Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much funding will be allocated towards achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 under the new Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - President of the Board of Trade
The Green Industrial Revolution will mobilise £12 billion of government investment to create and support up to 250,000 highly-skilled green jobs in the UK, and spur over three times as much private sector investment by 2030. This investment will accelerate the UK’s path to Net Zero.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of providing an additional financial support package for (a) the events and exhibitions industry and (b) other industries which are unable to operate until covid-19 restrictions are lifted.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - President of the Board of Trade
The Government recognises the extreme disruption the necessary actions to combat Covid-19 are having on the events and exhibitions industry, as well as other industries facing Covid-19 restrictions.
During this difficult time the Treasury is working intensively with employers, delivery partners, industry groups and other government departments such as the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport to understand the long-term effects of Covid-19 on key areas of the economy.
Some of the closed sectors have already benefitted from the wide range of support, launched by the Government, to safeguard the economy during the pandemic. This includes the deferral of VAT payments, a year-long business rates holiday for eligible businesses, a wide range of Government-back and guaranteed loan schemes, the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme and the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.
We have also provided local authorities with £1.1bn to enable them to support businesses over the coming months, as they form a key part of local economies.
?
In response to the England-wide restrictions announced by the Prime Minister on the 31 October, we have announced a new set of national support measures. This includes an extension to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to March 2021, more generous support for the self-employed, extended application windows for government-backed loans and cash grants of up to £3,000 for businesses forced to close.
While we will not be able to protect every single job or save every single business, nor stand in the way of the economy adapting and people finding new jobs, or starting new businesses, we will continue to monitor the impact of Government support with regard to supporting businesses, individuals, and sectors as we respond to this pandemic.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what support his Department plans to provide to the events industry to support that sector's economic recovery when covid-19 restrictions are lifted.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - President of the Board of Trade
The Government recognises the extreme disruption the necessary actions to combat Covid-19 are having on the events and exhibitions industry, as well as other industries facing Covid-19 restrictions.
During this difficult time the Treasury is working intensively with employers, delivery partners, industry groups and other government departments such as the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport to understand the long-term effects of Covid-19 on key areas of the economy.
Some of the closed sectors have already benefitted from the wide range of support, launched by the Government, to safeguard the economy during the pandemic. This includes the deferral of VAT payments, a year-long business rates holiday for eligible businesses, a wide range of Government-back and guaranteed loan schemes, the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme and the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.
We have also provided local authorities with £1.1bn to enable them to support businesses over the coming months, as they form a key part of local economies.
?
In response to the England-wide restrictions announced by the Prime Minister on the 31 October, we have announced a new set of national support measures. This includes an extension to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to March 2021, more generous support for the self-employed, extended application windows for government-backed loans and cash grants of up to £3,000 for businesses forced to close.
While we will not be able to protect every single job or save every single business, nor stand in the way of the economy adapting and people finding new jobs, or starting new businesses, we will continue to monitor the impact of Government support with regard to supporting businesses, individuals, and sectors as we respond to this pandemic.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if his Department will take steps to ensure that businesses sign contractual commitments to help deliver the Government's target of net zero emissions by 2050 when disbursing loans to support businesses during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - President of the Board of Trade
The Government’s unprecedented package of support in response to Covid-19 has been targeted at the businesses and individuals who most need assistance, while ensuring that the measures are simple, certain and introduced in a timely manner to protect livelihoods.
Alongside the focus on supporting the economy, the Government continues to take its environmental responsibilities very seriously. Companies receiving support as a Last Resort Business Intervention will need to agree to appropriate conditions, including those on climate where we expect companies to commit to ambitious conditions on Net Zero targets. The first company to receive any such support committed to ambitious conditions around climate change and Net Zero targets.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of enforcing aviation companies to sign up to binding commitments to help deliver the Government's target of net zero emissions by 2050 when disbursing Government funding to support aviation companies during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - President of the Board of Trade
The Government continues to take its environmental responsibilities very seriously and is committed to meeting its climate change targets.
