UK Trade and Investment has a duty to British businesses to provide them with all of the advice and information they need to succeed in foreign markets. Human rights guidance is a core part of that. The UK National Action Plan for implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, entitled "Good Business", sets out what the Government will do and what it expects of business in respecting human rights throughout their operations.<\/p>
The Government is working with the Government of Malawi and British companies to encourage greater bilateral trade and investment. In their meetings with British companies in Malawi, officials at the British High Commission in Lilongwe have raised the importance of human rights and corporate responsibility.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1582", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Grant Shapps"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Welwyn Hatfield"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Grant Shapps"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2015-09-16", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2015-09-16T14:44:51.387Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "16"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2015-09-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Overseas Companies: Malawi"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure British companies and investors in Malawi respect human rights in that country.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4432", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Patrick Grady"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Glasgow North"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Patrick Grady"} ], "uin" : "9960"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/418390", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Culture, Media and Sport"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/418390/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
As outlined in the Digital Communications Infrastructure Strategy, the government has commissioned an independent review of the use of IPv6 in the UK. We are in the final stages of this review and the outcomes will inform future policy making in this area. We intend to publish the outcome of the Review in due course.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1580", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Vaizey of Didcot"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Wantage"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mr Edward Vaizey"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2015-09-16", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2015-09-16T14:15:01.99Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "10"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Culture, Media and Sport"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Culture, Media and Sport"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2015-09-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Internet"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the extent of the adoption of IPv6; and what steps he is taking to promote such adoption.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4124", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Chi Onwurah"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Newcastle upon Tyne Central"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Chi Onwurah"} ], "uin" : "10008"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/418399", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Business, Innovation and Skills"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/418399/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Large investment funds effectively comprise the investments of individuals, whether via their pension funds, insurance contracts, or other savings and investment products. The decision to invest in companies\u2019 shares directly, or indirectly through a fund, is a matter for individual investors.<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p>
The Government has taken a variety of steps to encourage individual saving, and retail investment in shares in particular. For example, we have:<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p>
- Reduced the starting rate of income tax for savings;<\/p>
<\/p>
- Increased the maximum annual amount which can be invested in an Individual Savings Account (ISA) to £15,240 in the 2015-16 tax year, and provided savers with greater flexibility to withdraw their money and put it back in to an ISA within the same year, without losing their tax benefits;<\/p>
<\/p>
- Introduced, from April 2016, a new tax-free Personal Savings Allowance of £1,000 (or £500 for higher rate taxpayers) of interest earned on savings (taking 95 per cent of taxpayers out of savings tax altogether) as well as a new £5,000 tax-free dividend allowance for all taxpayers;<\/p>
<\/p>
- Allowed shares from growth markets such as the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) to be held in ISAs - making investment in the growth markets easier;<\/p>
<\/p>
- Abolished stamp duty on AIM shares, attracting further investment into growing companies and reducing the cost of raising capital for those companies.<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3995", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Nick Boles"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Grantham and Stamford"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Nick Boles"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2015-09-17", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2015-09-17T10:09:22.37Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "26"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Innovation and Skills"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Innovation and Skills"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2015-09-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Shareholders"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will take steps to address the disparity between the number of shares owned by individuals and large investment funds.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1409", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Gregory Campbell"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "East Londonderry"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Gregory Campbell"} ], "uin" : "9998"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/418400", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "HM Treasury"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/418400/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Treasury Ministers have meetings with senior officials within HM Revenue and Customs on a regular basis as part of the process of policy development and delivery.<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1529", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr David Gauke"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "South West Hertfordshire"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mr David Gauke"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2015-09-21", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2015-09-21T10:33:22.49Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "14"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Treasury"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "CaTreasury"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2015-09-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Revenue and Customs: Telephone Services"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with HM Revenue and Customs on the process for target-setting for call answering times at the income tax helpline.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4131", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Jim Shannon"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Strangford"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Jim Shannon"} ], "uin" : "9957"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/418401", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/418401/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Government set out its assessment of the impacts of the policies in the Welfare Reform and Work Bill on 20th July. A link to the impact assessment is included.<\/p>