Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he has taken to meet his obligation under the Public Sector Equality Duty to have due regard to the effect of 2021 Budget on equality; and whether he plans to publish an equality impact assessment of the 2021 Budget.
Answered by Steve Barclay - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The measures at Budget 2021, such as the continuation of the measures to respond to the impact of COVID-19, will support many people across society and promote this government’s belief in fairness. The Treasury carefully considers the impact of its decisions on those sharing protected characteristics, including at Budgets and other fiscal events, in line with both its legal obligations and with its strong commitment to promoting fairness. At Budget 2021, Ministers have paid such due regard to the equalities implications of their decisions and these decisions have been announced to Parliament. In interests of transparency we publish impacts in summary form for tax measures in tax information and impact notes (TIINs) alongside Finance Acts.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of removing import tax on sperm and egg donations coming from the EU.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Government is currently reviewing a number of questions raised about the correct VAT treatment of the import of sperm and eggs into the UK.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the report published by the Women and Equalities Committee, Unequal impact: Coronavirus and the gendered economic impact, HC 385, what assessment he has made of (a) the implications for his policies of that report and (b) the recommendation in that report to guarantee parents the right to furlough.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Government is considering the Committee’s report carefully and will respond to their recommendations in due course. The Government appreciates the work of the Committee on these important issues, and the contributions of all those who gave evidence.
The Treasury has rigorous processes in place to ensure that it complies with its legal requirements under the Equality Act 2010. The Treasury considers carefully the equality impacts of individual policies on those sharing protected characteristics, including gender, in line with both its legal obligations and with its strong commitment to equality. As the Government considers further policies as part of the response to coronavirus, these processes ensure impacts on all are taken into account appropriately.
In relation to the specific recommendation related to parents’ right to furlough, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme is available to the employers of anyone who is unable to work, including from home, due to caring responsibilities arising from COVID-19, such as caring for children who are at home as a result of school and childcare facilities closing. However, the furloughing of staff through the CJRS is a voluntary arrangement, entered at the employers’ discretion and agreed by employees. It is not for the Government to decide whether an individual firm should put its staff on furlough.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to (a) reports of pregnant women being unlawfully sent home on statutory sick pay or unpaid leave during the covid-19 lockdown announced in March 2020 rather than being suspended on full pay or furloughed and (b) guidance published by the Department for Health and Social Care and the Health and Safety Executive on 23 December 2020 stating that women in their third trimester are at greater risk of severe illness if they catch covid-19, for what reason HMRC's guidance, Claim for wages through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, updated December 2020, does not provide guidance on pregnant women.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) guidance is clear that those who are clinically extremely vulnerable, or at the highest risk of severe illness from coronavirus and following public health guidance, are eligible for the CJRS. It is for the employer to decide whether to offer to furlough an employee.
Queries about the definition of the clinically extremely vulnerable group should be directed towards the Department for Health and Social Care in England, or the appropriate devolved authorities for the equivalent most at-risk groups in other UK nations.
While there is no obligation for employers to take up the scheme, the scheme has been open to all UK employers provided they meet the eligibility criteria.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has received representations on (a) reported higher levels of women than men being furloughed under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and (b) the potential effect of that matter on the gender pay gap.
Answered by Jesse Norman
So far, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) has helped 1.2 million employers across the UK furlough 9.6 million jobs, protecting people’s livelihoods. The latest data shows that across the UK, 1.6 million female employees were furloughed at the end of August and 1.5 million male employees. This data is publicly available on GOV.UK.
When designing the CJRS and subsequent reforms, the Government undertook an analysis of how the policies were likely to affect individuals with protected characteristics in line with Public Sector Equality Duties. This was done according to internal procedural requirements for ensuring that equalities considerations inform decisions taken by ministers.
HM Treasury and HMRC are undertaking an evaluation that will assess the delivery and impact of the CJRS. The Government intends to publish the CJRS evaluation plan in December 2020 and an evaluation report by the end of 2021.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what sector specific support is being provided for (a) independent brewers and (b) public houses during the November 2020 covid-19 lockdown restrictions period.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - President of the Board of Trade
The Government recognises that breweries and public houses have been acutely disrupted by recent necessary restrictions to the hospitality sector. That is why the Government has extended the unprecedented package of support measures, to protect businesses and jobs. This includes:
Independent breweries have and will continue to benefit directly from Government support schemes, and indirectly from the support offered to the pubs and restaurants they supply, protecting jobs in the industry. The Government is continuing to collect evidence on the impact of the pandemic on the sector and to work with businesses and representative groups to inform our efforts to support this sector.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he plans to take to support families that have experienced an increase in their household debt as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Government has delivered unprecedented support for living standards during this challenging time, protecting livelihoods with the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, and temporary welfare measures amongst other support.
