Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish in full his Ministerial diary for 20 May 2020.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Ministers regularly meet with departmental officials and external stakeholders. Details of ministerial meetings with external organisations are published quarterly and can be found here: HMT ministers' meetings, hospitality, gifts and overseas travel - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the contribution of Scotch Whisky distilleries as job creators in rural Scottish communities in each of the last three years.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises the important contribution the spirits sector makes to the economy. This is why we announced a freeze on spirit duties at March Budget 2021, making the price of a typical bottle of Scotch whisky 30p lower than it would have been had prices risen with inflation. When added to the cuts and freezes made in the last five years, this means that the price of a typical bottle of Scotch Whisky in 2021 will be £2.15 lower than it otherwise would have been since ending the spirits escalator in 2014.
To further support Scotch, the Chancellor has announced £1 million of additional funding for the promotion of Scottish food and drink products overseas, and £10 million of research and development funding to help the distilling sector transition to net zero emissions.
More broadly, the Government keeps all taxes under review. We are continuing to monitor emerging public health data and will provide further updates on our alcohol duty review in due course.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the impact on the purchasing of alcohol through consumers being charged different amounts of tax per unit of alcohol consumed in line with the Chief Medical Office's guidelines; and what assessment his Department has made of that policy on sales of spirits as the highest taxed category of alcohol.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises the important contribution the spirits sector makes to the economy. This is why we announced a freeze on spirit duties at March Budget 2021, making the price of a typical bottle of Scotch whisky 30p lower than it would have been had prices risen with inflation. When added to the cuts and freezes made in the last five years, this means that the price of a typical bottle of Scotch Whisky in 2021 will be £2.15 lower than it otherwise would have been since ending the spirits escalator in 2014.
To further support Scotch, the Chancellor has announced £1 million of additional funding for the promotion of Scottish food and drink products overseas, and £10 million of research and development funding to help the distilling sector transition to net zero emissions.
More broadly, the Government keeps all taxes under review. We are continuing to monitor emerging public health data and will provide further updates on our alcohol duty review in due course.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the contribution of the Scotch Whisky industry to (a) the Scottish and (b) UK economies in the last three years.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises the important contribution the spirits sector makes to the economy. This is why we announced a freeze on spirit duties at March Budget 2021, making the price of a typical bottle of Scotch whisky 30p lower than it would have been had prices risen with inflation. When added to the cuts and freezes made in the last five years, this means that the price of a typical bottle of Scotch Whisky in 2021 will be £2.15 lower than it otherwise would have been since ending the spirits escalator in 2014.
To further support Scotch, the Chancellor has announced £1 million of additional funding for the promotion of Scottish food and drink products overseas, and £10 million of research and development funding to help the distilling sector transition to net zero emissions.
More broadly, the Government keeps all taxes under review. We are continuing to monitor emerging public health data and will provide further updates on our alcohol duty review in due course.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to extend trials of Community Access to Cash pilots; and what the timeframe is to extend the rollout of those pilots to further locations.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Community Access to Cash Pilots are an industry-led initiative taking place in eight locations across the UK. These pilots are trialling and testing sustainable solutions for ensuring that communities can conveniently withdraw and deposit cash, and identifying ways basic banking services can be better delivered. The pilots include Bank Hubs in Cambuslang and Rochford, which industry estimates have helped over 12,000 customers with access to cash and basic banking needs to date. On 18 August, an extension was announced to the Community Access to Cash Pilots, and the Bank Hub pilots will now continue until April 2023, meanwhile industry has announced that cashback without a purchase will be rolled out to thousands of shops over the coming months.
The Government welcomes industry efforts to develop solutions to support continued access to cash into the future. On the 1 July 2021, the Government published the Access to Cash Consultation, seeking views on proposals for new laws to make sure people only need to travel a reasonable distance to pay in or take out cash. It is important that long-term industry initiatives are compatible with the Government’s legislative approach.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what reason the value of the fifth Self Employment Scheme grant is set as a percentage of three months' profits; and what the evidential basis is for that policy.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Government announced at Budget 2021 that the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) will continue until September, with a fourth and a final fifth grant.
