Asked by: Jo Platt (Labour (Co-op) - Leigh and Atherton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 16 May 2018 to Question 143241, whether Shared Prosperity Fund will be operational on 30 March 2019.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
We will launch the UK Shared Prosperity Fund following the UK’s departure from the European Union.
The implementation period included within the draft Withdrawal Agreement with the EU means that we will see all parts of the UK receive their full allocation of structural funds from the EU’s 2014-2020 budget.
The Industrial Strategy White Paper set out that we intend to consult this year on the precise design and priorities for the fund. Further details on the operation of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund will be set out following this consultation.
Asked by: Jo Platt (Labour (Co-op) - Leigh and Atherton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress has been made on establishing a UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
Following the UK’s departure from the European Union, we will launch the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. The fund will support all parts of the UK to achieve sustainable, inclusive growth, based on the Industrial Strategy.
The Industrial Strategy White Paper set out that we intend to consult this year on the precise design and priorities for the fund. Further decisions on the final design of the fund will be made following this consultation.
Asked by: Jo Platt (Labour (Co-op) - Leigh and Atherton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 20 November 2017 to Question 112340 on Owner Occupation, if his Department will take steps to ensure that lenders take into account (a) council tax and (b) rental payments when assessing a borrower's creditworthiness.
Answered by John Glen
The Government believes that it is right that a history of paying rent should be recorded and recognised in tenants’ credit scores and in affordability assessments.
That is why, at the Autumn Budget 2017, the Government announced the Rent Recognition Challenge, a £2m competition challenging the UK’s world-leading technology firms to develop innovative new applications to enable rental tenants to share their rent payment data with lenders and credit reference agencies. The winning applications will be announced shortly.
Data on individuals’ council tax payments are not currently made available to lenders or credit reference agencies by local authorities.
Asked by: Jo Platt (Labour (Co-op) - Leigh and Atherton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 18 January 2018 to Question 122519, for what reasons the titles of all assessments carried out by his Department on the effect of the UK leaving the EU were not listed.
Answered by John Glen
The government is in the process of carrying out a programme of rigorous and extensive analytical work that will contribute to our exit negotiations with the EU and inform our understanding of how EU exit will affect the UK’s domestic policies and frameworks.
However, it is not standard practice to provide an ongoing commentary on internal analysis.
Ministers have a specific responsibility, which Parliament has endorsed, not to release information that would expose our negotiating position.