Asked by: Philippa Whitford (Scottish National Party - Central Ayrshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will take steps to ensure that any underspend of the allocated Equitable Life compensation will be distributed amongst policyholders.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government allocated £1.5 billion to the Equitable Life Payment Scheme. Before it ceased operations in 2016, the Scheme issued £1.12 billion in tax-free payments to nearly 933,000 policyholders. The remainder of the £1.5 billion has been set aside for future payments to the With-Profits Annuitants. Further information is available in the Final Report on the Scheme (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/equitable-life-payment-scheme-final-report).
Asked by: Philippa Whitford (Scottish National Party - Central Ayrshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will instruct HMRC officials to work with their counterparts in the World Customs Organization’s Harmonized System Committee on the potential merits of reclassifying urine drainage bags as medical devices for import tariff purposes.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Covid-19 critical goods, which include Urine drainage bags, are currently subject to a 0 per cent rate of Customs duty until the end of 2023.
HMRC has reviewed the classification of urine drainage bags and consider the classification 3926 to be correct. This is in line with classification decisions previously issued by the World Customs Organization, which member countries are expected to follow.
Businesses who wish to make representations to reduce the UK import duty rate for these goods, or to make an application for a temporary suspension of import duties, may contact the Department for Business and Trade at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/duty-suspensions-and-tariff-quotas.
Asked by: Philippa Whitford (Scottish National Party - Central Ayrshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if his Department will make an estimate of the number and proportion of blind and partially sighted people who have faced digital exclusion with online banking in the latest period for which data is available; and whether his Department will take steps to help support people facing digital exclusion with online banking.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government does not make direct assessments of visually impaired consumers’ ability to access banking. However, The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) conducts a Financial Lives Survey, which provides a comprehensive insight into the finances of the adult UK population. The latest survey closed in June 2022 and its findings will be published in due course, and will include insights on the use and satisfaction levels of visually impaired consumers with mobile and online banking services.
Innovations in the market mean that banking in the UK is more accessible than ever before, with many firms offering services to make everyday banking easier for the visually impaired such as communications in Braille, talking ATMs, accessible cards and text relay services for online banking. Firms also have staff on hand in branches to help customers set-up online or mobile banking services, teach them how to use video banking services and, for those without access to digital devices, the sector has established initiatives to support customers by providing them with free tablet devices.
The FCA has also published guidance for firms on the fair treatment of vulnerable customers, which includes physical disabilities such as blindness and visual impairment. The guidance explores, among other things, how firms can understand the needs of vulnerable customers and provide targeted services for this cohort. For the visually impaired, the FCA expects firms to offer appropriate modes of communication such as using Braille or audio. It also expects firms to take into account the needs of these customers when designing, developing and testing products and services.
In addition, like all service providers, banks and building societies are bound under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments, where necessary, in the way they deliver their services.
Asked by: Philippa Whitford (Scottish National Party - Central Ayrshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential challenges for blind and partially sighted people of (a) accessing and (b) managing their finances independently; and if his Department will take steps to help tackle these challenges.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government does not make direct assessments of visually impaired consumers’ ability to access banking. However, The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) conducts a Financial Lives Survey, which provides a comprehensive insight into the finances of the adult UK population. The latest survey closed in June 2022 and its findings will be published in due course, and will include insights on the use and satisfaction levels of visually impaired consumers with mobile and online banking services.
Innovations in the market mean that banking in the UK is more accessible than ever before, with many firms offering services to make everyday banking easier for the visually impaired such as communications in Braille, talking ATMs, accessible cards and text relay services for online banking. Firms also have staff on hand in branches to help customers set-up online or mobile banking services, teach them how to use video banking services and, for those without access to digital devices, the sector has established initiatives to support customers by providing them with free tablet devices.
The FCA has also published guidance for firms on the fair treatment of vulnerable customers, which includes physical disabilities such as blindness and visual impairment. The guidance explores, among other things, how firms can understand the needs of vulnerable customers and provide targeted services for this cohort. For the visually impaired, the FCA expects firms to offer appropriate modes of communication such as using Braille or audio. It also expects firms to take into account the needs of these customers when designing, developing and testing products and services.
In addition, like all service providers, banks and building societies are bound under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments, where necessary, in the way they deliver their services.
Asked by: Philippa Whitford (Scottish National Party - Central Ayrshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a Government-backed equity fund to help the recapitalisation of supply chain companies in the (a) aerospace and (b) wider manufacturing sector.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - President of the Board of Trade
The Government is committed to supporting businesses access the finance they need to achieve their full growth potential. For some companies, further debt may not be the right answer, and the private sector should be the first port of call for any business seeking new equity investment.
The aerospace sector and its aviation customers are being supported with over £9 billion support through the Bank of England’s Covid Corporate Financing Facility, grants for research and development, loan guarantees and support for aerospace exports.
The manufacturing sector has been well supported in its ability to access finance through the government loan schemes throughout the current pandemic period. Manufacturing firms have had over 7,000 CBILS loans worth over £2bn and over 74,000 BBLS loans worth over £2.3bn, bringing the total amount received through CBILS and BBLS to £4.4bn to over 80,000 manufacturing firms. These figures indicate that manufacturing firms have received a higher proportion of lending through the schemes relative to their share of the UK SME business population.
The Government will keep policy under review, and rigorously test any proposals for their value for money.
Asked by: Philippa Whitford (Scottish National Party - Central Ayrshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the adequacy of financial support for people working in social care during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Steve Barclay - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Chancellor and the Health Secretary have discussed a wide range of health-related issues during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In September, we announced the extension of the Infection Control Fund until March 2021, bringing the total funding for infection control measures in social care to over £1.1 billion. This funding can be used to financially support staff in line with the grant conditions. This includes paying staff who are isolating, in line with government guidance, their normal wages while doing so.
Asked by: Philippa Whitford (Scottish National Party - Central Ayrshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to extend the VAT holiday on personal protective equipment after 31 October 2020, in response to the ongoing covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The temporary zero rate of VAT on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) was an extraordinary measure to help affected sectors during the initial shock of the COVID-19 pandemic, when the global supply of PPE did not meet demand. This measure will come to an end on 31 October, as new measures introduced by the Government will ensure supply of COVID-related PPE to affected sectors from 1 November.
Asked by: Philippa Whitford (Scottish National Party - Central Ayrshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether employers can keep workers on the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme until the end of October 2020 whose fixed-term contracts are due to end in November 2020.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Government has ensured that the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) is available for as many people as possible. Hence, employees can be on any type of contract and be eligible to be furloughed under the CJRS.
From August 2020, the level of the grant will be tapered slowly to reflect that people will be returning to work. An employer can continue to claim for all employees furloughed for 21 days before 30 June as long as any single claim period does not exceed the maximum number of employees they claimed for under any claim before 30 June.
Further information on eligibility for the CJRS can be found at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-which-employees-you-can-put-on-furlough-to-use-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme.
Asked by: Philippa Whitford (Scottish National Party - Central Ayrshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if will he meet with representatives of the the all party parliamentary group Excluded UK.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Chancellor of the Exchequer regularly meets with parliamentary colleagues and has answered questions on this issue in the House.
The Government has recently announced further measures as part of the comprehensive economic response, taking unprecedented steps to support families, businesses and the most vulnerable. The fiscal response so far totals £160bn.
As well as the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) and Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS), this package includes a comprehensive set of Government-backed loans and grants to businesses, tax deferrals, rental support and mortgage and consumer credit holidays.
This package also includes extra funding for the welfare safety net, in order to help those unable to access other forms of support to get through the coronavirus outbreak. The temporary welfare measures include increases to Universal Credit and Local Housing Allowance, a relaxation of the Universal Credit minimum income floor and making Statutory Sick Pay easier to access.
The Government’s Plan for Jobs will support, protect and create jobs. This plan will make available up to £30bn to help kickstart the nation’s economic recovery ahead of a fuller package of medium-term recovery measures in the forthcoming Autumn Budget and Spending Review.
Asked by: Philippa Whitford (Scottish National Party - Central Ayrshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department the number of (a) people and (b) businesses not eligible for any of the Government's financial support packages during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - President of the Board of Trade
The Government has provided a comprehensive economic response that is one of the most generous globally, taking unprecedented steps to support families, businesses and the most vulnerable. As well as the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) and Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS), this package includes a suite of government-backed loans and grants to businesses, tax deferrals, rental support and mortgage and consumer credit holidays.
This comprehensive package also includes extra funding for the welfare safety net, to get us through the outbreak and help those unable to access other forms of support. The temporary welfare measures include increases to Universal Credit and Local Housing Allowance, a relaxation of the Universal Credit minimum income floor and making Statutory Sick Pay easier to access. We have also announced above £300bn of guaranteed loans for supporting businesses to access finance through The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, and the Coronavirus Corporate Financing Facility and the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CLBILS). On 27 April, we also announced the new Bounce Back Loans Scheme, which will ensure that the smallest businesses can access up to £50,000 loans in a matter of just days
Now, as outlined in the Summer Economic Update, our Plan for Jobs will support, protect and create jobs. This plan will make available up to £30 billion to help kickstart the nation’s economic recovery ahead of a fuller package of medium-term recovery measures in the upcoming Autumn Budget and Spending Review.