Asked by: Shaun Bailey (Conservative - West Bromwich West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of re-classifying sun cream from a cosmetic product to an essential product for the purposes of VAT.
Answered by Jesse Norman
VAT is a broad-based tax on supplies of goods and services, and exceptions are limited and set out in legislation. High-factor sunscreen is on the NHS prescription list for certain conditions and qualifies for a VAT zero rate when prescribed and dispensed by a pharmacist.
Making all sunscreen VAT-free would come at a considerable cost to the Exchequer. While all taxes are kept under review, there are currently no plans to reduce VAT on sunscreen products.
Asked by: Shaun Bailey (Conservative - West Bromwich West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to support businesses with property with a rateable value of over £51,000 and who therefore do not qualify for grant funding.
Answered by Steve Barclay - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
A range of measures to support all businesses has been made available. These include the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, allowing businesses to benefit from loans of up to £5m, with the first 12 months of that finance interest free, and the Covid-19 Corporate Financing Facility. Businesses can also benefit from the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) to help keep people in employment. More detail on the business support package is available at: www.businesssupport.gov.uk. More detail on the CJRS for businesses is available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-for-wage-costs-through-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme.