Treasury Ministers were answering questins in the Commons. Topics
covered included... Tax Avoidance and Evasion Tax: Small
Businesses Productivity Children’s Services: Funding
Small and Medium-sized Cities: Infrastructure Leaving
the EU: No Deal National Living Wage Corporation Tax
Productivity...Request free trial
Treasury Ministers were answering questins in the Commons. Topics
covered included...
To read any of these in greater detail, click on the link or see
below.
Tax Avoidance and Evasion
-
(Cheltenham) (Con)
1. What progress has been made on reducing tax avoidance
and evasion. [904774]
-
(Amber Valley)
(Con)
8. What progress has been made on reducing tax avoidance
and evasion. [904781]
-
The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Mr Philip Hammond)
Since 2010, Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs has secured
more than £175 billion that would have gone unpaid and
introduced more than 100 new measures to crack down on tax
avoidance, tax evasion and other forms of non-compliance,
so that the tax gap is now at a record low, and one of the
lowest in the world, at 6%.
-
It is extremely encouraging that the UK tax gap is at a
record low, but it appears that multinationals are trying
to run rings around HMRC, so will my right hon. Friend
outline what further steps the Government are taking to
build on that excellent success?
-
Mr Hammond
I am grateful to my hon. Friend for raising this issue. It
is a great achievement to have got the tax gap down to one
of the lowest in the world, but we are not complacent. We
are currently calling for evidence on whether online
platforms should play a greater role in ensuring tax
compliance by their users; we are consulting on an
innovative split payment method to tackle online VAT fraud;
and we will continue to lead in the G20 and other forums on
seeking agreed multilateral solutions to the challenge of
where and how to tax global digital companies, which are
particularly difficult to tax under the current system.
-
I echo the praise for HMRC’s performance in tackling tax
avoidance and evasion over recent years. Is the Chancellor
becoming more convinced of the importance of having public
country-by-country reporting, so that not only HMRC but
customers and campaigners can see where multinationals are
making their profit? That way, we can make sure that they
are paying the right tax in the right countries.
-
Mr Hammond
As my hon. Friend will know, the UK was one of the first
countries to implement the OECD model for
country-by-country reporting to tax authorities. Those
reports have been required for periods that started on or
after 1 January 2016. On public reporting, the Government
are committed to a multilateral approach to ensure that
reporting provides comprehensive information and is fair
between UK-headquartered and non-UK-headquartered
multinationals. We are engaging constructively on the EU
proposals for public country-by-country reporting, which we
see as a step in the right direction.
-
Sir (Twickenham) (LD)
The Chancellor will be aware of President Macron’s proposal
for taxing the revenue of the big internet platforms, which
the Chancellor acknowledges are difficult to tax under the
existing rules. Are the Government considering building on
the entente cordiale of recent days by co-operating with
and learning from the French model for how we should tax
that revenue?
-
Mr Hammond
I would not call it a French model; it is a Franco-German
initiative. We have been working closely with the French
and the Germans on this issue. We discussed it at the G20
in Buenos Aires a couple of weeks ago and we will discuss
it again at the informal ECOFIN meeting in Sofia at the end
of next week. The Government’s position is that we are
supportive of the EU proposals, but we want to be clear
that any such measure can only be a temporary solution. The
long-term solution has to be an agreed multilateral
approach to the taxation of the digital economy. That
requires us to get the United States on side, because most
of these global digital companies are domiciled there.
Without the United States’ co-operation and support, it
will be difficult to make any tax system sustainable.
-
(Airdrie and Shotts)
(SNP)
It is critical that HMRC collects tax correctly. To that
end, will Ministers tell me when I am likely to receive a
reply to my letter of 6 February regarding the Roadchef
case? HMRC is still to settle with the Roadchef employees
benefit trust in respect of money paid to HMRC as tax in
error.
-
Mr Hammond
My right hon. Friend the Financial Secretary to the
Treasury tells me that he agreed to meet the hon. Gentleman
but has not heard from him to arrange a meeting. Let me
reiterate on my right hon. Friend’s behalf that he would be
happy to meet the hon. Gentleman to discuss this case.
-
Mr Speaker
Young Philp was standing a moment ago. The fella has
stopped standing. Do you want to get in there, man? Go for
it.
-
(Croydon South)
(Con)
Thank you, Mr Speaker; I could hardly resist such
encouragement.
I wished only to say how much I welcomed the Government’s
recent paper, published by the Financial
Secretary—[Interruption.] There is a serious point. The
paper on corporate tax and the digital economy demonstrated
again that this country is showing leadership. I encourage
the Treasury to look into working with the European Union
on a sales tax, and even to consider a user tax, if we can
do that more quickly.
-
Mr Speaker
The hon. Gentleman’s job application is in the post.
-
Mr Hammond
Thank you for your very carefully tailored piece of demand
stimulation, Mr Speaker. It was much appreciated for the
economy of the Chamber.
My hon. Friend is right. As I have already said, working
with the EU on this interim proposal for a turnover-based
tax is, we believe, the right thing to do. We have, of
course, also introduced an interim measure of our own,
seeking to tax licence fees that are paid to low-tax
jurisdictions where we judge that the underlying basis of
the licence fee is economic activity taking place in the
UK. We have that measure already in place, and we will
continue to work with the EU on its proposed measure.
-
(Oxford East)
(Lab/Co-op)
Despite promising to tighten up on Scottish Limited
Partnerships, not a single non-compliant SLP appears to
have been fined, which could have raised up to £2.2
billion. When will SLPs be banned, and what action are the
Government taking on other shell companies to stop tax
fiddling and money laundering?
-
Mr Hammond
The hon. Lady asks a specific and detailed question about
Scottish Limited Partnerships. The legislation is designed
to deter the kind of activity to which she refers. The
absence of fines should not be taken as an indication of an
absence of activity. As she will know, Her Majesty’s
Revenue and Customs always seeks, first of all, to deter
non-compliant behaviour before it moves into hard
compliance. If I may, I will write to her with a more
detailed answer on the very specific point about Scottish
Limited Partnerships.
-
(Aberdeen North)
(SNP)
To follow up on that question about Scottish Limited
Partnerships, I am concerned that the Chancellor is not
able to stand up and talk about tangible action that he is
taking on this matter. This has been a live issue for a
very long period of time. Will he commit to taking action
on Scottish Limited Partnerships?
-
Mr Hammond
What I can commit to the House is this: wherever HMRC
detects non-compliant behaviour, it will act, but it is for
HMRC to determine how best to act in individual cases, and
it is right that Ministers do not have direct involvement
in HMRC pursuing individual cases. I will write to the
Opposition spokesman, the hon. Member for Oxford East
(Anneliese Dodds), and I am sure that the hon. Member for
Aberdeen North (Kirsty Blackman) will be interested in that
reply.
