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Written Question
Leasehold
Monday 15th May 2023

Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Labour - Canterbury)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on financial support for non-qualifying leaseholders.

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

In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of internal discussions are not normally disclosed. The Chancellor and his officials are in regular contact with the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and his officials on a range of issues.


Written Question
Mortgages: Government Assistance
Monday 9th January 2023

Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Labour - Canterbury)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department is taking steps to provide financial support to people experiencing significant increases in their mortgage costs following the end of a fixed-term mortgage agreement.

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

Around 75% of residential mortgage borrowers are currently on fixed-rate deals and therefore shielded from interest rate rises in the near term. If mortgage borrowers do fall into financial difficulty, or think they may struggle to keep up with payments once their fixed term comes to an end, it is vital they make contact with their lender early. FCA guidance requires firms to provide support through tailored forbearance options. Lenders affirmed that they stand ready to use the forbearance tools available to them to help vulnerable mortgage borrowers at a roundtable hosted by the Chancellor in December.

The Government has also taken a number of measures aimed at helping people to avoid repossession, including offering Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI) loans for those in receipt of an income-related benefit. From spring, the Government will allow those on Universal Credit to apply for an SMI loan to help with interest repayments after three months, instead of nine. We will also abolish the zero earnings rule to allow claimants to continue receiving support while in work and on Universal Credit. In addition, the Government offers mortgage borrowers protection in the courts through the Pre-Action Protocol, which makes clear that repossession must always be the last resort for lenders.

More broadly, the Government has taken decisive action to support households across the UK through the cost-of-living challenges ahead, whilst remaining fiscally responsible. In addition to the £37 billion of support for the cost of living already announced for 2022-23, the Government has announced further support for next year designed to target the most vulnerable households. This cost-of-living support is worth £26 billion in 2023-24, in addition to benefits uprating, which is worth £11 billion to working age households and people with disabilities. The Government is also continuing to provide support to all households through the Energy Price Guarantee, which will save the average UK household £500 in 2023-24.


Written Question
Alcoholic Drinks: Small Businesses
Monday 6th June 2022

Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Labour - Canterbury)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Government is providing support to small and medium sized businesses in the wine and spirits sector to assist with the financial implications of that sector's taxation system.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is currently considering all proposals put forward to it through the alcohol duty review consultation, which closed on 30 January. The Government will respond to the consultation in due course.


Written Question
Alcoholic Drinks: Excise Duties
Monday 6th June 2022

Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Labour - Canterbury)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment the Government has made of the potential merits of the Wine and Spirit Association’s proposed model for the taxation of wine and spirits.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is currently considering all proposals put forward to it through the alcohol duty review consultation, which closed on 30 January. The Government will respond to the consultation in due course.


Written Question
Self-employment Income Support Scheme
Wednesday 24th February 2021

Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Labour - Canterbury)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will announce details of the fourth grant of the Self Employed Income Support Scheme before 3 March 2021.

Answered by Jesse Norman

The Government remains committed to supporting the self-employed population during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Government confirmed in January that further details of the fourth grant, which will cover February to the end of April, will be announced alongside other economic updates at the Budget on 3 March.


Written Question
Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme: Railways
Monday 21st September 2020

Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Labour - Canterbury)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of extending the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme for the international rail transport sector.

Answered by Jesse Norman

It would be challenging to target the CJRS to specific sectors in a fair and deliverable way, and it may not be the case that this is the most effective or sensible way to provide longer term support for those sectors most affected by coronavirus. It would also be difficult to target the CJRS at specific sectors without creating distortion, particularly as some firms work across multiple sectors. Specific firms may benefit from other measures, including the Small Business Grant Fund and the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme. It is the case that some firms will be affected by coronavirus for longer than others and the Government will continue to keep the situation under review.


Written Question
Cash Dispensing: Coronavirus
Thursday 4th June 2020

Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Labour - Canterbury)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will instruct the Joint Authorities Cash Strategy Group to undertake a review of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on access to cash.

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

The Government recognises that cash is extremely important to individuals and businesses across the UK. That is why, at the March 2020 Budget, the Chancellor announced that the Government will bring forward legislation to protect access to cash.

The Joint Authorities Cash Strategy (JACS) Group brings together HM Treasury, the Payment Systems Regulator, Financial Conduct Authority and Bank of England to ensure that the regulatory oversight and activity supports an end-to-end cash infrastructure that remains resilient, cost effective, sustainable and can meet the needs of users.

The members of the Group continue to engage closely to monitor latest trends, including the impact of COVID-19. The Group will publish an update on its activities in due course.


Written Question
Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund
Tuesday 2nd June 2020

Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Labour - Canterbury)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer to the Answer of 12 May to Question 44022 on Business: Coronavirus, for what reason the amount that businesses with a rateable value of exactly £15,000 are eligibile for under the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund changed from £25,000 to £10,000 on 9 April 2020; and if he will reinstate the initial award amount eligibility from that fund as issued on 18 March 2020.

Answered by Kemi Badenoch - President of the Board of Trade

The eligibility thresholds for the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund have remained the same since the scheme was announced on 17th March. We have been working at pace to design grant schemes to support businesses and protect jobs throughout Covid-19. We apologise for a human error made on an early version of a Covid-19 support measures factsheet which stated that the rateable value cut-off for the £25,000 Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Fund grant was £14,999. This has since been updated on 9th April. The guidance to Local Authorities has always been very clear that retail, hospitality and leisure properties with a rateable value of £15,000 or below would be eligible for a £10,000 grant under the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund.


Written Question
Business: Coronavirus
Tuesday 12th May 2020

Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Labour - Canterbury)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what financial support the Government is providing to businesses that operate from premises with a rateable value of exactly £15,000.

Answered by Kemi Badenoch - President of the Board of Trade

Businesses which occupy premises with a rateable value of exactly £15,000 can receive a grant of £10,000 from the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund if the premises are used for Retail, Hospitality or Leisure purposes.

Businesses in all sectors which occupy premises with a rateable value of exactly £15,000 may also be eligible for a grant from the Small Business Grant Fund. The Small Business Grant Fund provides businesses with a £10,000 cash grant per property, for each property eligible for Small Business Rates Relief or Rural Rates Relief. Properties with a rateable value of £12,001 up to and including £15,000 are eligible for a tapered form of SBRR. The relief tapers to 0% at exactly £15,000. This means that in theory, a property with a rateable value of exactly £15,000 could be eligible for a £10,000 grant from the SBGF.

Businesses which occupy premises with a rateable value of exactly £15,000 may also be able to benefit from measures in the Government’s unprecedented package of support for business, including:

  • A twelve-month business rates holiday for all properties used for retail, hospitality or leisure purposes;
  • An option to defer VAT payments by up to twelve months;
  • The Bounce Back Loan scheme, which will ensure that small and micro businesses can quickly access loans of up to £50,000 which are 100% guaranteed by the Government;
  • The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, now extended to cover all businesses including those which would be able to access commercial credit;
  • The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, to support businesses with their wage bills;
  • The Self-Employment Income Support Scheme, to provide support to the self-employed.

Written Question
Second Homes: Stamp Duty Land Tax
Wednesday 6th May 2020

Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Labour - Canterbury)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits for the property market of extending the three year window to claim a refund of three per cent of stamp duty on second homes during the covid-19 outbreak.

Answered by Jesse Norman

HMRC are aware of a number of instances where the payment of tax or filing of the necessary returns have been made challenging by COVID-19 and have displayed significant flexibility.

The Government continues to keep all taxes under constant review as part of the response to the COVID-19 outbreak.