Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking at a retail level to tackle the illicit tobacco trade.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
HMRC works closely with local authorities to help tackle illicit tobacco trade at a retail level.
In January 2021 HMRC and National Trading Standards launched Operation CeCe. This joint initiative builds on decades of partnership working with local Trading Standards Officers.
HMRC funds Operation CeCe with the money being allocated by National Trading Standards to local authority Trading Standards. This supports them to undertake enforcement activity including the sharing of information and intelligence to target and seize illegal tobacco, disruption of the illicit tobacco market and prevention of fraud in their area.
In its first two years of operation more than 28 million cigarettes and nearly 8 tonnes of illicit hand rolling-tobacco were seized.
In July 2023 new powers were given to Trading Standards to make referrals to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) where they find evidence of tobacco products that do not comply with the UK Tobacco Track and Trace System.
In January 2024, HMRC published a new Illicit Tobacco Strategy ‘Stubbing out the problem’. The Strategy sets out how HMRC intends to build on the success of Operation CeCe by increasing the level of funding available to Trading Standards.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an estimate of the number of pay to use ATMs in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire.
Answered by Tulip Siddiq - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The government recognises that cash continues to be used by millions of people across the UK, including those who may be in vulnerable groups, and is committed to protecting access to cash for individuals and businesses.
The operator of the UK’s largest ATM network, LINK, publishes data on the number of ATMs across each parliamentary constituency. This includes a breakdown of the number of pay-to-use ATMs operated by the LINK network. In the constituency of South Holland and the Deepings, LINK data identifies that there are 7 pay-to-use ATMs of 48 ATMs overall. This data can be found at https://www.link.co.uk/data-research/the-atm-network.
Whilst no breakdown is available for Lincolnshire as a whole, LINK operates a cash locator tool which provides data on the location and character of ATMs across the UK, and can be searched by local area. This includes a breakdown of the number of pay-to-use ATMs, free-to-use ATMs, as well as other cash-related services such as those provided at Post Office counters.
The tool can be accessed at: https://www.link.co.uk/cash-locator.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has made a recent assessment of the potential impact of removing Value Added Tax for (a) wheelchairs and (b) defibrillators on access to those devices.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government currently provides VAT relief on equipment and appliances that have been designed solely for use by disabled people when purchased for their personal or domestic use, such as wheelchairs, as well as VAT reliefs to aid the purchase of defibrillators. For example, when a defibrillator is purchased with funds provided by a charity and then donated to an eligible body no VAT is charged.
VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption, and exceptions to the standard rate have always been limited and balanced against affordability considerations. Following the spending audit, the Chancellor has been clear that difficult decisions lie ahead on spending, welfare and tax to fix the foundations of our economy and address the £22 billion hole in the public finances left by the last government. Decisions on how to do that will be taken at the Budget in the round.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what is the projected cost to the public purse of setting up the Office for Value for Money.
Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The Office for Value for Money is a part of HM Treasury. Existing departmental resources will be reprioritised to fulfil the needs of the office where possible.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to ensure that people are able to access cashpoints in rural areas.
Answered by Tulip Siddiq - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government is committed to protecting access to cash for individuals and businesses across the UK, including in rural areas. The Financial Conduct Authority is the regulator responsible for access to cash further to the Financial Services and Markets Act 2023, with powers to seek to ensure the reasonable provision of cash withdrawal and deposit facilities for individuals and businesses, including free withdrawal services for individuals.
The FCA published its final rules on access to cash on 24 July. Under its rules, designated firms will be required to undertake assessments of a community’s cash access needs following the closure of a service or a community request, and to put in a new service if necessary. These rules come into force on 18 September.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will remove VAT from the sale of defibrillators; and if she will make an assessment with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care of the potential impact of doing so on access to defibrillators.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government currently provides VAT reliefs to aid the purchase of defibrillators. For example, when an AED is purchased with funds provided by a charity and then donated to an eligible body no VAT is charged.
VAT is the UK’s second largest tax forecast to raise £176 billion in 2024/25. Taxation is a vital source of revenue which helps to fund public services.
The Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at fiscal events
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will review the effectiveness of the business rates system for small business.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The business rates system currently offers support for small businesses through Small Business Rate Relief, which ensures that over a third of business properties already pay no business rates.
As set out in the Labour manifesto, the government intends to replace the current business rates system with one which levels the playing field between high streets and online giants, better incentivises investment, tackles empty properties and supports entrepreneurship.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will take steps to help compensate small shareholders impacted by the nationalisation of Northern Rock PLC.
Answered by Tulip Siddiq - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
An independent valuer determined that Northern Rock shares were of no value immediately prior to the company being taken into public ownership, and therefore no compensation was due. This independent valuation was upheld in the both the Upper Tribunal in 2011 and the Court of Appeal in 2013. HM Treasury considers this matter settled.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will meet representatives of the Northern Rock Shareholder Action Group.
Answered by Tulip Siddiq - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
An independent valuer determined that Northern Rock shares were of no value immediately prior to the company being taken into public ownership, and therefore no compensation was due. This independent valuation was upheld in the both the Upper Tribunal in 2011 and the Court of Appeal in 2013. HM Treasury considers this matter settled.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the cost to the public purse was of staff diversity networks in his Department in each of the last five years.
Answered by Gareth Davies - Shadow Exchequer Secretary (Treasury)
The Government has audited the cost-effectiveness of all equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) activities, through the review of EDI spending announced last June.
On 14th May the Minister without Portfolio made a written statement on the latest findings from the review. In response to these findings, the Cabinet Office is publishing the Civil Service EDI Expenditure Guidance. This includes an end to all external spending on EDI activity, unless cleared and authorised by Ministers.
Further guidance on diversity staff networks is being developed, and we will seek to publish additional data on historic spending to assist transparency in this area.