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1064051

	registered interest
	date	19/02/2019
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Productivity
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he has taken to increase the productivity of the UK economy.
	tabling member constituency	Windsor
	tabling member printed	Adam Afriyie
	uin	223249
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/02/2019 answer text <p>Autumn Budget announced the next steps we are taking to boost productivity. This includes increasing the National Productivity Investment Fund to more than £37bn to fund important investments in our infrastructure. We are also setting up the National Roads Fund which will provide vital improvements to our road network, piloting new approaches to rural fibre rollout, and supporting new technologies such as artificial intelligence.</p> answering member constituency Newark answering member printed Robert Jenrick question first answered 22/02/2019 13:43:02 answering member 4320 label Biography information for Robert Jenrick
	tabling member	1586 label Biography information for Adam Afriyie

1064082

	registered interest
	date	19/02/2019
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Productivity
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of recent trends in economic productivity in the UK.
	tabling member constituency	Windsor
	tabling member printed	Adam Afriyie
	uin	223482
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/02/2019 answer text <p>The only sustainable way to raise wages, boost living standards, and increase growth is to boost UK productivity.</p><p> </p><p>Since 2010 we have provided over half a trillion pounds in capital investment, increased investment in skills, and reduced taxes for businesses. At the Autumn Budget, we took further action to increase productivity.</p><p> </p><p>Productivity grew by 0.2% in the last quarter (Q4 2018) and is now 1.9% above its pre-crisis peak. Slow productivity growth since the crisis has not been a phenomenon exclusive to the UK, but across the G7.</p> answering member constituency Newark answering member printed Robert Jenrick question first answered 22/02/2019 13:45:12 answering member 4320 label Biography information for Robert Jenrick
	tabling member	1586 label Biography information for Adam Afriyie

1059902

	registered interest
	date	12/02/2019
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Transfer Pricing
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to HMRC's January 2019 Profit Diversion Compliance Facility, what estimate he has made of the value of transactions through transfer pricing arrangements in each of the last five years; how many transfer pricing specialists HMRC employs; and how many transfer pricing investigations HMRC has undertaken in each of the last five years.
	tabling member constituency	Na h-Eileanan an Iar
	tabling member printed	Angus Brendan MacNeil
	uin	220147
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/02/2019 answer text <p>On 10 January 2019 HMRC introduced a new Profit Diversion Compliance Facility for Multi-National Enterprises using arrangements targeted by the Diverted Profits Tax (DPT) to give them the opportunity to bring their UK tax affairs up to date.</p><p> </p><p>HMRC does not hold the information about the value of transactions through transfer pricing arrangements in each of the last five years.</p><p> </p><p>HMRC has increased the number of staff dealing with international tax risks, including transfer pricing. As at 30 April 2018, there were 365 full time equivalent staff working on international risks, including transfer pricing and DPT. HMRC recognises the importance of identifying and tackling international tax risks and is invested in building the capability of the staff involved. These skilled staff work with other expert industry and tax specialists to tackle those cases that represent a substantial risk of tax loss to the Exchequer in line with HMRC’s “resource to risk” compliance policy.</p><p> </p><p>Transfer pricing investigations include enquiries into tax returns, pre-return investigations, and investigations that precede Advance Pricing Agreements (APAs) or Advance Thin Capitalisation Agreements (ATCAs). The numbers of transfer pricing investigations HMRC initiated in the years 2013/14 to 2017/18 were:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p><strong>2013/14</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2014/15</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2015/16</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2016/17</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2017/18</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Number of Investigations</strong></p></td><td><p>462</p></td><td><p>427</p></td><td><p>384</p></td><td><p>250</p></td><td><p>244</p></td></tr></tbody></table> answering member constituency Central Devon answering member printed Mel Stride question first answered 20/02/2019 17:31:18 answering member 3935 label Biography information for Mel Stride
	tabling member	1546 label Biography information for Angus Brendan MacNeil

