Asked by: Pete Wishart (Scottish National Party - Perth and Kinross-shire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many full time equivalent staff will be allocated to the office of the Envoy to the Regions and Nations.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The terms of reference for the Prime Minister's Envoy for the Nations and Regions will be published online in the normal way, setting out the purpose, scope and remit of the role.
Asked by: Pete Wishart (Scottish National Party - Perth and Kinross-shire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much funding her Department has allocated to the Pension Credit Week of Action campaign, launched on 2 September 2024.
Answered by Darren Jones - Minister for Intergovernmental Relations
The Government wants those eligible for Pension Credit but not currently claiming it to receive the benefits they are entitled to, including their Winter Fuel Payment. We will continue to maximise opportunities to promote Pension Credit – such as the recent Week of Action - and to raise awareness of its wider benefits and to encourage pensioners to apply.
In the five weeks following the Chancellor’s statement on 29 July we have seen a 115% increase in claims for Pension Credit, compared to the five weeks before. This is a welcome increase, but we must continue to raise awareness. We are now focusing on a paid media partnership and a national Pension Credit marketing campaign through to 21 December to maximise take-up.
Campaign activity is funded from DWP's budget. We will confirm department's control totals for 2024-25, and expenditure limits for 2025-26 alongside the Budget on 30 October.
Asked by: Pete Wishart (Scottish National Party - Perth and Kinross-shire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much funding was allocated to the Pension Credit week of action campaign, launched on 2 September 2024.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Government’s Pension Credit awareness week of action, during which the DWP joined up with key stakeholder organisations such as Age UK, Citizens Advice, and local authorities to promote Pension Credit, was one part of the Department’s ongoing promotion of Pension Credit; it did not have its own separate funding allocation.
Asked by: Pete Wishart (Scottish National Party - Perth and Kinross-shire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much and what proportion of the National Wealth Fund will be allocated to (a) Scotland, (b) England, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland.
Answered by Tulip Siddiq
The National Wealth Fund will improve our ability to mobilise private capital in the UK’s most important sectors and assets, supporting thousands of jobs across the country, and playing a central role in our industrial strategy. And it will generate a return for the taxpayer.
The National Wealth Fund will deliver for the entire United Kingdom. We have formally engaged devolved Governments for input on National Wealth Fund policy design.
To ensure investments can start immediately, the National Wealth Fund will deploy an additional £7.3bn of funding through the UK Infrastructure Bank (UKIB), to invest in the priority sectors set out in the Manifesto, such as automotive, steel, carbon capture and green hydrogen.
The UK Infrastructure Bank already has an active presence in Scotland and works with Scottish Government, local authorities, industry bodies and a wide range of project sponsors, investors and lenders.
Further detail will be set out ahead of the government’s International Investment Summit in October.
Asked by: Pete Wishart (Scottish National Party - Perth and Kinross-shire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the devolved Administrations will have a role in determining where the National Wealth Fund is spent in those nations.
Answered by Tulip Siddiq
The National Wealth Fund will improve our ability to mobilise private capital in the UK’s most important sectors and assets, supporting thousands of jobs across the country, and playing a central role in our industrial strategy. And it will generate a return for the taxpayer.
The National Wealth Fund will deliver for the entire United Kingdom. We have formally engaged devolved Governments for input on National Wealth Fund policy design.
To ensure investments can start immediately, the National Wealth Fund will deploy an additional £7.3bn of funding through the UK Infrastructure Bank (UKIB), to invest in the priority sectors set out in the Manifesto, such as automotive, steel, carbon capture and green hydrogen.
The UK Infrastructure Bank already has an active presence in Scotland and works with Scottish Government, local authorities, industry bodies and a wide range of project sponsors, investors and lenders.
Further detail will be set out ahead of the government’s International Investment Summit in October.
Asked by: Pete Wishart (Scottish National Party - Perth and Kinross-shire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions she has had with the Scottish Government on the administration of the National Wealth Fund.
Answered by Tulip Siddiq
The National Wealth Fund will improve our ability to mobilise private capital in the UK’s most important sectors and assets, supporting thousands of jobs across the country, and playing a central role in our industrial strategy. And it will generate a return for the taxpayer.
The National Wealth Fund will deliver for the entire United Kingdom. We have formally engaged devolved Governments for input on National Wealth Fund policy design.
To ensure investments can start immediately, the National Wealth Fund will deploy an additional £7.3bn of funding through the UK Infrastructure Bank (UKIB), to invest in the priority sectors set out in the Manifesto, such as automotive, steel, carbon capture and green hydrogen.
The UK Infrastructure Bank already has an active presence in Scotland and works with Scottish Government, local authorities, industry bodies and a wide range of project sponsors, investors and lenders.
Further detail will be set out ahead of the government’s International Investment Summit in October.
Asked by: Pete Wishart (Scottish National Party - Perth and Kinross-shire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department plans to take to determine how the National Wealth Fund will be spent; and whether she plans to hold discussions with the devolved Administrations on such decisions.
Answered by Tulip Siddiq
The National Wealth Fund will improve our ability to mobilise private capital in the UK’s most important sectors and assets, supporting thousands of jobs across the country, and playing a central role in our industrial strategy. And it will generate a return for the taxpayer.
The National Wealth Fund will deliver for the entire United Kingdom. We have formally engaged devolved Governments for input on National Wealth Fund policy design.
To ensure investments can start immediately, the National Wealth Fund will deploy an additional £7.3bn of funding through the UK Infrastructure Bank (UKIB), to invest in the priority sectors set out in the Manifesto, such as automotive, steel, carbon capture and green hydrogen.
The UK Infrastructure Bank already has an active presence in Scotland and works with Scottish Government, local authorities, industry bodies and a wide range of project sponsors, investors and lenders.
Further detail will be set out ahead of the government’s International Investment Summit in October.
Asked by: Pete Wishart (Scottish National Party - Perth and Kinross-shire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the trends in the level of freelance employment in creative industries in the next five years; whether her Department is taking steps to help support growth in freelance employment in the sector; and if she will make an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential merits of introducing social security programmes to help support freelance employees in the sector.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
The Government recognises the essential contribution freelancers make to the creative industries.
A key ambition of the Creative Industries Sector Vision, published in June 2023, is to improve the job quality and working practice of the sector, including the self-employed. As part of this ambition, Government and industry have agreed to work together to address the recommendations of the Good Work Review. An action plan is being developed and proposals include the recent launch of the British Film Institute’s £1.5 million Good Work Programme for screen.
Arts Council England’s current Delivery Plan includes ‘increasing our support for individuals’ as one of its five themes and sets high expectations for all cultural organisations which work with creative and cultural professionals. Its online toolkits support practitioners and employers by setting out good-practice approaches, and signposting people to other supportive resources.
Universal Credit and Jobcentre Plus support is available to those who are looking for work, and those who are in work but with low earnings, and this includes the self-employed. This support is available to all, regardless of sector.
Asked by: Pete Wishart (Scottish National Party - Perth and Kinross-shire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help support people in freelance creative professions.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
The Government recognises the essential contribution freelancers make to the creative industries.
A key ambition of the Creative Industries Sector Vision, published in June 2023, is to improve the job quality and working practice of the sector, including the self-employed. As part of this ambition, Government and industry have agreed to work together to address the recommendations of the Good Work Review. An action plan is being developed and proposals include the recent launch of the British Film Institute’s £1.5 million Good Work Programme for screen.
Arts Council England’s current Delivery Plan includes ‘increasing our support for individuals’ as one of its five themes and sets high expectations for all cultural organisations which work with creative and cultural professionals. Its online toolkits support practitioners and employers by setting out good-practice approaches, and signposting people to other supportive resources.
Universal Credit and Jobcentre Plus support is available to those who are looking for work, and those who are in work but with low earnings, and this includes the self-employed. This support is available to all, regardless of sector.
Asked by: Pete Wishart (Scottish National Party - Perth and Kinross-shire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending tax reporting periods for freelancers in the creative sectors.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The deadlines for individuals submitting self-assessment tax returns are prescribed in legislation. Individuals have specific reporting deadlines which are dependent on whether they submit their returns online or on paper.
Individuals who might not know their exact profit by the relevant filing date may provide estimated figures in their return. They have 12 months from the filing deadline date to finalise their figures and make the appropriate amendment to their return.
There is no provision within the legislation to make distinctions between individuals with different professions or vocations such as creative freelancers.
There is however provision for a special relief for self-employed creators of literary or artistic works to average their profits over 2 years where certain conditions are met. This helps them even out fluctuating profits, smoothing their tax bills