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Written Question
Protective Clothing: VAT
Friday 20th October 2023

Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of removing VAT on motorcycle air vests to help increase their usage.

Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

Whilst there are currently no plans to remove VAT on motorcycle air vests, the Government remains committed to ensuring the safety of motorcyclists. For example, motorcycle helmets, which satisfy the requirements of regulation 8(2) of the Personal Protective Equipment Regulations 2002, are zero-rated for VAT. Further information can be found here: Protective equipment (VAT Notice 701/23) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

VAT has been designed as a broad-based tax on consumption, and the twenty per cent standard rate applies to the vast majority of goods and services, including motorcycle air vests. While there are exceptions to the standard rate, these have always been strictly limited by both legal and fiscal considerations.

VAT is the UK’s third largest tax forecast to raise £161 billion in 2023/24, helping to fund key spending priorities such as important public services, including the NHS, education and defence. In addition, this request should be viewed in the context of over £50 billion of requests for relief from VAT received since the EU referendum.

The Government keeps all taxes under review.


Written Question
Delivery Services: Self-employed
Monday 13th March 2023

Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of delivery drivers operating in the UK who are not registered as being self-employed and who are evading paying income tax; what steps he is taking to address that issue; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

The Government is committed in tackling non-compliance across all areas of the economy and tax system, including those who fail to register for and pay the taxes they owe. It continues to support HMRC with the resources and technology it needs to transform the way it approaches and tackles non-compliance.

HMRC proactively obtains a range of third-party data to identify undeclared sources of income including online intermediaries and card payment providers, and carries out a range of compliance interventions as a result.

Some delivery drivers will be employees and will be registered with HMRC under Pay As You Earn (PAYE) system.


Written Question
Remote Working
Monday 28th November 2022

Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many and proportion of people were working from home (a) one, (b) two, (c) three, (d) four and (e) five days a week (i) as of 16 November 2022 and (ii) in November 2021; if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of trends in the number of people working from home on the economy; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

According to ONS Annual Population Survey and Opinions and Lifestyle Survey data, the pandemic resulted in an increase in the proportion of workers that worked at least partially from home: from an average of 19 per cent of workers across 2019 to a peak of around 50 per cent in June 2020. This proportion fell to 30 per cent in November 2021. The latest data indicates that 38 per cent of workers were working at least partly from home in the period between 26 October and 6 November 2022.

The long-term economic impacts of greater remote working are still highly uncertain. The Government is committed to supporting individuals and businesses to work flexibly.
Written Question
NatWest Group: Individual Savings Accounts
Monday 5th September 2022

Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 15 July 2022 to Question 34831 on NatWest Group: Child Trust Fund, what recent discussions his Department has had with representatives of the Financial Ombudsman Service on complaints regarding NatWest Junior ISA accounts, in the context of the Government's majority stake in NatWest Group.

Answered by Richard Fuller

Treasury ministers and officials engage with stakeholders on a variety of issues. However, the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) is an independent non-governmental body. The independence of the FOS underpins its credibility, authority and value to consumers. Although the Government discusses a range of issues with the FOS it does not therefore seek to intervene in its decision making.

The Government also no longer holds a majority stake in NatWest Group and manages its shareholding at arm’s length on a commercial basis through UK Government Investments Ltd (UKGI). UKGI's role is to manage the investment, not the bank itself. NatWest Group retains its own independent board and management team for strategic and operational decisions.


Written Question
Natwest Group: Child Trust Fund
Friday 15th July 2022

Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will take steps to ensure NatWest Group's compliance with current legislation in the administration of customers' Child Trust Fund accounts.

Answered by Richard Fuller

Treasury ministers and officials engage with stakeholders on a variety of issues. However, how firms service their financial products is a commercial decision for firms in which the Government does not seek to intervene. Nonetheless, the Government is committed to reuniting all young adults with their Child Trust Funds (CTFs) and recognises the importance of ensuring that young adults can benefit from these funds as they reach adulthood.

The Child Trust Fund Regulations do not require firms to provide access to money held in these accounts within a defined period of time upon maturity. However, UK banks’ and building societies’ treatment of their customers is governed by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in its Principles for Businesses. This includes a general requirement for firms to provide a prompt, efficient and fair service to all of their customers.

Any dispute arising between a bank and its customers is usually best resolved by the parties involved. I encourage all those affected to contact their bank’s customer complaints department. The Financial Conduct Authority’s rules require firms to properly investigate all complaints and, through ongoing supervision, it continues to monitor firms complaint handling processes.

If customers remain unhappy with their bank’s response, they will be eligible to apply to have a further review conducted by the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) which provides a free, independent dispute resolution service for customers.


Written Question
Natwest Group: Child Trust Fund
Friday 15th July 2022

Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will hold discussions with representatives of NatWest Group on ensuring that people are able to access their recently matured Child Trust Fund accounts; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Richard Fuller

Treasury ministers and officials engage with stakeholders on a variety of issues. However, how firms service their financial products is a commercial decision for firms in which the Government does not seek to intervene. Nonetheless, the Government is committed to reuniting all young adults with their Child Trust Funds (CTFs) and recognises the importance of ensuring that young adults can benefit from these funds as they reach adulthood.

