Asked by: Justin Tomlinson (Conservative - North Swindon)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to make up in funding for his Department any shortfall from the Soft Drinks Industry Levy in the event that it accrues less revenue for the public purse than it was estimated to do; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Andrew Jones
As published in Table 2.2 of the Spring Budget 2017, the levy is expected to raise approximately £385m per year from April 2018. This is less than originally expected at Budget 2016, reflecting the OBRs judgement that producers will reformulate a higher proportion of their products towards lower sugar content.
In total, the Government has provided extra funding across the UK of almost £1.2 billion up to 2020, linked to the levy. This is split with almost £1 billion allocated to the Department for Education in England, and the remainder to the Devolved Administrations. The government is therefore committed to providing more funding to 2020 than the levy is forecast to raise, as the Chancellor guaranteed at Spring Budget 2017.
Every penny of England’s share of the spending funded by the levy will continue to be spent on giving school-aged children a better and healthier future, including through doubling the Primary Sports Premium and providing extra funding for breakfast clubs. Whilst still meeting this commitment, the Secretary of State for Education announced in July that she would reprioritise £315m in healthy pupils capital funding, redirecting it to core schools funding. This is a major boost for our schools. DfE’s overall budget has not been cut and there has been no change to funding for the Devolved Administrations as a result of this reprioritisation.
Asked by: Justin Tomlinson (Conservative - North Swindon)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to exempt automated external defibrillators from VAT.
Answered by Mel Stride - Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer
Whilst it is not possible under current EU laws to exempt from VAT all purchases of defibrillators, the government does maintain several VAT reliefs to aid purchases of defibrillators. These include VAT refunds of purchases made by local authorities and VAT relief for purchases made through voluntary contributions which are donated to eligible charities or the NHS.
Asked by: Justin Tomlinson (Conservative - North Swindon)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions he has had with banks on dedicated support for customers who are disabled or have a long-term health condition, a mental health condition or cancer.
Answered by Steve Barclay
Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. Details of ministerial and permanent secretary meetings with external organisations on departmental business are published on a quarterly basis and are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-gifts-and-overseas-travel
UK banks’ and building societies’ treatment of their customers is governed by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in its Principles for Businesses and includes a general requirement for firms to provide a prompt, efficient and fair service to all of their customers.
The House of Lords Select Committee on Financial Exclusion raised a number of issues affecting vulnerable customers in their recent report: Tackling financial exclusion: a country that works for everyone? The Government will respond to that report in due course.
Asked by: Justin Tomlinson (Conservative - North Swindon)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will take steps to ensure that administration fees charged by car insurance companies for changes to policies are proportionate to the cost of the policy change.
Answered by Steve Barclay
The Government is determined that insurers should treat customers fairly and firms are required to do so under the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) rules. These include, amongst other things, requirements to treat customers fairly, and clearly disclose administration fees before they are payable. FCA rules also prevent insurers from profiting from cancellation fees. Specifically, insurers must not use cancellation fees to penalise customers and any fees charged must have been reasonably incurred by the firm.
The Government does not tend to intervene in the level of charges administered by insurance firms as this is ultimately a matter of their commercial judgment. However, if an individual feels that they have not been treated fairly and would like to complain about a particular type of insurance practice, they can contact the FCA through their consumer support service.
Asked by: Justin Tomlinson (Conservative - North Swindon)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to remove the 10-year restriction on the community use of facilities partly or wholly funded by the Education and Skills Funding Agency.
Answered by Andrew Jones
The 10-year restriction on community use activity, including community use that comprises business activity, is in place to avoid misuse of the zero rate of VAT which can be applied to the construction of buildings used for charities’ non-business activity. There are no plans to remove this restriction.
Asked by: Justin Tomlinson (Conservative - North Swindon)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to remove the requirement for schools and colleges to pay VAT on extensions funded by the Education and Skills Funding Agency which are directly connected to existing buildings.
Answered by Mel Stride - Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer
There is no provision under EU law that provides for the blanket exemption of schools from being charged VAT and the UK is therefore not able to exempt schools from paying VAT on extensions funded by the Education and Skills Funding Agency. While the UK remains a member of the EU, we will continue to abide by our rights and obligations.
Asked by: Justin Tomlinson (Conservative - North Swindon)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people have (a) been taken out of paying income tax and (b) had a reduction in the income tax they pay in (i) North Swindon constituency and (ii) the UK since 2010.
Answered by Mel Stride - Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer
I refer the honourable member for North Swindon to the answers given on 22nd March 2017 to his previous questions on this subject.
Asked by: Justin Tomlinson (Conservative - North Swindon)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to include the cash value of changes to income tax on payslips when any change is made.
Answered by Mel Stride - Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer
Information on income tax is provided in annual tax summaries which have been issued for the last three years. Tax summaries show individuals how their income tax and National Insurance contributions have been calculated for all their employments and other forms of taxable income, and how this contributes to public expenditure.
Individuals can compare one year’s tax summary with another to see how changes to income tax, such as increases to the personal allowance, affect their tax bill. Since 2010, the personal allowance has increased by nearly 80 per cent - from £6,475 in 2010-11, to £11,500 in 2017-18.
Asked by: Justin Tomlinson (Conservative - North Swindon)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what amount his Department estimates will be raised from the soft drinks industry levy over the next five years.
Answered by Andrew Jones
As published in Table 2.2 of Budget 2017, the levy is expected to raise approximately £385m per year from April 2018. This is less than originally expected at Budget 2016, reflecting the OBRs judgement that producers will reformulate a higher proportion of their products towards lower sugar content. More information is available in the Office for Budget Responsibility’s March 2017 Economic and Fiscal Outlook.