Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 4.15 of Autumn Budget 2017, what his Department's timescale is for raising the £200 million of private investment as part of a new £400 million Charging Investment Infrastructure Fund.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
Following the announcement of this fund at Autumn Budget, the Government is engaging with the private sector to ensure that it is set up in the most effective way. We expect to launch the procurement for the private sector fund manager in Summer 2018, who will be tasked with raising the £200m of private investment. Further details will be announced in due course.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the collapse of Monarch Airlines.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
HM Treasury has not made its own estimate of the total costs associated with the collapse of Monarch airline.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the benefits of retaining the existing HM Revenue and Customs' operation in Middlesbrough.
Answered by David Gauke
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) announced the planned locations of its future Regional Centres based on a number of key principles that will enable it to deliver more for less. In addition to cost, these include quality of local and national transport links, the local labour market and future workforce supply, the retention of current staff and skills and capacity to host multiple lines of business which are required to continue its transformation.
HMRC’s plans to open a Regional Centre in Newcastle in 2018-19 demonstrate its long-term commitment to the North East. It intends to remain in Washington as a transitional site until 2024-25.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will estimate the annual change in tax revenue from extending the national living wage to those aged between 18 and 25.
Answered by David Gauke
Younger workers tend to have less experience than older workers in the labour market, and so there is a risk that too high a wage rate may make them relatively less attractive to employers. So, to minimise any negative impact on employment of younger workers, the National Living Wage is limited to those 25 and over. The Government has not therefore made an estimate of what the fiscal impact of this policy change would be.
The Office for Budgetary Responsibility estimate that, by 2020-21, the National Living Wage will increase income tax and NICs receipts by around £0.1bn, as set out in Table B.3 in of their July 2015 Economic and Fiscal Outlook. They assume that, by 2020-21, the overall impact of the policy on the public finances is to reduce public sector net borrowing by £0.2bn.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the document, Fixing the Foundations: Creating a more prosperous nation, Cm 9098, published in July 2015, if he will publish his Department's analysis linking changes to tax credits with increased productivity.
Answered by David Gauke
The Paper, “Fixing the Foundations: creating a more prosperous economy” focuses not on the link between welfare reforms and productivity but instead on how ‘a productive economy must make the most of its labour force and effectively mobilise people into jobs’.
This governments tax and welfare policies are supporting this end.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the document, Fixing the Foundations: Creating a more prosperous nation, Cm 9098, published in July 2015, if he will publish his Department's analysis linking the introduction of a Youth Obligation for 18 to 25 year olds on universal credit with increased productivity.
Answered by David Gauke
The Government is introducing a Youth Obligation for 18-21s on Universal Credit, to help them into sustainable employment.
From day 1 of their claim, young people will participate in an intensive support regime in return for their benefit. After 6 months, we will expect them to apply for an apprenticeship, traineeship, gain work-based skills, or go on a work placement.
As set out in “Fixing the Foundations: Creating a more prosperous nation”, this is part of the Government’s plan for achieving full employment. The Government wants to ensure that young people are given the support, skills and experience to move into work, fulfil their potential and make a contribution to a productive economy.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to reduce the length of time taken to answer calls to tax credit helplines.
Answered by David Gauke
Over the next few months HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) will be migrating its existing telephone services to a new telephony platform. This will improve the way that the queuing systems work and, over time, will lead to reduced wait times.
HMRC is also looking at a number of initiatives to improve customer service and wait times. These include: greater flexible working across HMRC to improve its response to particular peaks in demand; and investing in online and digital services for the future, opening up a wider variety of channels.
All HMRC helplines, including those for Tax Credit Helpline are landline numbers.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will introduce landline telephone numbers for calls to HM Revenue and Customs' helplines for working tax credits queries.
Answered by David Gauke
Over the next few months HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) will be migrating its existing telephone services to a new telephony platform. This will improve the way that the queuing systems work and, over time, will lead to reduced wait times.
HMRC is also looking at a number of initiatives to improve customer service and wait times. These include: greater flexible working across HMRC to improve its response to particular peaks in demand; and investing in online and digital services for the future, opening up a wider variety of channels.
All HMRC helplines, including those for Tax Credit Helpline are landline numbers.