Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the planned timescale is for bringing forward a draft Bill on protecting access to cash; and if he will publish details of the scope of that legislation.
Answered by John Glen
The Government has committed to legislate to protect access to cash and ensure that the UK’s cash infrastructure is sustainable for the long term. To progress this work, the Government published a Call for Evidence on Access to Cash in October 2020. The Call for Evidence sought views on the key considerations associated with cash access, including deposit and withdrawal facilities, cash acceptance, and regulatory oversight of the cash system. The Government is considering responses to the Call for Evidence and will set out next steps in due course.
The Government created the Joint Authorities Cash Strategy Group in 2019, which has provided a forum for the public bodies to formally co-ordinate respective approaches to access to cash. This is chaired by HM Treasury and attended by the Bank of England, Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) and Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The Group published an update on the actions of the Group’s members in July 2020. This included work led by the PSR and FCA to develop a comprehensive picture of cash access infrastructure across the UK.
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted cash usage in the short-term and is likely to have accelerated the longer-term trends of declining cash use. However, it is too early to determine the lasting effect.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Treasury has been working closely with regulators and industry to ensure customers continue to have access to essential banking services, including cash, while also protecting the safety of staff and customers. This has meant the vast majority of people have been able to access cash through the pandemic.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps assessment his Department has made of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on access to cash; and what steps he is taking to protect access to cash.
Answered by John Glen
The Government has committed to legislate to protect access to cash and ensure that the UK’s cash infrastructure is sustainable for the long term. To progress this work, the Government published a Call for Evidence on Access to Cash in October 2020. The Call for Evidence sought views on the key considerations associated with cash access, including deposit and withdrawal facilities, cash acceptance, and regulatory oversight of the cash system. The Government is considering responses to the Call for Evidence and will set out next steps in due course.
The Government created the Joint Authorities Cash Strategy Group in 2019, which has provided a forum for the public bodies to formally co-ordinate respective approaches to access to cash. This is chaired by HM Treasury and attended by the Bank of England, Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) and Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The Group published an update on the actions of the Group’s members in July 2020. This included work led by the PSR and FCA to develop a comprehensive picture of cash access infrastructure across the UK.
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted cash usage in the short-term and is likely to have accelerated the longer-term trends of declining cash use. However, it is too early to determine the lasting effect.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Treasury has been working closely with regulators and industry to ensure customers continue to have access to essential banking services, including cash, while also protecting the safety of staff and customers. This has meant the vast majority of people have been able to access cash through the pandemic.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the planned timescale is for bringing forward legislative proposals on protecting access to cash.
Answered by John Glen
The Government has committed to legislate to protect access to cash and ensure that the UK’s cash infrastructure is sustainable for the long term. To progress this work, the Government published a Call for Evidence on Access to Cash in October 2020. The Call for Evidence sought views on the key considerations associated with cash access, including deposit and withdrawal facilities, cash acceptance, and regulatory oversight of the cash system. The Government is considering responses to the Call for Evidence and will set out next steps in due course.
The Government created the Joint Authorities Cash Strategy Group in 2019, which has provided a forum for the public bodies to formally co-ordinate respective approaches to access to cash. This is chaired by HM Treasury and attended by the Bank of England, Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) and Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The Group published an update on the actions of the Group’s members in July 2020. This included work led by the PSR and FCA to develop a comprehensive picture of cash access infrastructure across the UK.
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted cash usage in the short-term and is likely to have accelerated the longer-term trends of declining cash use. However, it is too early to determine the lasting effect.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Treasury has been working closely with regulators and industry to ensure customers continue to have access to essential banking services, including cash, while also protecting the safety of staff and customers. This has meant the vast majority of people have been able to access cash through the pandemic.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the ability of wholesalers to remain financially viable without business rates relief in the context of the second covid-19 lockdown.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The Government has provided Local Authorities with £1.1billion across England via the Additional Restrictions Grant, for businesses which are not legally closed, but which are severely affected by local or national restrictions.
Local Authorities have discretion on how to use this funding to support businesses in their areas, but the Government encourages them to set up discretionary grant schemes to support businesses such as wholesalers which can remain open, but which are nonetheless severely affected by the enhanced COVID-19 restrictions.
All business rates reliefs in England will be considered through the business rates review.
In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of ministerial discussions are not normally disclosed.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions he has held with the (a) Secretary of State for Transport and (b) Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on the decarbonisation of the maritime industry.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - Leader of HM Official Opposition
The Chancellor of the Exchequer meets Cabinet colleagues to discuss a range of issues as part of the policy making process.
The government continues to take its environmental responsibilities very seriously, and is committed to meeting its climate change targets. With this in mind, the government is considering how it can most effectively progress transport decarbonisation through the Spending Review.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions he has held with the (a) Secretary of State for Transport and (b) Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on the creation of a clean maritime fund.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - Leader of HM Official Opposition
The Chancellor of the Exchequer meets Cabinet colleagues to discuss a range of issues as part of the policy making process.
The government continues to take its environmental responsibilities very seriously, and is committed to meeting its climate change targets. With this in mind, the government is considering how it can most effectively progress transport decarbonisation through the Spending Review.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will temporarily increase the rate of Gift Aid from 20 per cent to 25 per cent for two years, similar to the Gift Aid Transitional Relief Scheme of 2008.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - Leader of HM Official Opposition
In response to these proposals to increase Gift Aid to 25 per cent I refer the Hon Member to the answer that I gave on 4 September to the Hon Member for Lewisham East (UIN 82365).Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the minimum estimated cost of £522 million for one month of the Eat Out to Help Out scheme, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of increasing the rate of Gift Aid from 20 percent to 25 per cent for two years which the charity sector estimates will cost £325 million.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - Leader of HM Official Opposition
In response to these proposals to increase Gift Aid to 25 per cent I refer the Hon Member to the answer that I gave on 4 September to the Hon Member for Lewisham East (UIN 82365).Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of increasing the rate of Gift Aid to 25 percent for two years.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - Leader of HM Official Opposition
In response to these proposals to increase Gift Aid to 25 per cent I refer the Hon Member to the answer that I gave on 4 September to the Hon Member for Lewisham East (UIN 82365).Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the Federation of Wholesale Distributors survey which found that wholesalers have seen between a 40 per cent and 70 per cent reduction in sales volume for 2020 compared with 2019.
Answered by Steve Barclay
The Government has provided unprecedented levels of support for workers and businesses to protect, as much as possible, against the current economic emergency. Food and drink wholesalers are eligible for a number of these support schemes, with the most relevant likely to include:
Food and drink wholesalers have also benefited from the recent Eat Out to Help Out Scheme which provided over 100 million half price meals during August and helped to protect the livelihoods of the 1.8 million people working in the hospitality sector.