Asked by: Feryal Clark (Labour - Enfield North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the impact of bank closures on the financial vulnerability of people in Enfield North constituency.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade
The Government expects firms to treat their customers fairly where they face financial vulnerabilities, and seeks to ensure that people are able to access useful and affordable financial products and services.
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) publishes a Financial Lives Survey (FLS) which measures financial resilience across the UK. Published extracts from its 2022 survey show that 25% of adults in London have low financial resilience, with 7% in financial difficulty. In January 2023, the FCA published an update which details consumer experiences of the elevated cost of living and reminds firms that if a customer is in vulnerable circumstances, they should be provided with an appropriate level of care and support.
The Government recognises the challenges facing households due to the elevated cost of living and took action at Spring Budget 2023 to protect struggling families. This was in addition to the benefits uprating and support for vulnerable households announced at the Autumn Statement which included new Cost of Living Payments in 2023-24, helping more than 8 million UK households on eligible means tested benefits, 8 million pensioner households, and 6 million people across the UK on eligible disability benefits.
While the Government does not intervene in the commercial decisions of firms to close bank branches, it believes that all customers should have appropriate access to banking services. According to LINK data for April 2023, there are around 39,000 free-to-use ATMs across the UK, including 57 in the constituency of Enfield North.
The FCA expects firms to carefully consider the impact of planned closures on the everyday banking and cash access needs of their customers, including those who are vulnerable, and consider possible alternative access arrangements. Alternative options for access can be via telephone banking, digital banking, and the Post Office. New shared banking hubs are also being introduced to provide basic banking services and dedicated space where community bankers from major banks can meet their customers. Over 60 bank hubs have been announced and 6 have opened their doors so far.
Asked by: Feryal Clark (Labour - Enfield North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department is taking steps to help secure free access to cash (a) withdrawals and (b) deposit facilities in Enfield North constituency.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade
The government recognises that while the transition towards digital payments brings many opportunities, cash continues to be used by many people across the UK, including those who may be in vulnerable groups.
The government is currently legislating to protect access to cash across the UK as part of the Financial Services and Markets (FSM) Bill 2022. The Bill establishes the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) as the lead regulator for access to cash with responsibility and powers to seek to ensure reasonable provision of withdrawal and deposit facilities.
As amended, the FSM Bill protects free access to cash by requiring the FCA to seek to ensure that, in the United Kingdom, there is reasonable provision of free withdrawal and deposit facilities for personal current accounts with relevant providers. It also requires the Treasury to publish a policy statement that includes policies on free access.
According to LINK data for April 2023, there are around 39,000 free-to-use ATMs across the UK, including 57 in the constituency of Enfield North.
Asked by: Feryal Clark (Labour - Enfield North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of trends in the levels of demand for financial and mental health support from families in (a) Enfield North constituency, (b) the London Borough of Enfield and (c) London; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by John Glen
The government recognises the challenges facing households due to elevated costs of living, so took action at Spring Budget 2023 to go further to protect struggling families. This included interventions such as extending energy support by keeping the Energy Price Guarantee at £2,500 for three months from April, saving households an additional £160, ending the premium paid by over 4 million households using prepayment meters across the UK, introducing 30 hours of free childcare per week for working parents with children aged 9 months up to 3 years in England, cancelling the planned increase in fuel duty and keeping rates at current levels for the next 12 months, and increasing Draught Relief.
This is in addition to the benefits uprating and support for vulnerable households announced at the Autumn Statement. Taken together, support to households to help with higher bills is worth £94 billion, or £3,300 per household on average, across 2022-23 and 2023-24.
It is for Integrated Care Systems to plan and deliver joined up health and care services to improve the lives of people who live and work in their area, including assessments of demand for mental health support, based on the specifics needs of the local population. However, the government remains dedicated to ensuring commissioners continue to meet the Mental Health Investment Standard, with investment in NHS mental health services having increased each year from almost £11 billion in 2015/16 to £15 billion in 2021/22. Furthermore, the recently published Plan for Patients set out the Government’s intention to continue to drive progress on the NHS Long Term Plan commitments to expand and transform NHS mental health services. The NHS Long Term Plan having seen at least £2.3 billion extra funding a year for mental health services by 2023/24 – supporting an additional two million people in England to access NHS-funded mental health services.
