Asked by: David Linden (Scottish National Party - Glasgow East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 21 December 2017 to Question 119327, Revenue and Customs: ICT, whether HMRC remains on track to start migrating customers from the Customs Handling of Import and Export Freight system to the Customs Declaration Service system from August 2018.
Answered by Mel Stride - Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
HMRC is on track to start migrating customers from the current Customs Handling of Import and Export Freight (CHIEF) system to the Customs Declaration Services (CDS) programme
from August 2018. The CDS programme has delivered on all its critical milestone delivery dates.
Asked by: David Linden (Scottish National Party - Glasgow East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the timetable is for a new double taxation treaty with Malawi to be signed.
Answered by Mel Stride - Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
I refer the Honourable member to my previous answer on this subject (Hansard reference 3735; 3736; 3737; 3738)
To reiterate the previous answer, the text of a new double taxation treaty with Malawi was substantively agreed some time ago. However, in August 2016, Malawi raised some further points for consideration. My officials continue to discuss these points with their counterparts in Malawi. When that process is complete, and both countries are satisfied with the contents of the new treaty, it will be signed and published.
Asked by: David Linden (Scottish National Party - Glasgow East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many staff employed by HMRC are working on the development of the Customs Declaration Service due for roll-out in August 2018.
Answered by Mel Stride - Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
The Customs Declaration Service (CDS) is a top priority programme within government and HMRC receives the support it needs. HMRC is on track to deliver CDS by January 2019, and it will begin to transition businesses from the current Customs Handling of Import and Export Freight (CHIEF) service to CDS from August 2018.
HMRC manages CDS very closely and has prioritised its delivery for Day 1 of EU exit. HMRC has the capability required to deliver the programme and this capability is continuously reviewed.
Asked by: David Linden (Scottish National Party - Glasgow East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department plans to undertake any impact assessments of LINK’s upcoming decision on the ATM interchange fee on communities in Scotland.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Government recognises that widespread free access to cash remains extremely important to the day-to-day lives of many consumers and businesses in the UK. Government has been engaging and will continue to engage with industry, including LINK, to ensure that this access is maintained.
The Government has not made any formal assessment of the potential effect of LINK’s proposals to change the interchange fee rate on consumers or small businesses, including in Scotland. However, the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR), which Government set up as an independent regulator in 2015 with a statutory objective to ensure that the UK’s payment systems work in the interests of their users, is monitoring developments within ATM provision, and is conducting ongoing work on the impact that changes may have. The PSR has recently published a summary of their work to date, which can be found at https://www.psr.org.uk/psr-focus/the-UK-ATM-network.
The PSR has committed to using its powers to act should any of the firms it regulates behave in a way that conflicts with its statutory objectives.
LINK has assured the Government and the PSR that industry is committed to maintaining an extensive network of free-to-use cash machines, and to ensuring that the present geographical spread of ATMs is maintained. LINK intends to bolster its Financial Inclusion Programme, which ensures the provision of ATMs in areas of deprivation, where demand would not otherwise make one viable, and has also committed to protecting all free-to-use ATMs which are a kilometre or more from the next nearest free-to-use ATM.
Asked by: David Linden (Scottish National Party - Glasgow East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has made an estimate of the number of free-to-use ATMs in Scotland whose future is under threat as a result of (a) RBS bank branch closures and (b) LINK’s imminent decision on the ATM interchange fee.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Government recognises that widespread free access to cash remains extremely important to the day-to-day lives of many consumers and businesses in the UK. Government has been engaging and will continue to engage with industry, including LINK, to ensure that this access is maintained.
The Government has not made any formal assessment of the potential effect of LINK’s proposals to change the interchange fee rate on consumers or small businesses, including in Scotland. However, the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR), which Government set up as an independent regulator in 2015 with a statutory objective to ensure that the UK’s payment systems work in the interests of their users, is monitoring developments within ATM provision, and is conducting ongoing work on the impact that changes may have. The PSR has recently published a summary of their work to date, which can be found at https://www.psr.org.uk/psr-focus/the-UK-ATM-network.
The PSR has committed to using its powers to act should any of the firms it regulates behave in a way that conflicts with its statutory objectives.
LINK has assured the Government and the PSR that industry is committed to maintaining an extensive network of free-to-use cash machines, and to ensuring that the present geographical spread of ATMs is maintained. LINK intends to bolster its Financial Inclusion Programme, which ensures the provision of ATMs in areas of deprivation, where demand would not otherwise make one viable, and has also committed to protecting all free-to-use ATMs which are a kilometre or more from the next nearest free-to-use ATM.
Asked by: David Linden (Scottish National Party - Glasgow East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps the Government is taking to encourage banks to impose the voluntary cap on overdraft charges for personal current accounts recommended by the Competition and Markets Authority in 2016; and what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of that cap on reducing repayments by customers where it has been imposed.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
Treasury Ministers and officials meet regularly with colleagues across Government, and the various regulators, to discuss a wide range of issues. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Treasury's practice to provide details of all such discussions.
