"My Lords, further education colleges are publicly funded and provide free education. No VAT is charged on these services, meaning colleges cannot recover VAT on their costs. Further education colleges are currently outside the scope of VAT refund schemes that allow some public bodies, such as schools maintained by local …..." Lord Livermore - View Speech
"I am grateful to my noble friend for his question. As I have said, the Government are continuing to look into the VAT position of these colleges. Of course, admitting further education colleges to a VAT refund scheme would be a change in tax policy. As my noble friend knows, …..." Lord Livermore - View Speech
"There is a lot there. I am confident that HMRC accepts the law and is following the law, but I am more than happy to look into the points that the noble Lord raises...." Lord Livermore - View Speech
"As I have already said, the Government are aware of this issue and we are looking into the VAT position of these colleges. As I have also said, we have significantly increased the amount of funding that is going to FE colleges to do the exact things that the noble …..." Lord Livermore - View Speech
"There is a great deal to be said in favour of what Alan Milburn sets out in his interim review. He has published his interim review, setting out the drivers of youth unemployment. Clearly, some of the issues that the noble Lord raises are important to that and a factor …..." Lord Livermore - View Speech
"I agree with my noble friend’s overall point that we want greater levels of parity between FE colleges and other educational establishments. The Government are delivering those measures through our post-16 skills White Paper on developing the skilled workforce that our economy needs and on reaching the target of two-thirds …..." Lord Livermore - View Speech
"Both of those points are swept up in the point that I have already made: the Government are continuing to look into the VAT position of these colleges...." Lord Livermore - View Speech
"I am grateful to my noble friend for her question. I hear what she says and reassure her that the Government are aware of this discrepancy and are actively looking into it...." Lord Livermore - View Speech
"As I have said, we are looking into the VAT position of these colleges. I am not in a position to put a timescale on that just now...." Lord Livermore - View Speech