Asked by: Feryal Clark (Labour - Enfield North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of trends in the level of households in (a) Enfield North constituency, (b) the London Borough of Enfield and (c) London that have fallen into arrears with their mortgage payments in the last (a) six and (b) 12 months.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade
Mortgage arrears levels remain at historically low levels.
Where mortgage borrowers do fall in financial difficulty, Financial Conduct Authority guidance requires firms to offer tailored support. This could include a range of measures depending on individual circumstances.
The Government has also taken a number of measures aimed at helping people to avoid repossession, including Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI) loans for those in receipt of an income-related benefit, and protection in the courts through the Pre-Action Protocol, which makes it clear that repossession must always be the last resort for lenders.
Asked by: Feryal Clark (Labour - Enfield North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the impact of incorrect valuations by the Valuation Office Agency on the ability of businesses to claim small business rate relief.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) is responsible for assessing the Rateable Value (RV) of non-domestic properties for business rates purposes. They are not responsible for administering small business rates relief and therefore do not record such information.
Local councils are responsible for calculating business rates bills, which they do so by considering a property’s RV, the ‘non-domestic rating multiplier’ set by parliament, and any appropriate reliefs (including small business rates relief).
If a ratepayer is concerned the information the VOA hold about their property or the valuation is incorrect, they can check, and challenge the RV using the Check Challenge, Appeal service. Further details can be found at: www.gov.uk/guidance/how-to-check-your-rateable-value-is-correct.
The VOA has a statutory duty to maintain an accurate Rating List. If they become aware of inaccuracies, they will investigate and take action to amend valuations where appropriate.
Asked by: Feryal Clark (Labour - Enfield North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many calls to the Valuation Office Agency hotline (a) were made in total, (b) were not answered, (c) involved the caller being on hold for more than 10 minutes and (d) were terminated following the caller being on hold for more than 10 minutes in each of the last 12 months.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) does not publish this level of data. A high-level summary of call volumes, digital contact and timeliness will be published in due course in the VOA’s 2022-23 Annual Report and Accounts.
Asked by: Feryal Clark (Labour - Enfield North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many and what proportion of calls to each HMRC customer service hotline (a) were made in total, (b) were not answered, (c) involved the caller being on hold for more than 10 minutes and (d) were terminated following the caller being on hold for more than 10 minutes in each of the last 12 months.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
HMRC publishes the information requested by the Hon. Member monthly and quarterly as below.
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmrc-monthly-performance-reports
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmrc-quarterly-performance-updates
Asked by: Feryal Clark (Labour - Enfield North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the HMRC complaints process; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
HMRC aim to get their services right for customers first time. They also prioritise a straightforward and accessible complaints process that acknowledges where mistakes are made, puts things right as soon as possible and learns from customer feedback.
HMRC works collaboratively with the independent Adjudicator to learn from complaint insight, and they have improved complaint processes in recent years.
HMRC’s approach to complaints is aligned with the recently launched Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s UK Central Government Complaint Standards, which were developed in collaboration with Government departments.
HMRC is committed to delivering performance improvements to complaints handling and response times for customers.
Asked by: Feryal Clark (Labour - Enfield North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many complaints were (a) received and (b) resolved by HMRC in each month of each of the last five years.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Monthly performance data is published on GOV.UK. Volumes of complaints received, and outcomes can be viewed in the supporting data tables.
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmrc-monthly-performance-reports
The average time taken to resolve complaints is not included in the monthly performance reports, however it is published in the HMRC report and accounts. Links to the latest report and accounts are provided below.
HMRC annual report and accounts: 2021 to 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)HMRC annual report and accounts: 2020 to 2021 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
HMRC annual report and accounts: 2019 to 2020 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Asked by: Feryal Clark (Labour - Enfield North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the average time was for HMRC to resolve a complaint in each of the last five years.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Monthly performance data is published on GOV.UK. Volumes of complaints received, and outcomes can be viewed in the supporting data tables.
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmrc-monthly-performance-reports
The average time taken to resolve complaints is not included in the monthly performance reports, however it is published in the HMRC report and accounts. Links to the latest report and accounts are provided below.
HMRC annual report and accounts: 2021 to 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)HMRC annual report and accounts: 2020 to 2021 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
HMRC annual report and accounts: 2019 to 2020 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)