Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will extend the application of business rates relief to food and drink wholesalers.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Government has provided enhanced support to the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors through business rates relief given the direct and acute impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on those sectors. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has published guidance for local authorities on eligible properties.
A range of further measures to support all businesses, including those not eligible for the business rates holiday, such as wholesalers, has also been made available. For example, the Government has launched the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to help firms keep people in employment, and the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans the Government has for the tobacco track and trace system in the UK at the end of the transition period; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - President of the Board of Trade
At the end of the transition period, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) will need to make some changes to the tobacco track and trace system for it to continue to operate. The changes will be kept to the minimum necessary to enable the UK to have full regulatory control.
The government has not made an assessment of the potential effect on levels of counterfeit goods of a suspension of the track and trace system as it remains committed to having a system in place at the end of the transition period.
The government has no plans to make any changes to the end of the sell through period. From 20 May 2020, all cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco manufactured in or imported into the UK must be marked with a unique identifier code and security label. Businesses with any unmarked stock after this date should return it in accordance with the existing procedures they have in place with their suppliers.
Product which fails to comply with the requirements after the sell through period will be liable to forfeiture. Where HMRC is satisfied that a business is not complying with the requirements it may issue a notice for the business to remedy any non-compliance.
To promote and assess compliance across the tobacco supply chain, HMRC has been working with tobacco manufacturers, retailers and relevant trade bodies to make them aware of their requirements and the sell through period. A key indicator of industry compliance is the high volume of businesses registered to use the system. As of the end of April, over 42,000 economic operators and approximately 65,000 premises were registered on the system.
It would not be appropriate for HMRC to publish detailed information about their operational response during the COVID-19 outbreak. However, the public can be assured that HMRC will support legitimate businesses and individuals while taking tough action against serious criminal activity and those evading and avoiding paying tax.
It is right that HMRC does everything possible to protect?individuals,?businesses and the economy during this extremely difficult time.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps the Government will take to enforce the deadline of 20 May 2020 whereby cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco products that are not sold through cannot be sold.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - President of the Board of Trade
At the end of the transition period, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) will need to make some changes to the tobacco track and trace system for it to continue to operate. The changes will be kept to the minimum necessary to enable the UK to have full regulatory control.
The government has not made an assessment of the potential effect on levels of counterfeit goods of a suspension of the track and trace system as it remains committed to having a system in place at the end of the transition period.
The government has no plans to make any changes to the end of the sell through period. From 20 May 2020, all cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco manufactured in or imported into the UK must be marked with a unique identifier code and security label. Businesses with any unmarked stock after this date should return it in accordance with the existing procedures they have in place with their suppliers.
Product which fails to comply with the requirements after the sell through period will be liable to forfeiture. Where HMRC is satisfied that a business is not complying with the requirements it may issue a notice for the business to remedy any non-compliance.
To promote and assess compliance across the tobacco supply chain, HMRC has been working with tobacco manufacturers, retailers and relevant trade bodies to make them aware of their requirements and the sell through period. A key indicator of industry compliance is the high volume of businesses registered to use the system. As of the end of April, over 42,000 economic operators and approximately 65,000 premises were registered on the system.
It would not be appropriate for HMRC to publish detailed information about their operational response during the COVID-19 outbreak. However, the public can be assured that HMRC will support legitimate businesses and individuals while taking tough action against serious criminal activity and those evading and avoiding paying tax.
It is right that HMRC does everything possible to protect?individuals,?businesses and the economy during this extremely difficult time.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans the Government has for the tobacco track and trace system at the end of the sell-through period on 20 May 2020.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - President of the Board of Trade
At the end of the transition period, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) will need to make some changes to the tobacco track and trace system for it to continue to operate. The changes will be kept to the minimum necessary to enable the UK to have full regulatory control.
The government has not made an assessment of the potential effect on levels of counterfeit goods of a suspension of the track and trace system as it remains committed to having a system in place at the end of the transition period.
The government has no plans to make any changes to the end of the sell through period. From 20 May 2020, all cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco manufactured in or imported into the UK must be marked with a unique identifier code and security label. Businesses with any unmarked stock after this date should return it in accordance with the existing procedures they have in place with their suppliers.
Product which fails to comply with the requirements after the sell through period will be liable to forfeiture. Where HMRC is satisfied that a business is not complying with the requirements it may issue a notice for the business to remedy any non-compliance.
To promote and assess compliance across the tobacco supply chain, HMRC has been working with tobacco manufacturers, retailers and relevant trade bodies to make them aware of their requirements and the sell through period. A key indicator of industry compliance is the high volume of businesses registered to use the system. As of the end of April, over 42,000 economic operators and approximately 65,000 premises were registered on the system.
It would not be appropriate for HMRC to publish detailed information about their operational response during the COVID-19 outbreak. However, the public can be assured that HMRC will support legitimate businesses and individuals while taking tough action against serious criminal activity and those evading and avoiding paying tax.
It is right that HMRC does everything possible to protect?individuals,?businesses and the economy during this extremely difficult time.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what will happen to non-compliant tobacco track and trace stock on 20 May 2020; and how compliance with that deadline will be enforced during the covid-19 lockdown.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - President of the Board of Trade
At the end of the transition period, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) will need to make some changes to the tobacco track and trace system for it to continue to operate. The changes will be kept to the minimum necessary to enable the UK to have full regulatory control.
The government has not made an assessment of the potential effect on levels of counterfeit goods of a suspension of the track and trace system as it remains committed to having a system in place at the end of the transition period.