-
There were 2,800 Scottish Limited Partnerships registered
last year, only 1,100 of which have registered persons of
significant control That is a very low percentage. Of that
1,100, 172 are registered as belonging to Russian
individuals. Given all that is happening just now, it is
vital that the Chancellor takes urgent action on this—not
just a letter at some point in the future. This needs to
happen as soon as possible.
-
Mr Hammond
I will ensure that the hon. Lady gets the letter as soon as
possible. It is right to focus on groups that are using
structures for non-compliance or purposes that we would
wish to deter, and HMRC will always do so. I will update
her by letter, hopefully later today.
Tax: Small Businesses
-
Mr (Tewkesbury)
(Con)
2. If he will reduce taxes on small businesses. [904775]
-
The Financial Secretary to the Treasury (Mel Stride)
I thank my hon. Friend for his question. The Government are
bearing down tirelessly on the tax burden on businesses of
all sizes, reducing corporation tax from 28% for large
companies in 2010 to 19% today, and for small businesses
from 21% to 19%. We will go still further, reducing the
burden to 17% by 2020. For unincorporated businesses, we
are, of course, increasing the personal allowance, in the
previous Budget, to £11,850. That will increase further to
£12,500 in 2020—further relief to many small businesses.
-
Mr Robertson
I thank the Minister for that encouraging answer.
Businesses are, of course, unpaid tax collectors for the
Exchequer and the Federation of Small Businesses recently
estimated that businesses spend, on average, three working
weeks a year on tax compliance. Is there anything further
that the Minister can do to reduce that kind of expensive
burden on businesses?
-
I thank my hon. Friend for raising the FSB’s report. I have
not only read it, but met the FSB to discuss the report in
detail. I highlight to the House two of its important
recommendations: one is around better guidance on taxation,
and I have tasked officials on that mission within HMRC;
and the second is Making Tax Digital, which we are rolling
out for VAT-registered companies in 2019. The report states
that this
“presents an opportunity to simplify and speed up tax
compliance.”
-
(High Peak) (Lab)
Is the Minister not concerned that the Office for Budget
Responsibility report into welfare trends from January this
year estimates that £1.5 billion of support for small
businesses will be taken from them through the minimum
income floor in universal credit? The Select Committee on
Work and Pensions heard that 70% of small businesses
currently last for 18 months, but that that will reduce to
20% for those on universal credit. Small businesses will be
strangled at birth.
-
The hon. Lady neglects to mention the fact that small
business confidence in the UK is now in positive territory
for the first time in many years. We have gone to great
lengths within the tax system, as I have just explained, to
reduce the burden on small businesses. We rolled out £9
billion of business rates relief in the 2016 Budget and a
further £2.3 billion of relief in the autumn Budget last
year. We will continue to be on the side of small
businesses.
-
(St Ives) (Con)
A significant number of businesses in west Cornwall and the
constituency of St Ives, which I represent, are facing
extreme hardship because of business rate increases in 2017
and 2018. This is becoming a burden that is too great for
them to bear. What immediate help can the Minister make
available to these hard-working business owners?
-
As I have just identified, the Government have done a huge
amount to reduce the burden of business rates. We recognise
the important fact that these taxes need to be paid,
irrespective of whether businesses are profitable or
otherwise. That is why we have gone to such lengths,
providing £9 billion of relief in 2016, including
transitional relief for those facing the largest potential
increases in business rates, and a further £2.3 billion by
way of bringing forward by two years the change in the
indexation of business rates from retail price index to
consumer price index, saving businesses £2.3 billion over
the next few years.
-
(York Central)
(Lab/Co-op)
Business rates are really hitting businesses in York,
particularly in the retail sector. This is having a huge
impact on our city. On 8 March 2017, the Chancellor
promised this House a complete review of business rates,
yet we have only seen sticking plasters from the
Government. When will that review begin?
-
The business rates review is being undertaken by the
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
Productivity
-
(Morley and Outwood)
(Con)
3. What fiscal steps his Department is taking to increase
productivity. [904776]
-
The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Mr Philip Hammond)
My hon. Friend is asking the right question. The only way
to deliver a high-wage, high-skill economy of the future
and to sustainably raise living standards is to raise our
productivity growth rate. This requires investment by the
Government in infrastructure, skills, and research and
development. Since 2010, this Government have provided over
half a trillion pounds in capital investment, increased
investment in skills and reduced taxes for business. But
raising the productivity growth rate also requires action
at the level of the firm. Lower taxes provide a strong
incentive for businesses to invest in raising their
productivity. These tax reductions include the £9 billion
package to reduce business rates that the Financial
Secretary has just mentioned.
-
Productivity is a key element in determining our future
standard of living. The current productivity gap in
Yorkshire and the Humber provides great opportunities for
growth. However, significant and sustained investment is
required to achieve this. Will my right hon. Friend commit
to the excellent northern powerhouse project and ensure
that the region gets the vital investment in infrastructure
that it needs to improve productivity?
-
Mr Hammond
My hon. Friend is right again. We will only build an
economy that works for everyone and every region if we
succeed in narrowing the regional productivity gap. For
that reason, the Government are fully committed to the
northern powerhouse. We have announced a funding boost of
£436 million to improve transport connections within the
northern city regions through the transforming cities fund,
with a further £840 million to be competitively allocated
to the largest cities in England. This builds on the record
amounts of more than £13 billion over this Parliament that
we are already investing in northern transport, which is
more than any previous Government.
-
(Ogmore) (Lab)
One of the ways in which the Chancellor could improve
productivity across south Wales and beyond is to invest in
the tidal lagoon project, which will bring skills and
investment to the area, in line with what he said in answer
to the hon. Member for Morley and Outwood (Andrea Jenkyns).
So may I encourage him please to bring this investment
forward and start delivering for the people of south Wales?
-
Mr Hammond
As the hon. Gentleman knows, the tidal lagoon project is
under careful consideration by the Government, and a
decision will be made and announced in due course.
-
(Loughborough)
(Con)
One of the consequences of increasing productivity is of
course higher wage growth, which I think would make
everyone feel much better. The Chancellor may be aware of
the Treasury Committee’s recent report on childcare, which
called for more childcare support for those undergoing
retraining—another way of increasing productivity. What
were his thoughts on that, and what is his progress on
talks with the national retraining scheme?
-
Mr Hammond
I am happy to tell my right hon. Friend that we have had a
very productive first meeting with the CBI and the Trades
Union Congress to flesh out the shape of the national
retraining partnership, which is clearly going to be a
crucial part of our investment in skills in future. I do
take her point on childcare. We have of course seen the
Select Committee’s report and will respond to it in due
course.
