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100853

registered interest
date	24/10/2014
answering body	HM Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Home Care Services: Pay
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the benefits and disbenefits of HM Revenue and Customs launching pro-active investigations into the home care sector and the non-payment of the national minimum wage.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	211863
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p>The Government takes the enforcement of National Minimum Wage very seriously. Any worker who believes that they are being paid below the minimum wage should make a complaint to the Pay &amp; Work Rights Helpline on 0800 917 2368. HMRC review every complaint that is referred to them by the Pay and Work Rights Helpline. In addition, by collating and analysing data received from various sources, HMRC ensure targeted enforcement through robust risk assessment processes to identify employers across the United Kingdom who are more likely to be not paying National Minimum Wage.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>As part of the targeted enforcement activity undertaken, HMRC have collaborated with care sector representative bodies, such as the UK Home Care Association, and payroll software service providers to improve understanding and awareness of National Minimum Wage compliance issues and assist in the development of compliance toolkits to enable those organisations to promote and facilitate voluntary compliance.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Hertfordshire answering member printed Mr David Gauke grouped question UIN 211864 question first answered 03/11/2014 15:30:25 answering member 1529 label Biography information for Mr David Gauke
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

100855

registered interest
date	24/10/2014
answering body	HM Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Social Services: Pay
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether HM Revenue and Customs plans to launch any further pro-active investigations into non-compliance with the national minimum wage in the social care sector.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	211864
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p>The Government takes the enforcement of National Minimum Wage very seriously. Any worker who believes that they are being paid below the minimum wage should make a complaint to the Pay &amp; Work Rights Helpline on 0800 917 2368. HMRC review every complaint that is referred to them by the Pay and Work Rights Helpline. In addition, by collating and analysing data received from various sources, HMRC ensure targeted enforcement through robust risk assessment processes to identify employers across the United Kingdom who are more likely to be not paying National Minimum Wage.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>As part of the targeted enforcement activity undertaken, HMRC have collaborated with care sector representative bodies, such as the UK Home Care Association, and payroll software service providers to improve understanding and awareness of National Minimum Wage compliance issues and assist in the development of compliance toolkits to enable those organisations to promote and facilitate voluntary compliance.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Hertfordshire answering member printed Mr David Gauke grouped question UIN 211863 question first answered 03/11/2014 15:30:24 answering member 1529 label Biography information for Mr David Gauke
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

100619

registered interest
date	23/10/2014
answering body	HM Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Economic Situation
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the latest revised forecast by the International Monetary Fund for the British economy, whether the Chancellor of the Exchequer still has confidence in its forecasting.
tabling member printed	Lord Blencathra
uin	HL2350
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/11/2014 answer text <p>Britain’s long term economic plan is working, boosting economic security for Britain’s hardworking people. The economy is growing, the deficit has fallen by a third and there are record levels of people in work. But the job is not done and the biggest risk now to the recovery would be abandoning the plan that is delivering a brighter economic future.</p><p> </p><p>The Government’s strategy is to restore the public finances to a sustainable path and the UK is seen as a relative safe haven, with interest rates remaining historically low helping keep interest payments down for households, businesses and the taxpayer.</p><p>The IMF set out their latest forecasts in the October 2014<em> World Economic Outlook. </em>The publication recognises the Government’s long term economic plan is working, that the UK is growing and leaving the crisis behind. The IMF project the UK economy to be the fastest growing G7 economy in 2014, at 3.2 per cent and 2.7 per cent in 2015. Furthermore, the IMF recognise that fiscal consolidation undertaken during the past few years has built trust among financial investors that current fiscal paths are sustainable.</p> answering member printed Lord Deighton question first answered 05/11/2014 14:02:54 answering member 4262 label Biography information for Lord Deighton
tabling member	497 label Biography information for Lord Blencathra

