Asked by: Tom Blenkinsop (Labour - Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Government plans unilaterally to grant China market economy status in the event of the UK leaving the EU and its single market.
Answered by Simon Kirby
The UK remains a full member of the EU until we formally exit and all rights and obligations under the EU, including trade defence measures, still apply. We will continue to support the EU’s trade agenda and we look forward to the Commission’s proposals on Market Economy Status later in the Autumn.
Asked by: Tom Blenkinsop (Labour - Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many claimants in (a) England, (b) the North East, (c) Redcar and Cleveland and (d) Middlesbrough have had a tax credit claimed stopped and subsequently reinstated by Concentrix in each of the last 12 months.
Answered by Jane Ellison
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is currently focussed on resolving the outstanding cases but will be preparing analysis, which will be available in due course. HMRC does not keep records of the total number of people who had their tax credits payments withheld, or for how long
Asked by: Tom Blenkinsop (Labour - Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of people who have had their tax credits stopped and subsequently reinstated by Concentrix due to incorrect information held on claimants cohabiting.
Answered by Jane Ellison
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is currently focussed on resolving the outstanding cases but will be preparing analysis, which will be available in due course. HMRC does not keep records of the total number of people who had their tax credits payments withheld, or for how long
Asked by: Tom Blenkinsop (Labour - Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of (a) the amount of money wrongly withheld from benefit claimants due to errors made by Concentrix and (b) the average length of time that payments were mistakenly withheld.
Answered by Jane Ellison
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is currently focussed on resolving the outstanding cases but will be preparing analysis, which will be available in due course. HMRC does not keep records of the total number of people who had their tax credits payments withheld, or for how long
Asked by: Tom Blenkinsop (Labour - Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to amend the Lifetime ISA proposal so that the 25 per cent government bonus can be used towards a deposit on a first home.
Answered by Jane Ellison
As is usual with new financial products, the Government continues to work closely with industry on the finer details of the policy, including on the operation of withdrawals for first house purchase. Ministers will provide a statement on the position in due course.
Asked by: Tom Blenkinsop (Labour - Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department plans to provide any funding for a further assessment of the Redcar SSI site as recommended in the independent report, Tees Valley: opportunity unlimited, published on 7 June 2016.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
I welcome Lord Heseltine’s independent report on the Tees Valley following the closure of the SSI steelworks. As noted in the report, the Government is providing funding for an intermediate body to manage the site prior to the creation of the Mayoral Development Corporation, and is funding site assessments in 2016-17 in order to understand the scale and complexity of the SSI site. The case for any further Government funding will be considered in light of those assessments.
Asked by: Tom Blenkinsop (Labour - Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to provide additional funding for projects identified by the forthcoming Northern Transport Strategy.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The government will need to consider the proposals from both Transport for the North and the National Infrastructure Commission before taking any funding decisions. The Government looks forward to the publication of both reports in the coming weeks.