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Written Question
Azure Services: Loans
Thursday 31st March 2022

Asked by: Alec Shelbrooke (Conservative - Elmet and Rothwell)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of (a) liaising with the Azure and Barclays Action and Support Group on the loans issued outside of the April 2014 – April 2016 period and (b) investigating the allegations of regulatory failures associated with Barclays Partner Finance and Azure Services Ltd.

Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

The Government is aware of the campaign by the Azure and Barclays Action and Support Group for consumers to receive compensation for loans outside the April 2014 – April 2016 period.

However, the regulation of consumer credit is a matter for the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which operates independently of Government. The Treasury has no general power of direction over the FCA and cannot intervene on specific matters.


Written Question
Energy Bills Rebate: Park Homes
Thursday 10th March 2022

Asked by: Alec Shelbrooke (Conservative - Elmet and Rothwell)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what support he will provide to residents of park homes who are not eligible for the energy bill rebate because their energy is supplied direct to the operating business and then recharged to the resident.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

All domestic electricity customers in Great Britain will receive a £200 reduction in their electricity costs from this October. This will be delivered via energy suppliers and will be clearly identifiable as a line item on electricity bills.

There are certain situations where a third party will be responsible for the bill (and be named on it). In this situation, any electricity charges are then passed onto the end user, typically through an all-inclusive rent (in the case of a landlord/tenant) or ‘pitch’ charges, e.g. for a park home.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) will explore this issue further, including by gathering further information via the government consultation on the delivery of the Energy Bill Support Scheme for households.


Written Question
Coronavirus Local Authority Discretionary Grants Fund
Thursday 3rd September 2020

Asked by: Alec Shelbrooke (Conservative - Elmet and Rothwell)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will use returned Discretionary Grant Funds unspent by local authorities to provide financial assistance to close companies directors who operate businesses from their homes, have had no access to business grants or local authority discretionary funds and have been unable to trade throughout the covid-19 outbreak.

Answered by Kemi Badenoch - President of the Board of Trade

Local Authorities had significant discretion when it came to setting the eligibility criteria for their discretionary grant schemes. Although the Government encouraged Local Authorities to focus on small businesses which faced high fixed property-related costs and which had missed out on the main business grant schemes due to the way they interacted with the business rates system, Local Authorities were able to pay grants to other kinds of businesses, according to their assessment of local economic need.

The business grant funds, including the Discretionary Grant Fund, were primarily intended to support small businesses which faced high fixed property-related costs during the strict ‘lockdown’ period, when consumer footfall was dramatically reduced. As most businesses are now able to reopen, it is right that we wind up the grant schemes, all of which closed to new applicants on 28 August. The Government continues to review the economic situation and consider what support businesses need. However, there are currently no plans to re-open the business grants to new applications.

We expect that Local Authorities will spend the vast majority of the funding which they were allocated for the Discretionary Grant Fund. We do expect there to be some underspends from the Small Business Grant Fund and the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund. We have asked Local Authorities to return any underspends to the Exchequer.


Written Question
Plastics: Taxation
Wednesday 22nd July 2020

Asked by: Alec Shelbrooke (Conservative - Elmet and Rothwell)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to expedite the bringing forward of legislative proposals for a plastic packaging tax as a result of the (a) fall in global oil prices and (b) the rise in the level of production of virgin plastic in order to protect the financial viability of recycling companies in the UK.

Answered by Kemi Badenoch - President of the Board of Trade

At Budget 2020, the Government announced key details of the world leading Plastic Packaging Tax, which will help to tackle the pressing issue of plastic waste. The initial rate of the tax will be £200 per tonne and it will be paid by manufacturers and importers of plastic packaging that contains less than 30% recycled plastic.

The Government is continuing to monitor both the global oil price and recycling capacity in the UK. The Government expects the tax to create greater demand for recycled material and in turn stimulate increased levels of recycling and collection of plastic waste. Since the announcement of the tax at Budget 2018 there has been increased investment in the UK’s recycling capacity, partly due to the tax.

The Government has set a rate of £200 per tonne for the tax as this is expected to make using recycled plastic the most cost-effective option for a business in many cases. Following its introduction in April 2022, the rate will be kept under review to ensure that the tax remains effective in increasing the use of recycled plastic in plastic packaging.

The Government is now consulting on the detailed design and implementation of the tax, and will publish draft primary legislation before it is included in a future Finance Bill, followed by draft secondary legislation and guidance. It is right that the Government consults on the detail of the tax in this manner to make sure it works as intended and that businesses are given time to prepare.


Written Question
Self-employed: Coronavirus
Friday 26th June 2020

Asked by: Alec Shelbrooke (Conservative - Elmet and Rothwell)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what support he plans to make available to recently self-employed people who are ineligible for the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme as a result of their 2018-19 self-assessment tax return including a one-off redundancy payment which HMRC classes as non-traded income.

Answered by Jesse Norman

The Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS), including the eligibility requirement that an individual’s trading profits must be at least equal to their non-trading income, is designed to target those who most need it, and who are most reliant on their self-employment income.

If an individual is not eligible based on their 2018-19 Self Assessment return, HM Revenue & Customs will then look at their Self Assessment returns from 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19 to determine their eligibility. This reduces the impact of one-off events, such as a redundancy payment, in determining eligibility. More detail is available at www.gov.uk/guidance/how-hmrc-works-out-total-income-and-trading-profits-for-the-self-employment-income-support-scheme#eligibility.

The first £30,000 of a termination payment is not chargeable to income tax and is therefore not included in the calculation of an individual’s non-trading income. This further reduces the impact that a redundancy payment may have on eligibility for the SEISS.

