total benefit expenditure excluding housing benefit was £144bn, of which the cost of benefit fraud was £0.71bn (0.49%). Similarly, Housing Benefit expenditure was £24.3bn, of which the cost of benefit fraud was 0.59bn (2.43%).
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Chesterton on 2015-12-07.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to introduce planning and building regulations to ensure that within public and private buildings the concentrations of atmospheric pollutants do not exceed safety standards.
Baroness Williams of Trafford
There are already strong protections in place to safeguard people from unacceptable risks from air pollution. National planning policy in England is clear that new development should be appropriate for its location, taking proper account of the effects of pollution on people’s health, and building regulations require adequate means of ventilation for people in buildings. This requirement applies when new buildings are constructed or work is carried out on existing buildings.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-01-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many council homes were built in England in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.
Brandon Lewis
For completeness the numbers of local authority dwellings built in England over the last 15 years are shown in the table below.
|
2000/01 |
2001/02 |
2002/03 |
2003/04 |
2004/05 |
2005/06 |
2006/07 |
2007/08 |
||||
|
England |
180 |
60 |
200 |
190 |
100 |
300 |
250 |
220 |
|
2008/09 |
2009/10 |
2010/11 |
2011/12 |
2012/13 |
2013/14 |
2014/15 |
|
|
England |
490 |
370 |
1,140 |
1,960 |
1,360 |
910 |
1,360 |
Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. These statistics are published both annually and quarterly.
More comprehensive statistics on affordable housing, including private registered provider (housing association) houses, are published in the Department’s live tables 1006, 1006a, 1007 and 1008, at: http://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-affordable-housing-supply
“
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angela Eagle on 2016-02-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what metrics of performance he used to measure the performance of the Government’s Productivity Plan, entitled Fixing the foundations: Creating a more prosperous nation, published in 2015.
Joseph Johnson
Ultimately, delivering robust productivity growth is the key outcome of the Productivity Plan. Productivity, measured as output per hour worked, grew by 1.3% in the third quarter of 2015 compared to a year earlier. In the latest Inflation Report, the Bank of England increased both its 2016 and 2017 forecasts of productivity growth by 0.25 percentage points.
In addition, many of the measures included in the Productivity Plan have their own individual delivery targets, such as the commitment to 3 million apprenticeships starts this Parliament.
The select committee on Business, Innovation and Skills’ report into the Productivity Plan, published on the 1 February 2016, made a number of recommendations including on the use of measures of success. The Government will respond to the Committee at the end of March 2016.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Offord on 2016-03-01.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which (a) serving and (b) former Ministers in his Department have used the Freedom of Information Act to seek information from the Department since that Act was brought into force.
Matthew Hancock
Due to the nature of the way FOI requests are recorded it is unfortunately not possible to identify the number of requests from all former and existing Cabinet Office Ministers or honourable members except at disproportionate cost.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-04-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to protect serving and former members of the armed forces from discrimination in obtaining goods and services.
Mark Lancaster
The Government is fully committed to eliminating discrimination against Service personnel which is why we enshrined our commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant into law. One of the core principles of the Covenant is that Service personnel should not suffer disadvantage as a result of their membership, or former membership, of the Armed Forces. The Covenant exists to redress the disadvantages that the Armed Forces community may face in comparison to other citizens.
Every Local Authority in mainland Great Britain, and two in Northern Ireland, have signed the Armed Forces Covenant which encourages local communities to support the Armed Forces in their area and promote public understanding and awareness. Additionally, over 930 organisations have now signed a Corporate Pledge to the Armed Forces Covenant, demonstrating their support for the Armed Forces Community.
Examples of steps being taken include developing shadow postcodes for British Forces Post Office (BFPO) addresses so that Service personnel can access online goods and services and launching the Defence Discount Service which offers a privilege card entitling members of the Armed Forces and their families to a range of discounts on goods and services.
Information on benefits and concessions available to the Armed Forces and veterans can be found at the following address:
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/armed-forces-and-veterans/benefits-and-concessions-for-the-armed-forces-veterans-and-their-families/