Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 7 February 2022 to Question 116890, on Climate Change: Developing Countries, what support will be available for debt-vulnerable Small Island Developing States (SIDS) that are not eligible for debt treatment assistance under the Common Framework for Debt Treatment.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
Of the 73 low-income countries that are eligible for the Common Framework, 22 are Small Island Developing States. Countries that are ineligible for the Common Framework may still apply for a debt treatment from the Paris Club. The UK is a longstanding member of the Paris Club and has a strong record of working with international partners to assist countries on their road to longer-term debt sustainability.
The UK has also committed to double our International Climate Finance to developing countries to at least £11.6bn between 2021 and 2025. We recognise that the challenge of adaptation and resilience is immediate, and often more acute for Small Island Developing States than for many other states. We will continue to balance mitigation spend with adaptation spend. Over the last 10 years, UK International Climate Finance has supported 88 million people to cope with the effects of climate change, providing 41 million with improved access to clean energy and avoided or reduced 51 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.
As COP26 Presidency and G7 Presidency, we made it a priority to demonstrate progress on the goal to mobilise $100bn a year in climate finance from developed to developing countries to 2025. Under the UK COP26 Presidency, 95% of the largest developed country climate finance providers made new, forward-looking commitments, with many doubling or even quadrupling their support for developing countries to take climate action. It is now likely that $500 billion will be mobilised over the period 2021-25. This means more money for developing countries to decarbonise and adapt to the impacts of climate change, including Small Island Developing States.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 7 February 2022 to Question 116890, on Climate Change: Developing Countries, how many of the 73 low income countries eligible for the Common Framework for Debt Treatment are Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
To support low-income countries to tackle their debt vulnerabilities, in November 2020 the UK, alongside our G20 and Paris Club partners, agreed a new Common Framework for Debt Treatment beyond the Debt Service Suspension Initiative. This brings together, for the first time, G20 and Paris Club creditors to coordinate debt treatments following a request from any of the 73 eligible low-income countries. Private sector creditors will be expected to implement debt treatments on at least as favourable terms as those agreed by official creditors.
Of the 73 low-income countries that are eligible for the Common Framework, 22 are Small Island Developing States.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what procedure is in place for investigating alleged child benefit fraud where the victim is a Child Maintenance Service paying third party.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
HMRC is committed to preventing fraud in all forms to ensure that Child Benefit payments are protected only for those who are entitled to receive them. All allegations of fraud, irrespective of the source or alleged victim, are investigated thoroughly, legally, and robustly. It would put the effectiveness of these approaches, and therefore the public finances, at risk if HMRC were to publicly share details of its fraud investigation measures.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of impact of the (a) reduction in Air Passenger Duty on domestic flights and (b) increase in Air Passenger Duty on ultra-long haul flights from April 2023, on aviation demand.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
At Budget, the Government announced that, from April 2023, it will introduce a new reduced domestic band of Air Passenger Duty (APD) set at £6.50 for economy passengers. The new domestic band will cover flights between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, in order to support connectivity across the UK. As a result, around 9 million passengers will pay less APD in 2023/24.
The Government will also introduce a new ultra long-haul band, which will ensure that those who fly furthest, and have the greatest environmental impact, will pay the most.
Aviation accounts for around 8% of the UK’s total greenhouse gas emissions. International aviation is responsible for the vast majority of this contribution and accounted for 37 MtCO2e in 2019, whereas domestic aviation was responsible for 1.5 MtCO2e – equivalent to less than 1% of the UK’s total emissions in 2019.
Additionally, domestic aviation is included within the scope of the UK Emissions Trading Scheme, which sets a cap on the total amount of greenhouse gases that can be emitted by sectors covered by the scheme.
The Exchequer impacts of these APD changes are set out in table 5.1 of the Autumn Budget and Spending Review 2021 document, which is available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/autumn-budget-and-spending-review-2021-documents
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the impact on (a) carbon and (b) non-carbon emissions of the (i) reduction in Air Passenger Duty on domestic flights and (ii) increase in Air Passenger Duty on ultra-long haul flights from April 2023.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
At Budget, the Government announced that, from April 2023, it will introduce a new reduced domestic band of Air Passenger Duty (APD) set at £6.50 for economy passengers. The new domestic band will cover flights between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, in order to support connectivity across the UK. As a result, around 9 million passengers will pay less APD in 2023/24.
The Government will also introduce a new ultra long-haul band, which will ensure that those who fly furthest, and have the greatest environmental impact, will pay the most.
Aviation accounts for around 8% of the UK’s total greenhouse gas emissions. International aviation is responsible for the vast majority of this contribution and accounted for 37 MtCO2e in 2019, whereas domestic aviation was responsible for 1.5 MtCO2e – equivalent to less than 1% of the UK’s total emissions in 2019.
Additionally, domestic aviation is included within the scope of the UK Emissions Trading Scheme, which sets a cap on the total amount of greenhouse gases that can be emitted by sectors covered by the scheme.
The Exchequer impacts of these APD changes are set out in table 5.1 of the Autumn Budget and Spending Review 2021 document, which is available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/autumn-budget-and-spending-review-2021-documents
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the annual change in Government revenue resulting from the (a) reduction in Air Passenger Duty on domestic flights from April 2023 and (b) rise in Air Passenger Duty on ultra-long haul flights from April 2023.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
At Budget, the Government announced that, from April 2023, it will introduce a new reduced domestic band of Air Passenger Duty (APD) set at £6.50 for economy passengers. The new domestic band will cover flights between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, in order to support connectivity across the UK. As a result, around 9 million passengers will pay less APD in 2023/24.
The Government will also introduce a new ultra long-haul band, which will ensure that those who fly furthest, and have the greatest environmental impact, will pay the most.
Aviation accounts for around 8% of the UK’s total greenhouse gas emissions. International aviation is responsible for the vast majority of this contribution and accounted for 37 MtCO2e in 2019, whereas domestic aviation was responsible for 1.5 MtCO2e – equivalent to less than 1% of the UK’s total emissions in 2019.
Additionally, domestic aviation is included within the scope of the UK Emissions Trading Scheme, which sets a cap on the total amount of greenhouse gases that can be emitted by sectors covered by the scheme.
The Exchequer impacts of these APD changes are set out in table 5.1 of the Autumn Budget and Spending Review 2021 document, which is available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/autumn-budget-and-spending-review-2021-documents