1059905

	registered interest
	date	12/02/2019
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Transfer Pricing
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to HMRC's January 2019 Profit Diversion Compliance Facility, what estimate he has made of the value of transactions under investigation; and how many inquiries resulted in the view that the factual pattern outlined to HMRC at the start of an enquiry did not stand up to scrutiny once tested in each of the last five years.
	tabling member constituency	Na h-Eileanan an Iar
	tabling member printed	Angus Brendan MacNeil
	uin	220148
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/02/2019 answer text <p>On 10 January 2019 HMRC introduced a new Profit Diversion Compliance Facility for Multi-National Enterprises using arrangements targeted by the Diverted Profits Tax (DPT) to give them the opportunity to bring their UK tax affairs up to date.</p><p> </p><p>HMRC does not hold the information about the value of transactions under investigation.</p><p> </p><p>HMRC does not hold information about how many inquiries resulted in the view that the factual pattern outlined to HMRC at the start of an enquiry did not stand up to scrutiny once tested in each of the last five years.</p><p>However, in circumstances where HMRC believes it may have been misled by information provided by customers in the context of transfer pricing investigations, the matter will be referred to its Fraud Investigation Service.</p> answering member constituency Central Devon answering member printed Mel Stride question first answered 20/02/2019 17:23:04 answering member 3935 label Biography information for Mel Stride
	tabling member	1546 label Biography information for Angus Brendan MacNeil

1059909

	registered interest
	date	12/02/2019
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Transfer Pricing
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to HMRC's January 2019 Profit Diversion Compliance Facility, what estimate he has made of the value of the sums recovered from HMRC investigations into transfer pricing arrangements in each of the last five years; how many HMRC investigations into transfer pricing arrangements have been subsequently referred to its Fraud Investigations Service in each of the last five years; and what estimate he has made of the value of HMRC’s current investigations into transfer pricing arrangements.
	tabling member constituency	Na h-Eileanan an Iar
	tabling member printed	Angus Brendan MacNeil
	uin	220149
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/02/2019 answer text <p>On 10 January 2019 HMRC introduced a new Profit Diversion Compliance Facility for Multi-National Enterprises using arrangements targeted by the Diverted Profits Tax (DPT) to give them the opportunity to bring their UK tax affairs up to date.</p>In the years from 2012/13 to 2017/18, HMRC secured £6.5 billion of additional tax by challenging the transfer pricing arrangements of multinationals.<p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Year</p></td><td><p>2012/ 13</p></td><td><p>2013/14</p></td><td><p>2014/15</p></td><td><p>2015/16</p></td><td><p>2016/17</p></td><td><p>2017/18</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Total Amount</p></td><td><p>£504 m</p></td><td><p>£1,137m</p></td><td><p>£707m</p></td><td><p>£853m</p></td><td><p>£1,618m</p></td><td><p>£1,682m</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p> </p><p>The information requested regarding how many HMRC investigations into transfer pricing arrangements have been subsequently referred to its Fraud Investigation Service in each of the last five years is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. However, in appropriate cases transfer pricing cases are referred to HMRC’s Fraud Investigation Service for their consideration.</p><p>HMRC cannot reliably predict the value of its current investigations into transfer pricing arrangements because the outcome is highly dependent on the facts that are determined during the enquiries’ progress.</p> answering member constituency Central Devon answering member printed Mel Stride question first answered 20/02/2019 17:46:10 answering member 3935 label Biography information for Mel Stride
	tabling member	1546 label Biography information for Angus Brendan MacNeil

