Asked by: Feryal Clark (Labour - Enfield North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people receive tax free childcare in (a) Enfield North Constituency, (b) the London Borough of Enfield, and (c) London.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Statistics relating to Tax-Free Childcare account use are published quarterly in “Tax-Free Childcare Statistics” on the gov.uk website. The latest publication, containing information up to September 2023 is here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/tax-free-childcare-quarterly-statistics
Number of Families and Children with Used Tax-Free Childcare accounts by local authority are published as tables 9 and 10. Number of Families and Children with Used Tax-Free Childcare accounts by Westminster parliamentary constituency are published as tables 11 and 12.
Asked by: Feryal Clark (Labour - Enfield North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the number of closures of (a) bank branches and (b) free-to-use ATMs in (i) Enfield North constituency, (ii) the London Borough of Enfield and (iii) London in each of the last three years.
Answered by Bim Afolami - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
While the government does not make direct assessments of branch or ATM networks, it believes that all customers, wherever they live, should have appropriate access to banking and cash services. According to LINK there are 76 LINK cash access points, including 55 free-to-use ATMs, in Enfield North constituency.
The government legislated through the Financial Services and Markets Act 2023 to establish a new legislative framework to protect access to cash. This establishes the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) as the lead regulator for access to cash and provides it with responsibility and powers to seek to ensure reasonable provision of cash withdrawal and deposit facilities across the UK, including free withdrawal and deposit facilities in relation to personal current accounts.
Decisions on opening and closing branches and ATMs are a commercial issue, and the government does not intervene in these. However, under FCA guidance, 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 seeks to ensure 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.
Asked by: Feryal Clark (Labour - Enfield North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the impact of increases in mortgage interest rates on homeowners in (a) Enfield North constituency, (b) the London Borough of Enfield and (c) London.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The pricing and availability of mortgages is a commercial decision for lenders in which the Government does not intervene. However, we recognise this is a concerning time for mortgage borrowers.
The Prime Minister has been clear, the best and most important way that we can keep costs and interest rates down for people is to halve inflation, and then return it to the 2% target.
On Friday 23 June the Chancellor met with mortgage lenders, UK Finance and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to discuss how lenders will provide support for those who encounter problems keeping up with their mortgage payments. At this meeting, lenders agreed to a new Mortgage Charter to support borrowers struggling with their mortgage payments that was published on 26 June. The Charter sets out the standards signatory lenders will adopt when helping their customers, including new flexibilities to help customers manage their mortgage payments over a short period.
The Charter is in addition to the significant safeguards already in place for consumers in the mortgage market. Financial Conduct Authority rules require lenders to engage individually with their customers who are struggling or who are worried about their payments in order to provide tailored support. The Government has also taken measures aimed at helping people to avoid repossession, including Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI) loans, protection in the courts through the Pre-Action Protocol, and the Housing Loss Prevention Advice Service (HLPAS).
Asked by: Feryal Clark (Labour - Enfield North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment has he made of the potential impact of the level of landfill tax on the (a) amount and (b) proportion of waste sent to landfill in Enfield.
Answered by Gareth Davies - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Since 2000, Landfill Tax has contributed to a 90% reduction in local authority waste sent to landfill in England. Landfill Tax works hand in hand with wider measures in the 2018 Resources and Waste Strategy for England which are designed to encourage waste to be managed more sustainably and support the government’s ambitious target of zero avoidable waste by 2050.
To inform tax decisions on tax policy, the government undertakes relevant and proportionate environmental and wider impact assessments. No recent assessment has been carried out on the specific impact of Landfill Tax on waste sent to landfill in Enfield.
The government will continue to engage with a wide range of stakeholders, including local authorities, on the impact of Landfill Tax as part of the ongoing Landfill Tax review.
Asked by: Feryal Clark (Labour - Enfield North)
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 (i) Enfield North constituency, (ii) the London Borough of Enfield and (iii) London; and what steps he is taking to ensure adequate access to (A) cash and (B) banking services in those areas in the next five years.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The government believes that all customers, wherever they live, should have appropriate access to banking and cash services.
The government has legislated to protect access to cash. 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.
Regarding bank branch closures, these decisions 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 cash and basic banking services and dedicated space where community bankers from major banks can meet customers of that bank. 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/
Asked by: Feryal Clark (Labour - Enfield North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made a recent assessment of the potential impact of high street bank branch closures in (a) Enfield North constituency, (b) the London Borough of Enfield and (c) London on people affected by those closures in those areas.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The government believes that all customers, wherever they live, should have appropriate access to banking and cash services.
The government has legislated to protect access to cash. 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.
Regarding bank branch closures, these decisions 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 cash and basic banking services and dedicated space where community bankers from major banks can meet customers of that bank. 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/
Asked by: Feryal Clark (Labour - Enfield North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of how many gaming companies in (a) the UK and (b) Enfield North constituency have benefited from Video Games Tax Relief in the most recent year for which data is available.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
While HMRC does not hold information at a constituency level, the number of companies benefiting from the Video Games Tax Relief can be found in Table 4.1 of:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/creative-industries-statistics-august-2023
Asked by: Feryal Clark (Labour - Enfield North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of trends in the level of financial vulnerability among people in Enfield North constituency.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government expects firms to treat their customers fairly where they face financial vulnerabilities, and seeks to ensure that people are able to access useful and affordable financial products and services.
