Asked by: Chris Bryant (Labour - Rhondda)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish a financial assessment of the effect on the public purse and the BBC agreement announced on 6 July 2015 that the BBC will fund the provision of TV Licences for those age over 75.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The financial assessment of the impact on the public purse of the agreement with the BBC to take on responsibility for funding over-75s free television licenses was published at the Budget.
Asked by: Chris Bryant (Labour - Rhondda)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Digital communications infrastructure strategy, published on 18 March 2015, what the budget is for the UK Guarantees Scheme for each financial year to 2020-21.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The UK Guarantees Scheme was launched in 2012 and can provide up to £40bn worth of guarantees. The budget is not determined on an annual basis.
Asked by: Chris Bryant (Labour - Rhondda)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the real terms change in Grant in Aid for the Arts Council (England) will be from 2014-15 to 2015-16 using the Office for Budget Responsibility forecast for the GDP deflator; and when the Arts Council (England) was informed of that change.
Answered by Danny Alexander
This question can be answered using publically available information at the following links;
Letter from the Finance Director for the Department of Culture Media and Sport to the CEO of Arts Council England on 26 March 2014.
GDP deflators at market prices, and money GDP.
Asked by: Chris Bryant (Labour - Rhondda)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 11 February 2015 to Question 222979, what recent discussions he has had with the management of The Factory on delivery plans; and what representations he has received on those plans.
Answered by Danny Alexander
Discussions for the delivery new theatre and exhibition in Manchester are ongoing between HMT, DCMS and Manchester City Council officials.
Asked by: Chris Bryant (Labour - Rhondda)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals for tax relief for orchestras and high-end TV tax relief before April 2015.
Answered by David Gauke
The government introduced legislation for high-end TV tax relief in the Finance Act 2013. As announced at Autumn Statement 2014, the government is exploring with industry whether to reduce the minimum UK expenditure requirement from 25% to 10% and modernise the cultural test.
As announced at Autumn Statement 2014, tax relief for orchestras will be available from April 2016. The government wants to provide orchestras with the time to make any necessary arrangements so they are in a position to claim the relief once it becomes available.
Asked by: Chris Bryant (Labour - Rhondda)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what funding he plans to provide to the Garden Bridge.
Answered by Danny Alexander
As announced in the 2013 Autumn Statement, the Government is providing £30m part-funding towards the Garden Bridge project, with the Mayor contributing a further £30m to the project.
Following scrutiny of the business case in 2014 the Government contribution of £30m was transferred to Transport for London in December 2014.
Asked by: Chris Bryant (Labour - Rhondda)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions he has had with the Tate Art Galleries on government support for their costs.
Answered by Danny Alexander
The Chancellor of the Exchequer has not had any recent discussions with the Tate Modern on support for their costs.
Asked by: Chris Bryant (Labour - Rhondda)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 1.201 in the Autumn Statement 2014, how the £78 million allocated to The Factory Manchester will be spent; and from which departmental budget that funding will come.
Answered by Danny Alexander
The £78m exchequer funding announced for The Factory Manchester at the 2014 Autumn Statement will be spent on the construction of a new theatre and exhibition space in Manchester.
Final funding arrangements will be determined once delivery plans have been finalised.
Asked by: Chris Bryant (Labour - Rhondda)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 1.133 in the Autumn Statement 2014, how the £141 million allocated to the Olympicopolis project will be spent; and from which departmental budget that funding will come.
Answered by Danny Alexander
The National Infrastructure Plan 2014 announced the government would be investing £141m in order to support the London Legacy Development Corporation and Mayor of London’s Olympicopolis project to redevelop the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
This will support the construction of a new higher education and cultural quarter carried out in partnership with University College London, the Victoria and Albert museum, University of the Arts London and Sadler’s Wells.
The Department for Communities and Local Government are responsible for providing funding to the Greater London Authority and will administer this funding on behalf of government.
Asked by: Chris Bryant (Labour - Rhondda)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to item 27 in Table 2.1 of the Autumn Statement 2014, whether the costs of culture and sport measures announced in the Autumn Statement for the years after 2015-16 fall within Total Managed Expenditure for those years.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The government’s fiscal assumption is expressed through Total Managed Expenditure (TME). This assumption incorporates all spending in years beyond 2015-16. However, decisions about particular budget lines will be decided in the round through the Spending Review process, which will take into consideration existing policy commitments.