Asked by: Helen Goodman (Labour - Bishop Auckland)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 6 June 2019 to Question 259082 on Peat Bogs: Environment Protection, when the 2019 Spending Review will take place
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
As the Chancellor announced at Spring Statement, if a deal with the EU is agreed, the 2019 Spending Review will conclude alongside an Autumn Budget.
Asked by: Helen Goodman (Labour - Bishop Auckland)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with the Foreign Secretary on the cost to the public purse of the proposed new embassy building in Beijing.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
The Foreign Secretary is responsible for developing plans to re-build the embassy and residence in Beijing. These plans, including the estimated costs, are subject to standard HM Treasury spending controls and approval.
Asked by: Helen Goodman (Labour - Bishop Auckland)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the legal basis was for the Bank of England’s decision to freeze approximately 1125 gold bars stored by the Venezuelan central bank in November 2018.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
Holding gold reserves on behalf of any foreign central bank is a matter for the Bank of England. Ultimately, the Bank is responsible for dealing with requests from its customers should they wish to repatriate their gold. HM Treasury only has direct control over the UK Government’s own holdings of gold within its official reserves, which are held at the Bank of England.