Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 28 September 2020 to Question 94333 on Football: taxation, if he will require HMRC to not take action against professional football clubs who find themselves unable to meet their tax obligations as a result of the restrictions imposed as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
HMRC continue to speak to individual clubs, sporting bodies and DCMS to ensure they can give support to businesses experiencing difficulty paying their liabilities. Where clubs have been unable to pay in full, Time to Pay (TTP) arrangements have been agreed. For those unable to submit acceptable proposals or make any payments, HMRC continue to maintain a dialogue with them.
In accordance with the moratorium introduced as part of the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020, along with other creditors, HMRC cannot currently initiate any winding up action against companies. This is in place until 31 December 2020.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what reason (a) self-employed individuals receive wage support up to 20 per cent of pre-covid-19 income under the Self Employment Income Support Scheme and (b) people in full-time employment can receive up to 77 per cent through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) is helping self-employed people adversely affected by COVID-19. 2.7 million people claimed £7.8 billion of support under the first grant, and as at 20 September 2.2 million people had claimed £5.6 billion of support under the second grant.
The Government has announced a package of measures in the Winter Economy Plan that will continue to protect jobs and help businesses through the uncertain months ahead. The package includes a new Job Support Scheme (JSS) and an extension to the SEISS.
Under the next phase of the SEISS, eligible people will be able to claim a taxable grant covering 20% of their average monthly trading profits, paid out in a single instalment covering 3 months’ worth of profits, and capped at £1,875 in total.
Under the Job Support Scheme, employees must be working 33% of their usual hours. For every hour not worked by the employee, both the Government and employer will pay a third each of the usual hourly wage for that employee. The Government contribution will be capped at £697.92 a month.
The Government has broadly aligned the next SEISS grant with the Government’s contribution to the Job Support Scheme. The extension is not intended to provide a direct income replacement, as people will be continuing to work while claiming the grant. Those who require more support may have access to other elements of the Government’s support package.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the letter entitled, Business Rates Support for all Leisure Businesses from the Local Government Association and others, dated 24 April 2020, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of classifying coach operators as leisure businesses to enable those businesses to access covid-19 business rates and grant schemes.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The Government has provided enhanced support through business rates relief and business grants to businesses occupying properties used for retail, hospitality and leisure given the direct and acute impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on those sectors.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has published guidance for Local Authorities (LAs) on the implementation of the business rates holiday for retail, hospitality and leisure. Eligibility is based on the use of property, and it is for LAs to determine eligibility in line with guidance.
While certain businesses will not be eligible for business rates relief, they may still benefit from the wider business and employment support package the Government has made available, including the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) and the deferral of VAT payments for this quarter. In addition, LAs can choose to make discretionary grants to businesses which have been excluded from the existing grants schemes if they consider there is a particular local economic need. To receive a discretionary grant, a business must have been trading as of 11 March and must not have received any other cash grant funded by central Government (with the exception of the SEISS).
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, which local authorities have furloughed workers to date; and how many workers have been furloughed by each of those local authorities.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given on 11 June. As with the answer of 11 June (UIN 55864) it is not possible to provide an answer in the time available. In addition, in order to protect the confidentiality of individual organisations’ tax affairs HMRC are unable to provide information on individual local authorities.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many and which local authorities have furloughed workers to date; and how many workers have been furloughed by each of those local authorities.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
It is not possible to provide an answer in the time available.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether it will be mandatory or voluntary for employers to pay contributions into the furlough scheme when the Government reduces its 80 per cent contribution.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
Employer contributions will be mandatory from August for those who opt to access the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.
In June and July, the Government will pay 80% of wages up to a cap of £2,500 as well as employer National Insurance Contributions (ER NICS) and pension contributions for the hours the employee does not work. Employers will have to pay employees for the hours they work.
In August, the Government will pay 80% of wages up to a cap of £2,500 and employers will pay ER NICs and pension contributions for the hours the employee does not work.
In September, the Government will pay 70% of wages up to a cap of £2,187.50 for the hours the employee does not work. Employers will pay ER NICs and pension contributions and 10% of wages to make up the 80% total, up to a cap of £2,500.
In October, the Government will pay 60% of wages up to a cap of £1,875 for the hours the employee does not work. Employers will pay ER NICs and pension contributions and 20% of wages to make up the 80% total, up to a cap of £2,500.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 7 January 2019 to Question 203305 on Revenue and Customs: Fraud, how many people were convicted of fraud or related offences as a result of investigations by the HMRC Customer Protection Team in (a) 2015-16, (b) 2016-17 and (c) 2017-18; how many staff were employed in the HMRC Customer Protection Team in (i) 2015-16, (ii) 2016-17, (iii) 2017-18 and (iv) 2018-19; and how many European Arrest Warrants were sought as a result of investigations by the HMRC Customer Protection Team in (A) 2015-16, (B) 2016-17 and (C) 2017-18.
