Asked by: Tommy Sheppard (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has plans to enable employees that had a signed contract but had not started work prior to the announcement of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to be furloughed under that scheme; and when he plans to respond to the letters of 27 March 2020 and 16 April 2020 from the hon. Member for Edinburgh East.
Answered by Jesse Norman
Processing claims for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme where HMRC do not have RTI data by 19 March would require much greater manual handling by HMRC, which would significantly slow down the system while risking substantial levels of fraud. It would also require greater resource for HMRC when they are already under significant pressure to deliver the system designed. Those not eligible for the scheme may be able to access the other support Government is providing, including a package of temporary welfare measures and up to three months’ mortgage payment holidays for those struggling with their mortgage payments.
The Honourable Member will appreciate that at this unprecedented time the Government is receiving very significant volumes of correspondence. HM Treasury officials are working to ensure that all Honourable Members receive a reply to correspondence as soon as possible.
Asked by: Tommy Sheppard (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he plans to take to ensure that insurance companies accept covid-19 as a legitimate claim for businesses when as a result of the recent emergence of that virus it is not named on their policy.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Chancellor has made clear that, for those businesses which have an appropriate policy that covers pandemics and unspecified notifiable diseases, as well as government-ordered closure, the government’s medical advice of 16 March is sufficient to allow businesses to make a claim against their insurance, provided the other terms and conditions in their policy are met.
In addition, the FCA’s rules require insurers to handle claims fairly and promptly; provide reasonable guidance to help a policyholder make a claim, and appropriate information on its progress; not reject a claim unreasonably; and settle claims promptly once settlement terms are agreed.
However, most businesses have not purchased insurance that covers pandemic related losses. As such, any affected businesses should note the government’s full package of support.
The government is in continual dialogue with the insurance sector about its contribution to handling this unprecedented situation.
Asked by: Tommy Sheppard (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the running costs of No.11 Downing Street were in each of the last ten years.
Answered by Simon Clarke
The No 11 Downing Street running costs for the last ten years are in the table below: The figures cover Rent, Maintenance, Furniture & Fittings and Official Entertainment
| Spend £ |
2009-10 | 436,909 |
2010-11 | 351,054 |
2011-12 | 553,903 |
2012-13 | 545,073 |
2013-14 | 643,414 |
2014-15 | 561,089 |
2015-16 | 524,381 |
2016-17 | 698,672 |
2017-18 | 690,648 |
2018-19 | 812,587 |
Asked by: Tommy Sheppard (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department has taken to improve public understanding of the link between national insurance credits and child benefit; and what assessment his Department has made of the effect on the pension income of stay-at-home parents who do not claim child benefit of the high-income child benefit tax charge.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
The government has always encouraged families to claim Child Benefit 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 Bounty Packs that go to new parents), through the HMRC helpline, and online at GOV.UK.
From April 2019 the Child Benefit claim form and accompanying notes will further emphasise the non-monetary benefits a Child Benefit award provides: in particular, the associated National Insurance credits which protect their State Pension.
In addition, HMRC is developing social media content and material that can be distributed to external partners, to further promote the importance of claiming.
Most parents are able to qualify for the new State Pension, even if there are gaps of up to 15 years in their National Insurance records. This means that those parents who have not claimed Child Benefit still have the opportunity to achieve the full State Pension.
Asked by: Tommy Sheppard (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 26 June 2018 to Question 156466, on Fort Kinnaird: Sales, in what ways the revenue from the sale of the Crown Estate’s interest in Fort Kinnaird is planned to be used for the benefit of the UK as a whole.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The Crown Estate’s revenue surplus, including any from the sale of Fort Kinnaird, is passed to the UK Consolidated Fund, which funds activities across the whole of the UK. If the UK government spends more in England, then where policy areas are devolved, the Devolved Administrations will receive a population share of the funding through application of the Barnett formula, which they will be able to spend in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland as they wish.
Asked by: Tommy Sheppard (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to ensure that the Scottish Government receives a share of the sale to a private company of Fort Kinnaird.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
90B(3) of the Scotland Act 1998 stipulated that assets held in joint venture structures, rather than by The Crown Estate alone, were not included in the transfer to Scottish Ministers.
The Crown Estate held a 50% interest in the Gibraltar English Limited Partnership, with the remainder held by the Hercules Unit Trust, advised by British Land.
The Crown Estate operates independently from Government under the Crown Estate Management Act 1961 and therefore HM Treasury has had no discussions on the sale of Fort Kinnaird with private companies.
Revenue from the sale of The Crown Estate’s interest in Fort Kinnaird will be passed to the UK Consolidated Fund, for the benefit of the UK as a whole.
Asked by: Tommy Sheppard (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when his Department began discussions with M&G Estates on the sale of Fort Kinnaird.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
90B(3) of the Scotland Act 1998 stipulated that assets held in joint venture structures, rather than by The Crown Estate alone, were not included in the transfer to Scottish Ministers.
The Crown Estate held a 50% interest in the Gibraltar English Limited Partnership, with the remainder held by the Hercules Unit Trust, advised by British Land.
The Crown Estate operates independently from Government under the Crown Estate Management Act 1961 and therefore HM Treasury has had no discussions on the sale of Fort Kinnaird with private companies.
Revenue from the sale of The Crown Estate’s interest in Fort Kinnaird will be passed to the UK Consolidated Fund, for the benefit of the UK as a whole.
Asked by: Tommy Sheppard (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many private companies his Department held discussions with on sale of Fort Kinnaird; when these meetings took place; and who attended those meetings.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
90B(3) of the Scotland Act 1998 stipulated that assets held in joint venture structures, rather than by The Crown Estate alone, were not included in the transfer to Scottish Ministers.
The Crown Estate held a 50% interest in the Gibraltar English Limited Partnership, with the remainder held by the Hercules Unit Trust, advised by British Land.
The Crown Estate operates independently from Government under the Crown Estate Management Act 1961 and therefore HM Treasury has had no discussions on the sale of Fort Kinnaird with private companies.
Revenue from the sale of The Crown Estate’s interest in Fort Kinnaird will be passed to the UK Consolidated Fund, for the benefit of the UK as a whole.
Asked by: Tommy Sheppard (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what criteria his Department used to decide to sell Fort Kinnaird to a private company.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
90B(3) of the Scotland Act 1998 stipulated that assets held in joint venture structures, rather than by The Crown Estate alone, were not included in the transfer to Scottish Ministers.
The Crown Estate held a 50% interest in the Gibraltar English Limited Partnership, with the remainder held by the Hercules Unit Trust, advised by British Land.
The Crown Estate operates independently from Government under the Crown Estate Management Act 1961 and therefore HM Treasury has had no discussions on the sale of Fort Kinnaird with private companies.
Revenue from the sale of The Crown Estate’s interest in Fort Kinnaird will be passed to the UK Consolidated Fund, for the benefit of the UK as a whole.
Asked by: Tommy Sheppard (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the cost to public purse of the wedding between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The Government has not made an assessment of the costs. The Sovereign Grant, which is paid annually to Her Majesty The Queen to support Her official duties, will not be used to fund the wedding. Thames Valley Police are responsible for the policing of the operation and it is open for them to submit an application to the Home Office for Special Grant funding.