Asked by: David Jones (Conservative - Clwyd West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to his Department's consultation on the new alcohol duty system, if he will take steps to ensure that winemakers from hotter climates who produce wines with a high alcohol content do not pay a higher rate of alcohol duty.
Answered by Helen Whately - Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
The Government set out at the Budget its proposal to tax all products, including wine, in line with their ABV content. This will consistently apply the principle that stronger products should pay higher amounts of duty. This means that sparkling wines and still wines below 11.5% ABV will pay less duty than now, while still and fortified wines above this level will pay more duty.
The consultation on the new alcohol duty system closed on 30 January. The Government is considering the feedback received from producers and will respond in due course.
Asked by: David Jones (Conservative - Clwyd West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to recent comments by Miles Beale, chief executive of the Wine and Spirit Trade Association, in the report entitled SME Inquiry Report, by the Wine and Spirit APPG, on the proposed new alcohol duty system, if he will take steps to reduce complexity in the proposed framework.
Answered by Helen Whately - Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
The Government is currently considering all proposals put forward through the alcohol duty review consultation, which closed on 30 January. The Government will respond to the consultation in due course.
Asked by: David Jones (Conservative - Clwyd West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what data his Department holds on the level of imports of bourbon whiskey from the United States to the UK for each year between 2016 to 2021.
Answered by Lucy Frazer
HMRC is responsible for the collection and publication of data on imports and exports of goods to and from the UK. HMRC releases this information monthly in its Overseas Trade in Goods Statistics, which is available here: https://www.uktradeinfo.com/
It is possible to build your own data tables based upon bespoke search criteria here: https://www.uktradeinfo.com/trade-data/ots-custom-table/?id=fe2418fe-ac77-4e16-9cbd-e7fa8a8500a2
Statistics on imports of bourbon whiskey from the US between 2016 and 2021 are set out below.
Calendar Year | Net Mass (kg) | Supplementary Unit (Litres) | Value £ |
2016 | 12,471,221 | 5,301,569 | 81,888,310 |
2017 | 16,173,512 | 6,829,720 | 120,044,006 |
2018 | 7,773,522 | 3,496,934 | 55,492,104 |
2019 | 3,108,182 | 1,440,312 | 14,499,473 |
2020 | 4,749,687 | 2,282,670 | 20,749,231 |
2021 | 3,359,107 | 2,003,139 | 13,864,750 |
The figures for 2021 are provisional and cover January to November 2021. Statistics for December are yet to be published.
Asked by: David Jones (Conservative - Clwyd West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the timetable for completion of the project for the replacement of the Real Time Gross Settlement system.
Answered by John Glen
The Real-Time Gross Settlement (“RTGS”) service is the infrastructure that holds accounts for banks, building societies and other institutions at the Bank of England (“the Bank”). The balances in these accounts can be used to move money in real time between these account holders, delivering final and risk-free settlement. A programme of work (“the Programme”) has been established by the Bank to deliver a renewed RTGS service.
The Programme consists of around 200 Bank employees, who work on a range of activities, including the technical build of the new system, supporting industry readiness and designing the Bank’s target operating model once the service goes live. This figure also includes all programme overheads, such as colleagues forming a Programme Management Office. Given the Programme is a major financial infrastructure programme, industry participants are also involved in preparing their organisations and relevant systems for the renewed RTGS service. No Treasury officials work directly on the Programme, though the Bank updates the Treasury on the status of the Programme as a key stakeholder.
Given the Programme is only part way through its timeline, it would not be meaningful to provide a specific cost figure for the Programme as of 8 December 2021. The costs of the Programme will be fully recovered from participants via the RTGS tariff, which the Bank is currently reviewing to ensure it will be fit for purpose once the renewed service goes live. Industry will be consulted on the Bank’s proposed approach in Spring 2022, and an accompanying consultation document will include indicative total costs for the Programme.
The indicative timeline for the Programme is publicly available on the Bank’s website. For reference, this can be found at the following location:
https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/payment-and-settlement/rtgs-renewal-programme
This indicative timeline is the result of close industry engagement. As would be expected of any major technology programme, the Bank of England continually assess readiness for this timeline and make contingency plans to ensure the stability and resilience of the RTGS service.
Asked by: David Jones (Conservative - Clwyd West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much the project work on the replacement for the Real Time Gross Settlement System has cost as of 8 December 2021.
Answered by John Glen
The Real-Time Gross Settlement (“RTGS”) service is the infrastructure that holds accounts for banks, building societies and other institutions at the Bank of England (“the Bank”). The balances in these accounts can be used to move money in real time between these account holders, delivering final and risk-free settlement. A programme of work (“the Programme”) has been established by the Bank to deliver a renewed RTGS service.
The Programme consists of around 200 Bank employees, who work on a range of activities, including the technical build of the new system, supporting industry readiness and designing the Bank’s target operating model once the service goes live. This figure also includes all programme overheads, such as colleagues forming a Programme Management Office. Given the Programme is a major financial infrastructure programme, industry participants are also involved in preparing their organisations and relevant systems for the renewed RTGS service. No Treasury officials work directly on the Programme, though the Bank updates the Treasury on the status of the Programme as a key stakeholder.
Given the Programme is only part way through its timeline, it would not be meaningful to provide a specific cost figure for the Programme as of 8 December 2021. The costs of the Programme will be fully recovered from participants via the RTGS tariff, which the Bank is currently reviewing to ensure it will be fit for purpose once the renewed service goes live. Industry will be consulted on the Bank’s proposed approach in Spring 2022, and an accompanying consultation document will include indicative total costs for the Programme.
