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1091334

	registered interest
	date	19/03/2019
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Cars: Insurance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans his Department has to ban car insurers from imposing compulsory change of address fees on their policy holders.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	234172
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/03/2019 answer text <p>The Government is determined that insurers should treat customers fairly and firms are required to do so under the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) rules. The FCA requires firms to act fairly in accordance with the best interests of customers. Customers that believe that they have been treated unfairly, such as their insurer charging fees disproportionate to the level of work involved, should make a formal complaint to their insurer.</p><p> </p><p>If they then feel that their complaint has not been dealt with satisfactorily they can refer the matter to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) - an independent body set up to provide arbitration in such cases. The decision of the FOS is binding on insurers up to the value of £150,000.</p> answering member constituency Salisbury answering member printed John Glen question first answered 26/03/2019 13:09:44 answering member 4051 label Biography information for John Glen
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1184865

	registered interest
	date	13/03/2020
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Mortgages: Coronavirus
	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 to ensure banks offer flexibility in meeting monthly mortgage repayments to households whose finances may be disrupted by the economic effect of covid-19.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	29215
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/03/2020 answer text <p>Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) rules set out requirements that mortgage lenders are expected to treat borrowers fairly and show forbearance when customers are in financial difficulty. The Government has made sure that repossession is always a last resort after other reasonable attempts to resolve the position have failed.</p><p> </p><p>Banks and building societies are ready and able to support consumers impacted by COVID-19. On the 17 March, the Chancellor announced on behalf of the sector that banks and building societies will offer a 3-month ‘mortgage holiday’ for borrowers that are financially struggling with their repayments. This forbearance measure will enable affected borrowers to defer their mortgage payments for up to 3 months while they get back on their feet. Customers who are concerned about the current financial situation should get in touch with their lender at the earliest possible opportunity.</p> answering member constituency Salisbury answering member printed John Glen question first answered 19/03/2020 15:08:40 answering member 4051 label Biography information for John Glen
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1190236

	registered interest
	date	24/04/2020
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme
	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 to monitor the use of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme by businesses that are able to continue operating at full staff strength during the covid-19 outbreak to ensure that resources are prioritised for the businesses and employees in most need.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	39655
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/05/2020 answer text <p>The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme is designed to help employers whose operations have been severely affected by coronavirus (COVID-19) to retain their employees and protect the UK economy. The Government recognises that businesses will face different impacts from coronavirus.</p><p> </p><p>The scheme is open to employers that had created and started a PAYE payroll scheme on or before 19 March 2020, are enrolled for PAYE online and have a UK bank account. It is for employers to decide whether to offer to furlough employees. There is no limit on the amount of funding available for the scheme.</p><p> </p><p>The Government expects employers to do the right thing, but HMRC reserve the right to follow up on claims and take whatever action is necessary if people abuse the CJRS scheme.</p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman question first answered 04/05/2020 15:45:44 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1193739

	registered interest
	date	06/05/2020
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	VAT: Coronavirus
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect on consumer spending of reducing the rate of VAT during the covid-19 outbreak.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	43893
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2020 answer text <p>VAT raised £130 billion in revenue in 2019/2020 for the Exchequer and plays an important part in funding the Government’s spending priorities, including hospitals, schools and defence.</p><p> </p><p>Reducing the standard rate would come at a considerable cost to the Exchequer. However, the Government keeps all taxes under review.</p><p> </p><p>In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Chancellor has announced a range of measures to help individuals and businesses through the crisis, including grants, loans and relief from business rates worth more than £300 billion.</p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman question first answered 14/05/2020 14:11:32 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1193740

	registered interest
	date	06/05/2020
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Business Rates: Coronavirus
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the number of leisure and hospitality businesses that would benefit from an increase in the business rate relief threshold to £150,000.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	43894
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2020 answer text <p>The business rates holiday for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure properties in 2020-21 does not have a rateable value threshold, meaning properties of any size can benefit.</p><p> </p><p>The Chancellor announced the removal of the previous £51,000 threshold from this relief on 17 March 2020.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman question first answered 14/05/2020 14:17:45 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1203654

	registered interest
	date	15/06/2020
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Food: Wholesale Trade
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will extend the application of business rates relief to food and drink wholesalers who supply hospitals, schools, care homes and the hospitality industry.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	59442
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/06/2020 answer text <p>The Government has provided enhanced support through business rates relief to businesses occupying properties used for retail, hospitality and leisure given the direct and acute impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on those sectors.</p><p> </p><p>The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has published guidance for local authorities on eligible properties. As set out in the guidance, support is targeted at premises that are wholly or mainly being used as shops, restaurants, cafes, drinking establishments, cinemas and live music venues; for assembly and leisure; or as hotels, guest and boarding premises and self-catering accommodation. It is for local authorities to determine eligibility for reliefs, having regard to guidance issued by the Government.</p><p> </p>A range of further measures to support all businesses, including those not eligible for the business rates holiday, such as wholesalers, has also been made available. answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman question first answered 22/06/2020 13:06:01 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1203655

	registered interest
	date	15/06/2020
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Food: Wholesale Trade
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what policy changes he plans to make in response to the findings of a Federation of Wholesale Distributors survey that (a) 50 per cent of the 150 food and drink wholesale businesses surveyed, all of which have a turnover of £45 million or lower, are in danger of going into liquidation in the next three months to a year, (b) 70 per cent of those respondents supply food and drink to schools, care homes, hospitals and (c) £270 million worth of public sector contracts are at risk without urgent financial support; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	59443
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/06/2020 answer text <p>The Government has announced unprecedented support for business and workers to protect them against the current economic emergency including almost £300 billion of guarantees – equivalent to 15% of UK GDP. Local Authorities (LAs) can choose to make discretionary grants to businesses in supply chains, like wholesale distributors, if they feel there is a particular local economic need. The Government has allocated up to £617 million to LAs to enable them to give discretionary grants to businesses in this situation. LAs may choose to focus payments on those priority groups which are most relevant to their local areas or to businesses outside of these priority groups, so long as the business was trading on 11th March, and has not received any other cash grant funded by central Government.</p><p> </p><p>Wholesale distributors continue to have access to other elements of the Government’s unprecedented package of support for business, including the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) and the four government-backed loan schemes for firms of all sizes. The Business Support website provides further information about how businesses can access the support that has been made available, who is eligible and how to apply - <a href="https://www.gov.uk/business-coronavirus-support-finder" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/business-coronavirus-support-finder</a>.</p><p> </p><p>On 11 May the Government published its COVID-19 recovery strategy which sets out our plan for moving to the next phase of our response. The strategy sets out a cautious roadmap for easing existing measures in a safe and measured way. On 15 June the non-essential retail sector reopened. The roadmap will be kept constantly under review, and we will continue to work hard to support business and workers as the situation evolves.</p> answering member constituency Saffron Walden answering member printed Kemi Badenoch question first answered 23/06/2020 13:31:08 answering member 4597 label Biography information for Kemi Badenoch
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1218665

