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Written Question
Childcare: Wales
Monday 19th February 2024

Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 20 November 2023 to Question 2098 on Childcare: Finance, how much the Welsh Government will receive in Barnett Formula consequential funding for (a) the roll out 15 hours of free childcare for working parents of two-year-olds from April 2024 in England and (b) extending 15 hours of free childcare to all children from the age of nine months from September 2024 in England.

Answered by Laura Trott - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The Barnett formula applies to all increases or decreases to Departmental Expenditure Limits (DEL).

The Department for Education received additional funding for these programmes at Spring Budget 2023, and the Barnett formula was applied in the usual way.


Written Question
PAYE: Welsh Language
Monday 13th November 2023

Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the Welsh language helpline for PAYE employer enquiries.

Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

To comply with the Welsh Language Act 1993, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) provides a number of Welsh language helplines The one for PAYE employer enquiries (Treth Incwm, Hunanasesiad a mwy), can be accessed Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5.00 pm on 0300 200 1900.

Details on how Welsh speakers can contact HMRC can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-revenue-customs/contact

HMRC publishes its performance data monthly and quarterly:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmrc-monthly-performance-reports

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmrc-quarterly-performance-updates


Written Question
Revenue and Customs: Welsh Language
Tuesday 24th October 2023

Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the provision in Wales of HM Revenue and Customs PAYE employer enquiries assistance through the medium of Welsh.

Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

To comply with the Welsh Language Act 1993, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) adopts the principle that, in the conduct of its public business and communication in Wales, it will treat the English and Welsh languages equally in appropriate circumstances and when reasonably practicable.

The Welsh Language Unit is a specialist team within HMRC's Customer Services department that handles both telephone and written queries from individuals who want to contact with HMRC in Welsh. They also translate and distribute Welsh letters, forms, and leaflets.


Written Question
Small Businesses: Tax Allowances
Monday 11th September 2023

Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many and what proportion of claims for the small and medium-sized enterprise research and development tax credits scheme exceeded HMRC’s 40-day processing target in each year since 2020.

Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

Research and Development tax reliefs are a vital driver of innovation, growth and productivity and are crucial to the government’s pledge to grow the economy. It’s important that these reliefs are easy to claim and are provided quickly to genuine claimants.

HMRC does not currently have a delay or backlog and is exceeding performance against its published goal to either pay or make contact regarding the claim for 85% of claims within 40 days.


Written Question
Small Businesses: Research and Development Expenditure Credit
Monday 11th September 2023

Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the notice provided by HMRC to small and medium-sized enterprises of delays to the processing of their applications for research and development tax credit payments.

Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

Research and Development tax reliefs are a vital driver of innovation, growth and productivity and are crucial to the government’s pledge to grow the economy. It’s important that these reliefs are easy to claim and are provided quickly to genuine claimants.

HMRC does not currently have a delay or backlog and is exceeding performance against its published goal to either pay or make contact regarding the claim for 85% of claims within 40 days.


Written Question
Small Businesses: Tax Allowances
Monday 11th September 2023

Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to support small and medium-sized enterprises that have been waiting longer than HMRC's 40-day target to receive research and development tax credit payments.

Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

Research and Development tax reliefs are a vital driver of innovation, growth and productivity and are crucial to the government’s pledge to grow the economy. It’s important that these reliefs are easy to claim and are provided quickly to genuine claimants.

HMRC does not currently have a delay or backlog and is exceeding performance against its published goal to either pay or make contact regarding the claim for 85% of claims within 40 days.


Written Question
Small Businesses: Tax Allowances
Monday 11th September 2023

Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the average processing time was for applications to the small and medium-sized enterprise research and development tax credit scheme in each year since 2020.

Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

Research and Development tax reliefs are a vital driver of innovation, growth and productivity and are crucial to the government’s pledge to grow the economy. It’s important that these reliefs are easy to claim and are provided quickly to genuine claimants.

HMRC does not currently have a delay or backlog and is exceeding performance against its published goal to either pay or make contact regarding the claim for 85% of claims within 40 days.


