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573379

	registered interest
	date	02/09/2016
	answering body	HM Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	CaTreasury
	hansard heading	Widowed Parent's Allowance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many widowed parents and bereaved cohabiting parents will be financially worse off as a result of the planned changes to the widowed parent's allowance.
	tabling member constituency	East Renfrewshire
	tabling member printed	Kirsten Oswald
	uin	44076
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/09/2016 answer text <p>The new Bereavement Support Payment will be introduced from April 2017 for new claimants only. Existing claimants of Widowed Parent's Allowance and Bereavement Allowance will remain on those benefits for the lifetime of their awards, so there will be no impact on them or their families.</p> answering member constituency South West Hertfordshire answering member printed Mr David Gauke question first answered 12/09/2016 10:19:49 answering member 1529 label Biography information for Mr David Gauke
	tabling member	4413 label Biography information for Kirsten Oswald

574006

	registered interest
	date	02/09/2016
	answering body	HM Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	CaTreasury
	hansard heading	Welfare Tax Credits: Payments
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of recipients of (a) child tax credit and (b) working tax credit whose payments have been erroneously stopped in each year from 2010 to date.
	tabling member constituency	Sheffield, Heeley
	tabling member printed	Louise Haigh
	uin	44782
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/09/2016 answer text <p>HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and SYNNEX-Concentrix have arrangements for regular and frequent communications including weekly and monthly meetings as well as other discussions on a day-to-day basis.</p><p> </p><p>Since the beginning of the contract between SYNNEX-Concentrix and HMRC in November 2014 to 11 September 2016, SYNNEX-Concentrix have considered around 667,000 cases of which around 103,000 cases have been amended</p><p> </p><p>The total savings in Annually Managed Expenditure were £2.3 million in 2014-15, £122.3 million in 2015-16 and £159.5 million in 2016-17 to mid- August 2016. The total to date is £284.1 million since commencement of the contract in November 14.</p><p> </p><p>SYNNEX-Concentrix has achieved the 75 day service level agreement throughout the contract period to date.</p><p> </p><p>Since the contract variation in October 2015 to the end of August 2016, there have been a) 13 Amber Green Failures, b) 9 Amber failures, c) 10 red failures and d) 13 Black Failures of Key Performance Indicators. During this same period there have been 1,410 checks of these indicators.</p><p> </p><p>Since the start of the contract, the average waiting time for SYNNEX-Concentrix to answer telephone calls has been 6 minutes and 53 seconds and the maximum waiting time for one individual was 1 hour 5 minutes and 34 seconds.</p><p> </p><p>Since the contract commenced in November 2014 to mid-August 2016, the average length of time taken between SYNNEX-Concentrix starting to work a mandatory reconsideration and SYNNEX-Concentrix making a decision is 23 days.</p><p> </p><p>These cases are not generally erroneous, but tend to arise when further information is provided by the claimant, allowing SYNNEX-Concentrix to review the case after the initial decision has been made.</p><p>There are currently no tax credit Mandatory Reconsiderations being worked by SYNNEX-Concentrix that are over the target timescale. The table below provides the number of mandatory reconsiderations and appeals that have been received in each financial year since the commencement of the contract.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Appeals</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Number Received</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2014/15</p></td><td><p><del class="ministerial">0</del><ins class="ministerial">3</ins></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2015/16</p></td><td><p><del class="ministerial">365</del><ins class="ministerial">383</ins></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2016/17 to <del class="ministerial">mid-</del><ins class="ministerial">31</ins>August 16</p></td><td><p><del class="ministerial">167</del><ins class="ministerial">169</ins></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Mandatory Reconsiderations</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Number Received</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2014/15</p></td><td><p><del class="ministerial">436</del><ins class="ministerial">76</ins></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2015/16</p></td><td><p><del class="ministerial">2042</del><ins class="ministerial">7904</ins></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2016/17 to <del class="ministerial">mid-</del><ins class="ministerial">31</ins>August 16</p></td><td><p><del class="ministerial">7989</del><ins class="ministerial">3495</ins></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>The total number of appeals received is about 0.08% of all decisions SYNNEX-Concentrix made in the same period. The total number of Mandatory Reconsiderations received is about 1.6% of all decisions SYNNEX-Concentrix made.</p><p> </p><p>Tax credits claimants are asked to provide information within 30 days when undergoing checks for error and fraud.</p><p> </p><p>The information about the estimate of the number of recipients of child tax credit and working tax credit whose payments have been erroneously stopped in each year from 2010 to date is not available in the form requested.</p><p> </p><p>However, if a claimant believes that an incorrect decision<del class="ministerial">s</del> has been made, they are able to request a review (now known as a Mandatory Reconsideration). If a claimant believes the review decision to be wrong, they may appeal to an independent tribunal. During reviews or at appeal, additional information is often provided that could have supported the original claim, had it been made available earlier in the process. The proportion of reviews and appeals that result in the original decision being changed remains small in proportion to the total number of cases processed.</p><p> </p><p>Tax credits are often reinstated when information to support the claim is provided after the initial decision has been taken. Since November 2014 to mid-August 2016 the Contractor has amended 6,755 decisions following the receipt of a mandatory reconsideration. Since the start of the contract to mid-August 2016 the Authority has amended 280 decisions following consideration of customer appeals from a total of around 660,000 cases where SYNNEX-Concentrix has completed its checks.</p><p> </p><p>HMRC does not hold information on how many of these were reinstated following a cancellation and how many were adjusted following an amendment to an award.</p><p> </p><p>For reasons of commercial sensitivity, HMRC does not disclose its intent around either Clauses B5 or E6 of the contract. For similar reasons, HMRC does not publish the reports completed at the end of each Measurement Period at this time nor disclose the number and value of fines and penalties incurred by SYNNEX-Concentrix under its contract with HMRC.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Battersea answering member printed Jane Ellison question first answered 12/09/2016 16:34:44 question first ministerially corrected 02/12/2016 11:29:40 answering member 3918 label Biography information for Jane Ellison previous answer version 11010 answering member constituency Battersea answering member printed Jane Ellison answering member 3918 label Biography information for Jane Ellison
	tabling member	4473 label Biography information for Louise Haigh

