Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department plans to conduct an impact assessment of the increased costs of living on the health of people with multiple sclerosis.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Government understands that people across the UK and especially the most vulnerable members of society, such as those suffering from multiple sclerosis, are worried about the rising cost of living. That is why the Government is taking decisive action to get households through this winter and the next, while ensuring we act in a fiscally responsible way. The impact of the cost of living on households and those with disabilities is something that officials continue to review.
Depending on their specific circumstances, it is possible that people with multiple sclerosis will qualify for disability benefits. People in receipt of extra-costs disability benefits such as Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or Disability Living Allowance (DLA) will receive a one-off Disability Cost of Living Payment of £150 from 20th September, to help with the extra costs disabled people are facing. The DWP has already processed around 6 million such payments.
The Government is also providing a £650 Cost of Living Payment to recipients of means-tested benefits, to support people with low incomes with the rising cost of living. Individuals in receipt of means-tested disability benefits, such as income-related Employment and Support Allowance, or the Universal Credit Health top up are eligible for this support.
Those suffering from multiple sclerosis may also benefit from other forms of non-means tested support which the Government is providing to assist with UK households’ energy bills. The Energy Price Guarantee is a scheme that will cap the unit price households pay for electricity and gas, which means that a typical household in Great Britain will have to pay bills equivalent to no more than £2500 a year on their energy bills this winter.
- This will support people with a disability who may need to use more energy due to their condition or treatment.
Secondly, the Energy Bills Support Scheme, which will provide £400 to help with domestic energy bills. All households in Council Tax bands A-D will also receive the Government-funded £150 Council Tax Rebate, which will be delivered by Local Authorities.
Lastly, to support households who need further help or who are not eligible for elements of the wider package of support, the Government is also providing an extra £500 million of local support to help with the cost of essentials, via the Household Support Fund.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to Greening Finance Roadmap, published in October 2021, what assessment he has made of the case for implementing the Sustainability Disclosure Requirements before the suggested three to five year timeline; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The document ‘Greening Finance: A Roadmap to Sustainable Investing’ sets out an indicative pathway to introducing coordinated Sustainability Disclosure Requirements (SDR) across the economy. SDR builds on the UK’s ambitious leadership on green finance and will incorporate the UK’s existing commitment to make reporting aligned with the Taskforce on Climate Related Financial Disclosure (TCFD) mandatory, require robust reporting against the UK Green Taxonomy, and aim to incorporate international standards as they are developed.
The implementation of legislative and regulatory measures will be subject to parliamentary review and to consultation, ensuring effective scrutiny over the requirements that are introduced. Detailed disclosure requirements will be determined by the relevant regulators and government departments following consultation, and anticipated timings are set out in the Roadmap.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the status is of the Government Social Research Publication Protocol entitled Publishing research and analysis in government; and what the consequences are in the event of a breach of that protocol.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The status of the Government Social Research Publication Protocol entitled ‘Publishing research and analysis in government’ was updated and published in December 2021. This is available on gov.uk https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-social-research-publication-protocols#full-publication-update-history
The protocol applies to government departments in England and Wales that conduct or commission social research; the Scottish Government procedures for publishing social research are compliant with this protocol. Non-departmental public bodies and agencies are not obliged to follow the protocol, although as it is a statement of good practice for the publication of social research and analysis, compliance is encouraged.
This update builds on and supersedes the GSR Publication Protocol published in 2015, and is signed off by Jenny Dibden (Head of GSR), Professor Sir Ian Diamond (National Statistician & Head of the Analysis Function) and Sir Patrick Vallance (UK Government Chief Scientific Adviser & Head of the Government Science & Engineering Profession.
There is an escalation route for breaching the guidelines in the Protocol, this can be found on page 7 in Principle 2:
Where publication is not within 12 weeks, the relevant GSR Head of Profession should be notified and the reason for delay recorded. Reason for delay could be practical or legal, for example during an election period or prior to the budget announcement. The extent to which departments publish within 12 weeks will be monitored by GSR Heads of Profession and regularly reported to the GSR Board. Where systematic issues and/or delays on individual reports are identified, these will be escalated via Department Directors of Analysis and the Analysis Function Board for further scrutiny. GSR will also work with the Office for Statistics Regulation.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of making the Sustainability Disclosure Requirements, announced in the Green Finance Roadmap, mandatory; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
In October 2021, the Government published ‘Greening Finance: A Roadmap to Sustainable Investing’, setting out details of new, economy-wide Sustainability Disclosure Requirements (SDR). The ambition is for the new SDR to apply to companies, asset managers and asset owners, including pension schemes, and investment products. It will require reporting for the first time on climate and environmental impact, alongside the financial risks and opportunities these pose to business. This builds on our world-leading efforts in making TCFD-related disclosures mandatory in the UK.
