Asked by: Rushanara Ali (Labour - Bethnal Green and Bow)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many applications for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme have been refused.
Answered by Jesse Norman
To be eligible for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme an employer must have furloughed employees for a minimum of 3 weeks, have a PAYE scheme registered on HMRC’s real time information system for PAYE on 19 March 2020, be enrolled for PAYE online and have a UK bank account. If an employer is eligible a claim will be accepted.
Asked by: Rushanara Ali (Labour - Bethnal Green and Bow)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many applications for the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme have been refused.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) claims service opened on 13 May 2020, ahead of schedule. Eligibility for SEISS is based on average trading profits for sole traders and income from partnerships. More information on the eligibility criteria can be found here:
HMRC do not refuse applications for the scheme. People are either eligible to apply for SEISS and therefore given access to the service, or they are ineligible and not given access. Eligibility is based strictly on the criteria set by the Chancellor.
Figures relating to the number identified as potentially eligible, yet not claiming, are not available as this is not a HMRC decision. Once the scheme is closed, HMRC will be able to quantify how many of those identified as potentially eligible did not apply.
Those ineligible for SEISS may still benefit from other support. Individuals may have access to a range of grants and loans depending on their circumstances, and the SEISS supplements the significant support already announced for UK businesses, including the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme and the deferral of tax payments. More information about the full range of business support measures is available at www.businesssupport.gov.uk/coronavirus-business-support/.
Asked by: Rushanara Ali (Labour - Bethnal Green and Bow)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if his Department will issue guidance to big businesses using the Job Retention Scheme to not issue large bonuses to their executives.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme is designed to help employers whose operations have been severely affected by coronavirus to retain their employees and protect the UK economy. All employers are eligible for the scheme and the Government recognises that different businesses will face different impacts from coronavirus.
To claim, employers must have created and started a PAYE payroll scheme on or before 19 March 2020; enrolled for PAYE online; and have a UK bank account. No other eligibility conditions apply. Full guidance can be found at: www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-for-wage-costs-through-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme. Adding further restrictions would reduce the number of employees who would be eligible for this important financial support.
Asked by: Rushanara Ali (Labour - Bethnal Green and Bow)
Question to the HM Treasury:
What recent assessment his Department has made of the short-term economic effect of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Government has prepared extensively for a range of Brexit scenarios.
But even with these preparations, leaving with “No Deal” would entail significant disruption in the short term. And in the long-term, the government’s analysis shows clearly that regions, nations and sectors of the UK would have lower economic output compared to today’s arrangements.
Asked by: Rushanara Ali (Labour - Bethnal Green and Bow)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many non-disclosure agreements his Department has signed with consultancy firms advising the Government on preparations for the UK leaving the EU.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Government has non-disclosure agreements with some private sector organisations. Confidentiality requirements are a common element of contractual obligations and are used by departments to protect commercial considerations; to reflect the sensitive nature of some discussions; and to facilitate conversations that otherwise may not have been able to take place, due to concerns around sensitive information.
As part of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, HM Treasury and the UK Government as a whole continue to engage with a wide range of stakeholders.
Asked by: Rushanara Ali (Labour - Bethnal Green and Bow)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many non-disclosure agreements his Department has signed with banks advising the Government on preparations for the UK leaving the EU.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Government has non-disclosure agreements with some private sector organisations. Confidentiality requirements are a common element of contractual obligations and are used by departments to protect commercial considerations; to reflect the sensitive nature of some discussions; and to facilitate conversations that otherwise may not have been able to take place, due to concerns around sensitive information.
As part of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, HM Treasury and the UK Government as a whole continue to engage with a wide range of stakeholders.
Asked by: Rushanara Ali (Labour - Bethnal Green and Bow)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment has he made on the effect of the tax-free childcare scheme on levels of employer engagement.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
Tax-Free Childcare provides an opportunity for all employers to engage with working parents about their childcare arrangements, regardless of whether or not they offer childcare vouchers. HMRC are working with employers so that they understand the government childcare support which is available.
Employers across the UK can pay directly into parents’ Tax-Free Childcare accounts. A factsheet entitled “Tax-Free Childcare: What Employers Need to Know” sets out details of how to do this and can be found at the following link:
https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/communications-toolkit
Tax-Free Childcare is designed to be fairer and better targeted than the legacy system, childcare vouchers. We estimate that Tax-Free Childcare will provide support to nearly 1 million more families compared to the number using childcare vouchers.
Asked by: Rushanara Ali (Labour - Bethnal Green and Bow)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what comparative assessment he has made of the financial status of people who (a) have benefited from the childcare voucher scheme and (b) will benefit from the tax-free childcare care scheme.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
I refer the Honourable Member to previous answers I have given; on 9 October 2018 to the Honourable Member for East Kilbridge, Strathaven and Lesmahagow (176348), on 20 June 2018 to the Honourable Member for Newcastle upon Tyne North (155282) and on 24 January 2018 to the Honourable Member for Batley and Spen (124882).
Asked by: Rushanara Ali (Labour - Bethnal Green and Bow)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will establish a hardship fund to help prevent home repossessions of people unable to switch to mortgages with lower rates.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Government has already taken a number of measures aimed at helping people avoid repossession, including the Support for Mortgage Interest loan, which is available to help vulnerable homeowners meet their mortgage interest costs; and protection in the courts through the Pre-Action Protocol, which makes it clear that repossession must always be the last resort for lenders.
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) also has rules in place to protect existing borrowers who find themselves unable to remortgage. The rules prevent lenders from taking advantage of the customer’s situation, or treating them less favourably than other similar customers, including by offering less favourable interest rates or other terms.
In addition, the FCA has put in place exemptions, which allow lenders to waive affordability requirements for existing customers that are remortgaging but not increasing the size of their debt. This means that all borrowers should be able to access remortgage products at competitive rates from their existing lender.
Asked by: Rushanara Ali (Labour - Bethnal Green and Bow)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the oral evidence of the Permanent Secretary of HMRC of 23 May and 5 June 2018 to the Treasury Committee, whether he had seen prior to the publication of the estimated figures of £17 billion to £20 billion for the cost of the maximum facilitation model in a letter to that Committee on 5 June 2018 (a) submissions and (b) briefing papers on those figures; and what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of those estimates.
Answered by Mel Stride - Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
The analysis to support the estimated £17-20 billion figure was published in a letter by the Chief Executive of Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs to the Treasury Select Committee on 5 June, 2018.
The government is considering two approaches to a future customs relationship with the EU: a ‘new customs partnership’ and a ‘highly streamlined customs arrangement’. Ongoing analysis continues to support the development of both models.