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Written Question
Visas: Overseas Students
Monday 15th May 2023

Asked by: Alex Davies-Jones (Labour - Pontypridd)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of trends in the number of student visas issued by the Home Department on the economy.

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

Assessments are made when there are policy changes. An Impact Assessment was produced at the time the Student Route was opened by the Home Office, and it assesses the potential impacts (costs and benefits) of the policy, including the fiscal impact to the Exchequer.

The Student Route Impact Assessment is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/916601/IA_-_students.pdf

However, the HM Treasury and the Home Office continue to work closely together in monitoring the performance of visa routes.


Written Question
Visas: Graduates
Monday 15th May 2023

Asked by: Alex Davies-Jones (Labour - Pontypridd)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the fiscal impact of the Graduate visa on the UK economy.

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

The Graduate Route was launched on 1 July 2021. It allows international students to stay in the UK for two years (or three years with a PhD or other doctoral qualification) after successfully completing a course in the UK.

An Impact Assessment was produced at the time by the Home Office, and it assesses the potential impacts (costs and benefits) of the policy, including the fiscal impact to the Exchequer.

The Graduate Route Impact Assessment is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/966659/Graduate_Route_Impact_Assessment.pdf

HM Treasury and the Home Office continue to work closely together in monitoring evaluating the performance of visa routes.


Written Question
National Lottery
Monday 14th March 2022

Asked by: Alex Davies-Jones (Labour - Pontypridd)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the difference has been in the amount of expected income to the Exchequer from the National Lottery and actual income so received in the most recent two rounds of the National Lottery for which such information is available.

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

The information requested is not available.

HMRC report monthly receipts from specific betting and gaming duties, including Lottery Duty. HMRC do not hold information on tax receipts in respect of specific lottery products, events, or “rounds”.

HMRC publish information on Lottery Duty receipts within the ‘UK Betting and Gaming Statistics’ publication: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/uk-betting-and-gaming-statistics.


Written Question
Bank Services
Monday 1st March 2021

Asked by: Alex Davies-Jones (Labour - Pontypridd)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the potential merits of introducing legislative proposals to help protect access for consumers to local banking services.

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

The Treasury does not make assessments of the bank and building society branch network. In 2018, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) undertook an analysis of branch closures as part of its Strategic Review of Retail Banking Business Models. This analysis can be found in Annex 1 of the final report.

The decision to close a branch is a commercial issue for banks and building societies and the Government does not intervene in these decisions. However, the Government does believe it is important the impact on communities is understood, considered and mitigated where possible. That is why the Government continues to be very supportive of the Access to Banking Standard (formerly the Access to Banking Protocol) which commits firms to ensure customers are well informed about branch closures, the bank’s reasons for closure and options for continued access to banking services. These include the Post Office, which allows 95% of business and 99% of personal banking customers to carry out their everyday banking at 11,500 Post Office branches across the UK.

In September 2020, the FCA published guidance setting out its expectation of firms when they are deciding to reduce their physical branches or the number of free-to-use ATMs. Firms are expected to carefully consider the impact of a planned closure on their customers’ everyday banking and cash access needs, and other relevant branch services and consider possible alternative access arrangements.


Written Question
Banks: Closures
Monday 1st March 2021

Asked by: Alex Davies-Jones (Labour - Pontypridd)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an estimate of the number of high street bank branches that have closed in (a) England and (b) Wales in each year since 2015.

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

The Treasury does not make assessments of the bank and building society branch network. In 2018, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) undertook an analysis of branch closures as part of its Strategic Review of Retail Banking Business Models. This analysis can be found in Annex 1 of the final report.

The decision to close a branch is a commercial issue for banks and building societies and the Government does not intervene in these decisions. However, the Government does believe it is important the impact on communities is understood, considered and mitigated where possible. That is why the Government continues to be very supportive of the Access to Banking Standard (formerly the Access to Banking Protocol) which commits firms to ensure customers are well informed about branch closures, the bank’s reasons for closure and options for continued access to banking services. These include the Post Office, which allows 95% of business and 99% of personal banking customers to carry out their everyday banking at 11,500 Post Office branches across the UK.

In September 2020, the FCA published guidance setting out its expectation of firms when they are deciding to reduce their physical branches or the number of free-to-use ATMs. Firms are expected to carefully consider the impact of a planned closure on their customers’ everyday banking and cash access needs, and other relevant branch services and consider possible alternative access arrangements.


Written Question
Banks and Building Societies: Closures
Monday 1st March 2021

Asked by: Alex Davies-Jones (Labour - Pontypridd)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the Access to Banking Protocol on preventing bank and building society branch closures.