	registered interest
	date	29/06/2020
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Beer: Excise Duties
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of Beer Duty receipts were paid by small breweries that produce no more than 60,000 hectolitres of beer per year, in each of the last three years.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	66046
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/07/2020 answer text <p>HMRC publishes quarterly statistics of beer duty receipts, as well as quantities of production. Information on the proportion of annual receipts that are paid by small brewers producing no more than 60,000 hectolitres of beer per year is not readily available.</p><p> </p><p>HMRC publishes annual statistics on small brewers reliefs, this includes the number of people claiming the relief and the cost of the relief. Information on proportion of claimants receiving the maximum 50 per cent and at least 25 per cent reduction in their beer duty rate is not readily available.</p> answering member constituency Saffron Walden answering member printed Kemi Badenoch grouped question UIN 66047 66048 question first answered 07/07/2020 16:31:59 answering member 4597 label Biography information for Kemi Badenoch
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1218666

	registered interest
	date	29/06/2020
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Beer: Excise Duties
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of small breweries received the maximum 50 per cent small breweries relief from their beer duty rate in each of the last three years.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	66047
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/07/2020 answer text <p>HMRC publishes quarterly statistics of beer duty receipts, as well as quantities of production. Information on the proportion of annual receipts that are paid by small brewers producing no more than 60,000 hectolitres of beer per year is not readily available.</p><p> </p><p>HMRC publishes annual statistics on small brewers reliefs, this includes the number of people claiming the relief and the cost of the relief. Information on proportion of claimants receiving the maximum 50 per cent and at least 25 per cent reduction in their beer duty rate is not readily available.</p> answering member constituency Saffron Walden answering member printed Kemi Badenoch grouped question UIN 66046 66048 question first answered 07/07/2020 16:31:59 answering member 4597 label Biography information for Kemi Badenoch
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1218667

	registered interest
	date	29/06/2020
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Beer: Excise Duties
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of small breweries in receipt of small breweries relief received at least a 25 per cent reduction in their beer duty rate, in the latest period for which figures are available.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	66048
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/07/2020 answer text <p>HMRC publishes quarterly statistics of beer duty receipts, as well as quantities of production. Information on the proportion of annual receipts that are paid by small brewers producing no more than 60,000 hectolitres of beer per year is not readily available.</p><p> </p><p>HMRC publishes annual statistics on small brewers reliefs, this includes the number of people claiming the relief and the cost of the relief. Information on proportion of claimants receiving the maximum 50 per cent and at least 25 per cent reduction in their beer duty rate is not readily available.</p> answering member constituency Saffron Walden answering member printed Kemi Badenoch grouped question UIN 66046 66047 question first answered 07/07/2020 16:32:00 answering member 4597 label Biography information for Kemi Badenoch
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1221008

	registered interest
	date	06/07/2020
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Protective Clothing: VAT
	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 potential merits of extending the personal protective equipment VAT zero rating beyond 31 October 2020.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	69529
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/07/2020 answer text <p>The temporary zero-rate of VAT on sales of Personal Protective Equipment for protection from infection has been extended to 31 October 2020. This extension forms part of the Government’s response to the coronavirus emergency.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has taken extraordinary action to introduce this zero-rate. A temporary measure is appropriate to ensure the widest range of businesses, charities and individuals can benefit from this tax relief during the coronavirus emergency. The Government will continue to respond dynamically to this emergency, and will take all necessary steps in the future.</p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman question first answered 14/07/2020 11:48:57 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1229320

	registered interest
	date	28/08/2020
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of amending the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to not require businesses who have yet to reopen and have no income to start contributing to the scheme from August 2020.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	81842
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/09/2020 answer text <p>The furlough scheme will remain open until October. It is right that in the final months of this eight-month scheme, the Government asks employers to make a reasonable contribution towards their employees’ wages.</p><p> </p><p>An early assessment of CJRS claims suggested that about 40% of employers had not made a claim for employer NICs costs or employer pension contributions and so were likely to be unaffected by the change in August, assuming their employment patterns did not change.</p><p> </p><p>If an average claim lasted 8 months, the total cost of employer contributions would represent 5% of the gross employment costs an employer would have incurred had the employee not been furloughed.</p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman question first answered 08/09/2020 15:12:03 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1229321

	registered interest
	date	28/08/2020
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Events Industry: Business Rates
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending business rates relief to the events sector.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	81843
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/09/2020 answer text <p>The Government has provided enhanced support through business rates relief to businesses occupying properties used for retail, hospitality and leisure.</p><p> </p><p>A range of other measures to support all businesses, including events companies, has also been made available. On 8 July the Chancellor set out a package of measures to support jobs across the UK, including a Job Retention Bonus to help firms keep furloughed workers and a new £2 billion Kickstart Scheme to create hundreds of thousands of new, fully subsidised jobs for young people. The Chancellor has also announced a cut in VAT to 5% for accommodation, attractions and the hospitality sector.</p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman question first answered 08/09/2020 15:53:20 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1229353

	registered interest
	date	28/08/2020
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Self-employment Income Support Scheme
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme beyond the second grant for (a) musicians, (b) other performers and (c) other self-employed workers who remain unable to (i) work and (ii) work enough hours to earn their usual income as a result of covid-19 lockdown restrictions.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	81846
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/09/2020 answer text <p>The Chancellor of the Exchequer has said there will be no further extension or changes to the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS).</p><p>The SEISS will remain open for applications for the second and final grant until 19 October.</p><p> </p><p>Those who require more support may be able to benefit from other elements of the comprehensive package of support for individuals and businesses.</p><p>This package includes Bounce Back loans, tax deferrals, rental support, increased levels of Universal Credit, mortgage holidays, and other business support grants. More information about the full range of business support measures is available at</p><p><a href="http://www.gov.uk/government/collections/financial-support-for-businesses-during-coronavirus-covid-19" target="_blank">www.gov.uk/government/collections/financial-support-for-businesses-during-coronavirus-covid-19</a>.</p><p> </p><p>As the economy reopens, it is right that state support is reduced and the focus shifts to getting people back to work. On 8 July, the Government introduced the Plan for Jobs which will make available up to £30 billion to assist in creating, supporting and protecting jobs. The Plan includes the Kickstart Scheme, reduces the level of VAT for the hospitality and accommodation sector, and creates jobs through £8.6 billion of infrastructure, decarbonisation and maintenance projects. More information can be found here:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/a-plan-for-jobs-documents/a-plan-for-jobs-2020" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/a-plan-for-jobs-documents/a-plan-for-jobs-2020</a>.</p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman grouped question UIN 81847 question first answered 08/09/2020 15:40:35 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1229354

	registered interest
	date	28/08/2020
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Self-employment Income Support Scheme
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing targeted support beyond the second grant of the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme for (a) musicians, (b) other performers and (c) other self-employed workers who remain unable to work as a result of covid-19 lockdown restrictions.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	81847
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/09/2020 answer text <p>The Chancellor of the Exchequer has said there will be no further extension or changes to the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS).</p><p>The SEISS will remain open for applications for the second and final grant until 19 October.</p><p> </p><p>Those who require more support may be able to benefit from other elements of the comprehensive package of support for individuals and businesses.</p><p>This package includes Bounce Back loans, tax deferrals, rental support, increased levels of Universal Credit, mortgage holidays, and other business support grants. More information about the full range of business support measures is available at</p><p><a href="http://www.gov.uk/government/collections/financial-support-for-businesses-during-coronavirus-covid-19" target="_blank">www.gov.uk/government/collections/financial-support-for-businesses-during-coronavirus-covid-19</a>.</p><p> </p><p>As the economy reopens, it is right that state support is reduced and the focus shifts to getting people back to work. On 8 July, the Government introduced the Plan for Jobs which will make available up to £30 billion to assist in creating, supporting and protecting jobs. The Plan includes the Kickstart Scheme, reduces the level of VAT for the hospitality and accommodation sector, and creates jobs through £8.6 billion of infrastructure, decarbonisation and maintenance projects. More information can be found here:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/a-plan-for-jobs-documents/a-plan-for-jobs-2020" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/a-plan-for-jobs-documents/a-plan-for-jobs-2020</a>.</p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman grouped question UIN 81846 question first answered 08/09/2020 15:40:35 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1229423