With the resurgence of COVID-19, the Government has extended the Coronavirus Jobs Retention Scheme until 31 March 2021. Eligible employees will continue to receive 80% of their usual salary for hours not worked, up to a maximum of £2,500 per month. The Government has increased the overall level of the third grant under the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme to 80 per cent of average trading profits, meaning that the maximum grant available has now increased to £7,500.
The Government has made changes to the welfare system worth £9.3 billion according to recent OBR estimates. This includes a £20 per week increase to the Universal Credit standard allowance and Working Tax Credit basic element.
To support renters, the Government has provided a nearly £1 billion increase in Local Housing Allowance Rates and has increased notice periods to six months in all but the most egregious cases, and this will remain in place until at least the end of March 2021. This means that renters now served notice can stay in their homes over winter. Evictions will not be enforced whilst national restrictions are in place over the Christmas period (until 11 January 2021 at the earliest), except for the most egregious cases such as anti-social behaviour.
To support people who may struggle to meet their council tax payments this year, the Government has provided Local Authorities with £500 million. The Government expects that this will provide all recipients of working age local council tax support with a further reduction in their annual council tax bill of £150 this financial year.
Earlier this year, the Government worked quickly with lenders and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to give people access to payment holidays on their mortgages and consumer borrowing. This is giving consumers a much-needed respite period, in which no repayments are due on these credit products.
Draft guidance announced by the FCA earlier this month sets out that payment holidays of up to six months will continue to be available to mortgage and consumer credit borrowers who have been impacted by COVID-19 until at least 31 January 2021. Those how have already taken six months of payment holidays and who continue to experience payment difficulties should speak to their lender to agree tailored support.
The Government recognises that despite these strong protections, some people are struggling with their finances at this challenging time. To help people in problem debt get their finances back on track, an extra £37.8 million support package is being made available to debt advice providers this financial year, bringing this year’s budget for free debt advice in England to over £100 million.
In May, the Government also announced the immediate release of £65 million of dormant assets funding to Fair4All Finance, an independent organisation that has been founded to support the financial wellbeing of people in vulnerable circumstances. The funding is used to increase access to fair, affordable and appropriate financial products and services for those in financial difficulties.
And from May 2021 the Breathing Space scheme will offer people in problem debt a pause of up to 60 days on most enforcement action, interest, fees and charges, and will encourage them to seek professional debt advice.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he is taking steps to reduce the duty paid by pubs and breweries; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - President of the Board of Trade
The Treasury has supported pubs and breweries with cuts and freezes to alcohol duties at six of the last seven Budgets, costing £6.2 billion in revenue since 2013. This has made a pint of beer 16p cheaper than it otherwise would have been had duty rates increased with inflation. Alcohol duties are kept under review and further announcements will be made at the next fiscal event.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to provide self-employed people with the same level of financial support as those in full-time employment.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The UK continues to have one of the most generous self-employed COVID-19 support schemes in the world. The Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) is helping those that have been adversely affected by COVID-19, and has already helped 2.6 million people with over £7.6bn of support. Furthermore, as set out in the Winter Economy Plan, the Government is extending the SEISS Grant; an initial taxable grant will be provided to cover three months’ worth of profits for the period from November to the end of January 2021. The second grant will cover a three-month period from the start of February until the end of April. The Government will review the level of the second grant and set this in due course.
The SEISS Grant Extension is a top-up to support self-employed people who are currently actively trading and facing reduced demand due to COVID-19. The Government has broadly aligned the grant with the Government’s contribution to the Job Support Scheme which has been introduced to support employers who may be facing continued reduced demand over this winter as a result of COVID-19. It is also worth noting that unlike under the Job Support Scheme, there is no requirement for the self-employed to reduce their hours by 66% to get the maximum Government contribution. In addition, the Job Support Scheme grant is scalable, and the SEISS Grant Extension is broadly equivalent to the maximum contribution.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the withdrawal of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme on older people.
Answered by Jesse Norman
When designing the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, as well as subsequent policies and reforms including the closure of the scheme, the Government undertook an analysis of how the policies were likely to affect individuals sharing protected characteristics in line with Public Sector Equality Duties. This is in line with the internal procedural requirements and support in place for ensuring that equalities considerations inform decisions taken by ministers.
The CJRS is one of several forms of support available during this difficult period. The Winter Economy Plan includes the new Job Support Scheme which, alongside the Job Retention Bonus, will continue to support firms to keep employees across all demographics in their jobs once the CJRS closes.