Asked by: Steve Barclay (Conservative - North East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimates his Department has made of the amount that would be raised from hedge funds, or similar financial institutions, by closing tax loopholes arising from the use of mixed membership partnerships.
Answered by David Gauke
As part of the partnerships review legislation was introduced in Finance Act 2014 to prevent tax-motivated allocations of business profits in partnerships where the partners include both individuals and companies (mixed membership partnerships).
During consultation, it became apparent that the use of mixed membership partnerships by hedge funds to avoid tax was widespread. As a result, the yield scored for the measure was increased by £1.92 bn over the scorecard period. All of this additional yield relates to the hedge fund sector.
Asked by: Steve Barclay (Conservative - North East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to the written statement of 28 November 2014 by the Minister of State for Housing and Planning, HCWS50, on support for small scale developers, custom and self-builders, when he plans to publish revised planning guidance.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
The changes the Government has made to Section 106 thresholds to encourage house building and cut the cost of new housing are a change in national policy. Associated planning guidance was also updated at the same time.
Planning guidance is kept under review and is updated as required, and we are open to representations on any practical areas where further assistance is needed to help facilitate the implementation of new policy.
I also refer my hon. Friend to the answer of 12 February, to Question 223174, which outlines the rationale for our policy changes.
Asked by: Steve Barclay (Conservative - North East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 3 November 2014 to Question 212483, if he will direct the Chief Executive of Network Rail to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for North East Cambridgeshire of 4 November 2014 on collision protection beams at bridges.
Answered by Claire Perry
Network Rail operates at arm’s length from the Department and is not expected to involve Ministers in regular operational matters.
However, to have not responded by this date is unacceptable and Network Rail advises that a reply will be issued to my Hon Friend for North East Cambridgeshire by 13th February.
Asked by: Steve Barclay (Conservative - North East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to paragraph 4.2 of the report of the Prime Minister's Task Force on Tackling Radicalisation and Extremism, published in December 2013, in how many areas of the country delivery of Prevent has been made a legal requirement.
Answered by James Brokenshire
The report from the Prime Minister’s Task Force on Tackling Radicalisation and Extremism committed the Government to ‘make delivery of Prevent a legal requirement in those areas of the country where extremism is of particular concern’. Chapter 1 of Part 5 of the Counter-Terrorism and Security Bill places a duty on specified authorities to have due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism. These proposals will make the delivery of Prevent a legal requirement across England, Scotland, and Wales.
Asked by: Steve Barclay (Conservative - North East Cambridgeshire)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, which trustees or directors of organisations which were subject to the closure of their banking facilities have subsequently become trustees or directors of other organisations which have received public funds in the last five years.
Answered by Jo Swinson
The Government does not hold this information.
Asked by: Steve Barclay (Conservative - North East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether the Government received or has had access to the report on crude oil theft in Nigeria, prepared by a US Administration delegation sent to Nigeria by President Obama in December 2013.
Answered by Desmond Swayne
The US administration delegation met with British Government Officials in Abuja during their visit to Nigeria and we are aware of their report and its findings.
Asked by: Steve Barclay (Conservative - North East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment the Government has made of financial links between crude oil theft in Nigeria and (a) Boko Haram and (b) wider instability in that country.
Answered by Desmond Swayne
We have received no evidence of a financial link between oil theft and Boko Haram, although our assessment is that there is a financial link between oil theft, organised crime and insecurity within the Niger Delta region.
Asked by: Steve Barclay (Conservative - North East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to paragraph 5.3.2 of the report of the Prime Minister's Task Force on Tackling Radicalisation and Extremism, published in December 2013, what the budget of the Ibaana programme is; to which prisons that programme has been rolled out; and how many prisoners have completed that programme.
Answered by Andrew Selous - Second Church Estates Commissioner
To enable it to carry out its extremism programme NOMS receives funding from OSCT , which does not release the breakdown of funding per sector as this could potentially reveal where the threat to the national security is greatest. This may impact negatively on the delivery of the Prevent programme and the range of activities, including Ibaana, that are currently deployed in prisons to prevent terrorism. This could serve to weaken and prejudice the national security of the UK.
The Ibaana programme is being finalised and will be rolled out, where appropriate, in due course.
Asked by: Steve Barclay (Conservative - North East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to paragraph 5.3.2 of the report of the Prime Minister's Task Force on Tackling Radicalisation and Extremism, published in December 2013, how many one-to-one sessions have been conducted to challenge extremist views in each prison since April 2014.
Answered by Andrew Selous - Second Church Estates Commissioner
To enable it to carry out its extremism programme NOMS receives funding from OSCT , which does not release the breakdown of funding per sector as this could potentially reveal where the threat to the national security is greatest. This may impact negatively on the delivery of the Prevent programme and the range of activities, including Ibaana, that are currently deployed in prisons to prevent terrorism. This could serve to weaken and prejudice the national security of the UK.
The Ibaana programme is being finalised and will be rolled out, where appropriate, in due course.
Asked by: Steve Barclay (Conservative - North East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many British nationals were subject to (a) regulatory fines, (b) civil penalties or (c) criminal penalties because of their involvement with the proceeds of crime arising from international crude oil theft in each year for which records are available.
Answered by Karen Bradley
The Home Office does not hold this information. Involvement with the proceeds of crime arising from crude oil theft is not a separately identifiable offence. Furthermore, The Home Office only collects statistics on crimes committed in
England and Wales, and not on international crime.