	registered interest
	date	28/08/2020
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Banks
	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 to encourage the provision of mobile bank branches.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	81848
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/09/2020 answer text <p>The branch strategy of individual firms may be driven by a variety of factors, including customer interests, market competition and other commercial considerations. These are commercial decisions for firms and the Government does not intervene in this decision-making.</p><p> </p><p>Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, the Government has been working closely with the financial regulators, banks, building societies and credit unions to ensure they continue to maintain branch access for essential services while balancing the needs of their customers with the safety and welfare of staff. Though many firms have reduced their opening hours the vast majority of branches have remained open for customers. Furthermore, several retail banks have put in place solutions for vulnerable customers, including enabling them to make payments through a trusted person or have their cash securely delivered to them at home. Many firms have also set up dedicated phone lines so these customers can speak to their provider as quickly as possible.</p><p> </p><p>The way consumers interact with their banking is changing. In recent years, over two-thirds of UK adults have used contactless payments and online banking and nearly half have used mobile banking, according to UK Finance. As a result of the pandemic, many customers may have used these channels for the first time. However, the Government still firmly believes that the impact of branch closures should be understood, considered, and mitigated where possible so that all customers, wherever they live, continue to have access to over-the-counter banking services if they wish to use them. That’s why the Government supports the industry’s Access to Banking Standard which informs customers of the bank’s reason for closure and helps customers to understand the options they have locally to continue to access banking services.</p><p> </p><p>The Post Office also allows 95% of business and 99% of personal banking customers to carry out their everyday banking at 11,500 Post Office branches across the UK. Customers have been able to use the Post Office for essential banking services as an alternative to their branch throughout the pandemic. Customers can also use ATMs or cash machines as normal for cash withdrawals and balance enquiries.</p><p> </p><p>In July 2020, the regulator the Financial Conduct Authority published draft guidance setting out their expectation of firms when they are deciding whether and how to reduce their physical branches or the number of free to use ATMs. Firms are expected to carefully consider the impact of a planned closure on their customers’ everyday banking and cash access needs, and other relevant branch services and consider possible alternative access arrangements, which may include mobile branches. This will ensure the implementation of closure decisions is done in a way that treats customers fairly.</p> answering member constituency Salisbury answering member printed John Glen grouped question UIN 81849 81850 question first answered 08/09/2020 08:14:35 answering member 4051 label Biography information for John Glen
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1229424

	registered interest
	date	28/08/2020
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Banks: Rural Areas
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment his Department has made of the accessibility of in-branch banking services for people living in a rural setting.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	81849
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/09/2020 answer text <p>The branch strategy of individual firms may be driven by a variety of factors, including customer interests, market competition and other commercial considerations. These are commercial decisions for firms and the Government does not intervene in this decision-making.</p><p> </p><p>Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, the Government has been working closely with the financial regulators, banks, building societies and credit unions to ensure they continue to maintain branch access for essential services while balancing the needs of their customers with the safety and welfare of staff. Though many firms have reduced their opening hours the vast majority of branches have remained open for customers. Furthermore, several retail banks have put in place solutions for vulnerable customers, including enabling them to make payments through a trusted person or have their cash securely delivered to them at home. Many firms have also set up dedicated phone lines so these customers can speak to their provider as quickly as possible.</p><p> </p><p>The way consumers interact with their banking is changing. In recent years, over two-thirds of UK adults have used contactless payments and online banking and nearly half have used mobile banking, according to UK Finance. As a result of the pandemic, many customers may have used these channels for the first time. However, the Government still firmly believes that the impact of branch closures should be understood, considered, and mitigated where possible so that all customers, wherever they live, continue to have access to over-the-counter banking services if they wish to use them. That’s why the Government supports the industry’s Access to Banking Standard which informs customers of the bank’s reason for closure and helps customers to understand the options they have locally to continue to access banking services.</p><p> </p><p>The Post Office also allows 95% of business and 99% of personal banking customers to carry out their everyday banking at 11,500 Post Office branches across the UK. Customers have been able to use the Post Office for essential banking services as an alternative to their branch throughout the pandemic. Customers can also use ATMs or cash machines as normal for cash withdrawals and balance enquiries.</p><p> </p><p>In July 2020, the regulator the Financial Conduct Authority published draft guidance setting out their expectation of firms when they are deciding whether and how to reduce their physical branches or the number of free to use ATMs. Firms are expected to carefully consider the impact of a planned closure on their customers’ everyday banking and cash access needs, and other relevant branch services and consider possible alternative access arrangements, which may include mobile branches. This will ensure the implementation of closure decisions is done in a way that treats customers fairly.</p> answering member constituency Salisbury answering member printed John Glen grouped question UIN 81848 81850 question first answered 08/09/2020 08:14:34 answering member 4051 label Biography information for John Glen
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1229425

	registered interest
	date	28/08/2020
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Banks: Urban Areas
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the accessibility of in-branch banking services for people living in urban areas.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	81850
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/09/2020 answer text <p>The branch strategy of individual firms may be driven by a variety of factors, including customer interests, market competition and other commercial considerations. These are commercial decisions for firms and the Government does not intervene in this decision-making.</p><p> </p><p>Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, the Government has been working closely with the financial regulators, banks, building societies and credit unions to ensure they continue to maintain branch access for essential services while balancing the needs of their customers with the safety and welfare of staff. Though many firms have reduced their opening hours the vast majority of branches have remained open for customers. Furthermore, several retail banks have put in place solutions for vulnerable customers, including enabling them to make payments through a trusted person or have their cash securely delivered to them at home. Many firms have also set up dedicated phone lines so these customers can speak to their provider as quickly as possible.</p><p> </p><p>The way consumers interact with their banking is changing. In recent years, over two-thirds of UK adults have used contactless payments and online banking and nearly half have used mobile banking, according to UK Finance. As a result of the pandemic, many customers may have used these channels for the first time. However, the Government still firmly believes that the impact of branch closures should be understood, considered, and mitigated where possible so that all customers, wherever they live, continue to have access to over-the-counter banking services if they wish to use them. That’s why the Government supports the industry’s Access to Banking Standard which informs customers of the bank’s reason for closure and helps customers to understand the options they have locally to continue to access banking services.</p><p> </p><p>The Post Office also allows 95% of business and 99% of personal banking customers to carry out their everyday banking at 11,500 Post Office branches across the UK. Customers have been able to use the Post Office for essential banking services as an alternative to their branch throughout the pandemic. Customers can also use ATMs or cash machines as normal for cash withdrawals and balance enquiries.</p><p> </p><p>In July 2020, the regulator the Financial Conduct Authority published draft guidance setting out their expectation of firms when they are deciding whether and how to reduce their physical branches or the number of free to use ATMs. Firms are expected to carefully consider the impact of a planned closure on their customers’ everyday banking and cash access needs, and other relevant branch services and consider possible alternative access arrangements, which may include mobile branches. This will ensure the implementation of closure decisions is done in a way that treats customers fairly.</p> answering member constituency Salisbury answering member printed John Glen grouped question UIN 81848 81849 question first answered 08/09/2020 08:14:35 answering member 4051 label Biography information for John Glen
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1237256

