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1049565

registered interest
date	28/01/2019
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Electronic Publishing: VAT
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans, if any, they have to assess the amount of VAT paid on e-publications by (1) ministerial departments, and (2) non-ministerial departments, agencies and other public bodies.
tabling member printed	Lord Bird
uin	HL13153
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/02/2019 answer text <p>HMRC does not hold detailed information on VAT paid on specific products by government departments, public institutions or private entities.</p><p>The Government keeps all taxes under review, including VAT on e-publications.</p><p>Any amendments to the VAT regime as it applies to physical publications and e-publications must be carefully assessed against policy, economic and fiscal considerations.</p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 11/02/2019 14:13:55 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
tabling member	4564 label Biography information for Lord Bird

1038899

registered interest
date	10/01/2019
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Electronic Publishing: VAT
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bates on 26 November (HL11364), whether they have begun assessing the equalities impact of applying a zero VAT rate to e-publications; and whether any such assessments will include the impact on literacy rates in relation to children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
tabling member printed	Lord Bird
uin	HL12736
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/01/2019 answer text <p>The Government keeps all taxes under review, including VAT on e-publications.</p><p>Any amendments to the VAT regime as it applies to physical publications and e-publications must be carefully assessed against policy, economic, and fiscal considerations.</p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 24/01/2019 12:28:38 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
tabling member	4564 label Biography information for Lord Bird

1005589

registered interest
date	12/11/2018
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Tenants: Credit Rating
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that where tenants share the payment of rent, their individual payment histories will be taken into account by (1) credit reference agencies, and (2) credit service providers.
tabling member printed	Lord Bird
uin	HL11360
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/11/2018 answer text <p>The Government believes it is right that a history of paying rent should be recognised in credit and affordability assessments carried out by credit reference agencies and credit service providers.</p><p> </p><p>That’s why, at Autumn Budget 2017, we announced the Rent Recognition Challenge: a £2million competition seeking technology solutions to enable tenants to record and share their rental data.</p><p> </p><p>The credit reference agency Experian recently announced that rental payments will now be reflected in their credit score reports, and has partnered with some of the Challenge’s participants, Credit Ladder and Canopy.</p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 26/11/2018 15:56:53 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
tabling member	4564 label Biography information for Lord Bird

947538

registered interest
date	24/07/2018
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Debt Respite Scheme
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to meet their timetable for implementing the breathing space debt scheme as announced by the Economic Secretary to HM Treasury in October 2017.
tabling member printed	Lord Bird
uin	HL9831
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/08/2018 answer text <p>The government is currently undertaking a detailed policy design process on the introduction of breathing space and a statutory debt repayment plan. The government is working in close conjunction with stakeholders to design a scheme that works for all those who would benefit from the scheme’s protections.</p><p> </p><p>The government will consult on a single policy proposal based on this work later this summer, and then intends to lay regulations to establish the scheme in 2019.</p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 02/08/2018 12:05:42 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
tabling member	4564 label Biography information for Lord Bird

947540

registered interest
date	24/07/2018
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Bank Services: Rural Areas
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure continued access to (1) free automated teller machines, and (2) bank branches, particularly in rural communities.
tabling member printed	Lord Bird
uin	HL9832
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/08/2018 answer text <p>The Government recognises that widespread free access to cash remains extremely important to the day-to-day lives of many consumers and businesses across the UK. Government has been engaging and will continue to engage with the regulators and industry, including LINK (the scheme that runs the UK’s ATM system), to ensure that it is maintained.</p><p> </p><p>The Government established the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) in 2015 with a statutory objective to ensure that the UK’s payment systems work in the interests of their users. As part of this, the PSR is closely monitoring developments within ATM provision and has committed to using its powers to act should LINK behave in a way that conflicts with its statutory objectives.</p><p> </p><p>Regarding bank branches, the decision to close a branch is a commercial issue for the management team of the bank involved. However, Government believes it is important the impact on communities must be understood, considered and mitigated where possible.</p><p> </p><p>The Government supports the industry’s Access to Banking Standard which commits banks to ensure personal and business customers are better informed about branch closures and the reasons for them closing. It also helps customers to understand the options they have locally to continue to access banking services, including specialist assistance for customers who need more help. The Access to Banking Standard is monitored and enforced by the independent Lending Standards Board.</p><p> </p><p>Government also considers it important that all customers, wherever they live and especially those who are vulnerable, can still access over the counter services. That is why we support the Post Office’s Banking Framework Agreement, which enables 99% of banks’ personal and 95% of banks’ small business customers to withdraw cash, deposit cash and cheques, and make balance enquiries at a Post Office counter via its network of 11,600 branches.</p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 02/08/2018 12:09:17 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
tabling member	4564 label Biography information for Lord Bird

