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1675385

registered interest
date	05/12/2023
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Public Sector Debt
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking reduce the national debt in the (a) short- and (b) medium-term.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	5273
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/12/2023 answer text <p>The Government is committed to sustainable public finances and has taken responsible decisions to keep debt falling, while reducing taxes and boosting economic growth. Over the short and medium-term, this includes tough choices to control public pending and drive greater efficiencies.</p><p> </p><p>The independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) confirmed that underlying debt is forecast to fall to 92.8% of GDP in 2028-29 and is 2.1 percentage points lower on average compared to the OBR’s March forecast.</p> answering member constituency Hitchin and Harpenden answering member printed Bim Afolami question first answered 11/12/2023 16:29:09 answering member 4639 label Biography information for Bim Afolami
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1675386

registered interest
date	05/12/2023
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Supermarkets: Prices
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether officials in his Department have had discussions with representatives of (a) supermarkets and (b) other retail outlets on steps being taken to mitigate the impact of increased costs on the prices of goods for consumers.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	5274
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/12/2023 answer text <p>As part of the process of policy development and delivery, Treasury Ministers and officials meet a wide variety of organisations, including retail businesses, supermarkets, and their representative organisations, to discuss a range of issues including inflation. Details of ministerial and permanent secretary meetings with external organisations on departmental business are published on a quarterly basis and are available at gov.uk:</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-gifts-and-overseas-travel" target="_blank">HMT ministers' meetings, hospitality, gifts and overseas travel - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a></p><p> </p><p>Inflation was 4.6% in October, which is the lowest rate in two years. The government is fully committed to supporting the Bank of England get inflation back down to 2%. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) forecasts that government policies in the Autumn Statement will help reduce inflation to 2.8% by the end of 2024, and return to target in the first half of 2025.</p> answering member constituency Grantham and Stamford answering member printed Gareth Davies question first answered 12/12/2023 17:46:45 answering member 4850 label Biography information for Gareth Davies
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1675399

registered interest
date	05/12/2023
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Revenue and Customs: Telephone Services
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the longest waiting time was for people trying to contact HMRC by telephone on 5 December 2023.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Hall Green
tabling member printed	Tahir Ali
uin	5283
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/12/2023 answer text <p>HMRC publishes its performance data on a monthly and quarterly basis as below:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmrc-monthly-performance-reports" target="_blank"><strong>https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmrc-monthly-performance-reports</strong></a></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmrc-quarterly-performance-updates" target="_blank"><strong>https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmrc-quarterly-performance-updates</strong></a></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Mid Worcestershire answering member printed Nigel Huddleston question first answered 11/12/2023 16:30:48 answering member 4407 label Biography information for Nigel Huddleston
tabling member	4747 label Biography information for Tahir Ali

1675428

registered interest
date	05/12/2023
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Cash Dispensing
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has had discussions with the Financial Conduct Authority on the potential merits of taking into account the specific needs of local communities when setting minimum cash access standards rather than using geographic criteria.
tabling member constituency	South Holland and The Deepings
tabling member printed	Sir John Hayes
uin	5150
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/12/2023 answer text <p><strong>T</strong>he government recognises that cash continues to be used by millions of people across the UK, including those who may be in vulnerable groups.</p><p> </p><p>The government legislated through the Financial Services and Markets Act 2023 to establish a new legislative framework to protect access to cash. This establishes the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) as the lead regulator for access to cash and provides it with responsibility and powers to seek to ensure reasonable provision of cash withdrawal and deposit facilities.</p><p> </p><p>In determining what constitutes reasonable provision, the legislation requires the FCA to have regard to a government policy statement, any local deficiencies in cash access that it has identified and considers to have significant impacts and any other matters as it considers appropriate.</p><p> </p><p>The government published a policy statement earlier this year. This stated that consideration should be taken of the degree to which services meet local needs in relation to both business and personal use. The government’s policy statement is available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cash-access-policy-statement/cash-access-policy-statement" target="_blank">Cash Access Policy Statement</a>.</p><p> </p><p>The FCA is currently holding a consultation on its proposed regulatory approach ahead of this coming into effect by Q3 2024.</p> answering member constituency Hitchin and Harpenden answering member printed Bim Afolami question first answered 12/12/2023 17:45:20 answering member 4639 label Biography information for Bim Afolami
tabling member	350 label Biography information for Sir John Hayes

1675461

registered interest
date	05/12/2023
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Treasury: Official Hospitality
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much their Department spent on hospitality in (a) 2021, (b) 2022 and (c) 2023.
tabling member constituency	Hemsworth
tabling member printed	Jon Trickett
uin	5187
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/12/2023 answer text <p>We do not routinely publish this data, as has been the case under successive administrations. All Business Units within HM Treasury have a responsibility to keep official hospitality costs as low as possible and demonstrate good value for money.</p><p> </p><p>Details of ministerial and senior official hospitality are published on a quarterly basis, and are available on GOV.UK</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Grantham and Stamford answering member printed Gareth Davies question first answered 12/12/2023 17:48:05 answering member 4850 label Biography information for Gareth Davies
tabling member	410 label Biography information for Jon Trickett