	registered interest
	date	23/09/2020
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Self-employment Income Support Scheme
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of a sector specific extension to the Self Employment Income Support scheme for industries that are adversely affected by the rule of six and other covid-19 restrictions.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	94405
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/10/2020 answer text <p>The Chancellor has announced the SEISS Grant Extension, which is a targeted form of support for the self-employed and viable traders who are actively trading but suffering from low demand, to help them continue to trade in the forthcoming winter months.</p><p> </p><p>The Government will provide eligible claimants with a taxable grant covering 20 per cent of average monthly trading profits, paid out in a single instalment covering 3 months’ worth of profits, and capped at £1,875 in total.</p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman question first answered 01/10/2020 14:53:30 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1239017

	registered interest
	date	29/09/2020
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Digital Technology: Taxation
	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 to ensure that the Digital Services Tax does not result in cost increases for the customers and selling partners of large technology corporations.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	96879
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/10/2020 answer text <p>The Digital Services Tax is designed to ensure that digital businesses pay UK tax reflecting the value they derive from UK users. It is a fair, proportionate, and temporary measure, to be removed once an appropriate global solution is in place.</p><p> </p><p>It is for businesses to decide their own pricing strategies.</p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman question first answered 07/10/2020 14:53:24 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1249501

	registered interest
	date	09/11/2020
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Coronavirus: Disease Control
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the potential economic effect of an extension to the November 2020 covid-19 lockdown restrictions in England beyond 2 December 2020.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	113079
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/11/2020 answer text <p>The Prime Minister has been clear that the measures that were announced on 31 October and came into force on 5 November are time-limited. They will end on Wednesday 2 December, when the Government will seek to ease restrictions, going back into the tiered system on a local and regional basis.</p><p> </p><p>Throughout the pandemic, the government’s economic priority has remained the same: to protect jobs and livelihoods. Since the start of the pandemic the government has provided support for people, businesses, and public services totalling an estimated £200 billion.</p> answering member constituency Salisbury answering member printed John Glen question first answered 17/11/2020 14:42:15 answering member 4051 label Biography information for John Glen
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1249502

	registered interest
	date	09/11/2020
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Coronavirus: Disease Control
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish an economic impact assessment of the November 2020 covid-19 lockdown restrictions in England.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	113080
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/11/2020 answer text <p>As the Chancellor said in his letter to the TSC on 4 November, HM Treasury does not prepare formal forecasts for the UK economy, which are the responsibility of the independent OBR. They will publish their next forecast on 25 November.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, within their statutory mandates, the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) produce analysis which reflect their independent judgements regarding the impact of Covid-19 on the likely path of the economy. They updated their projections in their Monetary Policy Report published on 5 November. This reflected UK restrictions announced up to 31 October, including “heightened England-wide measures for the period 5 November to 2 December”. In this scenario, GDP was revised downwards and is now expected to contract by 2% in Q4 reflecting the impact of stricter measures to control Covid-19.</p> answering member constituency Salisbury answering member printed John Glen question first answered 17/11/2020 14:30:57 answering member 4051 label Biography information for John Glen
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1256939

	registered interest
	date	01/12/2020
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Employment: Coronavirus
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	What steps his Department is taking to support job retention during the covid-19 outbreak.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	909608
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/12/2020 answer text <p>The Government has taken unprecedented action to protect jobs during the pandemic, most notably through the CJRS which has seen 1.2 million employers apply to help to pay the wages of 9.6 million furloughed jobs. The CJRS has been extended until March, and the OBR have forecast this is set to support up to 6 million jobs. Employers have also received billions in loans, tax deferrals, Business Rate reliefs, and general and sector-specific grants.</p> answering member constituency North East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Steve Barclay question first answered 01/12/2020 16:50:35 answering member 4095 label Biography information for Steve Barclay
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1274148

	registered interest
	date	06/01/2021
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Hospitality Industry: Coronavirus
	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 need for support during the January 2021 covid-19 lockdown for (a) breweries and (b) other businesses within the hospitality supply chain that do not qualify for covid-19 Government grants.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	133822
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/01/2021 answer text <p>The Government recognises that breweries, and other businesses within the hospitality supply chain have been acutely disrupted by recent necessary restrictions to hospitality businesses. Throughout the crisis the Government’s priority has been to protect lives and livelihoods. The Government has acted to deliver support to these businesses through:</p><ul><li>The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS), which has supported 1.4 million jobs across the hospitality sector, and has been extended until the end of April 2021.</li><li>Local Authorities (in England) have been given an additional £500 million of discretionary funding to support local businesses. This builds on the £1.1 billion discretionary funding which local authorities in England have already received to support their local economies and help businesses impacted. Local Authorities have discretion to determine how much funding to provide to businesses and exactly which businesses to target.</li><li>A VAT deferral ‘New Payment Scheme’ whereby businesses which deferred their VAT due between March and June until March 2021 will have the option of making 11 payments spread throughout the year rather than one lump sum.</li><li>Access to affordable, Government backed finance through the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) and the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CLBLS) for and larger firms, along with the Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBL) for small and micro enterprises.</li><li>A reduced rate of VAT (5 per cent) to goods and services supplied by the tourism and hospitality sectors.</li><li>A 12-month business rates holiday for all eligible retail, leisure and hospitality businesses in England, saving around 350,000 ratepayers a combined £10bn.</li></ul><p> </p><p>Breweries have and will continue to benefit directly from Government support schemes, and indirectly from the support offered to the pubs and restaurants they supply, protecting jobs in the industry. The Government is continuing to collect evidence on the impact of the pandemic on the sector and to work with businesses and representative groups to inform our efforts to support this sector.</p> answering member constituency Saffron Walden answering member printed Kemi Badenoch question first answered 12/01/2021 10:32:51 answering member 4597 label Biography information for Kemi Badenoch
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1274149

	registered interest
	date	06/01/2021
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Holiday Accommodation: Coronavirus
	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 need for Government support during the January 2021 covid-19 lockdown for self-catered accommodation owners, who do not qualify for Government grants.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	133823
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/01/2021 answer text <p>Throughout this crisis, the Government has sought to support businesses, jobs and public services up and down the UK. That is why it has spent over £280 billion to make a package of support available for businesses which has included billions in wage support, loans, tax deferrals, Business Rate reliefs and general and sector-specific grants.</p><p> </p><p>Following the implementation of the latest national lockdown in January, the Government announced additional funding for businesses worth £4.6 billion across the UK. This includes a £500m payment to local authorities, to top up their allocation from the Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG), which has already provided local authorities with £1.1 billion.</p><p> </p><p>This funding will ensure that local authorities can provide discretionary grants to businesses, such as self-catered accommodation owners, which are not eligible for the Local Restrictions Support Grants but which are nonetheless experiencing a severe impact on their business due to the national lockdown. These businesses may also be eligible for further aspects of our generous support package outlined above.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Saffron Walden answering member printed Kemi Badenoch question first answered 12/01/2021 10:31:04 answering member 4597 label Biography information for Kemi Badenoch
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1274152

