Asked by: Kate Green (Labour - Stretford and Urmston)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to line 20, table 2.1, of the March Budget 2021, what level of funding has been allocated to each (a) region of England and (b) devolved nation for Help to Grow Management in (i) 2021-22, (ii) 2022-23 and (iii) 2023-24.
Answered by Helen Whately - Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
Help to Grow: Management will be delivered by business schools across the UK. HM Treasury has provided ringfenced funding to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy for this programme; £62m in 2021-22, £74m in 2022-23, and £87m in 2023-24.
We are committed to ensuring that all regions and nations in the UK benefit from Help to Grow: Management. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy will determine the funding that is allocated to each business school – and thereby to each region and devolved nation – in collaboration with its delivery partner, the Chartered Association of Business Schools.
Asked by: Kate Green (Labour - Stretford and Urmston)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Autumn Budget and Spending Review 2021, whether it is his policy to provide funding for Help to Grow Management to each region and devolved nation in the UK on a ring-fenced basis.
Answered by Helen Whately - Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
This government is committed to ensuring that all regions and nations in the UK benefit from Help to Grow: Management. The programme will be delivered by business schools across the UK.
HM Treasury has provided ringfenced funding to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy for Help to Grow: Management. Within this allocation, funding has not been ringfenced for each region and devolved nation.
The Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy will determine the funding allocated to each business school – and thereby to each region and devolved nation – in collaboration with its delivery partner, the Chartered Association of Business Schools.
Asked by: Kate Green (Labour - Stretford and Urmston)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with (a) employers and (b) HMRC on refunding childcare voucher payments to families who have not been able to use them as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Steve Barclay
The availability of a refund on childcare vouchers will depend on the precise terms and conditions of the employer’s childcare voucher scheme, which is a contractual arrangement between the parent, the employer and the childcare voucher provider.
Some schemes allow for refunds on the value of childcare vouchers in certain circumstances but there is no legal requirement to do so. Where a refund is provided, the refund is treated as income from the employee’s employment and should be subject to deductions of tax and National Insurance Contributions in the normal way.
Due to coronavirus restrictions, employees may not be using all of their childcare vouchers. Users of the childcare voucher scheme can continue to receive childcare vouchers, but may wish to temporarily reduce their contributions so that they don’t accumulate a stockpile.
Contributions can then be increased as and when required. Varying the amount will not affect continuing eligibility, providing that the normal conditions of the scheme are met.
Asked by: Kate Green (Labour - Stretford and Urmston)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of total parental contributions to childcare vouchers in the 2020-21 financial year.
Answered by Steve Barclay
The government does not hold data for parental contributions made towards childcare vouchers. We obtain estimates of numbers of recipients and value of vouchers from data supplied voluntarily by voucher providers to HMRC. These estimates for 2020/21 will be available in Autumn 2021.
Asked by: Kate Green (Labour - Stretford and Urmston)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect on supply teaching staff of the requirement for employers to meet the cost of (a) national insurance and (b) pension contributions for furloughed staff.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
Agency workers, including supply teachers, are eligible for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) in the same way as other employees, and can continue to be claimed for during periods of school closure provided that the usual eligibility criteria are met.
Employers will only be asked to cover National Insurance and employer pension contributions for hours not worked. For an average claim, this accounts for just five per cent of total employment costs or £70 per employee per month. This is a fair way to ask employers to contribute because it protects lower paid workers, by limiting the cost of them to employers.
Since March, the Government has provided support for people, businesses and public services totalling an estimated £280 billion. In particular, businesses have received billions in loans, tax deferrals, Business Rate reliefs, and general and sector-specific grants. This support can be used by businesses to cover the costs of NICs and pension contributions, ensuring that they can continue to furlough their employees.