-
(Bootle) (Lab)
On 6 April, the Treasury bizarrely used a “thumbs up” emoji
in a tweet celebrating the worst decade of productivity
figures since 1817. I will help the Chancellor with the
arithmetic—that is 201 years ago. I know that he has a
new-found Tiggerish optimism, but is not his Department’s
tweet, even with his misplaced exuberance, more like
self-delusion for which local government, the police, the
NHS, the fire service and public services more generally
are paying the price?
-
Mr Hammond
We have a challenge in this country around productivity,
and it is not a new challenge, as the hon. Gentleman well
knows. For eight years, the OBR has estimated UK
productivity growth, and on eight occasions it has had to
revise down the estimates that it had made. This is a
long-term challenge facing this country. Rather than
trading insults about what has happened in the past, I
suggest that the most constructive approach would be for us
to work on improving the UK’s productivity performance.
That means investing in infrastructure—this Government have
committed half a trillion pounds of capital investment
since 2010—addressing the skills gap, ensuring that capital
is available to businesses, and addressing management
challenges at the level of the firm. All those strands need
to be taken forward together if we are going to create the
high-tech, high-wage economy that we all want to see in
this country.
Children’s Services: Funding
-
(Batley and Spen)
(Lab/Co-op)
4. What discussions he has had with the Secretary of State
for Housing, Communities and Local Government on the
adequacy of funding for children’s services. [904777]
-
The Chief Secretary to the Treasury (Elizabeth Truss)
In 2016-17, local authorities spent £11.9 billion on
children’s services and childcare support, and we have seen
child development outcomes improve significantly since
2013.
-
With the number of young people subject to child protection
inquiries rising by 140% in the past decade, it is deeply
troubling that by 2020 there will be a £2 billion funding
gap in children’s services. The Minister knows as well as I
do that local authorities are crying out for more support,
so what urgent funding can she now make available to
protect these vulnerable children?
-
First, we have actually increased the spending for the most
vulnerable by £1 billion since 2010. That is funding for
the most vulnerable through local authorities. I would
point out to the hon. Lady that the important thing is the
outcomes we are achieving. The fact that child development
outcomes have improved since 2013 and that more children
are getting that good level of development shows that we
are investing our money in the right areas.
-
(Bexhill and Battle)
(Con)
There can be no greater service to children than that
provided by our teachers. The Chancellor has been very
generous in funding a pay rise for NHS staff outside the
NHS budgets. What discussions have been had with the
Department for Education to see if the same offer can be
afforded to teachers?
-
It is very important to point out that the agreement with
NHS workers and NHS unions has been in exchange for
productivity improvements. We are altering the contracts to
make them more effective, helping the people in these jobs
to achieve more at the same time as giving them a pay rise.
The situation in schools is different. Headteachers have
much more power over what they pay individual teachers. In
fact, last year teachers got an average pay rise of 4.6%,
including promotions, so headteachers do have that
flexibility to make decisions about what is best for their
school.
-
(Croydon Central)
(Lab)
Can the Minister explain why, when we face a national
epidemic of knife crime and serious youth violence
affecting more and more children in this country, the
Treasury failed to provide one penny of extra resource for
the Government’s new serious violence strategy, which will
now be funded by £40 million of cuts to an already
overstretched Home Office?
-
I point out to the hon. Lady that real-terms spending in
the Home Office is going up. We are funding the Home
Office, but the important thing is what we do with that
money, and that is why the Home Secretary has outlined the
serious violence strategy to deal with that issue.
Small and Medium-sized Cities: Infrastructure
-
(Stoke-on-Trent South)
(Con)
5. What steps he is taking to invest in the infrastructure
of small and medium-sized cities. [904778]
-
The Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury (Robert
Jenrick)
In this Parliament, investment, including in
infrastructure, will be at its highest sustained level
since the 1970s, and our cities large and small are an
important part of that strategy. We recently launched the
£1.7 billion Transforming Cities fund to upgrade
infrastructure, in addition to £345 million of funding for
local road projects in England.
-
I thank the Minister for his response and for meeting me
recently. Does he agree that cities such as Stoke-on-Trent
are perfectly placed to benefit from investment through the
Transforming Cities fund?
-
I quite agree: Stoke-on-Trent is exactly the kind of city
that we designed the Transforming Cities fund to benefit.
From the meeting we had, I know that my hon. Friend sees
opportunity in Stoke—in Stoke station, at junction 15 on
the M6 and in the proposal for a ceramics park. With the
dynamic Conservative leadership in Stoke at the moment, we
look forward to receiving that application.
-
Mr (Huddersfield)
(Lab/Co-op)
I do not often get angry in the Chamber, but can I ask the
Minister to stop spending his time in Maidenhead and
Runnymede and come to the real towns and cities of this
country like Huddersfield, where we can see the
deterioration of infrastructure everywhere we look? That is
because this Government have cut and cut local authority
spending—that is the truth. He should get out more and see
what this country is really like.
-
The independent Infrastructure and Projects Authority has
said that by the end of this Parliament, central Government
funding for infrastructure will be greater in the north
than in the south. The hon. Gentleman is speaking to the
wrong Minister if he thinks that we do not care about the
north. This son of a Liverpudlian and a Mancunian, born in
Wolverhampton and representing North Nottinghamshire, needs
no lessons from him.
-
Mr Speaker
I accept that Huddersfield is a most admirable place. My
grandma lived there all her life, as I have told the hon.
Member for Huddersfield (Mr Sheerman) before. Splendid
place, splendid woman.
-
Mr Sheerman
And a good football team!
-
Mr Speaker
Indeed, that too.
-
(South Dorset)
(Con)
Cities are important, but so too are seaside towns such as
Weymouth. We desperately need investment in those places,
or they will just go to rack and ruin. Having met a
Minister from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and
Local Government recently, I understand that Government are
looking at initiatives for towns and seaside towns. Can the
Minister confirm that that is true? If so, what money will
be available?
-
My hon. Friend raises an important point. The Government’s
strategy is not limited to cities. The Transforming Cities
programme is for our smaller and larger cities, but we are
also interested in coastal towns and communities. I
recently met a number of parliamentary colleagues
representing those communities, and I would be happy to
meet my hon. Friend to talk about how the Treasury will be
working with CLG.
-
Mr (East
Londonderry) (DUP)
Does the Minister accept that as we leave the EU, many
people across the United Kingdom will want to see economic
development beyond the south-east of England, and that
enterprise zones such as the one in my constituency could
be used to maximise inward investment and produce
productivity and prosperity for everyone across the UK?
-
I entirely agree. That is why we are working with Mayors
such as the Mayor of Tees Valley, who is producing a
development corporation and has new powers of planning
reform and so on to drive forward the economy of that part
of the north-east. We are very happy to talk to other hon.
Members who would like to take forward similar proposals.
