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Written Question
Offshore Industry: Taxation
Tuesday 5th December 2023

Asked by: David Duguid (Conservative - Banff and Buchan)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of windfall taxes on the level of investment in offshore energy production.

Answered by Gareth Davies - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Energy Profits Levy (EPL) was introduced on 26 May 2022 to respond to exceptionally high prices that meant oil and gas companies were benefiting from unexpectedly high profits. While the EPL is in place, companies can claim around 91p in tax relief for every £1 they invest in the UK. This relief increases to £1.09 for every £1 for money invested towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the production of oil and gas. At Autumn Statement 2023, the Government confirmed the technical details of the EPL’s price floor, the Energy Security Investment Mechanism (ESIM), which was introduced in June 2023 to give the sector the certainty to invest. The Government are committed to ending the EPL by March 2028 at the latest, or earlier if oil and gas prices return to historically normal levels due to the ESIM.

The Electricity Generator Levy (EGL) is a time-limited tax on the extraordinary returns of electricity generators. The levy is not payable on renewable generation produced under Contracts for Difference, which will account for most new large renewable generation coming online in future years. To further support new renewables investment, at Autumn Statement 2023 the Chancellor announced an exemption from the EGL for new generation projects.


Written Question
Fuels: Costs
Wednesday 15th June 2022

Asked by: David Duguid (Conservative - Banff and Buchan)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will bring forward further fiscal measures to help tackle recent increases in fuel costs.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

At Spring Statement 2022 in response to fuel prices reaching record levels, the government announced a temporary 12-month cut to duty on petrol and diesel of 5p per litre.

This is the largest cash-terms cut across all fuel duty rates at once, ever, and is only the second time in 20 years that main rates of petrol and diesel have been cut. This cut represents savings for households and businesses worth around £2.4 billion in 2022-23.

All taxes, including fuel duty, remain under review.


Written Question
VAT
Friday 14th January 2022

Asked by: David Duguid (Conservative - Banff and Buchan)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of increasing the £150,000 threshold to the VAT Flat Rate Scheme in the context of increased costs faced by businesses during the recovery from the covid-19 pandemic.

Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport

The VAT Flat Rate Scheme was introduced in 2002 as an administrative simplification scheme for small businesses. All taxes are kept under review, but there are no current plans to change the entry threshold for the Flat Rate Scheme.

The Government has made a comprehensive package of support available, worth billions, to a wide range of businesses that have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes extensions to the reduced rate of VAT for tourism and hospitality, the furlough scheme, extensions to the COVID-19 loan schemes, grant support, a business rates holiday for all retail, hospitality, and leisure business properties, mortgage holidays, enhanced Time to Pay for taxes, and VAT deferrals.


Written Question
Whisky: Excise Duties
Friday 29th October 2021

Asked by: David Duguid (Conservative - Banff and Buchan)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to freeze or lower excise duties on whisky.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

As announced at Autumn Budget 2021, the duty rates on beer, cider, wine and spirits will be frozen for another year, saving consumers £3 billion over the next five years and supporting the hospitality industry and its suppliers as they recover from the pandemic. Due to the continued freeze on alcohol duty, Scotch whisky is also facing the lowest real-terms tax rate since 1918.


Written Question
Beer: Scotland
Thursday 28th October 2021

Asked by: David Duguid (Conservative - Banff and Buchan)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to support small independent breweries in Scotland.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Treasury has acted through its unprecedented coronavirus response to support small breweries, including through furlough, grants and allowing breweries to remain open throughout the Covid-19 lockdown.

The Treasury committed to reform Small Brewers Relief (SBR) to ensure it continued to support growth. Our review is ongoing, and we will publish our response to our technical consultation in due course.

As announced at Autumn Budget 2021, the duty rates on alcohol will be frozen for another year, saving consumers £3 billion over the coming years. This will save beer drinkers £900m and consumers 3p off a pint of beer. Since ending the beer duty escalator in 2013, compared to previous planned rises, consumers have saved 21p off a pint of beer.


Written Question
Freeports: Scotland
Monday 25th October 2021

Asked by: David Duguid (Conservative - Banff and Buchan)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he plans to accept bids for a freeport in the northeast of Scotland.

Answered by Simon Clarke

Freeports will be national hubs for trade, innovation and commerce, regenerating communities across the UK attracting new businesses, spreading jobs, investment and opportunity to towns and cities up and down the country.

We remain committed to establishing at least one Freeport in Scotland and specific locations will be chosen in a fair, open and transparent allocation process.


Written Question
Employment: Taxation
Monday 17th February 2020

Asked by: David Duguid (Conservative - Banff and Buchan)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of proposed changes to IR35 rules from April 2020 on trends in the level of employment in the oil and gas sector in Scotland.

Answered by Jesse Norman

The off-payroll working rules (commonly known as IR35) are designed to ensure that an individual who works like an employee, but through their own limited company, pays broadly the same Income Tax and National Insurance contributions as other employees. The rules do not apply to the self-employed or stop anyone working through their own company.

The Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) published in July 2019 sets out HMRC’s assessment that the reform to the off-payroll working rules is expected to affect 170,000 individuals; this is a UK-wide figure. The TIIN can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rules-for-off-payroll-working-from-april-2020/rules-for-off-payroll-working-from-april-2020.


Written Question
Equitable Life Assurance Society
Wednesday 15th January 2020

Asked by: David Duguid (Conservative - Banff and Buchan)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to provide financial relief to Equitable Life policyholders.

Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

In 2010 the government allocated up to £1.5 billon, tax free, for payment to affected policyholders. More detail on the history of the action taken on this issue can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/equitable-life-payment-scheme-final-report.


Written Question
Apprentices: Scotland
Thursday 21st March 2019

Asked by: David Duguid (Conservative - Banff and Buchan)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when his Department next plans to meet with representatives of (a) the Scottish Government and (b) Scottish business to discuss the allocation of funds raised by the apprenticeship levy.

Answered by Elizabeth Truss

The Treasury meets with the Scottish Government regularly to discuss matters of mutual interest.

The Scottish Government will receive £239 million in 2019-20, which represents a population share of the Apprenticeship Levy forecast. Skills is devolved in Scotland and it is for the Scottish Government to determine how to use this funding.


Written Question
Financial Conduct Authority
Monday 11th March 2019

Asked by: David Duguid (Conservative - Banff and Buchan)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his Department's policy is on the statutory immunity of the Financial Conduct Authority in cases where it is found to have acted negligently.

Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (FSMA) provides the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) with immunity from liability in damages, including damages arising as a result of negligence. It is important, however, to bear in mind that this statutory immunity does not confer immunity from (i) claims that property rights protected by Article 1 Protocol 1 of the Human Rights Act 1998 have been unlawfully interfered with, or (ii) claims for judicial review of the FCA's actions.

The statutory immunity of the FCA is important in enabling it to take a robust approach to regulation. This immunity allows the FCA to focus its resources on pursuing its objectives without the distraction of claims that may frustrate these efforts, or the risk that firms can delay supervisory interventions through vexatious litigation.

The FCA’s statutory immunity is held to account by an Independent Complaints Commissioner who can consider complaints about the way the FCA has carried out, or failed to carry out, its role. The Commissioner has powers to recommend the payment of compensation and to require the FCA to publish its response to the recommendation, for example where it decides not to pay compensation.