Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has had discussions with the devolved Administrations on the adequacy of fiscal support for local councils across the UK, in the context of (a) recent trends in levels of demand for services, (b) the impacts of inflation and (c) increases in energy costs; and what steps her Department is taking to ensure that local authorities receive adequate funding for the provision of their services.
Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
Funding for local councils is a devolved responsibility and it is for the Devolved Governments to decide on their level of funding.
I met with all Devolved Government Finance Ministers in Belfast on 3rd October at a meeting of the Finance: Interministerial Standing committee. We discussed our approach to resetting relations, driving economic growth and delivering the vital public services on which our citizens depend.
The Chancellor has also met with the First Ministers and Finance Minsters from the Devolved Governments over the summer to hear their priorities.
Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of rising transaction fees for non-European Economic Area cards on small businesses in (a) the Highlands and (b) other tourist areas; and whether her Department has plans to take steps to reduce those transaction fees.
Answered by Tulip Siddiq - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government is committed to promoting competition in the payments sector and recognises the importance of ensuring the fees charged for card payments are fair for all parties, including merchants.
Card transaction fees are made up of different components. These include interchange fees paid to card issuers, and scheme and processing fees paid to the card scheme operators. Domestic interchange fees are capped under law and the Payment Systems Regulator is responsible for enforcing these caps.
The PSR also has a broader programme of work to review aspects of card fees and assess whether the markets are working well, including for merchants. For example, earlier this year, the PSR published the interim findings of its investigation review into recent increases in scheme and processing fees, which can be found here.
Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of terminating the furnished holiday lettings tax regime on local (a) economies and (b) employment in tourist destinations.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government will abolish the Furnished Holiday Lets (FHLs) tax regime from April 2025, which will equalise the tax treatment of landlords’ property income and gains.
The government wants to support visitor accommodation alongside housing for long term-residents to rent or buy. Achieving this balance is crucial in supporting the tourism sector, and many of the people who work in the sector need access to local housing.