Asked by: James Murray (Labour (Co-op) - Ealing North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the value was of (a) Class 1 employee, (b) Class 1 employer, (c) Class 2 and (d) Class 4 self-employed National Insurance Contributions receipts in the 2023-24 financial year.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Office for Budget Responsibility publishes forecast levels of National Insurance receipts in their Economic and Fiscal Outlook report.
Asked by: James Murray (Labour (Co-op) - Ealing North)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 11 December 2023 to Question 5143 on Baby Care Units: Parental Leave, what her planned timetable is for bringing forward the remaining statutory instruments under the Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Act 2023.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
We are committed to introducing Neonatal Care Leave and Pay as quickly as possible and work is ongoing across Government to deliver these new entitlements by April 2025, subject to parliamentary scheduling.
Asked by: James Murray (Labour (Co-op) - Ealing North)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will issue guidance to (a) local authorities and (b) water companies on their obligations to enforce sewage misconnection rectifications where the property owner does not rectify the faults as requested.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Under Section 59 of the Building Act 1984, local authorities can require property owners to rectify unsatisfactory drainage. If a property owner fails to act, the local authority can carry out the works itself and then recover its costs. The Secretary of State and his officials regularly meet with water companies to discuss their obligations, including around drainage performance.
Asked by: James Murray (Labour (Co-op) - Ealing North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to page 37 of his Department's publication entitled, Spring Budget 2024: Policy Costings, published in March 2024, if he will publish the figures used by his Department for the size of the tax base in calculating those costings.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The policy costing was based on data reflecting business rates receipts and reliefs as reported by local authorities in the National Non-Domestic Rates forms, which are publicly available on the gov.uk website.
Asked by: James Murray (Labour (Co-op) - Ealing North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to question 1 of his Department's consultation on business rates avoidance and evasion, published in July 2023, and to page 37 of his Department's publication entitled, Spring Budget 2024: Policy Costings, published in March 2024, whether his Department made an assessment of the potential merits of extending the reset period for empty property relief to six months.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Responses to the Business Rates Avoidance and Evasion consultation made clear that avoidance of business rates through abuse of Empty Property Relief (EPR) is an area we need to take action on. Most respondents, and all those from local government, agreed that extending the EPR ‘reset period’ is an effective means of reducing rates avoidance. Extending the reset period to 13 weeks will help ensure a level playing field between ratepayers while maintaining support for landlords while they seek new tenants for vacant properties.
Asked by: James Murray (Labour (Co-op) - Ealing North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to question 1 of his Department's consultation on business rates avoidance and evasion, published in July 2023, and to page 37 of his Department's publication entitled, Spring Budget 2024: Policy Costings, published in March 2024, whether his Department made an estimate of the Exchequer impact of extending the reset period for empty property relief to six months.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Responses to the Business Rates Avoidance and Evasion consultation made clear that avoidance of business rates through abuse of Empty Property Relief (EPR) is an area we need to take action on. Most respondents, and all those from local government, agreed that extending the EPR ‘reset period’ is an effective means of reducing rates avoidance. Extending the reset period to 13 weeks will help ensure a level playing field between ratepayers while maintaining support for landlords while they seek new tenants for vacant properties.
Asked by: James Murray (Labour (Co-op) - Ealing North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraphs 7.16 and 7.17 of the Ministerial Code, on how many occasions Ministers in his Department have informed the Law Officers that they are the defendants in a libel action in (a) their personal capacity, (b) their official position and (c) both since 19 December 2019.
Answered by Gareth Davies - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
HM Treasury is unable to confirm these details, in line with paragraph 2.13 of the Ministerial Code.
Asked by: James Murray (Labour (Co-op) - Ealing North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 18 December 2023 to Question 6933 on National Insurance Contributions: Software, if he will make an estimate of (a) how many (i) payroll software developers and (ii) employers were unable to make the necessary changes to implement the changes to National Insurance contributions announced at the Autumn Statement 2023 on time and (b) how much resulting customer refunds will be.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Following the changes to National Insurance contributions (NICs) which were announced in Autumn Statement 2023, HMRC’s Basic PAYE Tool went live as planned on 3 January and is available for download on gov.uk.
HMRC provided its assessment of the impacts of the changes on businesses via a Tax Information and Impact Note published alongside the National Insurance Contributions (Reduction in Rates) Bill.
Asked by: James Murray (Labour (Co-op) - Ealing North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 18 December 2023 to Question 6933 on National Insurance Contributions: Software, if he will make an estimate of how many and what proportion of employers have implemented the changes to National Insurance contributions announced in the Autumn Statement 2023.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Following the changes to National Insurance contributions (NICs) which were announced in Autumn Statement 2023, HMRC’s Basic PAYE Tool went live as planned on 3 January and is available for download on gov.uk.
HMRC provided its assessment of the impacts of the changes on businesses via a Tax Information and Impact Note published alongside the National Insurance Contributions (Reduction in Rates) Bill.
Asked by: James Murray (Labour (Co-op) - Ealing North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 18 December 2023 to Question 6933 on National Insurance Contributions: Software, whether an updated version of HMRC’s Basic PAYE Tools was available to download from gov.uk by 6 January 2024.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Following the changes to National Insurance contributions (NICs) which were announced in Autumn Statement 2023, HMRC’s Basic PAYE Tool went live as planned on 3 January and is available for download on gov.uk.
HMRC provided its assessment of the impacts of the changes on businesses via a Tax Information and Impact Note published alongside the National Insurance Contributions (Reduction in Rates) Bill.