Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of appointing a representative from Northern Ireland to the Financial Inclusion Committee.
Answered by Tulip Siddiq - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
On 5 December, I convened a Financial Inclusion Committee which has been established to tackle the problems of financial exclusion. Through this committee, I will work with consumer groups and industry on the development of a Financial Inclusion Strategy.
This strategy must work for the whole of the UK. As such, I have written to my counterparts in Devolved Governments to update them on this work and extend the offer to input on an ongoing basis, both at ministerial and official level. More widely, we will be working closely with a number of organisations from across the UK, beyond the core committee, to ensure that the development of the strategy is informed by a range of perspectives and expertise.
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions she has had on the potential merits of appointing a Northern Ireland representative to the Financial Inclusion Committee.
Answered by Tulip Siddiq - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
On 5 December, I convened a Financial Inclusion Committee which has been established to tackle the problems of financial exclusion. Through this committee, I will work with consumer groups and industry on the development of a Financial Inclusion Strategy.
This strategy must work for the whole of the UK. As such, I have written to my counterparts in Devolved Governments to update them on this work and extend the offer to input on an ongoing basis, both at ministerial and official level. More widely, we will be working closely with a number of organisations from across the UK, beyond the core committee, to ensure that the development of the strategy is informed by a range of perspectives and expertise.
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will fund an updated version of the report entitled Cost of Division: A benchmark of performance and expenditure, published by the Ulster University Economic Policy Centre in January 2016.
Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
As part of the restoration of the Northern Ireland Executive (NIE) the UK Government and NIE agreed to add a 24% needs-based factor into the Barnett formula as it applies to the NIE from 2024-25. This is part of the financial package worth over £3.3 billion.
This factor reflects the higher level of relative need in Northern Ireland, that the independent Northern Ireland Fiscal Council (NIFC) has calculated is 24% more per head than the rest of the UK for equivalent spending. The NIFC was established with cross-party agreement by the NIE in 2021 as part of the New Decade, New Approach agreement signed with the UK Government.
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will conduct a comprehensive review of (a) relative need and (b) associated implications for the level of the fiscal floor for Northern Ireland required to ensure equivalent levels of service provision across the UK.
Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
As part of the restoration of the Northern Ireland Executive (NIE) the UK Government and NIE agreed to add a 24% needs-based factor into the Barnett formula as it applies to the NIE from 2024-25. This is part of the financial package worth over £3.3 billion.
This factor reflects the higher level of relative need in Northern Ireland, that the independent Northern Ireland Fiscal Council (NIFC) has calculated is 24% more per head than the rest of the UK for equivalent spending. The NIFC was established with cross-party agreement by the NIE in 2021 as part of the New Decade, New Approach agreement signed with the UK Government.
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the fiscal floor for Northern Ireland.
Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
As part of the restoration of the Northern Ireland Executive (NIE) the UK Government and NIE agreed to add a 24% needs-based factor into the Barnett formula as it applies to the NIE from 2024-25. This is part of the financial package worth over £3.3 billion.
This factor reflects the higher level of relative need in Northern Ireland, that the independent Northern Ireland Fiscal Council (NIFC) has calculated is 24% more per head than the rest of the UK for equivalent spending. The NIFC was established with cross-party agreement by the NIE in 2021 as part of the New Decade, New Approach agreement signed with the UK Government.
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will hold discussions with the Financial Conduct Authority on the (a) comparative costs of paying (i) vehicle and (ii) household insurance (A) annually and (B) in monthly instalments and (b) impact of such costs on people with lower incomes.
Answered by Tulip Siddiq - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
Treasury Ministers and officials have regular meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors on an ongoing basis.
The Government recognises that the ability to pay insurance premiums in instalments is an important tool for improving access to insurance. The Government is determined that insurers should treat all customers fairly and firms are required to do so under the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) rules.
The FCA requires firms to ensure their products offer fair value (i.e. if the price a consumer pays for a product or service is reasonable compared to the overall benefits they can expect to receive). The FCA has been clear that it will be monitoring firms to make sure they provide products that are fair value, and, where necessary, it will take action.
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will hold discussions with the Financial Conduct Authority on the comparative costs of car insurance in (a) Northern Ireland and (b) Great Britain.
Answered by Tulip Siddiq - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
Treasury Ministers and officials have regular meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors on an ongoing basis.
The Government is determined that insurers should treat all customers fairly and insurance companies are required to do so under the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) rules.
The FCA is an independent body responsible for regulating and supervising the financial services industry across the United Kingdom and has robust powers to act against firms that fail to comply with its rules. The FCA monitors firms to make sure they provide products that are fair value, and, where necessary, it will take action.
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she plans to bring forward legislative proposals to regulate buy-now-pay-later financial products.
Answered by Tulip Siddiq - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
Regulating Buy Now Pay Later products is crucial to protect people and deliver certainty for the sector.
The government will be looking to work closely with all interested stakeholders and will set out its plans shortly.