Individuals who received more than half their income from non-trading sources in 2018-19 and did not have trading profits from earlier Self Assessment returns may still be eligible for other elements of the financial support provided by the Government. The SEISS is one element of a comprehensive package of support for individuals and businesses, including Bounce Back loans, tax deferrals, rental support, increased levels of Universal Credit, mortgage holidays, and other business support grants. More information about the full range of business support measures is available at www.gov.uk/government/collections/financial-support-for-businesses-during-coronavirus-covid-19.


Written Question
Non-domestic Rates: Coronavirus
Friday 19th June 2020

Asked by: Alec Shelbrooke (Conservative - Elmet and Rothwell)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the effect of the Valuation Office’s rounding policy on applications for Coronavirus Business Grants; and if he will (a) temporarily suspend the rounding policy used by the Valuation Office Agency when assessing the rateable value of a premises and (b) ensure that SMEs that benefit from that suspension are able to submit backdated applications for Coronavirus Business Grants.

Answered by Kemi Badenoch - President of the Board of Trade

A property’s valuation for rating purposes is the Rateable Value (RV) shown in the Rating Lists. It is this readily available information which Local Authorities have used to help determine eligibility for grants under the Small Business Grant Fund, and Retail, Hospitality, and Leisure Grant Fund. Linking these grants to the existing business rates system has allowed Local Authorities to make payments quickly to businesses in need.

The RV represents the VOA's opinion of the open market rental value at the valuation date. Rounding ensures consistency of assessment between comparable properties. It also follows practise in the rental market. Considerations other than valuation questions cannot influence Rateable Values.


Written Question
Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme
Thursday 21st May 2020

Asked by: Alec Shelbrooke (Conservative - Elmet and Rothwell)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether people that are shielding are entitled to be furloughed by employers after 16 April 202 under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme instead of automatic entitlement to Statutory Sick Pay.

Answered by Jesse Norman

Employees who are shielding in line with public health guidance (or need to stay home with someone who is shielding) can be placed on furlough. Use of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme is at the discretion of the employer. Individuals who are shielding should speak to their employer about whether they plan to place staff on furlough. If a firm chooses not to furlough these staff, they are entitled to Statutory Sick Pay as a statutory minimum, although many employers will pay more than that in occupational sick pay.


Written Question
Bounce Back Loan Scheme
Wednesday 13th May 2020

Asked by: Alec Shelbrooke (Conservative - Elmet and Rothwell)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Bounce Back Loan scheme will be made available to businesses that bank with Cash Plus and other online lenders and that cannot open new business accounts with high street lenders that have stopped accepting new customers.

Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

The new Bounce Back Loans Scheme (BBLS), launched 4 May, will ensure that the smallest businesses can access up to £50,000 loans in a matter of just days.

There are over 16 lenders that are offering loans under the scheme which can be found here: https://www.british-business-bank.co.uk/ourpartners/coronavirus-business-interruption-loan-schemes/bounce-back-loans/current-accredited-lenders-and-partners/

Any lender that wishes to become accredited to offer Bounce Back Loans should contact the British Business Bank.


Written Question
Business: Conditions of Employment
Friday 6th March 2020

Asked by: Alec Shelbrooke (Conservative - Elmet and Rothwell)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans his Department has to inform businesses of the rules on employing contractors after 6 April 2020.

Answered by Jesse Norman

The Government is committed to working with organisations to ensure changes to the off-payroll working rules are implemented correctly. HMRC are undertaking an extensive programme of education and support to help organisations prepare for the reform. This includes:

  • Offering one-to-one support to more than 2,000 of the UK’s biggest employers, and writing directly to 43,000 medium sized businesses and other organisations.
  • Providing large and medium sized businesses, public bodies, and charities with factsheets to share with their contractors, and publishing this factsheet on gov.uk.
  • Holding workshops with small tax agents, recruitment agencies, charities, and public bodies.
  • Holding webinars at least weekly, with small tax agents, recruitment agencies, charities, public bodies and contractors.
  • Publishing an enhanced version of the Check Employment Status for Tax online tool in November 2019, to help individuals and organisations make the right status determinations and apply the off-payroll rules correctly.

Written Question
Minimum Wage: Fines
Monday 26th November 2018

Asked by: Alec Shelbrooke (Conservative - Elmet and Rothwell)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 9 November 2018 to Question 187012, how many civil sanctions have been applied to employers for failing to pay the national minimum wage (a) in total and (b) in relation to internship roles in each year since 1 January 2017.

Answered by Mel Stride - Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

The government is determined to ensure that everyone who is entitled to the National Minimum and Living Wage (NMW) receives it. Anyone who feels they have not been paid the NMW should contact the Acas helpline on 0300 123 1100 or via the online complaints form at gov.uk. HMRC reviews all complaints that are referred to them.

All businesses, irrespective of size or business sector are responsible for paying the correct minimum wage to their staff. HMRC won’t hesitate to take action to ensure that workers receive what they are legally entitled to.

Most NMW cases are subject to civil (non-criminal) sanctions, the consequences of which include fines of up to 200% of the determined underpayment, and public naming.

In 2016/17, HMRC issued around £4 million in penalties to 821 employers for underpaying NMW to workers, and in 2017/18 issued over £14 million in penalties to 810 employers.

It is not possible to identify all NMW breaches involving the employment of interns, as HMRC does not routinely record the employment characteristics of individual workers who are owed and paid arrears. In most cases, interns would be repaid alongside all other workers and the data recorded as a single entry against the company.