Show Search Form

Search Results

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

Search

1078570

	registered interest
	date	27/02/2019
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Employment and Support Allowance: Self-employed
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to support self-employed people who need to claim employment support allowance.
	tabling member constituency	Aberdeen South
	tabling member printed	Ross Thomson
	uin	226720
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/03/2019 answer text <p>We have successfully rolled out Universal Credit in all job centres nationally. Consequently, self-employed people, who have a health condition, can now claim either Universal Credit and/or New Style Employment and Support Allowance.</p><p> </p><p>Claimants who are eligible to claim New Style Employment and Support Allowance can do so by calling the Universal Credit helpline to request a claim form or by downloading and printing the form available on Gov.uk. Full details about how to apply (including information requesting forms in alternative formats such as braille) can be found at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/how-to-claim-new-style-esa" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/how-to-claim-new-style-esa</a></p><p> </p><p>Claimants who are not eligible to claim New Style Employment and Support Allowance can claim Universal Credit online. For those unable to access or use digital services, assistance to make and maintain their claim is available via the Freephone Universal Credit helplines. The Universal Credit Service Centre will establish the best means of support available.</p><p> </p><p>A home visit can be arranged to support a claimant in making their initial claim and completing any other administrative tasks required to ensure their application is completed.</p><p> </p><p>Additionally, to help claimants who may struggle making a claim, Universal Support is available, which is advice, assistance or support to help Universal Credit and New Style Employment and Support Allowance claimants with managing their claim or award.</p><p> </p><p>From 1 April 2019 Citizens Advice (England and Wales) and Citizens Advice Scotland will deliver a new “Help to Claim” service to support vulnerable claimants through the process of making a claim.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 07/03/2019 13:53:53 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	4599 label Biography information for Ross Thomson

838924

	registered interest
	date	08/02/2018
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	State Retirement Pensions: Scotland
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will hold discussions with representatives of the Scottish Government on the effect of her policies on WASPI women in Scotland.
	tabling member constituency	Aberdeen South
	tabling member printed	Ross Thomson
	uin	127486
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/02/2018 answer text <p>I have had regular correspondence with the Scottish Minister for Social Security on 16/07/2017, 25/08/17 and 05/02/18. As I said in my letter of 5<sup>th</sup> February,</p><p> </p><p><em>“</em><em>Should the Scottish Government wish to exercise their considerable powers to provide financial support to those impacted by the changes to the State Pension age they are able to do so. This would be entirely a matter for them and the UK Government would not seek to stop them”. </em></p><p> </p><p>There are no plans to meet with representatives of the Scottish Government to discuss this issue.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 23/02/2018 12:11:25 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	4599 label Biography information for Ross Thomson

832903

	registered interest
	date	29/01/2018
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Personal Independence Payment: Aberdeen South
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of people had personal independence payment decisions overturned because of (a) mandatory reconsideration and (b) an appeal hearing in Aberdeen South constituency in each year since April 2013.
	tabling member constituency	Aberdeen South
	tabling member printed	Ross Thomson
	uin	125219
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/02/2018 answer text <p>The table below shows the number of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) decisions and the number and proportion of mandatory reconsideration decisions and appeal decisions where the award was changed, by financial year of the initial PIP decision since the introduction of PIP in the Parliamentary Constituency of Aberdeen South.</p><p><em>Number of PIP decisions, and number and proportion of mandatory reconsiderations decisions and appeal decisions where the award changed, by financial year of initial PIP decision.</em></p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Financial year of initial PIP decision</p></td><td><p>Number of PIP decisions</p></td><td><p>Number of awards changed at MR</p></td><td><p>Proportion of PIP decisions changed at MR</p></td><td><p>Number of awards changed at appeal</p></td><td><p>Proportion of PIP decisions where award changed at appeal</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013/14</p></td><td><p>100</p></td><td><p>#</p></td><td><p>#</p></td><td><p>#</p></td><td><p>#</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2014/ 15</p></td><td><p>560</p></td><td><p>10</p></td><td><p>1%</p></td><td><p>#</p></td><td><p>#</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2015/ 16</p></td><td><p>680</p></td><td><p>20</p></td><td><p>2%</p></td><td><p>30</p></td><td><p>5%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2016/ 17</p></td><td><p>1,030</p></td><td><p>50</p></td><td><p>5%</p></td><td><p>40</p></td><td><p>4%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2017/18 (April 17 to Oct 17)</p></td><td><p>580</p></td><td><p>30</p></td><td><p>5%</p></td><td><p>10</p></td><td><p>2%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Total</p></td><td><p>2,950</p></td><td><p>110</p></td><td><p>4%</p></td><td><p>90</p></td><td><p>3%</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Data has been rounded to the nearest 10 and nearest percent.</p><p>‘#’ means fewer than 5 in this category.</p><p>There will be some degree of retrospection in these figures over time due to changes in individual case outcomes, particularly with appeals. It is expected that there will be lower numbers of completed appeals in recent months due to the time lag in appeal completion.</p><p>Latest available data to October 2017</p> answering member constituency Truro and Falmouth answering member printed Sarah Newton question first answered 05/02/2018 14:01:27 answering member 4071 label Biography information for Sarah Newton
	tabling member	4599 label Biography information for Ross Thomson