Leaving the EU: No Deal
-
Mr (Wellingborough)
(Con)
6. How much his Department has spent on preparing for the
possibility of no deal with the EU when the UK leaves the
EU. [904779]
-
The Chief Secretary to the Treasury (Elizabeth Truss)
I am pleased to tell my hon. Friend that in the spring
statement we allocated £1.5 billion to make sure that we
are prepared for all eventualities in the European
negotiations.
-
Mr Bone
I am grateful to the deputy Chancellor for her response.
Has she had an opportunity to look at table 4.28 in the
Office for Budget Responsibility report accompanying the
autumn Budget, which shows a Brexit dividend of £55 billion
in the four years between 2019 and 2023? Does the deputy
Chancellor agree with her own figures showing that leaving
the EU will be a great economic benefit to this country?
-
I thank my hon. Friend for his question. There is indeed
money that will be released as a result of our leaving the
European Union. We are working on the spending review,
which will take place next year, and part of the job of
that spending review will be looking at how we allocate
that money domestically.
-
(Brentford and
Isleworth) (Lab)
24. Many of my constituents work in the financial sector
—the financial services sector, specifically. Does the
Chancellor not recognise that the closest possible
alignment with the single market is the best possible
outcome for this vital sector? [904798]
-
My right hon. Friend the Chancellor recently made a speech
outlining the future of financial services and making sure
we get the best possible deal with the European Union. Let
us remember that London is a global financial centre—it was
recently rated the best in the world—and as well as getting
the best deal with the EU, we need to make sure that we can
trade with the rest of the world.
-
(Carmarthen East and
Dinefwr) (PC)
It seems to me that over recent months the UK has changed
its position from negotiating the final deal before the
transition period to negotiating the final deal during the
transition period. Is not the reality that the British
Government’s negotiating position will be considerably
weakened once we have left the EU?
-
We have made huge progress in the European negotiations. We
are seeing business confidence increasing and investment
increasing, and by this autumn we should have agreed a
clear framework with the EU so that businesses have
certainty about future investment.
-
(Stalybridge and
Hyde) (Lab/Co-op)
The UK’s economic growth in the final quarter of 2017 was
the weakest of any economy in the G7, and the OBR is
forecasting that the UK is on course for our worst period
of economic growth since the end of the second world war.
However, none of these already dire forecasts factors in a
no-deal Brexit, which would have a severe impact on jobs,
growth and tax revenues. We know the Chancellor knows this;
indeed, he has said so publicly. The question is: why are
his colleagues not listening to him?
-
It is very important that in the negotiations with the
European Union we always keep the option of no deal on the
table; otherwise, we will not get the best possible deal.
But we are very confident of achieving a good deal. Why is
the hon. Gentleman not welcoming the fantastic economic
news we have had this morning: the lowest
unemployment—again—since 1975, and wages up by 2.8%? It
seems to me that there are an awful lot of Eeyores on the
Opposition Benches.
National Living Wage
-
(Plymouth, Moor View)
(Con)
7. What assessment his Department has made of the effect of
the introduction of the national living wage on low pay.
[904780]
-
The Chief Secretary to the Treasury (Elizabeth Truss)
The national living wage has increased levels of pay. In
fact, we have seen the wages of the lowest fifth of our
population in terms of earnings increase by 7% in real
terms since 2015.
-
My right hon. Friend will know that the two biggest
policies that have put more money into the pockets of the
lowest earners in this country have come from this
Government—namely, the increase in the tax threshold and
the minimum wage. What more will the Government do to make
sure that private businesses, together with public
services, are working to continue to increase wages and
improve the quality of life in cities such as Plymouth?
-
My hon. Friend is absolutely right: we need to increase
productivity, which will help drive up wages. That is why
we are working with employers on the national training
scheme, and why we are increasing our investment in areas
such as maths and computer science to make sure that our
young people have the skills for the future that will
enable them to earn high wages and compete with the rest of
the world.
-
(Stoke-on-Trent
Central) (Lab/Co-op)
The national living wage applies only to people over the
age of 25, yet the cost of living in places such as
Stoke-on-Trent is the same for people under the age of 25:
there is no discount on their rates, mortgage or utility
bills. Do the Chancellor and his Ministers think it is fair
that these people are expected to earn less when their
living costs are not affected?
-
What is unfair is the fact that, under the last Labour
Government, youth unemployment went up to 20% and those
young people were left on the scrapheap, whereas we have
reduced youth unemployment by 40%. We have more young
people in work earning the vital skills for their future.
-
Sir (New Forest West)
(Con)
21. Despite this increase in the price of labour, why is
unemployment continuing to fall, particularly youth
unemployment? [904794]
-
My right hon. Friend is right, and the reason is that we
have taken the time to reduce the deficit to make it easier
for employers to take on staff. We have reduced corporation
tax, making it easier for companies to hire people. That is
why we have the lowest unemployment since 1975, and rising
wages. It is a shame that Members on the Opposition Benches
cannot acknowledge that massive achievement.
-
(Glasgow Central)
(SNP)
It is completely unacceptable that a 17-year-old and a
25-year-old starting on the same day in the same job face a
£3.63 gap due to their ages. When will the Chief Secretary
end the scandal of state-sanctioned age discrimination?
-
It is extremely worrying that those on the Opposition
Benches would rather see young people out of work and
without opportunities than in work, learning and getting
the skills for their future. All the evidence shows that if
we set the rate too high we see youth unemployment, which
is exactly what happened under the previous Labour
Government.
Corporation Tax
-
Mr (Dumfries and Galloway)
(Con)
9. What assessment he has made of the effect of the recent
reduction in corporation tax on employment and wages.
[904782]
-
The Financial Secretary to the Treasury (Mel Stride)
There can be no doubt that this Government’s record on
reducing corporation tax from 28% in 2010 to 19% now, and
further on down to 17% in 2020, has driven growth, kept
prices down, pushed wages up and, indeed, led to more
employment. Since 2010, we have seen more than 3 million
more people in employment, and, as the Chief Secretary to
the Treasury has just outlined, the lowest unemployment
since 1975.
-
Mr Jack
Successful businesses create jobs and pay taxes. What steps
are the Government taking to back businesses that play by
the rules?
-
My hon. Friend uses the expression “play by the rules”. I
should make it very clear to the House that those that do
not play by the rules will be clamped down on by Her
Majesty’s Revenue and Customs. We have brought in £175
billion in respect of clamping down on avoidance, evasion
and non-compliance since 2010. We have, as my right hon.
Friend the Chancellor has outlined, the lowest tax gap in
our history, at 6%. Those who play by the rules will
benefit from our pro-business policies: bringing taxes
down, providing relief on business rates, and other
measures such as the employment allowance, worth £3,000 for
the first employee as a relief on national insurance
contributions.
