Asked by: Jonathan Gullis (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential economic merits of the Independent Game Developers' Association's proposal for an increase in the rate of video games tax relief from 25 per cent to 32 per cent.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
In 2019-20 the Video Games Tax Relief (VGTR) supported UK expenditure of £355 million on the production of 150 video games.
The Government keeps all tax reliefs under review, and regularly receives proposals for changes to tax reliefs. When considering changes, HM Treasury must ensure they provide support to businesses across the economy in a fair way and represent good value for money for the taxpayer.
Asked by: Jonathan Gullis (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the contribution of Video Games Tax Relief to (a) jobs, (b) investment and (c) productivity in the UK video games sector.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - Leader of HM Official Opposition
The government supported the completion of 150 video games in 2019-2020 via Video Games Tax Relief (VGTR), with UK expenditure of £355 million.
The government published an evaluation of VGTR in 2017, which can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/video-game-tax-relief-evaluation
Research showed that VGTR enabled developers to be more productive by giving them more stability and lowering their level of risk, enabling them to survive longer and look beyond immediate financial concerns to focus on expanding their business or improving their offer. The evaluation found concrete examples of inward investment, and indications that VGTR had stemmed the drain of UK talent to countries such as France and Canada.
Asked by: Jonathan Gullis (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many (a) small and (b) large firms have claimed R&D Tax Relief since 2010.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
HMRC publish annual statistics on the number and cost of claims for Research and Development (R&D) tax reliefs. The latest release can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/corporate-tax-research-and-development-tax-credit.
Table RD1 gives the number of claims for the R&D tax relief split by all schemes since the relief was introduced for SMEs in 2000. The number of claims for R&D tax relief can be used to approximate the number of companies.
HMRC also publish annual statistics on the number and cost of claims for Creative Industry tax reliefs. The latest release can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/creative-industries-statistics-august-2020.
Table 4.2 gives the number of companies which have claimed Video Games Tax Relief in each year since the relief was introduced in 2014.
Asked by: Jonathan Gullis (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many firms have claimed Video Games Tax Relief in each year since its introduction in 2014.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
HMRC publish annual statistics on the number and cost of claims for Research and Development (R&D) tax reliefs. The latest release can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/corporate-tax-research-and-development-tax-credit.
Table RD1 gives the number of claims for the R&D tax relief split by all schemes since the relief was introduced for SMEs in 2000. The number of claims for R&D tax relief can be used to approximate the number of companies.
HMRC also publish annual statistics on the number and cost of claims for Creative Industry tax reliefs. The latest release can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/creative-industries-statistics-august-2020.
Table 4.2 gives the number of companies which have claimed Video Games Tax Relief in each year since the relief was introduced in 2014.
Asked by: Jonathan Gullis (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent steps he has taken to increase access to free-to-use cash machines in Stoke-on-Trent.
Answered by John Glen
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 progress he has made in ensuring access to cash in (a) Burslem and (b) England.
Answered by John Glen
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 - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
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).