Asked by: Jamie Stone (Liberal Democrat - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of companies that were not eligible for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme as a result of filing their annual PAYE report after the 19 March 2020.
Answered by Jesse Norman
It is not possible to provide an answer in the time available.
Asked by: Jamie Stone (Liberal Democrat - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions (a) he and (b) his Ministers have had with Fergus Ewing MSP, the Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy and Tourism, on arranging a 12-month financial support package for the tourism industry in response to the covid-19 outbreak; and what the outcomes of those discussions were.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - President of the Board of Trade
Treasury Ministers and officials are in frequent discussion with the devolved administrations and meet with a wide range of stakeholders across sectors in all parts of the UK as part of ongoing policy development and implementation.
The UK Government will continue to work closely with the devolved administrations and is also working with employers, delivery partners and industry groups to understand the impact that COVID-19 is having on sectors like tourism. The Treasury will continue to monitor the impact of government support with regard to public services, businesses, individuals, and sectors.
Asked by: Jamie Stone (Liberal Democrat - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions his Department has had with the Financial Conduct Authority and the Payment Systems Regulator on a minimum service guarantee for cash; and with reference to the March 2020 Budget whether he has a timeframe for bringing forward legislative proposals on protecting access to cash.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Government recognises that cash remains extremely important to the daily lives of millions of people across the UK. The Government remains closely engaged with the financial regulators to monitor and assess risks around cash access and acceptance resulting from COVID-19. This includes working closely with industry to ensure access to cash.
At the March 2020 Budget, the Chancellor announced that the Government will bring forward legislation to protect access to cash in the longer-term. The Government is engaging with regulators – the Payment Systems Regulator, Financial Conduct Authority and Bank of England – and stakeholders across industry while designing legislation, to ensure the needs of cash users continue to be met. Further details on timing for legislation will be set out in due course.
Regarding face-to-face banking, the Government has been working closely with the financial regulators to ensure that banks, building societies, the Post Office and credit unions continue to maintain branch access for essential services while balancing the needs of their customers with the safety and welfare of staff. The vast majority of branches are open, though many are open for reduced hours.
Banks, building societies and credit unions are keeping their websites up to date and we would encourage customers, wherever possible, to use online services for their banking. If customers are not able to use online forms of banking, they may choose to use telephone banking rather than using a branch. The Government advises any customer who has questions or concerns about their banking to contact their provider.
Bank customers can also use the Post Office for essential banking services as an alternative to their branch and can continue to use ATMs or cash machines as normal for cash withdrawals and balance enquiries. Furthermore, several retail banks have in place solutions for vulnerable customers who may be self-isolating, including making payments through a trusted person.
Asked by: Jamie Stone (Liberal Democrat - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to support people who require access to (a) offline and (b) face-to-face banking during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Government recognises that cash remains extremely important to the daily lives of millions of people across the UK. The Government remains closely engaged with the financial regulators to monitor and assess risks around cash access and acceptance resulting from COVID-19. This includes working closely with industry to ensure access to cash.
At the March 2020 Budget, the Chancellor announced that the Government will bring forward legislation to protect access to cash in the longer-term. The Government is engaging with regulators – the Payment Systems Regulator, Financial Conduct Authority and Bank of England – and stakeholders across industry while designing legislation, to ensure the needs of cash users continue to be met. Further details on timing for legislation will be set out in due course.
Regarding face-to-face banking, the Government has been working closely with the financial regulators to ensure that banks, building societies, the Post Office and credit unions continue to maintain branch access for essential services while balancing the needs of their customers with the safety and welfare of staff. The vast majority of branches are open, though many are open for reduced hours.
Banks, building societies and credit unions are keeping their websites up to date and we would encourage customers, wherever possible, to use online services for their banking. If customers are not able to use online forms of banking, they may choose to use telephone banking rather than using a branch. The Government advises any customer who has questions or concerns about their banking to contact their provider.
Bank customers can also use the Post Office for essential banking services as an alternative to their branch and can continue to use ATMs or cash machines as normal for cash withdrawals and balance enquiries. Furthermore, several retail banks have in place solutions for vulnerable customers who may be self-isolating, including making payments through a trusted person.