1675657

registered interest
date	05/12/2023
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Schools: Uniforms
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of removing VAT on all school uniform items.
tabling member constituency	Bermondsey and Old Southwark
tabling member printed	Neil Coyle
uin	5385
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/12/2023 answer text <p>Under the current VAT rules, all children’s clothing and footwear designed for young children who are less than 14 years of age, including school uniforms, attract a zero-rate of VAT, meaning that no VAT is charged on the sale of these items. Additionally, certain school uniform items may also benefit from a zero rate of VAT irrespective of size. For instance, garments which bear a prominent logo, crest or badge identifying them as part of the official uniform of schools catering exclusively for children under 14 years of age can be zero-rated.</p><p> </p><p>Going further would impose additional pressure on the public finances, to which VAT makes a significant contribution. Whilst we have no current plans to extend the existing zero rate, we nevertheless keep all taxes under review.</p> answering member constituency Mid Worcestershire answering member printed Nigel Huddleston question first answered 13/12/2023 11:35:54 answering member 4407 label Biography information for Nigel Huddleston
tabling member	4368 label Biography information for Neil Coyle

1675022

registered interest
date	04/12/2023
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Development Aid
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the evidence by the Chancellor of the Exchequer to the House of Commons Treasury Select Committee on 29 November, why Official Development Assistance will remain at 0.5 per cent of gross national income for five successive years despite previous commitments by Ministers.
tabling member printed	The Earl of Sandwich
uin	HL842
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/12/2023 answer text <p>The Government remains committed to returning to a target of spending 0.7% of GNI on ODA when, on a sustainable basis, the government is no longer borrowing for day-to-day spending and underlying debt is falling.</p> answering member printed Baroness Vere of Norbiton question first answered 18/12/2023 13:56:57 answering member 4580 label Biography information for Baroness Vere of Norbiton
tabling member	2109 label Biography information for The Earl of Sandwich

1675025

registered interest
date	04/12/2023
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Rents: Inflation
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address challenges that may arise from the new methodology for assessing rental prices in inflation data.
tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
uin	HL845
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/12/2023 answer text <p>The independent Office for National Statistics (ONS) is responsible for measuring rents and inflation. The government takes note of ONS’s plans to improve the measurement of rental prices.</p> answering member printed Baroness Vere of Norbiton question first answered 15/12/2023 14:29:52 answering member 4580 label Biography information for Baroness Vere of Norbiton
tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick

1675042

registered interest
date	04/12/2023
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Central Bank Digital Currencies: Bank of England
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the risks and benefits of introducing the digital pound, including on financial stability.
tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
uin	HL847
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/12/2023 answer text <p>HM Treasury and the Bank of England will conduct a full examination of the costs and benefits of introducing a digital pound, including an assessment of any potential financial stability impacts. This assessment will be made before any decision is taken.</p> answering member printed Baroness Vere of Norbiton question first answered 15/12/2023 14:30:12 answering member 4580 label Biography information for Baroness Vere of Norbiton
tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick

1675053

registered interest
date	04/12/2023
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Housing: Prices
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of changes in the level of house prices since September 2023.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	5027
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/12/2023 answer text <p>The most reliable measure of average house prices in the UK is published by the ONS. The latest release is for September 2023, when the average house price in the UK was assessed to be £291,400. That leaves average UK house prices 25% higher than their average level in 2019, although 0.2% lower than their average level in Sept 2022.</p><p>While prices have remained resilient, housing market activity has slowed in recent months, largely as a result of rising mortgage rates, which are in part driven by Bank Rate. Monetary policy is the responsibility of the independent Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Bank of England. The path to lower rates is through low inflation, which is why the government is fully committed to supporting the Bank get inflation back down to the 2% target. The MPC continues to have the Government’s full support as it takes action to return inflation to target through its independent monetary policy decisions.</p><p>The Government has taken steps to limit the impact of rising interest rates on mortgage holders, through the Mortgage Charter. This Charter sets out the standards that signatory lenders – who represent over 90% of the UK mortgage market – will adopt when helping their customers.</p><p>We have also taken a number of measures aimed at helping people to avoid repossession, including protection in the courts through the Pre-Action Protocol, the Housing Loss Prevention Advice Service (HLPAS), and Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI) loans. Accordingly, arrears and repossessions remain at historic lows, despite the rise in interest costs.</p><p>The government continues to monitor developments in the housing market closely and consider the implications for its policies.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Hitchin and Harpenden answering member printed Bim Afolami question first answered 07/12/2023 15:55:45 answering member 4639 label Biography information for Bim Afolami
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon