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Written Question
Theatre: Tax Allowances
Thursday 6th July 2023

Asked by: Lucy Powell (Labour (Co-op) - Manchester Central)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, further to the Answer of 30 January 2020 to Question 132309 on Theatre: Tax Allowances, what the (a) average and (b) longest delay was for valid claims for Theatre Tax Relief that were not paid within 28 days in the latest period for which data is available.

Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

We are unable to provide a) average and b) the longest delay for valid claims for Theatre Tax relief not paid within 28 days. Any figures could be misleading, given the range of reasons why claims are not paid within 28 days.

In addition, given the size of the sector, to provide context to the figures could put taxpayer confidentiality at risk.


Written Question
Theatres: Tax Allowances
Wednesday 28th June 2023

Asked by: Lucy Powell (Labour (Co-op) - Manchester Central)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of valid claims for Theatre Tax Relief were paid within 28 days of receipt in each month since April 2022.

Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

HMRC aims to pay claims for all tax reliefs as soon as possible. For information relating to valid claims for Theatre Tax Relief paid within 28 days of receipt, I would refer the hon Member to my answer of 30 January to PQ UIN 132309.


Written Question
Treasury: Artificial Intelligence
Thursday 15th June 2023

Asked by: Lucy Powell (Labour (Co-op) - Manchester Central)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Government's publication A pro-innovation approach to AI regulation, published on 29 March 2023, how much and what proportion of the budget of each regulator in their Department was spent on regulation of artificial intelligence in the latest period for which information is available; how many staff in each regulator worked (a) wholly and (b) partly on those issues in the latest period for which information is available; and whether those regulators plan to increase resources for their work on artificial intelligence.

Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The AI White Paper emphasised the importance of ensuring that UK regulators and public bodies have the capacity, expertise, and capabilities to implement government’s pro-innovation approach whilst recognising and understanding the risks. This is particularly true for those regulators for which AI falls squarely within their regulatory remit, but also applies to a much wider range of public and regulatory bodies considering the implications AI has across the economy, including the financial services regulators.

The Financial Conduct Authority, the Prudential Regulation Authority, the Bank of England in its regulation of certain financial market infrastructure, and the Payment Systems Regulator, are independent non-governmental bodies responsible for regulating and supervising the financial services industry. Although the Treasury sets the legal framework for the regulation of financial services, the regulators are responsible for developing and implementing rules, including relating to AI, and determining appropriate levels resourcing.

As part of the AI regulation White Paper consultation, the government is engaging closely with the regulators to understand the organisational capacity they need to regulate AI effectively, across technical, regulatory, and market-specific expertise.

I have asked the financial services regulators to respond to you directly on their resourcing for AI regulation.


Written Question
Competition and Markets Authority: Finance
Thursday 24th November 2022

Asked by: Lucy Powell (Labour (Co-op) - Manchester Central)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the annual budget is of the Digital Markets Unit within the Competition and Markets Authority in each year since that unit was established; and what the planned budget is for the Digital Markets Unit in each financial year until 2024-5.

Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

The Digital Markets Unit (DMU) was established in April 2021 as part of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). The DMU is funded through the CMA’s regular budget setting process. In the Spending Review 2020, set up costs for the DMU were included in the CMA’s 2021-22 resource budget of £109.6m.

At Spending Review 2021, the CMA’s resource budget, which includes the DMU, was set at £112.5 million in 2022-23, £127.9m in 2023-24 and £130.5m in 2024-25.


Written Question
Project Gigabit
Tuesday 22nd November 2022

Asked by: Lucy Powell (Labour (Co-op) - Manchester Central)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to his announcement in the Autumn Statement 2022 on 17 November 2022 that gigabit broadband roll-out will be funded, if the investment of £1.2 billion of the £5 billion Project Gigabit will be allocated to the period from 2021-22 to 2024-25, and when the allocation of the further £3.8 billion will be announced.

Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

The Autumn Statement maintains the level of economic infrastructure spending as set out at the Spending Review 2021. That Spending Review confirmed investment of £1.2bn for Project Gigabit from 2021-22 to 2024-25 as part of the wider £5 billion commitment to the programme. The government remains committed to its targets to reach at least 85% gigabit-capable broadband coverage by 2025 and to reach nationwide coverage by 2030. Significant progress has been made towards these targets since 2019, with gigabit-capable access rising from 6% of premises in 2019 to 72% as of today. The government will confirm spending allocations beyond 2024-25 at the next Spending Review.


