Asked by: Stephen Flynn (Scottish National Party - Aberdeen South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will meet with energy (a) companies and (b) workers in Aberdeen who will be affected by an (i) increase and (ii) extension of the windfall tax on oil and gas.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The government is committed to maintaining an open and constructive dialogue with stakeholders to finalise the changes that were announced in the Chancellor’s Statement on July 29 in relation to the Energy Profits Levy, ensuring a phased and responsible transition for the North Sea. Money raised from these changes will support accelerating the transition to clean energy, increasing security and independence while providing sustainable jobs for the future and helping to protect electricity bills against future price shocks.
The Exchequer Secretary met with senior representatives from the oil and gas sector whilst chairing an Oil and Gas Fiscal Forum meeting in Aberdeen on August 12, and he met directly with workers in the sector. In addition, Treasury Ministers and officials continue to engage with the sector and various interested parties ahead of announcing further details of the final policy design at Budget.
Asked by: Stephen Flynn (Scottish National Party - Aberdeen South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department (a) has made and (b) plans to make of the potential impact of (i) increasing and (ii) extending the windfall tax on oil producers on businesses in the North East of Scotland; and what steps she plans to take to assist businesses affected by that tax.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The government is committed to maintaining a constructive dialogue with the oil and gas sector on the implementation of the changes to the Energy Profits Levy. We will continue to engage with the sector ahead of publishing further details of final policy and impacts at Budget.
Asked by: Stephen Flynn (Scottish National Party - Aberdeen South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent estimate he has made of what the Public Works Loan Board (a) principal and (b) debt repayments for local authorities will be in the 2023-24 financial year.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade
The Office for Budget Responsibility publishes the official forecast for local authority borrowing and spending in their Economic and Fiscal Outlook, including future spending on principal and debt interest. The latest estimate in the March 2023 forecast is published here: https://obr.uk/efo/economic-and-fiscal-outlook-march-2023/.
Asked by: Stephen Flynn (Scottish National Party - Aberdeen South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the Public Works Loan Board (a) principal and (b) debt repayments were for local authorities in the (i) 2020-21, (ii) 2021-22 and (iii) 2022-23 financial year.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade
Figures for principal and interest repayments to the Public Works Loan Board for the financial years 2020-21 to 2022-23 are published in their annual reports and accounts. Links to those reports can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/public-work-loans-board-annual-report-and-accounts.
Asked by: Stephen Flynn (Scottish National Party - Aberdeen South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the cost to businesses of administering the new Health and Social Care Levy.
Answered by Lucy Frazer
The Health and Social Care Levy will levy a 1.25% tax on taxpayers liable to Class 1, Class 1A, Class 1B and Class 4 National Insurance contributions, via a temporary increase to NICs rates in 2022-23 and a separate Levy from 2023-24. Revenue raised will be ringfenced to support UK health and social care bodies.
The Government has published a Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) setting out that this measure will affect over 1.6 million employers required to introduce this change, including through one-off familiarisation costs. Further details can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-and-social-care-levy/health-and-social-care-levy.
Asked by: Stephen Flynn (Scottish National Party - Aberdeen South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment the Government has made of the potential effect of free ports on business rates receipts for local authorities.
Answered by Steve Barclay
The UK Government plans to establish Freeports across the UK as soon as possible. These will be national hubs for trade, innovation and commerce, regenerating communities across the UK. Freeports will spread jobs, investment and opportunity to towns and cities up and down the country by unleashing the economic potential of our ports.
In the UK Government’s recently published consultation response, we outlined that that the UK government is evaluating options for local authorities to retain business rates as part of the Freeports programme. This would apply in England only, or where decisions are not devolved. Further details will be included in the Bidding Prospectus, which will be published in due course.
Where policies are devolved, as in Scotland, the implementation and design of Freeports, including any infrastructure funding, will be a matter for each devolved administration to decide upon - although the UK Government will provide any assistance necessary if requested. The UK Government continues to work collaboratively and openly with the devolved administration in Scotland to deliver at least one Freeport in Scotland as soon as possible.
Asked by: Stephen Flynn (Scottish National Party - Aberdeen South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether funding has been allocated for any infrastructure costs associated with the roll out of free ports in the UK.
Answered by Steve Barclay
The UK Government plans to establish Freeports across the UK as soon as possible. These will be national hubs for trade, innovation and commerce, regenerating communities across the UK. Freeports will spread jobs, investment and opportunity to towns and cities up and down the country by unleashing the economic potential of our ports.
In the UK Government’s recently published consultation response, we outlined that the Freeports model on offer will provide some seed capital from the UK Government to address infrastructure constraints relevant to Freeports and their surrounding area. This would apply in England only, or where decisions are not devolved. Further details will be included in the Bidding Prospectus, which will be published in due course.
Where policies are devolved, as in Scotland, the implementation and design of Freeports, including any infrastructure funding, will be a matter for each devolved administration to decide upon - although the UK Government will provide any assistance necessary if requested. The UK Government continues to work collaboratively and openly with the devolved administration in Scotland to deliver at least one Freeport in Scotland as soon as possible.
Asked by: Stephen Flynn (Scottish National Party - Aberdeen South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the PWLB principal and debt repayments for local authorities in the 2020-21 financial year.
Answered by John Glen
The following table details expected Public Works Loan Board (PWLB) repayments in 2020-21 to the nearest £ million, for all UK local authorities and for Scottish local authorities only.
| Principal | Interest | Total |
UK | £2,700 million | £3,080 million | £5,779 million |
o/w Scotland | £372 million | £421 million | £793 million |
Most PWLB loans are structured as maturity loans so that local authorities repay no principal in any given year.
Asked by: Stephen Flynn (Scottish National Party - Aberdeen South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the total PWLB principal and debt repayments for local authorities in Scotland in the 2020-21 financial year.
Answered by John Glen
The following table details expected Public Works Loan Board (PWLB) repayments in 2020-21 to the nearest £ million, for all UK local authorities and for Scottish local authorities only.
| Principal | Interest | Total |
UK | £2,700 million | £3,080 million | £5,779 million |
o/w Scotland | £372 million | £421 million | £793 million |
Most PWLB loans are structured as maturity loans so that local authorities repay no principal in any given year.
Asked by: Stephen Flynn (Scottish National Party - Aberdeen South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many self-employed workers in Aberdeen (a) earn less than £50,000 each year, (b) have applied to the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme and (c) have been awarded a grant under that scheme.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
Applications for the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) opened on 13 May. By midnight on 24 May, HMRC had received 2.3m claims representing a total of £6.8bn claimed.
SEISS is a new scheme and HMRC are currently working through the analysis they will be able to provide based on the data available. HMRC will update in due course on the types of data available and timescales for publication.