-
(Wirral South)
(Lab)
When it comes to employment and wages, and the impact that
corporation tax cuts have had, we have heard a lot of
crowing from Ministers this morning, but we all know that
our economy is wildly different, depending on where people
live. Has the Minister asked for a distributional analysis
of the impacts that he has just been talking about?
-
We have debated at great length the issue of distributional
analysis, in this Chamber and around the Finance Bill and
other measures. The hon. Lady will know that all tax
measures are subject to TINs and to various assessments. We
are also bound by the Equality Act 2010 when we take
decisions in respect of taxation. As a Minister, I can
assure her that I take my duties in that respect extremely
seriously.
-
(Gordon) (Con)
Businesses in my constituency welcome the cut in
corporation tax, but does not my right hon. Friend share my
concern that businesses in Gordon are being damaged by
punitive business rates and the highest income tax rates in
the United Kingdom?
-
My hon. Friend raises an important issue, which is probably
best listened to very carefully by some of those on the
Opposition Benches. I can only speak for the UK Government
here in this House, and we will continue to be on the side
of businesses, small and large, to ensure that their tax
burden is as low as possible.
-
(Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
(SNP)
Lines ag and bg of the spring 2017 Budget predicted that
the cuts in corporation tax would cost the Treasury over
£24 billion by 2022. If the Treasury had had that money to
invest in infrastructure and construction, how many well
paid construction jobs could the money have created?
-
Let me make two simple points. First, corporation tax cuts
are clearly to the benefit of businesses who employ people,
create wealth and generate the taxes we need to fund our
vital public services. Secondly, we have cut corporation
tax from 28% to 19% since 2010, and the corporate tax take
has risen by 50%.
-
Mr Speaker
A moment ago the Financial Secretary was banging on about
TIMS. I was not informed about this matter, but the Clerk
has consulted his scholarly cranium and he tells me that it
stands for Treasury information management systems.
-
Tax impact notes, Mr Speaker.
-
Mr Speaker
Oh, TINs! Well, I am sure everybody attending to our
proceedings was perfectly well aware of what the right hon.
Gentleman had in mind. I am sure I was in a minority of one
in not knowing. And what are those pigs I see flying in
front of my very eyes?
Productivity
-
Sir (Mid Sussex)
(Con)
10. What plans he has to increase productivity. [904783]
-
(Wimbledon)
(Con)
15. What plans he has to increase productivity. [904788]
-
The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Mr Philip Hammond)
Productivity, as I have already said, is at the very
forefront of the Government’s agenda. That is why we
established the national productivity investment fund, a
£31 billion package of investment in infrastructure and
research and development, and committed to introducing a
national retraining scheme, which we are developing in
partnership with the CBI and the TUC to ensure that British
workers have the skills they need to benefit from
technology change. The focus now has to be on moving
forward with firm-level initiatives, such as Be the
Business led by Charlie Mayfield and Made Smarter led by
Juergen Maier, that start to look at the challenges we face
at the level of the firm in this country to make sure that
we are doing what we need to do not only in infrastructure
and skills but in investment in management at the level of
the firm.
-
Sir
May I congratulate my right hon. Friend on all the steps he
is taking, with the Government, to improve productivity,
which is very badly needed indeed in our economy? Does he
agree that it is becoming increasingly difficult, with a
very modern, interconnected, internet-driven economy, to
successfully garner the information needed to truly assess
how well we are doing on productivity and across the whole
scale of Government statistics on the economy? Does he
agree that this is first-order business and that we need to
get this matter resolved so we may have a better picture
overall?
-
Mr Hammond
My right hon. Friend is right that there is some evidence
of a measurement challenge around the productivity figures.
My right hon. Friend the Member for New Forest West (Sir
Desmond Swayne) asked a few moments ago about the
relationship between rising wage costs and continued
economic and employment growth. The question is why the
tightening labour market is not driving a higher
productivity performance and whether an element of that is
in fact a management challenge. A great deal of time and
energy is being spent on this issue. Indeed, the figures on
productivity for the last two quarters do, on the face of
it, show some improvement. Now, one swallow does not make a
spring and we should be very cautious about
interpreting—even a summer, Mr Speaker. I am even less
ambitious! We should be very cautious about interpreting
those figures, but, as we see record high levels of
employment in the economy, we should expect them to help to
drive the UK economy’s productivity performance.
-
I listened to my right hon. Friend set out the Government’s
plans for investment in transport and infrastructure a few
moments ago. What direct impact on productivity does he
expect those investments to have in the regions where they
occur?
-
Mr Hammond
We are undertaking the largest rail investment programme
since Victorian times and the largest road investment
programme since the 1970s. Overall, the Government are now
investing public capital at the highest rate for 40 years.
This is one of the components that drives productivity in
one of the areas where we have a long-standing gap with our
principal competitors: too little public infrastructure. We
are closing that gap and that will have a positive impact
on productivity growth, but we still have to tackle skills,
capability at the level of the firm, and access to capital.
It is an important strand, but it is only one strand of the
productivity conundrum.
-
(Bishop Auckland)
(Lab)
As the Chancellor just said, skills are a crucial plank of
improving the nation’s productivity. Since the introduction
of the apprenticeship levy, apprenticeships have collapsed.
The Government have also slashed resources for further
education institutions, such as the excellent Bishop
Auckland College in my constituency, so what is the
Chancellor going to do about the middle-level skills base?
-
Mr Hammond
The Government are highly committed to the apprenticeship
programme. I recognise that starts are down—we always
expected that—but something else is happening, because
analysis shows that now that employers are contributing
with their own levy to apprenticeship programmes, they are
opting for higher-level apprenticeships. There are fewer
starts than we expected, but we are seeing a much higher
level of apprenticeship. There are more degree-level
apprenticeships and more apprenticeships at the higher
levels. The Department for Education and the Treasury are
looking carefully at how this is working—[Interruption.]
This is a serious issue, but the important question is
about making sure that the skills that the economy needs
are generated.
-
(Bootle) (Lab)
The only productivity figures worse than the UK’s are the
Chancellor’s—that is not an insult, but a statement of the
blindingly obvious. Is he aware that a recent TUC
assessment indicated that, in effect, the UK economy is on
a negative trajectory? GDP growth is weak—on an annual
basis, it is the weakest it has been for five years—and
hours worked have declined. Public investment lags
significantly behind that of our comparators. Wages remain
stagnant and inflation is stubbornly high. What is his
answer to this—perhaps a tweet, and maybe with a smiley
emoji this time?
-
Mr Hammond
Not for the first time, I do not recognise the picture of
our economy that is painted by Opposition Front Benchers.
Figures today tell us that we have new record high numbers
of people in employment, and new record low unemployment
figures. That should be something that we are celebrating.
Real wages are forecast to turn positive from this quarter
and to go on growing thereafter. Employment is expected to
grow by another 500,000 by 2022. We are working hard to
ensure that productivity performance increases across the
economy because that is the only sustainable way to achieve
higher wages and higher living standards.
