Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will restore the Official Development Assistance budget to 0.7% of gross national income.
Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
This Government is committed to restoring ODA spending at the level of 0.7 per cent of GNI as soon as fiscal circumstances allow. The Government will set out its approach to the House in due course.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will have discussions with the Association of British Insurers on reducing insurance premiums for households.
Answered by Bim Afolami
Treasury Ministers and officials have regular meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors on an ongoing basis.
Insurers make decisions about the terms on which they will offer cover following an assessment of the relevant risks. The Government does not intend to intervene in these commercial decisions as this could damage competition in the market.
However, the Government is determined that insurers should treat customers fairly. The Financial Conduct Authority requires firms to ensure their products offer fair value (i.e. if the price a consumer pays for a product or service is reasonable compared to the overall benefits they can expect to receive). The FCA has been clear that it will be monitoring firms to ensure they are providing products that are fair value, and, where necessary, it will take action.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of increasing Draught Duty Relief to 20% on (a) pubs and (b) small and independent brewers.
Answered by Gareth Davies - Shadow Financial Secretary (Treasury)
Draught Relief, introduced under the new alcohol duty system, provides a reduction in the duty on draught products and helps to level the playing field between pubs and supermarkets, allowing pubs and brewers to price their on-trade products more competitively. The Brexit Pubs Guarantee ensures that draught products will always be subject to lower duty than their supermarket equivalent.
The Government is closely monitoring the impact of the recent reforms, including Draught Relief, and will evaluate the impact of the new rates and structures three years after the changes took effect on 1 August 2023. This will allow time to understand the impacts on the alcohol market, and for HMRC to gather useful and accurate data with which to evaluate the effects of the reform.
As with all taxes, the Government keeps the alcohol duty system under review during its yearly Budget process.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many applications for licences the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation has received in each of the last five years.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Shadow Secretary of State for Defence
The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) publishes the number of financial sanctions licences issued in its Annual Review. Information about the total number of licences and the total number of legal fees licences that OFSI has granted for the last five financial years can be found in OFSI’s Annual Review documents, which are publicly available on OFSI’s website. OFSI will publish the latest figures in the next Annual Review in due course. OFSI does not publish details about individual licences granted, including source and quantum of funds licensed.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many times the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation has issued licences for legal fees in each of the last five years.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Shadow Secretary of State for Defence
The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) publishes the number of financial sanctions licences issued in its Annual Review. Information about the total number of licences and the total number of legal fees licences that OFSI has granted for the last five financial years can be found in OFSI’s Annual Review documents, which are publicly available on OFSI’s website. OFSI will publish the latest figures in the next Annual Review in due course. OFSI does not publish details about individual licences granted, including source and quantum of funds licensed.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many social media posts on the subject of tax avoidance were posted by HMRC in the last five years.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) does not hold this figure. However, in November 2020 HMRC launched the Tax Avoidance: Don’t Get Caught Out digital marketing campaign, warning the public of the risks of disguised remuneration marketed tax avoidance. Social media is used as part of the campaign to alert taxpayers to the risks of getting involved in tax avoidance.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many (a) non-disclosure and (b) other confidentiality agreements relating to (i) employment, (ii) bullying, (iii) misconduct and (iii) harassment cases have been agreed by their Department in each year since 1 January 2010; and how much money from the public purse has been spent on (A) legal costs and (B) financial settlements for such agreements in each year since 1 January 2010.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Shadow Secretary of State for Defence
Where the number of complaints is fewer than five, we consider that to provide an exact category and figure, would constitute the disclosure of personal data. To this end, we are also withholding the financial value of the agreement. This would constitute an absolute exemption for personal data which falls to be dealt with under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. Personal data of third parties can only be disclosed in accordance with the data protection principles. In particular, the first data protection principle requires that disclosure must be lawful and fair and must comply with one of the conditions in Article 6 of the GDPR. We do not think that it is fair to release this information and do not think that any of the relevant conditions apply.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has had recent discussions with the International Monetary Fund on the potential impact of surcharges on (a) Pakistan and (b) other countries that have experienced climate disasters.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade
The Government expresses deep concern and condolences for the severe humanitarian and economic impact of flooding in Pakistan. The UK recently announced an uplift in Pakistan flood relief funding, taking the total amount pledged to £16.5m. In addition, at COP26, the UK announced more than £55m of support to help Pakistan tackle climate change.
The IMF considers surcharges to be an important part of its risk management framework, strengthening the Fund’s balance sheet and reinforcing its ability to provide financial support to vulnerable countries, including Pakistan and other countries experiencing balance of payments vulnerabilities stemming from climate disasters.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish the Government's economic impact assessment on unilateral action by the Government on the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Answered by John Glen
It is for the Office for Budget Responsibility to provide and publish economic and fiscal forecasting.
The Government’s overriding priority has been, and continues to be, preserving peace and stability in Northern Ireland. Peace in Northern Ireland is based on respect between all communities and the consent of those communities. We urge our partners in the EU to work with us to deliver changes to the Protocol. If we cannot find the solutions we need, we will take the steps necessary to protect all dimensions of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the total value is of assets frozen under sanctions relating to Russia.
Answered by John Glen
Relevant firms are legally obliged to report to the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) if they hold frozen assets of a designated person or entity they suspect to be on the list of asset freeze targets. OFSI is currently receiving a high volume of reporting about assets being frozen relating to sanctions imposed since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. This information is being collated and assured. Fuller details will be released in due course and will mark a substantial increase on previous assets reported as frozen under Russia sanctions.