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155745

	registered interest
	date	17/11/2014
	answering body	HM Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Foreign Investment in UK
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he has taken to encourage more foreign direct investment in UK companies.
	tabling member constituency	Windsor
	tabling member printed	Adam Afriyie
	uin	214745
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/11/2014 answer text <p><strong>In 2013-14 the UK attracted 1,773 foreign direct investment projects, giving a total stock of £1.6 trillion of such investments - more than any other country apart from the USA. During this Parliament the Government has taken action to make the UK a more attractive location to run a business including reducing corporation tax so that it will reach 20% next year – the lowest in the G20 - and investing in skills, science and infrastructure. The Government has also increased resources at UK Trade and Investment including for example establishing private sector-led teams in the Gulf, Central Europe, and South America dedicated to attracting inward investment into the UK. </strong></p><p> </p> answering member constituency South Northamptonshire answering member printed Andrea Leadsom question first answered 24/11/2014 17:43:50 answering member 4117 label Biography information for Andrea Leadsom
	tabling member	1586 label Biography information for Adam Afriyie

177084

	registered interest
	date	02/02/2015
	answering body	HM Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Financial Services
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent steps he has taken to encourage banks to offer their services to money service businesses.
	tabling member constituency	Windsor
	tabling member printed	Adam Afriyie
	uin	222940
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/02/2015 answer text <p>The UK Government is committed to supporting a healthy and legitimate remittance sector, and ensuring that UK citizens are able to continue to remit funds safely to family abroad. That is why, in response to the withdrawal of banking services from the Money Service Business sector we set up an Action Group on Cross Border Remittances to address this issue. The group is monitoring changes to the market, has developed guidance for MSBs and banks and is promoting a shared understanding of risk. The group is also overseeing the development of a Safer Corridor to ensure the continued, secure flow of remittances to Somalia.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Treasury Ministers have been engaging closely with the banking industry both through the British Bankers Association and directly with those banks involved in this issue, including personally writing to and phoning a number of banks.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South Northamptonshire answering member printed Andrea Leadsom question first answered 04/02/2015 12:29:59 answering member 4117 label Biography information for Andrea Leadsom
	tabling member	1586 label Biography information for Adam Afriyie

224414

	registered interest
	date	02/03/2015
	answering body	HM Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Financial Services: Technology
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department has taken to boost the growth of the financial technology industry.
	tabling member constituency	Windsor
	tabling member printed	Adam Afriyie
	uin	225806
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/03/2015 answer text <p>As part of our long term economic plan, the Government is committed to supporting the continued growth of the Financial Technology (FinTech) sector. The Government has taken a number of steps to achieve this, including:</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li><p>Creating a new Payments Systems Regulator (PSR), which will ensure that smaller banks and alternative providers of finance – including FinTechs – can access payment systems in a fair and transparent way, and thereby contributing to a fairer and more competitive payments industry. The PSR will open its doors on 1 April this year.</p><p> </p></li><li><p>Committing to additional funding of £100m to the British Business Bank’s Investment Programme – including funding for FinTech.</p><p> </p></li><li><p>Launching the GO-Science’s Blackett Review on FinTech Futures, which looks ahead 10 years to the future and identify what the technologies, enablers and barriers are that will shape the future of the UK FinTech sector.</p><p> </p></li></ul><p> </p><ul><li><p>Naming the big banks that will have to share credit data, and refer on SMEs they reject for finance – helping alternative finance providers, including FinTech firms, to lend more effectively;</p></li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li><p>Supporting the development of the peer-to-peer lending and crowdfunding market: consulting on ISA eligibility for crowdfunded debt securities; announcing we will review EU regulations standing in the way of P2P institutional lending; and creating a bespoke regulatory framework for P2P.</p><p> </p></li></ul><p> </p><p>Most recently at budget 2015, we announced a further package of measures to build on the government’s wide-reaching programme of reform to drive competition in banking and FinTech, including announcing that:</p><p> </p><ul><li><p>The Government intends to apply anti-money laundering regulation to digital currency exchanges in the UK, launch a new research initiative into digital currency technology, with £10 million additional funding, and work with the British Standards Institution and the digital currency industry to develop voluntary standards for consumer protection.</p><p> </p></li><li><p>Gocompare will launch the first personal current account comparison tool making use of customers’ bank midata releases on 26 March 2015.</p><p> </p></li><li><p>The Government will work with the banks and FinTech firms to develop an open API (Application Programming Interface) standard for banks, by the end of the year.</p></li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li><p>the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) ‘Project Innovate’ will work with HMT and the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) to investigate the feasibility of developing a regulatory ‘sandbox’ for financial services innovators</p><p> </p></li><li><p>Innovate Finance has agreed to deliver its FinTech regional strategy through a series of local partnerships; the first partnership has already been established in Leeds, and further partnerships will be established in Manchester and Edinburgh by April, and in Newcastle, Bristol and other centres before the end of the year.</p></li></ul><p> </p> answering member constituency South Northamptonshire answering member printed Andrea Leadsom question first answered 25/03/2015 11:07:37 answering member 4117 label Biography information for Andrea Leadsom
	tabling member	1586 label Biography information for Adam Afriyie

