Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith and Chiswick)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the (a) value and (b) quantity was of seafood imported from (a) Cameroon in (A) 2023, (B) 2024 and (C) 2025 and (b) Trinidad and Tobago since October 2023.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is responsible for the collection and publication of data on imports and exports of goods to and from the UK. HMRC releases this information monthly, as an Accredited Official Statistic called the Overseas Trade in Goods Statistics (OTS), which is available via their dedicated website (www.uktradeinfo.com). From this website, it is possible to build your own data tables based upon bespoke search criteria.
These tables include country of dispatch (CoD) which gives information on the country of export.
To build a table you will need to use a commodity code. Commodity codes identify the goods being imported or exported. These are publicly available from the UK Trade Tariff at https://www.gov.uk/trade-tariff. Commodity codes for the various types of seafood would come under Chapter 03.
If you need help or support in constructing a table from the data on uktradeinfo, please contact uktradeinfo@hmrc.gov.uk.
Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith and Chiswick)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many applications have been made by (a) barristers, (b) solicitors and (c) others for licences to permit payments by sanctioned entities to be made for legal advice or representation in the last 12 months.
Answered by Lucy Frazer
The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) in HM Treasury is responsible for financial sanctions enforcement. OFSI may issue a licence to enable the payment of reasonable fees and/or expenses for the provision of legal services. OFSI is unable to provide the information requested as it does not collate information on legal expenses licence applications in this format and it would involve disproportionate costs to gather.
OFSI publishes an Annual Review containing information on the breakdown of legal expenses licences issued during the preceding financial year. The 2020-21 Annual Review can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1025562/OFSI_Annual_Review_2021.pdf. Data for the 2021-22 financial year is expected to be published in the Autumn.
Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith and Chiswick)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the (a) criteria and (b) process, including timescales, are for the determination of applications for licences to permit payment for legal advice and representation.
Answered by Lucy Frazer
The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) in HM Treasury is responsible for financial sanctions enforcement. OFSI may issue a licence to enable the payment of reasonable fees and/or expenses for the provision of legal services. It is for the applicant to demonstrate to OFSI that the legal fees and disbursements are reasonable. All licence applications are carefully assessed against the criteria set out in the relevant Regulations.
OFSI has received a significant increase in the number of legal expenses licence applications since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Information requirements for legal expenses licences can be found on Page 28 of OFSI’s general guidance: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1062452/General_Guidance_-_UK_Financial_Sanctions.pdf.
Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith and Chiswick)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many and what proportion of applications for licences to permit payments by sanctioned entities to be made for legal advice or representation have been (a) granted, (b) rejected and (c) not yet dealt with.
Answered by Lucy Frazer
The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) in HM Treasury is responsible for financial sanctions enforcement. OFSI may issue a licence to enable the payment of reasonable fees and/or expenses for the provision of legal services.
From June 2021 to June 2022 OFSI issued 29 licences for the payment of legal fees. OFSI is unable to provide all of the information requested as it does not collate information on legal expenses licence applications in this format and it would involve disproportionate costs to gather.
OFSI publishes an Annual Review containing information on the breakdown of legal expenses licences issued during the preceding financial year. The 2020-21 Annual Review can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1025562/OFSI_Annual_Review_2021.pdf. Data for the 2021-22 financial year is expected to be published in the Autumn.
Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith and Chiswick)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many and what proportion of applications for licences to permit payments by sanctioned entities for legal advice or representation relate to licences to permit payment for advice on the lawfulness of sanctions.
Answered by Lucy Frazer
The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) in HM Treasury is responsible for financial sanctions enforcement. OFSI may issue a licence to enable the payment of reasonable fees and/or expenses for the provision of legal services. OFSI is unable to provide the information requested as it does not collate information on legal expenses licence applications in this format and it would involve disproportionate costs to gather.Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith and Chiswick)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will extend the furlough scheme for (a) the exhibition and conference sector and (b) other sectors which require long lead-in times to re-establish operations.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The Chancellor of the Exchequer has said there will be no further extensions or changes to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS).
After eight months of the CJRS, the scheme will close at the end of October.
The introduction of flexible furloughing further ensures that firms can adjust how they furlough to match their speed of reopening. Firms will be able to claim flexibly under the CJRS until October.
It would be challenging to target the CJRS to specific sectors in a fair and deliverable way, and it may not be the case that this is the most effective or sensible way to provide longer term support for those sectors who may not yet be reopening.
The Government will continue to engage with businesses and sectors with the aim of ensuring that the support provided is right for those sectors and for the economy as a whole.
Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith and Chiswick)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Government plans to take shares in any companies bailed out through Project Birch at the outset; and whether loans are the only option available to companies initially.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - Leader of HM Official Opposition
The government has always considered providing support to strategically important companies that can reasonably be expected to have a long-term viable future, and whose failure or distress could cause disproportionate harm to the UK economy or society. Companies should also demonstrate they have exhausted all other financing options (including support from existing shareholders and lenders).
Each case will be considered individually, and any support provided will be bespoke to the company’s needs.
Where intervention is deemed to be appropriate, it will be on terms that protect the interests of current and future taxpayers, with existing shareholders and lenders expected to share in the financial burden.
Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith and Chiswick)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what timescale the Government plans to allow companies to seek Government funding for bailouts under Project Birch.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - Leader of HM Official Opposition
As part of its normal operations the government has always considered providing support to strategically important companies that can reasonably be expected to have a long-term viable future, and whose failure or distress could cause disproportionate harm to the UK economy or society. Companies must have exhausted all other options before being considered, and any support given is on terms that protect the taxpayer, with existing lenders and shareholders expected to contribute to, and share in, the financial burden.
Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith and Chiswick)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the timescale is for loans provided to companies bailed out through Project Birch to be converted into shares; and what conditions the Government plans to attach to such conversions into shares.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - Leader of HM Official Opposition
As part of its normal operations the government has always considered providing support to strategically important companies that can reasonably be expected to have a long-term viable future, and whose failure or distress could cause disproportionate harm to the UK economy or society. Companies must have exhausted all other options before being considered, and any support given is on terms that protect the taxpayer, with existing lenders and shareholders expected to contribute to, and share in, the financial burden.
Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith and Chiswick)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he has taken to prepare a new mandate for UK Government Investments to manage new shareholdings in bailed out companies.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - Leader of HM Official Opposition
The government will keep the management of assets from the COVID-19 response under review.