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79775

registered interest
date	30/07/2014
answering body	HM Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	CaTreasury
hansard heading	VAT
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the current regulations with regard to the levying of value added tax on repairs and maintenance of old and listed buildings; and whether there are any plans to review or change such regulations.
tabling member printed	The Earl of Clancarty
uin	HL1664
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/08/2014 answer text <p>Section 1 of the Value Added Tax Act 1994 determines that value added tax should be charged on a supply of goods or services. Section 2 of the same Act sets the standard rate at 20%. Repairs and maintenance of all buildings fall into this standard rate.</p><p>The Chancellor keeps all taxes under review.</p> answering member printed Lord Deighton question first answered 11/08/2014 11:57:21 answering member 4262 label Biography information for Lord Deighton
tabling member	3391 label Biography information for The Earl of Clancarty

79717

registered interest
date	28/07/2014
answering body	HM Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	CaTreasury
hansard heading	Debts
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of regulation of debt management companies.
tabling member printed	Lord Kennedy of Southwark
uin	HL1609
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/08/2014 answer text <p>The Government has fundamentally reformed regulation of the consumer credit market, including the debt management industry, by transferring regulation from the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) on 1 April 2014.</p><p> </p><p>The Government welcomes the binding rules the FCA has placed on debt management firms, including new prudential and client money requirements to better protect consumers’ money.</p><p> </p><p>Under the new regime the FCA has robust powers to protect borrowers – there is no limit to the fines which the FCA can levy and it can require firms to provide redress to consumers.</p><p> </p><p>The FCA will thoroughly assess every debt management firm’s fitness to trade as part of the authorisation process. The debt management industry has been called forward first for authorisation, from this October.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Deighton question first answered 11/08/2014 11:58:15 answering member 4262 label Biography information for Lord Deighton
tabling member	4153 label Biography information for Lord Kennedy of Southwark

79598

registered interest
date	24/07/2014
answering body	HM Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	CaTreasury
hansard heading	Eurogroup
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the United Kingdom has ever been offered the opportunity to attend Eurogroup meetings; and if so, on how many occasions and what was their response.
tabling member printed	Lord Harrison
uin	HL1494
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/08/2014 answer text In the context of the Euro Area Sovereign Debt Crisis the Eurogroup has met in an extended format on occasion, including in May 2011 and January 2012. Chaired by the Eurogroup President, these meetings were attended by Ministers from non-Euro area Member States including the United Kingdom. answering member printed Lord Deighton question first answered 11/08/2014 10:45:23 answering member 4262 label Biography information for Lord Deighton
tabling member	2488 label Biography information for Lord Harrison

79600

registered interest
date	24/07/2014
answering body	HM Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	CaTreasury
hansard heading	Public Expenditure: Wales
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with ministers of the Welsh Government during the last 12 months regarding replacing, or amending, the Barnett Formula as it applies to Wales.
tabling member printed	Lord Wigley
uin	HL1496
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/08/2014 answer text <p>The Government is working closely with the Welsh Government to devolve new tax and borrowing powers through the Wales Bill. The devolution of tax powers requires an adjustment to the Welsh Government’s block grant as it will instead retain certain tax revenues. The proposed block grant adjustment mechanisms are set out in the Wales Bill Command Paper.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has not had any discussions with ministers of the Welsh Government during the last 12 months regarding replacing, or amending, the Barnett Formula as it applies to Wales.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Government position is clear: our priority remains reducing the deficit and ensuring a secure economic future for the whole of the UK.</p> answering member printed Lord Deighton question first answered 11/08/2014 12:00:52 answering member 4262 label Biography information for Lord Deighton
tabling member	547 label Biography information for Lord Wigley

