Asked by: Jonathan Gullis (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress he has made in ensuring access to cash in (a) Burslem and (b) England.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Government recognises that cash remains important to millions of people across the UK and has committed to protecting access to cash for those that need it. The Government published a Call for Evidence on 15 October 2020 seeking views on the key considerations associated with cash access, including deposit and withdrawal facilities, cash acceptance, and regulatory oversight of the cash system. The Call for Evidence closed on the 25 November 2020 and the Government is considering responses. Next steps will be set out in due course.
With regards to ATMs, LINK (the scheme that runs the UK’s largest ATM network) has existing commitments to protect the broad geographic spread of free-to-use ATMs. LINK has taken action to ensure that remote and deprived areas continue to have access to free-to-use machines, and the Payment Systems Regulator continues to hold LINK to account over their commitments to maintain broad geographic coverage.
LINK has committed to protect free ATMs more than one kilometre away from the next nearest free ATM or Post Office, for example through premium payments for ATMs in remote and deprived areas. LINK has also committed to protecting free access to cash on high streets – where there is a cluster of five or more retailers – that don’t have a free-to-use ATM or a Post Office counter within one kilometre. LINK’s members have also made £5 million available to fund ATMs at the request of communities with poor access to cash.
Furthermore, there is an industry led initiative to implement Community Access to Cash Pilots. These pilots are to trial and test solutions for ensuring that communities can conveniently withdraw and deposit cash, and identify ways basic banking services can be better delivered, that could be adopted in other locations. Nine places were selected across the UK for these pilots, of which Burslem is one. The Burslem pilot includes a Post Office refurbishment and testing cashback without a purchase. The Government looks forward to the outcomes of these pilots.
Asked by: Jonathan Gullis (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to support people on low incomes in (a) Stoke-on-Trent and (b) Staffordshire during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Government is committed to supporting all groups in society, including the most vulnerable, with the challenges caused by COVID-19. In order to support those on low incomes in particular, the Government has announced a package of temporary welfare measures, which include a £20 per week increase to the Universal Credit standard allowance and the Working Tax Credit basic element, an increase in the Local Housing Allowance rates to the 30th percentile of market rents and a relaxation of the UC minimum income floor for all self-employed claimants.
In addition to the above measures, workers on low incomes who cannot work from home and who are asked to self-isolate may be eligible for a one-off payment of £500 under the Test and Trace Support Payment scheme. The Government has also announced a £170m COVID Winter Grant Scheme to support the most vulnerable over winter that will be run by councils in England, with at least 80% of the funding earmarked to provide support with food and bills.
The Government has also provided unprecedented support for businesses and individuals in order to protect jobs and incomes across the UK through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS). As at 31 October 2020, there were 7,000 employments furloughed in the unitary authority of Stoke-on-Trent (take-up rate of 6%) and 27,200 employments furloughed in Staffordshire County (take-up rate of 7%).
HM Treasury modelling published in July showed that Government support in response to the COVID-19 pandemic as of May 2020 had supported the poorest working households the most (as a proportion of income).
Asked by: Jonathan Gullis (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what fiscal steps he is taking to support people on low-incomes in (a) Stoke-on-Trent and (b) Staffordshire during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Government is seeking to protect, as far as possible, people’s jobs and incomes through the pandemic. This is being undertaken through a long-term, sustainable approach that focuses on employment, while ensuring everyone is supported by the welfare system in their time of need.
In response to the pandemic, the Government has announced an unprecedented package of support, including the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme, and a package of welfare measures which the Office of Budget Responsibility estimates to be worth over £9 billion, helping to protect incomes, jobs, and support those most in need. This package of temporary welfare measures includes a £20 per week increase to the Universal Credit standard allowance, and an increase in Local Housing Allowance rates to the 30th percentile of market rents. In addition, to continue to protect jobs over the winter months, from November businesses facing lower demand due to COVID-19 will be able to apply to the Job Support Scheme.
In its Plan for Jobs, the Government has announced unprecedented support to help unemployed people find a job. The support is available across Great Britain and includes measures that will be delivered at a local level through DWP’s extensive network of over 600 Job Centre Plus branches.
On top of these measures, the Government has introduced a new package to support those in self-isolation. People required to self-isolate who are on a low income, who cannot work from home, and have lost income as a result, will be eligible for a payment of £500.
Asked by: Jonathan Gullis (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment his Department has made of the effect of the temporary changes in VAT on businesses in the tourism and hospitality sectors in (a) Stoke-on-Trent and (b) Staffordshire.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Government has applied a temporary reduced rate of VAT (5 per cent) to goods and services supplied by the tourism and hospitality sectors. This relief came into effect on 15 July 2020 and will end on 31 March 2021.
The temporary reduced rate aims to support the cash flow and viability of over 150,000 businesses and protect 2.4 million jobs across the UK.
This relief is estimated to be worth over £3 billion to the tourism and hospitality sectors.
Asked by: Jonathan Gullis (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the adequacy of funding for the NHS over winter 2020-21 in (a) Stoke-on-Trent and (b) Staffordshire.
