Asked by: Jamie Reed (Labour - Copeland)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he next plans to visit Copeland constituency.
Answered by Simon Kirby
The Chancellor will visit constituencies across the UK in due course. All his visits are recorded in the transparency data published on gov.uk.
Asked by: Jamie Reed (Labour - Copeland)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will meet the hon. Member for Copeland to discuss the effect of the exit payment cap on nuclear workers in Copeland constituency.
Answered by David Gauke
The government announced in May 2015 that it intends to take forward its manifesto commitment to end six-figure exit payments for public sector workers. The Enterprise Act, which contains provisions for the £95,000 public sector exit payment cap, received Royal Assent on 4 May 2016.
Public sector exit payments cost around £2 billion a year and it is important that they are fair, proportionate and provide value for money to the taxpayer that funds them. The proposed cap, amounting to 3.5 times the average public sector salary, will still offer a significant level of compensation and support to an employee, and will apply to only a small percentage of public sector exits. The exit payment cap will apply to organisations classified as within the public sector by the Office for National Statistics, with a small number of exceptions.
I am aware that the hon. Member for Copeland is discussing the effect of the cap on nuclear workers in his constituency with my noble friend the Minister of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). That is the appropriate route for these discussions as BEIS is the department responsible for the nuclear industry.
Asked by: Jamie Reed (Labour - Copeland)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what legacy funding he plans to make available to communities in which nationally significant infrastructure projects are located.
Answered by Greg Hands
The National Infrastructure Delivery Plan, published in March, sets out the government’s infrastructure plan until 2021. It includes plans to empower local leaders to drive growth and shape their communities. Any updates, including relating to legacy planning, would be announced in the usual way at a fiscal event.
Asked by: Jamie Reed (Labour - Copeland)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 12 February 2016 to Question 26203, if he will provide the number of publicly-funded jobs related directly to the Northern Powerhouse located in (a) Cumbria, (b) Northern England, (c) London and (d) other parts of England.
Answered by Greg Hands
The latest regional public sector employment survey figures are available online at: http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/pse/public-sector-employment/q3-2015/index.html
Asked by: Jamie Reed (Labour - Copeland)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many publicly-funded jobs related directly to the Northern Powerhouse are located in (a) Cumbria, (b) Northern England, (c) London and (d) other parts of England.
Answered by Greg Hands
The Northern Powerhouse is the government’s plan to boost the economy across the North of England. This will help businesses grow and increase private sector job creation. Unlike previous failed attempts to improve the economic performance of the North, it is not about just creating publicly-funded jobs.
There is already evidence that the Northern Powerhouse is working: according to the latest data, private sector employment outside of London and the South East increased by 1.5m between Q3 2010 and Q3 2015, and in the North alone there are almost 412,000 more people in work than in April 2010. Over the last year the number of people in employment in the North has grown faster than in the South. Employment in Cumbria has also grown by 6,700 (3%) since 2010 and 10,900 (4.7%) over the last year.
Asked by: Jamie Reed (Labour - Copeland)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the planned business rate reforms announced in the 2015 Summer Budget have been amended.
Answered by David Gauke
Autumn Statement 2015 confirmed that the business rates review will report at Budget 2016. The review will be fiscally neutral.
Asked by: Jamie Reed (Labour - Copeland)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to offer deadline extensions for tax due by businesses affected by flooding in Cumbria.
Answered by David Gauke
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) operates a dedicated Severe Weather helpline to offer help and advice on any tax matters to those people and businesses affected by the recent flooding. The helpline is 0800 904 7900
Opening hours are Monday to Friday, 8.00 am to 8.00 pm; Saturday and Sunday, 8.00 am to 4.00 pm, excluding bank holidays.
HMRC will also:
The helpline is in addition to other HMRC telephone contact numbers.