Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make available additional support beyond the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme and Job Support Scheme for people working in industries prevented from operating as a result of health protection regulations.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Job Support Scheme will help employers that are facing reduced demand due to COVID-19, helping those businesses to retain their employees. The Government has also introduced several additional support schemes for businesses, in addition to the extension of the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme. The Government has extended the temporary loan schemes (the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, Bounce Back Loans, and the Future Fund), provided flexibility with the repayment of these loans, deferred VAT payments, reduced the rate of VAT for the hospitality and accommodation sectors, and introduced the Job Retention Bonus to encourage employers to keep their previously furloughed staff employed.
Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of targeting Government funding towards areas with (a) a relatively higher unemployment rate and (b) fewer job centres and other social infrastructure that are vulnerable to the economic impact of the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Government has announced unprecedented support for businesses and workers across the country, in recognition of the impact of COVID-19. The Plan for Jobs will support employment across the whole country, including doubling the number of work coaches in Job Centre Plus, as well as through the Flexible Support Fund, which is delivered at a local level through Job Centre Plus branches and allocated based on local needs, and through the Rapid Response Service, which can be mobilised rapidly anywhere in the country to help provide immediate support to employees at risk of redundancy. These measures are designed to ensure that areas most vulnerable to the economic impact of the crisis are given the support they need.
Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to support furloughed workers in the events industry who may be unable to return to work after the furlough scheme ends in October 2020.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The introduction of flexible furloughing helps firms to adjust how they furlough to match their speed of reopening, and firms will be able to claim under the CJRS until October flexibly.As economic activity develops, the Government must adjust its support to facilitate people’s return to work while protecting both the UK economy and livelihoods.
For businesses that may not be open after October, there is a range of continuing support including the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme and the Bounce Back Loan Scheme.
For employees who may need more support, the Government has introduced temporary welfare measures including a £1,000 a year increase to the Universal Credit (UC) standard allowance and Working Tax Credit basic element, and a nearly £1bn increase in support for renters through increases to the Local Housing Allowance rates for UC and Housing Benefit claimants.
Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will cancel beer duty payments due by direct debit on 25 March 2020 for small independent breweries.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - President of the Board of Trade
Time to Pay arrangements are already available to all brewers, which enable them to seek deferrals for beer duty and other taxes with no interest or late penalties due. HMRC’s dedicated Covid-19 helpline can be reached by calling: 0800 0159 559.
This comes on top of the wider package of support announced by the Chancellor, worth over £350bn. Small brewers will be able to access interest-free loans, defer their VAT payments due on VAT returns for the period until the end of June and receive support worth up to 80% of their employees’ wages.
Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to provide financial relief for pubs that are required to close as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Chancellor has announced an unprecedented package of support for businesses across the economy, including the pubs sector. Alongside £330bn worth of government-backed and guaranteed loans, firms eligible for small business rate relief or rural rate relief will be eligible for cash grants of up to £10,000, and firms in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors with eligible properties with a rateable value below £51,000 will be eligible for cash grants of up to £25,000. In addition, a business rates holiday has been put in place for all eligible businesses in the retail and hospitality sectors.
Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the potential effect on (a) consumers and (b) businesses of the September 2019 deadline for the introduction of multi-factor authentication on electronic payments.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The implementation of Strong Customer Authentication, which mandates two-factor authentication for some online payments, will introduce more secure payments for individuals and businesses.
This was introduced by the second Payment Services Directive. HM Treasury published an impact assessment on the implementation of this EU directive in 2017.
In an Opinion published on 21 June, the European Banking Authority (EBA) acknowledged the complexity of payments markets and the practical challenges arising from the changes that are required by Strong Customer Authentication across the EU, which may lead to some actors in the payments chain not being ready by 14 September 2019.
The FCA is therefore working closely with industry to develop a migration plan to implement Strong Customer Authentication in a timely and effective manner.
Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether HMRC shares information on the amendment of tax returns or other taxation errors of non-UK citizens with UK Visas and Immigration.
Answered by Mel Stride - Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
Any information held by HMRC in connection with its functions may be disclosed to parts of the Home Office for its immigration, nationality and customs functions which includes UK Visas and Immigration. UK Visas and Immigration can ask HMRC for information subject to relevant legislation and requirements detailed in a memorandum of understanding between them. HMRC does not proactively disclose information to UK Visas and Immigration on the amendment of tax returns or other taxation errors of non-UK citizens.
Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of access to insurance that fairly reflects risk for disabled people; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The government remains in regular discussion with the insurance industry and other interested parties, including the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), on the provision of insurance in the UK.
The government recognises that various factors can impact on availability, pricing and terms of insurance policies.
According to disability discrimination law under the Equality Act 2010, an insurance provider cannot refuse to cover potential customers or charge more for insurance on the basis of a disability unless both of the following are true:
1) They can provide objective, accurate and reliable evidence that the applicant is at a higher risk of making a claim; and
2) The information they used to assess the application was used in a reasonable way.
The FCA is also currently conducting detailed discovery work into pricing practices used by insurers to develop a clear understanding of current market practices. This discovery work is looking at the techniques, strategies and rating factors used by insurers. The FCA will consider if any further intervention is required at the conclusion of this discovery work.
Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what representations his Department has made to LINK on its decision to change the interchange fee mechanisms paid by banks to ATM operators.
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 the regulators and industry, including LINK, to ensure that it is maintained.
The Government established the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) in 2015 with a statutory objective to ensure that the UK’s payment systems work in the interests of their users.
As part of this, the PSR is monitoring developments within ATM provision. The PSR recently commissioned work to understand the impact on the provision of free-to-use ATMs that a reduction in interchange fees may have. They have also set out three requirements of LINK: that LINK must maintain the current geographical spread of ATMs; that any changes made to interchange fees must be incremental to allow LINK to monitor the impact and take action if the impact is not as expected; and for a greater focus on LINK’s financial inclusion programme, to continue to fill gaps in the network. The PSR has committed to using its powers to act should LINK behave in a way that conflicts with its statutory objectives. 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.
Following the publication of these three criteria, LINK, the scheme behind the UK’s ATM network, committed to maintaining an extensive network of free-to-use cash machines, and to ensuring that the present geographical spread of ATMs is maintained. To do this, LINK will bolster its Financial Inclusion Programme, which ensures the provision of ATMs in certain areas where demand would not otherwise make one viable. LINK will also protect all free-to-use ATMs which are a kilometre or more from the next nearest free-to-use ATM, and ensure that any community that loses ATM access because of a branch closure has a free ATM provided.
Furthermore, LINK will do an annual review the impact of the interchange fee reduction as it is phased in over the next four years. In addition, LINK will set up publicly available monitoring on its website of every area of the country showing free ATM availability, and highlight any areas where free ATM availability is lost.
Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of LINK's decision on interchange fees on the ability of UK consumers to freely access cash.
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 the regulators and industry, including LINK, to ensure that it is maintained.
The Government established the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) in 2015 with a statutory objective to ensure that the UK’s payment systems work in the interests of their users.
As part of this, the PSR is monitoring developments within ATM provision. The PSR recently commissioned work to understand the impact on the provision of free-to-use ATMs that a reduction in interchange fees may have. They have also set out three requirements of LINK: that LINK must maintain the current geographical spread of ATMs; that any changes made to interchange fees must be incremental to allow LINK to monitor the impact and take action if the impact is not as expected; and for a greater focus on LINK’s financial inclusion programme, to continue to fill gaps in the network. The PSR has committed to using its powers to act should LINK behave in a way that conflicts with its statutory objectives. 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.
Following the publication of these three criteria, LINK, the scheme behind the UK’s ATM network, committed to maintaining an extensive network of free-to-use cash machines, and to ensuring that the present geographical spread of ATMs is maintained. To do this, LINK will bolster its Financial Inclusion Programme, which ensures the provision of ATMs in certain areas where demand would not otherwise make one viable. LINK will also protect all free-to-use ATMs which are a kilometre or more from the next nearest free-to-use ATM, and ensure that any community that loses ATM access because of a branch closure has a free ATM provided.
Furthermore, LINK will do an annual review the impact of the interchange fee reduction as it is phased in over the next four years. In addition, LINK will set up publicly available monitoring on its website of every area of the country showing free ATM availability, and highlight any areas where free ATM availability is lost.