577442

	registered interest
	date	07/09/2016
	answering body	HM Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	CaTreasury
	hansard heading	Welfare Tax Credits
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 7 September 2016 to Question 44669, how many tax credit (a) awards have been considered and (b) error or fraud cases have been identified and corrected since the beginning of the contract between SYNNEX Concentrix and HM Revenue and Customs.
	tabling member constituency	Sheffield, Heeley
	tabling member printed	Louise Haigh
	uin	45573
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/09/2016 answer text <p>HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and SYNNEX-Concentrix have arrangements for regular and frequent communications including weekly and monthly meetings as well as other discussions on a day-to-day basis.</p><p> </p><p>Since the beginning of the contract between SYNNEX-Concentrix and HMRC in November 2014 to 11 September 2016, SYNNEX-Concentrix have considered around 667,000 cases of which around 103,000 cases have been amended</p><p> </p><p>The total savings in Annually Managed Expenditure were £2.3 million in 2014-15, £122.3 million in 2015-16 and £159.5 million in 2016-17 to mid- August 2016. The total to date is £284.1 million since commencement of the contract in November 14.</p><p> </p><p>SYNNEX-Concentrix has achieved the 75 day service level agreement throughout the contract period to date.</p><p> </p><p>Since the contract variation in October 2015 to the end of August 2016, there have been a) 13 Amber Green Failures, b) 9 Amber failures, c) 10 red failures and d) 13 Black Failures of Key Performance Indicators. During this same period there have been 1,410 checks of these indicators.</p><p> </p><p>Since the start of the contract, the average waiting time for SYNNEX-Concentrix to answer telephone calls has been 6 minutes and 53 seconds and the maximum waiting time for one individual was 1 hour 5 minutes and 34 seconds.</p><p> </p><p>Since the contract commenced in November 2014 to mid-August 2016, the average length of time taken between SYNNEX-Concentrix starting to work a mandatory reconsideration and SYNNEX-Concentrix making a decision is 23 days.</p><p> </p><p>These cases are not generally erroneous, but tend to arise when further information is provided by the claimant, allowing SYNNEX-Concentrix to review the case after the initial decision has been made.</p><p>There are currently no tax credit Mandatory Reconsiderations being worked by SYNNEX-Concentrix that are over the target timescale. The table below provides the number of mandatory reconsiderations and appeals that have been received in each financial year since the commencement of the contract.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Appeals</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Number Received</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2014/15</p></td><td><p><del class="ministerial">0</del><ins class="ministerial">3</ins></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2015/16</p></td><td><p><del class="ministerial">365</del><ins class="ministerial">383</ins></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2016/17 to <del class="ministerial">mid-</del><ins class="ministerial">31</ins>August 16</p></td><td><p><del class="ministerial">167</del><ins class="ministerial">169</ins></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Mandatory Reconsiderations</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Number Received</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2014/15</p></td><td><p><del class="ministerial">436</del><ins class="ministerial">76</ins></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2015/16</p></td><td><p><del class="ministerial">2042</del><ins class="ministerial">7904</ins></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2016/17 to <del class="ministerial">mid-</del><ins class="ministerial">31</ins>August 16</p></td><td><p><del class="ministerial">7989</del><ins class="ministerial">3495</ins></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>The total number of appeals received is about 0.08% of all decisions SYNNEX-Concentrix made in the same period. The total number of Mandatory Reconsiderations received is about 1.6% of all decisions SYNNEX-Concentrix made.</p><p> </p><p>Tax credits claimants are asked to provide information within 30 days when undergoing checks for error and fraud.</p><p> </p><p>The information about the estimate of the number of recipients of child tax credit and working tax credit whose payments have been erroneously stopped in each year from 2010 to date is not available in the form requested.</p><p> </p><p>However, if a claimant believes that an incorrect decision<del class="ministerial">s</del> has been made, they are able to request a review (now known as a Mandatory Reconsideration). If a claimant believes the review decision to be wrong, they may appeal to an independent tribunal. During reviews or at appeal, additional information is often provided that could have supported the original claim, had it been made available earlier in the process. The proportion of reviews and appeals that result in the original decision being changed remains small in proportion to the total number of cases processed.</p><p> </p><p>Tax credits are often reinstated when information to support the claim is provided after the initial decision has been taken. Since November 2014 to mid-August 2016 the Contractor has amended 6,755 decisions following the receipt of a mandatory reconsideration. Since the start of the contract to mid-August 2016 the Authority has amended 280 decisions following consideration of customer appeals from a total of around 660,000 cases where SYNNEX-Concentrix has completed its checks.</p><p> </p><p>HMRC does not hold information on how many of these were reinstated following a cancellation and how many were adjusted following an amendment to an award.</p><p> </p><p>For reasons of commercial sensitivity, HMRC does not disclose its intent around either Clauses B5 or E6 of the contract. For similar reasons, HMRC does not publish the reports completed at the end of each Measurement Period at this time nor disclose the number and value of fines and penalties incurred by SYNNEX-Concentrix under its contract with HMRC.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Battersea answering member printed Jane Ellison question first answered 12/09/2016 16:34:45 question first ministerially corrected 02/12/2016 11:32:26 answering member 3918 label Biography information for Jane Ellison previous answer version 11020 answering member constituency Battersea answering member printed Jane Ellison answering member 3918 label Biography information for Jane Ellison
	tabling member	4473 label Biography information for Louise Haigh