The government has no plans to make any changes to the end of the sell through period. From 20 May 2020, all cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco manufactured in or imported into the UK must be marked with a unique identifier code and security label. Businesses with any unmarked stock after this date should return it in accordance with the existing procedures they have in place with their suppliers.
Product which fails to comply with the requirements after the sell through period will be liable to forfeiture. Where HMRC is satisfied that a business is not complying with the requirements it may issue a notice for the business to remedy any non-compliance.
To promote and assess compliance across the tobacco supply chain, HMRC has been working with tobacco manufacturers, retailers and relevant trade bodies to make them aware of their requirements and the sell through period. A key indicator of industry compliance is the high volume of businesses registered to use the system. As of the end of April, over 42,000 economic operators and approximately 65,000 premises were registered on the system.
It would not be appropriate for HMRC to publish detailed information about their operational response during the COVID-19 outbreak. However, the public can be assured that HMRC will support legitimate businesses and individuals while taking tough action against serious criminal activity and those evading and avoiding paying tax.
It is right that HMRC does everything possible to protect?individuals,?businesses and the economy during this extremely difficult time.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of tobacco (a) manufacturers', (b) wholesalers' and (c) retailers' level of compliance with the tobacco track and trace 20 May 2020 sell through period deadline.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - President of the Board of Trade
At the end of the transition period, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) will need to make some changes to the tobacco track and trace system for it to continue to operate. The changes will be kept to the minimum necessary to enable the UK to have full regulatory control.
The government has not made an assessment of the potential effect on levels of counterfeit goods of a suspension of the track and trace system as it remains committed to having a system in place at the end of the transition period.
The government has no plans to make any changes to the end of the sell through period. From 20 May 2020, all cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco manufactured in or imported into the UK must be marked with a unique identifier code and security label. Businesses with any unmarked stock after this date should return it in accordance with the existing procedures they have in place with their suppliers.
Product which fails to comply with the requirements after the sell through period will be liable to forfeiture. Where HMRC is satisfied that a business is not complying with the requirements it may issue a notice for the business to remedy any non-compliance.
To promote and assess compliance across the tobacco supply chain, HMRC has been working with tobacco manufacturers, retailers and relevant trade bodies to make them aware of their requirements and the sell through period. A key indicator of industry compliance is the high volume of businesses registered to use the system. As of the end of April, over 42,000 economic operators and approximately 65,000 premises were registered on the system.
It would not be appropriate for HMRC to publish detailed information about their operational response during the COVID-19 outbreak. However, the public can be assured that HMRC will support legitimate businesses and individuals while taking tough action against serious criminal activity and those evading and avoiding paying tax.
It is right that HMRC does everything possible to protect?individuals,?businesses and the economy during this extremely difficult time.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Government has made an assessment of the potential effect on levels of counterfeit goods of a suspension of the tobacco track and trace system at the end of the transition period.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - President of the Board of Trade
At the end of the transition period, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) will need to make some changes to the tobacco track and trace system for it to continue to operate. The changes will be kept to the minimum necessary to enable the UK to have full regulatory control.
The government has not made an assessment of the potential effect on levels of counterfeit goods of a suspension of the track and trace system as it remains committed to having a system in place at the end of the transition period.
The government has no plans to make any changes to the end of the sell through period. From 20 May 2020, all cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco manufactured in or imported into the UK must be marked with a unique identifier code and security label. Businesses with any unmarked stock after this date should return it in accordance with the existing procedures they have in place with their suppliers.
Product which fails to comply with the requirements after the sell through period will be liable to forfeiture. Where HMRC is satisfied that a business is not complying with the requirements it may issue a notice for the business to remedy any non-compliance.
To promote and assess compliance across the tobacco supply chain, HMRC has been working with tobacco manufacturers, retailers and relevant trade bodies to make them aware of their requirements and the sell through period. A key indicator of industry compliance is the high volume of businesses registered to use the system. As of the end of April, over 42,000 economic operators and approximately 65,000 premises were registered on the system.
It would not be appropriate for HMRC to publish detailed information about their operational response during the COVID-19 outbreak. However, the public can be assured that HMRC will support legitimate businesses and individuals while taking tough action against serious criminal activity and those evading and avoiding paying tax.
It is right that HMRC does everything possible to protect?individuals,?businesses and the economy during this extremely difficult time.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether e-cigarettes which gain authorisation as licensed medicines from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency will be taxed at the reduced rate of VAT when sold over the counter.
Answered by Mel Stride - Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
Where the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has approved medicinal E-cigarettes as pharmaceutical smoking cessation products, they could be subject to the 5% VAT if sold over the counter or zero-rated when dispensed on prescription.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when the Government plans to ratify the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products.
Answered by Andrew Jones
A Command Paper setting out the UK’s plans to ratify the World Health Organisation Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products will be laid before Parliament once legislation to implement the Protocol has been approved by Parliament.
While the UK already has many of the Protocol’s requirements in place, the requirement to license tobacco manufacturing machinery has not yet been implemented. Legislation to accomplish this is currently before Parliament in the Finance Bill.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when the Government plans to bring forward legislative proposals to implement the requirement in the Illicit Trade Protocol to license tobacco manufacturing machinery.
Answered by Andrew Jones
A Command Paper setting out the UK’s plans to ratify the World Health Organisation Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products will be laid before Parliament once legislation to implement the Protocol has been approved by Parliament.
While the UK already has many of the Protocol’s requirements in place, the requirement to license tobacco manufacturing machinery has not yet been implemented. Legislation to accomplish this is currently before Parliament in the Finance Bill.