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101526

registered interest
date	29/10/2014
answering body	HM Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Ambulance Services: VAT
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will exempt charitably-funded rapid response vehicles from VAT.
tabling member constituency	Westmorland and Lonsdale
tabling member printed	Tim Farron
uin	212407
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/11/2014 answer text <p>Many already benefit from a UK zero-rate. So for example, the supply of an ambulance (including an air ambulance) that is purchased with charitable funds is zero-rated for VAT when it is supplied to an eligible body such as an NHS hospital or a charity that provides rescue or first aid services.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Hertfordshire answering member printed Mr David Gauke question first answered 04/11/2014 16:37:30 answering member 1529 label Biography information for Mr David Gauke
tabling member	1591 label Biography information for Tim Farron

101527

registered interest
date	29/10/2014
answering body	HM Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Personal Income
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect of income inequality on national wellbeing.
tabling member constituency	Cheltenham
tabling member printed	Martin Horwood
uin	212385
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/11/2014 answer text <p>The Government has not made an assessment of the effect of income inequality on national wellbeing. However, income inequality remains lower than when this Government came into office.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Office for National Statistics estimates that individuals in households with higher incomes report higher life satisfaction and happiness, and lower anxiety. Wellbeing increases fastest in relation to increases income for those on the lowest level of income, and receiving a greater proportion of income from cash benefits is associated with lower wellbeing. The Government’s economic plan is focused on creating jobs and making work pay, while reducing reliance on benefits.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South Northamptonshire answering member printed Andrea Leadsom question first answered 06/11/2014 16:19:20 answering member 4117 label Biography information for Andrea Leadsom
tabling member	1499 label Biography information for Martin Horwood

101528

registered interest
date	29/10/2014
answering body	HM Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Employment
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the recommendation of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Wellbeing Economics that stable and secure employment for all should be the primary objective of economic policy.
tabling member constituency	Cheltenham
tabling member printed	Martin Horwood
uin	212387
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p>Since the financial crisis the government's long term economic plan has provided the foundations for the current recovery, which is now well established. The government has continued to take the difficult decisions needed to secure a stronger recovery for all and build a fairer society.</p><p> </p><p>The latest official labour market figures show that employment in the UK is at its highest ever level, 30.76 million, an increase of 1.7 million since the Coalition entered office. Over the same period the level of redundancies has fallen by 45 per cent.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South Northamptonshire answering member printed Andrea Leadsom question first answered 03/11/2014 17:28:07 answering member 4117 label Biography information for Andrea Leadsom
tabling member	1499 label Biography information for Martin Horwood

101529

registered interest
date	29/10/2014
answering body	HM Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Financial Services
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he has taken to monitor practices in the banking sector.
tabling member constituency	South Antrim
tabling member printed	Dr William McCrea
uin	212470
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/11/2014 answer text <p>This Government has taken a number of major steps to strengthen monitoring and regulation of the banking sector.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Financial Services Act 2012 put in place two new, properly focussed financial regulators, the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) - a subsidiary of the Bank of England - the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), as part of a new approach to financial regulation. The new regulators started work on 1 April 2013.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Government’s new approach to financial regulation enables the PRA to concentrate on monitoring the health of UK banks to ensure that they are prudently and competently managed and to reduce the risk that the practices of UK banks will lead to serious financial failure. At the same time, the FCA can concentrate on monitoring the practices of UK banks and other financial services businesses in their dealing with ordinary retail customers and in wholesale financial markets, to reduce the risk that the practices in the banking sector are detrimental to consumers or competition, or threaten the integrity of financial markets.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>On 12 June 2014, the Government announced the Fair and Effective Markets Review, which is a joint review by HM Treasury, the Bank of England, and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) into the way wholesale financial markets operate. The Government is determined to take action to help restore trust and integrity and to ensure that the highest standards are expected of those who operate in these markets. It is important that this is done in a way that preserves the UK’s position as the global financial centre for many of these markets. The Review published its consultation document “How fair and effective are the fixed income, foreign exchange and commodities markets?” on 27 October, and the Government looks forward to the review’s final recommendations in June 2015.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South Northamptonshire answering member printed Andrea Leadsom question first answered 05/11/2014 16:50:46 answering member 4117 label Biography information for Andrea Leadsom
tabling member	655 label Biography information for Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown

101530

registered interest
date	29/10/2014
answering body	HM Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Tobacco
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what meetings the Exchequer Secretary has had with representatives of the tobacco industry since his appointment.
tabling member constituency	Rother Valley
tabling member printed	Kevin Barron
uin	212455
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/11/2014 answer text <p>A record of Ministerial meetings is published and updated periodically on the government website. For Treasury Ministers, this is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-gifts-and-overseas-travel</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Witham answering member printed Priti Patel question first answered 04/11/2014 16:50:54 answering member 4066 label Biography information for Priti Patel
tabling member	392 label Biography information for Sir Kevin Barron

101531

registered interest
date	29/10/2014
answering body	HM 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 Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions he has had with his EU counterparts about measures to reduce tax avoidance; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Kemptown
tabling member printed	Simon Kirby
uin	212452
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/11/2014 answer text <p>The UK is at the forefront of multilateral action through the G8, G20, European Union and OECD to tackle this issue of corporate tax avoidance. The UK used its Presidency of the G8 to successfully build international support for this work.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Work is now underway at the OECD, in the form of the Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) project. The BEPS project is the most comprehensive reform of the international tax rules with the aim of ensuring that multinational enterprises pay their fair share of tax, in the jurisdictions where their economic activity is located. The project has 44 participant countries, 21 of which are within the EU.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>At the UK’s Lough Erne summit in June 2013 the G8 leaders confirmed their support for the ongoing G20/OECD work.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>At their September 2013 summit in St Petersburg, the G20 Leaders fully endorsed the ambitious and comprehensive BEPS Action Plan set out over 2014 and 2015.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The first phase of the BEPS project is now complete, with participants reaching agreement on seven reports which have been produced by the OECD and endorsed by G20 Finance Ministers.</p><p> </p><p>The G8 called on the OECD to develop a common template for multinationals to report profit and tax information to tax authorities to help assess risks. This work was included in the BEPS Action Plan (action 13) and was one of seven outputs achieved in 2014.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Subsequently, the UK announced that it would be the first of 44 countries to formally commit to implementing the newly agreed BEPS output of a country-by-country reporting template.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Discussions are ongoing in G20 Finance Minister’s and ECOFIN meetings to ensure that the momentum of the BEPS project is maintained, so that the project is completed successfully and on time.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Further to the BEPS project, international work with G20 and EU counterparts is ongoing with the Automatic Exchange of Information policy.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The UK put tax transparency at the heart of its presidency of the G8, calling for the creation of a new global standard on automatic tax information exchange to tackle offshore tax evasion. The new global standard was developed by the OECD and agreed in July 2014. At the March European Council leaders committed to implement the standard in the EU through agreement of the amended Administrative Co-operation Directive, which they aim to agree by the end of the year.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In total 92 countries and have now committed to implement the new global standard, with the first information exchanged no later than 2018. This includes all EU Member States, all of the UK’s Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories with a financial centre and the majority of the world’s financial centres. Of these countries and jurisdictions, 51 have already signed an international agreement to implement the standard.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Hertfordshire answering member printed Mr David Gauke grouped question UIN 212453 question first answered 05/11/2014 17:58:27 answering member 1529 label Biography information for Mr David Gauke
tabling member	3929 label Biography information for Simon Kirby

101532

registered interest
date	29/10/2014
answering body	HM 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 Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions he has had with his G7 counterparts about measures to reduce tax avoidance; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Kemptown
tabling member printed	Simon Kirby
uin	212453
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/11/2014 answer text <p>The UK is at the forefront of multilateral action through the G8, G20, European Union and OECD to tackle this issue of corporate tax avoidance. The UK used its Presidency of the G8 to successfully build international support for this work.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Work is now underway at the OECD, in the form of the Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) project. The BEPS project is the most comprehensive reform of the international tax rules with the aim of ensuring that multinational enterprises pay their fair share of tax, in the jurisdictions where their economic activity is located. The project has 44 participant countries, 21 of which are within the EU.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>At the UK’s Lough Erne summit in June 2013 the G8 leaders confirmed their support for the ongoing G20/OECD work.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>At their September 2013 summit in St Petersburg, the G20 Leaders fully endorsed the ambitious and comprehensive BEPS Action Plan set out over 2014 and 2015.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The first phase of the BEPS project is now complete, with participants reaching agreement on seven reports which have been produced by the OECD and endorsed by G20 Finance Ministers.</p><p> </p><p>The G8 called on the OECD to develop a common template for multinationals to report profit and tax information to tax authorities to help assess risks. This work was included in the BEPS Action Plan (action 13) and was one of seven outputs achieved in 2014.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Subsequently, the UK announced that it would be the first of 44 countries to formally commit to implementing the newly agreed BEPS output of a country-by-country reporting template.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Discussions are ongoing in G20 Finance Minister’s and ECOFIN meetings to ensure that the momentum of the BEPS project is maintained, so that the project is completed successfully and on time.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Further to the BEPS project, international work with G20 and EU counterparts is ongoing with the Automatic Exchange of Information policy.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The UK put tax transparency at the heart of its presidency of the G8, calling for the creation of a new global standard on automatic tax information exchange to tackle offshore tax evasion. The new global standard was developed by the OECD and agreed in July 2014. At the March European Council leaders committed to implement the standard in the EU through agreement of the amended Administrative Co-operation Directive, which they aim to agree by the end of the year.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In total 92 countries and have now committed to implement the new global standard, with the first information exchanged no later than 2018. This includes all EU Member States, all of the UK’s Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories with a financial centre and the majority of the world’s financial centres. Of these countries and jurisdictions, 51 have already signed an international agreement to implement the standard.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Hertfordshire answering member printed Mr David Gauke grouped question UIN 212452 question first answered 05/11/2014 17:58:27 answering member 1529 label Biography information for Mr David Gauke
tabling member	3929 label Biography information for Simon Kirby

101687

registered interest
date	29/10/2014
answering body	HM Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Revenue and Customs
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what will be the legal basis permitting HM Revenue and Customs to remove money from personal bank accounts without first obtaining a Court Order, as announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his Budget speech in March.
tabling member printed	Lord Willoughby de Broke
uin	HL2509
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/11/2014 answer text <p>The Government consulted on the process and safeguards for the Direct Recovery of Debts between 6 May and 29 July 2014. This policy will modernise and strengthen HM Revenue’s and Customs’ ability to recover tax and tax credit debts from those who are refusing to pay what they owe but have sufficient funds in their accounts.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Government will publish draft legislation in due course.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In line with the Government’s Tax Policy Framework, this draft legislation will be consulted on before it is included in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finance_Bill" target="_blank">Finance Bill</a>, where it will be subject to the usual Parliamentary scrutiny</p> answering member printed Lord Deighton question first answered 17/11/2014 14:17:05 answering member 4262 label Biography information for Lord Deighton
tabling member	1775 label Biography information for Lord Willoughby de Broke

101696

registered interest
date	29/10/2014
answering body	HM Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Bank Services: Fees and Charges
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment have they made of the level of unauthorised overdraft fees charged by banks in the United Kingdom.
tabling member printed	Lord Kennedy of Southwark
uin	HL2518
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/11/2014 answer text <p>The Government has not made an assessment of the level of unauthorised overdraft fees charged by banks in the United Kingdom.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In November 2011, the Government announced an agreement with the major current account providers to enable customers to control their account and to take action to avoid unarranged overdraft charges.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Office of Fair Trading found in January 2013 that there had been a significant reduction in bank fees and charges since their 2008 market study, and estimated that there had been an annual saving of £928million for consumers as a result.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Deighton question first answered 05/11/2014 14:01:50 answering member 4262 label Biography information for Lord Deighton
tabling member	4153 label Biography information for Lord Kennedy of Southwark

101697

registered interest
date	29/10/2014
answering body	HM Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Cash Dispensing
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment have they made of the availability in poorer communities of automatic teller machines which do not charge customers for withdrawing money.
tabling member printed	Lord Kennedy of Southwark
uin	HL2519
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/11/2014 answer text <p>The assessment made by the Government is that 95 per cent of communities in deprived areas now have free-to-use ATMs within their area or less than two thirds of a mile from the area's centre, which has brought access to free-to-use ATMs to over 1.5 million people.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LINK" target="_blank">LINK</a> has established a Financial Inclusion Programme to provide free-to-use ATMs where they are needed, by installing ATMs that are subsidised to make their operation commercially viable for operators. The cost of this subsidy is shared out among LINK member banks. 1,400 target areas now have access to an industry subsidised ATM through the programme. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toynbee_Hall" target="_blank">Toynbee Hall</a> is due to complete research on this issue shortly, commissioned by LINK.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Deighton question first answered 10/11/2014 17:59:11 answering member 4262 label Biography information for Lord Deighton
tabling member	4153 label Biography information for Lord Kennedy of Southwark