Asked by: Giles Watling (Conservative - Clacton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to extend business rates relief for non-essential businesses beyond the 2020-21 tax year.
Answered by Jesse Norman
This year the Government has provided an unprecedented business rates holiday for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure properties, and nurseries, due to the direct adverse effects of COVID-19, worth about £10 billion.
At the 2020 Spending Review, the Government committed further support to all businesses by freezing the business rates multiplier for 2021-22.
The Government is considering options for reliefs for 2021-22. As announced in a Written Ministerial Statement on 3 February, the Government will outline the next round of COVID-19 support measures at Budget.
Asked by: Giles Watling (Conservative - Clacton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has plans to extend the deadline of 31 October 2020 for Self Assessment paper tax returns for older people in residential care who are unable to access HMRC services online or complete paperwork without support from family members, which is unavailable as a result of covid-19 social distancing measures.
Answered by Jesse Norman
HMRC have no plans currently to extend the deadline of 31 October 2020 for Self-Assessment paper returns for older people in residential care. However, HMRC will take a sympathetic view where the impact of COVID-19 on a person’s personal circumstances has caused them to miss the filing deadline.
Asked by: Giles Watling (Conservative - Clacton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Education on school funding.
Answered by Steve Barclay - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
I regularly discuss school funding with the Secretary of State for Education. At the Spending Round, the government committed to a £7.1 billion cash increase in funding for schools in England by 2022-23. This funding settlement reflects the government’s commitment to high quality education for all school children.
Asked by: Giles Watling (Conservative - Clacton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to maintain the carbon price in the next 12 months; and what assessment he has made of the effect of carbon pricing on the decarbonisation of the UK economy.
Answered by Steve Barclay - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Government is committed to carbon pricing as a decarbonisation tool following the transition period. In line with the Withdrawal Agreement, the UK will remain in the EU Emissions Trading System until 31 December 2020.
Alongside the EU ETS, the UK also applies the Carbon Price Support rate. Together, these have helped to reduce the importance of coal in the UK’s energy generation mix: electricity generation from coal usage has fallen from 40% in 2012 to 5% in 2018. Further detail on carbon pricing will be set out at the Budget.
Additionally, in November 2019, HM Treasury published Terms of Reference for its review into how the transition to a net zero economy will be funded, and where the costs will fall. The review will ensure contributions are fair between households, businesses and the taxpayer, and will allow us to maximise economic growth opportunities from the transition. The review will publish its findings in Autumn 2020.