Asked by: Jim Cunningham (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential benefits of introducing a budget that includes the well-being of UK citizens as a measure of success.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
The Government currently makes use of a wide range of population health and wellbeing outcome metrics to measure the success of public spending programmes.
Asked by: Jim Cunningham (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of cashless shops on (a) low-income people and (b) poorer communities.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Treasury has not made a specific assessment of the effect of cashless shops on (a) low-income people and (b) poorer communities.
However, last year the Government initiated a discussion on payment methods through a Call for Evidence on Cash and Digital Payments in the New Economy. This sought to gather evidence on how changing preferences for cash and digital payments impact on different sectors, regions and demographics. A wide range of evidence was collected, including on the changing levels of cash usage, and a formal summary of responses was published in May 2019.
The response set out the Government’s commitment to supporting digital payments, whilst safeguarding access to cash for those who need it. The Government is engaging, and will continue to engage, with the regulators and industry on this important topic.
Asked by: Jim Cunningham (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to further regulate lending to small businesses.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Government set out its position on the regulation of lending to small businesses in its response to the Treasury Select Committee’s SME Finance Report. This is available here: https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201719/cmselect/cmtreasy/1873/187302.htm