Asked by: Matt Western (Labour - Warwick and Leamington)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the average cost of a mortgage was in Warwick and Leamington constituency in January (a) 2023 and (b) 2024.
Answered by Bim Afolami - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
There is a wide variety of data and statistics about the mortgage market in the UK available from the Bank of England (https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/statistics), the Financial Conduct Authority (https://www.fca.org.uk/data) and UK Finance (https://www.ukfinance.org.uk/data-and-research/data).
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the total value was of (a) cigars, (b) snuff and (c) other tobacco products exported from the UK in (i) 2022 and (ii) 2023; and what were the principal countries of destination for those exports.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is responsible for the collection and publication of data on imports and exports of goods to and from the UK. HMRC releases this information monthly, as a National Statistic called the Overseas Trade in Goods Statistics (OTS), which is available via their dedicated website (www.uktradeinfo.com). From this website, it is possible to build your own data tables based upon bespoke search criteria.
Classification codes (according to the Harmonised System) are available to assist you in accessing published trade statistics data in the UK Global Tariff. Goods moving to and from the UK are identified by an eight-digit commodity code. These are publicly available from the UK Trade Tariff at https://www.gov.uk/trade-tariff.
The data on these exports and for other tobacco products can be obtained from www.uktradeinfo.com.
If you need help or support in constructing a table from the data on uktradeinfo, please contact uktradeinfo@hmrc.gov.uk.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will hold discussions with insurance companies on trends in the level of car insurance premia.
Answered by Bim Afolami - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
Treasury Ministers and officials have regular meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors, including financial services firms, on an ongoing basis.
The Government does not prescribe the terms, conditions or price that insurance companies set when offering insurance. Insurers make commercial decisions about the pricing of insurance following their assessment of the relevant risks. The Government does not intervene in these decisions as this could damage competition in the market.
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is the independent regulator responsible for supervising the insurance industry. The FCA requires firms to ensure their products offer fair value (i.e. if the price a consumer pays for a product or service is reasonable compared to the overall benefits they can expect to receive). The FCA has been clear that it will be monitoring firms to ensure they are providing products that are fair value, and, where necessary, it will take action.
Asked by: Nadia Whittome (Labour - Nottingham East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many times HMRC has taken enforcement action against employers for the underpayment of national living wage for domiciliary care workers as a result of unpaid travel time in the last three years.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The government is determined that everyone who is entitled to the NMW receives it.
HM Revenue and Customs enforces the National Minimum Wage (NMW) and National Living Wage (NLW) in line with the law and policy set out by the Department for Business and Trade. This involves a wide-ranging programme of education and risk led enforcement activity across the whole of UK labour market including social care
HMRC consider all of the risks that might be relevant, when carrying out a review and record whether an employer is compliant or non-compliant.
HMRC does not hold information on how many times HMRC has taken enforcement action against employers for the underpayment of national living wage for domiciliary care workers as a result of unpaid travel time.
Asked by: Claire Hanna (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Belfast South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answers of 17 April 2024 to Question 21426 and 24 April 2024 to Question 22418 on Childcare: Taxation, if he will make a (a) comparative assessment of the average cost of childcare (i) when the tax-free childcare cap was set and (ii) at 24 April 2024 and (b) impact of that change on the effectiveness of tax-free childcare in supporting parents with costs.
Answered by Laura Trott - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
For Tax-Free Childcare, the £2 Government top-up for every £8 parents pay in, and the £2,000 cap on Government support which can be claimed per year and per child, were set at these levels because the Government believes they strike the right balance between helping parents with their childcare costs, and managing the public finances in a responsible way.
The Government keeps all aspects of childcare policy under review.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 24 April 2024 to Question 22821 on Oil: Imports, how many investigations have resulted in (a) criminal actions and (b) other sanctions.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Pursuant to the answer provided on 24 April 2024 to Question 22821, HM Revenue and Customs is responsible for enforcing and investigating export controls on strategic goods and sanctions and investigating potential breaches of those controls.
HM Revenue and Customs’ enforcement outcomes will be published in the UK Strategic Export Controls Annual Report 2023. This will be available on the gov.uk website. This will include collated Compound Settlement details and Prosecutions for this period.
HM Revenue and Customs does not comment on operational enforcement matters pertaining to specific import or export scenarios.
Asked by: Claire Hanna (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Belfast South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when his Department commenced negotiations with the Northern Ireland Minister of Finance on a new fiscal framework for Northern Ireland.
Answered by Laura Trott - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
As committed to in the financial package for the restored Northern Ireland Executive, the UK Government will agree a Fiscal Framework with the Northern Ireland Executive which will outline Northern Ireland’s long-term funding arrangements.
Since the restoration of the Northern Ireland Executive, constructive engagement on the Executive’s Fiscal Framework has taken place between HM Treasury and the Northern Ireland Department of Finance officials, and between myself and the Northern Ireland Finance Minister. My officials and I will continue this regular engagement to progress these negotiations at pace.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the value of imports of (a) vapes and (b) vaping equipment was in (i) 2022 and (ii) 2023; and what proportion of the total value of those imports came from China.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is responsible for the collection and publication of data on imports and exports of goods to and from the UK. HMRC releases this information monthly, as a National Statistic called the Overseas Trade in Goods Statistics (OTS), which is available via their dedicated website (www.uktradeinfo.com). From this website, it is possible to build your own data tables based upon bespoke search criteria.
Classification codes (according to the Harmonised System) are available to assist you in accessing published trade statistics data in the UK Global Tariff. Goods moving to and from the UK are identified by an eight-digit commodity code. These are publicly available from the UK Trade Tariff at https://www.gov.uk/trade-tariff.
The data on the import for these items, including country of export can be obtained from www.uktradeinfo.com.
If you need help or support in constructing a table from the data on uktradeinfo, please contact uktradeinfo@hmrc.gov.uk.
Asked by: Nadia Whittome (Labour - Nottingham East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment HMRC has made of the prevalence of underpayment of the National Living Wage for domiciliary care workers as a result of unpaid travel time.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
HM Revenue and Customs enforces the National Minimum Wage (NMW) and National Living Wage (NLW) in line with the law and policy set out by the Department for Business and Trade (DBT). This involves a wide-ranging programme of education and risk led enforcement activity across the whole of the UK labour market and the associated risks including travel time. All businesses, irrespective of their size or business sector are responsible for paying the correct NMW rates to their staff.
Asked by: Claire Hanna (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Belfast South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his planned timetable is for agreeing a new fiscal framework for Northern Ireland.
Answered by Laura Trott - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
As committed to in the financial package for the restored Northern Ireland Executive, the UK Government will agree a Fiscal Framework with the Northern Ireland Executive which will outline Northern Ireland’s long-term funding arrangements.
Since the restoration of the Northern Ireland Executive, constructive engagement on the Executive’s Fiscal Framework has taken place between HM Treasury and the Northern Ireland Department of Finance officials, and between myself and the Northern Ireland Finance Minister. My officials and I will continue this regular engagement to progress these negotiations at pace.