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947642

	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	Financial Services
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to advance the UK’s position as an international financial centre.
	tabling member printed	Viscount Waverley
	uin	HL9898
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/08/2018 answer text <p>The UK is home to the world’s preeminent financial centre and the government is committed to maintaining and enhancing this position. In addition to our natural advantages, such as a central time zone and the English language, we have strengths across all the major sectors – banking, asset management, and insurance – alongside a globally respected regulatory system, and world-class legal and professional services.</p><p> </p><p>As the Chancellor of the Exchequer set out in his Mansion House speech in June, the government has a long-term vision for the future of UK financial services, based on ensuring the continued innovation, resilience, and openness of the sector. This includes strengthening the UK’s already world-leading positions in the markets of the future, whether in Fintech, green and sustainable finance, or rupee and renminbi products.</p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 02/08/2018 12:10:45 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
	tabling member	1744 label Biography information for Viscount Waverley

947599

	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	Taxation: Disclosure of Information
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the consultation paper, Amending HMRC’s Civil Information Powers, published on 10 July, which contained the proposal to remove the "requirement to seek approval from the tribunal or the taxpayer before a third-party notice could be issued", what protection and oversight they intend to introduce for taxpayers with regard to the provision of information from third parties.
	tabling member printed	The Marquess of Lothian
	uin	HL9870
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/08/2018 answer text <p>The Government believes that every HMRC information power should have an appropriate and proportional safeguard. The ongoing consultation asks for views on the appropriate safeguard to allow HMRC to use a third party information power effectively whilst still protecting taxpayers’ rights. All responses will be considered before any final decisions are taken.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 02/08/2018 12:07:49 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
	tabling member	259 label Biography information for The Marquess of Lothian

947558

	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	Child Tax Credit
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the report by HMRC, Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics: Provisional Awards Geographical Analysis April 2018, published on 28 June, in relation to the policy to provide support via Child Tax Credit for a maximum of two children, whether they have undertaken an analysis to determine why the total number of affected household in the first year of the policy is substantially lower than the estimate published in their impact assessment of July 2015; and if so, what are the reasons for the difference between the projected and actual outcomes.
	tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of Durham
	uin	HL9843
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/08/2018 answer text <p>The difference between the estimate in the Impact Assessment and the statistic published in “Child Tax Credit and Universal Credit claimants: statistics related to the policy to provide support for a maximum of 2 children, April 2018” is due to a combination factors, including improvements to the methodology used to identify the affected population, divergences between the economic determinants used to model the policy and actual outturn, and changes in the underlying claimant population. No formal analysis of the separate impact of these factors has been made.</p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 02/08/2018 12:07:13 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
	tabling member	4312 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of Durham

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

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

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

947517

	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	UK Trade with EU: Customs
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what work has been undertaken to understand the technology and processes required to remove the need for infrastructure related to checks and controls at the Irish border itself aside from that on the Facilitated Customs Arrangement referred to in the Government's White Paper on the future relationship between the EU and the UK.
	tabling member constituency	Yeovil
	tabling member printed	Mr Marcus Fysh
	uin	168173
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/09/2018 answer text <p>The Government’s preferred approach to customs, the facilitated customs arrangement (FCA), would avoid any need for customs declarations on cross-border trade and would ensure there are no stops or checks at the land border. The FCA will therefore fully deliver on the Government’s commitments to avoid a hard land border.</p><p> </p><p>The UK is also seeking to be at the cutting edge of global customs policy. As the Government outlined in the “future customs arrangements” paper in August 2017, it has been exploring possible ways in which to use future advancements in technology to streamline the trading process; including by simplifying existing procedures to reduce burdens on business, or speeding up some authorisation processes through increased automation. The UK will look to implement such innovations, bilaterally or unilaterally, to promote the greatest possible trade with the rest of the world.</p> answering member constituency Central Devon answering member printed Mel Stride question first answered 05/09/2018 09:33:12 answering member 3935 label Biography information for Mel Stride
	tabling member	4446 label Biography information for Mr Marcus Fysh

947511

	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	Teachers: Pay
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Written Statement of 24 July 2018 on Schools Update, HCWS911, whether the Welsh Government is planned to receive any additional funding for the pay rise for teachers announced in that Written Statement.
	tabling member constituency	Ceredigion
	tabling member printed	Ben Lake
	uin	168172
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/09/2018 answer text <p>The situation regarding teachers’ pay in Wales presents a unique set of circumstances, in which setting teacher pay rates is currently a reserved matter whilst meeting the costs of the award is devolved. This means that a UK Government decision to increase teacher pay has cost implications for the Welsh Government.</p><p> </p><p>I can therefore confirm that, as a result of this inconsistency in the way teacher pay awards are currently set in Wales, the Welsh Government will receive additional funding of £8.7m in 2018/19 and £14.8m in 2019/20, in line with the principles set out in the Statement of Funding Policy.</p><p> </p><p>Setting teacher pay will be fully devolved to Wales from September 2018 onwards, to pay for the 2019-20 academic year.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Norfolk answering member printed Elizabeth Truss question first answered 13/09/2018 16:22:16 answering member 4097 label Biography information for Elizabeth Truss
	tabling member	4630 label Biography information for Ben Lake

