Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his planned timetable is for the (a) completion and (b) publication of the independent research commissioned by the Government into the short-term impacts of the April 2021 reform of the off-payroll working rules.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
HMRC has commissioned external research into the short-term effects of the April 2021 off-payroll working rules reform in the private and voluntary sectors, and fieldwork for this research started in October.
The research is expected to be completed in spring 2022 and will be published in due course once complete.
Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to ensure that the savings induced by his reforms to alcohol duty will be passed to consumers.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
These are commercial matters between vendors and their suppliers.
Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy that any central bank digital currency will not be used to direct, control or hold under surveillance the spending of holders of such currency by ensuring that the currency is not programmable.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Government and the Bank of England have not yet made a decision on whether to introduce a central bank digital currency (CBDC) in the UK, and will engage widely with stakeholders on the benefits, risks and practicalities of doing so.
Maintaining user safety and privacy is an utmost priority as the Government and the Bank appraises the case for a CBDC in the UK.
The Government’s commitment to ensuring any CBDCs operate within appropriate privacy frameworks was set out in the G7’s public policy principles for CBDC, as part of the UK’s G7 Presidency. These principles set out rigorous standards of privacy, accountability for the protection of users’ data, and transparency on how information will be secured and used is essential for any CBDC to command trust and confidence.
Earlier this month, the Government committed to public consultation with the Bank of England in 2022 setting out an assessment of the case for a UK CBDC, including the merits of further work to develop an operational and technology model for a UK CBDC.