Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether officials in his Department have visited Jimmy Lai in Stanley Prison in Hong Kong ahead of his national security trial on 18 December 2023.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We continue to press for consular access to Jimmy Lai and call for his release. Diplomats at our Consulate-General in Hong Kong continue to attend his court proceedings. The Foreign Secretary and I met with Jimmy's son Sebastien on 12 December to listen to his concerns for his father ahead of the trial starting in Hong Kong on 18 December. The Foreign Secretary raised Jimmy's case with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in their introductory call on 5 December, setting out his concern at the highly politicised nature of the prosecution.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department takes to help ensure that (a) companies and (b) other organisations accurately determine whether someone is self-employed for tax purposes under the Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003 guidance.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
To help customers make an informed decision on a worker’s status for tax, HMRC provides comprehensive online guidance that explains the relevant factors and tests and how to apply them.
HMRC also provides its digital Check Employment Status for Tax (CEST) tool to support employers and workers determine the employment status of an engagement.
The Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003 contains a number of provisions related to appeal rights and determining disputes. In 2021, the Government introduced a disagreement process to allow workers to challenge the status determination they have been given under the off payroll working rules with their engager.
The Government keeps all tax policy and legislation under review. HMRC regularly reviews its guidance products and amends or adds to them where this improves the content or customer experience.
For example, HMRC has recently published guidelines for compliance to help organisations comply with the Off-Payroll Working rules contained in Chapter 10 of Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has made an assessment of the effectiveness of the appeals process for the Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
To help customers make an informed decision on a worker’s status for tax, HMRC provides comprehensive online guidance that explains the relevant factors and tests and how to apply them.
HMRC also provides its digital Check Employment Status for Tax (CEST) tool to support employers and workers determine the employment status of an engagement.
The Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003 contains a number of provisions related to appeal rights and determining disputes. In 2021, the Government introduced a disagreement process to allow workers to challenge the status determination they have been given under the off payroll working rules with their engager.
The Government keeps all tax policy and legislation under review. HMRC regularly reviews its guidance products and amends or adds to them where this improves the content or customer experience.
For example, HMRC has recently published guidelines for compliance to help organisations comply with the Off-Payroll Working rules contained in Chapter 10 of Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to clarify the guidance his Department has issued on the Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
To help customers make an informed decision on a worker’s status for tax, HMRC provides comprehensive online guidance that explains the relevant factors and tests and how to apply them.
HMRC also provides its digital Check Employment Status for Tax (CEST) tool to support employers and workers determine the employment status of an engagement.
The Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003 contains a number of provisions related to appeal rights and determining disputes. In 2021, the Government introduced a disagreement process to allow workers to challenge the status determination they have been given under the off payroll working rules with their engager.
The Government keeps all tax policy and legislation under review. HMRC regularly reviews its guidance products and amends or adds to them where this improves the content or customer experience.
For example, HMRC has recently published guidelines for compliance to help organisations comply with the Off-Payroll Working rules contained in Chapter 10 of Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what his Department's policy is on whether Hong Kong should be represented at international economic organisations in the context of its changed status within China.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As noted by the former Foreign Secretary in the latest Six-Monthly Report Hong Kong, Hong Kong's economic, monetary and financial systems remain distinct and robust from the mainland. The Sino-British Joint Declaration states that Hong Kong "may participate in relevant international organisations and international trade agreements… such as the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade". However, Hong Kong is a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China and the Chinese government is responsible for its decisions on representation at state level to international organisations.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of removing VAT on all school uniform items.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Under the current VAT rules, all children’s clothing and footwear designed for young children who are less than 14 years of age, including school uniforms, attract a zero-rate of VAT, meaning that no VAT is charged on the sale of these items. Additionally, certain school uniform items may also benefit from a zero rate of VAT irrespective of size. For instance, garments which bear a prominent logo, crest or badge identifying them as part of the official uniform of schools catering exclusively for children under 14 years of age can be zero-rated.
Going further would impose additional pressure on the public finances, to which VAT makes a significant contribution. Whilst we have no current plans to extend the existing zero rate, we nevertheless keep all taxes under review.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of potential merits of making people with British National (Overseas) visas eligible for student finance.
Answered by Robert Halfon
To qualify for student finance in the UK, a person must have settled status or a recognised connection to the UK.
Subject to meeting the normal eligibility requirements, British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) status holders will be able to qualify for student finance once they have acquired settled status, which is usually after five years, and have three years of ordinary residence in the UK.
The government believes that it is right that the support provided by the taxpayer should be targeted at those who have a history of a lawful and substantial residence in the UK. There are no plans to review BN(O) status holder’s access to student finance.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology when (a) CharcoalBlue in Southwark and (b) other firms will receive the Innovate UK R&D grants and associated tax relief and credits announced in 2020.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Innovate UK awarded CharcolBlue £99,578 of project funding in 2020, which was paid in full in 2020. Tax relief claims are administered by HMRC in line with legislation. The tax affairs of companies and individuals are confidential.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much his Department spent in (a) non-Commonwealth and (b) non-EU countries on (i) security checks and (ii) other support to recruit people to work in the UK in each of the last four years.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
Home Office does not provide a support function to recruit people to work in UK.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what recent assessment he has made of the stability of democracy in Sierra Leone; and whether his Department is taking diplomatic steps to help (a) stabilise democracy and (b) ensure legitimate institutions are restored in that country.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK has strongly condemned the unjustifiable violence which took place on Sunday 26 November. We have welcomed President Bio's call for unity and commitment to hold those responsible to account and the statements from all political parties calling out the violence. We continue to follow the situation closely and are engaged with Government, political parties and other stakeholders. The UK remains committed to supporting a democratic, peaceful and prosperous Sierra Leone and the aspirations of its people.