947501

	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	Public Sector: Childcare Vouchers
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the oral contribution of the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions of 13 March 2018, Official Report, column 767, what steps he has taken to address the specific circumstances affecting public sector employees in relation to childcare vouchers are; and what discussions he has had with colleagues from Northern Ireland in relation to those steps.
	tabling member constituency	Barnsley East
	tabling member printed	Stephanie Peacock
	uin	168168
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/09/2018 answer text <p>HM Treasury, the Department for Education and HM Revenue &amp; Customs met with the Northern Ireland Department of Education in June to discuss the experience of developing and administering the 30 hours free childcare policy in England.</p><p> </p><p>To reflect concerns about the timing of the closure of childcare vouchers and the transition to Tax-Free Childcare (TFC) raised in the debate in April, the government took the decision to keep childcare vouchers open for a further six months until October. This has allowed more time for TFC to bed in, for awareness to increase and for families to understand the support they can receive under the scheme.</p><p> </p><p>HM Revenue and Customs have been making improvements to the childcare service since it was launched in April 2017. Over the last four months they have provided over 99% of parents with an eligibility decision within 5 working days; reduced the number of problems that parents experienced, meaning that less than 1% of parents now see an error screen whilst applying or using their account; and made improvements to the customer experience. As a result, there has been an increase in parent satisfaction to over 80%.</p><p> </p><p>The government has increased communications about TFC and the Childcare Choices website. As a result, we have seen a rise in the number of visitors to the sites. Communications activity will increase further in September at the start of the new school year, with a marketing campaign in the autumn to support take up of TFC.</p><p> </p><p>All public-sector workers in the UK who meet the eligibility criteria for TFC will be able to claim government support for 20% of their childcare costs, up to an annual maximum of £2,000 for each child. We are working to make sure all parents, including those in the public sector, are aware of this support and how to access it. Ministers and officials have also met with interested stakeholders across the UK.</p> answering member constituency South West Norfolk answering member printed Elizabeth Truss grouped question UIN 168008 168010 168165 question first answered 06/09/2018 12:57:34 answering member 4097 label Biography information for Elizabeth Truss
	tabling member	4607 label Biography information for Stephanie Peacock

947495

	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	Childcare Vouchers
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the oral contribution of the Secretary of State for Education of 13 March 2018, Official Report, Column 802, what steps he has taken during the six month extension to the childcare voucher scheme to address the concerns raised in that debate.
	tabling member constituency	Barnsley East
	tabling member printed	Stephanie Peacock
	uin	168165
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/09/2018 answer text <p>HM Treasury, the Department for Education and HM Revenue &amp; Customs met with the Northern Ireland Department of Education in June to discuss the experience of developing and administering the 30 hours free childcare policy in England.</p><p> </p><p>To reflect concerns about the timing of the closure of childcare vouchers and the transition to Tax-Free Childcare (TFC) raised in the debate in April, the government took the decision to keep childcare vouchers open for a further six months until October. This has allowed more time for TFC to bed in, for awareness to increase and for families to understand the support they can receive under the scheme.</p><p> </p><p>HM Revenue and Customs have been making improvements to the childcare service since it was launched in April 2017. Over the last four months they have provided over 99% of parents with an eligibility decision within 5 working days; reduced the number of problems that parents experienced, meaning that less than 1% of parents now see an error screen whilst applying or using their account; and made improvements to the customer experience. As a result, there has been an increase in parent satisfaction to over 80%.</p><p> </p><p>The government has increased communications about TFC and the Childcare Choices website. As a result, we have seen a rise in the number of visitors to the sites. Communications activity will increase further in September at the start of the new school year, with a marketing campaign in the autumn to support take up of TFC.</p><p> </p><p>All public-sector workers in the UK who meet the eligibility criteria for TFC will be able to claim government support for 20% of their childcare costs, up to an annual maximum of £2,000 for each child. We are working to make sure all parents, including those in the public sector, are aware of this support and how to access it. Ministers and officials have also met with interested stakeholders across the UK.</p> answering member constituency South West Norfolk answering member printed Elizabeth Truss grouped question UIN 168008 168010 168168 question first answered 06/09/2018 12:57:34 answering member 4097 label Biography information for Elizabeth Truss
	tabling member	4607 label Biography information for Stephanie Peacock