574010

	registered interest
	date	02/09/2016
	answering body	HM Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	CaTreasury
	hansard heading	Treasury: Glasgow
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress his Department has made on identifying suitable properties for the relocation of its offices to Glasgow; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow
	tabling member printed	Dr Lisa Cameron
	uin	44866
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/09/2016 answer text <p>HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) location decisions were based on a number of key principles to enable it to deliver more for less. This included retention of its current staff and skills and local and national transport links. It does not plan to carry out an impact assessment on the local economy of East Kilbride in addition to the People Impact Assessments that have already been conducted.</p><p> </p><p>HMRC is considering a number of sites at each regional centre location, including Glasgow. More details will be available when commercial negotiations have finished.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Battersea answering member printed Jane Ellison grouped question UIN 44847 question first answered 12/09/2016 11:19:10 answering member 3918 label Biography information for Jane Ellison
	tabling member	4412 label Biography information for Dr Lisa Cameron

573580

	registered interest
	date	02/09/2016
	answering body	HM Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	CaTreasury
	hansard heading	Treasury: Consultants
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many times (a) his Department and (b) HM Revenue and Customs has used the services of (i) PwC, (ii) Deloitte, (iii) Ernst and Young, (iv) KPMG and (v) other consulting firms in the last three financial years; and what (A) work was undertaken and (B) the cost to the public purse was on each such occasion.
	tabling member constituency	Barking
	tabling member printed	Margaret Hodge
	uin	44320
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/09/2016 answer text <p>HMT</p><p>The department always seeks to use internal resources whenever possible in order to fulfill its objectives, and procure external expertise only after internal and a civil service-wide recruitment exercise has been exhausted.</p><p>The cost to the public purse for using PwC, Deloitte, Ernst &amp; Young and KPMG for the last three financial years can be found in the tables below:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Supplier</p></td><td><p>Year</p></td><td><p>Spend</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Ernst &amp; Young LLP</p></td><td><p>2013-14</p></td><td><p>185,715.00</p></td></tr><tr><td rowspan="2"><p> </p></td><td><p>2014-15</p></td><td><p>96,000.00</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2015-16</p></td><td><p>160,000.00</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Supplier</p></td><td><p>Year</p></td><td><p>Spend</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Deloitte LLP</p></td><td><p>2013-14</p></td><td><p>233,692.00</p></td></tr><tr><td rowspan="2"><p> </p></td><td><p>2014-15</p></td><td><p>65,500.00</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2015-16</p></td><td><p>287,338.00</p></td></tr></tbody></table><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Supplier</p></td><td><p>Year</p></td><td><p>Spend</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Deloitte MCS Ltd</p></td><td><p>2013-14</p></td><td><p>86,461.00</p></td></tr><tr><td rowspan="2"><p> </p></td><td><p>2014-15</p></td><td><p>105,674.00</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2015-16</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Supplier</p></td><td><p>Year</p></td><td><p>Spend</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>PwC</p></td><td><p>2013-14</p></td><td><p>135,418.00</p></td></tr><tr><td rowspan="2"><p> </p></td><td><p>2014-15</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2015-16</p></td><td><p>101,755.00</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Supplier</p></td><td><p>Year</p></td><td><p>Spend</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>KPMG LLP</p></td><td><p>2013-14</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td rowspan="2"><p> </p></td><td><p>2014-15</p></td><td><p>585,600.00</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2015-16</p></td><td><p>34,429.00</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>As part of the government’s transparency agenda launched in 2010, the department publishes on a monthly basis, the amount spent on consultancy. However, it is only the amount spent, not the suppliers which is published. The time taken to collate spend with other suppliers for the requested time period could only be provided at disproportionate cost. The number of times used and the work undertaken by our consultants could also only be provided at disproportionate cost.