Asked by: Scott Benton (Independent - Blackpool South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the outcome of HMRC v The Rank Group PLC; Done Brothers (Cash Betting) Ltd and Others, what steps HMRC has taken to make appropriate repayments to operators; and whether HMRC is prioritising the repayment of operators in a particular order.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
Revenue and Customs Brief 5 (2020): VAT treatment on fixed odds betting terminals and gaming machines published on 26 May 2020 (updated on 26 June 2020) sets out the process for claimants in relation to the Rank Group PLC and Done Brothers (Cash Betting) Ltd and Others litigation to be repaid the sums due to them. Repayments have now started and will continue. There has been no prioritisation of any particular claimant.
Asked by: Scott Benton (Independent - Blackpool South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme through autumn and winter 2020 for (a) the travel industry and (b) other sectors in which trade has been adversely affected by the covid-19 pandemic.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
After eight months of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, the scheme will close in October.
The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme must be temporary and the Government must ensure people can get back to work when it is safe to do so and get the UK economy up and running again.
It would be challenging to target the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to specific sectors in a fair and deliverable way, and it may not be the case that this is the most effective or sensible way to provide longer term support for those sectors most affected by coronavirus.
It would also be difficult to target the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme at specific sectors without creating distortion, particularly as some firms work across multiple sectors.
There are other schemes, including the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, that can provide support to specific firms.
Asked by: Scott Benton (Independent - Blackpool South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what reason ice cream parlours were not included in the list of businesses that are able to reduce the VAT levied on their products to 5 per cent.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
In light of the COVID-19 outbreak, the Chancellor has introduced a range of measures to help individuals and businesses through the crisis, including grants, loans and relief from business rates at a cost of more than £300 billion.
The temporary reduced rate of VAT will support the tourism and hospitality sectors and will help over 150,000 businesses and protect over 2.4 million jobs. Ice cream served for consumption on the premises in ice cream parlours or other food establishments will benefit from the reduced rate.
Asked by: Scott Benton (Independent - Blackpool South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will reconsider the decision not to include ice cream parlours and their products within the scope of the VAT reduction to 5 per cent for businesses in the leisure and hospitality industry.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
In light of the COVID-19 outbreak, the Chancellor has introduced a range of measures to help individuals and businesses through the crisis, including grants, loans and relief from business rates at a cost of more than £300 billion.
The temporary reduced rate of VAT will support the tourism and hospitality sectors and will help over 150,000 businesses and protect over 2.4 million jobs. Ice cream served for consumption on the premises in ice cream parlours or other food establishments will benefit from the reduced rate.
Asked by: Scott Benton (Independent - Blackpool South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing an economic diversification fund to assist constituencies where economies have historically been dependent on a single industry.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - Leader of HM Official Opposition
The Government is committed to supporting every local area invest in their local economic priorities and to level up opportunity across the country, including Blackpool. This is why at the previous Budget we announced £6bn for local transport in England, £10.9bn new capital investment into housing, and £5bn to support the rollout of gigabit broadband to the 20% hardest to reach areas. These build on the government’s previous investments, such as the Blackpool 21st Century Centre, the Blackpool Bridges and the Blackpool Tramway Extension funded through our Local Growth Fund. In addition to this Blackpool has been shortlisted as one of the 100 Towns for our £3.6bn Towns Fund.