Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to cap the interest accrued during mortgage payment holidays.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
Mortgage holidays have provided support for borrowers to manage their finances during a period of uncertainty. Borrowers will still need to repay the full balance of their loan, and will continue to accrue interest during the payment holiday, unless the lender has indicated otherwise. There are various options for managing this, for example, by increasing their remaining monthly payments, or by adding an extension to the term. Borrowers should talk to their lender to understand the options they offer.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions officials in his Department have had with (a) small maritime ports and (b) wharves in (i) Amlwch, (ii) Menai bridge and (iii) the rest of Wales on the necessary infrastructure for compliance with regulations in the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement.
Answered by Jesse Norman
HMRC carried out high level engagement with small maritime ports and wharves ahead of the end of the transition period; this includes those within Wales.
Ports indicating an intention to operate CTC will have also received direct communications from HMRC to understand their position for January 2021. Officials will carry out more detailed engagement with these stakeholders ahead of July 2021 to ensure they are ready for the introduction of staged controls.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of jobs that will be created by the establishment of an offsite HMRC facility to serve the port of Holyhead; and what proportion of those jobs will be (a) professional and (b) routine.
Answered by Jesse Norman
Estimates have been carried out based on volumes of traffic and expectations of site use.
HMRC are currently planning on in excess of 120 full time equivalent roles on site, attending over three shifts a day. The majority of roles will range from security and traffic marshalling to front office staff. Specialist roles will be provided by Defra, the Welsh Government and Border Force.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with the Welsh Government on the resilience of the road network around Bangor in the event of the location of an HMRC offsite facility to serve the port of Holyhead in that area.
Answered by Jesse Norman
HMRC are working in partnership with the Welsh Government to provide for a joint Inland Border Facility/Border Control Point in North Wales, exploring suitable sites. Part of this consideration includes access to and from sites from the strategic road network.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the length of time an HMRC facility will be required offsite to serve the port of Holyhead.
Answered by Jesse Norman
HMRC will use the facility for two years.Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when consultations will begin with the local community in Bangor on the potential development of Parc Bryn Cegin industrial estate into a lorry park by HMRC.
Answered by Jesse Norman
HMRC and Welsh Government are currently assessing the site based on deliverability as an Inland Border Facility to support the port of Holyhead. Access with the surrounding areas is being considered during this process. Should the site be selected, HMRC will consult with local communities.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to prevent companies recruiting already-qualified custom brokers from other companies under the Recruitment Grant scheme.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Government is supporting the intermediary sector to expand to meet predicted demand at the end of the transition period, making available over £80m of support for IT, training and recruitment.
The sector is varied and made up of a number of different business models including specific customs brokers, freight forwarders and fast parcel operators; all of which will require varied numbers of staff and operate in different ways. The scheme allows maximum flexibility in order to meet the needs of different business models.
The Government continues to monitor the uptake of the scheme and its impact on the market, and keeps the rules for operation under review.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of (a) large companies, (b) SMEs and (c) micro businesses in recruiting customs brokers ahead of the end of the transition period.
Answered by Jesse Norman
Most companies will not need to employ customs brokers directly. The Government expects that all but the largest of businesses will use the services of an intermediary to support them in completing customs declarations.
The Government is supporting the intermediary sector to expand to meet predicted demand at the end of the transition period making available over £80 million of support for IT, training and recruitment through the Customs Grant Scheme.
In addition, the Government is supporting the sector through measures including changing liability rules, allowing parcel operators to bulk consignments, and the staging-in of import declarations.
The Government continues to monitor progress carefully, keeping all support mechanisms under review.