As part of the final report on its retail banking market investigation, published in 2016, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) imposed a series of remedies in relation to overdrafts, including a legal requirement on banks to set a monthly maximum charge for unarranged overdraft charges. Most banks have been required to do this since August 2017. The CMA will monitor compliance with its Order. As recommended by the CMA, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is reviewing the effectiveness of the monthly maximum charge for unarranged overdrafts.
Following the CMA’s investigation, the FCA also committed to look in more detail at both arranged and unarranged overdrafts as part of its broader review into the High Cost Credit sector. The FCA published a Feedback Statement on its review of high-cost credit in July 2017, which concluded that it had concerns about both arranged and unarranged overdrafts.
The FCA will investigate these concerns further, and where intervention is needed and justified, aim to bring forward proposals in Spring 2018 concerning both overdrafts and other forms of high-cost credit. The FCA’s review of the effectiveness of the monthly maximum charge for unarranged overdraft charges will inform the FCA’s proposals on overdrafts.
The Government supports the FCA’s work in this area and will continue to work with it to ensure that all consumers who use high-cost credit products are treated fairly.
Asked by: David Linden (Scottish National Party - Glasgow East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions he has had with the Markets and Competition Authority on the introduction of a cap on overdraft charges for personal current accounts; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
Treasury Ministers and officials meet regularly with colleagues across Government, and the various regulators, to discuss a wide range of issues. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Treasury's practice to provide details of all such discussions.
As part of the final report on its retail banking market investigation, published in 2016, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) imposed a series of remedies in relation to overdrafts, including a legal requirement on banks to set a monthly maximum charge for unarranged overdraft charges. Most banks have been required to do this since August 2017. The CMA will monitor compliance with its Order. As recommended by the CMA, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is reviewing the effectiveness of the monthly maximum charge for unarranged overdrafts.
Following the CMA’s investigation, the FCA also committed to look in more detail at both arranged and unarranged overdrafts as part of its broader review into the High Cost Credit sector. The FCA published a Feedback Statement on its review of high-cost credit in July 2017, which concluded that it had concerns about both arranged and unarranged overdrafts.
The FCA will investigate these concerns further, and where intervention is needed and justified, aim to bring forward proposals in Spring 2018 concerning both overdrafts and other forms of high-cost credit. The FCA’s review of the effectiveness of the monthly maximum charge for unarranged overdraft charges will inform the FCA’s proposals on overdrafts.
The Government supports the FCA’s work in this area and will continue to work with it to ensure that all consumers who use high-cost credit products are treated fairly.
Asked by: David Linden (Scottish National Party - Glasgow East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the problems with the Childcare Service helpline have been resolved.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
The childcare service helpline is run by National Savings and Investments (NS&I) who are HMRC’s delivery partner for the service. They have recently increased the staff working on the helpline. HMRC are working with NS&I to deliver training and support to the childcare service helpline to improve the quality of service.
Asked by: David Linden (Scottish National Party - Glasgow East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 24 October 2017 to Question 107743, on day care, how many and what proportion of parents who have successfully applied for tax-free childcare are self-employed.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
Around 10% of successful applicants for Tax-Free Childcare are self-employed or have a partner who is self-employed.
As of 28 November approximately 53,000 childcare providers have successfully signed up to receive Tax-Free Childcare payments.
The analysis set out in the Impact Assessment for Tax Free Childcare, published in March 2017, drew upon a range of data including data published by the Department for Education. The assessment can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/652939/Tax-free_childcare_Impact_Assessment-March_2017.pdf.
In response to the questions about the relationship with National Savings and Investments, and the performance of their delivery partner Atos, I refer the honourable member to my response to Parliamentary Question (105683) on 16 October.
In response to the questions about the criteria for measuring the success of Tax-Free Childcare and the link between the introduction of Tax-Free Childcare and the cost and demand for childcare, I refer the honourable member to my response to Parliamentary Question (107892) on 24 October.
The costs of delivering Tax-Free Childcare are currently within budget.
HMRC will gradually open Tax-Free Childcare to parents of older children and all eligible parents will be able to apply by the end of March 2018. Childcare vouchers will then be closed to new entrants as planned.
Asked by: David Linden (Scottish National Party - Glasgow East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what information his Department holds on the number of childcare providers who have successfully signed up for Tax-Free Childcare to date.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
Around 10% of successful applicants for Tax-Free Childcare are self-employed or have a partner who is self-employed.
As of 28 November approximately 53,000 childcare providers have successfully signed up to receive Tax-Free Childcare payments.
The analysis set out in the Impact Assessment for Tax Free Childcare, published in March 2017, drew upon a range of data including data published by the Department for Education. The assessment can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/652939/Tax-free_childcare_Impact_Assessment-March_2017.pdf.
In response to the questions about the relationship with National Savings and Investments, and the performance of their delivery partner Atos, I refer the honourable member to my response to Parliamentary Question (105683) on 16 October.
In response to the questions about the criteria for measuring the success of Tax-Free Childcare and the link between the introduction of Tax-Free Childcare and the cost and demand for childcare, I refer the honourable member to my response to Parliamentary Question (107892) on 24 October.
The costs of delivering Tax-Free Childcare are currently within budget.
HMRC will gradually open Tax-Free Childcare to parents of older children and all eligible parents will be able to apply by the end of March 2018. Childcare vouchers will then be closed to new entrants as planned.