Tag: Seema Malhotra

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Malhotra on 2016-01-11.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to address the forecast rise in household debt as defined by the Office for Budget Responsibility on page 69 of its November 2015 report, the Economic and Fiscal Outlook.

Harriett Baldwin

To avoid repeating the mistakes of the past we have created the independent Financial Policy Committee (FPC) within the Bank of England to ensure emerging risks and vulnerabilities across the financial system as a whole are identified, monitored and effectively addressed. The FPC has taken action on loan-to-income ratios and mortgage affordability to ensure against a significant rise in the number of highly indebted households.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Malhotra on 2016-02-01.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many prosecutions have arisen from investigations undertaken by HM Revenue and Customs Large Business Service in each of the last three years; and what the (a) category of taxes involved in and (b) result was of each such prosecution.

Mr David Gauke

Criminal investigation by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is part of a number of compliance interventions. Criminal investigation and prosecution act as a deterrent and support wider and more cost effective compliance interventions.

HMRC takes cases to court when litigation is necessary. Since April 2013, HMRC has won 80%. Over £1.37 billion tax was protected by litigation against large business avoidance in that period.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Malhotra on 2016-03-23.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 2.228 of Budget 2016, when he expects the new pensions guidance body to be established.

Harriett Baldwin

At Budget 2016, the government published its response to the Public Financial Guidance Review and launched a consultation seeking views on the government’s plans to restructure the statutory financial guidance providers – the Money Advice Service, The Pensions Advisory Service and Pension Wise. This paper, which closes on 8 June 2016, sets out a new delivery model for public financial guidance and seeks views on how, within this model, the proposed services could best be offered. The new delivery model is designed to better complement the financial guidance provided by the third sector and the industry and provide more targeted support for consumers.

The government will consider the responses to this consultation over the summer, and in parallel, work closely with the affected organisations to finalise the delivery structure. A detailed timetable will be set out with the final response, which will be published in the autumn. The government has been clear that the three affected organisations will continue to provide guidance to consumers until at least 2018.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Malhotra on 2015-10-30.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish an update on the delivery of the National Infrastructure Plan.

Greg Hands

The Government continues to track the status of nationally significant infrastructure projects and programmes in the National Infrastructure Pipeline, which underpins the National Infrastructure Plan. In July 2015, the Government published a refresh of the National Infrastructure Pipeline containing details on the status of UK infrastructure projects.

Over 2,650 projects were completed in the last Parliament and a number of priority projects have been completed since the last National Infrastructure Plan was published, including Manchester Victoria station and Nottingham Express Transit Phase 2.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Malhotra on 2015-11-09.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how the British Business Bank will support UK productivity.

Greg Hands

The British Business Bank aims to make finance markets work better for smaller businesses. The Bank’s work improves productivity by encouraging investment and promoting a dynamic economy.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Malhotra on 2015-12-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many schools in rural areas rated by Ofsted as inadequate became academies in 2014-15.

Edward Timpson

In the academic year 2014/15, 33 academies were opened in rural locations, whose predecessor schools had been deemed ‘inadequate’ in Ofsted inspections prior to conversion.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Malhotra on 2015-12-15.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish a full list of each enterprise zone and the original date of its announcement.

Greg Hands

I set out in the table below the full list of Enterprise Zones together with the original date of announcement:

Enterprise Zone	Date of announcement
Mersey Waters Black Country Nottingham, Nottinghamshire Derby and Derbyshire Bristol Temple Quarter EZ London Royal Docks Manchester Airport City Leeds City Region Sheffield City Region North East EZ Birmingham City EZ Tees Valley	23rd March 2011
Newquay Aerohub Sci-Tech Daresbury Solent Enterprise Zone MIRA Technology Park Hereford Discovery Park Harlow Science Vale UK Northampton Waterside Alconbury Enterprise Campus Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft	17th August 2011
Humber Lancashire	29th November 2011
Plymouth	20th August 2015
Blackpool Airport	12th November 2015
New EZs Ceramics Valley Dorset Green Carlisle Kingsmoor M62 Corridor EZ Greater Manchester Life Science Luton Airport York Central Hillhouse Chemicals and Energy Cheshire and Warrington EZ New Anglia EZ EZ Newhaven Aylesbury Vale Cambridge Compass Didcot Growth Accelerator Enterprise M3 Enviro-Tech Enterprise Zone Heart of the South West Enterprise Zone North East Round 2 EZ Aerohub (extension) Infinity Park Derby (extension) Humber EZ (extension) Tees Valley EZ (extension) Bristol Temple Quarter and Bath and Somer Valley (extension) North Kent Innovation Zone (extension) Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft EZ (extension) Birmingham Enterprise Zone Curzon St (extension)	25th November 2015

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Malhotra on 2016-01-11.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what representations he has received since September 2015 on the level of household debt; and on what dates he received those representations.

Harriett Baldwin

The government has taken action on household debt by establishing the independent Financial Policy Committee (FPC) within the Bank of England to ensure emerging risks and vulnerabilities across the financial system as a whole are identified, monitored and effectively addressed.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Malhotra on 2016-02-03.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many staff of HM Revenue and Customs’ Large Business Service worked on each of that service’s investigations relating to the tax of companies in each of the last six years.

Mr David Gauke

Until 31 March 2014, HM Revenue and Customs’ (HMRC) Large Business Service (LBS) dealt with the tax affairs of around 800 of the largest businesses in the UK. From 1 April 2014 HMRC’s Large Business directorate (LB) deals with the tax affairs of around 2,000 large businesses.

At 31 December 2015, the number of staff deployed in LB was 2,600.

At year end (31 March), the number of staff deployed in previous years was:

LB

2014-15 2,350

LBS

2013-14 1,303

2012-13 1,194

2011-12 1,306

2010-11 1,438

These staff are supplemented by specialists in other parts of HMRC. It is not possible to say how many staff were deployed on each investigation.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Malhotra on 2016-03-23.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 2.228 of Budget 2016, on what date he plans to close the Money Advice Service.

Harriett Baldwin

At Budget 2016, the government published its response to the Public Financial Guidance Review and launched a consultation seeking views on the government’s plans to restructure the statutory financial guidance providers – the Money Advice Service, The Pensions Advisory Service and Pension Wise. This paper, which closes on 8 June 2016, sets out a new delivery model for public financial guidance and seeks views on how, within this model, the proposed services could best be offered. The new delivery model is designed to better complement the financial guidance provided by the third sector and the industry and provide more targeted support for consumers.

The government will consider the responses to this consultation over the summer, and in parallel, work closely with the affected organisations to finalise the delivery structure. A detailed timetable will be set out with the final response, which will be published in the autumn. The government has been clear that the three affected organisations will continue to provide guidance to consumers until at least 2018.