Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Wyre)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many alcohol industry representatives Ministers in her Department have met since July 2024.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Treasury ministers have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery.
Details of ministerial meetings with external organisations on departmental business are published on a quarterly basis and are available at the link here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-gifts-and-overseas-travel
Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Wyre)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate she has made of total cost to the Treasury of changes to alcohol duty rates in each year since 2013; and if she will make an estimate of the total cost of such changes in each year to 2030.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Since 2013, cuts and freezes to alcohol duty have cost the Exchequer £15 billion in total, in comparison to if the rates had increased annually in line with RPI as forecasted by the Office of Budget Responsibility (OBR).
All changes to alcohol duty rates are announced at fiscal events and accompanied by Tax Information and Impact Notes containing policy costings, alongside other published documents.
The Autumn Budget 2024 policy costing for alcohol duty includes data until 2029. This can be found here: Alcohol Duty - GOV.UK
Further information regarding policy costings and alcohol duty receipt forecasts can be found using the OBR Economic and Fiscal Outlook: Economic and fiscal outlook – October 2024 - Office for Budget Responsibility
Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Wyre)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make provision for compensation to those affected by sodium valproate in the forthcoming Budget.
Answered by Laura Trott - Shadow Secretary of State for Education
On 7 February, the Patient Safety Commissioner published The Hughes Report, which provides recommendations for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh.
The Government is carefully considering these recommendations and will respond to the report in due course.
Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Wyre)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what subscriptions to (a) magazines, (b) television channels and (c) newspaper his Department pays for.
Answered by Gareth Davies - Shadow Financial Secretary (Treasury)
HMT does not hold the level of detail requested when related to the expenditure on its subscriptions.
Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Wyre)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to his Department’s publication of government procurement card spending over £500, (a) for which individuals and (b) for how many nights accommodation was purchased from (i) Marriott Hotels on (1) 17 April 2022 and (2) 10 October 2022, (ii) Capital Hotel Plc on 7 June 2022, and (iii) Transcorp Hotels Plc on 29 September 2022; and what were the (A) locations of each hotel and (B) purpose of each stay.
Answered by Gareth Davies - Shadow Financial Secretary (Treasury)
The accommodation referenced in the question related to stays for meetings with the IMF and providing technical assistance to the government of Nigeria.
Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Wyre)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to his Department’s publication of Government procurement card HMT spend greater than £500: January 2023, published 31 May 2023, what was the (a) nature and (b) purpose of the training for which Carter Corson Partnership Ltd. was paid (i) £3,132 on 26 October 2022 and (ii) £2,152 on 1 February 2023; and which teams received that training.
Answered by Gareth Davies - Shadow Financial Secretary (Treasury)
The nature and purpose of these training sessions was the internal audit training provided by the Government Internal Audit Agency department.
Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Wyre)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to his Department's publication entitled Government procurement card HMT spend greater than £500: November 2022, published 31 May 2023, for (a) which individuals and (b) how many nights was accommodation purchased at Paris Attitude Apartments on 18 November 2022; and what was the purpose of that stay.
Answered by Gareth Davies - Shadow Financial Secretary (Treasury)
Accommodation was secured for a member of HM Treasury staff on long-term secondment to the OECD in Paris.
Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Wyre)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to his Department’s publication of procurement card spend greater than £500, for (a) which individuals and (b) how many nights was accommodation purchased from Radisson Blu Hotels on (i) 15 May 2022, (ii) 23 June 2022, and (iii) 16 November 2022; and what were the (A) locations of those hotels and (b) the purpose of those stays.
Answered by Gareth Davies - Shadow Financial Secretary (Treasury)
This visit was for attendance at OECD led meetings of the Inclusive Framework Steering Group in Paris.
Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Wyre)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to his Department's publication entitled Government procurement card HMT spend greater than £500: October 2022, published 31 May 2023, for (a) which individuals and (b) how many nights, was accommodation purchased at the Tropical Mansion Suites on 29 October 2022; and what was the purpose of that stay.
Answered by Gareth Davies - Shadow Financial Secretary (Treasury)
Accommodation was purchased for delivering technical assistance to the government of Montserrat, supporting them in preparation for their assessment conducted by the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF).
Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Wyre)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his Department’s publication entitled Government procurement card HMT spend greater than £500: January 2023, published 31 May 2023, for (a) which individuals and (b) how many nights was accommodation purchased at (i) Hotel Taj Samudra on 20 January 2023 and (ii) JW Golf on 23 January 2023; and what was the purpose of those stays.
Answered by Gareth Davies - Shadow Financial Secretary (Treasury)
The purpose of these stays was to attend the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meetings for G20 as well as provide diplomacy and engagement with the Sri Lankan government.