Asked by: Bridget Phillipson (Labour - Houghton and Sunderland South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, on what date his Department's policy on staff working from home was last substantially updated.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
HM Treasury’s policy on flexible working, which includes details about staff working from home, was last updated in February 2019.
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, in alignment the appropriate Government guidance on workplace safety and availability, as an interim measure, the department suspended the requirement for formal arrangements to be in place in order to allow staff to work from home. Since March 2020, Treasury offices have remained open for all officials to access to meet business and wellbeing needs. The Treasury will continue to be guided by the Government’s Roadmap.
Asked by: Bridget Phillipson (Labour - Houghton and Sunderland South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 25 November 2021 to Question 79347, on Treasury: Staff, what recent assessment he has made of the quality of information provided to Parliament by Ministers in his Department.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Treasury Ministers and civil servants take their responsibilities to Parliament seriously and providing accurate information to Parliament is accordingly a high priority.
The Answer to Question 79347 referenced the Answer to Question 73813, which contained an inadvertent error that was corrected as soon as we became aware.
Asked by: Bridget Phillipson (Labour - Houghton and Sunderland South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, on what date HMRC's policy on staff working from home was last substantially updated.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
HMRC has, like all Government departments, been managing through a complex time to support colleagues to continue to deliver vital services and work in line with Government guidance related to the pandemic.
The policies which apply outside of the circumstances related to the pandemic were last updated substantially as follows:
Balancing Home and Office Working – June 2021
Contractual Home Working – July 2021
The temporary policy to support colleagues to follow Government guidance in response to the pandemic was last substantially updated in August 2021 to take account of changes to the guidance and support colleagues with a gradual and phased return to offices. The policy was last reviewed by the HMRC Executive Committee on 22 November 2021, but no immediate updates to the policy have been made.
Asked by: Bridget Phillipson (Labour - Houghton and Sunderland South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the level of staffing of the Valuation Office Agency.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
At Spending Review 2021, the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) reviewed its demand forecast and the Government invested over £500 million in the VOA. To meet the challenges of the current Business Rates revaluation alongside other priorities, the VOA is continuing to strengthen its workforce, including undertaking additional external recruitment, and growing its own pipeline of surveyors to meet demand over the longer-term. HM Treasury works closely with HMRC and the VOA to ensure the agency is sufficiently funded to meet its resourcing needs.
Asked by: Bridget Phillipson (Labour - Houghton and Sunderland South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many staff by (a) full time equivalent and (b) headcount work in each directorate in HMRC.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
A copy of HMRC’s breakdown of headcount and Full Time Equivalent (FTE) by Directorate as at 30 November 2021 is provided in the attached document.
Asked by: Bridget Phillipson (Labour - Houghton and Sunderland South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing, and Communities on the fitness for purpose of the Bellwin scheme in respect of claims from local authorities for costs arising from winter flooding.
Answered by Simon Clarke
HM Treasury ministers are in regular contact with ministers in the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on a wide range of issues, including those relating to local authority funding.
Asked by: Bridget Phillipson (Labour - Houghton and Sunderland South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will place in the Library a copy of the advice given to staff working at the Darlington Economic Campus on convenient public transport connections from the Campus.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
HM Treasury staff working at the Darlington Economic Campus are currently sharing space on one floor of Bishopsgate House, as an interim office with the Department for International Trade, the Department for Levelling-Up, Housing and Communities, and the Office for National Statistics.
There are 4 carparking spaces available at Bishopsgate House for Darlington Economic Campus staff. HM Treasury does have access to the parking provision, but no reserved spaces. There are spaces available in public carparks that are a short walk from Bishopsgate House.
All HMT Treasury staff, including those in the Darlington Economic Campus, are strongly encouraged to use public transport for official journeys, and we talk about this as part of the corporate induction for new starters. The Darlington Economic Campus is conveniently located in walking distance of local amenities within the town, bus stops and the train station.
Asked by: Bridget Phillipson (Labour - Houghton and Sunderland South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many car parking spaces were available for (a) all staff and (b) his Department's staff at the Darlington Economic Campus in the week commencing 22 November 2021.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
HM Treasury staff working at the Darlington Economic Campus are currently sharing space on one floor of Bishopsgate House, as an interim office with the Department for International Trade, the Department for Levelling-Up, Housing and Communities, and the Office for National Statistics.
There are 4 carparking spaces available at Bishopsgate House for Darlington Economic Campus staff. HM Treasury does have access to the parking provision, but no reserved spaces. There are spaces available in public carparks that are a short walk from Bishopsgate House.
All HMT Treasury staff, including those in the Darlington Economic Campus, are strongly encouraged to use public transport for official journeys, and we talk about this as part of the corporate induction for new starters. The Darlington Economic Campus is conveniently located in walking distance of local amenities within the town, bus stops and the train station.
Asked by: Bridget Phillipson (Labour - Houghton and Sunderland South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many cubic metres of space were being heated each day, on average, in the week commencing 22 November 2021 at the Darlington Economic campus.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
HM Treasury staff working at the Darlington Economic Campus are currently sharing space on one floor of Bishopsgate House, as an interim office with the Department for International Trade, the Department for Levelling-Up, Housing and Communities, and the Office for National Statistics.
There are 4 carparking spaces available at Bishopsgate House for Darlington Economic Campus staff. HM Treasury does have access to the parking provision, but no reserved spaces. There are spaces available in public carparks that are a short walk from Bishopsgate House.
All HMT Treasury staff, including those in the Darlington Economic Campus, are strongly encouraged to use public transport for official journeys, and we talk about this as part of the corporate induction for new starters. The Darlington Economic Campus is conveniently located in walking distance of local amenities within the town, bus stops and the train station.
Asked by: Bridget Phillipson (Labour - Houghton and Sunderland South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many days and on what dates in the last month he has been working from the Darlington Economic Campus.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
All HM Treasury offices are open and available for use. HM Treasury Ministers are working from the Darlington office on a regular basis, including the Chancellor.