100291

registered interest
date	22/10/2014
answering body	HM Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Minimum Wage
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 16 October 2014 to Question 209683 to the hon. Member for Stourbridge, what assessment he has made of the factors that resulted in there being no prosecutions for not paying the national minimum wage in each of the last two years.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	211604
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p>The Government takes the enforcement of the National Minimum Wage (NMW) very seriously. HMRC review every complaint that is referred to them by the Pay and Work Rights Helpline. In addition, HMRC undertake targeted enforcement on employers across the United Kingdom who are more likely to be not paying NMW.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Government has increased the financial penalty percentage from 50% to 100% of the unpaid wages owed to workers, and the maximum penalty from £5,000 to £20,000. These new limits are now in force where arrears are identified in pay reference periods on or after 7 March 2014. The Government will also bring in primary legislation as soon as possible so that the maximum £20,000 penalty can apply to each underpaid worker.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The majority of employers identified as paying below the NMW pay arrears on receipt of a formal Notice of Underpayment. Where they do not do so, HMRC pursues recovery through the civil courts. HMRC‘s approach to tackling underpayment of NMW through the civil courts is the best way to ensure that money is paid back to the person underpaid and provides the most effective resolution for tax-payers. Criminal investigations may not result in arrears being paid to workers and are therefore reserved for the most serious cases.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Hertfordshire answering member printed Mr David Gauke question first answered 03/11/2014 15:32:50 answering member 1529 label Biography information for Mr David Gauke
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

100311

registered interest
date	22/10/2014
answering body	HM Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Social Services: Pay
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much of the national minimum wage arrears identified in the social care sector by HM Revenue and Customs in the findings of its social care evaluation of November 2013 have been recovered and paid to the workers affected.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	211605
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p>The Government takes the enforcement of the National Minimum Wage (NMW) very seriously.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>HMRC does not keep data in a format to enable provision of the statistics requested on the amount of arrears paid or not paid to workers. HMRC contacts every employer whom they find has paid workers below the National Minimum Wage to confirm that they have paid the identified arrears to the workers. In addition, where it has found arrears for five or fewer workers it will contact all the workers to confirm payment by the employer. In cases involving arrears for more than five workers it will contact a minimum sample of five workers to confirm payment by the employer. HMRC will pursue non-payment of arrears through civil recovery action.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>HMRC review every complaint that is referred to them by the Pay and Work Rights Helpline and will always investigate any case of possible National Minimum Wage abuse. Therefore there will always be variation in the number of cases investigated within specific sectors.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Hertfordshire answering member printed Mr David Gauke grouped question UIN 211547 211653 question first answered 03/11/2014 15:22:53 answering member 1529 label Biography information for Mr David Gauke
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

100315

registered interest
date	22/10/2014
answering body	HM Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Home Care Services
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 17 October 2014 to Question 209191, for what reason fewer HM Revenue and Customs investigations into the home-care sector were carried out in 2013-14 than 2012-13.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	211547
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p>The Government takes the enforcement of the National Minimum Wage (NMW) very seriously.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>HMRC does not keep data in a format to enable provision of the statistics requested on the amount of arrears paid or not paid to workers. HMRC contacts every employer whom they find has paid workers below the National Minimum Wage to confirm that they have paid the identified arrears to the workers. In addition, where it has found arrears for five or fewer workers it will contact all the workers to confirm payment by the employer. In cases involving arrears for more than five workers it will contact a minimum sample of five workers to confirm payment by the employer. HMRC will pursue non-payment of arrears through civil recovery action.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>HMRC review every complaint that is referred to them by the Pay and Work Rights Helpline and will always investigate any case of possible National Minimum Wage abuse. Therefore there will always be variation in the number of cases investigated within specific sectors.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Hertfordshire answering member printed Mr David Gauke grouped question UIN 211605 211653 question first answered 03/11/2014 15:22:53 answering member 1529 label Biography information for Mr David Gauke
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

