Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what projection he has made of future fuel duty revenues for each financial year from 2022 to 2030, based on the current rate of fuel duty.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) published its fuel duties forecast up to and including 2026-27, as part of its Economic and fiscal outlook in October 2021. This set out that fuel duties are estimated to reach £26.8bn in 2021-22, £28.8bn in 2022-23, £29.9bn in 2023-24, £30.4bn in 2024-25, £30.7bn in 2025-26 and £31.1bn in 2026-27. There is no forecast available beyond 2026-27.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of (a) waiving and (b) reducing the VAT rate levied on delivered goods that are transported by electric-cargo bike.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The VAT rate levied on goods is the same irrespective of how they are supplied to the final consumer. Introducing variable rates dependent on transport mode would cause unnecessary complexity for businesses and consumers, and the Government has no current plans to review this.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of the vehicles used by his Department for Government business are electric vehicles.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - President of the Board of Trade
The vehicles used by ministers of HM Treasury are supplied under contract by the Government Car Service and this is therefore a matter for the Department of Transport.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when his Department plans to publish a response to the consultation on aviation tax reform.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - President of the Board of Trade
The consultation on aviation tax reform closed on 15 June. We are currently reviewing responses to the consultation and will update on timing in due course.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of including the cost of a bike as an allowable expense on self-employed workers’ self-assessment, to ensure all workers can participate in the Cycle to Work scheme, regardless of their employment status.
Answered by Jesse Norman
On 29 April 2021 officials from the Department for Transport met with the Cycle to Work Alliance along with officials from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs and Her Majesty’s Treasury to discuss the Alliance’s Report, which included a proposal to extend the Cycle to Work scheme to the self-employed. The report’s recommendations will be considered carefully to establish whether and how the Cycle to Work scheme could be improved.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much debt is owed to the UK Government by (a) each of the five UK Overseas Territories in the Caribbean (b) other small island states; and how much of that debt will be due for repayment in each of the next three years.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The UK is committed to supporting the Overseas Territories in building successful and resilient economies. We provide technical support and encourage best practice in financial management.
There is currently no outstanding debt owed to the UK by the five UK Overseas Territories in the Caribbean.
Below is a breakdown of total debt owed to the UK by other small island states (as defined by the UN), including a breakdown of repayments due over the next three financial years.
Outstanding debt owed to the UK by small island states:
Country | Agreement | Currency | Arrears | Total due for the financial year: 1/4/21 - 31/3/22 | Total due for the financial year: 1/4/22 - 31/3/23 | Total due for the financial year: 1/4/23 - 31/3/24 | Total due over three years, excluding arrears | UKEF and FCDO total exposure, including arrears (£)[1] |
Antigua & Barbuda | UK/Antigua & Barbuda Debt Agreement No. 1 | GBP | 803,093 | 196,209 | 200,242 | 202,933 | 599,386 | 1,390,000 |
Cuba | UK/Cuba Short Term Debt Rescheduling Agreement | GBP | 3,110,935 | 630,135 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 630,135 | 190.970,000 |
Cuba | UK/Cuba Debt Agreement No. 5 | GBP | 2,226,624 | 2,923,954 | 3,128,127 | 3,335,317 | 9,387,399 | |
Grenada | UK/Grenada Debt Agreement No. 2 | GBP | 0.00 | 5,395 | 86,130 | 86,050 | 177,576 | 1,030,000 |
Seychelles | UK/Seychelles No. 1 | USD | 0.00 | 8,909 | 149,518 | 169,310 | 327,738 | 4,850,000 |
Seychelles | UK/Seychelles No.2 | GBP | 0.00 | 252,969 | 552,719 | 617,933 | 1,423,621 | |
St Vincent[2] | - | USD | 0.00 | 1,757,452 | 3,512,904 | 0 | 5,269,356 | 6,940,000 |
Dominica | - | USD | 0.00 | 1,710,364 | 1,669,676 | 1,629,418 | 5,009,459 | 5,460,000 |
Bahrain[3] | - | GBP | 0.00 | 1,993,505 | 1,993,505 | 1,993,505 | 5,980,517 | 33,730,000 |
[1] Total UK exposure as of 31st August 2020. The link for this information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/report-on-outstanding-debt-owed-by-other-countries-to-her-majestys-government/ukef-and-dfid-sovereign-exposure-by-recipient-country-outstanding-and-arrears
[2] St Vincent does not have monies owed in the financial year commencing 1st April 2023 as their last repayment is due on 31st December 2022.
[3] The repayment totals for Bahrain are provisional as their facility is yet to be fully drawn down.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to support (a) taxi drivers who have recently purchased a zero-emissions-capable taxi and offset the cost against their earnings using capital allowances and (b) other self-employed people not eligible for the self-employed income support scheme.
Answered by Jesse Norman
This is a challenging time for many sectors and individuals, including taxi drivers. In response to the second national lockdown, the Chancellor announced that the next Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) grant, which covers the period from November to January, will increase to 80% of average profits, up to £7,500.
The SEISS continues to be just one element of a substantial package of support for the self-employed, and those ineligible for the SEISS Grant Extension may still be eligible for other elements of the support available. The Universal Credit standard allowance has been temporarily increased for 2020-21 and the Minimum Income Floor relaxed for the duration of the crisis, so that where self-employed claimants' earnings have fallen significantly, their Universal Credit award will have increased to reflect their lower earnings. They may also have access to other elements of the package, including Bounce Back loans, tax deferrals, rental support, mortgage holidays, self-isolation support payments and other business support grants.
More widely, the Government uses the tax system to encourage the uptake of vehicles with low carbon dioxide emissions to help meet the UK’s legally binding climate change targets. Since April 2019, purpose built zero-emission capable taxis have been exempted from the Vehicle Excise Duty expensive car supplement. At Budget 2020, the Government also announced that First Year Allowances on purchases of zero-emission business cars, including zero-emission taxis, will remain available until at least March 2025. Businesses hiring zero-emission cars also retain the ability to set 100% of rental costs against taxable profits.
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 economic effect of the covid-19 outbreak on drivers who have leased a zero-emissions-capable taxi; and what steps he plans to take to support those people.
Answered by Jesse Norman
This is a challenging time for many sectors and individuals, including taxi drivers. In response to the second national lockdown, the Chancellor announced that the next Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) grant, which covers the period from November to January, will increase to 80% of average profits, up to £7,500.
The SEISS continues to be just one element of a substantial package of support for the self-employed, and those ineligible for the SEISS Grant Extension may still be eligible for other elements of the support available. The Universal Credit standard allowance has been temporarily increased for 2020-21 and the Minimum Income Floor relaxed for the duration of the crisis, so that where self-employed claimants' earnings have fallen significantly, their Universal Credit award will have increased to reflect their lower earnings. They may also have access to other elements of the package, including Bounce Back loans, tax deferrals, rental support, mortgage holidays, self-isolation support payments and other business support grants.
More widely, the Government uses the tax system to encourage the uptake of vehicles with low carbon dioxide emissions to help meet the UK’s legally binding climate change targets. Since April 2019, purpose built zero-emission capable taxis have been exempted from the Vehicle Excise Duty expensive car supplement. At Budget 2020, the Government also announced that First Year Allowances on purchases of zero-emission business cars, including zero-emission taxis, will remain available until at least March 2025. Businesses hiring zero-emission cars also retain the ability to set 100% of rental costs against taxable profits.