Asked by: Philippa Whitford (Scottish National Party - Central Ayrshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the adequacy of financial support for people working in social care during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Steve Barclay
The Chancellor and the Health Secretary have discussed a wide range of health-related issues during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In September, we announced the extension of the Infection Control Fund until March 2021, bringing the total funding for infection control measures in social care to over £1.1 billion. This funding can be used to financially support staff in line with the grant conditions. This includes paying staff who are isolating, in line with government guidance, their normal wages while doing so.
Asked by: Philippa Whitford (Scottish National Party - Central Ayrshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to extend the VAT holiday on personal protective equipment after 31 October 2020, in response to the ongoing covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The temporary zero rate of VAT on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) was an extraordinary measure to help affected sectors during the initial shock of the COVID-19 pandemic, when the global supply of PPE did not meet demand. This measure will come to an end on 31 October, as new measures introduced by the Government will ensure supply of COVID-related PPE to affected sectors from 1 November.
Asked by: Philippa Whitford (Scottish National Party - Central Ayrshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether employers can keep workers on the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme until the end of October 2020 whose fixed-term contracts are due to end in November 2020.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The Government has ensured that the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) is available for as many people as possible. Hence, employees can be on any type of contract and be eligible to be furloughed under the CJRS.
From August 2020, the level of the grant will be tapered slowly to reflect that people will be returning to work. An employer can continue to claim for all employees furloughed for 21 days before 30 June as long as any single claim period does not exceed the maximum number of employees they claimed for under any claim before 30 June.
Further information on eligibility for the CJRS can be found at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-which-employees-you-can-put-on-furlough-to-use-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme.
Asked by: Philippa Whitford (Scottish National Party - Central Ayrshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if will he meet with representatives of the the all party parliamentary group Excluded UK.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The Chancellor of the Exchequer regularly meets with parliamentary colleagues and has answered questions on this issue in the House.
The Government has recently announced further measures as part of the comprehensive economic response, taking unprecedented steps to support families, businesses and the most vulnerable. The fiscal response so far totals £160bn.
As well as the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) and Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS), this package includes a comprehensive set of Government-backed loans and grants to businesses, tax deferrals, rental support and mortgage and consumer credit holidays.
This package also includes extra funding for the welfare safety net, in order to help those unable to access other forms of support to get through the coronavirus outbreak. The temporary welfare measures include increases to Universal Credit and Local Housing Allowance, a relaxation of the Universal Credit minimum income floor and making Statutory Sick Pay easier to access.
The Government’s Plan for Jobs will support, protect and create jobs. This plan will make available up to £30bn to help kickstart the nation’s economic recovery ahead of a fuller package of medium-term recovery measures in the forthcoming Autumn Budget and Spending Review.
Asked by: Philippa Whitford (Scottish National Party - Central Ayrshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department the number of (a) people and (b) businesses not eligible for any of the Government's financial support packages during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - Leader of HM Official Opposition
The Government has provided a comprehensive economic response that is one of the most generous globally, taking unprecedented steps to support families, businesses and the most vulnerable. As well as the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) and Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS), this package includes a suite of government-backed loans and grants to businesses, tax deferrals, rental support and mortgage and consumer credit holidays.
This comprehensive package also includes extra funding for the welfare safety net, to get us through the outbreak and help those unable to access other forms of support. The temporary welfare measures include increases to Universal Credit and Local Housing Allowance, a relaxation of the Universal Credit minimum income floor and making Statutory Sick Pay easier to access. We have also announced above £300bn of guaranteed loans for supporting businesses to access finance through The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, and the Coronavirus Corporate Financing Facility and the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CLBILS). On 27 April, we also announced the new Bounce Back Loans Scheme, which will ensure that the smallest businesses can access up to £50,000 loans in a matter of just days
Now, as outlined in the Summer Economic Update, our Plan for Jobs will support, protect and create jobs. This plan will make available up to £30 billion to help kickstart the nation’s economic recovery ahead of a fuller package of medium-term recovery measures in the upcoming Autumn Budget and Spending Review.
Asked by: Philippa Whitford (Scottish National Party - Central Ayrshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to increase eligibility for (a) people and (b) business not eligible for the Government's financial support measures during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The Government has provided a comprehensive economic response that is one of the most generous of its kind in the world, taking unprecedented steps to support families, businesses and the most vulnerable. As well as the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) and Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS), this package includes Government-backed loans and grants to businesses, tax deferrals, rental support and mortgage and consumer credit holidays.
This package also includes extra funding for the welfare safety net to help those through this outbreak who are unable to access other forms of support. The temporary welfare measures include increases to Universal Credit and Local Housing Allowance, a relaxation of the Universal Credit minimum income floor, and making Statutory Sick Pay easier to access.
Now, the Government’s new Plan for Jobs will support, protect and create jobs. This plan will make available up to £30 billion to help kickstart the nation’s economic recovery ahead of a fuller package of medium-term recovery measures in the forthcoming Autumn Budget and Spending Review.
Asked by: Philippa Whitford (Scottish National Party - Central Ayrshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to his Department's news story entitled, Chancellor sets out extra £750 million coronavirus funding for frontline charities, published on 8 April 2020, what Barnett consequentials will accrue to the Scottish Government in relation to financial support for hospices in Scotland.
Answered by Steve Barclay
The UK government is applying the Barnett formula in the normal way to the additional funding for charities announced by the Chancellor, with the Scottish Government receiving at least £55 million in Barnett consequentials in relation to the £750 million package.
Funding for charities is a devolved matter and it is for the Scottish Government to decide how to support charities in Scotland.
Asked by: Philippa Whitford (Scottish National Party - Central Ayrshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has made an assessment of how often the annual tapered allowance results in a person being taxed more than 100 per cent of the pensions relief they would have received if they had not reached the allowance limit.
Answered by John Glen
Pensions tax relief is one of the most expensive reliefs in the personal tax system. In 2016/17 income tax and employer National Insurance Contributions relief cost over £50 billion, with around two-thirds going to higher and additional rate taxpayers.
The tapered annual allowance is therefore focussed on the highest-earning savers, to ensure that the benefit they receive is not disproportionate to that of other pension savers. Less than one per cent of pension savers will have to reduce their saving or face an annual allowance charge as a result of the tapered annual allowance.
For those who incur annual allowance tax charges, the charge recoups the excess tax relief on the benefits that they have accrued in that year above their annual allowance. The charge is levied at an individual’s marginal rate. For example, an individual with a salary above £150,000 would be taxed at 45% on pension accrual above their annual allowance.
It is not possible to estimate the precise effects of the tapered annual allowance on an individual’s total remuneration without knowing their specific circumstances.