	registered interest
	date	06/01/2021
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Bus Services: Coronavirus
	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 need for support during the January 2021 covid-19 lockdown for business in the coach and minibus sector, which do not qualify for Government grants.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	133824
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/01/2021 answer text <p>The Government recognises the challenging times facing the coach sector as a result of Covid-19. Firms experiencing difficulties are able to draw upon the unprecedented package of cross-economy measures the government has put in place, including Time to Pay flexibilities with tax bills, financial support for employees and tax deferrals. These measures have been designed to ensure that firms of any size receive the help they need to get through this difficult time.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, local authorities will receive an additional £500 million discretionary funding to support their local businesses. This builds on the £1.1 billion discretionary funding (worth £20 per head of population) which they have already received to support their local economies and help businesses impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. Local authorities have a significant amount of discretion when it comes to deciding which businesses receive payments from the ARG; we encourage them to use their allocations to set up discretionary grant schemes using this funding, e.g. for businesses who are affected by closures but who are not legally closed themselves. The coach sector may be able to benefit from these schemes. We encourage businesses to contact their local authority for more information on the ARG.</p> answering member constituency Saffron Walden answering member printed Kemi Badenoch question first answered 12/01/2021 10:41:10 answering member 4597 label Biography information for Kemi Badenoch
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1274153

	registered interest
	date	06/01/2021
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Travel Agents: Coronavirus
	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 need for Government support during the January 2021 covid-19 lockdown for businesses in the travel agency industry, which do not qualify for Government grants.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	133825
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/01/2021 answer text <p>Businesses are eligible for the Local Restrictions Support Grant (closed) if their main form of in person business is legally closed.</p><p> </p><p>Businesses that are ineligible for LRSG (closed) may be able to benefit from the Additional Restrictions Grant. The Government recently increased the funding available under this scheme to £1.6 billion across England. It is up to each local authority to determine eligibility for this scheme based on their assessment of local economic need; however, we encourage local authorities to support businesses which have been impacted by COVID-19 restrictions, but which are ineligible for the other grant schemes.</p> answering member constituency Saffron Walden answering member printed Kemi Badenoch question first answered 12/01/2021 10:17:31 answering member 4597 label Biography information for Kemi Badenoch
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1274154

	registered interest
	date	06/01/2021
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Events Industry: Coronavirus
	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 need for Government support during the January 2021 covid-19 lockdown for businesses in the (a) wedding industry and (b) wider events sector that do not qualify for currently available grants.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	133826
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/01/2021 answer text <p>The Government recognises the extreme disruption the necessary actions to combat Covid-19 are having on sectors like the wedding industry and wider events.</p><p> </p><p>During this difficult time the Treasury is working intensively with employers, delivery partners, industry groups, and other government departments to understand the long-term effects of Covid-19 across all key areas of the economy.</p><p> </p><p>Some businesses that are not eligible for the Local Restrictions Support Grant schemes or from the one-off grants for closed businesses may still benefit from the £1.6bn of discretionary funding (the Additional Restrictions Grant) which has been allocated to local authorities to support their local businesses.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, the Chancellor has extended Government loan schemes until the end of March 2021, and introduced ‘Pay as You Grow’ options for businesses which have taken out loans through BBLS or CBILS, giving a longer repayment period and allowing further flexibility on repayments.The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) and the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) have also been extended until the end of April 2021.</p><p> </p><p>Eligible events and businesses may have also benefit from business rates relief, a moratorium on commercial tenant evictions and the £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund supporting thousands of cultural organisations including theatres, music venues, comedy clubs and festivals.</p><p> </p><p>We will continue to monitor the impact of government support on public services, businesses, individuals and sectors, including the events and wedding industry, as we respond to this pandemic.</p> answering member constituency Saffron Walden answering member printed Kemi Badenoch question first answered 12/01/2021 10:26:56 answering member 4597 label Biography information for Kemi Badenoch
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1274160

	registered interest
	date	06/01/2021
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Beer and Public Houses: Coronavirus
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of lowering the tax burden on pubs and small breweries to support recovery after the covid-19 lockdown.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	133831
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/01/2021 answer text <p>Alcohol duties are kept under review and any announcements would be made at the next fiscal event.</p> answering member constituency Saffron Walden answering member printed Kemi Badenoch question first answered 12/01/2021 10:36:44 answering member 4597 label Biography information for Kemi Badenoch
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1274940

	registered interest
	date	08/01/2021
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Beer: Excise Duties
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of levying a separate, lower level of duty on cask ale to protect it as an important national product.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	134423
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/01/2021 answer text <p>The Government has consulted industry and other stakeholders on the possibility of charging different alcohol duty rates in different places as part of its Alcohol Duty Review. As noted in the call for evidence document, while beneficial to recipients, such a differential would add complexity and cost to the existing duty arrangements. The Government is now analysing the feedback received and will respond in due course.</p> answering member constituency Saffron Walden answering member printed Kemi Badenoch question first answered 18/01/2021 14:37:07 answering member 4597 label Biography information for Kemi Badenoch
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1284769

	registered interest
	date	08/02/2021
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Beer: Small Businesses
	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 potential merits of introducing a scheme similar to the Scottish Government's Brewers Support Fund.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	150793
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/02/2021 answer text <p>The Government recognises that breweries have been acutely disrupted by recent necessary restrictions to hospitality businesses.</p><p> </p><p>In January the Chancellor announced that £594 million is being made available for Local Authorities and the Devolved Administrations to support businesses ineligible for grants for closed businesses, but who might be impacted by COVID-19 restrictions, such as the hospitality supply chain. This funding comes in addition to the £1.1 billion discretionary grant for Local Authorities previously announced. Local Authorities have discretion to determine how much funding to provide to businesses and have the flexibility to target local businesses that are important to their local economies.</p><p> </p><p>The Government is also delivering support to the hospitality sector and its supply chain through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) which has been extended until April; Government backed finance through loan schemes, ‘Pay as You Grow’ long-term repayments options, a VAT cut, a VAT deferral for up to 12 months, a 12-month business rates holiday; and a moratorium on evictions to protect commercial tenants.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, Small Brewer’s Relief (SBR) provides reduced rates of beer duty for small brewers producing less than 60,000 hectolitres. Following requests from brewers to look again at the scheme, the Treasury is currently in the process of reviewing SBR to ensure it further supports growth in the sector. A technical consultation launched on 7 January 2021, and can be accessed at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/small-brewers-relief-sbr-technical-consultation" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/small-brewers-relief-sbr-technical-consultation</a>.</p> answering member constituency Saffron Walden answering member printed Kemi Badenoch question first answered 11/02/2021 17:40:47 answering member 4597 label Biography information for Kemi Badenoch
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1287510

	registered interest
	date	19/02/2021
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	European Investment Bank: Repayments
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, (a) how much of the UK’s share of the European Investment Bank’s paid-in subscribed capital has been repaid under the terms of the Withdrawal Agreement, (b) what the current schedule for repayments to the UK from the EU is, and (c) what discussions he has had with the EU on any request to revise the terms of the repayment of the UK’s stake in the Bank as agreed in the Withdrawal Agreement.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	155022
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/03/2021 answer text <p>The European Investment Bank (EIB) has repaid a total of EUR 300 million of the UK’s share of paid-in subscribed capital in a single payment made on 15 October 2020.</p><p> </p><p>The current schedule for repayments to the UK is set out in Article 150(4) of the Withdrawal Agreement. Repayments to the UK will be made over 12 years in 11 equal instalments of EUR 300 million, with the final balance to be paid on 15 October 2031. The repayment schedule dates were amended by decision number 1/2020 of the Joint Committee, dated 10 June 2020, as a result of the entry into force of the Withdrawal Agreement on 31 January 2020 instead of March 2019.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has had no other discussions with the EU on revising the terms of the repayment of the UK’s paid-in subscribed capital in the Bank as agreed in the Withdrawal Agreement.</p> answering member constituency Salisbury answering member printed John Glen question first answered 01/03/2021 10:55:37 answering member 4051 label Biography information for John Glen
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1288004

