Excise Duties: Oil

Simon Hart: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will publish a list of approved UK tax warehouses for handling oil products; [195107]

(2) what steps the Government have taken to ensure that the excise payment security system is available to small and medium-sized enterprises in the oil products sector; [195108]

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(3) what studies the Government are undertaking on the future of the vapour recovery scheme; and when conclusions from such studies will be published; [195109]

(4) what steps the Government have taken to extend the tax warehousing system to inland road fuel terminals throughout the UK; [195110]

(5) what steps the Government have taken to allow the movement of UK refined oil products to UK oil terminals in coastal tankers on a duty suspended basis. [195111]

Nicky Morgan: This information is held on a HMRC database and includes excise identification and approval numbers unique to the traders listed. For taxpayer confidentiality reasons this information is not publically available, and there is no intention to publish it.

Eligibility criteria for a duty deferment guarantee waiver under the excise payment security system do not apply to or exclude particular sectors. These criteria are published by HMRC, and apply to all applicants.

HMRC is considering the future of the vapour recovery scheme as part of the wider work programme to determine the appropriate course of action in respect of all their extra-statutory concessions.

The Government's policy is not to allow duty suspended movements within the UK, this is both for administrative simplicity and to reduce the opportunities for criminal activity and fraud.

Natural Resources

Dr Whitehead: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he plans to take to implement the recommendations of the second State of Natural Capital report on (a) sustaining economic growth and (b) providing public services; and if he will make a statement. [195082]

Nicky Morgan: The NCC's report contains a range of recommendations which the Government need to consider collectively. The Government will respond to the NCC's report once they have fully considered it.

Nurseries

Lucy Powell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 24 March 2014, Official Report, column 13W, on nurseries, if he will collect information on the number of workplace nurseries available to staff in his Department, his Department's executive agencies or non-departmental public bodies in those years. [195199]

Nicky Morgan: There have been no workplace nurseries operated by the Department, its Executive agencies or non-departmental public bodies during any of the years in question.

Pensions

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to amend rules on the deliberate deprivation of capital used in the means test for social care funding as a consequence of the planned changes to pensions from 2015. [194792]

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Mr Gauke: This measure fundamentally changes the way that people can access their retirement savings, and so depending on the decisions they make, people may increase or decrease their chances of being eligible for means-tested services at some point in their retirement. We will ensure that the relevant guidance, including where necessary the guidance on deliberate deprivation of capital, is updated before the new flexibilities are implemented in April 2015.

Public Expenditure: Northern Ireland

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the likely reduction to the block grant for Northern Ireland in the current financial year arising from lack of progress on welfare reform. [194898]

Danny Alexander: I have written to the Northern Ireland Minister for Finance and Personnel setting out that the Treasury will reduce Northern Ireland Executive budgets to reflect savings foregone as a result of the lack of progress on welfare reforms already in place in the rest of the United Kingdom. For 2014-15 those estimated savings are £87 million and in 2015-16 they will rise to £114 million.

Revenue and Customs

Ms Ritchie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made on the voluntary exit scheme for staff at HM Revenue and Customs offices in Northern Ireland. [195122]

Mr Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) launched two voluntary exit schemes in November 2013 for people in 21 of its offices and for people in its debt management and banking division. Further schemes were opened in February 2014 for eligible staff at administrative assistant grade across the country, and for people affected by the decision to replace inquiry centres with a new service for customers who need extra help.

There are nine offices or inquiry centres across Northern Ireland where eligible people have been invited to apply for one of the schemes. A summary of the progress at 4 April 2014 can be found in the following table.

LocationInvited to applyApplied for VEOffered VE1Accepted VEDeclined VEPending decision2

Antrim

1

1

1

-

-

1

Ballymena

4

3

3

1

-

2

Belfast

17

14

11

5

3

3

Coleraine

10

9

9

3

3

3

Craigavon

11

7

7

3

1

3

Enniskillen

30

24

23

5

17

1

Lisburn

8

7

7

4

1

2

Londonderry

79

66

66

32

34

0

Newry

137

45

45

30

15

0

Total

297

176

172

83

74

15

1 Four of those that applied withdrew their applications after being successful in obtaining a post in the new service for customers who need extra help. 2 A decision is pending for 15 people as they have until 28 April to decide whether or not to accept a formal offer of voluntary exit.

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Tobacco

Paul Flynn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of contraband cigarettes entering the UK were originally manufactured in the UK. [195150]

Mr Gauke: The information requested is not available. HM Revenue and Customs records data on seizures of illicit products but these do not include the country of manufacture.

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Unpaid Taxes

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people have been issued demand notices for unpaid tax since the introduction of the £50,000 maximum tax relief on pensions contributions in April 2011. [194791]

Mr Gauke: HMRC does not hold data on the total number of letters issued demanding payment of an established and overdue tax debt since April 2011. Each taxpayer with an established and overdue debt may receive several letters requesting payment.