Tag: Stephen Doughty

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-07-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many civil servants have been (a) transferred, (b) seconded and (c) given cross-departmental roles with which Department’s since the recent changes to the machinery of government.

Rory Stewart

Since the recent changes to the machinery of government (18^th July 2016) DFID has:

• Transferred 6 civil servants to other Departments.
• Seconded / loaned 7 civil servants to other Departments.
• Engaged 2 civil servants in cross-departmental roles.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-09-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many full-time equivalent officials in her Department have been seconded to the Department for Exiting the European Union; and what the grades are of those officials.

Rory Stewart

One member of DFID staff has taken up a Grade 6 role within the Department for Exiting the European Union on a loan basis. We expect that several DFID staff will be strong candidates for other roles in the new Department currently being advertised.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2015-11-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he last met (a) the Afghan ambassador to the UK or (b) other representatives of the Afghan government.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) most recently met with Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullah at the UN General Assembly in New York on 28 September 2015.

The Embassy of Afghanistan in London has been without an Ambassador since 23 March 2015, but Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials are in regular contact with Afghan Embassy representatives, including the Chargé d’Affaires Mr Siamak Herawi.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-01-11.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many civil servants accompanied him on his visit to Cardiff on 7 January 2016.

Harriett Baldwin

Consistent with all official events, the Chancellor was supported by a small number of officials from his private office and the Treasury press office when speaking at the St David’s hotel and at the two associated visits.

Costs associated with the major economy speech at the St David’s hotel in Cardiff were met within the existing events budget at HM Treasury. Invitations were not issued by the department.

The event at the Salt Bar was not a Government event and so no costs were met by the Treasury and no civil servants attended.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-02-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what UK bilateral and (b) multilateral funding to support health care system strengthening in countries determined by the WHO to be affected by, or at risk from the Zika virus, has been in each of the last six years.

Mr Nick Hurd

The table below shows UK bilateral disbursements, against a number of OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) health related classifications, to countries on the WHO list of those affected, or likely to be affected, by the Zika virus. These include basic health care, communicable disease control, health education and health personnel development, all of which contribute to strengthening health systems.

Table: UK ODA spend on health 2009-2014

£’000	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014
Barbados	3
Brazil	13	1,461	2,779	491	1,233	87
Costa Rica		191
Dominican Republic		10		16
Ecuador				3	5
Guatemala	26
Guyana			2	2
Haiti						1,000
Honduras					9
Mexico	61	1,061	105	835	202	363
Nicaragua	219	0
Paraguay			3	2
Venezuela		7
Total	322	2,730	2,890	1,349	1,448	1,450

Source: Statistics on International Development 2015

The UK has also provided support to these countries through core contributions to multilateral organisations, but data on expenditure on specific sectors to specific countries is not available.

DFID and the Department of Health will request the World Health Organisation to provide further guidance on which countries beyond those currently affected are at greatest risk from Zika, including the risks to other regions including Sub Saharan Africa and South Asia; this is scientifically very challenging.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-02-09.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when the Business Premises Renovation Allowance scheme is planned to close.

Mr David Gauke

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) does not collate information at the aggregate level requested.

The Business Premises Renovation Allowance (BPRA) is an incentive designed to bring derelict or unused business properties back into use, by providing 100 percent relief for renovation of vacant properties in disadvantaged areas.

In 2012 HMRC noticed a spike in the cost of BPRA. Investigations revealed that this increase was due to marketed avoidance. HMRC challenges avoidance wherever they see it. Where taxpayers choose to press their case to litigation, HMRC wins around 80% of cases heard in court.

In addition, legislation was introduced in Finance Act 2014 to prevent future avoidance. The NAO complimented the speed with which HMRC addressed this avoidance and tightened the legislation.

The costs of BPRA are published annually in HMRC’s Estimated cost of minor tax allowances and structural reliefs, which can be viewed using the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/487097/Dec15_minorallowances_reliefs_Fi…pdf

Budget 2011 announced that Business Premises Renovation Allowance would be extended to 31 March 2017 for Corporation Tax and 5 April 2017 for Income Tax.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-02-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many staff leaving employment at her Department in the last three years have subsequently been rehired within 12 months by the (a) Foreign and Commonwealth Office, (b) Ministry of Defence, (c) Department for Energy and Climate Change, (d) Department for Culture, Media and Sport, (e) Cabinet Office and (f) HM Treasury.

Mr Nick Hurd

DFID would not record or have access to details of former employees who have been rehired by other government departments.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-03-16.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people were registered with HM Revenue and Customs as self-employed (a) wholly and (b) partly for the purposes of tax and national insurance in Cardiff South and Penarth constituency in each of the last 24 months.

Mr David Gauke

The latest available data for the numbers of individual taxpayers with self-employment income, by constituency level, is for 2012-13. There were estimated to be 4,000 individuals with self-employment income in Cardiff South and Penarth out of 48,000 with income from any source.

These estimates are based on the Survey of Personal Incomes and are taken from table 3.15 of the HM Revenue and Customs Personal Income statistics publication. The estimate for 2013-14 is due to be published on the 31st March 2016.

No information on the purpose for individuals registering for Self Assessment is collected.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-04-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people received payments from the Financial Assistance Scheme in each (a) parliamentary constituency and (b) government region in the last year; and how many of those recipients were former members of the Allied Steel and Wire pension scheme in that year.

Justin Tomlinson

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

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-07-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether she plans to delay or revisit the (a) bilateral aid review and (b) multilateral aid reviews in response to the EU referendum result.

Rory Stewart

The Secretary of State is currently considering the outcomes of the Department for International Development’s Multilateral and Bilateral Aid Reviews, ahead of their publication.