Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Government has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing conditions, similar to those in place for Jersey, to allow Northern Ireland operators to sell duty free products along with the rest of the UK to EU member states once the transition period has ended.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Government continues to work through the implications of the Northern Ireland Protocol.
The Government is committed to providing guidance on how the NI Protocol will work, including for duty-free goods, ahead of the end of the transition period.
Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment the Government has made of the future duty free implications for Northern Ireland; and what steps the Government is taking to ensure Northern Irish operators are not adversely affected once the transition period has ended.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Government continues to work through the implications of the Northern Ireland Protocol.
The Government is committed to providing guidance on how the NI Protocol will work, including for duty-free goods, ahead of the end of the transition period.
Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, what plans he has to end that scheme after the covid-19 outbreak; and whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of enabling businesses to take employees out of furlough in the event that demand for services increases.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Government has extended the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme until October 2020. Extending the scheme in its current form until July will provide workers, businesses and the economy with clarity on this vital support. After July, the Government will introduce more flexibility to the furlough scheme in a measured way that protects people’s incomes and helps support furloughed employees as they return to work. From August through to the end of October, employers currently using the scheme will have more flexibility to bring their furloughed employees back to work part-time while still receiving support from the scheme. Employers using the scheme will start contributing some of the costs of their workers’ salaries, substituting in part the contribution that the Government is currently making. The Government will outline more details of how this will work by the end of May.
Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what guidance his Department has issued to foreign-owned banks trading in the UK on the regulation of the use of bank accounts by people on the UN sanctions list.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
All banks (foreign or UK owned) operating within the UK’s jurisdiction must comply with financial sanctions regulations that apply in the UK.
The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI), part of HM Treasury, publishes information and guidance on GOV.UK to inform and assist compliance with financial sanctions regulations.
This includes a consolidated list of individuals and companies designated by the United Nations, the European Union and under the UK’s domestic sanctions regimes.
Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of the EU Commission's proposal for a pan-European track and trace scheme for the tobacco market in tackling the illicit tobacco trade in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Andrew Jones
The government has been working on the draft implementing legislation for Articles 15 and 16 of the EU Tobacco Products Directive with the Commission and other Member States. We are aware of concerns raised by businesses affected and have been working to try to ensure that the system adopted is effective, efficient and proportionate in tackling the trade in illicit tobacco products which puts public health at risk and avoids the payment of duty. A number of amendments have been made to the proposed regulations in line with meeting these objectives.
We will continue to assess the impact and merits of the legislation and to work with businesses affected towards a successful implementation, given the timescales already set out in the Directive itself.
The track and trace system to be introduced is separate from the existing retailer registration scheme in Northern Ireland. It will provide identification codes for retailers to be used when purchasing legitimate tobacco products. These codes can be obtained by suppliers on their behalf of retailers, if desired. The Directive also provides for the costs of the scheme, including the equipment needed to scan products through the supply chain, to be met by the tobacco industry.
Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on small businesses in Northern Ireland of the proposal from the EU Commission for a European track and trace scheme for the tobacco market.
Answered by Andrew Jones
The government has been working on the draft implementing legislation for Articles 15 and 16 of the EU Tobacco Products Directive with the Commission and other Member States. We are aware of concerns raised by businesses affected and have been working to try to ensure that the system adopted is effective, efficient and proportionate in tackling the trade in illicit tobacco products which puts public health at risk and avoids the payment of duty. A number of amendments have been made to the proposed regulations in line with meeting these objectives.
We will continue to assess the impact and merits of the legislation and to work with businesses affected towards a successful implementation, given the timescales already set out in the Directive itself.
The track and trace system to be introduced is separate from the existing retailer registration scheme in Northern Ireland. It will provide identification codes for retailers to be used when purchasing legitimate tobacco products. These codes can be obtained by suppliers on their behalf of retailers, if desired. The Directive also provides for the costs of the scheme, including the equipment needed to scan products through the supply chain, to be met by the tobacco industry.
Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the inter-operability of the EU Commission's proposals for a pan-European track and trace scheme for the tobacco market and the existing tobacco retail registration scheme in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Andrew Jones
The government has been working on the draft implementing legislation for Articles 15 and 16 of the EU Tobacco Products Directive with the Commission and other Member States. We are aware of concerns raised by businesses affected and have been working to try to ensure that the system adopted is effective, efficient and proportionate in tackling the trade in illicit tobacco products which puts public health at risk and avoids the payment of duty. A number of amendments have been made to the proposed regulations in line with meeting these objectives.
We will continue to assess the impact and merits of the legislation and to work with businesses affected towards a successful implementation, given the timescales already set out in the Directive itself.
The track and trace system to be introduced is separate from the existing retailer registration scheme in Northern Ireland. It will provide identification codes for retailers to be used when purchasing legitimate tobacco products. These codes can be obtained by suppliers on their behalf of retailers, if desired. The Directive also provides for the costs of the scheme, including the equipment needed to scan products through the supply chain, to be met by the tobacco industry.
Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Government plans to delay UK implementation of the EU Commission's proposals for a European track and trace scheme for the tobacco market.
Answered by Andrew Jones
The government has been working on the draft implementing legislation for Articles 15 and 16 of the EU Tobacco Products Directive with the Commission and other Member States. We are aware of concerns raised by businesses affected and have been working to try to ensure that the system adopted is effective, efficient and proportionate in tackling the trade in illicit tobacco products which puts public health at risk and avoids the payment of duty. A number of amendments have been made to the proposed regulations in line with meeting these objectives.
We will continue to assess the impact and merits of the legislation and to work with businesses affected towards a successful implementation, given the timescales already set out in the Directive itself.
The track and trace system to be introduced is separate from the existing retailer registration scheme in Northern Ireland. It will provide identification codes for retailers to be used when purchasing legitimate tobacco products. These codes can be obtained by suppliers on their behalf of retailers, if desired. The Directive also provides for the costs of the scheme, including the equipment needed to scan products through the supply chain, to be met by the tobacco industry.
Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans the Government has to ensure that effective guidance is available to consumers in respect of money, pensions and debt.
Answered by Steve Barclay - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The government is committed to ensuring that people have access to good-quality, free-to-client, impartial guidance on money, pensions and debt. The Financial Guidance and Claims Bill will create a new guidance body which will merge the functions of The Pensions Advisory Service, Pension Wise and the Money Advice Service. The single financial guidance body will simplify the existing public financial guidance landscape, making it easier for people to access information and guidance and help them make effective financial decisions.
Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what reason Treasury Ministers will not hold pre-Budget meetings with representatives of the alcohol industry in 2017.
Answered by Jane Ellison
Ministers hold regular meetings with a wide range of stakeholders, including from the alcohol industry, with a number of these meetings having taken place in recent weeks.