Answered by Steve Barclay - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The NHS is the Government’s number one spending priority and this year we are part way through the largest cash increase to the NHS budget in its history, which will take the NHS budget in England to £148.5 billion in 2023/24. This year we have gone further in responding to the Coronavirus pandemic, which is why the Chancellor set out at the Summer Economic Update that the Treasury had approved £31.9 billon of extra support to health services in 2020/21. The Prime Minister subsequently announced an additional £3 billion package of support to manage NHS capacity pressures over winter- including to deliver the largest ever flu vaccination programme and to continue access to independent sector hospitals for NHS patients. This unprecedented support for the NHS will benefit patients and protect the public across the UK, including in Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire.
As well as increasing day-to-day spending the Prime Minister has also announced £1.5 billion of additional capital funding for NHS hospitals in England this year, including towards improving A&E capacity. I am pleased to say that £4.3 million of this A&E funding has been allocated to the University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust which serves patients in Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire.
Asked by: Jonathan Gullis (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to support high street businesses affected by the covid-19 outbreak in (a) Stoke-on-Trent and (b) Kidsgrove.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - President of the Board of Trade
The Government has announced unprecedented support for business and workers to protect them against the current economic emergency including almost £300 billion of guarantees – equivalent to 15% of UK GDP. High street businesses continue to have access to a range of support measures including, but not limited to:
• A 12-month business rates holiday for all eligible retail, leisure and hospitality businesses in England
• The retail, hospitality and leisure grant fund (RHLGF)
• A Discretionary Grant Fund for Local Authorities in England
• The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS)
• The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS)
• The Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBL) for small and micro enterprises
• VAT deferral for up to 12 months
• The Time To Pay scheme, through which businesses in financial distress, and with outstanding tax liabilities, can receive support with their tax affairs
• Protection for commercial leaseholders against automatic forfeiture for non-payment until June 30, 2020 – with an option for the Government to extend if needed.
The Business Support website provides further information about how businesses can access the support that has been made available, who is eligible and how to apply - https://www.gov.uk/business-coronavirus-support-finder.
On 11 May the Government published its COVID-19 recovery strategy which sets out a cautious roadmap for easing existing measures in a safe and measured way. Following this roadmap, on 15 June the non-essential retail sector reopened, and on 23 June the Prime Minister announced that from 4 July some businesses in the leisure and hospitality sectors will be able to reopen providing they adhere to COVID Secure guidelines. Following a review, the Prime Minister has also set out where it is not possible to stay two metres apart, guidance will allow people to keep a social distance of one metre plus mitigations which reduce the risk of transmission.
The Government`s response is kept constantly under review and we will continue to work hard to support high street businesses as the economy reopens.
Asked by: Jonathan Gullis (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what fiscal steps he is taking to improve local transport infrastructure in (a) Stoke-on-Trent and (b) Kidsgrove.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - President of the Board of Trade
My Honourable Friend will know that Budget 2020 confirmed that Stoke-on-Trent will receive a share of £117 million of the wider Transforming Cities Fund subject to further business case approval, a share of the £500m Potholes Fund in 2020-21, and £18.5 million investment in the Etruria Valley Link Road from the Local Growth Fund.
I believe the Transport Secretary will be providing details of Stoke-on-Trent’s allocation from the Transforming Cities Fund in the coming months, as well as confirming allocations from the £250 million Emergency Active Travel Fund announced on 9 May as the first stage in a £2 billion package to create new era for cycling and walking over this Parliament.
Asked by: Jonathan Gullis (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate the Government has made of the number of grants provided through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme in (a) Stoke-on-Trent and (b) Staffordshire.
Answered by Jesse Norman
HMRC publish statistics on the total number of employments furloughed by local authority, including Stoke-on-Trent unitary authority and Staffordshire County. The latest statistics are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/coronavirus-job-retention-scheme-statistics-june-2020Asked by: Jonathan Gullis (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many grants have been provided through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to (a) Stoke-on-Trent and (b) Kidsgrove.
Answered by Jesse Norman
Applications for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) opened on Monday 20 April. By close 11 May, HMRC had received 935,000 claims representing 7.5m furloughed employments and £10.1bn.
This is a new scheme and HMRC are currently working through the analysis they will be able to provide based on the data available. HMRC will make the timescales for publication and the types of data available in due course.
Asked by: Jonathan Gullis (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what fiscal steps he is taking to improve local transport infrastructure in (a) Stoke-on-Trent and (b) Kidsgrove.
Answered by Steve Barclay - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
As I set out in answer to my Honourable Friend’s previous question on this topic on 25 March, Budget 2020 confirmed that Stoke-on-Trent will receive a share of £117 million of the wider Transforming Cities Fund, subject to further business case approval, and a share of the £500m Potholes Fund in 2020-21, and £18.5 million investment in the Etruria Valley Link Road from the Local Growth Fund.
I can now add that the region will also benefit from £2 billion cycling and walking investment set out by the Transport Secretary earlier this month, with further details to be confirmed in due course.