-
Mr Speaker
Order. I am afraid that progress has been terribly slow
today. I would like to get through some more questions from
Back Benchers, but we will need to have single-sentence
questions and pithy replies. We do not have time for long
pre-prepared speeches.
Building our Future Programme
-
Dr (Stockton South)
(Lab)
11. What progress has been made on implementing the
Building our Future programme. [904784]
-
The Financial Secretary to the Treasury (Mel Stride)
Progress has been excellent on the Building our Future
programme. We have now secured locations for 12 of the 13
regional hubs and negotiations are continuing on the final
site.
-
Dr Williams
The HMRC office in Stockton South is closing. Hundreds of
staff are being offered jobs in Newcastle, which involves a
three-hour minimum round trip that people say they cannot
make, because their family lives are built around a job
that they are proud of. Will the Minister please meet me
given what we now know about the impact that the closure
will have on Teesside and its people?
-
The hon. Gentleman will know that all staff who may be
affected will have face-to-face consultations with HMRC
staff a year before any changes occur. Some 90% on average
of those across the programme will be in a position of
having left employment or retired, or finding it perfectly
acceptable to move, in this case to Newcastle. I would be
delighted to meet the hon. Gentleman to discuss the issue.
Productivity
-
(Henley) (Con)
12. What discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on
ensuring that people have high-tech skills to increase
productivity. [904785]
-
The Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury (Robert
Jenrick)
The Government are working across Departments to help to
prepare businesses and working people to seize the
opportunities that technology will bring. At the Budget we
announced, among other measures, a trebling of fully
qualified computer science teachers, the creation of a
T-level in digital skills and the retraining partnership
that my right hon. Friend the Chancellor has spoken about.
-
What steps are the Government taking to make sure that
these skills are widely available?
-
My hon. Friend makes an important point. We are trying to
roll out our changes in apprenticeships, T-levels and other
matters as quickly as possible across the country. We
commissioned the Juergen Maier “Made Smarter” review to
increase the adoption of digital technology in
businesses—particularly small and medium-sized
enterprises—and we will follow up on that in the months to
come.
-
(Bristol East)
(Lab)
The circular economy has the potential to create hundreds
of thousands of jobs in this country. What discussions has
the Minister had with the Secretary of State for
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs about how we can
maximise these opportunities?
-
The hon. Lady raises an important point. We are working
closely with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural
Affairs, and my right hon. Friend the Chancellor announced
a call for evidence on single-use plastics in the spring
statement. We intend to make proposals in due course.
National Debt
-
(Bassetlaw) (Lab)
13. What comparative assessment he has made of the size of
the national debt (a) today and (b) 12 months ago. [904786]
-
The Economic Secretary to the Treasury (John Glen)
Public sector net debt as a percentage of GDP was 85.1% at
the end of February 2018, which was 0.9 percentage points
higher than last February. The latest forecast shows that
debt will fall this year, two years before the fiscal rules
require.
-
The national debt is going up by £5,000 a second. Can I be
helpful? Will the Minister join me in stopping hospitals
that are outsourcing staffing to avoid VAT, with an
estimated 6% savings on wages lost to the Treasury, from
doing so?
-
The important point is that the debt is going down this
year. We want to avoid a situation like that in the last
three years of the last Labour Government, when public
sector net debt doubled.
-
Mr Speaker
The hon. Member for Mid Dorset and North Poole (Michael
Tomlinson) can very easily shoehorn in his own inquiry on
this question. Question 14 is not dissimilar to 13—have a
go on 13, man.
-
(Mid Dorset and
North Poole) (Con)
rose—
-
Mr Speaker
Well done.
-
14. That is very kind of you, Mr Speaker. Is it not vital
that we reduce our national debt, stop wasting taxpayers’
money on debt interest repayment, and spend it on our
public services instead? [904787]
-
I concur absolutely with my hon. Friend. He might like to
know that between 2010 and 2017, we spent £300 billion on
debt interest, which is twice the current annual budget of
the NHS.
-
(Shipley) (Con)
rose—
-
Mr Speaker
The session would not be complete without the voice of
Shipley.
-
Given all the talk of austerity, will the Minister tell us
what Government spending was in cash terms in 2010 and what
it is in this financial year?
-
I can assure my hon. Friend that the Government have taken
a balanced approach to the public finances, reducing the
deficit by three quarters. We have also made tough
decisions to invest as well as to spend on public services,
which is what the public expect of us.
Topical Questions
-
(Newport East)
(Lab)
T1. If he will make a statement on his departmental
responsibilities. [904799]
-
The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Mr Philip Hammond)
My principal responsibility is to ensure economic stability
and the continued prosperity of the British people. I shall
do so by building on the plans set out in the autumn Budget
and the spring statement. The Government are determined to
meet the important challenges we face and to seize the
opportunities ahead as we create an economy fit for the
future.
-
The Treasury is holding on to £10 million from the Roadchef
employees benefit trust following a High Court dispute. Can
Ministers ensure that HMRC returns the money to the trust
with interest so that the 4,000 workers and former staff,
including a number of my constituents, can finally receive
what is owed to them?
-
Mr Hammond
We touched on this matter earlier, I think. It is important
that HMRC deals with matters separately from Ministers, but
we are aware that HMRC is in discussion with the trustees
in this case and we hope for a resolution soon.
-
(Mid Worcestershire)
(Con)
T2. Does the Chancellor agree that consideration should be
given to making expenditure such as gym membership tax
deductible in recognition of its health benefits and,
ultimately, cost-saving benefits for the NHS? [904800]
-
The Financial Secretary to the Treasury (Mel Stride)
Perhaps I am in need of the gym, Mr Speaker.
I shall take that as an early Budget representation, and my
hon. Friend should be aware that we already have various
tax-free reliefs in respect of health in the
workplace—check-ups, eye tests, the cycle to work scheme,
on-site workplace gym membership and welfare counselling.
Of course, our soft drinks industry levy has led a number
of companies to improve the quality of their products
healthwise.
-
(Hayes and Harlington)
(Lab)
In advance of today’s debate on Syria, I welcome financial
measures to sanction the Syrian regime. According to past
Government figures, £151 million of assets belonging to
leading figures in the Assad regime in Syria have been
frozen by authorities here. Since then, 261 Syrian
individuals have been listed as financial sanctions targets
in the UK. Can the Chancellor tell the House what the
Treasury’s best and latest estimate is of the total value
of assets held in the UK by individuals connected with the
Syrian regime?
-
Mr
I do not have a figure for the latest valuation of those
assets. Many of the assets in question will be property
assets, I suspect, meaning that the values will move from
time to time. I can assure the right hon. Gentleman that
the Treasury is fully engaged in the process across
Whitehall of seeking to deal with unacceptable behaviours
of the type that we have seen in Syria. Financial sanctions
will remain an important tool in our armoury, whether we
are dealing with chemical attacks in Syria or attacks on
the streets of the UK.
