Asked by: Richard Burden (Labour - Birmingham, Northfield)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department plans to take in response to the recent findings of the End Child Poverty coalition on the levels of child poverty in the UK; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
The proportion of people in absolute poverty is at record lows. Since 2010 there are 600,000 fewer people in absolute poverty, including 200,000 fewer children. Work is the most effective way out of poverty and unemployment has not been lower since 1975. The government is also taking action to boost the household incomes of low earners. From this April, the National Living Wage will increase to £7.83. Over 1.6 million people are expected to benefit and this is equivalent to a pay rise of £2000 for a full-time worker since its introduction. There is more to do and the government is committed to delivering a country that works for everyone. Last April, the government published its “Improving Lives: Helping Workless Families” strategy. This focused on measures that tackle the root causes of poverty.
Asked by: Richard Burden (Labour - Birmingham, Northfield)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect of the cost of living on levels of child poverty.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
The proportion of people in absolute poverty is at record lows. Since 2010 there are 600,000 fewer people in absolute poverty, including 200,000 fewer children. Work is the most effective way out of poverty and unemployment has not been lower since 1975. There is more to do and the government is committed to supporting families with the cost of living. At the Autumn Budget, the government announced that from this April the National Living Wage will increase by 4.4% and the personal allowance to £11,850. The government has also frozen fuel duty for the eighth successive year. Last April, the government published its “Improving Lives: Helping Workless Families” strategy. This focused on measures that tackle the root causes of poverty, in particular workless households and educational attainment.
Asked by: Richard Burden (Labour - Birmingham, Northfield)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he plans to publish the outcomes of his Department’s red diesel call for evidence, which ran from 20 March 2017 to 30 June 2017.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The purpose of this call for evidence was to improve the government’s understanding of how red diesel is used. We are now considering what next steps to take.
Asked by: Richard Burden (Labour - Birmingham, Northfield)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the level of funding for the Landfill Communities Fund; and what proportion of the landfill tax will be allocated to providing that funding in each of the next five years.
Answered by Jane Ellison
For 2017-18, the value of the LCF has been set at £39.3 million. As a result, the cap on contributions from landfill operators has been increased from 4.2% to 5.3%. The Government expects to maintain this higher 5.3% cap for future years, but this expectation assumes we see continued progress from environmental bodies in terms of reducing administrative costs and the level of unspent funds.
Asked by: Richard Burden (Labour - Birmingham, Northfield)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has received representations on his proposed change to vehicle taxation scheduled for April 2017 on (a) the potential effect on future vehicles, (b) the potential effect on air quality and (c) postponing the introduction of those changes until further consultation is carried out.
Answered by Jane Ellison
HM Treasury receives a wide range of representations on the future of vehicle taxation, including on the VED reforms that are due to come into force in April 2017. Recent representations from the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA) and some of its members covered the issues set out in this question.
Asked by: Richard Burden (Labour - Birmingham, Northfield)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many emergency towing vessels are registered with company groups who qualify for the tonnage tax scheme.
Answered by Jane Ellison
It is not possible to identify the type of vessel used by each company qualifying for Tonnage Tax from the data held.