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816779

	registered interest
	date	05/01/2018
	answering body	HM Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	CaTreasury
	hansard heading	Poverty: Children
	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 of rising household debt on levels of child poverty.
	tabling member constituency	Crewe and Nantwich
	tabling member printed	Laura Smith
	uin	121206
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/01/2018 answer text <p>The proportion of people in absolute poverty is at record lows. Since 2010 there are 600,000 fewer people, with 200,000 fewer children, in absolute poverty. Work is the most effective way out of poverty and unemployment has not been lower since 1975. We are helping people retain more of what they earn by raising the personal allowance, successive increases mean that a basic rate tax payer will be £1,075 better off in 2018-19 than in 2010-11, and to help with the cost of living we are also freezing tax on fuel and alcohol. To support working parents we are introducing Tax Free Childcare, providing support of up to £2000 per year for each child, and are doubling free childcare available for 3 and 4 year olds to 30 hours a week, saving in total around £5,000 a year per child. We are also banning letting agent fees and have published a draft bill to require Ofgem to implement a cap on standard variable and default energy tariffs. However, there is more to do and the government is committed to delivering a country that works for everyone. Last April, the government published its “Improving Lives: Helping Workless Families” strategy. This focused on measures that tackle the root causes of poverty, including specifically problem debt.</p> answering member constituency South West Norfolk answering member printed Elizabeth Truss question first answered 15/01/2018 13:51:29 answering member 4097 label Biography information for Elizabeth Truss
	tabling member	4648 label Biography information for Laura Smith

917325

	registered interest
	date	05/06/2018
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Public Sector: Workplace Pensions
	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 implications for his policies on public service pensions of the judgment in relation to Mcloud v Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice.
	tabling member constituency	Crewe and Nantwich
	tabling member printed	Laura Smith
	uin	150232
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/06/2018 answer text <p>The Government is disappointed with the ruling of the Employment Appeal Tribunal in McCloud v. Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice and has appealed the judgment to the Court of Appeal.</p> answering member constituency South West Norfolk answering member printed Elizabeth Truss question first answered 12/06/2018 11:11:10 answering member 4097 label Biography information for Elizabeth Truss
	tabling member	4648 label Biography information for Laura Smith

771355

	registered interest
	date	16/10/2017
	answering body	HM Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	CaTreasury
	hansard heading	Insurance Companies
	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 level of incidences of collusion in the insurance industry between providers of home and contents insurance.
	tabling member constituency	Crewe and Nantwich
	tabling member printed	Laura Smith
	uin	107741
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/10/2017 answer text <p>The government is committed to ensuring that the home insurance industry operates on a fair and competitive basis. The government works closely with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). Both CMA and FCA have significant powers to deal with anti-competitive behavior. The government is confident that both regulators are effective in their assessment of the practices of the providers of home and contents insurance.</p> answering member constituency North East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Stephen Barclay question first answered 24/10/2017 10:38:07 answering member 4095 label Biography information for Steve Barclay
	tabling member	4648 label Biography information for Laura Smith

963989

	registered interest
	date	03/09/2018
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	High Income Child Benefit Tax Charge: Repayments
	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 reasons for the time taken for HMRC to notify people affected by the high-income child benefit charge of the money to be repaid.
	tabling member constituency	Crewe and Nantwich
	tabling member printed	Laura Smith
	uin	169778
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/09/2018 answer text <p>The High Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC) was introduced to ensure that support is targeted at those who need it most. It applies to anyone with an income over £50,000 who claims Child Benefit, or whose partner claims Child Benefit. The tax charge increases gradually for taxpayers with incomes between £50,000 and £60,000.</p><p> </p><p>Families in which at least one taxpayer has an income over £60,000 can choose not to receive the Child Benefit, which means that they do not have to pay the tax charge at all. Those who continue to receive Child Benefit must register for Self Assessment to declare their Child Benefit payments and pay the tax charge through their tax return. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) encourages customers to contact it straightaway to pay the tax charge and the vast majority do so.</p><p> </p><p>Information on HICBC widely available, including in packs for new parents telling them how to claim Child Benefit, as well as on the Child Benefit claim form itself. Guidance is also available online on gov.uk.</p><p> </p><p>HMRC has a duty to apply tax legislation fairly and in an even-handed way, and takes every opportunity to make individuals aware of their responsibilities, including notifying of any taxes due.</p> answering member constituency South West Norfolk answering member printed Elizabeth Truss question first answered 10/09/2018 10:40:47 answering member 4097 label Biography information for Elizabeth Truss
	tabling member	4648 label Biography information for Laura Smith

816783

	registered interest
	date	05/01/2018
	answering body	HM Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	CaTreasury
	hansard heading	Consumers
	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 increase the ability of regulators and consumer enforcement bodies to order fines against companies that have been found to have broken consumer law and to deliver redress.
	tabling member constituency	Crewe and Nantwich
	tabling member printed	Laura Smith
	uin	121210
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/01/2018 answer text <p>The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has been given a wide range of enforcement powers to protect consumers and to take action against firms and individuals that breach the FCA’s rules – including rules on consumer protection - through the Financial Services and Markets Act (2000), as amended by the Financial Services Act (2012),</p><p> </p><p>Such action includes issuing fines against firms and individuals. In the calendar year 2017, the FCA issued fines totalling £229,515,303.</p><p> </p><p>The Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) was set up by the Government to resolve individual complaints between financial services firms and their customers. If the FOS decide that a consumer has been treated unfairly, it has legal powers to force the firm to pay redress to the consumer.</p> answering member constituency Salisbury answering member printed John Glen question first answered 12/01/2018 12:47:16 answering member 4051 label Biography information for John Glen
	tabling member	4648 label Biography information for Laura Smith

