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Written Question
Treasury: Accountancy
Wednesday 14th December 2022

Asked by: John Cryer (Labour - Leyton and Wanstead)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what secondments (a) PricewaterhouseCoopers, (b) Deloitte & Touche, (c) Ernst & Young and (d) KPMG has made to the Department, including predecessor Departments, since 2010; for which (i) periods and (ii) tasks the secondments were made; whether secondments of staff from the Department have been made to those firms; and for which (A) periods and (B) tasks.

Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The information is not held centrally in the requested format, and could only be provided at a disproportionate cost.


Written Question
Treasury: Accountancy
Wednesday 7th December 2022

Asked by: John Cryer (Labour - Leyton and Wanstead)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the (a) nature and (b) value was of all contracts, consultancies or other services placed with the accountancy firms (i) Deloitte & Touche, (ii) Ernst & Young, (iii) KPMG and (iv) PricewaterhouseCoopers in each year since 2010-11 by her Department.

Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Government is committed to maintaining transparency about its procurement activity. Since 2010, HM Treasury has published information about its contracts with a value of over £10,000 on the “Contracts Finder” website.


Written Question
Income Tax: Surcharges
Monday 21st November 2022

Asked by: John Cryer (Labour - Leyton and Wanstead)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will estimate the income to the Exchequer in 2020-21 had an investment income surcharge of the forms in existence until 1983 been in place.

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

The Government has no current plans to reintroduce the investment income surcharge. As with all aspects of the tax system, the Government keeps tax reliefs under review and any decisions on future changes will be taken by the Chancellor in the context of the wider public finances.
Written Question
Income Tax: Surcharges
Monday 21st November 2022

Asked by: John Cryer (Labour - Leyton and Wanstead)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will estimate the potential income that would have been generated for the Exchequer if an investment income surcharge of the form in existence until 1983 been in place in each year since 2010-11.

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

The Government has no current plans to reintroduce the investment income surcharge. As with all aspects of the tax system, the Government keeps tax reliefs under review and any decisions on future changes will be taken by the Chancellor in the context of the wider public finances.
Written Question
Income Tax
Monday 21st November 2022

Asked by: John Cryer (Labour - Leyton and Wanstead)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what additional steps he has taken to restrict conversion of income into capital gains or corporation revenues following his announcement of the reversal in the top rate of income tax previously announcement in the fiscal statement of 23 September.

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

For individuals, it is the scope, rates and allowances of Capital Gains Tax that restrict the conversion of income into capital gains. At the Autumn Statement, the Chancellor announced that the annual exempt amount will be cut to £6,000 for tax year 2023-24 and to £3,000 for subsequent years.

In relation to Corporation Tax, specific anti-avoidance rules apply where income is converted into capital gains in order to use losses.


Written Question
Money Laundering
Monday 21st November 2022

Asked by: John Cryer (Labour - Leyton and Wanstead)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many incidents potentially related to money laundering have (a) the Inland Revenue and (b) HM Customs and Excise reported to the appropriate investigative agencies in each year since 2010; and how many prosecutions resulted from these reports in each year.

Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

HMRC do not record the requested data.

Information about HMRC’s referrals of suspicious activity to the National Crime Agency, and how HMRC shares information with domestic law enforcement agencies, is set out in its annual anti-money laundering supervision self-assessment report, the latest of which is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hmrc-economic-crime-supervision-annual-assessment-report-2021-to-2022.

HMRC also has a network of intelligence officers embedded with domestic partner agencies to assist with their operational work. 13 officers are embedded with police teams, including Regional Organised Crime Units, and 7 with other law enforcement agencies. In addition, 5 HMRC officers are seconded to the National Economic Crime Centre and 2 are embedded in the United Kingdom Financial Intelligence Unit.

If any referrals are adopted by these investigating agencies, it is a decision for them, in tandem with the relevant prosecuting authority to pursue a criminal prosecution for money laundering offences.

HMRC can and does investigate money laundering, linked to its assigned matters, as well as criminal breaches of the Money Laundering Regulations. Since 2011/12, HMRC opened 358 investigations involving money laundering or breaches of the Money Laundering Regulations and 301 individuals have been prosecuted for either offence over the same period.


Written Question
Mortgages: Coronavirus
Monday 23rd March 2020

Asked by: John Cryer (Labour - Leyton and Wanstead)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he is having with (a) Cabinet colleagues, (b) the Bank of England and (c) representatives of mortgage companies on suspension of mortgage payments for people affected by covid-19; and whether benefits from such suspensions will be passed on to renters.

Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

Banks and building societies are ready and able to support consumers impacted by COVID-19. On 17 March, the Chancellor announced on behalf of the sector that banks and building societies will offer a 3-month ‘mortgage holiday’ for borrowers that are financially struggling with their repayments. This forbearance measure will enable affected borrowers to defer their mortgage payments for up to 3 months while they get back on their feet. Customers who are concerned about the current financial situation should get in touch with their lender at the earliest possible opportunity.

Lenders have also agreed to a 3 month moratorium on residential and buy-to-let possession action to start immediately to provide customers with reassurance that they will not have their homes repossessed at this difficult time.

The benefits system is ready to assist renters with their housing costs if they find their incomes disrupted by COVID-19.

Following urgent discussions with the banking industry, the mortgage payment holiday of up to 3 months announced on 17 March will be extended to landlords whose tenants are experiencing difficulty due to COVID-19.

The government has announced that to further protect renters, emergency legislation will be taken forward as an urgent priority so that landlords will not be able to start proceedings to evict tenants for at least a 3 month period. At the end of this period, landlords and tenants will be expected to work together to establish an affordable repayment plan, taking into account the tenant’s individual circumstances.