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MP calls Debate against Closure of Local Tax Office

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4 years ago

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The Island’s MP, Andrew Turner, called a debate in Westminster yesterday to ask the Minister for HM Treasury, David Gauke MP, to intervene to overturn plans by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to close the Isle of Wight tax office next year.
Like other Government departments, HMRC needs to make savings in their running costs. One of the major ways they plan to do this is by closing all 281 of their enquiry centres across the country, including the office based at Broadlands House in Newport.
Mr Turner said:
“I felt I had to raise this issue with the Minister before the end of the consultation period, as the implications for the Island are serious. If HMRC have their way Islanders are quite likely to have no easy way to obtain face-to-face help with queries on their tax affairs.
“Not only that but nine Tax Advisors, with a combined 186 years experience, would lose their jobs or be paid to move away, to be replaced by a ‘mobile team’ based who knows where. It is planned they would see Island residents to discuss tax issues at local community centres, libraries or, in exceptional circumstances, in their homes. Local staff were told categorically that the mobile team would be based on the mainland and would not form part of those plans. There seems to have been no real attempt to understand the costs or the logistics of delivering services on an Island.
“As I said in my speech, it is like something out of ‘Yes Minister’ – I can picture Sir Humphrey’s self-satisfied smile now.”

HMRC also plan to invest in new telephony and staff training to provide a top-class contact centre where people can phone either a freephone or cheap rate number to get advice. HMRC say they plan to replace the current scheme with a system more tailored to people’s needs.

After Mr Turner’s contribution, Labour’s Shadow Cabinet Exchequer Secretary, Katherine McKinnell MP, commended Mr Turner for securing “an extremely timely and important debate”, going on to say:
“His record of assiduously standing up for his constituents and their interests is well known to the House.”

The Minister said during the debate :
“My hon. Friend asked about the situation on the Isle of Wight. I think that he has been informed that a post in the mobile advisory service will not be available for those who are based there, but let me reassure him that that has not been decided… No decisions have been taken on where the people serving the Isle of Wight will be based. I shall take on board my hon. Friend’s comments and his representation that some of those providing the mobile service on the Isle of Wight should be permanently based there. I can provide no guarantees, but equally I can provide some reassurance that no decisions have been made on that front.”

Mr Turner responded:
“I am very pleased to hear that HMRC are still open to listening to sensible proposals – but that is not what local staff were told. I shall be following this up with a letter to the Chief Executive of HMRC to point out what the Minister has said.”

HMRC Consultation details:
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/supporting-customers-who-need-extra-help-a-new-approach
Link to debate : http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmhansrd/cm130326/halltext/130326h0001.htm#13032651000002

The Island’s MP, Andrew Turner, called a debate in Westminster yesterday to ask the Minister for HM Treasury, David Gauke MP, to intervene to overturn plans by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to close the Isle of Wight tax office next year.
Like other Government departments, HMRC needs to make savings in their running costs. One of the major ways they plan to do this is by closing all 281 of their enquiry centres across the country, including the office based at Broadlands House in Newport.
Mr Turner said:
“I felt I had to raise this issue with the Minister before the end of the consultation period, as the implications for the Island are serious. If HMRC have their way Islanders are quite likely to have no easy way to obtain face-to-face help with queries on their tax affairs.
“Not only that but nine Tax Advisors, with a combined 186 years experience, would lose their jobs or be paid to move away, to be replaced by a ‘mobile team’ based who knows where. It is planned they would see Island residents to discuss tax issues at local community centres, libraries or, in exceptional circumstances, in their homes. Local staff were told categorically that the mobile team would be based on the mainland and would not form part of those plans. There seems to have been no real attempt to understand the costs or the logistics of delivering services on an Island.
“As I said in my speech, it is like something out of ‘Yes Minister’ – I can picture Sir Humphrey’s self-satisfied smile now.”

HMRC also plan to invest in new telephony and staff training to provide a top-class contact centre where people can phone either a freephone or cheap rate number to get advice. HMRC say they plan to replace the current scheme with a system more tailored to people’s needs.

After Mr Turner’s contribution, Labour’s Shadow Cabinet Exchequer Secretary, Katherine McKinnell MP, commended Mr Turner for securing “an extremely timely and important debate”, going on to say:
“His record of assiduously standing up for his constituents and their interests is well known to the House.”

The Minister said during the debate :
“My hon. Friend asked about the situation on the Isle of Wight. I think that he has been informed that a post in the mobile advisory service will not be available for those who are based there, but let me reassure him that that has not been decided… No decisions have been taken on where the people serving the Isle of Wight will be based. I shall take on board my hon. Friend’s comments and his representation that some of those providing the mobile service on the Isle of Wight should be permanently based there. I can provide no guarantees, but equally I can provide some reassurance that no decisions have been made on that front.”