79534

registered interest
date	23/07/2014
answering body	HM Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	CaTreasury
hansard heading	Revenue and Customs
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the identified savings from current and planned reorganisations of HM Revenue and Customs, including the potential numbers of reductions in headcount by<i></i>region.
tabling member printed	Lord Tunnicliffe
uin	HL1432
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/08/2014 answer text <p>HMRC is currently undertaking a programme of work to transform the services it provides to give its customers a modern, efficient service, delivered in a modern and flexible way that is convenient for them. To do this, HMRC needs to continue to become a smaller and more professional organisation that is able to maximise the revenues that pay for the UK’s public services, while making sustainable cost reductions and improving their customer service.</p><p> </p><p>Efficiencies required by the 2010 and 2013 Spending Reviews mean that HMRC’s staffing levels in relation to these plans alone will reduce to 54,000 Full Time Equivalent posts (FTE) by 2015 and to 52,000 FTE by 2016. Reduced staffing levels mean a reduced need for accommodation and HMRC has recently closed consultation on the proposed closure of 12 offices between now and December 2015. The decisions will be announced in the autumn.</p><p> </p><p>In addition to requiring efficiencies, the 2010 and 2013 Spending Reviews provide resources to increase revenue yield and to increase the department’s capacity for digital business and on–line services. In consequence, the costs arising from the changes HMRC is making are not readily identified and need to be considered against the savings achieved through improved working methods, increased revenue yield, reduced running costs and overall greater efficiency in the service it provides. All redundancy costs are made against strict value for money criteria.</p><p> </p><p>HMRC is still developing its plans for the future, including extensive discussions across the whole of the Department through a series of events designed to start conversations with all staff about building the future of the organisation.</p><p> </p><p>HMRC is consulting with its staff on the way forward through a nationwide series of face to face events known as ‘Building our Future’, attended by every individual within the Department. ‘Building our Future’ explains the changes being made, the background to them and includes group discussions at which individuals consider how they can contribute.</p><p> </p><p>HMRC remains strongly committed to providing services to the regions. It has for example recently introduced a new Needs Enhanced Support service. This includes a mobile advisory service to ensure that accessible and tailored advice is available to the 1.5 million customers who need extra help.</p><p> </p><p>Its longer term strategy continues to look to bring people together into Regional Centres, providing flexibility, improved efficiency, greater cost effectiveness and improved career development opportunities for its staff.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>These will be drawn from its existing campus locations, where 80 per cent of the Department’s workforce is currently based. These centres will be supplemented by specialist sites, for location-specific work, and touchdown locations, where HMRC has a business need for a presence in a community.</p> answering member printed Lord Deighton grouped question UIN HL1433 HL1434 HL1435 question first answered 11/08/2014 10:24:57 answering member 4262 label Biography information for Lord Deighton
tabling member	3671 label Biography information for Lord Tunnicliffe

79535

registered interest
date	23/07/2014
answering body	HM Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	CaTreasury
hansard heading	Revenue and Customs
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the consultation procedures with all HM Revenue and Customs staff in respect of current and planned reorganisations; and what are the criteria for decisions being made on future campus sites<i></i>of HM Revenue and Customs offices.
tabling member printed	Lord Tunnicliffe
uin	HL1433
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/08/2014 answer text <p>HMRC is currently undertaking a programme of work to transform the services it provides to give its customers a modern, efficient service, delivered in a modern and flexible way that is convenient for them. To do this, HMRC needs to continue to become a smaller and more professional organisation that is able to maximise the revenues that pay for the UK’s public services, while making sustainable cost reductions and improving their customer service.</p><p> </p><p>Efficiencies required by the 2010 and 2013 Spending Reviews mean that HMRC’s staffing levels in relation to these plans alone will reduce to 54,000 Full Time Equivalent posts (FTE) by 2015 and to 52,000 FTE by 2016. Reduced staffing levels mean a reduced need for accommodation and HMRC has recently closed consultation on the proposed closure of 12 offices between now and December 2015. The decisions will be announced in the autumn.</p><p> </p><p>In addition to requiring efficiencies, the 2010 and 2013 Spending Reviews provide resources to increase revenue yield and to increase the department’s capacity for digital business and on–line services. In consequence, the costs arising from the changes HMRC is making are not readily identified and need to be considered against the savings achieved through improved working methods, increased revenue yield, reduced running costs and overall greater efficiency in the service it provides. All redundancy costs are made against strict value for money criteria.</p><p> </p><p>HMRC is still developing its plans for the future, including extensive discussions across the whole of the Department through a series of events designed to start conversations with all staff about building the future of the organisation.</p><p> </p><p>HMRC is consulting with its staff on the way forward through a nationwide series of face to face events known as ‘Building our Future’, attended by every individual within the Department. ‘Building our Future’ explains the changes being made, the background to them and includes group discussions at which individuals consider how they can contribute.</p><p> </p><p>HMRC remains strongly committed to providing services to the regions. It has for example recently introduced a new Needs Enhanced Support service. This includes a mobile advisory service to ensure that accessible and tailored advice is available to the 1.5 million customers who need extra help.</p><p> </p><p>Its longer term strategy continues to look to bring people together into Regional Centres, providing flexibility, improved efficiency, greater cost effectiveness and improved career development opportunities for its staff.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>These will be drawn from its existing campus locations, where 80 per cent of the Department’s workforce is currently based. These centres will be supplemented by specialist sites, for location-specific work, and touchdown locations, where HMRC has a business need for a presence in a community.</p> answering member printed Lord Deighton grouped question UIN HL1432 HL1434 HL1435 question first answered 11/08/2014 10:24:57 answering member 4262 label Biography information for Lord Deighton
tabling member	3671 label Biography information for Lord Tunnicliffe

