Tag: Roger Mullin

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Mullin on 2016-03-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he has taken to promote the take-up of employee ownership schemes by small and medium-sized businesses in each nation of the UK.

Anna Soubry

In 2012, the previous Government asked Graeme Nuttall to advise on what more could be done to increase the number of businesses with employee ownership. The Nuttall Review identified 28 recommendations to address three main constraints: lack of awareness of the concept; lack of resources to support the model; and actual or perceived legal, tax and other regulatory barriers. The action taken to address the recommendations is explained in the ‘The Nuttall Review of Employee Ownership – One Year On’ report published in November 2013 and available on the gov.uk website.

The Government now expects the private sector to make the business case for this model through organisations such as the Employee Ownership Association – the representative body for employee-owned businesses.

Ongoing encouragement for employee ownership is provided through four approved share schemes which have tax-advantages for both employees and employers. These are the Company Share Option Plan (CSOP), Enterprise Management Incentives (EMI), Save As You Earn (SAYE) and Share Incentive Plan (SIP) which are administered by HMRC. In 2013-14 the total value of shares and options awarded under these schemes was around £3.45bn with over £1bn of income tax and national insurance relief given.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Mullin on 2016-03-24.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on the productivity of small and medium-sized businesses of the planned withdrawal of HM Revenue and Customs’ evaluation check services.

Mr David Gauke

No impact on UK productivity is anticipated. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has not withdrawn valuation services that are most relevant to small and medium sized enterprises including Enterprise Management Incentives (EMI), Company Share Option Plans (CSOP), Save As You Earn share option schemes (SAYE), Share Incentive Plans (SIP) and Employee Shareholder Status (ESS).

HMRC has, however, announced a review of the valuation services for those schemes and is consulting interested parties.

HMRC has withdrawn valuation checks for income tax and PAYE that are not part of these recognized employee ownership schemes. Most people submitted acceptable valuations and therefore the valuation service was not seen as needed.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Mullin on 2016-03-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he has taken to promote the take-up of employee ownership schemes by small and medium-sized businesses in each nation of the UK.

Anna Soubry

In 2012, the previous Government asked Graeme Nuttall to advise on what more could be done to increase the number of businesses with employee ownership. The Nuttall Review identified 28 recommendations to address three main constraints: lack of awareness of the concept; lack of resources to support the model; and actual or perceived legal, tax and other regulatory barriers. The action taken to address the recommendations is explained in the ‘The Nuttall Review of Employee Ownership – One Year On’ report published in November 2013 and available on the gov.uk website.

The Government now expects the private sector to make the business case for this model through organisations such as the Employee Ownership Association – the representative body for employee-owned businesses.

Ongoing encouragement for employee ownership is provided through four approved share schemes which have tax-advantages for both employees and employers. These are the Company Share Option Plan (CSOP), Enterprise Management Incentives (EMI), Save As You Earn (SAYE) and Share Incentive Plan (SIP) which are administered by HMRC. In 2013-14 the total value of shares and options awarded under these schemes was around £3.45bn with over £1bn of income tax and national insurance relief given.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Mullin on 2016-04-28.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential effect on farmers of the UK leaving the EU.

Rory Stewart

60% of our food and drink exports go to the EU; this is worth £11 billion to our economy. This is a vital income for UK farmers and fishermen. If we were to leave the EU, exporters would face crippling tariffs when selling their goods to Europe, such as up to 70% for beef products, which would cost around £240 million per year.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Mullin on 2015-10-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she has taken to ensure that assessments of applications for leave to remain in the UK provide sufficient personal consideration to meet the individual needs of applicants.

James Brokenshire

The Immigration Rules provide designated routes through which individuals can choose to apply for leave to remain in the UK depending on their circumstances. The requirements of each route are set out in published guidance. It is for individuals to raise any grounds that they wish to be considered and provide any supporting evidence regarding their personal circumstances.

Applications for leave to remain in the UK are considered on a case-by-case basis, including any claims about personal issues, in accordance with the relevant Immigration Rules and the Secretary of State’s published guidance on the application of these.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Mullin on 2015-10-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether the new smart meters being rolled-out under her Department’s initiative are competitively-priced as required under EU Directive 2006/EC/32; and what information her Department holds on their competitive pricing.

Andrea Leadsom

Meters being rolled-out as part of the DECC programme are compliant with this requirement. Meters are within the competitive part of the GB energy market and are the responsibility of energy suppliers to procure, install and operate. Energy suppliers have a competitive incentive to ensure that they achieve value for money for their customers when purchasing meters.

DECC has assessed the development of smart meters by manufacturers, as well as the supply chains of energy suppliers in relation to smart metering, and is confident that a well-developed market exists based on competitive pricing.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Mullin on 2015-10-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether the efficiency of the smart metering system being rolled-out under her Department’s initiative meets the requirements of the 2010 Coalition Agreement to establish a smart grid that would reduce network losses.

Andrea Leadsom

The Government is committed to rolling out smart meters to every home and small business in the country by the end of 2020. Smart meters are a core component of establishing a smart grid and our transition to a smarter energy system. The roll-out is expected to deliver benefits in its own right from reduced network losses worth £496 million in the period to 2030, ahead of the wider benefits of a smart grid.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Mullin on 2015-10-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will conduct a review of the process for applying for leave to remain in the UK to improve it for applicants.

James Brokenshire

UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) is committed to continuous improvement in the service it gives to applicants. Current initiatives include greater use of online applications and payments and the development of new digital services. Further opportunities to improve the service for example, working more closely with sponsors (employers and educational institutions) to provide support to customers are under consideration. In April 2015 UKVI as a whole achieved the Customer Service Excellence accreditation which is testament to its focus and progress in this area.