Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if HM Revenue and Customs will waive the tax on the Welsh Government's £500 payments to carers.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The UK Government values the contribution of care workers greatly, particularly during the current COVID-19 crisis.
HM Revenue and Customs are working with the Welsh Government to understand the nature of the payments. Under the longstanding rules of income tax, any payments made in connection with an employment are chargeable to income tax and National Insurance contributions.
This is consistent with the Government’s approach across different forms of financial support during COVID-19, including payments made under the Job Retention Scheme and the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme, which are liable to tax.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much additional funding has been allocated to the (a) Welsh Government and (b) other public bodies in Wales in response to the covid-19 outbreak to ensure additional health provisions in prisons in Wales, since 31 January 2020.
Answered by Steve Barclay - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Welsh Government have been provided with over £1.6bn to support people, businesses and public services through COVID-19.
HMPPS is working closely with Public Health Wales, Welsh Government, Public Health England, the NHS and the Department for Health and Social Care to stop the spread of COVID-19.
Alongside existing procedures to manage outbreaks of infectious diseases, HMPPS are ensuring that staff have access to personal protective equipment where necessary and have introduced a procedure for the protective isolation of individuals in custody when it is considered that they may be infected with the virus. HMPPS are also working with prison health teams in Wales to ensure that there is a joint approach to any incidents.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with the Welsh Government on the provision of compensation for (a) individuals and (b) businesses affected by coastal erosion.
Answered by Rishi Sunak - Prime Minister, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service, and Minister for the Union
Treasury Ministers and officials have regular discussions with all of the devolved administrations on matters of importance to the economy across the UK, including Environment policy. Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management policy is devolved. It is for the devolved administrations to set their own priorities and determine the allocation of funds as they choose.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions he has had with the representatives from (a) Crown Estate Commissioners and (b) Natural Resources Wales on the responsibility for land exposed to coastal erosion in Fairbourne, Gwynedd.
Answered by Rishi Sunak - Prime Minister, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service, and Minister for the Union
Treasury Ministers and officials have regular discussions with all of the devolved administrations on matters of importance to the economy across the UK, including Environment policy. Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management policy is devolved. It is for the devolved administrations to set their own priorities and determine the allocation of funds as they choose.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much money the Government has allocated to no deal preparations in Dwyfor Meirionnydd constituency.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
The UK Government is making additional funding available so that departments and the devolved administrations can prepare effectively for EU Exit. More than £4.2 billion has been provided since 2016, including over £2 billion for core Brexit activity in 2019-20 for deal and no deal preparations.
The 2019-20 allocations were announced in a Written Ministerial Statement on 18 December 2018. The devolved administrations received their full share of additional funding in devolved areas through the Barnett Formula, with the Welsh Government allocated £31.1m. This follows Barnett-based allocations to the Welsh Government of £3.7m in 2017-18 and £21.4m in 2018-19.
It is for departments and devolved administrations to decide where to allocate EU Exit funding across reserved and devolved responsibilities respectively.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the VAT revenue accrued to the public purse from the procurement of (a) medical equipment, (b) lifesaving emergency equipment and (c) defibrillators in each of the last five years.
Answered by Mel Stride - Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
This level of detail is not requested on VAT returns and therefore we do not have data available on how much VAT revenue was accrued or refunded in relation to particular products.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the VAT refunds made in relation to the procurement of (a) medical equipment, (b) lifesaving medical emergency medical equipment and (c) defibrillators, in each of the last five years.
Answered by Mel Stride - Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
This level of detail is not requested on VAT returns and therefore we do not have data available on how much VAT revenue was accrued or refunded in relation to particular products.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has plans to review the policy of charging VAT on (a) defibrillators and (b) other medical equipment.
Answered by Mel Stride - Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
We recognise that provision of defibrillators could help those who have a cardiac arrest outside a hospital setting. The government maintains several VAT reliefs to aid purchases of defibrillators, including purchases made by local authorities and those made through voluntary contributions which are donated to eligible charities or the NHS.
The current framework of European law limits further VAT reliefs being applied to defibrillators. Our future relationship with the EU, including on VAT, is subject to negotiation. Any future decisions on VAT will continue to be taken in line with the normal Budget process.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that recreational boaters whose vessels have Union Goods status are able quickly and easily to prove that status when travelling between the UK and the EU after the UK has left the EU.
Answered by Mel Stride - Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
The future customs rules for goods moving between the UK and the EU, including for arrangements relating to recreational boats, will depend on the outcome of negotiations with the EU. The Government is engaging with stakeholders affected by EU Exit in every sector and region of the UK economy to assess the effect of EU Exit on them.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department plans to take to ensure that recreational craft travelling from the UK to the EU with non-Union Goods status can benefit from Temporary Admission Relief on VAT and duty after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Mel Stride - Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
The future customs rules for goods moving between the UK and the EU, including for arrangements relating to recreational boats, will depend on the outcome of negotiations with the EU. The Government is engaging with stakeholders affected by EU Exit in every sector and region of the UK economy to assess the effect of EU Exit on them.