Asked by: Stuart C McDonald (Scottish National Party - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment his Department has made of the effect of its proposals to relocate HM Revenue and Customs staff to a regional office in Glasgow on disabled staff.
Answered by Mel Stride - Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) conducted a high level people impact assessment using known workforce management data to inform the regional centre location decisions. People and equality impacts are managed at both programme and regional level to mitigate potential impacts on different groups, including disabled staff. The regional people and equality impact assessment is undertaken early in the project and is updated on a regular basis throughout the project.
All staff are offered a one-to-one discussion, normally about a year before any office move which affects them, to establish whether they can move. Under the reasonable adjustment policy, HMRC will work with individuals with particular needs to identify any adjustments required to enable this. Accessibility to regional centres has been factored into overall requirements for those centres from the outset.
As previously announced, the Glasgow Regional Centre is expected to have between 2,700 and 3,000 full time equivalent posts when it opens. East Kilbride will be retained as a transitional site beyond the opening date of the Glasgow Regional Centre until 2025-26. The number of current full time equivalent staff employed at the offices which will feed into the Glasgow Regional Centre is shown in the table below.
Location | Office | Closure date as announced | Full Time Equivalent Employees as of 31/08/2017 | Destination by 2021 |
Cumbernauld | Accounts Office Timing depends on Accounts Office in Shipley | 2019-20 | 980 | Glasgow Regional Centre |
Glasgow | Portcullis House | 2019-20 | 800 | Glasgow Regional Centre |
Glasgow | Cotton House | 2019-20 | 570 | Glasgow Regional Centre |
East Kilbride | Plaza Tower | 2020-21 | 750 | East Kilbride Transitional Site |
Glasgow | Cotton House | 2019-20 | 1600 | East Kilbride Transitional Site |
Specific details about the rental liability of the current HMRC offices in the Glasgow area is commercially sensitive information; disclosing it could compromise the future ability of the landlords to re-let the buildings.
Asked by: Stuart C McDonald (Scottish National Party - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the proposed office capacity is at the HM Revenue and Customs regional centre in Glasgow.
Answered by Mel Stride - Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) conducted a high level people impact assessment using known workforce management data to inform the regional centre location decisions. People and equality impacts are managed at both programme and regional level to mitigate potential impacts on different groups, including disabled staff. The regional people and equality impact assessment is undertaken early in the project and is updated on a regular basis throughout the project.
All staff are offered a one-to-one discussion, normally about a year before any office move which affects them, to establish whether they can move. Under the reasonable adjustment policy, HMRC will work with individuals with particular needs to identify any adjustments required to enable this. Accessibility to regional centres has been factored into overall requirements for those centres from the outset.
As previously announced, the Glasgow Regional Centre is expected to have between 2,700 and 3,000 full time equivalent posts when it opens. East Kilbride will be retained as a transitional site beyond the opening date of the Glasgow Regional Centre until 2025-26. The number of current full time equivalent staff employed at the offices which will feed into the Glasgow Regional Centre is shown in the table below.
Location | Office | Closure date as announced | Full Time Equivalent Employees as of 31/08/2017 | Destination by 2021 |
Cumbernauld | Accounts Office Timing depends on Accounts Office in Shipley | 2019-20 | 980 | Glasgow Regional Centre |
Glasgow | Portcullis House | 2019-20 | 800 | Glasgow Regional Centre |
Glasgow | Cotton House | 2019-20 | 570 | Glasgow Regional Centre |
East Kilbride | Plaza Tower | 2020-21 | 750 | East Kilbride Transitional Site |
Glasgow | Cotton House | 2019-20 | 1600 | East Kilbride Transitional Site |
Specific details about the rental liability of the current HMRC offices in the Glasgow area is commercially sensitive information; disclosing it could compromise the future ability of the landlords to re-let the buildings.
Asked by: Stuart C McDonald (Scottish National Party - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the rental liability is for each of the HM Revenue and Customs sites which are proposed to be consolidated in the new regional centre in Glasgow.