In the Chancellor’s letter to the aviation sector at the start of the pandemic, he made it clear that the government would consider bespoke financial support for firms as a last resort, once all other options had been exhausted. This means firms must have exhausted the comprehensive package of economy-wide measures we have put in place and all other funding options, including with shareholders and commercial debt providers. In order to protect the interests of taxpayers, any support would need to represent value for money. Companies receiving such support would also need to agree to appropriate conditions, including conditions relating to climate change, as well as tax, supplier payment terms, and corporate governance.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions he has had with the (a) Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and (b) Secretary of State for Transport on the Canal and River Trust's recommendation for Government funding of £200m for capital works to enable more freight to be carried on inland waterways.
Answered by Steve Barclay - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Chancellor and HM Treasury ministers have regular conversations with the Secretary of State for the Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs and the Secretary of State for the Department of Transport in respect of a wide range of capital investment schemes. Any specific bids from departments for capital investment will be discussed at the Spending Review.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether coach operators working in very high covid-19 alert areas will be eligible for the extended Job Support Scheme announced in October 2020.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The scheme will cover businesses across the UK with premises that are legally required to close as a direct result of government coronavirus restrictions set by one or more of the four governments in the UK, including businesses which have premises restricted to providing delivery and collection services.
If and when new local or national sector closures are announced, new businesses will become eligible for support under the scheme if they are affected.
Businesses that are open can use the other element of the Job Support Scheme aimed at those able to open but facing lower levels of demand, available from 1 November. The Government will pay a third of hours not worked up to a cap, so that employees earn a minimum of 77 per cent of their normal wages.
In addition to the JSS, the Government has made available a comprehensive package of support for businesses to support their cashflow during the pandemic, including loan schemes and tax deferrals. As of 20 September, the Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS), Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CLBILS) and Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) had together provided £57.31bn of finance to businesses in need.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether staff working in accommodation businesses in very high alert level areas will be eligible for support from the extended Job Support Scheme.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The scheme will cover businesses across the UK with premises that are legally required to close as a direct result of government coronavirus restrictions set by one or more of the four governments in the UK, including businesses which have premises restricted to providing delivery and collection services.
If and when new local or national sector closures are announced, new businesses will become eligible for support under the scheme if they are affected.
Further guidance will be issued shortly on eligibility criteria.
Businesses that are open can use the other element of the Job Support Scheme aimed at those able to open but facing lower levels of demand, available from 1 November. The Government will pay a third of hours not worked up to a cap, so that employees earn a minimum of 77% of their normal wages.
In addition to the JSS, the Government has made available a comprehensive package of support for businesses to support their cashflow during the pandemic.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether travel agents working in very high covid-19 alert level areas will be eligible for support from the extended Job Support Scheme.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The scheme will cover businesses across the UK with premises that are legally required to close as a direct result of government coronavirus restrictions set by one or more of the four governments in the UK, including businesses which have premises restricted to providing delivery and collection services.
If and when new local or national sector closures are announced, new businesses will become eligible for support under the scheme if they are affected.
Further guidance will be issued shortly on eligibility criteria.
Businesses that are open can use the other element of the Job Support Scheme aimed at those able to open but facing lower levels of demand, available from 1 November. The Government will pay a third of hours not worked up to a cap, so that employees earn a minimum of 77% of their normal wages.
In addition to the JSS, the Government has made available a comprehensive package of support for businesses to support their cashflow during the pandemic.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what support he plans to provide to people shielding with blood cancer who are unable to work from home and whose workplaces cannot be made covid-safe as the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme closes.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Government understands that COVID-19 has posed significant challenges for those suffering with cancer. Those living with cancer have access to the unprecedented level of support for people’s incomes that the Government has introduced in response to COVID-19. This includes the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS), but also the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS), and changes to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP).
The Government has relaxed national advice to those who are clinically extremely vulnerable (CEV), bringing it in line with the advice to those who are clinically vulnerable. If employers cannot provide a safe working environment, the CEV will continue to have access to an unprecedented package of financial support including an increase in the generosity of welfare payments worth a further £9.3bn according to Office for Budget Responsibility estimates. These changes also include a £20 per week increase to the Universal Credit (UC) standard allowance and Working Tax Credit basic element, and a nearly £1 billion increase in support for renters through increases to the Local Housing Allowance rates for UC and Housing Benefit claimants.
Those who live or work in local lockdown areas who receive a notification that they need to shield will be eligible for Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) for as long as the advice for them to shield remains in place (subject to the normal eligibility conditions). Individuals will be able to use this notification as evidence for their employer that they cannot work, including for SSP purposes.