	registered interest
	date	22/02/2021
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Stamp Duties
	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 potential merits of retrospectively applying the temporarily reduced rates of stamp duty to house purchases completed between 23 March and 7 July 2020.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	156372
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/03/2021 answer text <p>The temporary SDLT relief was designed to stimulate immediate momentum in a property market where property transactions fell by as much as 50 per cent during the COVID-19 lockdown in March. This has also supported the jobs of people whose employment relies on custom from the property industry, such as retailers and tradespeople.</p><p> </p><p>The relief applies to sales that have been completed or substantially performed before 31 March 2021 and will not be backdated for those who purchased a property before the relief was introduced.</p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman question first answered 02/03/2021 12:21:54 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1300808

	registered interest
	date	09/03/2021
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Bounce Back Loan Scheme
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department had made of the potential merits of extending the zero interest period for Bounce Back Loans from 12 months to 18 months to allow for all covid-19 lockdown restrictions to have been lifted before the first businesses must begin paying interest.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	165518
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/03/2021 answer text <p>Under the Bounce Back Loan scheme, no repayments are due from the borrower for the first 12 months of the loan, giving businesses the breathing space they need during this difficult time. In addition, the Government covers the first 12 months of interest payments charged to the business by the lender.</p><p> </p><p>In order to give businesses further support and flexibility in making their repayments, the Chancellor has announced “Pay as You Grow” (PAYG) options. Under Pay as You Grow, following the end of the 12-month payment-free period, businesses can pause their repayments for six months – the interest in this case will accrue to the borrower, for payment later. This means that businesses can opt not to make any repayments on their Bounce Back loan for up to 18 months after they received the loan. Borrowers will also have the option to move temporarily to interest-only payments for periods of up to six months (an option which they can use up to three times), and to extend the term of their loan from six to ten years, reducing their monthly payments by almost half.</p><p> </p><p>Together, the 12-month payment holiday and interest-free period for borrowers, along with the PAYG options, form part of the Government’s unprecedented support package for businesses to protect jobs - including paying wages through the furlough schemes and self-employed support payments, generous grants, tax deferrals.</p> answering member constituency Salisbury answering member printed John Glen question first answered 16/03/2021 09:21:16 answering member 4051 label Biography information for John Glen
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1300943

	registered interest
	date	09/03/2021
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Wholesale Trade: Food
	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 to create a version of Scotland's Wholesale Food and Drink Resilience Fund for England.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	165520
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/03/2021 answer text <p>Throughout the Covid-19 crisis, the Government has protected people’s jobs and livelihoods while also supporting businesses and public services across the UK. Food and drink wholesalers have been eligible for a number of economic support schemes, including:</p><p> </p><ul><li>The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme;</li><li>The opportunity to defer VAT payments due between 20 March and 30 June 2020; and</li><li>The Bounce Back Loan Scheme for small businesses to borrow between £2,000 and £50,000, with no interest payments or fees for the first 12 months.</li></ul><p> </p><p>Wholesalers in England may also receive further support with their fixed costs from local authorities through the £1.6 billion in funding made available for discretionary Additional Restrictions Grants to support local businesses.</p><p> </p><p>Businesses may also be eligible for other elements of the Government’s support package including government-backed loans, tax deferrals, and general and sector-specific grants. The Government urges businesses to visit the online Coronavirus Business Support Finder Tool for tailored information on how to access support available to them.</p> answering member constituency Saffron Walden answering member printed Kemi Badenoch question first answered 17/03/2021 16:11:15 answering member 4597 label Biography information for Kemi Badenoch
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1305264

	registered interest
	date	23/03/2021
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Retail Trade: Business Rates
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of providing business rates relief to vacant retail units that are being used to facilitate temporary routine covid-19 testing for employees of nearby businesses.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	174110
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/03/2021 answer text <p>The Budget announced a three-month extension to the business rates holiday for eligible businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors that was provided at Budget 2020. This means over 350,000 properties will pay no business rates for three months.</p><p> </p><p>From 1 July 2021, 66% relief will be available subject to a cash cap that depends on whether businesses have been required to close or were able to open. This additional relief takes the total value of support in 2021-22 to £6 billion and means that the vast majority of businesses will receive an average 75% relief across the year.</p><p> </p><p>Local authorities are responsible for awarding this discount, having regard to the guidance provided by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.</p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman question first answered 29/03/2021 12:41:47 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1341424

	registered interest
	date	28/06/2021
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Travel Restrictions: Coronavirus
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has conducted an impact assessment for the ongoing covid-19 restrictions on international travel and the economic impact of those restrictions on the economy.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	23176
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/07/2021 answer text <p>The Government’s priority remains to protect public health, and we have to take a cautious approach to opening up international travel, given the risk posed by variants remains significant. The traffic light system commenced on 17 May and the list is reviewed every 3 weeks; decisions are taken by Ministers based on the Joint Biosecurity Centre (JBC) risk assessments and wider factors. The Government has also announced the intention to remove isolation rules for those travelling from amber list countries who are fully vaccinated, which will support the safe return of international travel.</p><p> </p><p>The Government recognises the challenging circumstances facing sectors, including the travel industry, that are dependent on international travel as a result of Covid-19. The Government will continue to support the travel industry, businesses and individuals during this period - including through various government-backed loans, new grants and the extended furlough and self-employed support schemes. The aerospace sector and its aviation customers are being supported with over £11 billion made available through loan guarantees, support for exporters, the Bank of England’s Covid Corporate Financing Facility and grants for research and development.</p><p> </p><p>As set out last November in the Government’s published analysis of the health, economic and social effects of Covid-19, we cannot forecast with confidence the precise impact of specific changes to specific restrictions, as this will depend on a broad range of factors which are, in many cases, difficult to estimate. This includes the economic impact of restrictions on international travel.</p><p> </p><p>The Treasury does not prepare forecasts for the UK economy and public finances, these are the responsibility of the independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). The OBR’s latest forecast (March 3) highlighted that the economic impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic and the unprecedented fiscal support has caused significant but necessary increase in borrowing and debt.</p> answering member constituency Saffron Walden answering member printed Kemi Badenoch question first answered 06/07/2021 14:21:03 answering member 4597 label Biography information for Kemi Badenoch
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1350991

	registered interest
	date	18/08/2021
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Coronavirus: screening
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has taken of the potential economic effect of covid-19 daily contact testing, as an alternative to self-isolation, not being available outside of the critical sectors identified by Government.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	40880
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/09/2021 answer text <p>The roll-out of the Workplace Daily Contact Testing scheme has been focusing initially on sectors that provide essential services. Workplaces must be approved to take part in this scheme to ensure that they are able to provide on-site testing services safely, effectively and meet reporting requirements. The government rightly prioritised sectors and workplaces where disruption to services as a result of self-isolation would cause serious risk to public welfare.</p><p> </p><p>From 16 August, contacts who are fully vaccinated are no longer required to self-isolate. This means that for fully vaccinated contacts, daily contact testing is no longer necessary as an alternative to self-isolation – instead they are advised to take a PCR test. Given the success of the vaccine roll-out, we expect this to support in easing pressures facing businesses from absence due to self-isolation.</p><p> </p><p>These changes seek to reduce the impact on businesses from self-isolation in a targeted way, while ensuring self-isolation remains an effective tool against the spread of Covid-19.</p><p> </p><p>As set out in the Covid-19 Impact Assessment last November, we cannot forecast with confidence the precise impact of specific changes to restrictions as this will depend on a broad range of factors which are, in many cases, difficult to estimate.</p> answering member constituency Salisbury answering member printed John Glen question first answered 06/09/2021 12:58:49 answering member 4051 label Biography information for John Glen
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1419304

