Asked by: Marion Fellows (Scottish National Party - Motherwell and Wishaw)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the Community Access to Cash Pilots operating in Post Office branches.
Answered by John Glen
The Community Access to Cash Pilots are an industry-led initiative taking place in nine locations across the UK. These pilots are to trial and test sustainable 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.
The pilots include 3 ‘banking hubs’ in dedicated retail spaces on the high street, which combine the cash-transaction facilities of a Post Office with access to community banking services offered by the key retail banks. The locations for these trialling this service are Ampthill in Bedfordshire, Rochford in Essex and Cambuslang near Glasgow.
The Government welcomes these initiatives and looks forward to the outcomes of these pilots.
Asked by: Marion Fellows (Scottish National Party - Motherwell and Wishaw)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if his Department will provide dispensation to people seeking insurance to travel to restricted countries on compassionate grounds during the covid-19 pandemic.
Answered by John Glen
Travel insurance is now widely available. It is likely that any policy bought or renewed, or trip booked, after the pandemic was officially declared will not cover cancellation due to COVID-19, including changes to FCDO travel advice, as it is a known risk. This is in contrast to policies sold before the outbreak of COVID-19, which typically covered changes in FCDO advice.
Travelling to countries against FCDO advice is likely to invalidate your travel insurance.
Travel insurance policies differ so, if in doubt, customers should speak to their insurer or check the terms and conditions of their policy.
Asked by: Marion Fellows (Scottish National Party - Motherwell and Wishaw)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to allocate financial support for cooperatives; and what support his Department is making available to simplify the process for establishing such cooperatives.
Answered by John Glen
The Government recognises the value of co-operatives, and the contribution they make to all sectors of the economy. The first phase of our economic response has seen us take unprecedented steps to support the economy through the crisis; to keep as many people as possible in their existing jobs, to support viable businesses, including co-operatives, to stay afloat, and to protect the incomes of the most vulnerable. Co-operatives, like other businesses, have been eligible for a range of Government support schemes, including the Coronavirus Jobs Retention Scheme, grants delivered by Local Authorities and business loans.
The Government has taken significant steps to support the growth of co-operatives right across the country. In 2014 the Government passed the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act, to reduce legal complexity for co-operatives and community benefit societies, and at the same time increased the amount of share capital an individual member can put into a co-operative society to £100,000.
HM Treasury officials also hosted a ‘Mutuals Workshop’ with representatives from the sector in 2019, to understand the challenges faced by mutuals and how Government can help to address these.
As we start to open the economy up and we look forward, we will consider how best to support the economic recovery. We will develop new measures to grow the economy, to back businesses, including co-operatives, and to help people thrive in the new post-Covid world. We will continue to consider how we can best support the co-operative sector to reach its potential, and welcome the views of Co-operatives UK and others in the sector as we do.
Asked by: Marion Fellows (Scottish National Party - Motherwell and Wishaw)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of the recommendations in the report entitled, We are the rebuilders: Four co-operative offers for building back better from COVID-19, published in June 2020 by Co-operatives UK.
Answered by John Glen
The Government recognises the value of co-operatives, and the contribution they make to all sectors of the economy. The first phase of our economic response has seen us take unprecedented steps to support the economy through the crisis; to keep as many people as possible in their existing jobs, to support viable businesses, including co-operatives, to stay afloat, and to protect the incomes of the most vulnerable. Co-operatives, like other businesses, have been eligible for a range of Government support schemes, including the Coronavirus Jobs Retention Scheme, grants delivered by Local Authorities and business loans.
The Government has taken significant steps to support the growth of co-operatives right across the country. In 2014 the Government passed the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act, to reduce legal complexity for co-operatives and community benefit societies, and at the same time increased the amount of share capital an individual member can put into a co-operative society to £100,000.
HM Treasury officials also hosted a ‘Mutuals Workshop’ with representatives from the sector in 2019, to understand the challenges faced by mutuals and how Government can help to address these.
As we start to open the economy up and we look forward, we will consider how best to support the economic recovery. We will develop new measures to grow the economy, to back businesses, including co-operatives, and to help people thrive in the new post-Covid world. We will continue to consider how we can best support the co-operative sector to reach its potential, and welcome the views of Co-operatives UK and others in the sector as we do.
Asked by: Marion Fellows (Scottish National Party - Motherwell and Wishaw)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what reasons audiobooks were not included in the zero-rating VAT on e-publications announced in the Budget 2020; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The extension of the zero rate of VAT has been introduced to provide consistency in approach between certain physical and digital publications in order to support reading and literacy in all its forms. Audiobooks are already taxed consistently at the standard rate in both physical and digital format.
In UK law, a book is deemed to be something that is read or looked at, a definition that does not include audio content in both digital and physical form.
The Government keeps all taxes under review, including VAT.
Asked by: Marion Fellows (Scottish National Party - Motherwell and Wishaw)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent estimate he has made of the potential cost to the Exchequer of removing VAT from audiobooks; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The extension of the zero rate of VAT has been introduced to provide consistency in approach between certain physical and digital publications in order to support reading and literacy in all its forms. Audiobooks are already taxed consistently at the standard rate in both physical and digital format.
In UK law, a book is deemed to be something that is read or looked at, a definition that does not include audio content in both digital and physical form.
The Government keeps all taxes under review, including VAT.