Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate her Department has made of the potential revenue loss from large society lotteries who should be paying lottery duty due to not meeting social responsibility requirements but have not.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Exemptions are permitted from Lottery Duty including for lotteries run as Large Society Lotteries under the terms of the Gambling Act 2005.
Regulatory responsibility for those lotteries lies with the Gambling Commission. Society lotteries require a licence to operate from the Gambling Commission and are tightly regulated.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of freezing fuel duty on inflation since 2010.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Fuel duty applies to petrol, diesel and other fuels for road and non-road uses, such as construction. The Government carefully considers the impacts of fuel duty rates on the fiscal position and the economy, including on inflation, with decisions on rates made at fiscal events.
The Office for Budget Responsibility provide an assessment of the impact of government policies on inflation in their economic and fiscal outlook after each fiscal event.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of maintaining the level of fuel duty on inflation in the next three financial years.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Fuel duty applies to petrol, diesel and other fuels for road and non-road uses, such as construction. The Government carefully considers the impacts of fuel duty rates on the fiscal position and the economy, including on inflation, with decisions on rates made at fiscal events.
The Office for Budget Responsibility provide an assessment of the impact of government policies on inflation in their economic and fiscal outlook after each fiscal event.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, on what evidential basis HMRC concluded that abolition of the Furnished Holiday Lettings tax regime will not have significant macroeconomic impacts; and if she will publish that evidence.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The abolition of the Furnished Holiday Lettings tax rules will not have any macroeconomic impact due to the small proportion of the landlord population affected.
There may be a limited behavioural change over the long term.
Impacts are assessed as part of the Budget process.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what fiscal steps she is taking to support the film and TV industry.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The creative industries play a key role in driving economic growth. The Government is committed to supporting the creative industries as a key part of its plan to fix the foundations of the economy.
As part of this, film and TV companies benefit from extra tax relief through the Audio-Visual Expenditure Credit, which provides generous support for production costs. A total of £1.6 billion was paid out to film and TV companies in financial year 2022-23.
In addition, on 9 October the Government announced that it will finish legislating a new Independent Film Tax Credit. This policy will go further to support independent films and develop a pipeline of UK film talent.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of tax credits for the film and television industry on (a) the number of productions taking place in the UK, (b) foreign direct investment in the UK and (c) employment in the film and television industry; and if she will estimate the cost of those credits.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
An evaluation of the creative industry tax reliefs covering Film Tax Relief, High-end Television Tax Relief, Animation Tax Relief and Children’s Television Tax Relief was published in 2022: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/creative-industry-tax-reliefs-evaluation
The government keeps the tax system under review. HMRC decides which reliefs to evaluate against several criteria, including the annual cost associated with a relief and whether the relief’s design has recently changed substantially. All tax reliefs are subject to regular assessment against the evaluation criteria.
The cost of the film and high-end television tax reliefs is published in HMRC’s Creative Industries Statistics: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/creative-industries-statistics-august-2024/
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of access to (a) cash and (b) banking services in (a) Gosport constituency and (b) England; and what steps he is taking to ensure adequate access to (i) cash and (ii) banking services in those areas in the next five years.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade
The Government believes that all customers, wherever they live, should have appropriate access to banking services. Nonetheless, decisions on opening and closing branches are a commercial issue for banks and building societies. The Government does not intervene in these decisions or make direct assessments of these branch networks.
Guidance from the Financial Conduct Authority sets out its expectation of firms when they are deciding to reduce their physical branches or the number of free-to-use ATMs. Firms are expected to carefully consider the impact of planned branch closures on the everyday banking and cash access needs of their customers and consider possible alternative access arrangements. This ensures that the implementation of closure decisions is undertaken in a way that treats customers fairly.
Alternative options for access to banking can be via telephone banking, through digital means such as mobile or online banking, and the Post Office. The Post Office Banking Framework allows 99% of personal banking and 95% of business banking customers to deposit cheques, check their balance and withdraw and deposit cash at 11,500 Post Office branches in the UK.
New shared banking hubs are also being introduced, providing basic banking services and dedicated space where community bankers from major banks can meet customers of that bank. Following successful pilots Cash Access UK Ltd is rolling out shared banking hubs and other new shared facilities in communities across the UK. To date, industry has committed to deliver Banking Hubs in 80 locations. Further information on Banking Hubs is available at: https://www.cashaccess.co.uk/
Regarding access to cash, LINK (the scheme that runs the UK's largest ATM network) has commitments to protect the broad geographic spread of free-to-use ATMs and is held to account against these commitments by the Payment Systems Regulator. LINK has committed to protect free-to-use ATMs more than one kilometre away from the next nearest free ATM or Post Office, and free access to cash on high streets that do not have a free-to-use ATM or a Post Office counter within one kilometre. Furthermore, LINK operates a scheme to enable communities with poor access to cash to request an ATM.
