Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing the tax regulations for Sharia-compliant mortgages in line with conventional mortgages.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government is committed to the continued strength of the UK Islamic Finance sector, both as an important part of the UK’s overall financial ecosystem and as an instrument of financial inclusion.

The alternative finance tax rules aim to provide a level playing field for tax purposes across alternative and conventional financing arrangements.

On 16 January 2024, HM Treasury published a consultation proposing changes to the Capital Gains Tax (CGT) rules that apply to alternative finance arrangements. The proposed changes seek to amend those rules so that where property is used as collateral for the purposes of raising finance, the CGT outcome is the same whether alternative finance or conventional finance is used. The consultation also asked whether there are any implications for capital allowances. The consultation closed on 9 April 2024 and the Government is considering responses. Next steps will be set out in due course.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department plans to respond to the consultation entitled Tax Simplification for Alternative Finance, which closed 9 April 2024.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government is committed to the continued strength of the UK Islamic Finance sector, both as an important part of the UK’s overall financial ecosystem and as an instrument of financial inclusion.

The alternative finance tax rules aim to provide a level playing field for tax purposes across alternative and conventional financing arrangements.

On 16 January 2024, HM Treasury published a consultation proposing changes to the Capital Gains Tax (CGT) rules that apply to alternative finance arrangements. The proposed changes seek to amend those rules so that where property is used as collateral for the purposes of raising finance, the CGT outcome is the same whether alternative finance or conventional finance is used. The consultation also asked whether there are any implications for capital allowances. The consultation closed on 9 April 2024 and the Government is considering responses. Next steps will be set out in due course.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has plans to meet President Abdikadir Ahmed Aw-Ali of the SSC-Khaatumo region in Somalia.

Answered by Anneliese Dodds - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign Secretary has no current engagement plans with Abdikadir Ahmed Aw-Ali. The UK Ambassador to Somalia engages regularly with a wide range of contacts in Somalia, including those from the SSC-Khatumo area.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners are being held under Imprisonment for the Public Protection sentences in HMP (a) Buckley Hall, (b) Forest Bank, (c) Hindley and (d) Manchester.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The number of prisoners serving indeterminate sentences of Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) in HMP Buckley, HMP Hindley, HMP Forest Bank and HMP Manchester, as at 30 June 2024, are set out in the table below.

Please note:

(1) Figures for the IPP population include both unreleased and recalled IPP prisoners.

(2) The figures in this table have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

This Government believes it is right that these sentences were abolished and is determined to make further progress towards a safe and sustainable release for those serving the IPP sentence, but not in a way that impacts public protection.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the role of the SSC-Khaatumo region in supporting stability, development and growth in Somalia.

Answered by Anneliese Dodds - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK has not made a specific assessment of the role of the SSC-Khatumo area in supporting stability, development and growth in Somalia. We engage closely with all parties in Somalia and are a core security and development partner to the country.

Found: priorities for COP29 10 Commons Library Debate Pack , 4 September 2024 Climate Change Asked by: Afzal