Answered by Mel Stride - Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) conducted a high level people impact assessment using known workforce management data to inform the regional centre location decisions. People and equality impacts are managed at both programme and regional level to mitigate potential impacts on different groups, including disabled staff. The regional people and equality impact assessment is undertaken early in the project and is updated on a regular basis throughout the project.
All staff are offered a one-to-one discussion, normally about a year before any office move which affects them, to establish whether they can move. Under the reasonable adjustment policy, HMRC will work with individuals with particular needs to identify any adjustments required to enable this. Accessibility to regional centres has been factored into overall requirements for those centres from the outset.
As previously announced, the Glasgow Regional Centre is expected to have between 2,700 and 3,000 full time equivalent posts when it opens. East Kilbride will be retained as a transitional site beyond the opening date of the Glasgow Regional Centre until 2025-26. The number of current full time equivalent staff employed at the offices which will feed into the Glasgow Regional Centre is shown in the table below.
Location | Office | Closure date as announced | Full Time Equivalent Employees as of 31/08/2017 | Destination by 2021 |
Cumbernauld | Accounts Office Timing depends on Accounts Office in Shipley | 2019-20 | 980 | Glasgow Regional Centre |
Glasgow | Portcullis House | 2019-20 | 800 | Glasgow Regional Centre |
Glasgow | Cotton House | 2019-20 | 570 | Glasgow Regional Centre |
East Kilbride | Plaza Tower | 2020-21 | 750 | East Kilbride Transitional Site |
Glasgow | Cotton House | 2019-20 | 1600 | East Kilbride Transitional Site |
Specific details about the rental liability of the current HMRC offices in the Glasgow area is commercially sensitive information; disclosing it could compromise the future ability of the landlords to re-let the buildings.
Asked by: Stuart C McDonald (Scottish National Party - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many staff are employed at each HM Revenue and Customs office to be consolidated to form the proposed regional centre in Glasgow.
Answered by Mel Stride - Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) conducted a high level people impact assessment using known workforce management data to inform the regional centre location decisions. People and equality impacts are managed at both programme and regional level to mitigate potential impacts on different groups, including disabled staff. The regional people and equality impact assessment is undertaken early in the project and is updated on a regular basis throughout the project.
All staff are offered a one-to-one discussion, normally about a year before any office move which affects them, to establish whether they can move. Under the reasonable adjustment policy, HMRC will work with individuals with particular needs to identify any adjustments required to enable this. Accessibility to regional centres has been factored into overall requirements for those centres from the outset.
As previously announced, the Glasgow Regional Centre is expected to have between 2,700 and 3,000 full time equivalent posts when it opens. East Kilbride will be retained as a transitional site beyond the opening date of the Glasgow Regional Centre until 2025-26. The number of current full time equivalent staff employed at the offices which will feed into the Glasgow Regional Centre is shown in the table below.
Location | Office | Closure date as announced | Full Time Equivalent Employees as of 31/08/2017 | Destination by 2021 |
Cumbernauld | Accounts Office Timing depends on Accounts Office in Shipley | 2019-20 | 980 | Glasgow Regional Centre |
Glasgow | Portcullis House | 2019-20 | 800 | Glasgow Regional Centre |
Glasgow | Cotton House | 2019-20 | 570 | Glasgow Regional Centre |
East Kilbride | Plaza Tower | 2020-21 | 750 | East Kilbride Transitional Site |
Glasgow | Cotton House | 2019-20 | 1600 | East Kilbride Transitional Site |
Specific details about the rental liability of the current HMRC offices in the Glasgow area is commercially sensitive information; disclosing it could compromise the future ability of the landlords to re-let the buildings.
Asked by: Stuart C McDonald (Scottish National Party - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the (a) capacity and (b) occupancy level is for each of the HM Revenue and Customs offices which are to be consolidated into the proposed regional centre in Glasgow.
Answered by Mel Stride - Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) conducted a high level people impact assessment using known workforce management data to inform the regional centre location decisions. People and equality impacts are managed at both programme and regional level to mitigate potential impacts on different groups, including disabled staff. The regional people and equality impact assessment is undertaken early in the project and is updated on a regular basis throughout the project.
