Asked by: Michael Fallon (Conservative - Sevenoaks)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what revenue has been raised by the Dart Charge in each year since 2015.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The revenue raised by Dart Charge for financial years 2014-15, 2015-16 and 2016-17 can be found in the Dart Charge annual accounts which can be found at:
Asked by: Michael Fallon (Conservative - Sevenoaks)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to seek EU State Aid approval to renew the Enterprise Management Incentive scheme; and whether he plans to undertake a review of the limits of that scheme.
Answered by Mel Stride - Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
It is the government's intention that the Enterprise Management Incentive scheme should continue. An update will be provided in due course. The government keeps all tax policy under review.
Asked by: Michael Fallon (Conservative - Sevenoaks)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the potential cost to the public purse of reducing the period for which employee participants must hold their shares within share incentives plans from five years to three years.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
Share Incentive Plans allow employees to receive shares in their employer and benefit from Income Tax, National Insurance, and Capital Gains Tax reliefs. There are no current plans to make changes to Share Incentive Plans. The government keeps all areas of the tax system under review.
The dormant assets scheme enables a portion of funds from dormant accounts held by participating bank and building societies to be distributed to good causes via a central reclaim fund. The Government recently issued its response to the independent Commission of Dormant Assets, and is working with industry to consider how the scheme could be expanded to include a broader range of financial assets.
Asked by: Michael Fallon (Conservative - Sevenoaks)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to increase charitable giving by allowing small residual share incentive plan balances to be donated to charity.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
Share Incentive Plans allow employees to receive shares in their employer and benefit from Income Tax, National Insurance, and Capital Gains Tax reliefs. There are no current plans to make changes to Share Incentive Plans. The government keeps all areas of the tax system under review.
The dormant assets scheme enables a portion of funds from dormant accounts held by participating bank and building societies to be distributed to good causes via a central reclaim fund. The Government recently issued its response to the independent Commission of Dormant Assets, and is working with industry to consider how the scheme could be expanded to include a broader range of financial assets.
Asked by: Michael Fallon (Conservative - Sevenoaks)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what plans his Department has to work with the devolved administrations on their proposed pilots of online voting.
Answered by Chloe Smith
The Government engages on a regular basis with the Scottish Government and Welsh Government on a range of matters relating to elections. The Government currently has no plans to pilot electronic voting at polls for which it is responsible, although we are interested to hear about the responses received by the Scottish Government and Welsh Government on this issue.
Asked by: Michael Fallon (Conservative - Sevenoaks)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps would be required for a local council in England to initiate a pilot of online voting.
Answered by Chloe Smith
The Government currently has no plans to pilot online voting and is committed in its 2017 manifesto to retain the traditional method of voting by pencil and paper.
Section 10 of the Representation of the People Act 2000 enables electoral pilot schemes to be held at local level elections in England and Wales. Under section 10, a local authority that wishes to hold a pilot must submit proposals for a scheme to the Secretary of State who will decide whether or not to approve the scheme. If the proposals are approved, the Secretary of State will make an order making the necessary provision to implement the scheme.
Asked by: Michael Fallon (Conservative - Sevenoaks)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to simplify share plans and reduce disincentives to save for people aged 18-30.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The government offers four tax advantaged share schemes, Company Share Option Plan, Share Incentive Plan, Enterprise Management Incentives and Save As You Earn. These enable employers and their employees to mutually benefit from generous Income Tax, National Insurance, and Capital Gains Tax reliefs when they participate. At Autumn Budget 2017 the government announced that employees on the Save As You Earn scheme who take maternity or parental leave will be able to pause their contributions for up to 12 months, extended from the previous limit of 6 months. There are currently no other plans to make changes to the schemes. The government keeps all areas of the tax system under review.
The government is also committed to supporting savers of all incomes and at all stages of life. We have introduced a range of measures, including the Personal Savings Allowance, which mean that over 95% of people pay no tax on their savings income. We have also introduced the Lifetime ISA, which supports younger people to save for the long term by offering them a 25% bonus from the government on savings of up to £4,000 annually.
Asked by: Michael Fallon (Conservative - Sevenoaks)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what barriers his Department has identified to lower earners’ participation in tax-advantaged share schemes.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The government offers four tax advantaged share schemes, Company Share Option Plan, Share Incentive Plan, Enterprise Management Incentives and Save As You Earn. These enable employers and their employees to mutually benefit from generous Income Tax, National Insurance, and Capital Gains Tax reliefs when they participate. At Autumn Budget 2017 the government announced that employees on the Save As You Earn scheme who take maternity or parental leave will be able to pause their contributions for up to 12 months, extended from the previous limit of 6 months. There are currently no other plans to make changes to the schemes. The government keeps all areas of the tax system under review.
The government is also committed to supporting savers of all incomes and at all stages of life. We have introduced a range of measures, including the Personal Savings Allowance, which mean that over 95% of people pay no tax on their savings income. We have also introduced the Lifetime ISA, which supports younger people to save for the long term by offering them a 25% bonus from the government on savings of up to £4,000 annually.
Asked by: Michael Fallon (Conservative - Sevenoaks)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure that freeholders have equivalent rights to leaseholders to challenge unfair service charges.
Answered by Heather Wheeler
The Government is committed to promoting fairness and transparency for leaseholders and freeholders.
On 21 December 2017, the Government set out a package of measures to tackle abuses and unfair practices in the leasehold market.
This includes bringing forward legislation as soon as Parliamentary time allows to ensure that freeholders who pay charges for the maintenance of communal areas and facilities on a private or mixed use estate, can access equivalent rights as leaseholders to challenge the reasonableness of service charges.
Asked by: Michael Fallon (Conservative - Sevenoaks)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to simplify save as you earn schemes and share incentive plans to encourage more people to save.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The government offers four tax advantaged share schemes, Company Share Option Plan, Share Incentive Plan, Enterprise Management Incentives and Save As You Earn. These enable employers and their employees to mutually benefit from generous Income Tax, National Insurance, and Capital Gains Tax reliefs when they participate. At Autumn Budget 2017 the government announced that employees on the Save As You Earn scheme who take maternity or parental leave will be able to pause their contributions for up to 12 months, extended from the previous limit of 6 months. There are currently no other plans to make changes to the schemes. The government keeps all areas of the tax system under review.
The government is also committed to supporting savers of all incomes and at all stages of life. We have introduced a range of measures, including the Personal Savings Allowance, which mean that over 95% of people pay no tax on their savings income. We have also introduced the Lifetime ISA, which supports younger people to save for the long term by offering them a 25% bonus from the government on savings of up to £4,000 annually.