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Written Question
Members: Correspondence
Thursday 8th June 2023

Asked by: David Linden (Scottish National Party - Glasgow East)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when his Department plans to respond to correspondence of 3 April 2023 from the hon. Member for Glasgow East, reference DL15175, which was transferred to HM Revenue and Customs from the Department for Work and Pensions on 13 April 2023.

Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

HMRC sent the requested information to the hon. Member’s constituent on 1 June 2023 and replied to the hon. Member on 6 June 2023.


Written Question
Energy: Prices
Tuesday 6th June 2023

Asked by: David Linden (Scottish National Party - Glasgow East)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has had recent meetings with SCOPE on their social tariff on energy campaign.

Answered by Gareth Davies - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Officials from HM Treasury and the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero met with SCOPE in January 2023 to discuss energy-related needs and support for disabled people.

In March, the Government set out its intention to consult in Summer 2023 on options for a new approach to consumer protection in the energy markets from April 2024 onwards. The government continues to engage with a range of stakeholders as part of its wider retail market reforms.


Written Question
Gender Based Violence
Thursday 8th December 2022

Asked by: David Linden (Scottish National Party - Glasgow East)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will ensure that Departmental funding for preventing violence against women and girls is protected from potential real-terms spending reductions.

Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

Tackling violence against women and girls is a Government priority. We have made significant progress since publishing the cross-Government Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy and the Tackling Domestic Abuse Plan in 2021 and 2022 respectively, which committed £230 million across-Government to tackling this heinous crime.

In future years, it will be for those departments that lead on Violence Against Women and Girls to determine funding allocations for this work within their wider budgets.


Written Question
Pet Foods: VAT
Thursday 24th November 2022

Asked by: David Linden (Scottish National Party - Glasgow East)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will provide an estimate of the annual cost to the public purse of a change in the rate of VAT on pet food from standard rate to zero defined in sections 6 and 7 of VAT Notice 701/15.

Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

VAT has been designed as a broad-based tax on consumption, and the twenty per cent standard rate applies to the majority of goods and services. Pet food attracts the standard rate of VAT.

Introducing any new VAT reliefs would come at a cost to the Exchequer and any changes should be seen in the context of over £50 billion worth of requests for relief from VAT received since the EU referendum. Given this, there are no plans to change the current VAT treatment of pet food.

The Government keeps all taxes under review. Any future changes to the UK tax system will be costed in the usual way.


Written Question
Development Aid
Tuesday 8th November 2022

Asked by: David Linden (Scottish National Party - Glasgow East)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will increase Official Development Assistance.

Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

In July 2021 the former Chancellor set out the fiscal circumstances under which the UK will make the return to spending 0.7% of its GNI on ODA. This is set out in detail in a written ministerial statement, here: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2021-07-12/hcws172.

Each year, the Government will continue to monitor future forecasts closely and will review and confirm, in accordance with the Act, whether a return to spending 0.7% of GNI on ODA is possible against the latest fiscal forecasts.


Written Question
Private Rented Housing: Tax Allowances
Friday 4th November 2022

Asked by: David Linden (Scottish National Party - Glasgow East)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing tax relief on income generated from the rental of a residential property where the landlord has advanced stage (a) Alzheimer's disease and (b) dementia and the rental income funds their specialist residential care; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

There are a wide range of factors to consider when introducing tax reliefs as they can add significant complexity to the tax system. Tax reliefs are also difficult to target effectively. For example, they do not benefit individuals with income below the Income Tax Personal Allowance.

Recognising the current challenges faced by care homes and local Government, the Government has announced an additional £500 million to support discharge from hospitals into care and the adult social care workforce this winter as part of Our Plan for Patients.

The Government keeps all aspects of the tax system under review. Any decisions on future changes will be taken in the context of the wider public finances.


Written Question
Treasury: Crispin Odey
Monday 17th October 2022

Asked by: David Linden (Scottish National Party - Glasgow East)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has met Crispin Odey since 6 September 2022.

Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Treasury ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery.

Details of ministerial and permanent secretary meetings with external organisations on departmental business are published on a quarterly basis and are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-gifts-and-overseas-travel.


Written Question
Crispin Odey
Monday 17th October 2022

Asked by: David Linden (Scottish National Party - Glasgow East)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has had any meetings with Mr Crispin Odey since 1 August 2022.

Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Treasury ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery.

Details of ministerial and permanent secretary meetings with external organisations on departmental business are published on a quarterly basis and are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-gifts-and-overseas-travel.


Written Question
Alcoholic Drinks: Excise Duties
Thursday 3rd March 2022

Asked by: David Linden (Scottish National Party - Glasgow East)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what comparative assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the way his Department's plans to tax alcohol by product strength with the guidance of the Chief Medical Officer which does not make a distinction in how units of alcohol are consumed in respect of responsible drinking.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government intends to move to a new progressive system of duty that taxes all products in reference to the litres of pure alcohol they contain, with products with higher concentration of alcohol paying a higher rate of duty per unit. As part of this approach, the Government is cutting duty on lower ABV spirits-based drinks, such as pre-packaged gin and tonics, and is increasing duty on higher ABV products, such as strong ‘white’ cider and fortified wine.

The Government received evidence supporting this approach during its call for evidence held in 2020. As set out in the summary of responses published in October 2021, public health groups cited the correlation between cheap, high strength spirits (such as vodka) and alcohol-related harms, as the volume of drink needed to reach intoxication is smaller with higher strength drinks. The Government is therefore addressing these concerns.
Written Question
Alcoholic Drinks: Excise Duties
Thursday 3rd March 2022

Asked by: David Linden (Scottish National Party - Glasgow East)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies that a 4 per cent alcohol by volume pint of beer or cider contains more alcohol than a Scotch Whisky cocktail but raises less duty under his Department's reform proposals; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government intends to move to a new progressive system of duty that taxes all products in reference to the litres of pure alcohol they contain, with products with higher concentration of alcohol paying a higher rate of duty per unit. As part of this approach, the Government is cutting duty on lower ABV spirits-based drinks, such as pre-packaged gin and tonics, and is increasing duty on higher ABV products, such as strong ‘white’ cider and fortified wine.

The Government received evidence supporting this approach during its call for evidence held in 2020. As set out in the summary of responses published in October 2021, public health groups cited the correlation between cheap, high strength spirits (such as vodka) and alcohol-related harms, as the volume of drink needed to reach intoxication is smaller with higher strength drinks. The Government is therefore addressing these concerns.