Tag: Paul Flynn

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2015-10-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for the security of sensitive nuclear information of the agreement announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 21 September 2015 on commercial nuclear co-operation with China.

Mr Hugo Swire

Security in the civil nuclear industry is of paramount importance to the Government. The UK has in place, robust security regulations which are enforced by an independent regulator, the Office for Nuclear Regulation. These regulations cover sensitive nuclear information as well as holdings of nuclear material and nuclear sites. The Government keeps the regulatory framework for security in the civil nuclear industry under continuous review. The Government welcomes Chinese investment to the UK, including in the nuclear energy sector.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2015-10-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what information the British Defence Attaché to Russia has provided to the Russian government on measures taken to ensure accidental engagement with Russian military aircraft flying in Iraqi airspace does not lead to engagement in military confrontation.

Michael Fallon

Russian military aircraft are not conducting combat operations in Iraqi airspace: The British Defence attache in Moscow has therefore provided no information to the Russian Government on this subject.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2015-10-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, which projects have been undertaken to date under the UK-China Memorandum and Understanding on Enhancing Cooperation in the Field of Civil Nuclear Industry Fuel Cycle Supply; and what the (a) location and (b) cost is of each such project.

Andrea Leadsom

A number of communication meetings, seminars, and reciprocal visits have taken place under the Memorandum of Understanding. No projects have as yet been taken forward.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2014-06-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will publish the titles of all reports covering the effects of the use of a UK nuclear weapon produced by (a) his Department and (b) the Atomic Weapons Establishment and its predecessor body for his Department in the last 30 years.

Mr Philip Dunne

The information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2015-02-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with Hitachi and Agility Trains on future maintenance depots for the new Intercity Express Programme trains in use for (a) Great Western and (b) East Coast services.

Claire Perry

Staffing issues at maintenance depots on the East Coast and Great Western are a matter for Hitachi and the respective Train Operator. The Department does not get involved.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2015-02-11.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has sought a meeting with Hervé Falciani to discuss the details of unregistered bank accounts held by UK citizens in HSBC Private Bank in Switzerland.

Mr David Gauke

How operations are conducted is a matter for HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) under the long standing principle of operational independence.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2015-02-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what arrangements his Department has put in place for situations where application forms requesting an increase in local housing allowance (LHA) to cover an increase in rent applied to an eligible LHA claimant are lost by his Department and the applicant consequently faces eviction.

Steve Webb

The Department for Work and Pensions provides funding for Housing Benefit to Local Authorities in Great Britain. Responsibility for the day to day administration of Housing Benefit lies with Local Authorities.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2015-02-11.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether (a) his Department and (b) HM Revenue and Customs has asked the (i) Panorama programme or (ii) Guardian for the documents reporting on the use by UK citizens of unregistered accounts in jurisdictions abroad to evade paying tax in the UK was based.

Mr David Gauke

I can confirm that HM Revenue and Custom (HMRC) has formally asked the BBC Panorama programme, the Guardian newspaper and the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists for all data in their possession relating to off shore tax evasion.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2015-02-12.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, on which dates he discussed with senior officials at HM Revenue and Customs whether maximisation of recovery of unpaid tax liabilities from UK residents holding private unregistered accounts offshore should be prioritised ahead of prosecuting alleged offenders.

Mr David Gauke

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has a longstanding approach to tax evasion, which is based on collecting the tax and interest due, changing taxpayer behaviour to discourage them from evading in the future, and enforcing the most appropriate and effective penalties. This approach was set out by the then Chancellor of the Exchequer in 2002^[1] and has not changed.

They have a range of enforcement tools at their disposal, including criminal prosecution and civil sanctions. In many cases, and when the evidence supports this, the most appropriate action is to pursue criminal charges.

HMRC therefore use the criminal route where they have the strongest evidence of criminal intent, for serial tax evaders and for people who deliberately conceal information when they are investigated by HMRC.

In 2010 this Government increased the resources available for prosecution and as a result the number of prosecutions has increased by a factor of five.

[1] http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/nov/07/tax-fraud

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2015-02-11.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with (a) the Crown Prosecution Service, (b) the Attorney General, (c) HM Revenue and Customs and (d) the Financial Conduct Authority on the use by UK residents of the provisions of the European Savings Directive to avoid paying UK tax by opening anonymous bank accounts in jurisdictions abroad since 1 January 2015.

Mr David Gauke

The European Savings Directive has been in force since 2005. It is a mechanism for achieving tax compliance through either disclosure of investment income data to the tax jurisdiction of the individual concerned or (in limited circumstances) applying withholding tax at source as an alternative to information disclosure.