947541

registered interest
date	24/07/2018
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Bank Services
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many working people in the UK they estimate do not have bank accounts; and what steps they are taking to assist such people; and what particular measures they are taking relating to those of this total who are homeless or sleeping rough or may previously have been such.
tabling member printed	Lord Bird
uin	HL9833
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/08/2018 answer text <p>The Government does not make estimates of the number of working people who do not have access to bank accounts. However, in 2017, the FCA published the results of the Financial Lives Survey which estimated that 1.3 million UK adults (3% of the UK adult population) were unbanked, i.e. have no current account or alternative e-money account. The Financial Lives Survey report contains further information on the characteristics of the unbanked and their preferences to have a bank account. The FCA intend to repeat the Financial Lives Survey on a regular basis in future.</p><p> </p><p>The Government takes financial inclusion very seriously and is working to ensure everyone can have access to financial services. With regards to those who are sleeping rough or are homeless, the Government recognises that it can be difficult for such individuals to access bank accounts due to their lack of permanent address.</p><p> </p><p>Under the Payment Accounts Regulations 2015, the 9 largest UK current account providers are required to offer fee-free basic bank accounts to consumers who are either unbanked or who are not eligible for a standard current account. Regulation 23 specifically states that consumers with no fixed address are to be considered eligible and in Regulation 18 specifies that firms must not discriminate against consumers by reason of their place of residence.</p><p> </p><p>As these accounts are particularly suitable for more vulnerable customers, Government encourages the banks who provide them to be flexible with identification and verification checks, within the remit of the Joint Money Laundering Steering Group (JMLSG) guidance. The JMLSG guidance encourages firms to consider a wide range of evidence to prove identification and to act reasonably where customers do not have more conventional forms of identification.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 02/08/2018 12:05:10 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
tabling member	4564 label Biography information for Lord Bird

944900

registered interest
date	19/07/2018
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Poverty
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to end the poverty premium.
tabling member printed	Lord Bird
uin	HL9683
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/07/2018 answer text <p>Since 2010 there are 1,000,000 fewer people, including 300,000 fewer children, in absolute low income (before housing costs), both record lows.</p><p> </p><p>The government has a range of policies to support households with their energy bills such as the Warm Home Discount, Energy Company Obligation and Winter Fuel Payment schemes. The government is also committed to ensuring that individuals, regardless of their background or income, have access to useful and affordable financial products and services, and has established a Financial Inclusion Policy Forum, which provides leadership and ensures collaboration across government and with the sector in tackling financial exclusion.</p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 31/07/2018 12:06:00 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
tabling member	4564 label Biography information for Lord Bird

916547

registered interest
date	04/06/2018
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Poverty
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how they are seeking to prevent and reduce the effects of the poverty premium.
tabling member printed	Lord Bird
uin	HL8253
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2018 answer text <p>The government has focused on lifting people out of poverty. Since 2010 there are 1,000,000 fewer people, including 300,000 fewer children, in absolute poverty (before housing costs), both record lows.</p><p> </p><p>The government recognises that energy costs and access to financial services can be an issue for some families living in poverty. The government has a range of policies to support households with their energy bills such as the Warm Home Discount, Energy Company Obligation and Winter Fuel Payment schemes. The government is also committed to ensuring that individuals, regardless of their background or income, have access to useful and affordable financial products and services, and has established a Financial Inclusion Policy Forum, which provides leadership and ensures collaboration across government and with the sector in tackling financial exclusion. Following the first meeting of the Forum, a sub-group will now tackle the important issue of access to affordable credit, driving this work forward ahead of the next Forum meeting.</p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 18/06/2018 15:06:18 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
tabling member	4564 label Biography information for Lord Bird

870271

registered interest
date	23/03/2018
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Credit
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they intend to take to support, promote and increase the ethical personal lending market as an alternative to high-cost credit providers.
tabling member printed	Lord Bird
uin	HL6605
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/03/2018 answer text The government is committed to delivering a well-functioning and sustainable consumer credit market which is able to meet the needs of all consumers.<p> </p>In March, the government hosted the first meeting of the Financial Inclusion Policy Forum, a new key initiative bringing together government, regulators, industry and the third sector to coordinate action and provide leadership in tackling these challenges. The Forum’s mission is to ensure that individuals, regardless of their background or income, have access to useful and affordable financial products and services, including affordable credit.<p> </p><p>The government also supports credit unions, which provide an affordable alternative to high-cost credit. In the Autumn Budget 2017, the government announced its intention to help the sector expand by increasing the number of potential members of credit unions from two million to three million. In addition, from this year a greater proportion of funds recovered from illegal money lenders will be allocated to incentivise vulnerable people to join, save, and borrow with a credit union instead of turning to loan sharks.</p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 29/03/2018 14:42:59 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
tabling member	4564 label Biography information for Lord Bird