</p><p> </p><p>HMRC</p><p> </p><p>HMRC do not maintain a central record of individual assignments therefore data is not available except at disproportionate cost. However HMRC can provide the annual spend with these companies for the last 3 financial years. It should be noted that this spend will cover a wide range of services.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Supplier</p></td><td><p>2013-14</p></td><td><p>2014-15</p></td><td><p>2015-16</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>DELOITTE TOUCHE TOHMATSU</p></td><td><p>£1,566,218</p></td><td><p>£1,557,065</p></td><td><p>£599,286</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS</p></td><td><p>£591,360</p></td><td><p>£449,908</p></td><td><p>£216,885</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>ERNST &amp; YOUNG GLOBAL LIMITED</p></td><td><p>£18</p></td><td><p>£664,537</p></td><td><p>£34,150</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>KPMG INTERNATIONAL</p></td><td><p>£133,991</p></td><td><p>£177,665</p></td><td><p>£0</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p> answering member constituency Brighton, Kemptown answering member printed Simon Kirby question first answered 12/09/2016 14:17:45 answering member 3929 label Biography information for Simon Kirby
	tabling member	140 label Biography information for Dame Margaret Hodge

573571

	registered interest
	date	02/09/2016
	answering body	HM Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	CaTreasury
	hansard heading	Treasury: Brexit
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department has taken to prepare for the UK to leave the EU since 23 June 2016; and what further such steps his Department plans to take in the remainder of 2016.
	tabling member constituency	Lincoln
	tabling member printed	Karl McCartney
	uin	44254
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/09/2016 answer text <p>The Department for Exiting the European Union has responsibility for overseeing preparations for the withdrawal of the UK from the EU and conducting these withdrawal negotiations in support of the Prime Minister. In doing this it is working very closely with other government departments, including HM Treasury, and a wide range of other interested parties.</p> answering member constituency South West Hertfordshire answering member printed Mr David Gauke question first answered 12/09/2016 10:03:42 answering member 1529 label Biography information for Mr David Gauke
	tabling member	4028 label Biography information for Karl McCartney

574015

	registered interest
	date	02/09/2016
	answering body	HM Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	CaTreasury
	hansard heading	Taxation: Treaties
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if his Department will conduct a spillover analysis to examine the international effects of UK tax policy of a similar character to those undertaken by the governments of the Netherlands and Ireland.
	tabling member constituency	East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow
	tabling member printed	Dr Lisa Cameron
	uin	44850
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/09/2016 answer text <p>The government has no current plans to conduct a spillover analysis, which it does not believe would be a useful exercise.</p><p> </p><p>The government is committed to a competitive and fair tax system, and has led international efforts to tackle tax evasion and avoidance while supporting developing countries to implement tax reforms. Through the G20 we have commissioned the international organisations to develop toolkits to assist developing countries to implement the Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) outcomes as well as funding assistance to help developing country tax authorities tackle multinational tax avoidance.</p><p> </p><p>The UK is a founder member of the Addis Tax Initiative, which commits the UK to double its Overseas Development Assistance spend on tax capacity building by 2020 and to work to make international tax reform more accessible to developing countries.</p> answering member constituency Battersea answering member printed Jane Ellison question first answered 12/09/2016 11:22:54 answering member 3918 label Biography information for Jane Ellison
	tabling member	4412 label Biography information for Dr Lisa Cameron