47166

	registered interest
	date	07/04/2014
	answering body	HM Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	CaTreasury
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect the introduction of seven-day bank account switching has had on the number of people changing bank account provider; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Windsor
	tabling member printed	Adam Afriyie
	uin	195454
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/04/2014 answer text <p><strong>The Current Account Switching Service launched in September of last year, and has had a very positive impact. Early signs are positive, with switching numbers in Q4 of 2013 up by 17 per cent compared to Q4 of the previous year. </strong></p><p> </p><p><strong>The Financial Conduct Authority will carry out a review in September of this year into the effectiveness of the Current Account Switching Service. This will include an assessment of the effect the introduction of seven day account switching has had on the number of people changing bank account provider. </strong></p><p> </p> answering member constituency South Northamptonshire answering member printed Andrea Leadsom question first answered 29/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4117 label Biography information for Andrea Leadsom
	tabling member	1586 label Biography information for Adam Afriyie

391306

	registered interest
	date	20/07/2015
	answering body	HM Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	CaTreasury
	hansard heading	Financial Services: Technology
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what support his Department is providing to promote the growth of the FinTech industry.
	tabling member constituency	Windsor
	tabling member printed	Adam Afriyie
	uin	7976
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/09/2015 answer text <p>The Government is committed to making the UK the leading global FinTech hub, and has announced a large number of policy initiatives, including more supportive regulatory regimes for peer-to-peer, digital currencies, and other innovative firms.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Government built on this record at the Summer Budget. First, Eileen Burbidge was appointed as the UK’s ‘Special Envoy for FinTech’, where she will represent UK interests in FinTech at home and around the world. Second, an international FinTech benchmarking exercise was announced to measure the UK’s performance and identify areas of best practice from around the world.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency West Worcestershire answering member printed Harriett Baldwin question first answered 07/09/2015 15:35:18 answering member 4107 label Biography information for Dame Harriett Baldwin
	tabling member	1586 label Biography information for Adam Afriyie

419038

	registered interest
	date	16/09/2015
	answering body	HM Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	CaTreasury
	hansard heading	Financial Services: Regulation
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to bring forward legislation to regulate (a) digital currencies, (b) crowdfunding and (c) peer-to-peer lending.
	tabling member constituency	Windsor
	tabling member printed	Adam Afriyie
	uin	10491
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/10/2015 answer text <p>At the March Budget, the Government said it would consult on how to regulate digital currency exchanges in the new Parliament.</p><p>Operating a P2P platform has been an activity regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) since 2014. Crowdfunding is also a Regulated Activity and is subject to FCA rules.</p> answering member constituency West Worcestershire answering member printed Harriett Baldwin question first answered 12/10/2015 14:17:54 answering member 4107 label Biography information for Dame Harriett Baldwin
	tabling member	1586 label Biography information for Adam Afriyie