100318

registered interest
date	22/10/2014
answering body	HM Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Home Care Services: Pay
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 17 October 2014 to question 209191, how many investigations by HM Revenue and Customs into the home care sector were conducted in the first six months of 2014-15.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	211653
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p>The Government takes the enforcement of the National Minimum Wage (NMW) very seriously.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>HMRC does not keep data in a format to enable provision of the statistics requested on the amount of arrears paid or not paid to workers. HMRC contacts every employer whom they find has paid workers below the National Minimum Wage to confirm that they have paid the identified arrears to the workers. In addition, where it has found arrears for five or fewer workers it will contact all the workers to confirm payment by the employer. In cases involving arrears for more than five workers it will contact a minimum sample of five workers to confirm payment by the employer. HMRC will pursue non-payment of arrears through civil recovery action.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>HMRC review every complaint that is referred to them by the Pay and Work Rights Helpline and will always investigate any case of possible National Minimum Wage abuse. Therefore there will always be variation in the number of cases investigated within specific sectors.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Hertfordshire answering member printed Mr David Gauke grouped question UIN 211547 211605 question first answered 03/11/2014 15:22:54 answering member 1529 label Biography information for Mr David Gauke
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

100523

registered interest
date	22/10/2014
answering body	HM Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Welfare Tax Credits: Telephone Services
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will take steps to reduce waiting times experienced by (a) people on a low income and (b) other people using the HM Revenue and Customs tax credits helpline.
tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
uin	211582
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p>HMRC is responsible for handling calls to the Tax Credits helpline but is unable to distinguish, at the point of contact with its telephone system, if a caller is on a low income or otherwise.</p><p> </p><p>To keep the cost of dealing with HMRC as low as possible, the department has made it cheaper to call in most cases by rolling out 03 telephone numbers and by introducing voice recognition technology to its telephone systems, this allows some customers to get the answer they need without waiting to speak to adviser.</p><p> </p><p>HMRC recognises that wait times across all lines of business are not where it, or its customers, would like them to be. Over the next few months HMRC will be migrating its existing telephone services to a new telephony platform. This will improve the way that the queuing systems work and over time, will lead to reduced wait times.</p><p> </p><p>HMRC is also looking at a number of initiatives to improve customer service and wait times. These include: greater flexible working across HMRC to improve its response to particular peaks in demand and is investing in online and digital services for the future, opening up a wider variety of channels.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Witham answering member printed Priti Patel question first answered 03/11/2014 14:50:04 answering member 4066 label Biography information for Priti Patel
tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

100042

registered interest
date	21/10/2014
answering body	HM Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	EU Budget
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will make representations within the European Union that any spending increases will be met through countervailing spending cuts and not by increasing the financial contributions of member states.
tabling member printed	Lord Stoddart of Swindon
uin	HL2248
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/11/2014 answer text <p>The UK has been consistently clear: at a time when governments across the EU are taking difficult decisions to manage their deficits, the European Commission should not be asking Governments across the EU for more money.</p><p> </p><p>The UK strongly believes in limiting the size of the EU budget and will continue to press for necessary restraint and discipline in order to get the best deal for British taxpayers.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Deighton question first answered 04/11/2014 16:56:36 answering member 4262 label Biography information for Lord Deighton
tabling member	950 label Biography information for Lord Stoddart of Swindon

100015

registered interest
date	20/10/2014
answering body	HM Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	UK Trade with EU
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, in the light of the risk of the Eurozone returning to recession and the statement by the Chancellor of Exchequer that Britain could not be immune from any such event, they plan to encourage industry and commerce to diversify their markets and reduce their reliance on the European Union market.
tabling member printed	Lord Stoddart of Swindon
uin	HL2230
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p>We have to recognise that the UK is not immune to problems elsewhere in the world. The UK has one of the most open economies in the world through trade and financial channels. In particular, growth in the euro area – our largest trading partner – is weak and we have to expect that to dampen our own recovery.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Since entering office, this Government has worked consistently towards a rebalancing of the UK economy and growing our trade with all parts of the world, including key emerging markets. Since 2010, for example, UKTI has increased the number of its overseas-based staff working outside the EU from 875 to 1060, reflecting the growing priority being given to non-EU markets; and, excluding aircraft, nearly all of the exports supported by UK Export Finance in recent years have been to markets outside the EU. Ministers continue to take an active role, including through the Chancellor-led annual Economic and Financial Dialogues with India and China, the most recent of which secured £2.4 billion in bilateral investment deals.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Deighton question first answered 03/11/2014 17:17:00 answering member 4262 label Biography information for Lord Deighton
tabling member	950 label Biography information for Lord Stoddart of Swindon