Asked by: Conor McGinn (Independent - St Helens North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential economic effect of the UK leaving the EU on (a) St Helens North constituency, (b) Merseyside and (c) the UK.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
While it is clear that we do now face a significant economic challenge as a result of the referendum decision, the UK economy is well placed to respond. Over the last six years we have taken a series of difficult decisions in order to rebuild our economy.
The government has invested in the Northern Powerhouse, securing agreement to elect five new powerful mayors across the north, and making substantial investment commitments in transport, science, research and culture. The employment rate in the North is close to record highs.
Asked by: Conor McGinn (Independent - St Helens North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people under 25 years old in (a) St Helens North constituency, (b) Merseyside and (c) the UK receive tax credits.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
The latest information on the number of tax credit recipients under 25 in the UK can be found in table 3.1 of the April 2015 Personal Tax Credits published statistics, found here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/personal-tax-credits-provisional-statistics-2013-to-2009
These statistics are published in April and December each year.
Asked by: Conor McGinn (Independent - St Helens North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his estimate is of the number of households in St Helens North constituency affected by the changes to tax credits proposed in the Summer Budget 2015; and what his estimate is of the effect on each such household of those changes.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
This information is not available.
Information about the number of benefitting families and average entitlement in the St Helens North constituency in the tax year 2013-14 can be found in the publication ‘Personal tax credits: Finalised award statistics – geographical statistics 2013-2014’ here:
The Government is making changes to Child Tax Credit and Universal Credit which will help put welfare spending on a more sustainable path. The Government wants to move from a low wage, high tax, high welfare society to a higher wage, lower tax, lower welfare society. That means more emphasis on support to hardworking families on low incomes by reducing income tax through increases in the personal allowance and increasing wages, than on topping up low wages through tax credits.
Asked by: Conor McGinn (Independent - St Helens North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many telephone calls to HM Revenue and Customs from residents and businesses in St Helens North constituency were unanswered in 2014-15.
Answered by David Gauke
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) does not hold this data by constituency.
HMRC handles around 50 million telephone calls annually and regularly publishes general performance reports on GOV.UK.