Mr Turner responded:
“I am very pleased to hear that HMRC are still open to listening to sensible proposals – but that is not what local staff were told. I shall be following this up with a letter to the Chief Executive of HMRC to point out what the Minister has said.”

HMRC Consultation details:
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/supporting-customers-who-need-extra-help-a-new-approach
Link to debate : http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmhansrd/cm130326/halltext/130326h0001.htm#13032651000002

The Island’s MP, Andrew Turner, called a debate in Westminster yesterday to ask the Minister for HM Treasury, David Gauke MP, to intervene to overturn plans by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to close the Isle of Wight tax office next year.
Like other Government departments, HMRC needs to make savings in their running costs. One of the major ways they plan to do this is by closing all 281 of their enquiry centres across the country, including the office based at Broadlands House in Newport.
Mr Turner said:
“I felt I had to raise this issue with the Minister before the end of the consultation period, as the implications for the Island are serious. If HMRC have their way Islanders are quite likely to have no easy way to obtain face-to-face help with queries on their tax affairs.
“Not only that but nine Tax Advisors, with a combined 186 years experience, would lose their jobs or be paid to move away, to be replaced by a ‘mobile team’ based who knows where. It is planned they would see Island residents to discuss tax issues at local community centres, libraries or, in exceptional circumstances, in their homes. Local staff were told categorically that the mobile team would be based on the mainland and would not form part of those plans. There seems to have been no real attempt to understand the costs or the logistics of delivering services on an Island.
“As I said in my speech, it is like something out of ‘Yes Minister’ – I can picture Sir Humphrey’s self-satisfied smile now.”

HMRC also plan to invest in new telephony and staff training to provide a top-class contact centre where people can phone either a freephone or cheap rate number to get advice. HMRC say they plan to replace the current scheme with a system more tailored to people’s needs.

After Mr Turner’s contribution, Labour’s Shadow Cabinet Exchequer Secretary, Katherine McKinnell MP, commended Mr Turner for securing “an extremely timely and important debate”, going on to say:
“His record of assiduously standing up for his constituents and their interests is well known to the House.”

The Minister said during the debate :
“My hon. Friend asked about the situation on the Isle of Wight. I think that he has been informed that a post in the mobile advisory service will not be available for those who are based there, but let me reassure him that that has not been decided… No decisions have been taken on where the people serving the Isle of Wight will be based. I shall take on board my hon. Friend’s comments and his representation that some of those providing the mobile service on the Isle of Wight should be permanently based there. I can provide no guarantees, but equally I can provide some reassurance that no decisions have been made on that front.”

Mr Turner responded:
“I am very pleased to hear that HMRC are still open to listening to sensible proposals – but that is not what local staff were told. I shall be following this up with a letter to the Chief Executive of HMRC to point out what the Minister has said.”

HMRC Consultation details:
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/supporting-customers-who-need-extra-help-a-new-approach
Link to debate : http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmhansrd/cm130326/halltext/130326h0001.htm#13032651000002

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Broadlands jobs safe

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4 years ago

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08/14/2020

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Island MP Andrew Turner has received confirmation that the future of jobs and services at Broadlands House are secure following press reports that previously announced new jobs would not now be coming to the Island. Mr Turner said that yesterday’s press reports were completely at odds with assurances he had received both from the Minister last summer and the regional manager as recently as November last year. On hearing the reports that plans had changed he contacted the senior management of JobCentre Plus to seek clarification of the position. To secure you’d have money coming in, you might want to consider playing 카지노 사이트 online. 

Mr Turner said

“I have now received definite confirmation that the plans of Jobcentre Plus have not changed and that they will be keeping a benefit processing centre on the Island as well as establishing one of only two national insurance number processing centres here. I have been told that the additional jobs will arise as their plans are implemented over the coming months.”

Mr Turner went on to say

“During our meeting last November Guy Tompkins Jobcentre Plus’s regional manager was very complimentary about their workforce on the Island and told me that the positive approach of the staff was one of the reasons why they planned to expand on the Island. I am very glad that they see the sense of bringing work to the Island rather than taking it to the mainland and I will continue to press Government to follow their example.

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School Reorganization – Where will £70m come from?

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4 years ago

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08/14/2020

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Government have denied promising the IW Council £70 million to pay for reorganizing Island schools from a three- to a two-tier system. And the Island’s MP has criticized the ‘optimistic noises’ on funding given at consultation meetings. In times like this it is vital to have alternate source of income and playing https://www.ufabet168.info/%E0%B8%9A%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%84%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%A3%E0%B9%88%E0%B8%B2-sa/ online could help us have some sort of financial safety net.

