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Written Question
Energy Bills Rebate: Northern Ireland
Tuesday 19th July 2022

Asked by: Peter Kyle (Labour - Hove)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he has taken to ensure that households in Northern Ireland will be able to receive the £400 energy bill discount of in October 2022.

Answered by Simon Clarke

As I have set out , the UK Government is urgently working to ensure the people of Northern Ireland receive the equivalent of the 26 May Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS) expansion announcement as soon as possible.

The UK Government is working at pace to identify a route to deliver support and to set out the details linked to this commitment.


Written Question
Apprentices: Taxation
Thursday 28th April 2022

Asked by: Peter Kyle (Labour - Hove)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the impact of the apprenticeship levy on businesses in Northern Ireland.

Answered by Simon Clarke

Firms across the UK pay the Apprenticeship Levy on the same basis. Further details can be found at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/pay-apprenticeship-levy.

Skills policy, including apprenticeships, is devolved, making it the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Executive.

As agreed at Spending Review 2021, the Northern Ireland Executive will receive £15 billion per year in funding which can be used in devolved areas, including supporting apprenticeships. These annual block grants are the largest, in real terms, of any spending review settlement since the devolution Acts in 1998.


Written Question
Education: Finance
Monday 21st June 2021

Asked by: Peter Kyle (Labour - Hove)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the relationship between investment in education and long-term financial returns to the public purse.

Answered by Steve Barclay - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

The Chancellor regularly considers a range of evidence when taking decisions, including considerations on the long-term returns to the taxpayer from investment in education.


Written Question
Self-employment Income Support Scheme
Tuesday 19th January 2021

Asked by: Peter Kyle (Labour - Hove)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer on 11 January 2021 to Question 133991 on the Self-employment Income Support Scheme, what plans he has to include newly self-employed people who file a tax return for the 2019-20 financial year in the fourth grant of that scheme.

Answered by Jesse Norman

The Government recognises that taxpayers have faced immense challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic and it has prioritised delivering support to as many people as possible while guarding against the risk of fraud or abuse.

The first Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) grant supported 2.7 million individuals with claims totalling £7.8 billion. A further £5.9 billion has been claimed through the second and, as of 13 December, £4.8 billion through the third SEISS grant.

The fourth grant will cover February to April 2021. The Government will set out further details in due course. The Government has taken a flexible and responsive approach and it will continue to look for ways to improve the SEISS grant and existing support.

The SEISS continues to be just one element of a substantial package of support for the self-employed which includes Bounce Back loans, tax deferrals, rental support, mortgage holidays, self-isolation support payments and other business support grants.


Written Question
Self-employment Income Support Scheme
Monday 11th January 2021

Asked by: Peter Kyle (Labour - Hove)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will extend the eligibility criteria for the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme to provide greater coverage during the January 2021 ovid-19 lockdown period.

Answered by Jesse Norman

Throughout the crisis, the Government’s priority has been to protect lives and livelihoods. The Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) was designed to target support at those who most need it, while protecting the Exchequer against error, fraud, and abuse.

The Government has taken a flexible and responsive approach and will continue to consider the matter carefully and work closely with stakeholders to explore how it can best support different groups.

Moreover, the SEISS continues to be just one element of a substantial package of support for the self-employed. Those ineligible for the SEISS may still be eligible for other elements of the support available. The Universal Credit standard allowance has been temporarily increased for 2020-21 and the Minimum Income Floor relaxed for the duration of the crisis, so that where self-employed claimants' earnings have fallen significantly, their Universal Credit award will have increased to reflect their lower earnings. In addition to this, they may also have access to other elements of the package, including Bounce Back loans, tax deferrals, rental support, mortgage holidays, self-isolation support payments, and other business support grants.


Written Question
Stamp Duty Land Tax: Coronavirus
Friday 16th October 2020

Asked by: Peter Kyle (Labour - Hove)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 8 October 2020 to Question 97543 on Housing: Insulation, if he will make it his policy to extend the temporary reduced rate of Stamp Duty Land Tax for home buyers.

Answered by Jesse Norman

To boost the housing market, the Government decided to cut Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) by temporarily increasing the nil rate band of SDLT to £500,000. This applies from 8 July 2020 to 31 March 2021. The Government keeps all taxes under review, including SDLT, but has no plans to extend the relief.


Written Question
Children: Day Care
Monday 21st September 2020

Asked by: Peter Kyle (Labour - Hove)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will waive the repayment of the childcare element of working tax credit for working parents who lacking adequate childcare provision over summer 2020 used non-Ofsted-registered childcare to retain their jobs.

Answered by Steve Barclay - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

It is important that children get the best start in life, good quality childcare can help with this and we want to ensure that families have access to this.

Without a definition of standards, the quality of childcare can be variable. A consistent regulatory regime for childcare helps ensure children receive the relevant safeguarding and quality standards. This is why, to be entitled to the childcare element of Working Tax Credit, the childcare service used must be registered with the appropriate authority.

Those registered childcare providers were able to continue to provide childcare to key worker and vulnerable children throughout summer 2020.


Written Question
Non-domestic Rates
Monday 9th March 2020

Asked by: Peter Kyle (Labour - Hove)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans his Department has to review the effectiveness of the system of small business rate relief.

Answered by Jesse Norman

The Government is committed to conducting a fundamental review of business rates and further information will be announced in due course.


Written Question
Cash Dispensing
Tuesday 11th February 2020

Asked by: Peter Kyle (Labour - Hove)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to ensure access to cash is maintained in (a) Brighton and Hove and (b) England.

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

The Government is committed to supporting digital payments while safeguarding access to cash for those who need it across the UK.

To support this, the Government has launched the Joint Authorities Cash Strategy (JACS) Group – which is chaired by HM Treasury and brings together the Payment Systems Regulator, Financial Conduct Authority and Bank of England – to ensure a comprehensive oversight of the UK’s overall cash infrastructure.

The Government-established Payment Systems Regulator regulates LINK, the scheme that runs the UK’s largest ATM network, and is holding LINK to account over their commitments to maintain the broad geographic spread of free-to-use ATMs.


Written Question
Child Benefit
Tuesday 4th February 2020

Asked by: Peter Kyle (Labour - Hove)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the Office for Tax Simplification recommendation in its October 2019 publication, Taxation and Life Events: Simplifying tax for individuals, to review the administrative arrangements linked to the operation of Child Benefit.

Answered by Jesse Norman

The Government has always urged parents to claim Child Benefit, in order to receive the associated National Insurance credits and help protect their future right to the State Pension. Parents are advised to do this on the Child Benefit claim form which is included in information packs that go to new parents, through the HMRC helpline, online at GOV.UK, and through partners such as Citizens Advice.

Since April 2019 the Child Benefit claim form and accompanying notes have been updated, with a prominent message on the front page to help people make a decision on whether they should claim and be paid Child Benefit, and to explain the importance of claiming even if they opt not to receive payments.