79536

registered interest
date	23/07/2014
answering body	HM Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	CaTreasury
hansard heading	Revenue and Customs
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what support will be made available to regions that lose HM Revenue and Customs offices.
tabling member printed	Lord Tunnicliffe
uin	HL1434
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/08/2014 answer text <p>HMRC is currently undertaking a programme of work to transform the services it provides to give its customers a modern, efficient service, delivered in a modern and flexible way that is convenient for them. To do this, HMRC needs to continue to become a smaller and more professional organisation that is able to maximise the revenues that pay for the UK’s public services, while making sustainable cost reductions and improving their customer service.</p><p> </p><p>Efficiencies required by the 2010 and 2013 Spending Reviews mean that HMRC’s staffing levels in relation to these plans alone will reduce to 54,000 Full Time Equivalent posts (FTE) by 2015 and to 52,000 FTE by 2016. Reduced staffing levels mean a reduced need for accommodation and HMRC has recently closed consultation on the proposed closure of 12 offices between now and December 2015. The decisions will be announced in the autumn.</p><p> </p><p>In addition to requiring efficiencies, the 2010 and 2013 Spending Reviews provide resources to increase revenue yield and to increase the department’s capacity for digital business and on–line services. In consequence, the costs arising from the changes HMRC is making are not readily identified and need to be considered against the savings achieved through improved working methods, increased revenue yield, reduced running costs and overall greater efficiency in the service it provides. All redundancy costs are made against strict value for money criteria.</p><p> </p><p>HMRC is still developing its plans for the future, including extensive discussions across the whole of the Department through a series of events designed to start conversations with all staff about building the future of the organisation.</p><p> </p><p>HMRC is consulting with its staff on the way forward through a nationwide series of face to face events known as ‘Building our Future’, attended by every individual within the Department. ‘Building our Future’ explains the changes being made, the background to them and includes group discussions at which individuals consider how they can contribute.</p><p> </p><p>HMRC remains strongly committed to providing services to the regions. It has for example recently introduced a new Needs Enhanced Support service. This includes a mobile advisory service to ensure that accessible and tailored advice is available to the 1.5 million customers who need extra help.</p><p> </p><p>Its longer term strategy continues to look to bring people together into Regional Centres, providing flexibility, improved efficiency, greater cost effectiveness and improved career development opportunities for its staff.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>These will be drawn from its existing campus locations, where 80 per cent of the Department’s workforce is currently based. These centres will be supplemented by specialist sites, for location-specific work, and touchdown locations, where HMRC has a business need for a presence in a community.</p> answering member printed Lord Deighton grouped question UIN HL1432 HL1433 HL1435 question first answered 11/08/2014 10:24:58 answering member 4262 label Biography information for Lord Deighton
tabling member	3671 label Biography information for Lord Tunnicliffe