-
I welcome the Chancellor’s response, but the problem is
that the lack of transparency in our financial system makes
it virtually impossible for him to know exactly how many
assets linked to such regimes are owned in the UK. It is
estimated that more than £5 billion of assets owned by
Assad and his associates are being held overseas and,
according to international reports, the UK is recouping far
less of the corrupt assets owned by individuals linked to
the Syrian regime than is being recouped by other
countries. For example, assets linked to the Assad regime
worth more than half a billion pounds have been not just
frozen but seized by the Spanish authorities. So far, no
unexplained wealth orders have been used against Syrian
regime figures.
The Government promised to give a date for the publication
of a register of owners of UK property based overseas back
in 2015, but now, three years later, we are told that a
register will not be published until 2021. Will the
Chancellor bring forward the date for the introduction of
what is an essential defence against corruption?
-
Mr Hammond
I think that the right hon. Gentleman is being a little bit
harsh on the unexplained wealth orders. The legislation has
been in place for only a couple of months, and we will of
course look at opportunities to use it. As for his
challenge on the date for the registers, I will look into
the matter, as he has asked me to do. I will then write to
him to let him know the reason for the date that we have
set, and whether there is any opportunity for it to be
brought forward.
I think that we are all in the same place on this issue. We
all want to ensure that London cannot be used as a route
for dirty money—for the ill-gotten gains of regimes that
are stealing from their people and channelling money
offshore. It must be recognised that London is the world’s
largest global financial centre, which presents us with
some challenges, but we will continue the work.
-
(Lewes) (Con)
T4. High street retailers such as Toys R Us and Carpetright
are closing branches because of the rise in online sales.
What measures are Ministers taking to reduce business
rates, which currently penalise property-based businesses
to the advantage of online retailers? [904802]
-
Mr Hammond
My hon. Friend puts her finger on the significant
structural challenge that we face. This country has a
higher penetration of online retailing than any other major
economy—we are at the cutting edge—but that, of course, has
an impact on traditional retailing, and we have to expect
that patterns of retailing will change. We have brought
forward by a year the switch to three-year business rates
reviews, and we have introduced a package of £9 billion of
business rates relief, but we will have to consider this
major structural challenge over the coming years as a
nation.
-
(East Ham) (Lab)
T3. The European Commission has hinted that the UK may be
given access to the European financial services market, but
only on the basis of equivalence. Does the Chancellor
support the preferable basis of mutual recognition for that
future arrangement, and what prospect does he see of
securing it? [904801]
-
Mr Hammond
As the right hon. Gentleman will well understand, I much
prefer a system based on mutual recognition. There are
problems with the EU’s equivalence regime: it is arbitrary,
it is unilateral, and it can be withdrawn with zero notice.
No one can operate a multitrillion-dollar business on the
basis of such arbitrary arrangements. However, we are
working with the Commission and key member states, and I am
optimistic that we will reach a satisfactory solution.
-
(Cheltenham) (Con)
T5. What assessment have the Government made of the
prospects for real wages in our country? [904803]
-
As my hon. Friend will know, this morning we were given the
good news that we are now back in positive real-wage
territory. He will also know from the projections of the
Office for Budget Responsibility at the time of the last
Budget that we anticipate an increase in real wages
throughout the projection period.
-
(Sheffield Central)
(Lab)
T6. The number of people with unmanageable payday loan debt
has more than halved since the Financial Conduct Authority
introduced a total cost cap more than three years ago
following pressure from Members on both sides of the House.
New analysis by Citizens Advice suggests that extending the
cap to doorstep-loan and rent-to-own markets would have the
same impact on problem debt in those sectors, and could
save consumers up to £154 million a year. Will the
Chancellor consider taking such action? [904805]
-
The Economic Secretary to the Treasury (John Glen)
The hon. Gentleman has made a very sensible point. The FCA
is looking into that proposal and will publish another
report in May. I met Andrew Bailey just a few weeks ago to
underscore the importance of the issue, and as we proceed
with the construction of the single financial guidance body
that will deal with some of the challenges of problem debt,
I know that this will be another focus of its work.
-
(South Basildon and
East Thurrock) (Con)
Automation, machine learning and artificial intelligence
have the potential to offer huge productivity gains. What
discussions has my right hon. Friend had with colleagues
across Government about providing leadership in this
important field so that we can reap the maximum
productivity boost and be at the forefront of this exciting
technology?
-
Mr
As I have said many times in this House, we have two
choices: we can either run away from this challenge; or we
can run towards it and embrace it. In fact, if we want to
maintain the living standards of our people and the status
of our economy in the future, we have no choice but to
embrace it—and we are doing so. I announced at the autumn
Budget funding to support the uptake of digital
technologies across Government, allowing the Government to
be an exemplar, but we are also promoting these
technologies to private business. The UK is at the
forefront of many of these cutting-edge technologies.
-
(Lewisham West and
Penge) (Lab)
T8. The housing crisis has gone on for far too long under
this Government. Lewisham’s Labour council is about to
build its 500th new council home since 2015, but many
people still come to my surgeries because they reside in
temporary accommodation. Will the Chancellor now commit to
reversing the 63% cut in funding to the council’s budget so
that Lewisham can get on with building more homes? [904807]
-
The Chief Secretary to the Treasury (Elizabeth Truss)
First, we have committed to building 300,000 homes per year
over the next decade, which is vitally important to address
the issue. Also, when we came into government, 80% of local
government funding was being provided centrally, but we
have now enabled local councils to raise that money. That
is the right thing to do—people vote locally and councils
should be accountable locally.
-
Mr (Nuneaton) (Con)
We have heard encouraging news today about wages, but what
more can Ministers do to help my constituents with the cost
of living?
-
There are a number of challenges that need to be overcome
for the poorest. We have increased the national living wage
by 4.4%—to £7.83 an hour—and also the allowance that
applies before people pay tax. We have made other changes,
such as freezing fuel duty, to ensure we are doing all that
we can for the hardest-working people in our communities.
-
Mr Speaker
Order. I exhort the Minister to face the House; I
understand the temptation to look backwards, but one should
always look at the House.
-
(Blaydon) (Lab)
T9. Many NHS trusts have set up subsidiary companies to
take advantage of a VAT loophole to save money, often at
the cost of the lowest-paid staff. Does the Chancellor have
any plans to close this tax loophole and place the NHS on
the same VAT footing as local government? [904808]
-
I thank the hon. Lady for her question. Perhaps this is
something that I could take up with her offline so that I
fully comprehend the exact point she is raising.
