Asked by: Drew Hendry (Scottish National Party - Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has had recent discussions with the Competition and Market Authority on the use of exclusive jurisdiction clauses by insurance companies.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Insurers make commercial decisions about the terms on which they will offer cover following an assessment of the relevant risks. The Government does not intend to intervene in these commercial decisions by insurers as this could damage competition in the market.
However, insurers must treat customers fairly and are required to do so under the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) rules. The FCA is an independent body responsible for regulating and supervising the financial services industry, including insurance firms. The FCA, as the independent regulator, also has a statutory objective to promote effective competition in the interests of consumers. The FCA work towards that objective, as far as the work is compatible with advancing their other objectives.
Asked by: Drew Hendry (Scottish National Party - Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many Grade (a) 6, (b) 7 and (c) SCS staff in his Department are contractually based in (i) Scotland (ii) London and (iii) the Southeast of England.
Answered by Gareth Davies - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
HM Treasury currently have the following number of staff at Grade 6, Grade 7 and SCS who are contractually based in:
Scotland – this number cannot be disclosed, as it is
London - 989
Norwich (Southeast of England) - 9
Asked by: Drew Hendry (Scottish National Party - Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of civil servants on temporary contracts in his Department are women.
Answered by Gareth Davies - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The department recognises temporary contracts as Fixed Term Appointments. The current proportion of civil servants in Treasury, who are women, on Fixed Term Appointments is 50.9%, as of 17 October 2023.
The latest published information is available here and info for financial year 2022-2023, will be published in the next set of report and accounts.
Asked by: Drew Hendry (Scottish National Party - Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of civil servants in his Department on full-time equivalent contracts at senior civil servant pay band 2 are women.
Answered by Gareth Davies - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
50.2% of SCS2 FTE are female as of 17 October 2023.
The latest published information is available here and info for financial year 2022-2023, will be published in the next set of report and accounts.
Asked by: Drew Hendry (Scottish National Party - Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will take steps to make War Widows Recognition Payments tax exempt.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
The Government will confirm the tax treatment of War Widow(er)s’ recognition payments ahead of them being made later this year.
Asked by: Drew Hendry (Scottish National Party - Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 25 October 2021 to Question 62867 on Tax Avoidance: Prosecutions, if he will provide details of the people who were prosecuted for offences relating to the Loan Charge.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Promotion or operation of mass marketed tax avoidance schemes is not in, or of itself, a criminal offence. However, there are a range of offences which might be committed by those who promote tax avoidance schemes or advise on their use.
On that basis, to date, while there have been no prosecutions of individuals related to schemes subject to the Loan Charge, a number of individuals are currently under criminal investigation by HMRC for offences linked to schemes subject to the Loan Charge.
In addition to schemes subject to the Loan Charge, since 1 April 2016, more than 20 individuals have been convicted for offences relating to arrangements which have been promoted and marketed as tax avoidance. These have resulted in over 100 years of custodial sentences, the majority of which relate to promoters.
Prosecutions are only one type of intervention available to HMRC where they identify concerns.
Asked by: Drew Hendry (Scottish National Party - Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of reforming the trust fund system to help ensure they cannot be used by people to evade sanctions associated with the invasion of Ukraine.
Answered by Gareth Davies - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The UK has imposed the most severe package of financial sanctions in history in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and working with partners, we are isolating Russia from the global economy.
In December 2022, the Government introduced new sanctions which specifically prohibit UK persons from providing trust services to or for the benefit of designated individuals or persons connected with Russia.
In addition, last year the government introduced the Register of Overseas Entities through the Economic Crime, Transparency and Enforcement Act. The register collects information on the beneficial owners of trusts who own UK property. This information, alongside that in HMRC’s register of UK trusts is made available to UK law enforcement agencies. This gives law enforcement the tools it needs to identify and prevent criminals who may wish to use trusts operating in the UK to launder money.
The Government will continue to keep our response under review to ensure that as illicit finance threats evolve, our ability to respond effectively does too.
Asked by: Drew Hendry (Scottish National Party - Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 16 January 2023 to Question 120082 on Housing: Disability and with reference to VAT Notice 701/7 section 9.2, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential effect of that Guidance notice on disabled people accessing VAT relief for self-installed home disability adaptions.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
HM Treasury and HM Revenue & Customs consider equalities impacts as part of the tax policy making process, including the impacts that policy has on people with disabilities.
Although there are no plans to change the scope of the VAT relief for items designed solely for use by a disabled person, all taxes and relevant guidance are kept under review.
Asked by: Drew Hendry (Scottish National Party - Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has had recent discussions with HMRC on the potential merits of extending the deadline for retrospective payment of National Insurance contributions necessary to access the full entitlement of state pension benefits.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
On 7 March 2023, the Government issued a Written Ministerial Statement (WMS) announcing that the Voluntary Class 2 and 3 National Insurance contributions (NICs) deadline will be extended from 5 April 2023 to 31 July 2023 for this year only. This will provide individuals more time to fill gaps in their National Insurance record, which could help them increase the amount they receive in State Pension.
A link to the WMS can be found at https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2023-03-07/hcws608.
Asked by: Drew Hendry (Scottish National Party - Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of establishing a judge-led inquiry on the Financial Conduct Authority's handling of Blackmore Bonds plc.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government considers it is important that there are appropriate mechanisms in place to ensure the financial services regulators are accountable for all aspects of their performance.
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is responsible for ensuring consumer protection for a broad range of financial services products and HM Treasury works closely with the FCA to maintain a strong and safe financial system. However, the FCA does not have power to investigate a firm that is unauthorised and not carrying out any regulated activities.
Blackmore Bond Plc was not authorised by the FCA and the sale of the ‘mini-bond’ product it offered was not an activity regulated by the FCA. The Government therefore has no plans to establish a judge-led inquiry into the FCA’s handling of the collapse of Blackmore Bond plc.