The indicative timeline for the Programme is publicly available on the Bank’s website. For reference, this can be found at the following location:
https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/payment-and-settlement/rtgs-renewal-programme
This indicative timeline is the result of close industry engagement. As would be expected of any major technology programme, the Bank of England continually assess readiness for this timeline and make contingency plans to ensure the stability and resilience of the RTGS service.
Asked by: David Jones (Conservative - Clwyd West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many (a) Treasury officials and (b) other individuals are engaged in work on the replacement for the Real Time Gross Settlement System.
Answered by John Glen
The Real-Time Gross Settlement (“RTGS”) service is the infrastructure that holds accounts for banks, building societies and other institutions at the Bank of England (“the Bank”). The balances in these accounts can be used to move money in real time between these account holders, delivering final and risk-free settlement. A programme of work (“the Programme”) has been established by the Bank to deliver a renewed RTGS service.
The Programme consists of around 200 Bank employees, who work on a range of activities, including the technical build of the new system, supporting industry readiness and designing the Bank’s target operating model once the service goes live. This figure also includes all programme overheads, such as colleagues forming a Programme Management Office. Given the Programme is a major financial infrastructure programme, industry participants are also involved in preparing their organisations and relevant systems for the renewed RTGS service. No Treasury officials work directly on the Programme, though the Bank updates the Treasury on the status of the Programme as a key stakeholder.
Given the Programme is only part way through its timeline, it would not be meaningful to provide a specific cost figure for the Programme as of 8 December 2021. The costs of the Programme will be fully recovered from participants via the RTGS tariff, which the Bank is currently reviewing to ensure it will be fit for purpose once the renewed service goes live. Industry will be consulted on the Bank’s proposed approach in Spring 2022, and an accompanying consultation document will include indicative total costs for the Programme.
The indicative timeline for the Programme is publicly available on the Bank’s website. For reference, this can be found at the following location:
https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/payment-and-settlement/rtgs-renewal-programme
This indicative timeline is the result of close industry engagement. As would be expected of any major technology programme, the Bank of England continually assess readiness for this timeline and make contingency plans to ensure the stability and resilience of the RTGS service.
Asked by: David Jones (Conservative - Clwyd West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he had with the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on securing free access to cash through ATMs.
Answered by John Glen
In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of ministerial discussions are not normally disclosed.
However, the Government recognises that free access to cash remains extremely important to the day-to-day lives of millions of people across the UK, as well as the impact that COVID-19 has had on cash usage.
At the March 2020 Budget, the Chancellor announced that the Government will bring forward legislation to protect access to cash. This will ensure that millions of people can get hold of the cash they need when they need it.
The Government continues to engage with the Payment Systems Regulator, who regulate LINK, the scheme that runs the UK’s largest ATM network, and the financial regulators on access to cash.
Asked by: David Jones (Conservative - Clwyd West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect of the decrease in the number of high street ATMs on (a) small businesses and retailers and (b) consumers.
Answered by John Glen
The Government recognises the continued importance of cash for many retailers and consumers, particularly in light of COVID-19. That is why, at the March 2020 Budget, the Chancellor announced that the Government will bring forward legislation to protect access to cash. The Government will ensure that the approach reflects the needs of cash users across the economy.
With regard to ATMs, as of 2019, there were approximately 45,000 free-to-use ATMs in the UK. Although this is less than the peak number of free ATMs in 2017, this remains 13% higher than a decade ago. Furthermore, most ATMs are clustered together in areas of high demand and high footfall, particularly in retail centres and transport hubs. As of January 2020, 78% of all free-to-use machines were within 300 metres of the next, and 94% were within one kilometre of the next.
LINK, the scheme that runs the UK’s largest ATM network, has put in place specific arrangements to protect remote free-to-use ATMs one kilometre or further from the next nearest free-to-use ATM or Post Office, including all high streets with five or more qualifying retailers. Furthermore, LINK has made £5 million available to fund requests for new ATMs from communities with poor access to cash.
The Payment Systems Regulator, which regulates LINK, is monitoring ATM market developments closely and has used its powers to hold LINK to account over its public commitments.
Asked by: David Jones (Conservative - Clwyd West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the average substantive response time was for letters to his office from hon. Members in the latest period for which figures are available.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - Leader of HM Official Opposition
Information on average response times is not held.
However, in 2019, the Treasury replied to 90% of MPs’ correspondence within 15 working days.
The Treasury has received unprecedented amounts of correspondence since the start of the coronavirus outbreak in the UK. All Member’s correspondence is currently receiving attention and will be responded to as soon as possible.
Asked by: David Jones (Conservative - Clwyd West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the level of financial liabilities that would arise pursuant to the provisions of Article 143 of the draft Withdrawal Agreement with the EU.
Answered by John Glen
Under Article 143 of the draft Withdrawal Agreement, the UK will continue to stand behind a share of the EU’s contingent liabilities related to financial operations up to the date of withdrawal. These contingent liabilities are reported to Parliament in the Consolidated Fund accounts as having a remote probability of crystallising. The UK will also get a share of the associated pre-paid guarantee funds and reflows from the financial operations and, in the event of a contingent liability being triggered, the UK will receive its share of any subsequent amounts recovered by the EU.