Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to support the use of cash and increase access to cash machines.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Government recognises that cash remains an important part of daily life for millions of people across the UK, and remains committed to legislating to protect access to cash.
From 1 July to 23 September last year, the Government held the Access to Cash Consultation on proposals for new laws to make sure people only need to travel a reasonable distance to pay in or take out cash. The Government’s proposals intend to support the continued use of cash in people’s daily lives and help to enable local businesses to continue accepting cash by ensuring they can access deposit facilities.
The Government received responses to the consultation from a broad range of respondents, including individuals, businesses, and charities. The Government has carefully considered responses to the consultation and will set out next steps in due course.
Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of changes to wine duty announced in his Alcohol Duty Review on (a) inflation and (b) the cost of living.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
As announced at Autumn Budget 2021, the Government intends to move to a duty system where all wines are taxed in reference to their alcohol content, as is already the case for beer and spirits. Subsequently, some higher strength still wines will increase in duty, while lighter wines (below 11.5% alcohol by volume – ABV) will become cheaper. For lower strength wines below 8.5% ABV, duty rates will be reduced even further.
Further detail about the impact of our alcohol duty reforms will be included in a tax information and impact note when the policy is final, or near final, in the usual way.
Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department is making funds available to support the care and housing of refugees from Ukraine.
Answered by Simon Clarke
The UK has a proud history of providing protection to the most vulnerable people. To support those fleeing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Home Office has launched the Ukraine Family Scheme to allow thousands of families to be reunited in the UK. The Scheme allows immediate and extended family members of British nationals and people settled in the UK to come to the country. Those joining family through the Scheme will be granted leave for 3 years, giving them certainty and ensuring their future in the country. The Scheme is free, and does not include any salary or language requirements.
In addition, a new sponsored humanitarian visa route will be established to allow communities, private sponsors, or local authorities to sponsor people to come the UK from Ukraine. The Treasury is working closely with departments across government on the design and funding of these new routes.
In addition to these changes to the immigration system, the government has already committed around £400m to support the current crisis in Ukraine. This includes up to £220m in humanitarian aid, making the UK the largest bilateral humanitarian donor to Ukraine. This much-needed humanitarian assistance will help aid agencies respond to the deteriorating humanitarian situation, saving lives, protecting vulnerable people and creating a lifeline for Ukrainians with access to basic necessities. It also includes a commitment to match-fund the public’s first £20m of donations to the DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal, our largest ever aid-match contribution. UK Government humanitarian experts have also been deployed to the region to bolster the UK's support to countries receiving those fleeing the violence in Ukraine.
Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department had made of the cost per day of covid-19 lockdowns to the economy.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The pandemic and associated non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) created significant economic disruption and drove the largest recession on record, with the UK economy contracting by 9.4% in 2020.
The government has outlined the impact of restrictions and lockdowns on the economy in the following publications: Analysis of the health, economic and social effects of Covid-19 and the approach to tiering (30 November 2020), Budget 2021 (3 March 2021) and Living with Covid (21 February 2022). These documents can be found below:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-health-economic-and-social-effects-of-covid-19-and-the-tiered-approach
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/budget-2021-documents
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-response-living-with-covid-19
Any attempt to estimate the specific economic impacts of precise changes to individual restrictions for a defined period of time would be subject to very wide uncertainty. HM Treasury, as part of its normal activities, carefully monitors the UK economy, and any risks to it, and remains ready to respond to challenges.
Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to tackle inflation.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Government’s commitment to price stability remains absolute. Monetary policy is the responsibility of the independent Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Bank of England, which has the primary objective of maintaining price stability. Since the MPC became responsible for controlling inflation it has averaged close to the 2% target.
We understand the pressure that a higher cost of living places on people. The government is working with international partners to tackle global supply chain disruption and providing support worth around £12 billion this financial year and next to help people with the cost of living. This includes cutting the Universal Credit taper rate to make sure work pays, freezing alcohol and fuel duties to keep costs down, and providing targeted support to help vulnerable households with their energy bills and other essentials.
Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of allowing the use of unused childcare vouchers issued during the covid-19 outbreak for school trips and other activities that take place during school hours.
Answered by Simon Clarke
To protect and safeguard children, Childcare Vouchers may only be used for regulated supervised childcare activities (e.g. wraparound childcare). Childcare Vouchers cannot be used to cover the costs of activities during school hours as they fall outside of the definition of childcare.
We are aware that some parents have excess vouchers as a result of the pandemic, and it may be possible to use these for other forms of childcare. Some childcare providers do accept them, for example, towards the cost of holiday clubs and a range of after-school activities.
Additionally, parents may consider temporarily reducing their contributions to the Childcare Voucher scheme, to avoid creating an excess. They may also seek to get a refund from their employer or voucher provider. Whether the refund to parents is possible depends on the contract between the voucher provider, employee and employer.
Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that people with a mental health disability under the Equality Act 2010 are not denied life insurance cover as a result of their disability or for other discriminatory reasons.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Government is determined that all insurers should treat customers fairly.
Under the Equalities Act 2010, an insurance provider cannot refuse to cover potential customers or charge more for insurance on the basis of an applicant’s mental health problem, except in specified circumstances as set out in the legislation.
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) sets the conduct standard required of insurance firms in relation to their business. They require firms dealing with all customers, including those with mental health issues and other vulnerabilities, to act honestly, fairly and professionally in accordance with their customers' best interests; to pay due regard to the interests of their customers and treat them fairly; and communicate information to them in a way which is clear, fair and not misleading.
Where the FCA becomes aware that firms are treating customers, including customers with vulnerabilities such as mental health issues, unfairly, they will consider this on a case-by-case basis and use the full range of regulatory and supervisory powers to put things right. They are authorised to impose fines, order injunctions, bring criminal prosecution and issue public censure when disciplinary action against a firm or individual is taken. The FCA sets out their enforcement powers on their website.
The FCA has placed access and vulnerability at the core of its Mission and Business Plan. In February 2021, the FCA published its guidance for firms on the treatment of vulnerable consumers, including those with mental health conditions. This can be accessed here: https://www.fca.org.uk/publications/finalised-guidance/guidance-firms-fair-treatment-vulnerable-customers
Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
Question to the HM Treasury:
What assessment he has made of the potential effect of the end of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme on the number of jobs that will be retained.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme was designed as a temporary measure. Closing the scheme at the end of September strikes the right balance between supporting the economy, protecting incomes, and getting people back to work.
This is working; at the start of this crisis, unemployment was expected to reach 12 per cent or more. It is now forecast to peak at about half of that level, meaning almost 2 million fewer people losing their jobs than previously feared.
Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of adequacy of resources available to the Valuation Office Agency during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Treasury continues to provide the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) with the resources required successfully to deliver the valuations and property advice needed to support taxation and benefits. The VOA has received additional funding to deliver their operational activities including an extra £9m in 2018-19 and £25m in 2019-20, on top of its core budget and an additional £11.5m at Budget 2020 to modernise its IT systems.
The VOA has received a high increase in volumes with the check and challenge service as a consequence of COVID-19 which has put pressure on the service. These volumes are monitored actively and the VOA continues to flex resource to meet changing demand.
The Treasury works closely with the VOA and its sponsor department, HMRC, to understand the VOA’s resource requirements and is considering the appropriate level of funding for the next financial year as part of the current Spending Round.
Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 13 October 2020 to Question 100924, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of implementing business rate relief for airports.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The?Government keeps all tax policy under review and is conducting a fundamental review of the business rates system in England. A Call for Evidence was published on 21 July and the Government is now considering responses.
A range of measures to support all businesses, including airports, has been made available, including the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to help firms keep people in employment, and the deferral of Value Added Tax (VAT) payments.
The Government has also launched a new Global Travel Taskforce in order to support the travel industry and the safe recovery of international travel.