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) publishes a Financial Lives Survey (FLS) which measures financial resilience across the UK. Published extracts from its 2022 survey show that 25% of adults in London have low financial resilience, with 7% in financial difficulty. In January 2023, the FCA published an update which details consumer experiences of the elevated cost of living and reminds firms that if a customer is in vulnerable circumstances, they should be provided with an appropriate level of care and support.
The Government recognises the challenges facing households due to the elevated cost of living and took action at Spring Budget 2023 to protect struggling families. This was in addition to the benefits uprating and support for vulnerable households announced at the Autumn Statement which included new Cost of Living Payments in 2023-24, helping more than 8 million UK households on eligible means tested benefits, 8 million pensioner households, and 6 million people across the UK on eligible disability benefits.
While the Government does not intervene in the commercial decisions of firms to close bank branches, it believes that all customers should have appropriate access to banking services. According to LINK data for April 2023, there are around 39,000 free-to-use ATMs across the UK, including 57 in the constituency of Enfield North.
The FCA expects firms to carefully consider the impact of planned closures on the everyday banking and cash access needs of their customers, including those who are vulnerable, and consider possible alternative access arrangements. Alternative options for access can be via telephone banking, digital banking, and the Post Office. New shared banking hubs are also being introduced to provide basic banking services and dedicated space where community bankers from major banks can meet their customers. Over 60 bank hubs have been announced and 6 have opened their doors so far.
Asked by: Feryal Clark (Labour - Enfield North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the number of financially vulnerable people in Enfield North constituency.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government expects firms to treat their customers fairly where they face financial vulnerabilities, and seeks to ensure that people are able to access useful and affordable financial products and services.
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) publishes a Financial Lives Survey (FLS) which measures financial resilience across the UK. Published extracts from its 2022 survey show that 25% of adults in London have low financial resilience, with 7% in financial difficulty. In January 2023, the FCA published an update which details consumer experiences of the elevated cost of living and reminds firms that if a customer is in vulnerable circumstances, they should be provided with an appropriate level of care and support.
The Government recognises the challenges facing households due to the elevated cost of living and took action at Spring Budget 2023 to protect struggling families. This was in addition to the benefits uprating and support for vulnerable households announced at the Autumn Statement which included new Cost of Living Payments in 2023-24, helping more than 8 million UK households on eligible means tested benefits, 8 million pensioner households, and 6 million people across the UK on eligible disability benefits.
While the Government does not intervene in the commercial decisions of firms to close bank branches, it believes that all customers should have appropriate access to banking services. According to LINK data for April 2023, there are around 39,000 free-to-use ATMs across the UK, including 57 in the constituency of Enfield North.
The FCA expects firms to carefully consider the impact of planned closures on the everyday banking and cash access needs of their customers, including those who are vulnerable, and consider possible alternative access arrangements. Alternative options for access can be via telephone banking, digital banking, and the Post Office. New shared banking hubs are also being introduced to provide basic banking services and dedicated space where community bankers from major banks can meet their customers. Over 60 bank hubs have been announced and 6 have opened their doors so far.
Asked by: Feryal Clark (Labour - Enfield North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent steps he has taken to address financial vulnerability in Enfield North constituency.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government expects firms to treat their customers fairly where they face financial vulnerabilities, and seeks to ensure that people are able to access useful and affordable financial products and services.
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) publishes a Financial Lives Survey (FLS) which measures financial resilience across the UK. Published extracts from its 2022 survey show that 25% of adults in London have low financial resilience, with 7% in financial difficulty. In January 2023, the FCA published an update which details consumer experiences of the elevated cost of living and reminds firms that if a customer is in vulnerable circumstances, they should be provided with an appropriate level of care and support.
The Government recognises the challenges facing households due to the elevated cost of living and took action at Spring Budget 2023 to protect struggling families. This was in addition to the benefits uprating and support for vulnerable households announced at the Autumn Statement which included new Cost of Living Payments in 2023-24, helping more than 8 million UK households on eligible means tested benefits, 8 million pensioner households, and 6 million people across the UK on eligible disability benefits.
While the Government does not intervene in the commercial decisions of firms to close bank branches, it believes that all customers should have appropriate access to banking services. According to LINK data for April 2023, there are around 39,000 free-to-use ATMs across the UK, including 57 in the constituency of Enfield North.
The FCA expects firms to carefully consider the impact of planned closures on the everyday banking and cash access needs of their customers, including those who are vulnerable, and consider possible alternative access arrangements. Alternative options for access can be via telephone banking, digital banking, and the Post Office. New shared banking hubs are also being introduced to provide basic banking services and dedicated space where community bankers from major banks can meet their customers. Over 60 bank hubs have been announced and 6 have opened their doors so far.