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

The Treasury does not make assessments of the bank and building society branch network. In 2018, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) undertook an analysis of branch closures as part of its Strategic Review of Retail Banking Business Models. This analysis can be found in Annex 1 of the final report.

The decision to close a branch is a commercial issue for banks and building societies and the Government does not intervene in these decisions. However, the Government does believe it is important the impact on communities is understood, considered and mitigated where possible. That is why the Government continues to be very supportive of the Access to Banking Standard (formerly the Access to Banking Protocol) which commits firms to ensure customers are well informed about branch closures, the bank’s reasons for closure and options for continued access to banking services. These include the Post Office, which allows 95% of business and 99% of personal banking customers to carry out their everyday banking at 11,500 Post Office branches across the UK.

In September 2020, the FCA published guidance setting out its expectation of firms when they are deciding to reduce their physical branches or the number of free-to-use ATMs. Firms are expected to carefully consider the impact of a planned closure on their customers’ everyday banking and cash access needs, and other relevant branch services and consider possible alternative access arrangements.


Written Question
Self-employment Income Support Scheme
Thursday 1st October 2020

Asked by: Alex Davies-Jones (Labour - Pontypridd)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 25 September 2020 to Question 93721 on Self-employment Income Support Scheme: Personal Care Services, which (a) industries and (b) businesses are included in the other service activities sector bracket when calculating the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme statistics.

Answered by Jesse Norman

The sector “Other service activities” includes the activities of membership organisations, the repair of computers and personal and household goods and a variety of personal service activities. A breakdown of the activities in the sector is provided below.

  • Activities of membership organisations

o Activities of business, employers and professional membership organisations

  • Activities of business and employers membership organisations
  • Activities of professional membership organisations

o Activities of trade unions

  • Activities of trade unions

o Activities of other membership organisations

  • Activities of religious organisations
  • Activities of political organisations
  • Activities of other membership organisations not elsewhere classified

  • Repair of computers and personal and household goods

o Repair of computers and communication equipment

  • Repair of computers and peripheral equipment
  • Repair of communication equipment

o Repair of personal and household goods

  • Repair of consumer electronics
  • Repair of household appliances and home and garden equipment
  • Repair of footwear and leather goods
  • Repair of furniture and home furnishings
  • Repair of watches, clocks and jewellery
  • Repair of other personal and household goods

  • Other personal service activities

o Washing and (dry-)cleaning of textile and fur products

o Hairdressing and other beauty treatment

o Funeral and related activities

o Physical well-being activities

o Other personal service activities not elsewhere classified


Written Question
Personal Care Services: Coronavirus
Monday 28th September 2020

Asked by: Alex Davies-Jones (Labour - Pontypridd)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect on the economy of self-employed beauty industry workers being unable to carry out treatments as a result of covid-19 restrictions remaining in place for the next six months.

Answered by Kemi Badenoch - President of the Board of Trade

The Government recognises that this is a challenging time for the beauty sector, where businesses were required to stay closed for longer than some others.

The SEISS Grant Extension will help the self-employed who are currently actively trading but are facing reduced demand. The Government will provide an initial SEISS grant covering 20% of average monthly trading profits, paid out in a single instalment covering 3 months’ worth of profits, and capped at £1,875 in total. This grant will cover a three-month period from the start of November until the end of January. A second grant will cover a three-month period from the start of February until the end of April.

We will continue to monitor the impact of the restrictions necessary to curb the spread of Covid-19 on businesses and the economy and the need for further support.


Written Question
Self-employment Income Support Scheme: Personal Care Services
Friday 25th September 2020

Asked by: Alex Davies-Jones (Labour - Pontypridd)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of self-employed workers in the beauty industry throughout (a) England, (b) Wales and (c) the UK who have applied for the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme during the covid-19 outbreak.

Answered by Jesse Norman

The information is not held in the form requested. The beauty industry forms part of the “Other service activities” sector.

The number of individuals who have claimed a Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) grant working in that sector are:

1st SEISS grant (by 31st July 2020)

2nd SEISS grant (by 31st August 2020)

England

158,500

128,100

Wales

8,100

6,500

United Kingdom

188,000

152,000

These figures were taken from the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme statistics published on 21 August and 18 September respectively.


Written Question
Self-employment Income Support Scheme: Maternity Leave
Thursday 4th June 2020

Asked by: Alex Davies-Jones (Labour - Pontypridd)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what equality impact assessment his Department made before making the decision not include periods of maternity leave in the monthly payment calculations for the Self Employment Income Support Scheme; and if he will publish that assessment.

Answered by Jesse Norman

HMT takes care to pay due regard to the equality impacts of its policy decisions relating to the Covid-19 outbreak, including the equality impacts of the Self Employment Income Support Scheme, in line with all legal requirements and the Government’s commitment to promoting equality.