780661

	registered interest
	date	30/10/2017
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Workplace Pensions: Scotland
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the economic effect on Scotland of the increase in statutory minimum employee pension contributions in 2018 and 2019; and what estimate he has made of the number of people in Scotland who will be affected by those changes.
	tabling member constituency	Aberdeen South
	tabling member printed	Ross Thomson
	uin	110359
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/11/2017 answer text <p>Automatic enrolment was designed to increase the number of people saving for their retirement, and has been a great success to date. By the end of September 2017, over 8.7 million people had been automatically enrolled into a workplace pension – this included 523,000 people in Scotland</p><p> </p><p>We do want to encourage people to save more than the minimum, but we need to balance this with the fact that many people are not saving anything and contributing to a pension will be new to them. We also recognise that employers needed time to adjust so as to implement the reforms, and to help manage their costs. As such, our focus is on increasing the number of people saving and increasing contributions gradually over the next two years. For an individual, these are currently at 1 per cent, rising to 3 per cent in April 2018 and 5 per cent in April 2019</p><p> </p><p>We are currently undertaking a review of the policy and operation of automatic enrolment. This includes looking at the existing coverage of the policy; strengthening the evidence base concerning future contributions and how to improve individuals’ engagement with workplace pension saving so as to maximise saving for their retirement. The review work is led by a DWP team and supported by an external advisory group. We will report to Parliament by the end of 2017.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 02/11/2017 12:23:48 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	4599 label Biography information for Ross Thomson

1020872

	registered interest
	date	07/12/2018
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Revenue and Customs
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he plans to respond to the House of Lords Economic Affairs Sub-Committee report entitled The powers of HMRC: treating taxpayers fairly, HL 242.
	tabling member constituency	Aberdeen South
	tabling member printed	Ross Thomson
	uin	200151
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/12/2018 answer text <p>The Government will respond to the sub-Committee’s report in due course and in the usual way.</p> answering member constituency Central Devon answering member printed Mel Stride grouped question UIN 200140 question first answered 12/12/2018 13:57:24 answering member 3935 label Biography information for Mel Stride
	tabling member	4599 label Biography information for Ross Thomson

1020871

	registered interest
	date	07/12/2018
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Bankruptcy: Tax Avoidance
	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 ensure that those affected by the 2019 loan charge are not forced into bankruptcy by the repayments.
	tabling member constituency	Aberdeen South
	tabling member printed	Ross Thomson
	uin	200150
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/12/2018 answer text <p>Disguised Remuneration (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. On average loan scheme users have twice as much income as the average UK taxpayer, when taking into account the loan they received.</p><p> </p><p>HMRC is working hard to help individuals get out of tax avoidance for good and are encouraging anyone who is concerned about their ability to pay to contact them as soon as possible to discuss their options. HMRC has set up a dedicated helpline for those wanting to settle their avoidance scheme use, and discuss payment options.</p><p> </p><p>HMRC does not want to make anybody bankrupt and very few cases ever reach that stage. They will work with all individuals to reach a manageable and sustainable payment plan wherever possible.</p><p> </p><p>HMRC has simplified the process for those who choose to settle their use of avoidance schemes before the loan charge arises, so that those earning less than £50,000 a year and are no longer engaging in tax avoidance can agree a payment plan of up to five years without the need for detailed supporting information. There is no maximum period within which an overall settlement can be agreed, and all individual cases will be dealt with appropriately and sympathetically.</p><p> </p><p>Since the announcement of the 2019 loan charge at Budget 2016, HMRC has agreed settlements on disguised remuneration schemes with employers and individuals of over 650 million pounds. More than 90% of this amount was collected from employers, with less than 10% from individuals.</p> answering member constituency Central Devon answering member printed Mel Stride question first answered 17/12/2018 16:00:13 answering member 3935 label Biography information for Mel Stride
	tabling member	4599 label Biography information for Ross Thomson