79537

registered interest
date	23/07/2014
answering body	HM Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	CaTreasury
hansard heading	Revenue and Customs
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the costings of any future relocation of HM Revenue and Customs offices regionally and nationally, including those of retraining staff, redundancy and any additional resources.
tabling member printed	Lord Tunnicliffe
uin	HL1435
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/08/2014 answer text <p>HMRC is currently undertaking a programme of work to transform the services it provides to give its customers a modern, efficient service, delivered in a modern and flexible way that is convenient for them. To do this, HMRC needs to continue to become a smaller and more professional organisation that is able to maximise the revenues that pay for the UK’s public services, while making sustainable cost reductions and improving their customer service.</p><p> </p><p>Efficiencies required by the 2010 and 2013 Spending Reviews mean that HMRC’s staffing levels in relation to these plans alone will reduce to 54,000 Full Time Equivalent posts (FTE) by 2015 and to 52,000 FTE by 2016. Reduced staffing levels mean a reduced need for accommodation and HMRC has recently closed consultation on the proposed closure of 12 offices between now and December 2015. The decisions will be announced in the autumn.</p><p> </p><p>In addition to requiring efficiencies, the 2010 and 2013 Spending Reviews provide resources to increase revenue yield and to increase the department’s capacity for digital business and on–line services. In consequence, the costs arising from the changes HMRC is making are not readily identified and need to be considered against the savings achieved through improved working methods, increased revenue yield, reduced running costs and overall greater efficiency in the service it provides. All redundancy costs are made against strict value for money criteria.</p><p> </p><p>HMRC is still developing its plans for the future, including extensive discussions across the whole of the Department through a series of events designed to start conversations with all staff about building the future of the organisation.</p><p> </p><p>HMRC is consulting with its staff on the way forward through a nationwide series of face to face events known as ‘Building our Future’, attended by every individual within the Department. ‘Building our Future’ explains the changes being made, the background to them and includes group discussions at which individuals consider how they can contribute.</p><p> </p><p>HMRC remains strongly committed to providing services to the regions. It has for example recently introduced a new Needs Enhanced Support service. This includes a mobile advisory service to ensure that accessible and tailored advice is available to the 1.5 million customers who need extra help.</p><p> </p><p>Its longer term strategy continues to look to bring people together into Regional Centres, providing flexibility, improved efficiency, greater cost effectiveness and improved career development opportunities for its staff.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>These will be drawn from its existing campus locations, where 80 per cent of the Department’s workforce is currently based. These centres will be supplemented by specialist sites, for location-specific work, and touchdown locations, where HMRC has a business need for a presence in a community.</p> answering member printed Lord Deighton grouped question UIN HL1432 HL1433 HL1434 question first answered 11/08/2014 10:24:58 answering member 4262 label Biography information for Lord Deighton
tabling member	3671 label Biography information for Lord Tunnicliffe