In a Parliamentary Answer to Island MP Andrew Turner it was revealed that there have been absolutely no promises from the Government to provide the estimated £70 million needed for the changes being proposed by council officials. In answering Mr Turner, Stephen Twigg MP, the Minister responsible for school funding, made it clear that the Isle of Wight council has received no assurances that extra money will be made available for the proposed changeover. Mr Turner has criticized the impression given to parents and teachers that obtaining the money needed from central government would not present a problem.

Andrew Turner said,

“During the meeting I attended at Sandown High School it was clearly stated that ‘we can get’ the £70 million needed to change the system. I was surprised to hear that because that simply isn’t the way that Government works. I have asked the Government what promises they have given and they have clearly told me that they have given none. I have now asked the Council what led them to give such a misleading impression to those who went to the trouble of attending the meeting. I have been told that there have been informal meetings with government officials who support these proposals – I am afraid that does not represent government spending commitments. Frankly I am shocked that optimistic noises were made which misled people.”

Exam results and education standards on the Island are far below the national average and the recent report costing £100,000 by 4S recommended changing the system but did not provide any evidence that this alone would improve standards. Mr Turner went on to say:

“There may well be arguments for changing the system – but changing the system does not guarantee improving standards; the issues should not be mixed up. Even the advocates of change admit it would cost a fortune. If that money does not come from central government it will have to come from existing council budgets and be topped up by Island council taxpayers.

“It is at very least disingenuous to suggest that finding the money to achieve change is not an important issue that needs to be discussed as part of these proposals. I am worried that the Council seems to believe that informal discussions with civil servants translates into promises of many millions of pounds – sadly that is not the case.

“We need to raise standards but that is best done by the Council accepting that some schools are better than others, publishing that information to parents, governors, teachers and the wider public, and tackling the problems on a school-by-school basis. It is not as glamorous as being the architect of a whole new system, but it is much more likely to give our children the quality schooling they deserve.”

END

Contact : Andrew Turner 01983 530808

School Building (Isle of Wight)

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what (a) commitments and (b) undertakings she has made to the Isle of Wight Council regarding future capital allocations provided (i) through the Building Schools for the Future programme or (ii) otherwise, whether (A) contingent on or (B) not contingent on school reorganisation. [216280]

Mr. Stephen Twigg: A letter has been sent to all council leaders stating that, for authorities not prioritised in the first three waves of Building Schools for the Future (BSF), including the Isle of Wight, we are determined to make a start on BSF plans between 2005–06 and 2010–11. Our ambition is that in the next full Parliament, subject to future spending decisions, 60 per cent. of all authorities will have started in the BSF programme, or else be given resources to renew at least one secondary school with the greatest need as a school for the future, or as an academy. Each BSF scheme will be judged on its merits, and is not necessarily contingent on school reorganisation. Other capital allocations to the council and its schools were announced on 30 November, and are set out in the following table:

£000
2006–07 14,853
2007–08 15,446

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Can we become a Fairtrade Island?

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4 years ago

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08/14/2020

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As World Fair Trade Fortnight draws to a close this Sunday the Island’s MP Andrew Turner has praised the work of the IW Fairtrade Forum. The Forum is working towards the accolade of Fairtrade Island by building on existing users and suppliers of Fairtrade products to spread the word about the products and the good they do for their producers in the developing world. There are now more than 250 products bearing the distinctive green and blue logo which guarantees a fair deal to producers of such items as coffee, tea, sugar and bananas. Earn money and get ahead of the others. Play simple and interactive betting games at UFABET168.

Andrew Turner said,

“The Fairtrade product range has expanded over recent years and whilst once they were seen as an expensive alternative they now offer good value and quality. In order to become a Fairtrade Island we need more suppliers of the products so everybody really can make a difference by asking their local coffee shop or convenience store to stock a few items from the range. As the largest constituency in the country the Island gaining this accolade really would make a difference and give a boost to the national campaign. Fairtrade really makes a difference to those communities that need a helping hand – and I know that on the Island we have a really caring and compassionate community”.

Jim Curtis the co-ordinator of the IW Fairtrade Forum said

“I very much value Andrew’s support for this campaign. In order for the Island to be recognised in this way we need the active support of the Isle of Wight council as well as that of suppliers across the Island. I urge everyone to let their local councillors know that they would be proud to see us become a Fairtrade Island helping less fortunate people to take control of their own lives and build themselves a better future.

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