Tag: Rob Marris

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rob Marris on 2016-01-26.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of full-time equivalent staff at HM Revenue and Customs on 31 March (a) 2016 and (b) 2017.

Mr David Gauke

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) expects to be operating with around 60,000 full time equivalent (FTE) staff on 31 March 2016.

HMRC’s Business Plan for 2016-17 is currently being finalised and will be published by the end of March 2016 on GOV.UK. This will contain estimated FTE figures for 31 March 2017 and future staffing projections.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rob Marris on 2016-04-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the potential effect of the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016 on costs to the NHS in each year between May 2017 and the end of the current Parliament.

Jane Ellison

The Department assesses the impact of all proposed measures before making legislation using standard government methodology. These assessments are set out in Impact Assessments which are scrutinised by the Regulatory Policy Committee before publication alongside the Statutory Instrument.

An assessment of the impact of the provisions introduced by the Tobacco Products Directive will be published alongside the implementing Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016 in spring this year. Expected health benefits from improved smoking quit rates have been estimated at around £13 billion.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rob Marris on 2016-05-18.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what information HM Revenue and Customs holds on the number of people engaged in employment through an umbrella company in each year since 2008.

Mr David Gauke

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) does not routinely record the information requested, but has published estimates on an ad hoc basis since 2008.

In 2008 HMRC published figures for the number of umbrella workers in a consultation document “Tax Relief for travel expenses: temporary workers and overarching employment contracts.” HMRC estimated that around 120 umbrella companies operating in the UK were using overarching contracts and employed around 100,000 temporary workers at any one time.

Evidence suggests that for 2013-14 the 50 largest umbrella companies alone employed 150,000 individuals over the course of a year. In 2015 an estimated 430,000 individuals were employed by umbrella companies and employment agencies on overarching contracts over the course of a year. The number at any one time will be less than this.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rob Marris on 2016-09-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to increase the number of accessible taxis.

Andrew Jones

Government is committed to giving disabled people the same access to transport services as other members of society. It also recognises the particularly significant role played by taxis and private hire vehicle (PHV) operators for many disabled people, in helping them to remain active and independent.

It is for local authorities to specify a number of accessible vehicles to be within their licensed taxi and private hire vehicle fleet, and to take account of their public sector equality duties when doing so.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rob Marris on 2016-01-27.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the evidential basis is for tax relief on pension contributions encouraging savings in pension schemes.

Mr David Gauke

The Government launched a consultation on the future of pensions tax relief at the Summer Budget 2015. The Government has been consulting on whether there is a case for reforming pensions tax relief to strengthen incentives to save, and offer savers greater simplicity and transparency, or whether it would be best to keep with the current system. The Government will publish its response to the consultation at Budget 2016.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rob Marris on 2016-04-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many academy schools have been found to have paid the head teacher at such schools more than the publicly disclosed salary in each of the last three years.

Nick Gibb

Academy trusts are subject to a more rigorous accountability regime than other types of schools, including the production of annual audited accounts that allow us to identify and act upon irregularity more quickly.

The Education Funding Agency has found one instance of where the head teacher has been paid more than the publicly disclosed salary in each of the last 3 years. The additional payments were in respect of chief executive or accounting officer responsibilities.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rob Marris on 2016-06-06.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his Department’s policy is on requests from taxation treaty partners for changes to the levels of source taxation in such treaties.

Mr David Gauke

The UK responds positively to requests from developing countries for renegotiation of tax treaties.

The UK recognises that treaty partners may now want higher levels of source taxation than are contained in treaties negotiated many years ago. However, the eventual level of source state taxation in a renegotiated treaty reflects the balance of the agreed priorities.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rob Marris on 2016-09-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to improve access to public transport for disabled people.

Andrew Jones

The Government recognises how important improving access to public transport is for disabled people and is committed to making transport more inclusive.

Since its launch in 2006, the £390m Access for All rail programme (which was further extended with £160m in 2014) has delivered accessible routes at over 150 stations. There are also 68 further projects at various stages of construction or development.

We also recognise that positive interactions with bus drivers can make a big difference to disabled people’s experience of taking the bus. We are working with the bus industry and disabled people to design best practice guidance in delivering disability awareness training which, we hope, will help to give bus drivers the skills and knowledge to assist every disabled passenger.

In addition, the Bus Services Bill will specifically allow enhanced partnership schemes to require all buses within a local area to provide audible and visual next stop information. Authorities using the new franchising powers will be able to place similar requirements on affected operators. The Government has also agreed to consider amendments on this issue which were tabled during the Bill’s committee stage in the House of Lords.

The Government intends to publish an Accessibility Action Plan for consultation by the end of the year which will present its ambition for further progress on this important agenda.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rob Marris on 2016-02-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to respond to the letter to her Department from the hon. Member for Wolverhampton South West of 22 December 2015 on the subject of constituents’ British Nationality, reference ZA1837.

James Brokenshire

A response was provided on 5 February 2016.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rob Marris on 2016-04-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many LEA schools have been found to have paid the head teacher at such schools more than the publicly disclosed salary in each of the last three years.

Nick Gibb

Local authorities are responsible for the oversight of the schools they maintain and carry out their own programmes of financial monitoring.