Answered by Mel Stride - Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer
The HMRC Customer Protection Team is responsible for reporting known cases, requesting removal of suspicious websites and raising awareness among the general public of how to identify scams and avoid becoming victims of fraud. HMRC’s Fraud Investigation Service (FIS) is responsible for the department’s civil and criminal investigations into the most serious fraud and wrongdoing. FIS ensures that HMRC has an effective approach to tackling the most serious tax evasion and fraud.
Precise data is not held by HMRC in regard to convictions or European Arrest Warrants specifically relating to the sending of suspicious (i) e-mails, (ii) text messages and (iii) phone calls asking for personal information or threatening a lawsuit. HMRC works with law enforcement partners in the UK and internationally, and some individuals responsible for these communications have been arrested and charged by partner agencies, but precise figures are not held. Where sufficient intelligence exists to identify those responsible for such communications, HMRC will pursue a criminal investigation where appropriate
Data security is one of HMRC’s top priorities and the department maintains appropriate skills and capabilities to assess and manage cybersecurity risks. For security reasons, HMRC cannot go into the details of the capabilities deployed in this area.
The total number of people convicted of tax fraud or related offences as a result of investigations by HMRC Fraud Investigation Service is:
Year | Convictions |
2015/16 | 808 |
2016/17 | 807 |
2017/18 | 835 |
HMRC is not a prosecuting authority. HMRC prepares the cases to the highest evidential standard, and pass the case to the relevant prosecuting authority to make a decision on whether the case goes to Court.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many (a) reports of suspicious (i) e-mails, (ii) text messages and (iii) phone calls asking for personal information or threatening a lawsuit were received by HMRC, (b) individuals believed to have been responsible for those communications were (i) identified, (ii) charged and (iii) convicted, (c) HMRC staff were deployed to investigate phishing scams in 2017-18 and (d) HMRC staff have been deployed to investigate such scams in 2018-19; and what recent (A) steps HMRC has taken and (B) assessment he has made of its performance in tackling such scams.
Answered by Mel Stride - Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer
From April 2018 to November 2018, HMRC has received:
reports of suspicious:
(i) e-mails – 636,789
(ii) text messages – 28,639
(iii) phone calls asking for personal information or threatening a lawsuit were received by HMRC – 44,435
HMRC has a dedicated Customer Protection team targeting scams, which has:
However, the information required to answer (b), (c) and (d) cannot be provided as releasing it may prejudice the prevention or detection of crime. The information could be used by individuals for criminal activity and departmental IT systems could be exposed or left vulnerable to interference or attack.
Doing so could give criminals valuable insight into HMRC’s capabilities and processes in this area and cybersecurity in general, opening up the Department and the wider public to more informed and effective scams and attacks. While publishing the information requested could, on the face of it, reassure the public that HMRC is suitably resourced to handle risks posed by cybercrime, on balance it is not in the public interest.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Written Statement of 18 December 2018 on Public Spending, HCWS1205, what the value was of each Department's bid for funding.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
As part of preparing for the UK’s departure from the EU, the Treasury has allocated £2bn of funding for departments in 2019-20. Details of the figures allocated to individual department were announced in the Written Statement on 18th December 2018 (HCWS1205). As ever, the Treasury continually engages with departments on spending pressures. These allocations are reflective of departmental need in various EU Exit scenarios.
HM Treasury does not publish bids received from departments for public spending.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, for each (a) government department and (b) non-departmental public body how much additional funding to support EU-exit related activity in (i) 2018-19 and (ii) 2019-20 has been (A) bid for and (B) allocated; and whether his Department plans to invite further such bids for such funding in 2018-19.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
At the Autumn Budget 2017, the Government committed an additional £3 billion over 2018/19 and 2019/20 to help departments and non-departmental public bodies prepare for the UK’s exit from the EU. As part of the bidding process, non-departmental bodies bid through central departments.
The final allocations for 2018/19 were announced at Spring Statement 2018, with just over £1.5bn allocated to departments and non-departmental public bodies. A full breakdown of allocations can be found in the Chief Secretary’s Written Ministerial Statement, HCWS540, laid on the 13th March (https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2018-03-13/HCWS540/)
The Treasury is discussing EU Exit preparations for 2019/20 with departments and allocations will be announced in due course.