Asked by: Anthony Browne (Conservative - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish the criteria used by her Department to assess the cost of providing contingency accommodation for asylum seekers.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The rise in the number of small boat crossings has placed significant pressures on local authorities and the asylum system.
The Home Office is accommodating more than 37,000 asylum seekers in hotels at a cost of £5.6 million a day. The Home Office is working tirelessly, alongside other government departments, to reduce the Government’s dependency on hotels for contingency accommodation through a package of long-term and short-term measures.
All local authority areas in England, Scotland and Wales became an asylum dispersal area by default in April 2022. This is increasing the number of suitable properties that can be procured for destitute asylum seekers across the UK, ensuring a fair spread across the country and reducing our reliance on hotels. We also intend to bring forward a range of alternative sites at reduced cost to hotels.
Asked by: Anthony Browne (Conservative - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has a target date for decommissioning hotel accommodation for asylum seekers.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The rise in the number of small boat crossings has placed significant pressures on local authorities and the asylum system. The use of contingency accommodation is only ever a short-term solution to ensure that we meet our statutory obligation to house destitute asylum seekers.
We are taking a range of steps to reduce our dependency on hotels to support those already in the asylum system. All local authority areas in England, Scotland and Wales became an asylum dispersal area by default in April 2022. This is increasing the number of suitable properties that can be procured for destitute asylum seekers across the UK, ensuring a fair spread across the country and reducing our reliance on hotels.
Asked by: Anthony Browne (Conservative - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential changes in the level of employment in the hotel industry as a result of service changes related to the housing of asylum seekers.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
Hotels are under no obligation to contract with our providers. We cannot comment on any changes made to staffing levels as it is up to the hotel owner to deal with these.
Asked by: Anthony Browne (Conservative - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will provide additional funding to (a) local authorities, (b) support services and (c) NHS and healthcare providers for the operation of hotel asylum accommodation in South Cambridgeshire.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
Our accommodation providers are experienced and have a strong record of running these types of sites with minimal impact on local communities. All providers have the required policies and procedures in place around security, safeguarding, critical incident management, and health and safety. Security officials and support staff are also on site 24 hours a day and are obliged to immediately report any security incidents to the Home Office. If required, we work with the provider to put additional measures in place.
Asked by: Anthony Browne (Conservative - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department is taking steps to help ensure that iGCSEs are assessed to the same standard as GCSEs.
Answered by Nick Gibb
International GCSEs were introduced to serve the large international market for British qualifications. They are also offered by some independent schools. GCSEs and International GCSEs differ in a number of ways, including subject content and assessment arrangements, which are determined by the awarding organisations that offer these qualifications.
Unlike GCSEs, International GCSEs are not developed by the Department, regulated by Ofqual or funded for use in state schools. International GCSEs have not been included in school performance tables since reformed GCSEs were introduced from 2017 onwards. The Department therefore has no role in the setting grading standards for these qualifications.
Asked by: Anthony Browne (Conservative - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has made an estimate of the additional VAT collected from an average household on expenditure related to a property purchase including (a) home improvements, (b) decoration and (c) furniture purchases.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
HMRC does not hold information on VAT revenue from specific products or services. Businesses are not required to provide HMRC with figures at a product level on their VAT returns, as this would impose an excessive administrative burden.
Asked by: Anthony Browne (Conservative - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has made an estimate of the impact on the number of property transactions of the increase in the residential nil-rate threshold announced in September 2022.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) continues to be an importance source of Government revenue, provisionally raising £14.1 billion in 2021/22.
In September 2022, the Government doubled the level at which purchasers of residential property start paying SDLT from £125,000 to £250,000. The nil-rate threshold under First Time Buyers Relief was also increased from £300,000 to £425,000 with the maximum purchase value for which relief can be claimed increased from £500,000 to £625,000. This will ensure around 43 per cent of purchasers will pay no SDLT.
This measure will remain in place until 31 March 2025 to boost mobility and support the property market during a difficult economic period.
Asked by: Anthony Browne (Conservative - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the impact of Stamp Duty Land Tax on the annual number of property transactions.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) continues to be an importance source of Government revenue, provisionally raising £14.1 billion in 2021/22.
In September 2022, the Government doubled the level at which purchasers of residential property start paying SDLT from £125,000 to £250,000. The nil-rate threshold under First Time Buyers Relief was also increased from £300,000 to £425,000 with the maximum purchase value for which relief can be claimed increased from £500,000 to £625,000. This will ensure around 43 per cent of purchasers will pay no SDLT.
This measure will remain in place until 31 March 2025 to boost mobility and support the property market during a difficult economic period.
Asked by: Anthony Browne (Conservative - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of pension allowances on factors that may incentivise doctors to retire early.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government is committed to ensuring that hard-working NHS staff do not find themselves reducing their work commitments due to the interaction between their pay, their pension, and the relevant tax regime. On 22 September, the Government announced it will change elements of the NHS Pension Scheme to help retain doctors, nurses and other senior NHS staff, to increase capacity. These changes include:
The Government keeps under review how to ensure pension allowances do not penalise those making provisions for their retirement.
Asked by: Anthony Browne (Conservative - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many businesses are paying (a) higher and (b) smaller multiplier rates.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
The small business multiplier for 2022-23 is 49.9p and the standard multiplier is 51.2p. These rates will remain the same for 2023-24.
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities publishes statistics on the numbers of businesses that pay each multiplier. These statistics are available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1060753/NNDR1_2022-23_Supplementary_table_ecomms.xlsx