	registered interest
	date	02/02/2022
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Financial Services: Discrimination
	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 to help tackle age discrimination experienced by customers in their dealings with the financial services industry.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	116918
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/02/2022 answer text <p>The Government is strongly committed to tackling financial exclusion and discrimination and aims for everyone, whatever their background, age or income to be able to access useful and affordable financial products and services. The Government works closely with regulators and stakeholders from the public, private and third sectors to ensure that all consumers of financial services are appropriately protected.</p><p> </p><p>The Financial Services Act 2021 requires the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to consult on whether it should make rules providing that authorised persons owe a duty of care to consumers.</p><p> </p><p>The FCA published an initial consultation on 14 May 2021 proposing a new ‘Consumer Duty’, which seeks to clarify and raise expectations for the standard of care that should be provided by financial services firms to consumers. A subsequent consultation was published on 7 December 2021 and is currently ongoing.</p><p> </p><p>Prior to this, in February 2021, the FCA also published its finalised guidance for firms on the fair treatment of vulnerable customers, setting out a number of best practices (<a href="https://www.fca.org.uk/publications/finalised-guidance/guidance-firms-fair-treatment-vulnerable-customers" target="_blank">https://www.fca.org.uk/publications/finalised-guidance/guidance-firms-fair-treatment-vulnerable-customers</a>). This applies to all firms where the FCA Principles for Business apply, regardless of sector and in respect of the supply of products or services to retail customers.</p><p> </p><p>UK banks’ and building societies’ treatment of their customers is governed by the FCA in its Principles for Businesses. This includes a general requirement for firms to provide a prompt, efficient and fair service to all of their customers. The FCA’s Handbook requires firms to identify customers who exhibit characteristics of vulnerability, and to deal with such customers appropriately. This includes older people, the disabled, and those who may lack the capacity to manage their account on their own.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, like all service providers, banks and building societies are bound under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments, where necessary, in the way they deliver their services.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Salisbury answering member printed John Glen question first answered 10/02/2022 14:02:28 answering member 4051 label Biography information for John Glen
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1419305

	registered interest
	date	02/02/2022
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Taxation: Electronic Government
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the Making Tax Digital reforms on the workload of small businesses and accountants in the run up to submission deadlines.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	116919
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/02/2022 answer text <p>Making Tax Digital (MTD) is already benefiting UK businesses, simplifying tax administration through software. <br> <br> Digital record keeping, using accounting software or apps, will make end of year activity a simpler process than it currently is. However, as with any change, the transition to digital may be more of a step for some. For MTD for VAT, operating since April 2019, independent research shows that most businesses felt the process of transitioning was easy.</p><p> </p><p>For MTD for Income Tax, quarterly summaries of business income and expenditure automatically produced from businesses’ digital records will spread the checking and assurance of accounts through the year, reducing pressure at year-end.</p><p> </p><p>HMRC’s assessment of impacts on businesses was shown in the Tax Information and Impact Note and supplementary information published on 23 September 2021, which can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/extension-of-making-tax-digital-for-income-tax-self-assessment-to-businesses-and-landlords/extension-of-making-tax-digital-for-income-tax-self-assessment-to-businesses-and-landlords" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/extension-of-making-tax-digital-for-income-tax-self-assessment-to-businesses-and-landlords/extension-of-making-tax-digital-for-income-tax-self-assessment-to-businesses-and-landlords</a></p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer question first answered 08/02/2022 13:39:46 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1419308

	registered interest
	date	02/02/2022
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Revenue and Customs: Correspondence
	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 to address the delays in HMRC responding to correspondence from small businesses and accountants.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	116920
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/02/2022 answer text <p>HMRC performance has been challenging this year as the country emerges from the pandemic, and performance on answering customer correspondence is not where HMRC would like it to be.</p><p> </p><p>HMRC has put measures in place to improve the position on answering correspondence and return it to pre-pandemic levels. Through those measures, they expect to have recovered the correspondence position by the start of the new financial year, so that by April they will be delivering normal, pre-pandemic, performance.</p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer question first answered 10/02/2022 15:49:53 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1420242

	registered interest
	date	07/02/2022
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Leisure: Coronavirus
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what support is available to those in the events, leisure, hospitality and sports sector who have been impacted by the omicron variant but do not qualify for existing support as they do not operate from rateable business premises.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	119538
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/02/2022 answer text <p>Businesses which do not operate from a rate-paying premises have always been eligible for the £2.1 billion Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG).</p><p>In December 2021, over £100 million of additional ARG funding was made available to support businesses impacted by the Omicron variant. This was on top of the £250 million left over from previous allocations, meaning local authorities had over £350 million of discretionary grants to support businesses with.</p><p>As of 30 January, there remained £294 million of ARG yet to be disbursed to businesses. The Business Secretary has already written to those local authorities instructing them to disburse their remaining funding. And we encourage Local Authorities to distribute this funding to those businesses affected by the Omicron variant, and this includes those in the Events, Leisure, Hospitality, and Sports Sector.</p><p>We urge those qualifying businesses to apply for these generous grant schemes which are available until the end of March 2022.</p> answering member constituency Faversham and Mid Kent answering member printed Helen Whately question first answered 15/02/2022 11:38:30 answering member 4527 label Biography information for Helen Whately
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1420243

	registered interest
	date	07/02/2022
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans the Government has to extend eligibility for the Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant to allow unclaimed funds to be claimed by affected businesses that do not operate from rateable business premises.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	119539
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/02/2022 answer text <p>As a result of the Omicron variant, hospitality and leisure businesses saw significant numbers of cancellations and reduced footfall throughout their peak trading period around Christmas. The aim of the Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant (OHLG) is to support businesses offering in-person services, where social mixing is the primary motivation for their customers.</p><p>However, the Government recognises that some businesses impacted by the Omicron variant will fall outside of the scope of the OHLG. That is why government has made £2.1 billion of discretionary grant funding available to them through the Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG). As of 30 January, there remains £294 million yet to be paid out to businesses and we encourage those impacted by Omicron to contact their local authority.</p><p>Both the OHLG and the ARG are available until the end of March 2022.</p> answering member constituency Faversham and Mid Kent answering member printed Helen Whately question first answered 15/02/2022 11:36:50 answering member 4527 label Biography information for Helen Whately
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1439445