1013169

	registered interest
	date	23/11/2018
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Tax Avoidance: Aberdeen South
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the number of people in the Aberdeen South constituency affected by the 2019 Loan Charge.
	tabling member constituency	Aberdeen South
	tabling member printed	Ross Thomson
	uin	195124
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/12/2018 answer text <p>The 2019 loan charge is targeted at disguised remuneration (DR) schemes. These are artificial tax avoidance schemes where earnings are paid in the form of non-repayable loans made by a third party.</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. When taking into account the loan they received, loan scheme users have on average twice as much income as the average UK taxpayer.</p><p> </p><p>Since the announcement of the 2019 loan charge at Budget 2016, HMRC has agreed settlements on disguised remuneration schemes with employers and individuals of over 650 million pounds. More than 90% of this amount was collected from employers, with less than 10% from individuals.</p><p> </p><p>HMRC have also simplified the process for those who choose to settle their use of avoidance schemes before the charge arises, so that those earning less than £50,000 a year and no longer engaging in tax avoidance can agree a payment plan of up to five years without the need for detailed supporting information. There is no maximum period within which an overall settlement can be agreed, and HMRC will deal with individual cases appropriately and sympathetically.</p><p> </p><p>50,000 individuals are estimated to be affected by the introduction of the DR loan charge across the UK. Information is not held at constituency level.</p> answering member constituency Central Devon answering member printed Mel Stride question first answered 03/12/2018 15:44:00 answering member 3935 label Biography information for Mel Stride
	tabling member	4599 label Biography information for Ross Thomson

832901

	registered interest
	date	29/01/2018
	answering body	HM Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	CaTreasury
	hansard heading	Offshore Industry: Taxation
	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 potential economic benefits arising from the proposals on transferable tax history in the oil and gas sector set out in Autumn Budget 2017.
	tabling member constituency	Aberdeen South
	tabling member printed	Ross Thomson
	uin	125217
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/02/2018 answer text <p>At the Autumn Budget, the government announced it would introduce a Transferable Tax History for oil &amp; gas companies. This will give investors in UK oil and gas fields certainty that they will be able to get tax relief for decommissioning assets. This should encourage new investment in older oil and gas fields, keeping them producing for longer and supporting employment.</p><p> </p><p>The main industry body, Oil and Gas UK, in response to the Budget announcement have said that a Transferable Tax History would be <em>‘a vital step that can bring in new investment to increase recovery from existing fields and fund fresh investment which is key to generating activity for our hard-pressed supply chain. It will also help extend the lives of many mature fields and postpone decommissioning.’</em></p><p> </p><p>This builds on the £2.3bn of fiscal support the government has already provided to the UK oil and gas industry, including a package of tax cuts across Budget 2015 and 2016, £40m of funding for seismic surveys to support exploration, and the introduction of a new Investment Allowance. As a result, the UK now has one of the most competitive tax regimes in the world for oil and gas, further supporting investment and jobs.</p> answering member constituency Newark answering member printed Robert Jenrick question first answered 06/02/2018 16:43:40 answering member 4320 label Biography information for Robert Jenrick
	tabling member	4599 label Biography information for Ross Thomson

778104

	registered interest
	date	26/10/2017
	answering body	HM Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	CaTreasury
	hansard heading	Revenue and Customs: Scotland
	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 proposed closure of all HM Revenue and Customs offices in Scotland outside Glasgow and Edinburgh on the distribution of public sector resources between the (a) central belt and (b) rest of Scotland.
	tabling member constituency	Aberdeen South
	tabling member printed	Ross Thomson
	uin	109875
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/11/2017 answer text <p>HMRC will have two regional centres which will serve the whole of Scotland. They will be located in Glasgow and Edinburgh, the locations which most comprehensively met HMRC’s selection criteria. The spread of HMRC‘s regional centres around the UK supports the Government’s strategy of jobs in every region and nation of the UK.</p> answering member constituency Central Devon answering member printed Mel Stride question first answered 02/11/2017 17:12:18 answering member 3935 label Biography information for Mel Stride
	tabling member	4599 label Biography information for Ross Thomson

777717

	registered interest
	date	25/10/2017
	answering body	HM Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	CaTreasury
	hansard heading	Revenue and Customs: Aberdeen
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will undertake a cost-benefit analysis of maintaining a third HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) office in Scotland, north of Glasgow and Edinburgh, by exempting the Ruby House office in Aberdeen from the proposed HMRC office closures.
	tabling member constituency	Aberdeen South
	tabling member printed	Ross Thomson
	uin	109557
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/11/2017 answer text <p>HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) established a clear set of location principles to determine where to site its regional centres and considered these principles alongside the impact on its people. Its Locations Programme will bring teams together in large offices, enabling them to work together to maximise tax revenue and tackle fraud and evasion irrespective of where it occurs.</p><p> </p><p>HMRC is confident that the regional centres in Edinburgh and Glasgow, together with its specialist site at Gartcosh, will serve the whole of Scotland effectively.</p> answering member constituency Central Devon answering member printed Mel Stride grouped question UIN 109556 question first answered 02/11/2017 17:20:07 answering member 3935 label Biography information for Mel Stride
	tabling member	4599 label Biography information for Ross Thomson