Asked by: Matt Western (Labour - Warwick and Leamington)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits increasing video games tax relief from 25 per cent to 32 per cent.
Answered by Felicity Buchan
The Government recognises the valuable economic and cultural contribution of the video games industry. The Video Games Tax Relief (VGTR) has supported £5.1 billion of UK expenditure on 1,940 games since its introduction in 2014.
The Government keeps all tax reliefs under review. Any externally commissioned evaluation will be published in the usual way, in line with the Government Social Research Publication Protocol.
The Government regularly receives proposals for changes to tax reliefs. When considering changes, the Government must ensure they provide support to businesses in a fair way and that taxpayer money is effectively targeted. An uplift in the rate of VGTR is not currently under consideration.
Asked by: Matt Western (Labour - Warwick and Leamington)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of his statement on the Growth Plan on 23 September 2022 on the cost of (a) mortgages and (b) rents for people in the Warwick and Leamington constituency.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade
The Growth Plan drives fundamental supply-side reforms to deliver higher and sustainable growth for the long-term. The Government understands that people across the UK are worried about the cost of living, including in places such as Warwick and Leamington. That is why we have taken decisive action to help households through the Energy Price Guarantee and the Energy Bills Support Scheme. This is in addition to the £37 billion of targeted support for the cost of living this financial year.
Around 75% of residential mortgage borrowers are on fixed-rate deals and are therefore shielded from interest rate rises in the short term. The pricing of mortgages and rents remain commercial decisions for lenders and landlords respectively, and the Government does not seek to intervene in these decisions.
Asked by: Matt Western (Labour - Warwick and Leamington)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish the (a) dates and (b) names of organisations and representatives present of any meetings he has held with US healthcare companies since becoming Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Answered by Simon Clarke
Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of external stakeholders.
Details of ministerial and permanent secretary meetings with external organisations on departmental business are published on a quarterly basis and are available at: HMT ministers' meetings, hospitality, gifts and overseas travel - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Asked by: Matt Western (Labour - Warwick and Leamington)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the total forecast figure budgeted for the Eat Out to Help Out scheme was when that scheme was launched in June 2020.
Answered by Lucy Frazer
The original forecast figure for the Eat Out to Help Out scheme was £500 million. This estimate was based on the 2018 ONS Annual Business Survey turnover data for the relevant sectors, along with the Spring Budget consumption forecast, and was published in the Plan for Jobs 2020. This can be found under table 1 here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/a-plan-for-jobs-documents/a-plan-for-jobs-2020.
The amount paid under the scheme was £840 million, due to the popularity of the scheme and its effectiveness in meeting the policy objectives of incentivising consumer use of restaurants, and other such establishments, and protecting jobs in hospitality.
Asked by: Matt Western (Labour - Warwick and Leamington)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the average annual amount spent by his Department is on photographers for the Chancellor; and which budget line and cost category that spending is recorded against.
Answered by Helen Whately - Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
All photographs are taken by members of the Treasury’s in-house communications team at no additional cost.