Asked by: Melanie Onn (Labour - Great Grimsby)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Government plans to reduce excise duty on UK produced petroleum.
Answered by Simon Clarke
The government recognises that transport is a significant cost for households and businesses. That is why for the last nine years the government has frozen fuel duty at a cost of £53bn, saving the average car driver £1,000 compared to pre-2010 plans.
All taxes remain under review with any future decision made as part of the normal Budget processes and in the context of the wider fiscal position.
Asked by: Melanie Onn (Labour - Great Grimsby)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many kinship carers who applied for child tax credit were exempt from the two-child limit in 2017-18; and how many of those people were financially affected by the benefit cap in that period.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
The number of Child Tax Credit claimants who received an exception from the policy to provide support for a maximum of two children on the basis of non-parental care was 270 on 2 April 2018. This information is published and can be found by following the URL:
No claimants were excluded from financial support where supporting documentation was provided.
HMRC does not hold data on how many of these kinship carers were financially affected by the benefit cap.
The most recent benefit cap figures were published on 1 November 2018 and are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/benefit-cap-number-of-households-capped-to-august-2018
Asked by: Melanie Onn (Labour - Great Grimsby)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what (a) training and (b) guidance has been provided to HMRC staff in relation to the variation in the two child limit exemption for kinship carers and adopters applying for child tax credit.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
HMRC fully recognises that the policy to provide support for a maximum of two children is a difficult and sensitive issue, and has set up procedures that are mindful of the sensitivities involved. HMRC has a specialist operational team to handle claims for exceptions relating to this policy. Dedicated guidance is in place for this team which is actively maintained to ensure it is kept up to date.
Asked by: Melanie Onn (Labour - Great Grimsby)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what processes are in place to compensate kinship carers that are unable to claim child tax credit for their birth child in the period between 1 April 2017 and 28 November 2018 as a result of the two child exemption.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
The regulations to extend support for kinship carers and parents who adopt in Child Tax Credit (CTC) came into force on 28 November 2018. HMRC is already in contact with a number of families who may qualify for additional support and will be contacting all CTC claimants who have added a third or subsequent child to their award since 6 April 2017 to advise them of the policy change. Anyone who thinks they may have been affected by the policy change will be advised to get in touch with HMRC's specialist operational team. All individuals who qualify for the extension, will receive payment for their third or subsequent child from the date the child, or children, were added to their award.
Asked by: Melanie Onn (Labour - Great Grimsby)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the savings that will accrue to the public purse in financial years (a) 2017-18, (b) 2018-19 and (c) 2019-20 as a result of kinship carers with two children in a household not being able to claim child tax credit for their own baby.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
I refer the Honourable Member to the answer given on 17 October in response to question 107327.
Asked by: Melanie Onn (Labour - Great Grimsby)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many kinship carers have been denied child tax credit for a baby to whom they or their partner have given birth since 6 April 2017.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
I refer the Honourable Member to the answer given on 19 October in response to question 107976.
Asked by: Melanie Onn (Labour - Great Grimsby)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many first time buyers in (a) Great Grimsby constituency and (b) the UK he expects to benefit from the changes to stamp duty announced in Autumn Budget 2017 in each of the next five years.
Answered by Mel Stride - Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
The estimated numbers of purchases benefitting from the Stamp Duty Land Tax relief for first-time buyers in the UK in each of the next five years are as follows:
| England and Northern Ireland |
2018/19 | 209,000 |
2019/20 | 213,000 |
2020/21 | 216,000 |
2021/22 | 219,000 |
2022/23 | 223,000 |
SDLT is devolved in Scotland and will be devolved to Wales from April 2018. The figures in the table therefore relate to England and Northern Ireland. HMRC is unable to provide estimates for first time buyers at a constituency level.
Asked by: Melanie Onn (Labour - Great Grimsby)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the number of first-time buyers who will benefit from the changes to stamp duty announced in Autumn Budget 2017 in each of the next five years.
Answered by Mel Stride - Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
The estimated numbers of purchases benefitting from the Stamp Duty Land Tax relief for first-time buyers in the UK in each of the next five years are as follows:
| England and Northern Ireland |
2018/19 | 209,000 |
2019/20 | 213,000 |
2020/21 | 216,000 |
2021/22 | 219,000 |
2022/23 | 223,000 |
SDLT is devolved in Scotland and will be devolved to Wales from April 2018. The figures in the table therefore relate to England and Northern Ireland. HMRC is unable to provide estimates for first time buyers at a constituency level.
Asked by: Melanie Onn (Labour - Great Grimsby)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the number of kinship carers who will be unable to claim child tax credit for their own baby as a result of the restriction of child tax credit to two children within the household in the financial years (a) 2017-18, (b) 2018-19 and (c) 2019-20.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
I refer the Honourable Member to the answer given on 17 October in response to question 107327.
Asked by: Melanie Onn (Labour - Great Grimsby)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many kinship carers have been denied child tax credit, for a baby to whom they or their partner have given birth, as a result of the restriction of child tax credit to two children in a household since 6 April 2017.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
The government is committed to making the welfare system fair for those who pay for it as well as those who benefit from it. In recognition that some tax credit claimants are not able to make choices about the number of children in their family, the government has provided exceptions for certain groups, including in cases of kinship care.
Data on the exceptions is intended for publication at a future date following quality assurance.