419043

	registered interest
	date	16/09/2015
	answering body	HM Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	CaTreasury
	hansard heading	Financial Services: Technology
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to attract international FinTech companies to the UK.
	tabling member constituency	Windsor
	tabling member printed	Adam Afriyie
	uin	10494
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/10/2015 answer text <p>The Government is committed to making the UK the leading global FinTech hub, and has announced a large number of policy initiatives, including more supportive regulatory regimes for peer-to-peer, digital currencies, and other innovative firms.</p><p>The Government built on this record at the Summer Budget. First, Eileen Burbidge was appointed as the UK’s ‘Special Envoy for FinTech’, where she will represent UK interests in FinTech at home and around the world. Second, an international FinTech benchmarking exercise was announced to measure the UK’s performance and identify areas of best practice from around the world.</p> answering member constituency West Worcestershire answering member printed Harriett Baldwin question first answered 12/10/2015 14:34:55 answering member 4107 label Biography information for Dame Harriett Baldwin
	tabling member	1586 label Biography information for Adam Afriyie

428506

	registered interest
	date	16/11/2015
	answering body	HM Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	CaTreasury
	hansard heading	Payment Methods
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to deliver a faster payments infrastructure.
	tabling member constituency	Windsor
	tabling member printed	Adam Afriyie
	uin	16451
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/11/2015 answer text <p>The Faster Payment Scheme (FPS) launched in 2008 and provides near-instant settlement for over one billion payments that consumers and businesses make every year.</p><br /><p>FPS is one of the eight payment systems regulated by the new Payment Systems Regulator – which the Government launched in 2015, equipped with powers to ensure that UK payment systems are competitive and innovative. A key part of the PSR’s work is to ensure that UK payment systems work efficiently to deliver benefits for the individuals and firms that use them.</p><br /><p>The Government is also working with the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) Project Innovate – which looks to foster and support innovative financial technology (“FinTech”) firms, including firms that offer customers new and efficient ways to make payments in the UK.</p> answering member constituency West Worcestershire answering member printed Harriett Baldwin question first answered 23/11/2015 11:49:17 answering member 4107 label Biography information for Dame Harriett Baldwin
	tabling member	1586 label Biography information for Adam Afriyie

428507

	registered interest
	date	16/11/2015
	answering body	HM Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	CaTreasury
	hansard heading	Bank Services
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the availability of bank accounts for (a) crowd funding and (b) digital currency businesses.
	tabling member constituency	Windsor
	tabling member printed	Adam Afriyie
	uin	16372
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/11/2015 answer text <p>As the Chancellor announced at the Budget in March, the Government intends to bring digital currency exchanges into the scope of anti-money laundering regulation. The digital currency industry has highlighted the current lack of regulation as one of the obstacles firms face when trying to get bank accounts in the UK. The new regulatory regime will be designed to support firms’ access to these vital banking services, and to foster an environment in which legitimate digital currency businesses can flourish in the UK. The Treasury will consult on the detail of regulation shortly.</p><br /><p>The Government has supported the crowdfunding industry by consulting on whether to extend ISA eligibility to debt and equity crowdfunding and helping equity crowdfunding through the tax efficient Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) – without which 24% of investors say they would not have invested.</p> answering member constituency West Worcestershire answering member printed Harriett Baldwin question first answered 23/11/2015 11:47:50 answering member 4107 label Biography information for Dame Harriett Baldwin
	tabling member	1586 label Biography information for Adam Afriyie

431610

	registered interest
	date	23/11/2015
	answering body	HM Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	CaTreasury
	hansard heading	Small Businesses: Finance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the bank referral scheme announced in the 2015 Budget in providing accessible finance to small and medium-seized enterprises.
	tabling member constituency	Windsor
	tabling member printed	Adam Afriyie
	uin	17360
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/12/2015 answer text <p>The bank referral scheme is not yet up and running but the Government is committed to delivering this policy which will help small and medium sized enterprises access the finance they need to grow and expand.</p><br /><p>Since the Government announced the Finance Platform policy at Budget 2014 significant progress on implementation has been made. The Government has consulted, passed primary legislation and is now close to making secondary legislation.</p><br /><p>The British Business Bank is currently undertaking a due diligence process on Finance Platforms that have expressed an interest in becoming designated and will advise HM Treasury on designation in the Spring; with the policy expected to ‘go live’ later in 2016.</p> answering member constituency West Worcestershire answering member printed Harriett Baldwin question first answered 01/12/2015 17:09:59 answering member 4107 label Biography information for Dame Harriett Baldwin
	tabling member	1586 label Biography information for Adam Afriyie