Asked by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an estimate of the cost to the public purse of suspending fuel duty for the logistics industry during the covid-19 pandemic.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - President of the Board of Trade
The Government recognises the extreme disruption to businesses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This is why the Government has announced unprecedented support for businesses, including a business rates holiday, grants to smaller businesses and a package of government-backed and guaranteed loans.
The Government has also taken steps to specifically support the logistics sector and haulage businesses. Budget announced that fuel duty would be frozen for a tenth consecutive year, and that HGV VED and levy rates would also be frozen again in 2020-21.
Haulage businesses have also benefitted from the reduced by price of fuel: diesel pump prices in the week of the 4th of May were down 20p per litre compared to a year ago.
Asked by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make a comparative assessment of the level of fuel duty derogations available for the logistics sector in each EU Member state; and whether those derogations can be applied in the the UK as part of the recovery from the covid-19 pandemic.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - President of the Board of Trade
The Government recognises the extreme disruption to businesses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This is why the Government has announced unprecedented support for businesses, including a business rates holiday, grants to smaller businesses and a package of government-backed and guaranteed loans.
The Government has also taken steps to specifically support the logistics sector and haulage businesses. Budget announced that fuel duty would be frozen for a tenth consecutive year, and that HGV VED and levy rates would also be frozen again in 2020-21.
Haulage businesses have also benefitted from the reduced by price of fuel: diesel pump prices in the week of the 4th of May were down 20p per litre compared to a year ago.
Asked by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much has been paid by logistics businesses into the apprenticeship levy fund since the introduction of that levy.
Answered by Mel Stride - Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
The ‘Transportation and storage’ sector has paid a total of £280m into the Apprenticeship Levy between April 2017 and March 2019.
HMRC collects data on a Pay As You Earn (PAYE) scheme basis, and employers may have multiple PAYE schemes. HMRC is currently exploring the feasibility of accurately aggregating PAYE schemes to employer level.
Asked by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many logistics businesses pay into the apprenticeship levy; and what proportion of all companies does that figure represent.
Answered by Mel Stride - Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
The ‘Transportation and storage’ sector has paid a total of £280m into the Apprenticeship Levy between April 2017 and March 2019.
HMRC collects data on a Pay As You Earn (PAYE) scheme basis, and employers may have multiple PAYE schemes. HMRC is currently exploring the feasibility of accurately aggregating PAYE schemes to employer level.
Asked by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect of implementing Operation Brock on the (a) UK economy, (b) economy in Kent and (c) the financial viability of the road haulage industry; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
The Department for Transport, Highways England and local partners developed Operation Brock to keep Kent’s road network moving in the event of disruption on the Channel Straits.
The cost of disruption to residents, businesses and the local community can be substantial primarily reflecting the economic cost of goods being unable to cross the border.
Operation Brock consists of three phases: a contraflow queuing system on the M20, holding areas at Manston Airport and, if necessary, on the M26. These measures are intended to provide the resilience and flexibility required to deal with any disruption to cross-Channel travel from Kent ports from March 2019 and beyond. Keeping key strategic roads open in Kent will help minimise the cost of disruption to the UK economy, local community and road haulage industry.
The road haulage industry and local stakeholders have been fully engaged in discussions with the Department for Transport.
Asked by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he make an assessment of the effect on the UK road haulage industry in the event that fuel duty was reduced to the (a) level in France, (b) level in Germany and (c) EU27 average; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
To support the haulage industry, the government will freeze both fuel duty and HGV VED for a further year from April 2019. As a result of the nine years of fuel duty freezes, by April 2020, the average HGV driver will have saved a cumulative £23,300 compared with the pre-2010 escalator.
Fuel duty and its broader impacts on business and the economy remain under review. However, cuts in fuel duty come at a high cost to the Exchequer and do not necessarily offset pump price volatilities such as oil prices and exchange rates.
Both ministers and officials meet regularly with the road freight industry to discuss a wide range of issues, including taxation and cross-border competition.
Asked by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an estimate of the effect on inflation of a reduction in fuel duty to the (a) level in France, (b) level in Germany and (c) EU27 average; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
To support the haulage industry, the government will freeze both fuel duty and HGV VED for a further year from April 2019. As a result of the nine years of fuel duty freezes, by April 2020, the average HGV driver will have saved a cumulative £23,300 compared with the pre-2010 escalator.
Fuel duty and its broader impacts on business and the economy remain under review. However, cuts in fuel duty come at a high cost to the Exchequer and do not necessarily offset pump price volatilities such as oil prices and exchange rates.
Both ministers and officials meet regularly with the road freight industry to discuss a wide range of issues, including taxation and cross-border competition.
Asked by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the effect of trends in the level of UK fuel duty on competition between UK based hauliers and hauliers based in the European Union.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
To support the haulage industry, the government will freeze both fuel duty and HGV VED for a further year from April 2019. As a result of the nine years of fuel duty freezes, by April 2020, the average HGV driver will have saved a cumulative £23,300 compared with the pre-2010 escalator.
Fuel duty and its broader impacts on business and the economy remain under review. However, cuts in fuel duty come at a high cost to the Exchequer and do not necessarily offset pump price volatilities such as oil prices and exchange rates.
Both ministers and officials meet regularly with the road freight industry to discuss a wide range of issues, including taxation and cross-border competition.
Asked by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he had with representatives of the road freight industry on the introduction of an essential user rebate on fuel duty for that industry.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
To support the haulage industry, the government will freeze both fuel duty and HGV VED for a further year from April 2019. As a result of the nine years of fuel duty freezes, by April 2020, the average HGV driver will have saved a cumulative £23,300 compared with the pre-2010 escalator.
Fuel duty and its broader impacts on business and the economy remain under review. However, cuts in fuel duty come at a high cost to the Exchequer and do not necessarily offset pump price volatilities such as oil prices and exchange rates.
Both ministers and officials meet regularly with the road freight industry to discuss a wide range of issues, including taxation and cross-border competition.
Asked by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many non-disclosure agreements his Department has entered into in each year since 2005.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.