Asked by: Jonathan Ashworth (Labour (Co-op) - Leicester South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much has been paid to businesses by HMRC in rebates under the Coronavirus Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme since 26 May 2020.
Answered by Lucy Frazer
The Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) Rebate Scheme supports employers with the cost of SSP paid to employees for absences related to COVID-19 for up to two weeks per employee. The scheme is available to UK based businesses with fewer than 250 employees.
From 26 May 2020 to 31 December 2021, the first SSP Rebate scheme paid out £88 million in support to 124,000 employers for SSP costs relating to 675,000 employees. Data from the current scheme will be released after the scheme ends.
Asked by: Jonathan Ashworth (Labour (Co-op) - Leicester South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many businesses have received a rebate under the Coronavirus Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme since 26 May 2020.
Answered by Lucy Frazer
The Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) Rebate Scheme supports employers with the cost of SSP paid to employees for absences related to COVID-19 for up to two weeks per employee. The scheme is available to UK based businesses with fewer than 250 employees.
From 26 May 2020 to 31 December 2021, the first SSP Rebate scheme paid out £88 million in support to 124,000 employers for SSP costs relating to 675,000 employees. Data from the current scheme will be released after the scheme ends.
Asked by: Jonathan Ashworth (Labour (Co-op) - Leicester South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the impact of the end of support under the Coronavirus Job retention Scheme on levels of in-work poverty.
Answered by Simon Clarke
The Government continues to monitor and publish trends in poverty across the UK. The Household Below Average Income (HBAI) publication looks at household incomes and poverty levels in the UK, but the latest available figures only cover up to the financial year 2019/20 and so do not capture the time period in which the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme has ended. These can be found here:
However, we have taken recent steps to ensure work pays. We are doing this by reducing the Universal Credit taper rate from 63% to 55%, and increasing Universal Credit work allowances by £500 p.a. This is essentially a tax cut for the lowest paid in society worth around £2.2 bn in 2022-23. This change also means that 1.9m households will on average keep around an extra £1,000 on an annual basis. We are also increasing the National Living Wage to £9.50 per hour from April 2022 for workers aged 23+, which is expected to benefit more than 2 million workers.
Asked by: Jonathan Ashworth (Labour (Co-op) - Leicester South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to his Department's Press Release of Saturday October 23 2021 entitled £5 billion pound package in R&D to spur innovation in healthcare, for what reason funding for exploring innovative technologies for diagnosing and detecting dementia was not included in the Autumn Budget and Spending Review 2021.
Answered by Simon Clarke
The Government has committed £5 billion for health research over the spending review period. This record investment will support cutting-edge research on a wide range of health issues. Tackling dementia remains a priority for this government, and for this reason is one of the Prime Minister’s healthcare missions. Specific R&D funding allocations are for the Department of Health and Social Care to make, and will be finalised over the coming months.
Asked by: Jonathan Ashworth (Labour (Co-op) - Leicester South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to provide fiscal support to the Midlands in the forthcoming Spending Review.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - Leader of HM Official Opposition
This government is committed to levelling up opportunity so that everyone benefits from economic growth - including people and places across the Midlands. That is why we have supported the Midlands throughout the Covid-19 crisis, including protecting around 1,563,100 jobs through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and providing for 299,000 claims through the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme. Furthermore, the Chancellor announced at the Spending Review over £75m for Leicester, Derby, and Nottingham in 21/22 through the Transforming Cities Fund, to improve public transport, boost connectivity and reduce congestion.
Asked by: Jonathan Ashworth (Labour (Co-op) - Leicester South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to provide fiscal support for jobs that produce goods or provide services that benefit the environment or conserve natural resources through the forthcoming Spending Review.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - Leader of HM Official Opposition
The Government remains committed to pursuing a green recovery, with concern for our environment at its heart. The £40m Green Recovery Challenge Fund opened to applications in September and will provide funding for projects across England to restore nature while creating and safeguarding jobs. A further £40m for a second round of the Fund was recently announced in the Prime Minister’s Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution.
