Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool Walton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the (a) staffing and (b) non-staffing costs of HM Revenue and Customs tax compliance activities were in each of the last five financial years.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The staffing costs within HM Revenue and Customs tax compliance activities in the periods April 2018 to March 2023 were as follows:
£ | 2018/19 | 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 |
Paybill | 1,024,672,861 | 1,134,211,894 | 1,148,916,526 | 1,273,775,204 | 1,485,502,301 |
The non-staffing costs within HM Revenue and Customs tax compliance activities in the periods April 2018 to March 2023 were as follows:
£ | 2018/19 | 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 |
Non-pay | 117,439,386 | 119,558,799 | 93,319,383 | 118,679,301 | 122,382,915 |
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool Walton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with relevant stakeholders on (a) the role of face-to-face banking services and (b) steps being taken to ensure that such services remain available.
Answered by Bim Afolami
Decisions on opening and closing branches are taken by the management team of each bank on a commercial basis.
Nonetheless, the Government believes that the impact of branch closures should be mitigated where possible so that all customers, wherever they live, continue to have access to appropriate banking services.
The Government supports industry working together to provide alternative banking and cash services, such as Banking Hubs. To date, industry has committed to delivering new shared Banking Hubs in over 90 communities. Further alternative options to access everyday banking services can be via telephone banking, through digital means such as mobile or online banking and via the Post Office. The Post Office Banking Framework allows 99% of personal banking and 95% of business customers to deposit cheques, check their balance and withdraw and deposit cash at 11,500 Post Office branches across the UK.
Guidance from the Financial Conduct Authority also sets out its expectation of firms when they are deciding to close their branches. Firms are expected to carefully consider the impact of a planned closure on their customers’ everyday banking and cash access needs, particularly for customers in vulnerable circumstances, and consider possible alternative access arrangements. This seeks to ensure the implementation of closure decisions is done in a way that treats customers fairly. The Consumer Duty also requires that firms deliver “good outcomes” for customers.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool Walton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of bank branch closures on (a) local economies and (b) levels of inequality.
Answered by Bim Afolami
Decisions on opening and closing branches are taken by the management team of each bank on a commercial basis.
Nonetheless, the Government believes that the impact of branch closures should be mitigated where possible so that all customers, wherever they live, continue to have access to appropriate banking services.
The Government supports industry working together to provide alternative banking and cash services, such as Banking Hubs. To date, industry has committed to delivering new shared Banking Hubs in over 90 communities. Further alternative options to access everyday banking services can be via telephone banking, through digital means such as mobile or online banking and via the Post Office. The Post Office Banking Framework allows 99% of personal banking and 95% of business customers to deposit cheques, check their balance and withdraw and deposit cash at 11,500 Post Office branches across the UK.
Guidance from the Financial Conduct Authority also sets out its expectation of firms when they are deciding to close their branches. Firms are expected to carefully consider the impact of a planned closure on their customers’ everyday banking and cash access needs, particularly for customers in vulnerable circumstances, and consider possible alternative access arrangements. This seeks to ensure the implementation of closure decisions is done in a way that treats customers fairly. The Consumer Duty also requires that firms deliver “good outcomes” for customers.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool Walton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the report by ActionAid entitled How the Finance Flows: The banks fuelling the climate crisis, published 4 September 2023.
Answered by Bim Afolami
The government welcomes representations from industry relating to finance and Net Zero.
The Government and officials engage with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool Walton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will take steps to require private creditors to participate in initiatives to ease the debt burden on low-income countries.
Answered by Bim Afolami
The UK, alongside the G20 and Paris Club, expects creditors, including private creditors, to participate in debt restructurings on comparable terms. This is a fundamental principle of the G20 Common Framework.
At this stage, the Government is not pursuing a legislative approach that would force private or other lenders to participate in debt restructurings. The Government is focused on delivering a market-based (contractual) approach to private sector participation, including taking the lead in developing Majority Voting Provisions for private syndicated loans. These promote more efficient restructurings and reduce the ability for creditors to hold out.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool Walton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to ensure that no creditor can sue for more than they would have got if they had taken part in (a) the Common Framework for debt restructuring and (b) any other internationally agreed debt restructuring the Government is party to.
Answered by Bim Afolami
The UK, alongside the G20 and Paris Club, expects creditors, including private creditors, to participate in debt restructurings on comparable terms. This is a fundamental principle of the G20 Common Framework.
At this stage, the Government is not pursuing a legislative approach that would force private or other lenders to participate in debt restructurings. The Government is focused on delivering a market-based (contractual) approach to private sector participation, including taking the lead in developing Majority Voting Provisions for private syndicated loans. These promote more efficient restructurings and reduce the ability for creditors to hold out.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool Walton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what reason the UK Permanent Representative at the United Nations voted against the resolution proposed by the Africa Group entitled Promotion of inclusive and effective international cooperation on tax matters at the United Nations; and whether the Government plans to support the development of a new UN Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation following the adoption of that resolution.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The UK strongly supports developing countries’ efforts to scale-up domestic resource mobilisation to finance sustainable development.
The International Development White Paper published on Monday 20th November commits to building a stronger and fairer international tax system for all.
However, the UK, alongside many other countries, is concerned that proceeding with a UN convention on international tax at this time would not be the most effective way to achieve these goals. An Explanation of vote was published on GOV.UK on 22 November: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/the-uk-is-committed-to-building-a-fairer-international-tax-system-for-all-uk-statement-at-the-un-second-committee.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool Walton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 13 September 2023 to Question 197911 on Prison Officers: Pensions, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of reducing the pension age of prison officers to 60.
Answered by John Glen
The Government values hardworking prison officers and has recently accepted the recommendations of the Prison Service Pay Review Body (PSPRB) for 2023/24 in full. Normal Pension Age in the civil service alpha scheme is set at a member’s State Pension age, and the Government notes the concerns raised in this regard by workforce representatives.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool Walton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of levying a higher rate of Air Passenger Duty on private jet flights.
Answered by Gareth Davies - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
As with all taxes, the Government keeps APD under review and any changes are announced by the Chancellor at fiscal events.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool Walton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of increases in rent on the rate of inflation.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade
Information on inflation in actual rentals for housing and its weight within the Consumer Prices Index can be found online at the following link: https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/inflationandpriceindices/datasets/consumerpriceinflation/current.