Show Search Form

Search Results

registered interest	true false
date	exactly: or between: and
answering body
answering dept id
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name
hansard heading
house id
legislature	pref label
question text
tabling member constituency
tabling member printed
uin
answer	is ministerial correction true false date of answer exactly: or between: and answer text answering member constituency answering member printed question first answered answering member label
tabling member	label

Search

384502

registered interest
date	22/06/2015
answering body	HM Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Economic and Monetary Union
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the European Union Five Presidents' Report published on 22 June recommending the ceding of powers by member states to European Union institutions and the creation of a eurozone treasury.
tabling member printed	Lord Stoddart of Swindon
uin	HL713
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/07/2015 answer text <p>The Report is part of an ongoing process to identify next steps to better governance in the euro area.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The government’s position is that the UK benefits from the Single Market, and does not want to stand in the way of the euro area resolving its difficulties. But we will not let the integration of the euro area jeopardise the integrity of the Single Market or in any way disadvantage the UK.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>That is one of the important objectives we seek in our renegotiation with the EU.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord O'Neill of Gatley question first answered 06/07/2015 16:43:50 answering member 4536 label Biography information for Lord O'Neill of Gatley
tabling member	950 label Biography information for Lord Stoddart of Swindon

384504

registered interest
date	22/06/2015
answering body	HM Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	International Monetary Fund
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the United Kingdom's financial involvement in the International Monetary Fund; and what percentage of the whole it comprises.
tabling member printed	Lord Stoddart of Swindon
uin	HL715
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/07/2015 answer text <p>The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is primarily a quota-based institution. The UK’s quota subscription to the IMF is 10,738.5 million Special Drawing Rights, equivalent to £10,009 million at 31 March 2015. This accounts for 4.5% of total quotas at the IMF.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>There are a number of other financial arrangements and associated transactions between the UK and the IMF. The IMF routinely publishes information on its members’ financial positions in the IMF, including for the UK. The Government also publishes complementary information in the annual accounts of the National Loans Fund and Exchange Equalisation Account.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Further details are available on the IMF and gov.uk websites.<sup><sup>[1]</sup></sup></p><p> </p><p> </p><p><strong>[1] http://www.imf.org/external/np/fin/tad/exfin1.aspx https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-central-funds</strong></p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord O'Neill of Gatley question first answered 06/07/2015 16:58:26 answering member 4536 label Biography information for Lord O'Neill of Gatley
tabling member	950 label Biography information for Lord Stoddart of Swindon

384505

registered interest
date	22/06/2015
answering body	HM Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Public Sector Debt
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of recent research by the Taxpayers' Alliance indicating that the United Kingdom's true national debt is £8.6 trillion.
tabling member printed	Lord Stoddart of Swindon
uin	HL716
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/07/2015 answer text <p>According to the latest <em>Public Sector Finances</em> release (May 2015) produced by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), Public Sector Net Debt (PSND) stands at £1.5 trillion. This is the government’s usual measure of debt, and the measure on the basis of which the official forecasts from the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) are produced.</p><p> </p><p>The number quoted by the Taxpayers’ Alliance includes many future and government liabilities not generally included in debt figures and it does not include corresponding future assets, physical assets, illiquid financial assets or future revenues.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord O'Neill of Gatley question first answered 06/07/2015 16:44:24 answering member 4536 label Biography information for Lord O'Neill of Gatley
tabling member	950 label Biography information for Lord Stoddart of Swindon

384506

registered interest
date	22/06/2015
answering body	HM Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Workplace Pensions
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to extend the right of access to pension funds available to employees in the private sector to those working in the public sector; and if not, why not.
tabling member printed	Lord Stoddart of Swindon
uin	HL717
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/07/2015 answer text <p>The Government has no current plans to extend the pension flexibilities to members of unfunded, defined benefit, public service pension schemes. The last Government restricted transfers from unfunded, defined benefit, public service pension schemes to those arrangements from which the member may acquire a right or entitlement to flexible benefits in order to protect the taxpayer from the increased in-year costs that would result should a large number of members of such schemes elect to transfer out to a scheme providing flexible access to pension pots.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In an unfunded public service pension scheme, there is no fund of assets with which to finance transfer payments. Instead, they are funded from contributions from current members and their employers, and through general expenditure.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Therefore, should the introduction of the flexibilities have led to an increase in the number of members transferring out of their unfunded public service scheme to a scheme providing flexible benefits, there would have been a direct cost to Government. For every extra pound paid out in transfers, the Government would have had one less pound to spend that year on public services.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Government estimates that if 1% of all public service workers reaching retirement took their benefits flexibly, it could cost the tax payer £200m a year. The Government does not think it is fair to ask taxpayers to meet such in-year costs.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Members of funded, defined benefit, public service pension schemes, such as the Local Government Pension Scheme, continue to be able to transfer. This is because there is a fund of assets available for use to meet the cost of the transfers. Government took the decision to treat funded schemes differently for this reason, extending freedom and choice to as many individuals as possible.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord O'Neill of Gatley question first answered 06/07/2015 16:59:44 answering member 4536 label Biography information for Lord O'Neill of Gatley
tabling member	950 label Biography information for Lord Stoddart of Swindon