Asked by: Jonathan Ashworth (Labour (Co-op) - Leicester South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of incorporating the recommendations from the Energy Research Accelerator's Spending Review submission into his forthcoming Spending Review.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - Leader of HM Official Opposition
The Government recognises the importance of Research and Development in reducing the costs of decarbonisation and meeting our Net Zero goal and I appreciate the work that the Energy Research Accelerator has been undertaking across the Midlands in this critical space.
We have significantly increased our investment on energy innovation, and the Prime Minister recently reiterated our Budget pledge to at least double the size of the Energy Innovation Programme in a new Net Zero Innovation Portfolio.
HM Treasury is considering all contributions as evidence to inform the upcoming Spending Review, which will be set out on 25 November.
Asked by: Jonathan Ashworth (Labour (Co-op) - Leicester South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 10 February 2020 to Question 12225 on Mental Health Services: Reciprocal Arrangements, what enforcement action will be taken to ensure that companies comply with the Financial Conduct Authority's guidance to improve access to travel insurance for all consumers with medical conditions; and in the event that companies do not comply with that guidance, what consequences will apply.
Answered by John Glen
New rules and guidance published by the FCA on Wednesday 5th February require firms to signpost consumers with mental health conditions to specialist providers when they are declined travel insurance cover on account of their condition.
Insurers must treat customers fairly and firms are required to do so under the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) rules. Furthermore, the FCA also states that an insurer’s communications should be clear, fair and not misleading.
If consumers believe they have been treated unfairly by their insurer, or if they believe that their insurer has not communicated with them in a clear manner, they should first make a formal complaint to the insurer, before referring the matter to the Financial Ombudsman Service.
It is for regulators to determine the powers they use to address problems in the markets they regulate. They are authorised to impose fines, order injunctions, bring criminal prosecution and issue public censure when disciplinary action against a firm or individual is taken. The FCA sets out their enforcement powers on their website.
Asked by: Jonathan Ashworth (Labour (Co-op) - Leicester South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 10 February 2020 to Question 12225 on Mental Health Services: Reciprocal Arrangements, how people with mental health conditions seeking travel insurance will be made aware of the risk that they might be declined cover; and what rights those people will have to challenge such a decision.
Answered by John Glen
New rules and guidance published by the FCA on Wednesday 5th February require firms to signpost consumers with mental health conditions to specialist providers when they are declined travel insurance cover on account of their condition.
Insurers must treat customers fairly and firms are required to do so under the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) rules. Furthermore, the FCA also states that an insurer’s communications should be clear, fair and not misleading.
If consumers believe they have been treated unfairly by their insurer, or if they believe that their insurer has not communicated with them in a clear manner, they should first make a formal complaint to the insurer, before referring the matter to the Financial Ombudsman Service.
It is for regulators to determine the powers they use to address problems in the markets they regulate. They are authorised to impose fines, order injunctions, bring criminal prosecution and issue public censure when disciplinary action against a firm or individual is taken. The FCA sets out their enforcement powers on their website.
Asked by: Jonathan Ashworth (Labour (Co-op) - Leicester South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 10 February 2020 to Question 12225 on Mental Health Services: Reciprocal Arrangements, what discussions officials of his Department has had with officials of the Treasury on the importance of people with health conditions getting travel insurance with adequate cover after European Health Insurance Card arrangements cease; and what negotiations the UK Government plans to conduct with the European Commission on safeguarding UK travellers with health conditions.
Answered by John Glen
Regardless of any future healthcare arrangements, people who have moved to the UK / EU before 31 December 2020, will continue to have life-long reciprocal healthcare rights provided they remain covered under the terms of the Withdrawal Agreement.
For individuals who are not, or who cease to be, covered by the Withdrawal Agreement, we will consider addressing future social security coordination arrangements, which includes reciprocal healthcare cover, with the EU.
The Government advises that UK citizens check that any policy they buy provides comprehensive cover for their medical conditions when going overseas, both to EU and non-EU destinations. This remains our advice.