79187

registered interest
date	21/07/2014
answering body	HM Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	CaTreasury
hansard heading	Fuels: Tax Evasion
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Lord Newby on 15 July (HL Deb, col 501), what specific legislative change was undertaken specifically to deal with the absence of custodial sentences for illegal production or smuggling of diesel in Northern Ireland; and on what date those legislative changes became effective.
tabling member printed	Lord Mawhinney
uin	HL1348
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/08/2014 answer text <p>Legislative change enacted in, The Criminal Justice Act 1988 (Review of Sentencing) Order (Northern Ireland) 2013 (SR 249/2013) allows the appeal of unduly lenient sentences for fuel fraud to the Court of Appeal. It came into force on 9 December 2013.</p><p>All 22 convictions related to offences prosecuted under Section 170(2)(a) of the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979 for fraudulent evasion of duty. Further details area as follows:</p><p> </p><p>· 15 of the cases were prosecuted for two offences under this Act</p><p>· 12 of these convictions resulted in suspended sentences totalling 104 months, with each being suspended for a period of time between 12 and 36 months</p><p>· One case resulted in the defendant being bound over</p><p>· In nine cases fines of up to £4,000 were imposed - totalling £11,700; and in two of these the defendant was given a period of up to 26 weeks to pay the fine or an additional custodial sentence would be imposed</p><p>· One conviction was converted into a time to pay agreement due to the ill health of the defendant</p><p>· One Confiscation Order was made for £98,000</p><p>· One Compensation Order was made for £500</p><p> </p><p>It would not be prudent to provide the further detailed information requested as they could lead to identification of the individuals concerned and jeopardise the safety of the defendants and their immediate families.</p><p> </p><p>No assessment has been made of how much of the diesel bought in the Republic of Ireland and brought into Northern Ireland is illegally produced or smuggled. However, tax gap figures estimate the market share for all illicit diesel in Northern Ireland at 12-13% in 2011-12 and negligible for petrol.</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/measuring-tax-gaps-tables" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/measuring-tax-gaps-tables</a></p><p>HMRC fights fraud on a wide range of fronts, from special units performing thousands of roadside checks to raiding laundering plants. The UK has recently announced, jointly with Ireland, an improved new marker for rebated fuel, which will make it much harder to launder marked fuel and sell it at a profit.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Deighton grouped question UIN HL1349 HL1351 question first answered 04/08/2014 13:56:40 answering member 4262 label Biography information for Lord Deighton
tabling member	121 label Biography information for Lord Mawhinney

79188

registered interest
date	21/07/2014
answering body	HM Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	CaTreasury
hansard heading	Fuels: Tax Evasion
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Lord Newby on 15 July (HL Deb, col 501), for each of the 22 convictions referred to, what was the (1) date of conviction, (2) the charge on which the perpetrator was found guilty, (3) the other charges, if any, dealt with in the same trial, on which the convicted person was found not guilty, (4) the sentence passed, and (5) the court in which the hearing took place.
tabling member printed	Lord Mawhinney
uin	HL1349
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/08/2014 answer text <p>Legislative change enacted in, The Criminal Justice Act 1988 (Review of Sentencing) Order (Northern Ireland) 2013 (SR 249/2013) allows the appeal of unduly lenient sentences for fuel fraud to the Court of Appeal. It came into force on 9 December 2013.</p><p>All 22 convictions related to offences prosecuted under Section 170(2)(a) of the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979 for fraudulent evasion of duty. Further details area as follows:</p><p> </p><p>· 15 of the cases were prosecuted for two offences under this Act</p><p>· 12 of these convictions resulted in suspended sentences totalling 104 months, with each being suspended for a period of time between 12 and 36 months</p><p>· One case resulted in the defendant being bound over</p><p>· In nine cases fines of up to £4,000 were imposed - totalling £11,700; and in two of these the defendant was given a period of up to 26 weeks to pay the fine or an additional custodial sentence would be imposed</p><p>· One conviction was converted into a time to pay agreement due to the ill health of the defendant</p><p>· One Confiscation Order was made for £98,000</p><p>· One Compensation Order was made for £500</p><p> </p><p>It would not be prudent to provide the further detailed information requested as they could lead to identification of the individuals concerned and jeopardise the safety of the defendants and their immediate families.</p><p> </p><p>No assessment has been made of how much of the diesel bought in the Republic of Ireland and brought into Northern Ireland is illegally produced or smuggled. However, tax gap figures estimate the market share for all illicit diesel in Northern Ireland at 12-13% in 2011-12 and negligible for petrol.</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/measuring-tax-gaps-tables" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/measuring-tax-gaps-tables</a></p><p>HMRC fights fraud on a wide range of fronts, from special units performing thousands of roadside checks to raiding laundering plants. The UK has recently announced, jointly with Ireland, an improved new marker for rebated fuel, which will make it much harder to launder marked fuel and sell it at a profit.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Deighton grouped question UIN HL1348 HL1351 question first answered 04/08/2014 13:56:41 answering member 4262 label Biography information for Lord Deighton
tabling member	121 label Biography information for Lord Mawhinney