Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department made of the impact of the measures in the fiscal announcement made on (a) 23 September; and (b) 17 October on families with disabled children.
Answered by John Glen
The Treasury carefully considers the equality impacts of the individual measures announced at fiscal events on those with protected characteristics, including gender, race and disability – in line with both its legal obligations under the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) and with its strong commitment to equality issues. As part of these legal obligations, the Treasury considers equalities impacts and has due regard to the need to eliminate unlawful discrimination under the Act, advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between different groups.
The Government understands that families across the UK, especially those with children who are suffering from long-term health conditions and disabilities, are worried about the rising cost of living. That is why the Government is taking decisive action to help families get through this winter, while ensuring we act in a fiscally responsible way.
Recipients of extra-costs disability benefits, including children in receipt of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) received a one-off Disability Cost of Living Payment of £150 from 20th September, to help with the rising cost of living. The DWP (Department for Work & Pensions) has already processed around 6 million such payments. A one-off £650 Cost of Living Payment is also being delivered to households in receipt of means-tested benefits.
We are continuing to keep the situation under review and are focusing support on the most vulnerable whilst ensuring we act in a fiscally responsible way.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of levels of child benefit.
Answered by Simon Clarke
The Government is committed to managing the public finances in a disciplined and responsible way by targeting support where it is most needed.
For the third consecutive year, Child Benefit has increased in line with CPI (3.1 per cent). The Government will continue to review levels of Child Benefit alongside other benefits annually.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much his Department spent on external consultants in each of the last five years.
Answered by Helen Whately - Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
HM Treasury’s spend on consultancy is published and available for viewing within the Annual Report and Accounts. HMT is yet to lay its accounts for 2021-22, but these are due to be published prior to the summer recess. We have included the links to the published Annual Report and Accounts for each of the available years in question within the table below.
Financial Year | Publication Link | Page Reference |
2017-18 | https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/724104/2017-18_Final_HMT_ARA__web_.pdf | Page 84 |
2018-19 | https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hm-treasury-annual-report-and-accounts-2018-to-2019 | Page 88 |
2019-20 | https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hm-treasury-annual-report-and-accounts-2019-to-2020 | Page 104 |
2020-21 | https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hm-treasury-annual-report-and-accounts-2020-to-2021 | Page 101 |
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the article of Bureau for Investigative Journalism on 10 March 2022 that reported how ODA reporting for vaccine donations displaced up to £144 million of aid, if he will ensure any vaccine donation ODA reporting for 2022 is additional, rather than within, its 0.5 per cent GNI target.
Answered by Simon Clarke
The government remains committed to international development and providing support to the world's poorest, and intends to return to spending 0.7% of gross national income on Official Development Assistance (ODA) when the fiscal situation allows.
The 2021 Spending Review provides departments with an ODA budget that rises to £12.3 billion in 2024-25, growing by 23% compared to the £10 billion allocated at the 2020 Spending Review, and facilitates significant increases across priority spending areas. This will ensure that the UK remains one of the largest ODA spenders in the world and well above the OECD Development Assistance Committee average.
The UK donated 30.8 million vaccines in 2021. We have now donated a total of 54.5 million vaccines, benefitting more than 38 countries. Our 100 million dose-donation target is part of one billion doses G7 leaders committed to share and finance at the Carbis Bay summit. They are a testament to our collective commitment to accelerate global vaccine access.
As with all ODA eligible expenditure, donations of surplus vaccines will count towards meeting the UK’s annual ODA spending commitment; this is the established UK approach in line with international rules.