Asked by: Lady Hermon (Independent - North Down)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will meet representatives of Employers for Childcare to discuss its concerns about the closure of the childcare voucher scheme to new entrants after the six-month extension; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
HMRC hold regular meetings with childcare voucher providers, and will be holding another forum shortly. Employers for Childcare will be invited to attend.
Asked by: Lady Hermon (Independent - North Down)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential loss of free-to-use ATMs in (a) North Down, (b) Northern Ireland as a consequence of LINK'S proposal to reduce the interchange free by 20 per cent; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by John Glen
The Government recognises that widespread free access to cash remains extremely important to the day-to-day lives of many consumers and businesses in the UK, and will continue to work with industry to ensure that this access remains.
The Government has not made any formal assessment of the potential effect of LINK’s proposals to change the interchange fee rate on North Down or Northern Ireland. However, the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR), which Government set up in 2015 with a statutory objective to ensure that the UK’s payment systems work in the interests of their users, is monitoring developments within ATM provision, and is conducting ongoing internal work on the impact that changes may have. The PSR has committed to using its powers to act should any of the firms it regulates behave in a way that conflicts with its statutory objectives.
The Government is engaging regularly with LINK and its members, and they have assured us that industry is committed to maintaining an extensive network of free-to-use cash machines, and to ensuring that the present geographical spread of ATMs is maintained. LINK intends to bolster its Financial Inclusion Programme, which ensures the provision of ATMs in areas of deprivation, where demand would not otherwise make one viable, and has also committed to protecting all free-to-use ATMs which are a kilometre or more from the next nearest free-to-use ATM.
Asked by: Lady Hermon (Independent - North Down)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the need for additional Revenue and Customs officials in Northern Ireland as a result of the UK leaving the EU; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Mel Stride - Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer
Additional staffing required by HMRC across the UK following exit from the European Union will depend on the final outcome of the negotiations. HMRC are working with other government departments sharing the responsibility for maintaining the flow of trade through our borders to provide a seamless customs system.
The Government recognises the unique case of the Northern Ireland – Ireland land border, and has been clear that there will be no return to the borders of the past. It is for this reason that avoiding a ‘hard border’ between Ireland and Northern Ireland is one of the Government’s three strategic objectives that have informed development of the policy options outlined in the recently published Future Customs Arrangements: A Future Partnership Paper.