Asked by: Ged Killen (Labour (Co-op) - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to his Department's news story of 3 May 2019, Cash here to stay as government commits to protecting access, if he will publish the remit of the Joint Authorities Cash Strategy Group.
Answered by John Glen
As part of our response to the Call for Evidence on access to cash, the Government announced that the Treasury would set up and chair the Joint Authorities Cash Strategy (JACS) Group.
The Group brings together the Bank of England, Payments Systems Regulator and Financial Conduct Authority. This was in recognition of the need to ensure joined-up oversight of the UK’s cash infrastructure, in light of the changing behaviours and preferences of consumers and businesses.
The Group will coordinate strategy across members, to ensure that the roles and responsibilities of each regulator remain clear and relevant, and that the effects of regulatory activities are evaluated across the full end-to-end cash system. The Group does not affect the statutory responsibilities of individual regulators.
The Group is up and running and further details of its activities will be announced in due course.
Asked by: Ged Killen (Labour (Co-op) - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to his Department's news story of 3 May 2019, Cash here to stay as government commits to protecting access, if he will publish the schedule of meetings of the Joint Authorities Cash Strategy Group; and whether minutes will be taken at those meetings.
Answered by John Glen
As part of our response to the Call for Evidence on access to cash, the Government announced that the Treasury would set up and chair the Joint Authorities Cash Strategy (JACS) Group.
The Group brings together the Bank of England, Payments Systems Regulator and Financial Conduct Authority. This was in recognition of the need to ensure joined-up oversight of the UK’s cash infrastructure, in light of the changing behaviours and preferences of consumers and businesses.
The Group will coordinate strategy across members, to ensure that the roles and responsibilities of each regulator remain clear and relevant, and that the effects of regulatory activities are evaluated across the full end-to-end cash system. The Group does not affect the statutory responsibilities of individual regulators.
The Group is up and running and further details of its activities will be announced in due course.
Asked by: Ged Killen (Labour (Co-op) - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if his Department will publish in full any recommendations produced by the Joint Authorities Cash Strategy Group.
Answered by John Glen
As part of our response to the Call for Evidence on access to cash, the Government announced that the Treasury would set up and chair the Joint Authorities Cash Strategy (JACS) Group.
The Group brings together the Bank of England, Payments Systems Regulator and Financial Conduct Authority. This was in recognition of the need to ensure joined-up oversight of the UK’s cash infrastructure, in light of the changing behaviours and preferences of consumers and businesses.
The Group will coordinate strategy across members, to ensure that the roles and responsibilities of each regulator remain clear and relevant, and that the effects of regulatory activities are evaluated across the full end-to-end cash system. The Group does not affect the statutory responsibilities of individual regulators.
The Group is up and running and further details of its activities will be announced in due course.
Asked by: Ged Killen (Labour (Co-op) - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending (a) the marriage allowance and (b) other benefits to long-term cohabiting couples.
Answered by Mel Stride - Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer
The Government introduced the Marriage Allowance in April 2015. Every time the personal allowance increases, the Marriage Allowance automatically becomes more generous.
The increase to personal allowance to £12,500 means that, from April this year, eligible couples will be able to transfer £1,250, compared to £1,060 in 2015-16. This means that in 2019-20, eligible couples can receive a tax reduction of up to £250, or £1,150 if they make a backdated claim to 2015-16.
The Marriage Allowance was introduced specifically to recognise marriage and civil partnerships in the tax system. Therefore, the Government has made no assessment of extending Marriage Allowance to cohabiting couples.
The majority of benefits are paid on a household basis and the Government currently has no plans to change this.