Asked by: Graham Brady (Conservative - Altrincham and Sale West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, on what date the tender which led to the Money Advice Service finding 100 new debt advisers posts at Stepchange was published; how many and who the shortlisted bidders were for that tender; on what date the decision on the tender was made; and if he will publish in full information on to how that tendering process was undertaken.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
This is a matter for the Money Advice Service who have agreed to write in response to the honourable gentleman.
Asked by: Graham Brady (Conservative - Altrincham and Sale West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 1.214 of the Autumn Statement 2014, what estimate he has made of the annual number of families that will be affected by the removal of Air Passenger Duty from those aged under (a) 12 and (b) 16 each year.
Answered by Priti Patel
As a result of Budget and Autumn Statement announcements on APD, over ninety-nine per cent of passengers, including many families, will see a freeze or reduction in Air Passenger Duty in 2015-16.
Budget 2014 announced a freeze in the rate of Air Passenger Duty for short-haul international and domestic flights for a fourth year running. In addition Budget 2014 reforms Air Passenger Duty with the abolition of bands C and D from 1 April 2015. This cuts tax for passengers travelling to destinations such as Brazil, India, China, South Asia and the Caribbean.
Autumn Statement 2014 also announced additional family travel savings through an Air Passenger Duty exemption for children under 12 on economy tickets, with effect from 1 May 2015. From the following year, the Government will abolish economy ticket Air Passenger Duty for children under 16 altogether.
This will save a two child family £26 on economy short-haul flights and £142 on economy long-haul flights, plus adds to Budget 2014’s adult fare savings for families flying economy to destinations like the Caribbean and Australia, taking accumulative savings to £170 and £194 respectively.
Asked by: Graham Brady (Conservative - Altrincham and Sale West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many appeals have been made to the Equitable Life Payment Scheme on the level of compensation offered since the scheme began making payments.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Of the 495 cases submitted to the Independent Review Panel to date, 145 were classified as being about the level of payment received.
Asked by: Graham Brady (Conservative - Altrincham and Sale West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the total amount is in additional payments made by the Equitable Life payment scheme as a result of successful appeals to date; and what proportion that amount is of the total compensation awarded.
Answered by Sajid Javid
The value of additional payments made as a result of appeals is £17,023.61. This is 0.0019% of the total value paid by the Scheme to date.
Two annuitants have made successful appeals, and the total value of the payments made to them will depend on the duration on their annuity.
Asked by: Graham Brady (Conservative - Altrincham and Sale West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many appeals made to the Equitable Life Payment Scheme (a) have been decided and (b) are awaiting resolution.
Answered by Sajid Javid
Out of the over 800,000 payments that have been made, a total of 495 cases have been submitted to the Independent Review Panel to date. 477 have been resolved and 18 are in the process of being resolved.
Asked by: Graham Brady (Conservative - Altrincham and Sale West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the (a) highest, (b) lowest and (c) average additional award paid following a successful appeal made to the Equitable Life Payment Scheme is.
Answered by Sajid Javid
Out of the 9 successful appeals by non-annuitants following receipt of new input data, the highest, lowest and average additional payments were:
a) £5,230.31
b) £32.91
c) £1,891.51
In addition two annuitants have made successful appeals. The total value of the payments made to them will depend on the duration on their annuity.
Asked by: Graham Brady (Conservative - Altrincham and Sale West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will estimate the number of compensation cases which have been miscalculated by the Equitable Life Payment Scheme.
Answered by Sajid Javid
There have been no miscalculations as a result of any errors in the calculation methodology. 11 cases have, however, been recalculated as a result of new information supplied by the policyholder.