The fifth and final SEISS grant, covering May to September, will include a turnover test, known as a ‘Financial Impact Declaration‘(FID) in order to ensure that the most generous support is targeted at those who need it the most. This will determine whether claimants receive a grant worth 80% of three months’ average trading profits, and capped at £7,500 or a grant worth 30% and capped at £2,850.
Previous SEISS grants provided support for a period that was subject to restrictive measures across the UK to tackle the virus. As restrictions continue to be lifted, it is right that the government begins to tailor the level of support provided.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department plans to conduct a retrospective review of claims under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme; and whether he plans to take steps to prevent companies that claimed under that scheme in good faith being retrospectively penalised.
Answered by Jesse Norman
HMRC will subject CJRS claims to scrutiny and use their usual compliance tools to carry out proportionate risk-based compliance checks before and after payment to test the veracity of CJRS claims. In doing so, HMRC will protect essential public services and the livelihoods at risk during these challenging times.
It is vital the Government supports businesses to recover by ensuring a level playing field so the compliant majority cannot be undercut by a minority who are trying to cheat the system.
HMRC know that some people will have made honest mistakes and are taking a proportionate approach to recovering overclaimed grants. HMRC also know that many businesses claimed while under considerable pressure and may not have fully appreciated what work was, and was not, allowed.
No-one who has tried to do the right thing but made an honest mistake has any need to be concerned, as long as they work with HMRC to put it right. HMRC can correct a mistake without a penalty within 90 days of receiving the grant or their circumstances changing.
The Government is also taking tough action to tackle fraudulent behaviour. Anyone who keeps furlough money despite knowing they were not entitled to it faces having repay up to double the amount they received, plus interest and potentially criminal prosecution.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what support the Government plans to provide UK-based investors in German Property Group (formerly Dolphin Trust) who invested directly in the trust without the advice of a third party advisor.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The UK regulatory agencies are aware of the bankruptcy of German Property Group (GPG), formerly known as Dolphin Trust, and the effect on UK-based investors.
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published a joint statement with the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) and the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). The statement sets out what UK consumers should do if they invested in GPG via an FCA authorised firm – either a financial adviser firm or a Self Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs) operator – and they believe they were mis-sold. This includes how to complain to the FOS or submit a claim to the FSCS. The statement can be accessed on the FCA’s website (https://www.fca.org.uk/news/statements/gpg-companies-preliminary-bankruptcy-proceedings ).
It is important to note that some consumers will not have invested in GPG via a regulated financial adviser or SIPP operator. GPG is incorporated in Germany and is not, nor has ever been an FCA authorised firm. Unfortunately, in these cases compensation would not be available through the FOS or the FSCS routes. Investors should contact the German insolvency administrator, BBL Brockdorff & Partner. Investors may also choose to press charges or appear as a witness in the German criminal proceedings being led by the German Prosecution Office.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of increasing child benefit to cover the cost of free school meals.
Answered by Steve Barclay - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Government is committed to managing the public finances in a responsible way by targeting support where it is most needed. Child Benefit is not one of the qualifying benefits for Free School Meals. As individuals with an income of up to £60,000 are entitled to Child Benefit, many claimants will not have children who are eligible for Free School Meals and increasing Child Benefit to support this cohort would be poorly targeted. From April 2021 Child Benefit will increase in line with CPI (0.5 percent) to ensure that it retains its value. We will continue to review levels of Child Benefit alongside other benefits annually through the uprating process.
Schools have continued to receive their core funding in full, including for free school meals, during the national lockdown. In addition to this, we are providing extra funding to support schools to work with their school catering team or food provider to supply food parcels or meals to eligible pupils learning at home. Schools can alternatively claim funding to provide local vouchers worth £15 per child per week, giving families the flexibility to use these where it is most convenient for them and on healthy, nutritious items of their choice. Where schools cannot offer food parcels or use local solutions, a national voucher scheme is in place to ensure that every eligible child can access free school meals.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of households where total earnings are over £50,000 but where each member of the household earns less than £50,000 they are not subject to the High-Income Child Benefit Charge.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The information requested could only be made available at disproportionate cost.