1061146

	registered interest
	date	14/02/2019
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Financial Conduct Authority: Fines
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the 10 December 2018 Financial Times article FCA fines against individuals almost treble, whether his Department has made an assessment of the reasons for which fines issued by the Financial Conduct Authority decreased 88 per cent between 2017 and 2018.
	tabling member constituency	Oxford East
	tabling member printed	Anneliese Dodds
	uin	221810
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/02/2019 answer text <p>The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is an independent non-governmental body, given statutory powers by the Financial Services and Markets Act (2000). In view of this independence, HMT does not make an assessment of the fines issued by the FCA. The FCA provides year on year analysis of the fines it levies in its annual enforcement report. The 2017/18 report can be found here:</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.fca.org.uk/publication/corporate/annual-report-2017-18-enforcement-performance.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.fca.org.uk/publication/corporate/annual-report-2017-18-enforcement-performance.pdf</a></p> answering member constituency Salisbury answering member printed John Glen question first answered 19/02/2019 12:39:58 answering member 4051 label Biography information for John Glen
	tabling member	4657 label Biography information for Anneliese Dodds

1061147

	registered interest
	date	14/02/2019
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Money Laundering
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what representations his Department made to the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering ahead of the release of that body's evaluation of the UK’s anti-money laundering and counter terrorist financing regime in December 2018.
	tabling member constituency	Oxford East
	tabling member printed	Anneliese Dodds
	uin	221811
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/02/2019 answer text <p>The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is the global standard-setter on anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing. In line with the FATF procedures (available at <a href="http://www.fatf-gafi.org/publications/mutualevaluations/documents/4th-round-procedures.html" target="_blank">http://www.fatf-gafi.org/publications/mutualevaluations/documents/4th-round-procedures.html</a>), HM Treasury submitted supporting documents for its evaluation in autumn 2017, outlining the technical compliance and efficacy of the UK’s regime. HM Treasury officials subsequently engaged with FATF assessors during on-site meetings in March 2018 and at face-to-face meetings in August 2018. The UK’s report was formally agreed by FATF members at the October 2018 FATF plenary meeting and published on 7 December 2018.</p> answering member constituency Salisbury answering member printed John Glen question first answered 19/02/2019 12:42:05 answering member 4051 label Biography information for John Glen
	tabling member	4657 label Biography information for Anneliese Dodds

1061148

	registered interest
	date	14/02/2019
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Money Laundering
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to implement the recommendations made by the Financial Action Task Force in its recent assessment of the UK's anti-money laundering and counter terrorist financing regime.
	tabling member constituency	Oxford East
	tabling member printed	Anneliese Dodds
	uin	221812
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/02/2019 answer text <p>In its recent assessment of the UK's anti-money laundering and counter terrorist financing (AML/CTF) regime, the Financial Action Task Force gave the UK the strongest results of 60 countries it has assessed to date. Out of the 11 areas assessed, the UK received the highest possible rating in 4 and the second highest rating in a further 4.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The strong assessment of the UK’s system reflects the UK’s commitment to tackling illicit finance – as reflected through recent reforms such as the establishment of the National Economic Crime Centre, the establishment of the Office for Professional Anti-Money Laundering Supervision (OPBAS) within the Financial Conduct Authority, the new measures introduced in the Criminal Finances Act 2017, and the implementation of the Money Laundering Regulations 2017.</p><p> </p><p>In January, the Chancellor and Home Secretary launched the Economic Crime Strategic Board which will work with senior figures from the public and private sectors to tackle economic crime. The Board, which will meet twice a year, will set priorities, direct resources and scrutinise performance against the economic crime threat. It is through the work of this Board, and the ongoing Treasury and Home Office-led economic crime reform programme, that the Financial Action Task Force’s recommendations will be addressed.</p><p> </p><p>On 13 February, I co-chaired an AML/CFT Supervision roundtable with the Minister of State for Security &amp; Economic Crime, with attendance from across the professional body supervision regime. This provided an important opportunity to emphasise the commitment of government to tackling illicit finance in the accountancy and legal sectors, to reaffirm my support for OPBAS in raising supervision standards and to make clear to attendees their responsibility to address the recommendations made by FATF during their review of the UK’s AML/CFT regime.</p><p> </p><p>There is work already in train to address some of the recommendations. For example, the government is already committed to:</p><ul><li><p>Reforming the Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) regime, to further improve the use of financial intelligence in the UK</p></li><li><p>Regulating virtual currencies for AML/CTF purposes by the end of 2019, to tackle emerging risks in the sector</p></li><li><p>Taking appropriate action on mitigating the threats posed by limited partnerships, on which the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy published proposals in December 2018</p></li><li><p>A broader package of reforms to Companies House which will be consulted on later this year, and</p></li><li><p>Strengthening the AML supervisory regime through the work of the OPBAS.</p></li></ul> answering member constituency Salisbury answering member printed John Glen question first answered 19/02/2019 14:27:16 answering member 4051 label Biography information for John Glen
	tabling member	4657 label Biography information for Anneliese Dodds

1060631

	registered interest
	date	13/02/2019
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Tax Avoidance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to Mary Aiston's oral evidence to the Treasury Committee on 30 January 2019, what steps HMRC is taking to ensure that people affected by the disguised remuneration loan charge are not forced to sell their homes.
	tabling member constituency	Oxford East
	tabling member printed	Anneliese Dodds
	uin	221022
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/02/2019 answer text <p>HMRC will never force somebody to sell their main home to pay for their Disguised Remuneration (DR) debt, or the loan charge. Anybody who is worried about being able to pay what they owe should get in touch with HMRC as soon as possible. They have a number of ways to help those who are genuinely unable to make a full payment of tax on time, for example, by arranging payments by instalments. HMRC’s Debt Management team are also trained to identify customers who are vulnerable and will refer them to HMRC’s specialist “Needs enhanced support” team. They will tailor their support to meet the needs of the individual.</p><p> </p><p>DR schemes are contrived arrangements that pay loans in place of ordinary remuneration with the sole purpose of avoiding income tax and National Insurance contributions.</p><p> </p><p>Since the announcement of the 2019 loan charge at Budget 2016, HMRC has now agreed settlements on disguised remuneration schemes with employers and individuals totalling over £1 billion. Pay As You Earn (PAYE) liabilities fall on the employer in the first instance. The charge on DR loans does not change this principle and the employee will only be liable where the amount cannot reasonably be collected from the employer, such as where the employer is offshore or no longer exists. Around 85% of the settlement yield since 2016 is from employers, with less than 15% from individuals.</p><p> </p><p>HMRC is working hard to help individuals get out of avoidance for good and offer manageable and sustainable payment plans wherever possible. It carefully considers each case and there is no maximum limit on how long a customer can be given to pay what they owe. HMRC considers a customer’s ability to pay on a case by case basis and decisions are based on each individual’s personal circumstances.</p><p> </p><p>HMRC has simplified the process for those who want to settle their use of DR schemes before the loan charge arises. DR scheme users who currently have an income of less than £50,000 and are no longer engaging in tax avoidance can automatically agree a payment plan of up to five years without the need to give HMRC detailed information about their income and assets. This arrangement has been extended to 7 years for scheme users who have an income of less than £30,000.</p><p> </p><p>Anybody who is worried about being able to pay what they owe should get in touch with HMRC as soon as possible. They have a number of ways to help those who are genuinely unable to make a full payment of tax on time, for example, by arranging payments by instalments.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Central Devon answering member printed Mel Stride question first answered 18/02/2019 17:14:42 answering member 3935 label Biography information for Mel Stride
	tabling member	4657 label Biography information for Anneliese Dodds

1058969

	registered interest
	date	11/02/2019
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Radio Frequencies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent estimate he has made of the total commercial value of licensed but undeployed radio spectrum designated for 4G services in (a) Wales and (b) the UK.
	tabling member constituency	Ceredigion
	tabling member printed	Ben Lake
	uin	219546
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/02/2019 answer text <p>Spectrum for 4G mobile services is licensed by Ofcom and paid for by Mobile Network Operators on a national basis, and decisions on deploying 4G services remain a commercial matter for Mobile Network Operators.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Norfolk answering member printed Elizabeth Truss question first answered 19/02/2019 12:50:48 answering member 4097 label Biography information for Elizabeth Truss
	tabling member	4630 label Biography information for Ben Lake