573566

	registered interest
	date	02/09/2016
	answering body	HM Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	CaTreasury
	hansard heading	Taxation
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the findings of the Centre for Cities report, entitled 10 years of tax, published on 7 July 2016, what steps his Department has taken since 2010 to address regional variations in tax generation.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
	tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
	uin	44547
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/09/2016 answer text <p>We have gone further than any other government in devolving significant powers and funding from central government to city regions through devolution deals - which will result in high quality jobs, local growth, and reduce regional variations in tax generation. We are breaking with decades of centralisation, handing real powers away from Whitehall and closer to local people.</p><p> </p><p>The government has made several commitments which will boost high quality job creation across the regions. £200m has been committed to Transport for the North, strategic investments have been made in science (including £235m for the Sir Henry Royce Institute in Manchester,) Hull has been backed as the 2017 City of Culture, and we are creating a Midlands Engine Investment Fund of over £250m.</p> answering member constituency South West Hertfordshire answering member printed Mr David Gauke grouped question UIN 44480 question first answered 12/09/2016 10:10:54 answering member 1529 label Biography information for Mr David Gauke
	tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

573377

	registered interest
	date	02/09/2016
	answering body	HM Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	CaTreasury
	hansard heading	Tax Allowances: Landlords
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of private landlords who will be affected by the tax relief change to higher rate taxpayers announced in the Summer Budget 2015.
	tabling member constituency	Oldham West and Royton
	tabling member printed	Jim McMahon
	uin	44101
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/09/2016 answer text <p>HMRC estimate that 1 in 5 landlords will pay more tax as a result of this measure.</p><p> </p><p>Given that only a small proportion of the housing market is affected by this change, the Government does not expect these changes to have a large impact on rent levels or house prices. The Office of Budget Responsibility (OBR) also expects the impact on the housing market will be small.</p><p> </p><p>The Government will double the housing budget from 2018-19 and has set out the most ambitious affordable housing plan since the 1970s to support working people in their aim to own their own home, together the measures in the plan amount to over £20 billion of investment in housing between 2016-17 and 2020-21.</p><p> </p><p>The level of housing benefits is dependent on a number of factors such as, household and individual circumstances in regards to employment and household income, inflation and rents. The Government does not expect a large impact on rent levels from this policy, and any impact would be dampened in the short term due to other policy decisions. Therefore, the government does not anticipate changes to the overall level of housing benefits as a result. Nevertheless, the government will continue to monitor rental levels charged in the private rented sector.</p><p> </p><p>Landlords are required to maintain their properties to a legal minimum standard. The reform to the wear and tear allowance means that all landlords will now be able to offset the costs of replacing furnishings in their properties removing the previous disincentive to do so. The Government therefore does not think that the changes to the tax rules will reduce standards for tenants.</p><p> </p><p>Some landlords may face difficult decisions regarding their properties. This is why the Government has chosen to act in a proportionate and gradual way. Basic rate income tax relief will still be available on a landlord’s finance costs, the restriction will not be introduced until April 2017 and then it will be phased in over 4 years. This gives landlords time to plan ahead of the changes.</p> answering member constituency Battersea answering member printed Jane Ellison grouped question UIN 44504 question first answered 12/09/2016 14:33:13 answering member 3918 label Biography information for Jane Ellison
	tabling member	4569 label Biography information for Jim McMahon

576730

	registered interest
	date	06/09/2016
	answering body	HM Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	CaTreasury
	hansard heading	Revenue and Customs: Telephone Services
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the average telephone waiting time was for members of the public trying to contact HM Revenue and Customs in the first six months of (a) 2015 and (b) 2016.
	tabling member constituency	East Londonderry
	tabling member printed	Mr Gregory Campbell
	uin	45112
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/09/2016 answer text <p>HM Revenue and Customs publishes regular performance reports, including average speed of answer details, which are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/business-plan-indicators.</p> answering member constituency Battersea answering member printed Jane Ellison question first answered 12/09/2016 11:22:02 answering member 3918 label Biography information for Jane Ellison
	tabling member	1409 label Biography information for Mr Gregory Campbell