Written Question
Voluntary Contributions: Publicity
Tuesday 20th June 2023

Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made a comparative assessment of the adequacy of the provision by HM Revenue and Customs of information about deadlines for voluntary National Insurance Contributions for men born (a) before and (b) after 5 April 1951.

Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

The Government on 12 June 2023 announced through a Written Ministerial Statement (WMS) an extension to the deadline for eligible individuals to retrospectively fill gaps in their National Insurance (NI) record to 5 April 2025. A link to the WMS can be found at https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2023-06-12/hcws843.

HMRC have worked with HMT and DWP to raise awareness of this extension by issuing a press release, through content on HMRC’s own social media channels signposting to guidance on GOV.UK, through local radio interviews, and via HMRC’s regular bulletins, and newsletters through June and July.

Additionally, the extension will provide HMRC and DWP with the opportunity to make improvements to the digital service, with the intention that ultimately the majority of individuals should be able to complete the process of paying voluntary NICs online.

More generally, individuals are encouraged to take responsibility for ensuring their NI record is correct and up to date. There are resources available to individuals to help them achieve this, including their Personal Tax Account and the ‘Check your National Insurance record’ and ‘Check your State Pension forecast’ services on GOV.UK. This extension will allow men born after 1951 and women born after 1953 with more time to review their NI records. Those men born before 1951 and women born before 1953 are unaffected by this extension.


Written Question
Voluntary Contributions
Tuesday 20th June 2023

Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent steps he has taken to inform people that are eligible to add to their voluntary National Insurance contributions from April 2006 up to April 2017 that HMRC has extended the deadline to 31 July 2025.

Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

The Government on 12 June 2023 announced through a Written Ministerial Statement (WMS) an extension to the deadline for eligible individuals to retrospectively fill gaps in their National Insurance (NI) record to 5 April 2025. A link to the WMS can be found at https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2023-06-12/hcws843.

HMRC have worked with HMT and DWP to raise awareness of this extension by issuing a press release, through content on HMRC’s own social media channels signposting to guidance on GOV.UK, through local radio interviews, and via HMRC’s regular bulletins, and newsletters through June and July.

Additionally, the extension will provide HMRC and DWP with the opportunity to make improvements to the digital service, with the intention that ultimately the majority of individuals should be able to complete the process of paying voluntary NICs online.

More generally, individuals are encouraged to take responsibility for ensuring their NI record is correct and up to date. There are resources available to individuals to help them achieve this, including their Personal Tax Account and the ‘Check your National Insurance record’ and ‘Check your State Pension forecast’ services on GOV.UK. This extension will allow men born after 1951 and women born after 1953 with more time to review their NI records. Those men born before 1951 and women born before 1953 are unaffected by this extension.


Written Question
Voluntary Contributions
Tuesday 20th June 2023

Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending deadlines for additional voluntary National Insurance contributions from April 2006 to April 2017.

Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

The Government on 12 June 2023 announced through a Written Ministerial Statement (WMS) an extension to the deadline for eligible individuals to retrospectively fill gaps in their National Insurance (NI) record to 5 April 2025. A link to the WMS can be found at https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2023-06-12/hcws843.

HMRC have worked with HMT and DWP to raise awareness of this extension by issuing a press release, through content on HMRC’s own social media channels signposting to guidance on GOV.UK, through local radio interviews, and via HMRC’s regular bulletins, and newsletters through June and July.

Additionally, the extension will provide HMRC and DWP with the opportunity to make improvements to the digital service, with the intention that ultimately the majority of individuals should be able to complete the process of paying voluntary NICs online.

More generally, individuals are encouraged to take responsibility for ensuring their NI record is correct and up to date. There are resources available to individuals to help them achieve this, including their Personal Tax Account and the ‘Check your National Insurance record’ and ‘Check your State Pension forecast’ services on GOV.UK. This extension will allow men born after 1951 and women born after 1953 with more time to review their NI records. Those men born before 1951 and women born before 1953 are unaffected by this extension.