Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford and Eccles)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will provide sector specific financial support for (a) businesses and (b) employees operating in the (i) aviation industry and (ii) business travel sector in response to the covid-19 pandemic.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - President of the Board of Trade
The Government recognises the challenging times facing the aviation and travel industries as a result of COVID-19.
Firms experiencing difficulties can draw upon the unprecedented package of measures announced by the Chancellor, including schemes to raise capital and flexibilities with tax bills and, where eligible, grant schemes and business rate holidays.
Firms in the aviation and travel industries will also be able to take advantage of the targeted package of measures the Chancellor announced as part of the Winter Economy Plan to support jobs and businesses through the Winter months, including the new Job Support Scheme.
The Government has also recently launched a new Global Travel Taskforce to support the travel industry and the safe recovery of international travel. The border quarantine measures in the UK are being kept under constant review, and where possible the Government has looked to open up travel corridors in order to facilitate increased travel.
The Government will continue to engage closely with these sectors on the impact of COVID-19.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford and Eccles)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Government’s call for employees to work from home where possible, if his Department will grant a 12 months’ business rates holiday to the flexible workspace industry, in line with other service sectors.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Government has provided enhanced support through business rates relief to eligible businesses occupying properties used for retail, hospitality and leisure.
A range of other measures to support all business, including the flexible workspace industry, have also been made available. On 8 July the Chancellor set out a package of measures to support jobs across the UK, including a Job Retention Bonus to help firms keep furloughed workers. On 24 September the Chancellor went further and announced the Job Support Scheme to further protect jobs.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford and Eccles)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much funding was allocated to the Competition and Markets Authority; and how many staff were employed in that organisation in each of the last five years.
Answered by Rishi Sunak - Prime Minister, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service, and Minister for the Union
The annual average number of staff employed by the CMA in each of the last five years is listed in their annual reports as follows:
Year | 14-15 | 15-16 | 16-17 | 17-18 | 18-19 |
Total | 594 | 661 | 589 | 628 | 747 |
Budget allocated to the CMA, as published at Main Estimates in each of the last five years is below.
Year | 14-15 | 15-16 | 16-17 | 17-18 | 18-19 |
Total (£,000) | 70,361 | 74,254 | 147,126 | 77,226 | 119,726 |
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford and Eccles)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps the HMRC National Minimum Wage Enforcement Team has taken to promote national minimum wage compliance in the (a) shipping and (b) offshore energy industries in each calendar year since 2015.
Answered by Mel Stride - Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
The government is determined that everyone who is entitled to the National Minimum and Living Wage (NMW) receives it. Anyone who feels they have been underpaid NMW should contact the Acas helpline on 0300 123 1100 or via the online complaints form at gov.uk. HMRC reviews all complaints that are referred to them.
The number of third party complaints received for each is as follows:
2015 - 2016 | 418 |
2016 - 2017 | 806 |
2017 - 2018 | 2,154 |
HMRC encourages compliance with NMW legislation through a rolling programme of targeted enforcement which incorporates a range of promotion activities targeted at employers and workers. The rise in complaints during 2017-18 is in part due to HMRC promotional activities. For example, HMRC produced seafarers leaflets in 2018, and webinars in 2016 and 2017 aimed at Union Officers including the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport workers.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford and Eccles)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many third party complaints of non-payment of the national minimum wage were received by the HMRC National Minimum Wage Enforcement Team in each calendar year since 2015.
Answered by Mel Stride - Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
The government is determined that everyone who is entitled to the National Minimum and Living Wage (NMW) receives it. Anyone who feels they have been underpaid NMW should contact the Acas helpline on 0300 123 1100 or via the online complaints form at gov.uk. HMRC reviews all complaints that are referred to them.
The number of third party complaints received for each is as follows:
2015 - 2016 | 418 |
2016 - 2017 | 806 |
2017 - 2018 | 2,154 |
HMRC encourages compliance with NMW legislation through a rolling programme of targeted enforcement which incorporates a range of promotion activities targeted at employers and workers. The rise in complaints during 2017-18 is in part due to HMRC promotional activities. For example, HMRC produced seafarers leaflets in 2018, and webinars in 2016 and 2017 aimed at Union Officers including the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport workers.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford and Eccles)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the proportion of public expenditure that is spent on children’s services delivered by local government.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
I refer the hon member to the answer I gave on 17 December 2018 to PQ UIN 202165.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford and Eccles)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to line 40, urban tree planting, of Table 2.1 and paragraph 4.71 of the Budget 2018, how the Government will fund the additional £50 million of carbon credits for qualifying tree planting under the Woodland Carbon Guarantee scheme.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The government’s Woodland Carbon Guarantee will deliver tree planting to help offset carbon emissions and support wildlife. The government is providing up to £50 million of guaranteed future payments over the next thirty years to those who plant qualifying woodland, to purchase carbon credits as trees grow and sequester carbon. Those carbon credits could then be sold, reducing the overall cost to taxpayers. The government will meet this guarantee at future spending reviews. Line 40 (urban tree planting) is a different measure, providing government funding to plant valued trees in and around our towns and cities.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford and Eccles)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 4.4 of Budget 2018, whether the £1.6 billion research and development funding is in addition to the research and development funding announced in table 4.1 of Autumn Budget 2017.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
Since 2016, the government has committed an additional £7 billion from the National Productivity Investment Fund for research and development by 2021/22 – the largest increase for 40 years. Autumn Budget 2018 also provided £60m (see scorecard table 2.1) in support of nuclear fusion, quantum technologies and University Enterprise Zones. This additional funding, together with existing record increases to public R&D spending, meant that government was able to detail plans for allocating over £1.6 billion of investments in innovation and support for key technologies which will drive economic growth across the UK.
Spending breakdowns are available here:
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford and Eccles)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to line 40 of table 2.1 of Budget 2028, how he plans to fund the additional £50 million of carbon credits for qualifying tree planting under the Woodland Carbon Guarantee Scheme announced in paragraph 4.71 of that Budget.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The government’s Woodland Carbon Guarantee will deliver tree planting to help offset carbon emissions and support wildlife. The government is providing up to £50 million of guaranteed future payments over the next thirty years to those who plant qualifying woodland, to purchase carbon credits as trees grow and sequester carbon. Those carbon credits could then be sold, reducing the overall cost to taxpayers. The government will meet this guarantee at future spending reviews. Line 40 (urban tree planting) is a different measure, providing government funding to plant valued trees in and around our towns and cities.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford and Eccles)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the line entitled research and development funding in table 4.1 of Budget 2018, if he will publish a table detailing the allocation of research and development spending in each year included in that forecast.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
Since 2016, the government has committed an additional £7 billion from the National Productivity Investment Fund for research and development by 2021/22 – the largest increase for 40 years. Autumn Budget 2018 also provided £60m (see scorecard table 2.1) in support of nuclear fusion, quantum technologies and University Enterprise Zones. This additional funding, together with existing record increases to public R&D spending, meant that government was able to detail plans for allocating over £1.6 billion of investments in innovation and support for key technologies which will drive economic growth across the UK.
Spending breakdowns are available here: