Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of requiring payments on accounts from self-employed workers on levels of financial hardship.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
There has been no recent assessment of the potential impact of requiring payments on accounts from self-employed workers on levels of financial hardship. However, HMRC is committed to helping all taxpayers pay their taxes and urges anyone having difficulty to make contact as soon as possible, to discuss the payment options that are available.
HMRC offers Time to Pay instalment arrangements for taxpayers who cannot afford to make full payment of their tax when it is due.
HMRC also provides a Budget Payment Plan service, through which self-assessment taxpayers can make advance payments to pay off a forthcoming tax payment, such as a payment on account.
Self-Assessment taxpayers (including the self-employed) can make a claim to reduce or cancel their payments on account if they think they are excessive, or no longer due.
Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to take steps to remove VAT from (a) services and (b) goods used for the repair and maintenance of (i) churches and (ii) other religious buildings.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
The Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme aims to redress financial shortfalls by providing grants towards VAT paid on repairs and maintenance to the nation's listed places of worship.
With annual funding increased to £42 million per annum, the scheme has made grants totalling over £300 million since its introduction.
There are no plans to introduce a new VAT relief for the repair and maintenance of places of worship. However, the Government keeps all taxes under review.
Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many staff work in the Devolved Countries Unit as of 1 July 2023; and if he provide the respective pay grades of the staff in that unit.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
HM Treasury, as with all central government departments, publishes organograms each quarter showing all staff roles and salary scales on gov.uk:
Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of temporarily pausing VAT on (a)domestic and (b) non-domestic energy bills.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
The Energy Price Guarantee is a scheme that caps the unit price households pay for electricity and gas, which means that a typical household will have to pay bills equivalent to no more than £2500 a year on their energy bills this winter. This is expected to save consumers who use both gas and electricity around £900 this winter. The scheme as currently designed will last until 31 March 2023. As announced at Autumn Statement 2022, the EPG will increase to £3000 from April 2023 until April 2024. This new approach is expected to save around £14 billion to April 2024, ensuring fiscal sustainability, whilst targeting support to those most in need.
The Government recognises that families should not have to bear all of the VAT costs they incur to meet their needs, with domestic fuels such as gas, electricity and heating oil already subject to the reduced rate of VAT at 5 per cent of VAT. The Government's package of support to help households with their energy bills is more generous than an additional VAT cut on domestic fuel and power, and there would be no guarantee that suppliers would pass on the discounts from this relief to all customers.
Separately, I would point out that VAT is a tax on consumption paid by consumers. In general, businesses operate as part of the VAT collection process, paying VAT on their sales but recovering VAT on their purchases. This means that VAT registered businesses can normally reclaim any VAT incurred, so a VAT reduction would not benefit them.
Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of instructing energy utilities to include energy support payments in bills before VAT is calculated.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Under the Energy Bills Support Scheme, the Government is paying £400 of the cost of domestic customer’s energy bills. VAT law applies a reduced rate of 5 per cent VAT to supplies of energy made to domestic customers.Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department of made of the prevalence of carrier companies making unfair profits through the incorrect application of trade tariff codes on imported goods following the UK's exit from the EU.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Following the UK’s exit from the EU, the Government’s priority was to keep goods moving and avoid delays at the border without compromising security.
Compliance with the new customs declaration processes for EU trade has been high and businesses have adjusted well to the new requirements. HMRC is aware there has been some non-compliance. HMRC and Border Force are working with hauliers, carriers and importers to address this, and take action where appropriate.
Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has had recent discussions with (a) regulators and (b) other relevant stakeholders on (i) the use of tracking apps by car insurance companies and (ii) ensuring that consumers are able to identify which products require the use of such apps when procuring car insurance products.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Insurers should treat customers fairly and firms are required to do so under Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) rules. The FCA is an independent body responsible for regulating and supervising the financial services industry, including insurance.
The FCA requires that an insurer must give information to a consumer about the terms and conditions of insurance products in a comprehensible form to enable them to make an informed purchasing decision.
The Government regularly engages with both the FCA and insurance industry stakeholders.
Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he will publish proposals to replace the EU Green Taxonomy Framework.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The UK Green Taxonomy Consultation is under review and the Government will be setting out next steps in due course.
Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has had discussions with the banking hub company on setting up a site in the Upper Tywi Valley in Carmarthenshire.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government has welcomed industry efforts to develop coordinated initiatives to support access to cash. Following the Government’s commitment to legislate to protect access to cash, the Cash Action Group announced plans for industry to assess the access to cash needs of communities where there is a closure of a core cash service or upon the request of a local community. These assessments are undertaken independently by LINK (which operates the UK’s largest ATM network) and the provision of shared bank hubs is a commercial decision for industry. Where LINK recommends the introduction of a bank hub, industry has established the Bank Hub company to oversee the rollout of banks hubs across the UK. Further information about the assessment process can be found on LINK’s website.
Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of increasing the tax free mileage allowance in the context of rising fuel prices.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The Government sets the Approved Mileage Allowance Payments (AMAPs) rates to minimise administrative burdens.
Organisations are not required to use the AMAPs rates. Instead, they can agree to reimburse the actual cost incurred, where individuals can provide evidence of the expenditure, without an Income Tax or National Insurance charge arising.
Alternatively, they can choose to use a different mileage rate that better reflects their employees’ circumstances. However, tax is charged on any payment received by employees which exceed the AMAPs rate.
The Government keeps this policy under review.