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Written Question
Sanitary Protection: VAT
Tuesday 27th November 2018

Asked by: Paula Sherriff (Labour - Dewsbury)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what equality impact assessment his Department has undertaken under the Equality Act 2010 on (a) gender and (b) other protected characteristics of the level of VAT on sanitary products.

Answered by Mel Stride - Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

HMRC estimates that VAT receipts from the sale of women’s sanitary products were approximately £15 million in each of the last five years. The Government does not anticipate any significant change in the foreseeable future. The exchequer cost of introducing a zero rate of VAT for women’s sanitary products would therefore be approximately £15 million per year.

In January 2018, the European Commission brought forward a legislative proposal with an implementation date of 2022 to enhance Member States’ flexibility to apply reduced and zero rates of VAT. This proposal remains under discussion between officials and, if agreed to by Member States, would give the UK the legal ability to zero rate women’s sanitary products.

In Finance Act 2016, the Government committed to apply a zero rate of VAT to women’s sanitary products as soon as legally possible. In line with both our legal responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 and the Government’s strong commitment to gender equality, ministers carefully consider the impacts for women, along with the impacts for others sharing protected characteristics, when developing fiscal and other policies.


Written Question
Sanitary Protection: VAT
Tuesday 27th November 2018

Asked by: Paula Sherriff (Labour - Dewsbury)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on a potential timeframe for the abolition of VAT on sanitary products.

Answered by Mel Stride - Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

HMRC estimates that VAT receipts from the sale of women’s sanitary products were approximately £15 million in each of the last five years. The Government does not anticipate any significant change in the foreseeable future. The exchequer cost of introducing a zero rate of VAT for women’s sanitary products would therefore be approximately £15 million per year.

In January 2018, the European Commission brought forward a legislative proposal with an implementation date of 2022 to enhance Member States’ flexibility to apply reduced and zero rates of VAT. This proposal remains under discussion between officials and, if agreed to by Member States, would give the UK the legal ability to zero rate women’s sanitary products.

In Finance Act 2016, the Government committed to apply a zero rate of VAT to women’s sanitary products as soon as legally possible. In line with both our legal responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 and the Government’s strong commitment to gender equality, ministers carefully consider the impacts for women, along with the impacts for others sharing protected characteristics, when developing fiscal and other policies.


Written Question
Sanitary Protection: VAT
Tuesday 27th November 2018

Asked by: Paula Sherriff (Labour - Dewsbury)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the potential cost to the public purse of abolishing VAT on sanitary products in each of the next five years.

Answered by Mel Stride - Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

HMRC estimates that VAT receipts from the sale of women’s sanitary products were approximately £15 million in each of the last five years. The Government does not anticipate any significant change in the foreseeable future. The exchequer cost of introducing a zero rate of VAT for women’s sanitary products would therefore be approximately £15 million per year.

In January 2018, the European Commission brought forward a legislative proposal with an implementation date of 2022 to enhance Member States’ flexibility to apply reduced and zero rates of VAT. This proposal remains under discussion between officials and, if agreed to by Member States, would give the UK the legal ability to zero rate women’s sanitary products.

In Finance Act 2016, the Government committed to apply a zero rate of VAT to women’s sanitary products as soon as legally possible. In line with both our legal responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 and the Government’s strong commitment to gender equality, ministers carefully consider the impacts for women, along with the impacts for others sharing protected characteristics, when developing fiscal and other policies.


Written Question
Soft Drinks: Taxation
Monday 4th December 2017

Asked by: Paula Sherriff (Labour - Dewsbury)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 28 November to Question 115565, how much the devolved administrations receive from the Barnett formula arising from the soft drinks industry levy-funded spending package in each financial year of the current spending review period.

Answered by Elizabeth Truss

The Soft Drinks Industry Levy applies across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. In England, the new levy revenue will be invested in giving school-aged children a brighter and healthier future. The Barnett formula will apply to this spending in the normal way, and it will be for the Devolved Administrations to choose how they allocate this funding.

As a result of funding allocated for these purposes to the Department for Education at Budget 2016,

  • In 2016/17 the Scottish Government, Welsh Government and a Northern Ireland Executive will receive £0.3m, £0.2m and £0.1m respectively.

  • In 2017/18, the Scottish Government, Welsh Government and a Northern Ireland Executive will receive £16.4m, £9.5m and £5.5m respectively.

  • In 2018/19, the Scottish Government, Welsh Government and a Northern Ireland Executive will receive £36.7m, £21.2m and £12.3m respectively.

  • In 2019/2020, the Scottish Government, Welsh Government and a Northern Ireland Executive will receive £44.8m, £28.9m and £15m respectively.

    Subsequent changes to the levy-funded spending package in England have had no impact on these allocations.


Written Question
Soft Drinks: Taxation
Friday 1st December 2017

Asked by: Paula Sherriff (Labour - Dewsbury)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the revenue projections for the soft drinks industry levy in the Autumn Budget 2017, Table C.5, what assessment he has made of the potential effect the fall in projected revenue will have on the total revenue funding allocated to the Department for Education in each year of the forecast period.

Answered by Elizabeth Truss

No changes have been made to the funding allocated to the Department for Education as a result of the changes to the revenue projections for the soft drinks industry levy.


Written Question
Unionlearn
Tuesday 28th November 2017

Asked by: Paula Sherriff (Labour - Dewsbury)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to Autumn Budget 2017, paragraph 4.23, how much financial support will be provided to Unionlearn in the next two years.

Answered by Elizabeth Truss

As announced in the Autumn Budget, the government will provide £8.5 million over the next two years to support Unionlearn. This additional funding will bring the total government investment in Unionlearn to £12 million per year for the next two years.


Written Question
Sanitary Protection: VAT
Tuesday 21st November 2017

Asked by: Paula Sherriff (Labour - Dewsbury)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether it is his policy to apply a zero-rate of VAT to women's sanitary products from 11pm on 29 March 2019.

Answered by Mel Stride - Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

The Government has a made a legal commitment to apply a zero rate of VAT to women’s sanitary products as soon as legally possible.


Written Question
VAT: EU Action
Tuesday 21st November 2017

Asked by: Paula Sherriff (Labour - Dewsbury)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the EU Value Added Tax regime will cease to apply to the UK from 11pm on 29 March 2019.

Answered by Mel Stride - Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

VAT will continue to apply in the UK after EU exit. The Taxation (Cross-border Trade) Bill will enable the VAT regime to continue to function effectively after the UK has left the EU.


Written Question
Treasury: Equality
Wednesday 11th January 2017

Asked by: Paula Sherriff (Labour - Dewsbury)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, who the diversity champion is on his departmental board.

Answered by Simon Kirby

HM Treasury has two board level diversity champions, (i) Treasury’s Chief Economic Adviser and (ii) Treasury’s Director of Personal Tax, Welfare and Pensions Group.


Written Question
Overseas Aid
Tuesday 13th December 2016

Asked by: Paula Sherriff (Labour - Dewsbury)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether it is his policy that 0.7 per cent of gross national income is the maximum amount to be allocated to overseas development assistance.

Answered by David Gauke

In line with the International Development (Official Development Assistance Target) Act 2015, HM Treasury allocates sufficient Official Development Assistance (ODA) funding to maintain an ODA: Gross National Income (GNI) ratio of 0.7% - the only country in the G7 and G20 to meet the UN commitment. This commitment takes account of wider public spending considerations.

The amount spent on ODA will continue to rise in each calendar year, reflecting the Office for Budget Responsibility’s latest economic growth forecasts.