All staff are offered a one-to-one discussion, normally about a year before any office move which affects them, to establish whether they can move. Under the reasonable adjustment policy, HMRC will work with individuals with particular needs to identify any adjustments required to enable this. Accessibility to regional centres has been factored into overall requirements for those centres from the outset.
As previously announced, the Glasgow Regional Centre is expected to have between 2,700 and 3,000 full time equivalent posts when it opens. East Kilbride will be retained as a transitional site beyond the opening date of the Glasgow Regional Centre until 2025-26. The number of current full time equivalent staff employed at the offices which will feed into the Glasgow Regional Centre is shown in the table below.
Location | Office | Closure date as announced | Full Time Equivalent Employees as of 31/08/2017 | Destination by 2021 |
Cumbernauld | Accounts Office Timing depends on Accounts Office in Shipley | 2019-20 | 980 | Glasgow Regional Centre |
Glasgow | Portcullis House | 2019-20 | 800 | Glasgow Regional Centre |
Glasgow | Cotton House | 2019-20 | 570 | Glasgow Regional Centre |
East Kilbride | Plaza Tower | 2020-21 | 750 | East Kilbride Transitional Site |
Glasgow | Cotton House | 2019-20 | 1600 | East Kilbride Transitional Site |
Specific details about the rental liability of the current HMRC offices in the Glasgow area is commercially sensitive information; disclosing it could compromise the future ability of the landlords to re-let the buildings.
Asked by: Stuart C McDonald (Scottish National Party - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he plans to announce his decision on the Making Tax Digital annual income exemption threshold; and if he will make it his policy to announce that decision before introducing related legislation into Parliament.
Answered by Jane Ellison
The level of the initial threshold for the income exemption was explored as part of the Making Tax Digital consultations. Given the range of views expressed, the Government announced on 31 January that it will take more time to consider this issue alongside the fiscal impacts.
A final announcement will be made before legislation is introduced.
Asked by: Stuart C McDonald (Scottish National Party - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the timetable is for making available the Making Tax Digital free software; and whether his Department plans to provide financial support to small businesses to cover the cost of purchasing software in the event that the free software does not enable them to be fully compliant with Making Tax Digital.
Answered by Jane Ellison
HM Revenue and Customs is working closely with the software industry to ensure that a range of software products (including free software) is available before the commencement of Making Tax Digital in April 2018.
The tax system already provides support via various reliefs and deductions for the purchase of hardware and software as well as other expenditure. As part of the Making Tax Digital consultations, the Government sought views on further financial assistance and support. Given the views expressed, it announced on 31 January that it will continue to consider options for assistance and support alongside the fiscal impacts.
Asked by: Stuart C McDonald (Scottish National Party - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on wage growth of recent trends in the Office for Budget Responsibility's economic forecasts.
Answered by David Gauke
Wage growth has now outstripped inflation for 25 consecutive months, the longest period of real wage growth since before the recession. In their November Economic and Fiscal Outlook, the Office for Budget Responsibility forecast wage growth of 2.2% for 2016, and that this would rise to 2.4% in 2017, 2.8% in 2018 and above 3% per annum from 2019 onwards.
Asked by: Stuart C McDonald (Scottish National Party - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, which organisation is expected to meet the cost of redundancy payments to Fujitsu staff at Cumbernald Tax Office who will lose their jobs as a result of the decision of HM Revenue and Customs to end its contract early with Fujitsu at that site.
Answered by Jane Ellison
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is in the last stages of a commercial process with suppliers for the provision of Customer Communication (Print) services. The Invitation to Tender (ITT) made it clear that HMRC would consider the prospect of indemnifying supplier redundancy costs up to a capped limit. As HMRC is still in a live commercial process the details are commercially confidential at this stage.
Asked by: Stuart C McDonald (Scottish National Party - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, (a) what proportion of and (b) how many staff at the offices being replaced by the Croydon Regional Centre have been offered exit packages instead of transferring to that Regional Centre.
Answered by Jane Ellison
The total number of people affected by the migration to the Croydon Regional Centre is 925. Of these, 48 (5.18%) are unable to travel to the Regional Centre and have been offered an Exit package.