Asked by: Jess Phillips (Labour - Birmingham, Yardley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will undertake a review of the Standard Industrial Classification codes that will be eligible for the Energy Bills Discount Scheme; and if he will take steps to include codes (a) 31020 for kitchen manufacturers and (b) 31090 for bathroom manufacturers in that scheme.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The new Energy Bills Discount Scheme will provide all eligible businesses and other non-domestic energy users across the UK with a discount on high energy bills until 31 March 2024, following the end of the current Energy Bill Relief Scheme. It will also provide businesses in sectors with particularly high levels of energy use and trade intensity with a higher level of support.
We have taken a consistent approach to identifying the most energy and trade intensive sectors, with all sectors that meet agreed thresholds for energy and trade intensity eligible for Energy and Trade Intensive Industries (ETII) support. These thresholds have been set at sectors falling above the 80th percentile for energy intensity and 60th percentile for trade intensity, plus any sectors eligible for the existing energy compensation and exemption schemes.
Through the current Energy Bill Relief Scheme, the Government provided an unprecedented package of support for non-domestic users through this winter. The Government has been clear that such levels of support, unprecedented in its nature and huge scale, were time-limited and intended as a bridge to allow businesses to adapt.
The new scheme therefore strikes a balance between supporting businesses for a further 12 months, from April 2023 to March 2024, and limiting taxpayer’s exposure to volatile energy markets, with a cap set at £5.5 billion based on estimated volumes. This provides long term certainty for businesses and reflects how the scale of the challenge has changed since September last year. We will of course continue to monitor energy prices in the coming months.
Further details on the scheme, including information on eligibility and discount levels, can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/energy-bills-discount-scheme.
Asked by: Jess Phillips (Labour - Birmingham, Yardley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to support homeowners with rising mortgage rates.
Answered by Felicity Buchan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
Around 75% of mortgage holders are on a fixed-rate mortgage, and will therefore be shielded from rate rises in the short term.
We are also taking steps to help everyone with cost-of-living pressures through the Energy Price Guarantee and the Energy Bills Support Scheme, in addition to £37 billion of targeted cost-of-living support this financial year.
Asked by: Jess Phillips (Labour - Birmingham, Yardley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to support people who are having difficulty in paying back overpayments of working tax credits in the context of rising living costs.
Answered by Simon Clarke
Support is available for tax credits claimants who are experiencing difficulty with their repayments. HMRC can reduce the rate of repayment on a case-by-case basis where claimants are in financial hardship. HMRC also work to identify vulnerable customers and refer them to the Extra Support Team for assistance, with more information available here.
Where claimants with overpayments have migrated to Universal Credit, they can similarly contact DWP to discuss a reduction in their rate of repayment and may benefit from the cap on debt deductions which the government reduced to 25 per cent of the standard allowance in April 2021. Work coaches can also signpost other financial support.
Furthermore, the Government is providing significant financial support – up to £350 – to the majority of households which will cover more than half of the forecast £700 rise in energy bills for the average household. This support – worth £9.1bn in 2022-23 – is on top of the existing £12 billion support the government is providing for the cost of living this financial year and next. This includes reducing the Universal Credit taper rate, raising the National Living Wage, freezing alcohol and fuel duties and providing targeted help with energy bills.
Asked by: Jess Phillips (Labour - Birmingham, Yardley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to offer small business a payment holiday or longer term repayment scheme for VAT contributions during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Jesse Norman
HMRC already offer help to businesses struggling to meet their VAT payments with arrangements such as Time to Pay. HMRC also have a dedicated helpline for those who cannot pay because of the coronavirus.
In light of the COVID-19 outbreak, the Chancellor has pledged a range of measures to help business through the crisis, including grants, loans and relief from business rates worth more than £300 billion. The Chancellor will continue to review and make further announcements as events unfold.
Asked by: Jess Phillips (Labour - Birmingham, Yardley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what gender awareness training staff at HMRC have undertaken in relation to their role in enforcing payment of national minimum wage rates; and whether HMRC has a gender awareness strategy in place for implementing that role.
