Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool, Riverside)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will take steps to discourage banks regulated in the UK from supporting businesses which receive income from industrial livestock companies contributing to deforestation.
Answered by Bim Afolami - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government is committed to working with UK financial institutions to further tackle deforestation-linked finance.
On 9 December at COP28 Nature Day, the Government announced the next steps on the Forest Risk Commodities Scheme which will be introduced through provisions under the Environment Act 2021. This new due diligence legislation will see businesses that have a global annual turnover of over £50 million and use over 500 tonnes of regulated commodities a year banned from using them if sourced from land used illegally.
As set out in the Financial Services and Markets Act 2023, HM Treasury will also conduct a review to assess if the financial regulatory framework is adequate for the purpose of eliminating the financing of illegal deforestation, and to consider what changes to the regulatory framework may be appropriate.
Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool, Riverside)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of (a) a reduction in public expenditure and (b) the cost of living crisis on children in food poverty.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Chancellor makes regular assessments on the impact of public expenditure on services and policies in the UK.
At the Autumn Statement, the Chancellor has taken a responsible and disciplined approach to spending whilst prioritising vital public services and the most vulnerable. Over the Spending Review period, overall departmental spending will continue to grow after inflation. This includes an additional [£2.3bn] of funding in 2023-24 and [£2.3bn] in 2024-25 for schools.
The Government also understands that people across the UK are worried about the rising cost of food, which is why we remain committed to supporting children including through:
This Government has also announced £37bn of support for cost of living this financial year, including a Cost of Living payment of £650 to households on means-tested benefits, with extra support for pensioners and those claiming disability benefits, and £500m to continue the Household Support Fund for a further 6 months, to allow Local Authorities to help the most in need.
Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool, Riverside)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 21 June 2021 to Question 16027 on Equitable Life Assurance Society, for what reasons the Government does not plan to (a) reopen the Equitable Life Payment Scheme or (b) review the £1.5 billion funding allocation previously made to it.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
Since 2010, the government has taken more action to resolve this issue than ever was taken previously, including setting up a payment scheme to make payments of up to £1.5bn to eligible policyholders. Since the Scheme closed in 2016, the Government’s position on this issue has been clear, that there will be no further funding in addition to the £1.5bn and this issue is considered closed.
The methodology for calculating payments to Equitable Life policyholders was published in 2011 and can be found at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/equitable-life-payment-scheme-design.
Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool, Riverside)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish the calculations, including the intermediary steps, used in determining payments made under the Equitable Life Payment Scheme.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
Since 2010, the government has taken more action to resolve this issue than ever was taken previously, including setting up a payment scheme to make payments of up to £1.5bn to eligible policyholders. Since the Scheme closed in 2016, the Government’s position on this issue has been clear, that there will be no further funding in addition to the £1.5bn and this issue is considered closed.
The methodology for calculating payments to Equitable Life policyholders was published in 2011 and can be found at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/equitable-life-payment-scheme-design.
Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool, Riverside)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he plans to take in 2022 to help people affected by the Equitable Life scandal.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
Since 2010, the government has taken more action to resolve this issue than ever was taken previously, including setting up a payment scheme to make payments of up to £1.5bn to eligible policyholders. Since the Scheme closed in 2016, the Government’s position on this issue has been clear, that there will be no further funding in addition to the £1.5bn and this issue is considered closed.
The methodology for calculating payments to Equitable Life policyholders was published in 2011 and can be found at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/equitable-life-payment-scheme-design.
Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool, Riverside)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the upcoming expiration of his Department’s contract with Capita for the administration of the Equitable Life Payments Scheme, if he will confirm that future awardees of the contract will be subject to the same contractual requirement to hold, in a searchable format, the personal, bank account and payment data for all those non-WPA (With Profits Annuitants) Equitable Life policyholders who have already received a payment from that scheme.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
I refer the Honourable Member to the answer I gave to PQ UIN67299 on 9th November.
Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool, Riverside)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will ensure that, following the upcoming expiration of his Department’s contract with Capita for the administration of the Equitable Life Payments Scheme, that future awardees of the contract will be subject to the same contractual requirement to hold, in a searchable format, the personal, bank account and payment data for all non-With Profits Annuitants Equitable Life policyholders, who have already received a payment from the Scheme.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
HM Treasury has extended its contract with Capita for the administration of the Equitable Life Payment Scheme until 15 November 2023. The service requirements will naturally be reviewed when the service is re-procured.
The contract is published on the Contracts Finder website and is available at the following link:
Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool, Riverside)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether, if he will extend the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme registration date beyond 31 October 2020 to cover those workers taken on as covid-19 tier restrictions were relaxed but were subsequently let go without furlough payments from 30 December 2020.
Answered by Jesse Norman
Throughout the pandemic, the Government has moved the cut-off date for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme when possible, bringing millions of people into the scope of the scheme who were previously ineligible. For claim periods under the extension from 1 May 2021, as announced at Budget, the Government has extended the eligibility window so that it will run from 20 March 2020 until 2 March 2021. Based on early estimates, this means that about 2.4 million more jobs are eligible for the scheme.
However, for all eligibility decisions under the CJRS, the Government balances the need to support as many people as possible with the need to protect the scheme from fraud. The 30 October 2020 cut-off date is necessary for claims relating to the period from 1 November 2020 to 30 April 2021, because having a cut-off date on the day before an announcement of an extension to the CJRS allows as many people as possible to be included, while balancing the risk of fraud that exists as soon as the forward plan becomes public.
The CJRS is only one part of the substantial package of support that the Government has introduced for businesses and individuals.
Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool, Riverside)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect on women of not including reusable menstrual underwear in the new zero rate of VAT for sanitary protection products.
Answered by Jesse Norman
A zero rate of VAT has applied to women’s sanitary products since 1 January 2021. This applies to those products which were previously subject to the reduced rate of 5 per cent, for example, tampons and pads, and to reusable menstrual products, such as keepers.
The relief specifically excludes articles of clothing, such as “period pants”. Such exclusions are designed to ensure that the relief is properly targeted, since difficulties in policing the scope of the relief create the potential for litigation, erosion of the tax base and a reduction in revenue. Under existing rules “period pants” may already qualify for the zero rate, if they have been specifically designed to be worn by a child, meet the sizing criteria, and are held out for sale specifically for use by girls under the age of 14 years old.
Details are provided in VAT Notice 714: zero-rating young children's clothing and footwear: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vat-notice-714-zero-rating-young-childrens-clothing-and-footwear/vat-notice-714-zero-rating-young-childrens-clothing-and-footwear#items-suitable-only-for-young-children.
The new zero rate will ensure that every woman that needs sanitary protection during their monthly cycle will now, for the first time, have access to a variety of zero rated products on which they had previously paid a 5 per cent rate of VAT.
Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool, Riverside)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what reason the zero-rate of value-added tax for period products is not applied to reusable menstrual underwear that has been specifically designed for period management.
Answered by Jesse Norman
A zero rate of VAT has applied to women’s sanitary products since 1 January 2021. This applies to those products which were previously subject to the reduced rate of 5 per cent, for example, tampons and pads, and to reusable menstrual products, such as keepers.
The relief specifically excludes articles of clothing, such as “period pants”. Such exclusions are designed to ensure that the relief is properly targeted, since difficulties in policing the scope of the relief create the potential for litigation, erosion of the tax base and a reduction in revenue. Under existing rules “period pants” may already qualify for the zero rate, if they have been specifically designed to be worn by a child, meet the sizing criteria, and are held out for sale specifically for use by girls under the age of 14 years old.
Details are provided in VAT Notice 714: zero-rating young children's clothing and footwear: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vat-notice-714-zero-rating-young-childrens-clothing-and-footwear/vat-notice-714-zero-rating-young-childrens-clothing-and-footwear#items-suitable-only-for-young-children.
The new zero rate will ensure that every woman that needs sanitary protection during their monthly cycle will now, for the first time, have access to a variety of zero rated products on which they had previously paid a 5 per cent rate of VAT.