Written Question
Project Gigabit
Tuesday 22nd November 2022

Asked by: Lucy Powell (Labour (Co-op) - Manchester Central)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to his announcement in the Autumn Statement 2022 on 17 November 2022, that gigabit broadband rollout will be funded, whether the £5 billion committed to project gigabit will (a) be maintained in cash terms, or (b) rise with inflation.

Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

The Autumn Statement maintains the level of economic infrastructure spending as set out at the Spending Review 2021. That Spending Review confirmed investment of £1.2bn for Project Gigabit from 2021-22 to 2024-25 as part of the wider £5 billion commitment to the programme. The government remains committed to its targets to reach at least 85% gigabit-capable broadband coverage by 2025 and to reach nationwide coverage by 2030. Significant progress has been made towards these targets since 2019, with gigabit-capable access rising from 6% of premises in 2019 to 72% as of today. The government will confirm spending allocations beyond 2024-25 at the next Spending Review.


Written Question
Broadband: Finance
Thursday 31st March 2022

Asked by: Lucy Powell (Labour (Co-op) - Manchester Central)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress he has made allocating £5bn announced for Project Gigabit.

Answered by Simon Clarke

The 2021 Spending Review re-affirmed £1.2bn over four years as part of our landmark £5bn commitment to Project Gigabit. We are open to accelerating faster and further if the market can deliver more, building upon the 67% of gigabit-capable broadband coverage achieved to date, up from just 8% in July 2019. Project Gigabit will support the rollout of gigabit connectivity in the hardest to reach areas where we are working with industry to target a minimum of 85% coverage by 2025. We are making good progress; so far broadband providers have been invited to bid for contracts to upgrade up to 187,000 premises across Cumbria, Durham, Northumberland, Cambridgeshire, North Dorset and West Cornwall.


Written Question
Land Registry: Public Expenditure
Monday 1st November 2021

Asked by: Lucy Powell (Labour (Co-op) - Manchester Central)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to page 41 of the Autumn Budget and Spending Review 2021 Policy Costings document, what plans he has for the allocation of the £225m that is expected to be made from the increase in Land Registry caseworker capacity.

Answered by Simon Clarke

As part of the Spending Review, Her Majesty’s Land Registry (HMLR) is investing in additional caseworker capacity in the short term to address a backlog of cases for updating or changing the Land Register. Processing these outstanding registrations will provide additional exchequer revenue.

Over the Spending Review period we will also be investing in digital transformation and automation at HMLR to provide better, faster and more efficient services for customers.

This includes a new national digital register, which will reduce the time and costs for property buyers to receive an official search. The roll out of this service will reduce the average time it takes for customers to receive a search to minutes.


Written Question
Property Development: Taxation
Monday 1st November 2021

Asked by: Lucy Powell (Labour (Co-op) - Manchester Central)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the impact on viability of development of the Residential property developer tax; and what steps he is taking to ensure developers do not use the tax to reduce their affordable housing or other infrastructure investment obligations.

Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport

The Government has designed the Residential Property Developer Tax in a way that will minimise any detrimental impact on housing supply, including the supply of affordable housing.

In particular, taxing profits will help to ensure contributions are proportionate to economic returns and will help to minimise distortions that might come from alternative tax bases.

The new tax will not affect developers’ planning obligations, including obligations under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.


Written Question
Building Safety Fund
Monday 21st June 2021

Asked by: Lucy Powell (Labour (Co-op) - Manchester Central)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 14 June 2021 to Question 12143, for what reason the additional £3.5 billion of funding to remediate unsafe cladding from high rise residential buildings that will be made available from the current financial year was not included in the budget on 3 March 2021.

Answered by Steve Barclay - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

On 10 February 2021, MHCLG announced £3.5bn additional funding for cladding remediation, alongside a wider package of building safety measures. MHCLG will announce further details on the availability of this funding in due course.

The Treasury sets departmental budgets at Spending Reviews.