As set out in that Roadmap, these disclosures must be mandatory to ensure that relevant firms are disclosing high-quality information, enabling investors to compare disclosures and ensuring that data is available across the economy. The Roadmap published in October outlines a pathway to introducing requirements across the economy in a coordinated and proportionate way.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 28 October 2021 to Question 62566, what plans he has to require banks to show the difference between the mid-market (interbank) exchange rate and the rate they use when offering foreign exchange products to customers; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Government recognises the importance of transparency of fees and charges in protecting consumers and ensuring effective competition between payment service providers (PSPs) such as banks. To this end, the UK has regulatory requirements in place to ensure that currency conversation rates are clearly communicated to customers before a transaction takes place.
The Government has no plans at this time to amend these requirements, but keeps all policy under review.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to enforce cross border payments price transparency in line with the Cross Border Payments Regulation 2; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Government recognises the importance of transparency of fees and charges in ensuring effective competition between payment service providers.
The Payment Services Regulations 2017 make several requirements on UK payment service providers regarding disclosure of fees and charges to the payer, for example, the exchange rate used for a currency conversion transaction. Provisions under the Cross Border Payments Regulation, which continue to apply in the UK as part of retained EU law, also contribute to price transparency, with further requirements regarding how foreign exchange costs are communicated before a payment is made.
These regulations, amongst other things, are intended to enable consumers to make informed decisions when making use of payment services including where currency conversion is offered. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is the relevant regulatory authority with responsibility for monitoring and enforcing these requirements. Should the FCA have concerns regarding firms’ compliance with the requirements, it will take appropriate action as necessary.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to ensure all payment service providers publish the total costs they charge, including sending and receiving fees, costs charged by any intermediaries, foreign exchange rate and currency conversion charges; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Government recognises the importance of transparency of fees and charges in ensuring effective competition between payment service providers.
The Payment Services Regulations 2017 make several requirements on UK payment service providers regarding disclosure of fees and charges to the payer, for example, the exchange rate used for a currency conversion transaction. Provisions under the Cross Border Payments Regulation, which continue to apply in the UK as part of retained EU law, also contribute to price transparency, with further requirements regarding how foreign exchange costs are communicated before a payment is made.
These regulations, amongst other things, are intended to enable consumers to make informed decisions when making use of payment services including where currency conversion is offered. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is the relevant regulatory authority with responsibility for monitoring and enforcing these requirements. Should the FCA have concerns regarding firms’ compliance with the requirements, it will take appropriate action as necessary.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what changes HMRC made to the process for registering occupational pension schemes in (a) 2006 and (b) 2014; and what the reasons were for those changes .
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
HMRC is responsible for registering pension schemes where they wish to benefit from the tax reliefs available to pensions.
As a result of pension tax simplification, pension scheme registration was moved to a new online digital system in 2006.
As part of a wider government response to concerns surrounding pension scams, in 2014 legislation was introduced to enable HMRC to refuse registration where the scheme administrators were not considered to be fit and proper.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 15 July 2021 to Question 31282 on Non-domestic Rating (Telecommunications Infrastructure Relief) (England) Regulations, how many of the 71 certificates were issued to BT.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) is responsible for the valuation of non-domestic properties for business rates purposes in England and Wales. The Commissioners for Revenue and Customs Act 2005 restricts the VOA from providing specific information about companies, in order to protect ratepayer confidentiality.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 15 July 2021 to Question 31282 on Non-domestic Rating (Telecommunications Infrastructure Relief) (England) Regulations, on what dates the (a) first and (b) tenth of those 71 certificates was issued.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) issued the first certificate on 30 September 2019, and the tenth certificate on 8 September 2020.