Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Melton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has made an estimate of the approval rate for (a) individuals and (b) companies that apply to HMRC to have their information redacted from the UK's tax information exchange agreements on human rights grounds.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
HMRC takes secrecy provisions of tax information exchange agreements very seriously and has procedures for dealing with any case of actual or suspected violation. Such incidents are very rare. Appropriate action will depend on the facts and circumstances of the case and can include suspension of the relevant tax information exchange agreement.
In the last ten years HMRC has received no applications from individuals or companies asking to redact information on human rights grounds.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Melton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many applications HMRC has received from people asking to redact their information from the UK’s tax information exchange agreements in the last 10 years.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
HMRC takes secrecy provisions of tax information exchange agreements very seriously and has procedures for dealing with any case of actual or suspected violation. Such incidents are very rare. Appropriate action will depend on the facts and circumstances of the case and can include suspension of the relevant tax information exchange agreement.
In the last ten years HMRC has received no applications from individuals or companies asking to redact information on human rights grounds.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Melton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what guidance his Department has on situations where HMRC discovers a secrecy provision has been violated for one of the UK's tax information exchange agreements; and whether HMRC keeps a record of such violations.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
HMRC takes secrecy provisions of tax information exchange agreements very seriously and has procedures for dealing with any case of actual or suspected violation. Such incidents are very rare. Appropriate action will depend on the facts and circumstances of the case and can include suspension of the relevant tax information exchange agreement.
In the last ten years HMRC has received no applications from individuals or companies asking to redact information on human rights grounds.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Melton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many times tax information has been exchanged with (a) the People’s Republic of China and (b) Hong Kong under (i) Common Reporting Standard and (ii) Exchange of Information on Request agreements in the past year.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
In accordance with the confidentiality rules in the relevant international treaties, HMRC does not release statistics on the number of exchanges with individual jurisdictions. All tax information exchange agreements contain secrecy provisions restricting the disclosure and use of data to tax purposes.
Before jurisdictions can receive financial data under the Common Reporting Standard they are subject to rigorous confidentiality and data safeguards assessments by the Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information. There are circumstances where information is not exchanged with jurisdictions, for example individuals who consider their human rights are at risk if their Common Reporting Standard data is exchanged can apply to HMRC to have their information redacted at IEIM406120_application.pdf (hmrc.gov.uk). Financial institutions have been reminded of the redaction process and HMRC will further engage on this with financial industry representatives.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Melton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what protective measures are in tax information exchange agreements to safeguard the financial data of UK-based diasporas at risk of transnational repression.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
All tax information exchange agreements contain secrecy provisions restricting the disclosure and use of data to tax purposes. Financial data exchanged by the UK under the Common Reporting Standard relates to tax residents of the receiving jurisdiction, not tax residents of the UK, and before jurisdictions can receive any such financial data they are subject to rigorous confidentiality and data safeguards assessments by the Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information. Nevertheless, individuals who consider their human rights are at risk if data is exchanged can apply to HMRC to have their information redacted at IEIM406120_application.pdf (hmrc.gov.uk). Financial institutions have been reminded of the redaction process and HMRC will further engage on this with financial industry representatives.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Melton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department (a) provides and (b) plans to provide support for rural households and businesses that rely on oil to heat their premises.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises the challenges many are facing with pressures on household budgets, due to unprecedented global commodity volatility related to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Consumers of heating oil will be eligible for the £200 Energy Bills Support Scheme from Autumn, as long as they are also domestic electricity customers. Since April, households in council bands A-D have also already begun receiving a £150 rebate.
Financial support remains available for heating customers with energy bills, if eligible, through the Warm Home Discount, Winter Fuel Payment and Cold Weather Payment Schemes.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Melton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department is making on the potential merits of adjusting Care Workers Mileage Tax Rebates in light of increasing petrol prices.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government sets the Approved Mileage Allowance Payments (AMAPs) rates to minimise administrative burdens. AMAP rates aim to reflect running costs including fuel, servicing and depreciation. Depreciation is estimated to constitute the most significant proportion of the AMAP rate.
Employers are not required to use the AMAPs rates. Instead, they can agree to reimburse the actual cost incurred, where individuals can provide evidence of the expenditure, without an Income Tax or National Insurance charge arising.
Alternatively, they can choose to pay a different mileage rate that better reflects their care workers’ circumstances. However, if the payment exceeds the amount due under AMAPs, and this results in a profit for the individual, they will be liable to pay Income Tax and National Insurance contributions on the difference.
The Government keeps this policy under review.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Melton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to Republika Srpska raising £350 million on the London Stock Exchange, what steps the Government has taken to prevent entities potentially seeking to undermine international agreements from using the London Stock Exchange to raise funds.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Financial Conduct Authority is the competent authority for listings on regulated markets in the UK, such as the London Stock Exchange. Companies seeking to admit securities to the Official List must apply to the UK Listing Authority, a division of the Financial Conduct Authority. A decision as to whether or not to grant an application for listing is entirely a matter for the Financial Conduct Authority.Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Melton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what criteria his Department is using to assess possible relocations under the Places for Growth programme.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - President of the Board of Trade
At Budget 2021, the Chancellor announced that the Government’s new economic campus will be located in Darlington. There will be at least 750 roles based there, across teams from HM Treasury, the Department for International Trade, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Office for National Statistics. The Places for Growth relocation strategy prioritises skills and local talent over cost reductions, providing better value for money for the taxpayer. This is just one part of the Government’s Places for Growth programme which will relocate Civil Servants and public bodies, functions and departmental activities outside of London and the South East.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Melton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on (a) the allocation of long-term funding for local authorities and (b) increasing the budget allocated for local authorities.
Answered by Steve Barclay - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
HM Treasury Ministers have regular discussions with Ministers at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. The financial sustainability of local authorities remains a core priority for this Government. The 2020-21 local government finance settlement, which was approved by the House of Commons on the 24th February, will deliver the biggest year-on-year real terms increase in councils’ spending power for a decade. The future funding of local authorities is a matter for the next Spending Review.