Asked by: Stephanie Peacock (Labour - Barnsley East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much gift aid was claimed by fundraising platforms through fees in each of the last five years.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The information requested on gift aid claimed by fundraising platforms on behalf of charities, is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. Charities gift aid data cannot be readily broken down to identify such a group of charities, or to identify specific fundraising methods.
Asked by: Stephanie Peacock (Labour - Barnsley East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the oral contribution of the Secretary of State for Education of 13 March 2018, Official Report, Column 802, on what date in October 2018 the childcare vouchers scheme will close to new applicants.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
I refer the honourable member to the written statement I made on 29 March 2018: https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2018-03-29/HCWS616/
Asked by: Stephanie Peacock (Labour - Barnsley East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 26 March to Question 133822 on Childcare Vouchers, if he will facilitate parliamentary scrutiny of the relevant day regulations required to close the childcare vouchers scheme to new entrants in October 2018.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
Colleagues were given the opportunity to voice their concerns about the closure of childcare vouchers to new entrants during the SI debate on the 13th March. To reflect concerns raised about the timing of the closure and the transition to Tax-Free Childcare, the government announced that childcare vouchers would remain open for a further six months.
It is for both Parliament and the Business Managers, in conjunction with the usual channels, to decide what future business is debated in the House.
Today the government has made the relevant day order which sets 4th October 2018 as the date when childcare vouchers and directly contracted childcare will close to new entrants. This will allow more time for Tax-Free Childcare to bed in, for awareness to increase and for families to understand the support they can receive under the scheme.
Now that Tax-Free Childcare is fully rolled out, the government will keep it under review to ensure it is delivering the support needed for working families.
Asked by: Stephanie Peacock (Labour - Barnsley East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 26 March 2018 to Question 133825 on Child Care Vouchers: Northern Ireland, what estimate he has made of the cost of additional childcare support in Northern Ireland; and whether he plans to allocate additional funding for that support.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
Early education is a devolved matter for a restored Northern Ireland Executive. We have made no assessment of the cost of providing additional childcare in Northern Ireland.
We have delivered successful childcare policies for working parents in England, and are willing to engage and provide advice to the Northern Ireland parties and the Northern Ireland Civil Service based on our experience of developing and administering these policies in England.
Asked by: Stephanie Peacock (Labour - Barnsley East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 21 March 2018 to Question 133041, on Children: Day Care, whether his Department plans to undertake a public consultation on public sector employees and childcare vouchers.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
We are listening to colleagues regarding the circumstances of public sector employers, and have committed to ongoing engagement to look at these issues as tax-free childcare continues to roll out to replace employer-supported childcare.
Asked by: Stephanie Peacock (Labour - Barnsley East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the oral contribution of the Secretary of State for Education of 13 March 2018, Official Report, Column 802, what further legislative steps he intends to take to close the childcare vouchers scheme in October 2018.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
We have confirmed that we will keep the voucher scheme open to new entrants for a further six months. Before the scheme can close to new entrants, relevant day regulations must be made.
Asked by: Stephanie Peacock (Labour - Barnsley East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the oral answer of the Secretary of State for Education to the hon. Member for Ashton-under-Lyne of 19 March 2018, Official Report, column 17, on childcare vouchers, what transitional considerations the Government will assess; and what steps it is taking to assess them.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
We are replacing childcare vouchers with Tax-Free Childcare, which will provide support to nearly 1 million more families than currently use childcare vouchers. Childcare vouchers will remain open to new entrants for a further 6 months, and close to new entrants in October.
Tax-Free Childcare is now fully rolled out, and we will keep it under review to ensure it’s delivering the support needed for working families.
Asked by: Stephanie Peacock (Labour - Barnsley East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 21 March 2018 to Question 133041, on Children: Day Care, what meetings he plans to hold with colleagues in Northern Ireland to discuss the circumstances of public sector employers in relation to childcare vouchers.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
We will follow up on our commitment to work with the Northern Ireland parties to administer childcare support in Northern Ireland, in the absence of an Executive, in due course.
Asked by: Stephanie Peacock (Labour - Barnsley East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of tax-free childcare in each of the next five years.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
The forecast expenditure on Tax-Free Childcare was published by the Office for Budget Responsibility in March 2018 at http://cdn.obr.uk/EFO-MaRch_2018.pdf
Asked by: Stephanie Peacock (Labour - Barnsley East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 29 January 2018 to Question 124793, on Children: Day Care, whether he has revised his forecast of expected take-up of tax-free childcare since last year.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
I refer the honourable member to the answer I gave on 22 March 2018 (133037).