384512

registered interest
date	22/06/2015
answering body	HM Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Pensions
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what systems are in place to assess and evaluate the new pension freedoms.
tabling member printed	Baroness Kennedy of Cradley
uin	HL723
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/07/2015 answer text <p>As part of their Retirement Income Market Study, the Financial Conduct Authority have committed to monitoring the retirement market in order to assess consumer behaviour and outcomes; and to use their wide-ranging powers to intervene where necessary. The Treasury will also be consulting in July to ensure that people are treated fairly when moving their pension to a company that offers them flexible options and are not charged excessive early exit penalties.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord O'Neill of Gatley question first answered 06/07/2015 16:38:25 answering member 4536 label Biography information for Lord O'Neill of Gatley
tabling member	4303 label Biography information for Baroness Kennedy of Cradley

384521

registered interest
date	22/06/2015
answering body	HM Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Treasury: Buildings
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of the office space owned or leased by his Department is not in regular use; what the total (a) rental and (b) retail value is of all such office space; and if he will place in the Library a copy of his most recent departmental real estate valuation.
tabling member constituency	Denton and Reddish
tabling member printed	Andrew Gwynne
uin	3483
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/06/2015 answer text <p>Holdings of real estate are assessed as either being required to deliver departmental functions (forming the Core estate) or surplus to this requirement (Non-Core). There is no system for classifying frequency of use. The government's top priority for surplus holdings is to reduce property costs by exiting leasehold agreements, selling freeholds or by sub-letting to external tenants. We have a portal - Find Me Some Government Space (https://www.gov.uk/find-government-property) – for more efficient marketing of surplus land and buildings. This is searchable by developers, community groups and the general public.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>It is considered not to be in the public interest to disclose real estate valuation reports, as this information can be commercially sensitive and any disclosure could adversely affect the Government’s future ability to negotiate efficiencies and achieve value for money to the taxpayer. However, the value of HM Treasury’s land and buildings is available in its annual report and accounts, which is accessible on www.gov.uk.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency West Worcestershire answering member printed Harriett Baldwin question first answered 30/06/2015 14:07:23 answering member 4107 label Biography information for Dame Harriett Baldwin
tabling member	1506 label Biography information for Andrew Gwynne

384561

registered interest
date	22/06/2015
answering body	HM Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Bradwell Power Station
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what meetings (a) he, (b) Ministers in his Department and (c) officials in his Department have had on the future of the Magnox site at Bradwell in the last three years.
tabling member constituency	Workington
tabling member printed	Sue Hayman
uin	3405
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/06/2015 answer text <p>Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Details of ministerial and permanent secretary meetings with external organisations on departmental business are published on a quarterly basis and are available at:</p><p> </p><p><a href="http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/minister_hospitality.htm" target="_blank">http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/minister_hospitality.htm</a>.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency West Worcestershire answering member printed Harriett Baldwin question first answered 25/06/2015 14:37:23 answering member 4107 label Biography information for Dame Harriett Baldwin
tabling member	4395 label Biography information for Baroness Hayman of Ullock

384579

registered interest
date	22/06/2015
answering body	HM Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Bilderberg Group
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish the briefing packs received by John Kerr, Rona Fairhead, Ed Balls and himself at this year's Bilderberg Conference.
tabling member constituency	Oldham West and Royton
tabling member printed	Mr Michael Meacher
uin	3370
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/06/2015 answer text <p>The First Secretary of State and Chancellor of the Exchequer attended the 2015 Bilderberg conference in a private capacity.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency West Worcestershire answering member printed Harriett Baldwin question first answered 25/06/2015 14:39:21 answering member 4107 label Biography information for Dame Harriett Baldwin
tabling member	454 label Biography information for Mr Michael Meacher

384593

registered interest
date	22/06/2015
answering body	HM Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Corporation Tax
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will estimate the amount in corporation tax lost to the Exchequer through evasion in each financial year since 2010.
tabling member constituency	Glasgow South
tabling member printed	Stewart McDonald
uin	3376
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/06/2015 answer text <p>HM Revenue and Customs published its latest tax gap estimates on 16 October 2014 in 'Measuring Tax Gaps' 2014 edition.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Hertfordshire answering member printed Mr David Gauke question first answered 30/06/2015 15:44:57 answering member 1529 label Biography information for Mr David Gauke
tabling member	4461 label Biography information for Stewart Malcolm McDonald

384600

registered interest
date	22/06/2015
answering body	HM Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Banks
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to ensure that banks maintain a network of local branches.
tabling member constituency	Paisley and Renfrewshire North
tabling member printed	Gavin Newlands
uin	3380
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/06/2015 answer text <p>Decisions on the opening and closing of individual bank branches are taken by the management of each bank on a commercial basis without intervention from Government.</p><p> </p><p>The Government is committed to increasing competition to deliver innovation and good financial products and services for all bank customers, and part of the Government’s long term economic plan is to ensure that banks serve all sections of society.</p><p> </p><p>The Government welcomed the industry-wide Access to Banking protocol announced in March 2015. From the first of May this year, a bank must carry out a number of steps if it is closing a branch. The steps include establishing the impact of a branch closure before it takes place; finding suitable alternative provision; and putting satisfactory alternative measures in place before a branch is closed.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency West Worcestershire answering member printed Harriett Baldwin question first answered 25/06/2015 14:42:59 answering member 4107 label Biography information for Dame Harriett Baldwin
tabling member	4420 label Biography information for Gavin Newlands