Tag: Seema Malhotra

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Malhotra on 2015-10-28.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she has taken to secure continued funding for the Short Breaks pathfinder initiative.

Edward Timpson

The Short Breaks pathfinder initiative was part of Aiming High for Disabled Children and ran in 21 local authorities from 2008. Since the pathfinder initiative, funding has been provided to support short breaks provision in all English local authorities. For example, between 2011-12 and 2014-15, short breaks were supported by £800m in the Early Intervention Grant. In 2011-12, and again in 2012-13, local authorities benefitted from an additional £40m per annum of capital funding for short break services.

Since 2011, local authorities have also been under a duty to provide a range of short breaks services and to publish a local Short Breaks Duty Statement showing what services are available; how they are responding to the needs of local parent carers; and how short breaks can be accessed, including any eligibility criteria. Local authorities are responsible for funding this short breaks provision.

This year, the Department for Education has awarded £250,555 to the Short Breaks Partnership (a consortium made up of Contact a Family, the Council for Disabled Children, Action for Children and KIDS) to provide information and advice to those involved in designing, commissioning, providing and taking up short breaks for disabled children.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Malhotra on 2015-11-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what plans the Government has to move away from the funding per qualification model for adult learners as set out in the HM Treasury report, Fixing the foundations: Creating a more prosperous nation, published in July 2015; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Boles

Over time the further education funding system has become complicated, with a lengthy set of rules about who and what can be funded. We plan to significantly simplify this funding system and at the same time increase local influence over the skills system so funding can be used to best meet local economic need. A key part of this simplification is to decouple funding and qualifications, freeing up providers and in time local commissioners to deliver the learning required to meet the skill needs of local economies and to maximise the benefit to local communities. We will include more detail on this in the Skills Funding Letter for 2016-17.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Malhotra on 2015-12-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to the publication, Towards a one nation economy: A 10-point plan for boosting rural productivity, published in August 2015, when he plans that the fast-track planning certificate process will be available.

Brandon Lewis

Our intention is to deliver an application route for permission in principle as soon as possible after receiving Royal Assent to the enabling powers in the Housing and Planning Bill and laying the associated secondary legislation on the detailed procedures.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Malhotra on 2015-12-10.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 4.2 of the Government response to the 49th Report from the Committee of Public Accounts, Session 2014-15, for the effective management of tax reliefs, if he will (a) list and (b) place in the Library the external research reports commissioned by his Department which covers the use of tax reliefs.

Mr David Gauke

A full list of external research reports commissioned by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), with links to the full reports, is published on the HMRC website here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hm-revenue-and-customs-research-report-collection

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Malhotra on 2016-01-06.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will take steps in the business rates review to make specific provision for manufacturing industries.

Mr David Gauke

The Government is considering the impact of business rates on all business sectors including energy intensive industries, manufacturing industries and the retail industry as part of the business rates review. The review will be fiscally neutral and will report at Budget 2016.

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

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many staff at which grades were involved in the recent investigation into Google’s tax arrangements.

Mr David Gauke

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) does not disclose details of its work on the affairs of particular taxpayers.

HMRC’s Large Business directorate now deploys 2,600 staff – over 600 more than when it was formed in April 2014.

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, what the timetable is for the restructuring of the Money Advice Service, the Pensions Advisory Service and Pension Wise.

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 2016-10-11.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much the UK received in funding from the European Investment Bank in the last three years.

Mr David Gauke

While the UK remains a full member of the European Union it retains all of the rights, obligations and benefits that membership brings. The long-term relationship between the UK and the EIB will need to be resolved as part of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the UK Governor of the European Investment Bank and continues to fulfil his governance duties. The Chancellor continues to meet his European counterparts on a regular basis to discuss a range of issues.

The EIB publish all loans made to UK borrowers as well as details on all future projects yet to be financed. Between 2013 and 2015, the UK received €20.7bn in EIB financing. The link below provides full details on EIB lending to the UK.

http://www.eib.org/projects/regions/european-union/united-kingdom/index.htm

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

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Government’s report, Fixing the Foundations: creating a more prosperous nation, Cm9098, published July 2015, what steps he has taken to increase the quantity and quality of apprenticeships in accordance with that report’s recommendations.

Greg Hands

Almost 2.4 million apprenticeship starts were delivered in the last Parliament and we will build on that success and deliver 3 million in this Parliament. We will introduce an apprenticeship levy to increase employer investment in apprenticeships. We are increasing the quality of apprenticeships through more rigorous assessment and grading at the end of the apprenticeship. The Enterprise Bill will protect the term ‘apprenticeship’ in law to prevent misuse. From next April, employers of apprentices under the age of 25 will no longer be required to pay National Insurance contributions for those employees.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps the Government is taking to increase the access to finance of small and medium-sized enterprises seeking to export.

Anna Soubry

UK Export Finance (UKEF) has established a cadre of Export Finance Advisors based around the UK so exporters can access advice locally where they are seeking finance for export transactions which they are unable to obtain from the private market.

UKEF offers products to assist SME exporters in such circumstances where the risks are acceptable, including an Export Working Capital Scheme. It is looking to enhance its products using new Statutory powers that came into force earlier in 2015. It is also planning to improve accessibility to those products delivered through banks and simplify documentation, including application forms and associated processes, where appropriate, by digital means, that should help speed-up decision-taking and response times.

The Government is currently consulting on simplifying the anti-bribery Declarations and Undertakings exporters are required to provide UKEF. UKEF liaises with the British Business Bank to ensure each other’s products are complementary and fill gaps in the provisions of support where this is unavailable from the private market.