Asked by: Craig Mackinlay (Conservative - South Thanet)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to suspend penalties for tax credit over-payments arising from the high income child benefit tax charge for PAYE taxpayers and apply the suspended penalty provisions of Paragraph 14, Schedule 24, of the Finance Act 2007 to any outstanding penalties.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
The High Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC) was introduced to ensure that support is targeted at those who need it most. It applies to anyone with an income over £50,000 who claims Child Benefit, or whose partner claims Child Benefit. The tax charge increases gradually for taxpayers with incomes between £50,000 and £60,000.
Those who continue to receive Child Benefit must register for Self Assessment to declare their Child Benefit payments and pay the tax charge through their tax return. HM Revenue and Customs encourages individuals to contact it straightaway to pay the tax charge and the vast majority do so.
Failure to notify penalties are chargeable where an individual does not register for Self Assessment by 5 October following the tax year when the tax charge becomes due. Penalties are only charged if the tax due is not paid in full by the following 31 January. These penalties are statutory and are charged unless the individual has a reasonable excuse given their individual circumstances.
Asked by: Craig Mackinlay (Conservative - South Thanet)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department plans to commission a commemorative 50p coin to mark the UK leaving the EU on 29 March 2019.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The independent Royal Mint Advisory Committee on the Design of Coins, Medals, Seals and Decorations (RMAC), established in 1922, is the body responsible for the development of the nation’s coin themes and designs. Themes and designs are selected by this body to commemorate a selection of significant anniversaries and events relating to the United Kingdom.
The Government has passed the suggestion of commemorating the UK leaving the EU on a coin to the Committee for consideration.
Asked by: Craig Mackinlay (Conservative - South Thanet)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to make it mandatory for NHS dentist practices to notify all stakeholders of a planned closure one year in advance.
Answered by Steve Brine
NHS England has no plans to make it mandatory for National Health Service dental practices to notify all stakeholders of a planned closure one year in advance.
The General Dental Services Regulations and Personal Dental Services Agreement Regulations state that, either commissioners or NHS providers may terminate the contract by providing a minimum three months’ notice.
Asked by: Craig Mackinlay (Conservative - South Thanet)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans his Department has to exempt public conveniences owned or managed by (a) parish and (b) town councils from national non-domestic rates.
Answered by Rishi Sunak - Prime Minister, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service, and Minister for the Union
The Government recognises the importance of public toilets as a valuable community amenity and encourages local authorities to keep them open to the public. We are keeping under review the need for any further action to support local authorities, including parish and town councils, in doing so.
Asked by: Craig Mackinlay (Conservative - South Thanet)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the oral contribution of the Economic Secretary to the Treasury of 19 October 2016 sale of annuities Official Report, column 812, what the timetable is for his Department to publish plans to support pensioners on low incomes with annuities.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
In October 2016, the Government announced that it would not continue with proposals to create a secondary market in annuities. The conditions required for a competitive market could not be balanced with sufficient consumer protections and it would not have been appropriate to allow a market to develop which would have produced poor outcomes for consumers.
The Government is committed to ensuring that older people are able to live with the dignity and respect they deserve and the State Pension is the foundation of state support for older people, with a full new State Pension now worth £164.35 per week. In addition, the Government provides Pension Credit which targets help towards the poorest pensioners who for whatever reason have been unable to provide for their retirement.
The Government also provides bus passes for free travel once an individual reaches the female State Pension age and Winter Fuel Payments to help with heating costs during the winter.
Asked by: Craig Mackinlay (Conservative - South Thanet)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps the Government is taking to help enable people with annuities to access liquidity from their products as a result of changes to their financial circumstances.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The government announced in October 2016 that it would not be continuing with proposals to remove the restrictions on the sale of existing annuities.
As these proposals progressed it became increasingly clear that the conditions required for a competitive market to emerge, with multiple buyers and sellers of annuities, could not be balanced with sufficient consumer protections.
This could have led to consumers receiving poor value for their annuity income streams and suffering higher costs in the sales process. Consumer protection is a top priority for the government and it would not have been acceptable to allow a market to develop which could produce poor outcomes for consumers.
There are no plans to review the decision not to continue with proposals for a secondary market in annuities at this time.
Asked by: Craig Mackinlay (Conservative - South Thanet)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to extend to the annuity market the freedom that people have to access their pensions.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The government announced in October 2016 that it would not be continuing with proposals to remove the restrictions on the sale of existing annuities.
As these proposals progressed it became increasingly clear that the conditions required for a competitive market to emerge, with multiple buyers and sellers of annuities, could not be balanced with sufficient consumer protections.
This could have led to consumers receiving poor value for their annuity income streams and suffering higher costs in the sales process. Consumer protection is a top priority for the government and it would not have been acceptable to allow a market to develop which could produce poor outcomes for consumers.
There are no plans to review the decision not to continue with proposals for a secondary market in annuities at this time.
Asked by: Craig Mackinlay (Conservative - South Thanet)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Government plans to maintain the discard ban on fish after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by George Eustice
The UK Government remains fully committed to ending the wasteful practice of discarding after the UK leaves the EU and will continue to work with the industry to address this issue.
Asked by: Craig Mackinlay (Conservative - South Thanet)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his policy is on banning the use of electric pulse fishing in UK waters after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by George Eustice
The original ban on fishing methods using electric current in EU legislation was followed by a specific derogation to permit electric pulse beam trawl fishing under certain conditions. Those arrangements are currently under consideration.
We will continue to consider all the scientific evidence to inform our negotiations on the EU approach and to develop the UK’s future fisheries regime. The government does have concerns about some of the impacts of pulse trawling.
Whatever the outcome on pulse fishing agreed in EU legislation, once we leave the EU we will decide the terms of access to UK waters. That will give us the ability to ban certain approaches where the latest scientific evidence indicates that is necessary.
Asked by: Craig Mackinlay (Conservative - South Thanet)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether the proposed transition arrangements mean the UK will still be a member of the European Union after 29 March 2019.
Answered by Robin Walker
As the Prime Minister said in Florence, the United Kingdom will cease to be a member of the European Union on 29th March 2019. This delivers on the wishes of the British public and does not change because of the implementation period.