Asked by: Ronnie Cowan (Scottish National Party - Inverclyde)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress the Government has made on allocating the Equitable Life Payment Scheme funds to policyholders.
Answered by Steve Barclay - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Equitable Life Payment Scheme is closed to new claims and the government issued the final progress report in November 2016. This report sets out the details regarding the volume and value of payments made, and a copy can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/equitable-life-payment-scheme-final-report.
Asked by: Ronnie Cowan (Scottish National Party - Inverclyde)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what comparative estimate he has made of the number of children living in poverty in (a) the UK, (b) Scotland and (c) Inverclyde constituency if child benefit is (i) frozen and (ii) increased in line with inflation in the next three years.
Answered by David Gauke
The Government has considered the impact on all benefits and tax credits rates that are included in the four year uprating freeze. The Government has published an impact assessment at:
http://www.parliament.uk/documents/impact-assessments/IA15-006C.pdf
Asked by: Ronnie Cowan (Scottish National Party - Inverclyde)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether HM Revenue and Customs plans to drop proposals currently under consultation to increase VAT on solar in response to the EU VAT action plan published on 7 April 2016.
Answered by David Gauke
The reduced VAT rate for solar products remains unchanged and in place.
Asked by: Ronnie Cowan (Scottish National Party - Inverclyde)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many tax credit claims have been (a) identified as potentially fraudulent and (b) reviewed by Concentrix in each local authority area.
Answered by David Gauke
The information requested is not available.
Asked by: Ronnie Cowan (Scottish National Party - Inverclyde)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of tax credit investigations carried out by Concentrix under its contract with his Department have resulted in findings of (a) fraud and (b) error in the claim.
Answered by David Gauke
As at 21 February 2016 Concentrix had closed around 440,000 cases. Around 390,000 of these resulted in no amendment to the award. Around 50,000 awards have been amended, though HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) does not hold information on how many of these were cancelled and how many adjusted.
HMRC does not separate out the number of awards that were amended for error and from the number amended for fraud.
On appeals, I refer the member to the answer I provided on 15 February 2016 to question 26041.
Asked by: Ronnie Cowan (Scottish National Party - Inverclyde)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many tax credit investigations carried out by Concentrix under its contract with his Department have resulted in (a) no change in and (b) withdrawal of the tax credit award; and how many decisions to withdraw such awards were appealed successfully.
Answered by David Gauke
As at 21 February 2016 Concentrix had closed around 440,000 cases. Around 390,000 of these resulted in no amendment to the award. Around 50,000 awards have been amended, though HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) does not hold information on how many of these were cancelled and how many adjusted.
HMRC does not separate out the number of awards that were amended for error and from the number amended for fraud.
On appeals, I refer the member to the answer I provided on 15 February 2016 to question 26041.