816780

	registered interest
	date	05/01/2018
	answering body	HM Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	CaTreasury
	hansard heading	Consumers
	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 make consumer markets operate more fairly to reduce the costs of essential household items.
	tabling member constituency	Crewe and Nantwich
	tabling member printed	Laura Smith
	uin	121207
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/01/2018 answer text <p>Competitive markets are the best way of delivering value and choice for consumers. Autumn Budget 2017 announced more resources for the Competition and Markets Authority to enable them to take more cases against companies who are not competing fairly. The government is also taking specific action to ensure that financial services markets work for consumers. For example, to improve access to affordable sources of credit, the government is increasing the number of potential members that a credit union serving a local area can have from 2 to 3 million.</p><p> </p><p>The forthcoming Consumer Green Paper will set out the government’s broader approach to ensuring that markets are working well for consumers and businesses.</p><p> </p><p>Where it can, the government is also taking direct action to help families with the cost of essential items. For example, the government has extended the fuel duty freeze for the eighth year. This freeze has saved the average car driver £850 over the last eight years compared to what they would have been paying under the pre-2010 escalator plans.</p> answering member constituency Salisbury answering member printed John Glen question first answered 11/01/2018 14:41:45 answering member 4051 label Biography information for John Glen
	tabling member	4648 label Biography information for Laura Smith

818978

	registered interest
	date	09/01/2018
	answering body	HM Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	CaTreasury
	hansard heading	VAT: Registration
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he plans to launch the Government's public consultation into the VAT registration threshold.
	tabling member constituency	Crewe and Nantwich
	tabling member printed	Laura Smith
	uin	121655
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/01/2018 answer text <p>As announced at Autumn Budget 2017, the Government will publish a consultation on the VAT registration threshold in 2018.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Central Devon answering member printed Mel Stride question first answered 17/01/2018 15:10:17 answering member 3935 label Biography information for Mel Stride
	tabling member	4648 label Biography information for Laura Smith

964064

	registered interest
	date	03/09/2018
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Insurance: Misrepresentation
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the potential increase in demand on the court system as a result of the deadline for making PPI claims via the Financial Ombudsman; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Crewe and Nantwich
	tabling member printed	Laura Smith
	uin	169787
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/09/2018 answer text <p>The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)’s decision to set a deadline for mis-sold Payment Protection Insurance (PPI) was announced in August 2017, and gives consumers two years to make a claim. The government is confident in the FCA’s approach to handling mis-sold PPI and the deadline was set by the FCA in their role as an independent regulator. As this was an FCA decision and not legislation, the Chancellor has not made an assessment on the impacts on the court system resulting from the deadline.</p> answering member constituency Salisbury answering member printed John Glen question first answered 10/09/2018 14:59:27 answering member 4051 label Biography information for John Glen
	tabling member	4648 label Biography information for Laura Smith

818661

	registered interest
	date	08/01/2018
	answering body	HM Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	CaTreasury
	hansard heading	Credit Cards: Fees and Charges
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals for a total cost cap on credit cards of 100 per cent of the original sum borrowed.
	tabling member constituency	Crewe and Nantwich
	tabling member printed	Laura Smith
	uin	121425
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/01/2018 answer text <p>The regulation of consumer credit, including credit cards, is a matter for the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The Government has given the FCA strong powers to protect consumers, including the power to cap all forms of consumer credit, and the FCA can do so if it thinks it is necessary to protect consumers.</p><p> </p><p>The Government welcomes the FCA’s extensive Credit Card Market Study which identified concerns about persistent credit card debt. The FCA is consulting on remedies, which include encouraging customers to repay more quickly; earlier identification of customers at risk of financial difficulty; and help for customers in persistent debt with escalating measures at 18, 28, and 36 months. The FCA’s proposals also include a voluntary industry agreement to give customers more control over credit limit increases.</p><p> </p><p>The FCA is not proposing a price cap as it considers that its proposals are more likely to address the consumer harm it has identified. The Government will continue to work with the FCA to ensure that customers are treated fairly.</p> answering member constituency Salisbury answering member printed John Glen question first answered 16/01/2018 12:04:17 answering member 4051 label Biography information for John Glen
	tabling member	4648 label Biography information for Laura Smith

816787

	registered interest
	date	05/01/2018
	answering body	HM Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	CaTreasury
	hansard heading	Financial Services: Vulnerable Adults
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to implement a duty on regulators to identify vulnerable customers within the finance industry.
	tabling member constituency	Crewe and Nantwich
	tabling member printed	Laura Smith
	uin	121214
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/01/2018 answer text <p>The government believes that the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) existing objectives to protect consumers and to promote effective competition are sufficient to safeguard the interests of vulnerable consumers. The government therefore sees no need to legislate to impose an additional duty on the FCA.</p><p> </p><p>In November 2017, the FCA published their Future Approach to Consumers Paper. One of the core ideas within this Paper is “Regulating for Vulnerable Consumers”. The FCA expects firms to pay attention to possible indicators of vulnerability and have policies in place to deal with consumers where those indicators suggests they may be at greater risk of harm.</p> answering member constituency Salisbury answering member printed John Glen question first answered 11/01/2018 14:40:05 answering member 4051 label Biography information for John Glen
	tabling member	4648 label Biography information for Laura Smith