To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many of the community interest companies referred to in the advice given by Treasury officials to Ministers in preparation for the Autumn Statement of 2015 as indicated by the response to the Freedom of Information request to a member of Community Energy England dated 30 September 2016 (reference R52/16) are (a) community benefit societies and (b) co-operative societies.
Answered on
13 March 2017
Advice from HM Treasury officials to ministers was released on 30 September 2016 in response to a Freedom of Information request. The advice provides background to the decision to exclude energy generation as a qualifying activity in the venture capital schemes and Social Investment Tax Relief (SITR). The advice, dated 15 October 2015, stated that around 200 community energy schemes had registered in the year to September 2015. Of the 200, 72 were community benefit societies, and the remainder were community interest companies. Co-operative societies were not included in this analysis because they do not qualify for SITR investment.