Asked by: Ross Thomson (Conservative - Aberdeen South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the number of people in the Aberdeen South constituency affected by the 2019 Loan Charge.
Answered by Mel Stride - Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
The 2019 loan charge is targeted at disguised remuneration (DR) schemes. These are artificial tax avoidance schemes where earnings are paid in the form of non-repayable loans made by a third party.
DR schemes are contrived arrangements that pay loans in place of ordinary remuneration with the sole purpose of avoiding income tax and National Insurance contributions. When taking into account the loan they received, loan scheme users have on average twice as much income as the average UK taxpayer.
Since the announcement of the 2019 loan charge at Budget 2016, HMRC has agreed settlements on disguised remuneration schemes with employers and individuals of over 650 million pounds. More than 90% of this amount was collected from employers, with less than 10% from individuals.
HMRC have also simplified the process for those who choose to settle their use of avoidance schemes before the charge arises, so that those earning less than £50,000 a year and no longer engaging in tax avoidance can agree a payment plan of up to five years without the need for detailed supporting information. There is no maximum period within which an overall settlement can be agreed, and HMRC will deal with individual cases appropriately and sympathetically.
50,000 individuals are estimated to be affected by the introduction of the DR loan charge across the UK. Information is not held at constituency level.
Asked by: Ross Thomson (Conservative - Aberdeen South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many reports of illegally imported puppies the Animal and Plant Health Agency have been called out to in 2018.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Enforcement action regarding illegally imported puppies is not within APHA’s remit, but is carried out by Local Authorities.
In 2018 the Animal and Plant Health Agency have been called out 44 times following referrals by carriers or border officials, eight of these related to the importation of puppies.
Asked by: Ross Thomson (Conservative - Aberdeen South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many seizures have taken place in relation to abuse of the Pet Travel Scheme in 2018.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Since December 2015 APHA has been taking an intelligence-led approach at Dover aimed at disrupting the illegal importation of puppies and abuse of the Pet Travel Scheme, which is yielding positive results. As part of this activity APHA is working with the Dogs Trust and Kent County Council to quarantine underage dogs intercepted at both Dover Port and Eurotunnel.
In 2018 281 animals have been quarantined due to non-compliance with the Pet Travel Scheme. This figure may include commercial dog imports.
Enforcement action regarding illegally imported puppies is under the remit of Local Authorities. APHA are not able to provide data regarding seizures by local authorities in relation to abuse of the Pet Travel Scheme.
Asked by: Ross Thomson (Conservative - Aberdeen South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will hold discussions with representatives of the Scottish Government on the effect of her policies on WASPI women in Scotland.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
I have had regular correspondence with the Scottish Minister for Social Security on 16/07/2017, 25/08/17 and 05/02/18. As I said in my letter of 5th February,
“Should the Scottish Government wish to exercise their considerable powers to provide financial support to those impacted by the changes to the State Pension age they are able to do so. This would be entirely a matter for them and the UK Government would not seek to stop them”.
There are no plans to meet with representatives of the Scottish Government to discuss this issue.
Asked by: Ross Thomson (Conservative - Aberdeen South)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the effect of the decommissioning of oil platforms on the economy in north east of Scotland.
Answered by Claire Perry
With increasing numbers of offshore oil and gas fields reaching the end of their economic life, forecasts from industry estimate that the annual expenditure for decommissioning over the next 5 years will be in the region of £1.7 to £2 billion. While decommissioning is a major cost for industry, and the taxpayer, it offers significant opportunities for the supply chain that will deliver the constituent elements of decommissioning activity. This encompasses a wide range of activities, covering a broad range of skills and expertise.
With recent estimates from industry suggesting that decommissioning will represent around 11 per cent of total expenditure on oil and gas for 2017, decommissioning is already benefitting the north east of Scotland and the rest of the UK’s economy. Whilst we don’t have specific figures around the economic impact of the increase in decommissioning of offshore oil and gas installations, we expect to see an increasing proportion of the offshore oil and gas industry focussing on decommissioning activities in the coming years.
Asked by: Ross Thomson (Conservative - Aberdeen South)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps the Government is taking to ensure the continuation of Officer Training Corps and University Air Squadrons in universities.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
The Army has 15 University Officer Training Corps (UOTC) and two University Officer Training Regiments (UOTR) covering a number of affiliated universities across the UK, delivering military, leadership and personal training development opportunities. We are committed to maintaining a nationwide footprint of UOTCs and UOTRs. Under the Army's Basic Training Transformation Programme, the current UOTC structure is being examined. The study is ongoing with no decision imminent.
The RAF has 15 University Air Squadrons (UAS) which incorporate a number of affiliated universities across a wide catchment area in the UK in geographically essential locations. UAS are a vital part of developing and recruiting talented individuals into the RAF. There are no plans to change this.
Asked by: Ross Thomson (Conservative - Aberdeen South)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she is taking to help tackle modern slavery in developing countries.
Answered by Alistair Burt
Tackling modern slavery is a cross-government priority, and DFID is committed to driving change through the UN and other multilateral channels. At last year’s UN General Assembly, our Prime Minister launched the “Call to Action to end Forced Labour, Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking”, which has been endorsed by 43 countries from all regions of the world. We will continue to push for more country endorsements and ensure that it delivers action on the ground.
We are also expanding our work in developing countries to tackle the root causes of slavery and support victims, whilst addressing the factors that enable the criminality of modern slavery to thrive. As part of the Prime Minister’s commitment to double ODA spend on modern slavery to £150 million, DFID is developing £40 million of new programming which will help over 500,000 vulnerable men, women and children.
Asked by: Ross Thomson (Conservative - Aberdeen South)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps the Government is taking to help ensure access for humanitarian aid to Yemen.
Answered by Alistair Burt
As the Prime Minister set out in her November visit to Riyadh, the UK continues to call for complete and unhindered access for commercial and humanitarian imports of food, fuel and medical supplies particularly through the ports of Hodeidah and Saleef. Following the Secretary of State’s visit to Riyadh in December we were pleased to see the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia lift all access restrictions. To encourage commercial imports which provide over 80% of Yemen’s food and fuel, we are providing £1.3 million to the UN’s Verification and Inspection Mechanism (UNVIM) this financial year (2017/18) and have provided UK experts on the ground in Djibouti to increase the number of UNVIM inspections of commercial vessels entering Yemen.
The UK will continue to play a leading role in the humanitarian response and efforts to find a political solution to the conflict in Yemen. Our funding of £205 million to Yemen for 2017/18 makes us the third-largest humanitarian donor to Yemen overall, and the second-largest to the UN Humanitarian Appeal.
Asked by: Ross Thomson (Conservative - Aberdeen South)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, whether his Department has made an assessment of the economic contributions of Ministry of Defence contracts to the shipbuilding industry in Scotland.
Answered by David Mundell
The £3.7 billion Ministry of Defence contract for the first three Type 26 frigates, to be followed by five more, and the £635 million investment in the Offshore Patrol Vessel programme have guaranteed the shipbuilding industry on the Clyde work for 20 years and safeguarded 1,700 shipbuilding jobs in Scotland.
Additionally, the second of the Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers is currently being fitted out in Rosyth, and the National Shipbuilding Strategy has set out our commitment to a competition to design and build Type 31e frigates here in the UK.
Asked by: Ross Thomson (Conservative - Aberdeen South)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the projected costs to the public purse are which arise from his Department's contracts with on-base facility providers in each of the next five years.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
This information is not held in the format requested.