Asked by: Saqib Bhatti (Conservative - Meriden)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of cash deposit regulations in the Financial Services and Markets Act 2023 on (a) the ability of SMEs to accept cash payments and (b) people who experience difficulty in conducting transactions via means other than cash.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The government recognises that cash continues to be used by millions of people across the UK, including those who may be in vulnerable groups. Furthermore, businesses need access to cash deposit services in order to keep accepting cash and, therefore, support people’s ability to continue to transact using cash.
The government legislated through the Financial Services and Markets Act 2023 to establish a new legislative framework to protect access to cash. This establishes the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) as the lead regulator for access to cash and provides it with responsibility and powers to seek to ensure reasonable provision of cash withdrawal and deposit facilities.
The government considers that this legislation will support organisations, including local businesses, to continue accepting cash by ensuring that they have reasonable access to cash deposit facilities.
Following the passage of this legislation, the government published a Cash Access Policy Statement, which sets out the government’s policies on access to cash. The FCA is required by law to have regard to these policies when determining its regulatory approach in this area. The FCA will publicly consult on its regulatory approach in due course. The government’s policy statement is available on gov.uk: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cash-access-policy-statement/cash-access-policy-statement
Asked by: Saqib Bhatti (Conservative - Meriden)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of trends in the number of staff in HMRC working from home on the (a) average time taken to process cases and (b) quality of service provision.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
HMRC takes the quality of customer service very seriously.
HMRC’s approach to hybrid working is in line with many private and public sector organisations.
HMRC’s workforce plan includes the effective use of hybrid working where this meets business needs; staff are held to the same standards if they are working from an HMRC building or from home.
On average, HMRC advisers answer the same number of calls whether they are in the office or at home and process more customer correspondence when working from home. HMRC constantly monitor call volumes to ensure they deploy available staff where they need them. They use a flexible workforce model, where staff may switch between answering phone calls, processing correspondence, and replying to webchat enquiries throughout the day as needed.
Asked by: Saqib Bhatti (Conservative - Meriden)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the change in rate of the National Living wage in April 2023 on the financial viability of employers in (a) pharmacies and (b) other SMEs in Meriden constituency.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government published an Impact Assessment that outlines the expected impacts of the change in the National Living Wage in April 2023: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2023/354/impacts
Overall, research to-date has not found a significant impact of the National Living wage on business failures. On average, the average total cost per business affected by the policy was between £3,000 to £4,000. We expect around 40% of the costs of this policy to be borne by small and micro businesses and 15% by medium sized businesses.
The available data does not enable a statistically reliable assessment of costs of the policy by constituency.
Asked by: Saqib Bhatti (Conservative - Meriden)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of trends in the number of staff in the Prison and Probation Service working from home on the (a) time taken to process cases and (b) quality of service provision.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) offers hybrid working arrangements where business need allows. This is an informal, non-contractual form of flexible working that blends working from a staff member's base location, different MoJ sites and / or from home. Arrangements are agreed between staff members and their line managers and subject to regular review. Some roles, such as those which are prison-based or require direct supervision of people on probation, will not be suitable for hybrid working.
The MoJ routinely publishes a range of data on service delivery in both prisons and probation at https://data.justice.gov.uk/prisons and https://data.justice.gov.uk/probation.
Asked by: Saqib Bhatti (Conservative - Meriden)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions his Department has had with Network Rail on the steps that it is taking to reduce (a) noise and (b) air pollution emitted from diesel trains (i) stopping and (ii) idling at the Dorridge Freight loop.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Department engages closely with Network Rail on a range of freight related issues.
With respect to the Dorridge Freight loop, Network Rail has taken steps to mitigate concerns around noise and air pollution. It has conducted a review of planned freight services following engagement with local residents and Sohihull Council and, where possible, has amended the timetable to avoid the Dorridge Freight loop. For shorter trains, Network Rail has also taken steps to stop trains elsewhere, away from the loop exit, to limit impacts on communities. Network Rail has also limited night time use by only using the Dorridge loop if there is no alternative possible.
Asked by: Saqib Bhatti (Conservative - Meriden)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the (a) compensation claims process and (b) levels of evidence required for compensation in HS2 compulsory purchase negotiations.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
My Department works with HS2 Ltd to deliver a robust compensation process, and keeps the compensation schemes available to those affected by HS2 under ongoing review. This applies to the arrangements for compulsory acquisition. A formal review of all schemes was last conducted in 2020 but my Department works closely with HS2 Ltd to monitor and appraise the schemes, with the presumption that they should be easy to navigate and that the level of evidence required is appropriate and proportionate. HS2 Ltd has published comprehensive guidance setting out the evidence that should be provided when claiming compensation.
Asked by: Saqib Bhatti (Conservative - Meriden)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent steps he has taken to support the long-term energy needs of hospitality businesses in Meriden constituency.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Businesses, including the Hospitality sector, have already benefitted from the Energy Bill Relief Scheme which ended on 31 March and provided £7.4 billion of support. Eligible businesses will continue to get a discount on gas and electricity bills under the Energy Bills Discount Scheme (EBDS) from 1 April 2023 until 31 March 2024.
Asked by: Saqib Bhatti (Conservative - Meriden)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his Department's policies of the adequacy of levels of flexibility in the ways businesses can change energy contracts between providers in (a) Meriden constituency and (b) England; and what recent discussions he has had with energy providers on steps being taken to increase that flexibility.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Government does not hold data on energy contracts for businesses, and contract negotiations are a commercial matter for suppliers and their customers.
I met with Ofgem and energy suppliers in March to urge suppliers to do all they can to support their customers and will continue to press them on this matter. I also wrote to suppliers in May to stress the importance of good customer service outcomes and for suppliers to reach out to their customers to discuss options as soon as possible. The Government will continue to work closely with Ofgem and suppliers to ensure that dialogue is taking place between businesses and their energy supplier.
Asked by: Saqib Bhatti (Conservative - Meriden)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent discussions his Department has had with energy providers on steps being taken increase flexibility for small businesses to cancel energy contracts.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Government understand some businesses on fixed tariffs have seen their bills rise significantly. As this is a commercial matter, the Government encourage businesses to raise this with their suppliers directly, but both Ministers and Ofgem have been pressing suppliers to ensure they are doing all they can to support their customers. The Government cannot mandate suppliers re-negotiate contracts but do expect they will engage directly with customers to find solutions wherever possible. Minister Solloway wrote to energy suppliers in May stressing the importance of good customer service outcomes and reaching out to customers to discuss options early.
Asked by: Saqib Bhatti (Conservative - Meriden)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of the contribution of the services sector in Meriden constituency to (a) exports and (b) economic growth.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
There is currently no data at the constituency level available to assess the potential merits of the contribution of the services sector in Meriden constituency to exports and economic growth.
The UK is a highly service-based economy and the second biggest exporter of services in the world, with the sector contributing to around half of UK exports and 80% of our economy. In 2022, UK services exports were a record £401 billion, up 4% compared to 2018 (adjusted for inflation) – one of the stronger recoveries in the G7. We are working with the Office for National Statistics and HM Revenue and Customs to improve estimates of trade at the smaller geographies.
The department works closely with local partners, including Solihull Council and the West Midlands Combined Authority, to identify and nurture opportunities for economic growth. The Combined Authority has been allocated in excess of £105m in funding from sources such as UK Shared Prosperity Fund, Made Smarter and Growth Hub to provide local support which would help companies to grow. This includes the professional and financial services sector, which has been identified as a key sector in the West Midlands Combined Authority’s ‘Plan for Growth’.