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Written Question
Economic Cooperation: Morocco
Friday 24th November 2023

Asked by: Stephen McPartland (Conservative - Stevenage)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to strengthen economic relations with Morocco.

Answered by Bim Afolami - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

During the IMF Annual Meetings, the Chancellor met with Ms Nadia Fettah Alaoui, the Moroccan Minister of Finance.

The UK works closely with Morocco to maximise cooperation in a number of areas, including in bilateral trade and investment. The UK Morocco Association Agreement, which entered into force in January 2021, facilitates this trading relationship. Under this agreement, bilateral trade between the United Kingdom and Morocco was worth £3.4 billion in the four quarters to the end of Q2 2023, up £661 million on the same period the previous year. The Government frequently engages with Morocco to promote and support green investment into Morocco, while the UK and Morocco are co-leads on the Power Breakthrough, which aims to make clean power the most affordable and reliable option for all countries by 2030.


Written Question
International Monetary Fund and World Bank: Morocco
Friday 24th November 2023

Asked by: Stephen McPartland (Conservative - Stevenage)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what was the outcome of his meeting with his Moroccan counterpart at the Annual Meeting of the World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund 2023.

Answered by Bim Afolami - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

During the IMF Annual Meetings, the Chancellor met with Ms Nadia Fettah Alaoui, the Moroccan Minister of Finance.

The UK works closely with Morocco to maximise cooperation in a number of areas, including in bilateral trade and investment. The UK Morocco Association Agreement, which entered into force in January 2021, facilitates this trading relationship. Under this agreement, bilateral trade between the United Kingdom and Morocco was worth £3.4 billion in the four quarters to the end of Q2 2023, up £661 million on the same period the previous year. The Government frequently engages with Morocco to promote and support green investment into Morocco, while the UK and Morocco are co-leads on the Power Breakthrough, which aims to make clean power the most affordable and reliable option for all countries by 2030.


Written Question
Electric Vehicles: Taxation
Wednesday 22nd June 2022

Asked by: Stephen McPartland (Conservative - Stevenage)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking towards setting benefit-in-kind taxation rates for 2025-26; and what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Transport on the potential impact of those rates on the adoption of electric vehicles.

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

Like all taxes, benefit-in-kind tax rates for company cars, also known as Company Car Tax (CCT), are kept under review. The Government aims to announce CCT rates at least two years ahead of implementation to provide certainty for employers, employees and fleet operators.


Written Question
Heat Pumps: VAT
Tuesday 2nd November 2021

Asked by: Stephen McPartland (Conservative - Stevenage)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the rate is of VAT on air source heat pumps.

Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport

The UK currently applies a reduced rate of 5 per cent to the installation of air source heat pumps in residential accommodation. Further information can be found in the public notice VAT 708/6 on energy-saving materials and heating equipment: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/vat-on-energy-saving-materials-and-heating-equipment-notice-7086


Written Question
Buildings: VAT Exemptions
Tuesday 2nd November 2021

Asked by: Stephen McPartland (Conservative - Stevenage)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to equalise the zero rate of VAT on new build construction with remediation costs faced by leaseholders in unsafe buildings.

Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport

The Government currently maintains a zero rate of VAT on the construction of new build residential homes.

Remediation work may also qualify for a zero rate as ‘snagging’. This applies when the remediation work forms part of the original construction and the person requesting the remediation work is either the owner, developer, or contractor during the original construction works. Otherwise, remediation work falls under repair and maintenance and attracts the standard rate of VAT.

Going further would come at a cost to the Exchequer. Given this, the Government has no current plans to change the VAT treatment of construction.


Written Question
Leisure: Non-domestic Rates
Tuesday 13th April 2021

Asked by: Stephen McPartland (Conservative - Stevenage)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to extend the business rates holiday in response to the covid-19 outbreak for indoor leisure to March 2022.

Answered by Jesse Norman

The Budget announced a three-month extension to the business rates holiday for eligible businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors that was provided at Budget 2020. This means over 350,000 properties will pay no business rates for three months.

From 1 July 2021, 66% relief will be available subject to a cash cap that depends on whether businesses have been required to close or were able to open. This additional relief takes the total value of support in 2021-22 to £6 billion and means the vast majority of businesses will on average receive 75% relief across the year.


Written Question
Leisure: VAT
Tuesday 13th April 2021

Asked by: Stephen McPartland (Conservative - Stevenage)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has plans to extend the 5 per cent VAT rate in response to the covid-19 outbreak for indoor leisure to March 2022.

Answered by Jesse Norman

The temporary reduced rate of VAT (5 per cent) was introduced on 15 July 2020 to support the cash flow and viability of about 150,000 businesses and protect over 2.4 million jobs in the hospitality and tourism sectors. Admission to leisure centres is not included within the reduced rate, but where a leisure centre operates activity that falls within the reduced rate, e.g. an on-site café, that service will qualify.

As announced at Budget 2021, the Government has extended the temporary reduced rate of VAT for hospitality and tourism and it will now end on 30 September 2021. In addition, to help businesses manage the transition back to the standard rate, a 12.5 per cent rate will then apply for a further six months, until 31 March 2022.

This relief already comes at a £7 billion cost to the Exchequer, and there are no plans to extend the scope of the reduced rate. While some businesses in some sectors are disappointed, a boundary for eligibility had to be drawn.

The Government has made available a comprehensive wider package of support which includes extensions to the furlough scheme; extensions to the COVID-19 loan schemes; grant support; a business rates holiday for all retail, hospitality and leisure business properties; mortgage holidays; enhanced Time to Pay for taxes; and VAT deferrals.


Written Question
VAT: Coronavirus
Monday 25th January 2021

Asked by: Stephen McPartland (Conservative - Stevenage)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to further extend deferral of VAT payments for businesses to help with their cashflow.

Answered by Jesse Norman

The VAT payments deferral scheme ended on 30 June 2020, as planned. There are no current plans to launch another VAT deferral scheme.

As part of the Winter Economy Plan, the Government announced further support for those with deferred VAT. Instead of paying the full deferred VAT outstanding by 31 March 2021, businesses can spread what they owe over up to 11 smaller monthly payments.

More information is available at www.gov.uk/hmrc/vat-deferral.


Written Question
Energy: VAT
Monday 11th January 2021

Asked by: Stephen McPartland (Conservative - Stevenage)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of removing VAT from household energy bills.

Answered by Jesse Norman

Under the current VAT rules, domestic fuels such as gas and electricity are already subject to the reduced VAT rate of five per cent. Although the Government keeps all taxes under review, there are no plans to change the current VAT treatment of domestic energy.


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

Asked by: Stephen McPartland (Conservative - Stevenage)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to extend the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme to the end of April 2021.

Answered by Jesse Norman

The Government has already announced that a fourth grant for the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme will be made available from February to April 2021. Details of the grant will be published in due course.