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101795

registered interest
date	30/10/2014
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, what criteria is used to establish whether a sector is high-risk in terms of non-compliance with the national minimum wage; and which sectors are so defined.
tabling member constituency	Sheffield Central
tabling member printed	Paul Blomfield
uin	212652
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/11/2014 answer text <p>The Government takes the enforcement of the National Minimum Wage very seriously. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) review every complaint that is referred to them by the Pay and Work Rights Helpline.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Within that obligation, HMRC work to priorities agreed with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). To identify sectors where non-payment of National Minimum Wage is more likely HMRC and BIS analyse numbers of complaints and incidences of non-compliance and take account of information from, for example, other Government Departments, Trade Union representatives and the Low Pay Commission . Using this information, and often in conjunction with other Government Departments, HMRC have undertaken targeted enforcement on areas such as the care sector, car washes and the retail sector, amongst others.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>However, HMRC, including National Minimum Wage officials, undertake joint working with the police, Home Office and local authorities across the country. HMRC’s collaboration has assisted in identifying instances of slavery and servitude in some of these operations.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Hertfordshire answering member printed Mr David Gauke grouped question UIN 212651 question first answered 04/11/2014 17:11:31 answering member 1529 label Biography information for Mr David Gauke
tabling member	4058 label Biography information for Paul Blomfield

101797

registered interest
date	30/10/2014
answering body	HM Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Human Trafficking
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what training is provided to national minimum wage inspectors to identify cases of trafficking.
tabling member constituency	Sheffield Central
tabling member printed	Paul Blomfield
uin	212651
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/11/2014 answer text <p>The Government takes the enforcement of the National Minimum Wage very seriously. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) review every complaint that is referred to them by the Pay and Work Rights Helpline.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Within that obligation, HMRC work to priorities agreed with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). To identify sectors where non-payment of National Minimum Wage is more likely HMRC and BIS analyse numbers of complaints and incidences of non-compliance and take account of information from, for example, other Government Departments, Trade Union representatives and the Low Pay Commission . Using this information, and often in conjunction with other Government Departments, HMRC have undertaken targeted enforcement on areas such as the care sector, car washes and the retail sector, amongst others.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>However, HMRC, including National Minimum Wage officials, undertake joint working with the police, Home Office and local authorities across the country. HMRC’s collaboration has assisted in identifying instances of slavery and servitude in some of these operations.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Hertfordshire answering member printed Mr David Gauke grouped question UIN 212652 question first answered 04/11/2014 17:11:31 answering member 1529 label Biography information for Mr David Gauke
tabling member	4058 label Biography information for Paul Blomfield

101799

registered interest
date	30/10/2014
answering body	HM Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Lighting
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to implement a replacement programme to introduce LED lighting throughout his Department's buildings and sites; if he will estimate the proportion of lighting in his Department which is LED; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Colchester
tabling member printed	Sir Bob Russell
uin	212632
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/11/2014 answer text <p>The Treasury is committed to improving the energy efficiency of the Department’s estate and reducing energy consumption year on year. LED lighting has already been introduced in leasehold premises occupied by part of the Treasury Group. We have introduced energy efficient fluorescent lighting in the Treasury main building on Horse Guards Road.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South Northamptonshire answering member printed Andrea Leadsom question first answered 05/11/2014 17:00:42 answering member 4117 label Biography information for Andrea Leadsom
tabling member	35 label Biography information for Sir Bob Russell

101800

registered interest
date	30/10/2014
answering body	HM Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Currencies
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 24 February 2014, to the hon. Member for Vale of Glamorgan, Official Report, column 26W, on Bitcoin, what his policy is on the regulation of Bitcoin derivatives and other securities paired to digital currencies.
tabling member constituency	Fareham
tabling member printed	Mr Mark Hoban
uin	212665
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/11/2014 answer text <p>Bitcoin itself is not regulated. However, the UK’s regulatory perimeter in relation to derivatives is wide and would capture Bitcoin and digital currency derivatives that were futures, options or contracts for difference.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency South Northamptonshire answering member printed Andrea Leadsom question first answered 05/11/2014 16:57:59 answering member 4117 label Biography information for Andrea Leadsom
tabling member	1414 label Biography information for Mr Mark Hoban

101801

registered interest
date	30/10/2014
answering body	HM Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Cryptocurrencies
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to his speech of 6 August 2014 on FinTech, what progress his Department has made on its programme of work exploring the potential of virtual currencies and digital money.
tabling member constituency	Fareham
tabling member printed	Mr Mark Hoban
uin	212668
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/11/2014 answer text <p>On 3 November the Treasury published a Call for Information, focused on the potential benefits and risks of digital currencies and looking into whether digital currencies could or should be regulated in the UK.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South Northamptonshire answering member printed Andrea Leadsom question first answered 05/11/2014 16:59:05 answering member 4117 label Biography information for Andrea Leadsom
tabling member	1414 label Biography information for Mr Mark Hoban

101802

registered interest
date	30/10/2014
answering body	HM Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Currencies
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the ability of businesses using digital currencies to open a UK bank account.
tabling member constituency	Fareham
tabling member printed	Mr Mark Hoban
uin	212669
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/11/2014 answer text <p>On 3 November the Treasury published a Call for Information on digital currencies. This Call for Information asks whether there are currently barriers to digital currency businesses setting up in the UK, and will consider access to UK bank accounts as part of this.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In October, the Financial Conduct Authority launched its Innovation Hub to provide support to innovative businesses. It has identified helping innovators access bank accounts as an area of priority.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South Northamptonshire answering member printed Andrea Leadsom question first answered 05/11/2014 16:56:46 answering member 4117 label Biography information for Andrea Leadsom
tabling member	1414 label Biography information for Mr Mark Hoban

101803

registered interest
date	30/10/2014
answering body	HM Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Housing: Construction
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what forecasts he has made of the long-term trends in house-building in each region and constituent part of the UK.
tabling member constituency	Belfast North
tabling member printed	Mr Nigel Dodds
uin	212748
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/11/2014 answer text <p>The government does not publish forecasts of long term house building by region or constituency. However the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) includes housing market projections in its Economic and Fiscal Outlook. The next estimates are to be released on the 3<sup>rd</sup> December.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South Northamptonshire answering member printed Andrea Leadsom question first answered 05/11/2014 15:50:36 answering member 4117 label Biography information for Andrea Leadsom
tabling member	1388 label Biography information for Lord Dodds of Duncairn

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

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