	registered interest
	date	09/03/2022
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Credit Cards: Surcharges
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of (a) removing credit charge surcharges on businesses selling high-value items and (b) policy on the price of consumer goods and services as businesses raise prices to cover the fees charged to them by credit card companies.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	137301
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/03/2022 answer text <p>Surcharging, the practice of charging a fee for using a certain payment method, is banned in the UK for payments made by consumer credit and debit cards. This ban was introduced through amendments made to the Consumer Rights (Payment Surcharges) Regulations 2012 by the Payment Services Regulations 2017. It remains the individual merchant or retailer’s choice whether to set a certain ‘minimum spend’ for a certain type of payment instrument, and whether to accept or decline any payment method.</p><p> </p><p>Regarding the cost of card payments more generally, the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) was established with statutory objectives to ensure that payment systems are operated in a way that considers the interests of all the businesses and consumers that use them, and to promote effective competition between payment systems and services.</p><p> </p><p>The PSR continues to assess the effectiveness of the card-acquiring market for merchants and consumers. On 3 November 2021 the PSR published its Card Acquiring Market Review, examining how effectively the provisions of card-acquiring services are working for merchants, and ultimately consumers. The PSR has since released a Consultation on potential remedies to the problems it identifies. In its Review, the PSR recognise card fees as one area of concern, and have confirmed an additional phase of work to investigate the matter further. The PSR states that it will intervene to address any identified issues as necessary.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Salisbury answering member printed John Glen question first answered 18/03/2022 11:57:20 answering member 4051 label Biography information for John Glen
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1439446

	registered interest
	date	09/03/2022
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Money
	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 to encourage businesses to accept cash payments following the end of covid-19 restrictions.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	137302
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/03/2022 answer text <p>The government recognises that the ability to transact in cash remains important to millions of people across the UK and has committed to legislating to protect access to cash.</p><p> </p><p>Last year, the government held an Access to Cash Consultation on proposals for new laws to make sure people only need to travel a reasonable distance to pay in or take out cash. The government’s proposals intend to support the continued use of cash in people’s daily lives and help to enable local businesses to continue accepting cash by ensuring they can access deposit facilities.</p><p> </p><p>The FCA has published research on cash acceptance by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which found that the primary motivation for accepting cash is to provide customers with choice. While it remains the individual retailer’s choice as to whether to accept or decline any form of payment, including cash or card, nearly all (98%) of surveyed businesses stated they would never turn away a customer if they needed to pay by cash.</p> answering member constituency Salisbury answering member printed John Glen question first answered 18/03/2022 11:59:18 answering member 4051 label Biography information for John Glen
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1504112

	registered interest
	date	02/09/2022
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Small Businesses: Taxation
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the average financial cost for small businesses of following the Making Tax Digital rules.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	45799
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/09/2022 answer text <p>I refer the hon. Member for York Outer to the answer that was given on the 8 February 2022 to the Question UIN 116919.</p><p> </p><p>HMRC’s assessment of impacts on businesses was shown in the Tax Information and Impact Note published on 23 September 2021:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/extension-of-making-tax-digital-for-income-tax-self-assessment-to-businesses-and-landlords" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/extension-of-making-tax-digital-for-income-tax-self-assessment-to-businesses-and-landlords</a>.</p><p> </p><p>HMRC has undertaken significant engagement with business and accountancy representative bodies, as well as software developers, to understand the associated costs of Making Tax Digital mandation.</p><p> </p><p>Additional detail offering a more detailed look at the cost implications was published on 23 September 2021 here: <a href="http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/customer-costs-and-benefits-for-the-next-phases-of-making-tax-digital" target="_blank">www.gov.uk/government/publications/customer-costs-and-benefits-for-the-next-phases-of-making-tax-digital</a>.</p> answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Richard Fuller question first answered 20/09/2022 10:53:27 answering member 3912 label Biography information for Richard Fuller
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1504114

	registered interest
	date	02/09/2022
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Childcare Vouchers: Repayments
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if his Department will take steps to ensure that childcare vouchers purchased through an employer-run scheme are refundable if (a) employment and (b) childcare circumstances change.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	45800
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/09/2022 answer text <p>Childcare Vouchers are now closed to new entrants and the Government has no plans to reopen or reform them. Existing customers can continue to use them as long as they remain with their current employer, the employer continues to offer Vouchers, and their contract of employment remains the same.</p><p> </p><p>Parents can seek to get a refund from their employer for their unused Childcare Vouchers. However, there is no obligation for the employer to make a refund.</p><p> </p><p>If the Voucher provider is unable or unwilling to provide recompense, they might be able to use the Childcare Vouchers for other forms of childcare. Some childcare providers do accept them towards the cost of holiday clubs and a range of after-school activities.</p> answering member constituency Croydon South answering member printed Chris Philp question first answered 21/09/2022 11:29:39 answering member 4503 label Biography information for Chris Philp
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1507496

	registered interest
	date	21/09/2022
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Energy: Price Caps
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps the Government is taking to ensure it can fund a freeze on the cost of energy if the level of future economic growth is lower than predicted levels.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	53383
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/09/2022 answer text The government has set out decisive action to support people and businesses with their energy bills this winter and next. The scale of the global energy crisis means higher borrowing will be necessary to pay for the temporary support. It is right that we use the tools available to support households through this crisis and spread the costs over time.<p> </p><p>It is right to use our borrowing powers in the short-term in order to prevent long-term economic damage as we support families and businesses with rising costs.</p><p> </p><p>The government’s plan is to increase the trend rate of growth over the long run. The Medium-Term Fiscal Plan, which will be published on 23 November, is a key pillar of the governments growth plan and will set out further details on the fiscal rules, including ensuring that debt falls as a share of GDP in the medium term.</p> answering member constituency Croydon South answering member printed Chris Philp question first answered 29/09/2022 10:31:57 answering member 4503 label Biography information for Chris Philp
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1507743

	registered interest
	date	22/09/2022
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Cost of Living Payments
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to introduce targeted cost of living support for people who do not qualify for any form of benefit but are under state pension age.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	54512
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/10/2022 answer text <p>The government understands that people across the UK are worried about the rising cost of living, and has taken decisive action to get households and businesses through this Winter and the next, while ensuring action in a fiscally responsible way.</p><p> </p><p>The government has already announced £37 billion of support for this financial year. This includes one-off Cost of Living Payments for millions of the most vulnerable households – including low-income households eligible for means-tested benefits, people with a disability, and pensioners.</p><p> </p><p>However, all households have been feeling the pressure of rising energy prices and it is right that the government steps in to help everyone. That is why the government has announced the Energy Price Guarantee, which means that a typical UK household will have to pay bills equivalent to no more than £2500 a year on their energy bills this winter.This comes in addition to the £400 discount already announced through the Energy Bills Support Scheme.</p>For households that are not eligible for one-off Cost of Living Payments or for families that need additional support, the government has provided £1.5 billion total funding towards the cost of essentials, including a further six-month extension to the Household Support Fund from October 2022 to March 2023. The fund is distributed by Local Authorities in England through small payments to support vulnerable households to meet daily needs such as food, clothing, and utilities. answering member constituency Charnwood answering member printed Edward Argar question first answered 17/10/2022 17:07:01 answering member 4362 label Biography information for Edward Argar
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1519585

	registered interest
	date	10/10/2022
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Pension Funds: Exchange Rates
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of a depreciating level of currency on pension funds.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	59711
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/10/2022 answer text <p>Financial market movements are determined by a wide range of domestic and international factors. It is not appropriate for the government to comment on specific currency market movements or the impact on different sectors of the economy.</p><p>We continue to work closely with the Bank of England, Financial Conduct Authority, Debt Management Office and others to monitor markets.</p> answering member constituency Arundel and South Downs answering member printed Andrew Griffith grouped question UIN 61884 question first answered 18/10/2022 16:39:07 answering member 4874 label Biography information for Andrew Griffith
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy