Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether funding will be made available for policing in addition to that announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the 2019 Spring Statement.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
We are keeping our families, communities and country safe by making sure the police have the resources they need to carry out their vital work. We protected police funding in real terms at the Spending Review 2015. Recognising that the police are responding to a shift in demand, in 2019/20 we have: increased the Government’s core grant to police forces by £161m; and, allowed Police and Crime Commissioners to increase their council tax precept referendum principle to £24, which if used in full would raise £509m.
The upcoming Spending Review will allow the government to consider its priorities across all spending.
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent steps his Department has taken to assist customers of payday loan companies that have gone into insolvency.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Government has fundamentally reformed regulation of the consumer credit market, transferring regulatory responsibility to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) on 1 April 2014.
Any outstanding complaints against payday loan companies that enter into insolvency are dealt with directly by the administrators of the companies in question. Customers should continue to make any outstanding payments as instructed by the administrators. The FCA has issued advice to customers of such companies, and the administrators are required by law to contact all known creditors to provide them with their proposals for administration.
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 23 October 2018 to Question 179286, whether the Government plans to make back payments of child benefit to those parents who have mistakenly omitted to claim that benefit and as a result lost out on national insurance state pension credits.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
The Government has always urged families to claim Child Benefit to help protect their future right to the State Pension.
The legislation sets out that claims for Child Benefit (and the accompanying National Insurance credit) can only be backdated for three months.
Successive governments have considered that three months is a fair and reasonable time in which to allow those wishing to claim Child Benefit to do so.
Even though there may be no question that some parents would have been entitled to Child Benefit had they claimed earlier, such certainty is not obvious in every case. The longer the delay, the harder it is to establish entitlement, given the need to verify evidence and ensure consistent treatment.
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has taken steps to help parents who have not claimed child benefit and as a result unintentionally missed years of accruing national insurance state pension credits.
Answered by Mel Stride - Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
I refer the honourable member to my response to Parliamentary Question (179286) on 23 October 2018.
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent representations he has received on parents who have mistakenly omitted to claim child benefit and as a result lost out on national insurance state pension credits; and what steps his Department is taking to help those people.
Answered by Mel Stride - Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
The Government has always urged families to claim Child Benefit to help protect their future right to the State Pension. Child Benefit claimants on a high income can then opt not to receive payments so they do not have to pay the High Income Child Benefit Charge.
Families should still complete the Child Benefit claim form in order to qualify for National Insurance Credits and thus build qualifying years towards the State Pension. Parents are advised to do this on the Child Benefit claim form (which is included in Bounty Packs that go to new parents), through the HMRC helpline, online at GOV.UK and through partners such as Citizen’s Advice.
The Government is continuously looking at ways in which communications can be improved further, both at the birth of a child and for existing Child Benefit claimants.
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate has been of made the cost to the public purse of the (a) total and (b) additional staffing costs of the Windrush compensation programme.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
As the Home Secretary has set out, the Government is committed to putting right the wrongs experienced by the Windrush generation, and is clear that where people have suffered loss they will be compensated. The Home Office is still working through the detail of what this scheme will look like, including potential costs to the department.
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to recoup money from employers who have paid into disguised remuneration schemes.
Answered by Mel Stride - Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
Disguised remuneration (DR) schemes are tax avoidance schemes which attempt to avoid an income tax charge and National Insurance contributions on earnings.
This government has legislated a package of measures to ensure those who have used DR schemes pay their fair share of tax.
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has highlighted the consequences of participating in DR tax avoidance schemes through its ‘Spotlight’ publications and encouraged employers and individuals to settle their tax affairs. Many employers have already settled their liabilities and on 7 November 2017 HMRC published settlement terms on GOV.UK giving those in DR schemes a further opportunity to settle ahead of the DR loan charge which arises on 5 April 2019.
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans his Department has to provide guidance on changes to the flat rate VAT scheme.
Answered by Jane Ellison
Following the Chancellor's announcement at Autumn Statement 2016, details of the new measure, draft legislation and a supporting technical note were placed on GOV.UK for an 8 week consultation period. At the beginning of January, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) contacted business representative bodies, to discuss the change and ask for their feedback. Changes were made to the legislation and guidance in response to this feedback.
At the end of February, HMRC delivered an online calculator to help businesses work out whether they have limited costs. This provides a link to the updated VAT Notice 733, where the changes are explained in more detail. These products were developed using feedback from businesses using the scheme and their agents. They were made available once the changes to the legislation were agreed to help businesses get ready for the change.
Once the flat rate change takes effect, businesses who have not already used these tools will be able to link to these products when registering for VAT or when completing a VAT return on line.
During March, HMRC will contact all flat rate businesses by letter and also by email (where an email address is held), advising them of the change and telling them what they need to do next. HMRC began issuing these emails and letters on 10 March.
Many flat rate businesses are represented by an agent. At the beginning of March, HMRC used one of their weekly Agent Talking Point meetings to highlight the changes to the VAT flat rate scheme and provide the opportunity for agents to talk with subject matter experts from HMRC. Agent Talking Points are weekly online digital meetings for tax agents and advisers, and over 1,900 agents attended the flat rate scheme session.
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether there are any penalties in place for banks that are found to retain customer's money without informing them after the account has been closed.
Answered by Simon Kirby
Banks’ and building societies’ treatment of their customers is governed by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in its Principles for Businesses and includes a general requirement for firms to provide a prompt, efficient and fair service to all of their customers, including in relation to account closures.
The FCA has a wide range of enforcement powers – criminal, civil and regulatory – to protect consumers and to take action against firms and individuals that do not meet its standards.
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether there are Government guidelines given to banks to ensure that consumers are protected when considering closing bank accounts that have not been in use for a number of years.
Answered by Simon Kirby
The Government does not issue guidelines on the closure of bank account accounts.
Banks’ and building societies’ treatment of their customers is governed by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in its Principles for Businesses and includes a general requirement for firms to provide a prompt, efficient and fair service to all of their customers.
The Dormant Bank and Building Society Accounts Act 2008 sets out that accounts are classified as dormant when they have not had any customer-initiated activity for more than 15 years. The Act enables banks and building societies to transfer money held in dormant accounts to a central reclaim fund.
Account holders and their heirs will be able to reclaim money from dormant accounts at any time. More information, as well as an online application form, is available at: www.mylostaccount.org.uk