Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he had with Cabinet colleagues on including financial services in the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement includes provisions on financial services, with important commitments on market access and fair treatment in line with recent EU precedent. The Government was clear throughout the negotiations that the Agreement should promote financial stability, market integrity, and investor and consumer protection for financial services, providing a predictable, transparent, and business-friendly environment for cross-border financial services business.
Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement on (a) UK wages and (b) trends in the National Living Wage.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
This is the first free trade agreement the EU has ever reached based on zero tariffs and zero quotas. It is an excellent outcome for families and businesses in every part of the UK. Businesses will be able to continue to trade smoothly, selling to their customers in the EU. From financial services through to automotive manufacturing, the deal protects high quality jobs and investment right across the UK. People will be able to continue to buy goods from Europe tariff-free, protecting consumer prices.
The Government remains committed to its longer-term target for the National Living Wage to reach two thirds of median earnings by 2024, provided economic conditions allow.
Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether (a) post-natal pads and (b) all non-medical incontinence products and (c) breast pads are included in the zero rate announced on sanitary products on 1 January 2021.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The zero rate of VAT for women’s sanitary products was introduced on 1 January 2021. The zero rate applies to products which would have previously attracted the reduced rate and can be described as products which are designed and marketed solely for the absorption or collection of menstrual flow or lochia (discharge from the womb following childbirth). Examples include sanitary pads, tampons and maternity pads for the collection of lochia.
Further information on what is covered can be found in VAT Notice 701/18 on women’s sanitary products on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/vat-on-womens-sanitary-products-notice-70118.
Retail sales of incontinence products are zero-rated, under a long-standing separate relief. Further information on this can be found in VAT Notice 701/7 on reliefs for disabled and older people on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/vat-relief-on-certain-goods-if-you-have-a-disability.
Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will extend the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to enable employers to reclaim 100 per cent of the cost of a maternity suspension on full pay of a woman (a) who is 28 weeks pregnant or beyond and (b) pregnant and clinically extremely vulnerable or otherwise medically advised to shield.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) is available to all employers and employees providing they meet the eligibility criteria, and this includes the clinically extremely vulnerable.
In those cases where appropriate control measures or working from home cannot be put in place for pregnant employees, and so they are placed on a maternity suspension due to their personal health and safety risk, the employer should continue to pay the employees their full pay. It is up to employers to decide whether to furlough those employees who are at the highest risk of severe illness from coronavirus, and if they do, employers can use the CJRS grant to cover 80% of furloughed employees’ salaries, up to £2,500 per month.
Throughout the pandemic the Government’s economic priority has been to protect jobs and livelihoods. Since March, the Government has provided support for people, businesses and public services totalling an estimated £280 billion. In particular, businesses have received billions in loans, tax deferrals, business rate reliefs, and general and sector-specific grants. This support can be used by businesses to top up the CJRS grant, ensuring that they can suspend pregnant employees on full pay.
Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the announcement of 10 December 2020 of a £400m funding package to Northern Ireland, what the Barnett consequentials from that package will be for (a) Scotland and (b) Wales.
Answered by Steve Barclay - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The ‘New Deal for Northern Ireland’ addresses the unique circumstances resulting from the Northern Ireland Protocol. The funding provided by the UK government either supports the whole of the UK, notably in relation to trade between Northern Ireland and Great Britain, or relates to issues specific to Northern Ireland that do not exist in Scotland and Wales.
Providing additional funding to Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland for nation-specific issues on top of Barnett-based funding is fully consistent with the Statement of Funding Policy.
Scotland and Wales will similarly continue to receive direct investment from the UK Government on top of their Barnett-based funding to support growth and address nation-specific issues, including through the City and Regional Growth deals.
Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, on what dates he met with representatives of (a) Excluded U.K., (b) Forgotten Ltd, (c) Forgotten PAYE, (d) Maternity Petition, (e) APPG Gaps in Support, (f) Annual PAYE, (g) New Starter Justice and (h) Refused Furlough.
Answered by Jesse Norman
Treasury ministers and officials have had meetings with a wide variety of organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors, including MPs, businesses, professional representative bodies, and the unions, throughout the development of the COVID-19 support package including both the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme and the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.
This proactive engagement has been widely praised, and the Institute for Government has said: “The Government’s approach to consultation compensated for some of the difficulties of accelerated policy development, because it gave it fast access to information, and an early sense of whether the measures would work and how they would be received by businesses and workers. This contributed to both positive reception on announcement and successful roll-out.”
Details of ministerial and permanent secretary meetings with external organisations on departmental business are published on a quarterly basis and are available at:
Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many supervised company formation agents HMRC visited from (a) 1 Jan 2018 to 31 Dec 2018 and (b) 1 Jan 2019 to 31 Dec 2019.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
HMRC supervises businesses in nine sectors under the Money Laundering Regulations (MLRs), including those Trust or Company Service Providers (TCSPs) not supervised by other bodies. HMRC does not publish information relating to targeting of supervisory visits in particular sectors. Such information could be used by criminals to aid their efforts to attempt to launder money or finance terrorism.
HM Treasury publishes aggregate details of HMRC’s supervision activity in its annual “Anti-money laundering and counter terrorist finance supervision report”.
Since 8 May 2019, HMRC has not identified any company formation agents who should be but are not registered with HMRC.
HMRC’s Anti Money Laundering Supervision team employs 16 full time equivalent staff to identify businesses that should be registered with HMRC under the MLRs but are not. These ‘policing the perimeter’ staff are not designated to specific sectors.
Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many and what proportion of company formation agents that should be registered for supervision but are not have been identified by HMRC since 8 May 2019.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
HMRC supervises businesses in nine sectors under the Money Laundering Regulations (MLRs), including those Trust or Company Service Providers (TCSPs) not supervised by other bodies. HMRC does not publish information relating to targeting of supervisory visits in particular sectors. Such information could be used by criminals to aid their efforts to attempt to launder money or finance terrorism.
HM Treasury publishes aggregate details of HMRC’s supervision activity in its annual “Anti-money laundering and counter terrorist finance supervision report”.
Since 8 May 2019, HMRC has not identified any company formation agents who should be but are not registered with HMRC.
HMRC’s Anti Money Laundering Supervision team employs 16 full time equivalent staff to identify businesses that should be registered with HMRC under the MLRs but are not. These ‘policing the perimeter’ staff are not designated to specific sectors.
Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many HMRC full time equivalent staff are tasked with identifying company formation agents that should be registered for supervision but are not.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
HMRC supervises businesses in nine sectors under the Money Laundering Regulations (MLRs), including those Trust or Company Service Providers (TCSPs) not supervised by other bodies. HMRC does not publish information relating to targeting of supervisory visits in particular sectors. Such information could be used by criminals to aid their efforts to attempt to launder money or finance terrorism.
HM Treasury publishes aggregate details of HMRC’s supervision activity in its annual “Anti-money laundering and counter terrorist finance supervision report”.
Since 8 May 2019, HMRC has not identified any company formation agents who should be but are not registered with HMRC.
HMRC’s Anti Money Laundering Supervision team employs 16 full time equivalent staff to identify businesses that should be registered with HMRC under the MLRs but are not. These ‘policing the perimeter’ staff are not designated to specific sectors.
Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, which media outlets were given embargoed sight of his Statement on the Future of Financial Services, of 9 November 2020; and at what time it was released to them.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - President of the Board of Trade
Checked against delivery versions of Chancellor statements are given to the media once they have been made in the House of Commons.