Asked by: Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect on the local economy of restricted access to free to use ATMs.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
Information on ATM numbers by Parliamentary Constituency is publicly available on the LINK website.
LINK, the scheme that runs the UK’s ATM network, has committed to maintain the broad geographical coverage of the ATM network in the UK. The Government-established Payment Systems Regulator, which regulates LINK, is closely monitoring developments within ATM provision and has used its powers to hold LINK to account over its commitments.
LINK has put in place specific arrangements to protect free-to-use ATMs more than 1 kilometre away from the next nearest free-to-use ATM. Furthermore, LINK recently announced new additional premiums to safeguard the presence of free-to-use ATMs in remote and deprived areas.
Asked by: Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of towns without free access to the ATM network.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
Information on ATM numbers by Parliamentary Constituency is publicly available on the LINK website.
LINK, the scheme that runs the UK’s ATM network, has committed to maintain the broad geographical coverage of the ATM network in the UK. The Government-established Payment Systems Regulator, which regulates LINK, is closely monitoring developments within ATM provision and has used its powers to hold LINK to account over its commitments.
LINK has put in place specific arrangements to protect free-to-use ATMs more than 1 kilometre away from the next nearest free-to-use ATM. Furthermore, LINK recently announced new additional premiums to safeguard the presence of free-to-use ATMs in remote and deprived areas.
Asked by: Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions his Department has had with LINK on the interchange rate for ATMs.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Government recognises that widespread access to cash remains extremely important to the day-to-day lives of many consumers and businesses in the UK. Government is continuing to engage with the regulators and industry, including LINK, on this issue.
LINK has cancelled its third interchange fee reduction, due in January 2020, and put on hold its fourth reduction, due in January 2021, pending further review.
The Payment Systems Regulator, who regulates LINK, has welcomed these adjustments, having stated that LINK must carefully review its decisions on interchange fees to reflect changing market conditions.
Asked by: Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, where the new University Enterprise Zones announced in Budget 2018 will be; and by what process that decision was reached.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The Government announced £5m towards University Enterprise Zones in the Budget. The locations of these have not yet been decided. The process for awarding funding is currently being developed by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
Asked by: Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect of the new business rates relief announced in Budget 2018 on local authority finances.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
The Budget confirmed that local government will be fully compensated for the loss of income that results from changes to business rates announced in the Budget.
Asked by: Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether local authorities that see a reduction in funding as a result of the change to business rates will receive additional funding from central Government.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
The Budget confirmed that local government will be fully compensated for the loss of income that results from changes to business rates announced in the Budget.
Asked by: Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish the Treasury Approval note relating to the Defence Fire and Rescue project.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
The Defence Fire and Rescue Project aims to identify whether an industry service provider will provide increased value for money in the delivery of a worldwide Defence Fire and Rescue Service. A decision on the outcome of this project will be announced in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 28 February 2018 to Question 128648 on Treasury: Tableware, which subcontractors supply his Department with its tableware.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The subcontractor who supplies HM Treasury with its tableware is Baxter Story Plc.
Asked by: Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, from which manufacturers his Department procures its tableware.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
HM Treasury does not have this information as tableware is provided by a subcontractor.
Asked by: Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much his Department has spent on tableware since 2015; and how much of that spending was on tableware manufactured in the UK.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
HM Treasury does not have this information as tableware is provided by a subcontractor.