-
(Brentwood and Ongar)
(Con)
Last year, more businesses were created in the UK than in
any other developed economy. Does that not show that the
Government’s policy towards businesses is working, and what
will the Treasury do to build on that success?
-
My hon. Friend is absolutely right that a record number of
businesses are starting. We saw double the amount of
investment in tech companies last year compared with the
previous year. Britain is booming, and that is because we
have taken the important measures of reforming our welfare
system, making it easier to take on staff and reducing
corporation tax. The Labour party wants to stop all that,
raise taxes and make it harder for businesses to succeed.
-
(Cardiff North)
(Lab)
The Government’s green rhetoric is nothing more than empty
promises. They say that they have ambition, so when will
the Chancellor commit funding for onshore wind, solar and,
importantly, the Swansea Bay tidal lagoon? The benefits of
these investments would boost not only our green economy,
but the supply chain and jobs.
-
Mr
I have already answered the question on the Swansea Bay
lagoon—we are studying the project. All of these projects
have to meet value-for-money tests. We already have a
fantastic offshore wind sector, with record low costs to
the consumer through offshore wind generation. We have to
decarbonise our economy in a way that also keeps
electricity prices as low as possible for consumers and
businesses.
-
Mr Speaker
Single-sentence inquiries: I call .
-
(Chelmsford) (Con)
Last night, the pound hit its highest rate against the
dollar since the referendum. Will the Chancellor join me in
welcoming this sign of international confidence, which is
so contrary to the run on the pound predicted by the shadow
Chancellor?
-
Mr Hammond
I welcome all signs of international confidence, but I
never comment on the exchange rate of the pound.
-
(Gower) (Lab)
Six in every 1,000 people in the UK have lymphoedema. What
commitment will the Government make to deliver a
comprehensive and equitable strategy for NHS England and to
end the postcode lottery for lymphoedema patients in the
United Kingdom?
-
That is a question for the Secretary of State for Health,
but I would point out that we are putting extra funding
into the health service, including an extra £10 billion to
help with nurses’ pay and to ensure that we are investing
in the technologies for the future.
-
(South Suffolk)
(Con)
The shadow Chancellor mentioned frozen Syrian assets. There
has been a long-running cross-party campaign to unfreeze
frozen Libyan assets so that that money can be spent
compensating the victims of Libyan-sponsored IRA terrorism.
Will my right hon. Friend look at that again? Is he aware
that it would require a UN resolution? Is that the case
with Syria’s assets, and does he think that all the members
of the UN Security Council would be in favour of such a
move?
-
Mr
My hon. Friend tempts me down a complex route. I will look
at that again; I am familiar with the issue from my time as
Foreign Secretary. The decision that Ministers have to make
around the freezing of assets is a quasi-judicial one, and
it has to be made very carefully in the light of the
specific facts. There are great complexities in Libya,
where in some cases competing authorities are claiming
ownership of assets.
-
(Caithness, Sutherland
and Easter Ross) (LD)
rose—
-
Mr Speaker
You are a patient fellow, Mr Stone, and you have been
waiting for a long time. Let’s hear you.
-
Thank you, Mr Speaker. One way to boost the UK’s
productivity is to give disabled people employment
opportunities. Can the Chancellor of the Exchequer tell me
what discussions he has had with the Department for Work
and Pensions and possibly the Scottish Government about
maximising the potential of our disabled people?
-
The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right to say that getting
more disabled people into work is vital for our economy and
also for helping with their quality of life. I am very
happy to look at what he has suggested.
-
(Kingston upon Hull West
and Hessle) (Lab)
Last year, the Department of Health announced £7.8 million
for building a cancer unit in my constituency, which of
course I was delighted about. However, the money is stuck
in the Treasury and the Humber NHS Foundation Trust is
unable to withdraw it in order to start the building work.
Please can the Minister urgently unlock that money so that
the trust can start to build that desperately needed cancer
unit straight away?
-
Mr
I will look at what the hon. Lady has said, but I very much
doubt that an amount of money of that size will be stuck in
the Treasury, because of the NHS’s delegated limits. But
let me look at it, and I will write to her.
-
(Bury North) (Lab)
In Bury, a small business and its supply chain are still
owed £4.1 million by Carillion for their work on the Royal
Liverpool Hospital. Will the Chancellor agree to meet me
and them to hear their ideas about how we can prevent the
likes of the Carillion collapse from happening again and
protect our small employers from the changes in the
construction industry?
-
The important thing about the issues with Carillion was
that, first, we made sure that public services operated,
and that, secondly, we did not give rewards for failure in
a company that went bust. I would be very happy to look at
the specific situation that the hon. Gentleman has outlined
and to meet him.
-
Mr Speaker
A sentence without subordinate clauses from Mr ?
-
(Glasgow East)
(SNP)
How many apprentices in the UK are being paid just £3.70 an
hour?
-
Mr Speaker
Very well done. Unfortunately, it was so well done that the
Chancellor did not hear it. Blurt it out again, man!
-
How many apprentices in the UK are being paid just £3.70 an
hour?
-
Mr
I will write to the hon. Gentleman, Mr Speaker. I do not
have the number immediately to hand.
-
(North Tyneside)
(Lab)
What message will the Chancellor be sending to the
thousands of public and civil servants who will be at the
march organised by the TUC on 12 May asking for a fully
funded, above-inflation pay rise?
-
Mr Hammond
The Government have been clear that the cap on public
sector pay has been abolished and that it is for individual
Departments and bodies to talk to their workforces about
how pay can be increased in a self-funding way through
productivity enhancements. We have seen that being done in
the NHS with the “Agenda for Change” deal, which is now
with the unions and staff for voting. It is a very good pay
deal, but it will be supported by significant improvements
in productivity. If we can do it there, we can do it across
the piece.
-
Several hon. Members rose—
-
Mr Speaker
Order. One colleague has been standing for a long time and
has not asked a question. I call .
-
(Strangford) (DUP)
Thank you, Mr Speaker; it is a straightforward question. In
this age of online shopping, what help is available for
start-up businesses that are focused on internet shopping?
-
Mr Hammond
Start-up businesses involved in online shopping are able to
avail themselves of the full range of support for any
start-up business. There is no specific regime for online
shopping businesses.
-
(Eastbourne) (LD)
rose—
-
Mr Speaker
Very well. If the question is a sentence, I call .
-
Thank you, Mr Speaker. An elderly couple in my constituency,
Mr and Mrs Fitzgerald, are about to lose their home. They
have an interest-only mortgage with Santander, which does not
allow mortgages for people over 75, although the Nationwide
allows them for people up to 85. Will the Minister help me to
persuade Santander so that Mr and Mrs Fitzgerald do not lose
their home in the coming weeks?
-
Clearly, the lending decisions of individual banks are a
matter for them, but I would be happy to meet the hon.
Gentleman to consider the case and see what has happened.
|