The Child Trust Fund Regulations do not require firms to provide access to money held in these accounts within a defined period of time upon maturity. However, UK banks’ and building societies’ treatment of their customers is governed by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in its Principles for Businesses. This includes a general requirement for firms to provide a prompt, efficient and fair service to all of their customers.

Any dispute arising between a bank and its customers is usually best resolved by the parties involved. I encourage all those affected to contact their bank’s customer complaints department. The Financial Conduct Authority’s rules require firms to properly investigate all complaints and, through ongoing supervision, it continues to monitor firms complaint handling processes.

If customers remain unhappy with their bank’s response, they will be eligible to apply to have a further review conducted by the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) which provides a free, independent dispute resolution service for customers.


Written Question
Events Industry: VAT
Tuesday 24th May 2022

Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment in this financial year of what impact the current level of VAT being levied on ticket sales for cultural events is having on that industry; if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of reducing the VAT level thereon; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport

VAT has been designed as a broad-based tax on consumption and the twenty per cent standard rate applies to the vast majority of goods and services, including tickets for cultural events. While there are exceptions to the standard rate, these have always been strictly limited by both legal and fiscal considerations. The Government keeps all taxes under review, but there are no plans to change the current VAT treatment on ticket sales.

Tickets were within the scope of the temporary reduced rate of VAT for hospitality and tourism, which was introduced on 15 July 2020 to support the cash flow and viability of around 150,000 businesses and protect over 2.4 million jobs during the Coronavirus pandemic. This relief ended on 31 March 2022. It is right that as Coronavirus restrictions were lifted and demand for goods and services in these sectors increased, the temporary tax reliefs were first reduced and then removed in order to rebuild and strengthen the public finances.


Written Question
Cryptocurrencies
Monday 7th March 2022

Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the use of cryptocurrencies on tax receipts to his Department.

Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport

The Government is committed to retaining its global leadership position in fintech and to creating a regulatory environment that allows people to use innovative technologies reliably and safely, while protecting against the risks of them being exploited by criminals.

Businesses trading in or using cryptoassets are taxed on their trading profits. Where a person realises Chargeable Gains from increases in the value of cryptoassets, Capital Gains Tax (CGT) or Corporation Tax on Chargeable Gains may be due. If CGT applies, only Chargeable Gains above the Annual Exempt Amount are taxed.

Cryptoassets can be easily acquired and transferred, including across borders, and while the blockchain provides a transparent and immutable record of transactions, it does not usually record the identity of the owners of cryptoassets. HMRC has developed its capability to take advantage of opportunities that the blockchain offers for forensic compliance work in order to identify those that have failed to declare their gains. HMRC continues to actively monitor the compliance risks as the use of cryptoassets develops.


Written Question
Red Diesel
Tuesday 1st February 2022

Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of proposals to restrict the use of red diesel from April 2022 on the mining and quarrying industry.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

At Budget 2020, the Chancellor announced that the Government will remove the entitlement to use red diesel from most sectors from April 2022. This will more fairly reflect the negative environmental impact of the emissions they produce and help to ensure that the tax system incentivises the development and adoption of greener alternative technologies.

The Government recognised that this would be a significant change for some businesses and ran a consultation to gather information from affected users on the expected impact of these tax changes and make sure it had not overlooked any exceptional reasons why affected sectors should be allowed to continue to use red diesel beyond April 2022. During the consultation period, the Government engaged directly with a wide variety of organisations, including representatives of the mining and quarrying sector.

However, the Government did not believe that the case made by sectors that will not retain their red diesel entitlement, including the mining and quarrying sector, outweighed the need to ensure fairness between the different users of diesel fuels and the Government’s environmental objectives.

To support the development of alternatives that affected businesses can switch to, the Government is at least doubling the funding provided for energy innovation through the £1 billion Net Zero Innovation Portfolio. From that portfolio, the Government announced the £40 million Red Diesel Replacement Competition, which will provide grant funding for projects that develop and demonstrate lower carbon, lower cost alternatives to red diesel for the construction, and mining and quarrying sectors.

As announced at Spring Budget 2021, from 1 April 2021 until 31 March 2023, companies can also claim 130% first-year capital allowances on qualifying plant and machinery investments.


Written Question
Tax Evasion: Cryptocurrencies
Wednesday 5th January 2022

Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the existing HMRC enforcement regime with regards to tax evasion using cryptocurrencies; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport

Cryptoassets present unique challenges to HMRC as they can be easily acquired and transferred, including across borders, but do not usually record the identity of their owners.

HMRC has used powers provided by Parliament to gather information from cryptoasset exchanges. HMRC has written to customers where data shows they own, or have owned, cryptoassets. They have advised them of the tax consequences of common transactions.

HMRC also applies traditional enforcement approaches, such as enquiring into tax returns.

The UK continues to work with international partners, including multinational organisations such as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, to cooperate, share information, and develop responses.

The majority of individuals and businesses wish to pay the tax that is due, and the Government wants to help them get their tax affairs right. HMRC has published guidance on the taxation of cryptoassets, which is among the most detailed guidance released by any tax administration, on what is a complex topic.

HMRC has developed its capability to deal with risks arising from cryptoassets through the development of in-house training and the use of blockchain forensic tools.

HMRC will continue to actively monitor the compliance risks as this technology develops and the uses and users of cryptoassets change.