Answered by Mel Stride - Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
The government is determined that everyone who is entitled to the NMW receives it. If anyone thinks they are not receiving at least the minimum wage, they can contact Acas, in confidence, on 0300 123 1100 or submit a query online using the link https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pay-and-work-rights-complaints .
Staff across HMRC contribute to enforcing NMW, including lawyers, technical advisers, and those specialising in criminal investigations.
All HMRC staff are required to complete mandatory training on Equality & Diversity, with a mandatory requirement for all managers to undertake the training on Unconscious Bias. In addition to these, HMRC has a selection of other gender awareness training courses available, which staff are encouraged to undertake as a part of their continuous professional development.
HMRC has a Gender Policy, which provides guidance on implementing all relevant legislative obligations, including the General Equality Duty in the Equality Act 2010 which applies to public sector organisations.
Asked by: Jess Phillips (Labour - Birmingham, Yardley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will issue guidance to HM Revenue and Customs staff that they should accept reasonable third party evidence that a woman lives with her children in a refuge, following domestic abuse, as sufficient to demonstrate that she is responsible for, and living with, her children.
Answered by Mel Stride - Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) will take third party evidence into account when deciding on issues of child responsibility. HMRC recognises the particular needs of these vulnerable customers and has a dedicated team that prioritises any claims in this area.
Asked by: Jess Phillips (Labour - Birmingham, Yardley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an estimate of the number of jobs held by women which will be affected by the additional spending in the National Productivity Investment Fund announced in the Autumn Statement 2016.
Answered by David Gauke
The National Productivity Investment Fund (NPIF) will be targeted at four areas that are critical for productivity: transport, housing, digital communications and research and development (R&D). Investing in these areas will support the UK economy and benefit businesses and households, for instance by reducing congestion on the roads and increasing broadband speed and reliability. The £23bn of investment through the NPIF will have a positive impact on jobs for women and for men.
The government has a strong record on helping women to enter and progress in the labour market. The female employment rate increased by more in the most recent parliament than in the previous three combined.
Asked by: Jess Phillips (Labour - Birmingham, Yardley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the economic value of women to the (a) transport, (b) digital communications, (c) research and development and (d) housing sectors.
Answered by David Gauke
Transport, housing, digital communications and research and development (R&D) are the areas targeted by the new £23bn ‘National Productivity Investment Fund’ announced at Autumn Statement 2016. This investment will support the UK economy, benefitting both men and women.
In line with the government’s legal responsibilities and strong policy commitment to equality, Government (including HM Treasury) takes relevant gender angles into account in policy, including in relation to different sectors of the economy.
Asked by: Jess Phillips (Labour - Birmingham, Yardley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to ensure that women play a role in increasing productivity in those sectors which receive additional spending through the National Productivity Investment Fund announced in the Autumn Statement 2016.
Answered by David Gauke
The government has a strong record on helping women to enter and progress in the labour market. The number of women in work has increased by over 1.2 million since 2010 to 14.9 million. The female employment rate increased by more in the most recent parliament than in the previous three combined.
The government’s policies are helping more women than ever before get the support they need to work. The government’s approach to this is economy-wide. For example, since September 2011, the Government has funded 15 hours a week of free childcare for all 3 and 4 year olds; and the government plans to go further: from September 2017, the Government will extend the free childcare entitlement to 30 hours a week for working parents of 3 and 4 year olds.
Asked by: Jess Phillips (Labour - Birmingham, Yardley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to set targets for women's employment to be achieved as a result of the National Productivity Investment Fund announced in the Autumn Statement 2016.
Answered by David Gauke
The government has no plans to set targets for women’s employment to be achieved as a result of the National Productivity Investment Fund (NPIF). The NPIF will be targeted at four areas that are critical for productivity: transport, housing, digital communications and research and development (R&D). Investing in these areas will support the UK economy and benefit businesses and households, for instance by reducing congestion on the roads and increasing broadband speed and reliability. The £23bn of investment through the NPIF will have a positive impact on jobs for women and for men.
The government has a strong record on helping women to enter and progress in the labour market. The female employment rate increased by more in the most recent parliament than in the previous three combined.