LINK publishes the total number of free-to-use and pay-to-use ATMs across the UK on a regular basis. LINK’s Monthly ATM Footprint Report also publishes information on the break down by constituency. Further information is available on LINK’s website: https://www.link.co.uk/
The Financial Services and Markets Act 2023 provides the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) with responsibility and powers to seek to ensure reasonable provision of cash access services. The FCA is currently developing its approach and will consult in due course.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the impact of high street bank branch closures on people in Gosport constituency.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade
The Government believes that all customers, wherever they live, should have appropriate access to banking services. Nonetheless, decisions on opening and closing branches are a commercial issue for banks and building societies. The Government does not intervene in these decisions or make direct assessments of these branch networks.
Guidance from the Financial Conduct Authority sets out its expectation of firms when they are deciding to reduce their physical branches or the number of free-to-use ATMs. Firms are expected to carefully consider the impact of planned branch closures on the everyday banking and cash access needs of their customers and consider possible alternative access arrangements. This ensures that the implementation of closure decisions is undertaken in a way that treats customers fairly.
Alternative options for access to banking can be via telephone banking, through digital means such as mobile or online banking, and the Post Office. The Post Office Banking Framework allows 99% of personal banking and 95% of business banking customers to deposit cheques, check their balance and withdraw and deposit cash at 11,500 Post Office branches in the UK.
New shared banking hubs are also being introduced, providing basic banking services and dedicated space where community bankers from major banks can meet customers of that bank. Following successful pilots Cash Access UK Ltd is rolling out shared banking hubs and other new shared facilities in communities across the UK. To date, industry has committed to deliver Banking Hubs in 80 locations. Further information on Banking Hubs is available at: https://www.cashaccess.co.uk/
Regarding access to cash, LINK (the scheme that runs the UK's largest ATM network) has commitments to protect the broad geographic spread of free-to-use ATMs and is held to account against these commitments by the Payment Systems Regulator. LINK has committed to protect free-to-use ATMs more than one kilometre away from the next nearest free ATM or Post Office, and free access to cash on high streets that do not have a free-to-use ATM or a Post Office counter within one kilometre. Furthermore, LINK operates a scheme to enable communities with poor access to cash to request an ATM.
LINK publishes the total number of free-to-use and pay-to-use ATMs across the UK on a regular basis. LINK’s Monthly ATM Footprint Report also publishes information on the break down by constituency. Further information is available on LINK’s website: https://www.link.co.uk/
The Financial Services and Markets Act 2023 provides the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) with responsibility and powers to seek to ensure reasonable provision of cash access services. The FCA is currently developing its approach and will consult in due course.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of potential impact of the high-end television tax relief on (a) levels of drama and comedy production, (b) the UK's creative economy and (c) jobs and talent development.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Government recognises the value of the UK’s world leading creative industries and the creative industries tax reliefs help ensure that these sectors remain world-class, projecting our values and influence around the world.
The objective of high-end TV tax relief is to support and incentivise the production of culturally British content. In the year ending March 2022, £397 million of high-end TV tax relief was paid in response to 370 claims, representing 355 programmes.
In November 2022, an evaluation of the film and TV tax reliefs was published. The evaluation can be accessed here: Creative Industry Tax Reliefs Evaluation - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of the cost of living crisis on the financial well-being of people with Parkinson’s.
Answered by John Glen - Shadow Paymaster General
The Government recognises that the rising cost of living has presented additional financial challenges to many people, and especially to the most vulnerable members of society, such as disabled people and people with long-term health conditions. That is why the Government is taking decisive action to support households while ensuring we act in a fiscally responsible way.
If individuals have extra-costs arising from their Parkinson’s disease, then they may qualify for disability benefits such as Personal Independence Payment (PIP). At Autumn Statement 2022, the Government announced that it will provide a further Disability Cost of Living Payment of £150 in 2023/24 to people in receipt of extra-costs disability benefits such as PIP or Disability Living Allowance (DLA). This is additional to the £150 payment for recipients of disability benefits in 2022 already announced as part of the Cost of Living package in May.
These payments can be received in addition to the other Cost of Living Payments for households on means-tested benefits, namely the £650 payment announced in May and the additional £900 payment announced at Autumn Statement. Individuals who have limited or no ability to work because of their disability or long-term health condition, and are in receipt of means-tested benefits such as income-related Employment and Support Allowance or the Universal Credit Health top up, are eligible for this support.
Those living with a long-term health condition, such as Parkinson’s disease, can also benefit from other forms of non-means-tested support which the Government is providing to assist with UK households’ energy bills. We have taken decisive action to support millions of households with rising energy costs through the Energy Price Guarantee, which limits the price suppliers can charge customers for units of gas and electricity. In addition to the Energy Price Guarantee, millions of the most vulnerable households will receive further support this year through the £400 Energy Bills Support Scheme. The £150 Council Tax rebate will also mean that all households in Council Tax bands A-D will receive a rebate, and 99% of eligible households have already received this.