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1258191

registered interest
date	03/12/2020
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Urban Areas: Northern Ireland
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what support the Government is providing to the Northern Ireland Executive to support high streets during the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Foyle
tabling member printed	Colum Eastwood
uin	124902
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/12/2020 answer text <p>Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, the UK Government has supported businesses in Northern Ireland.</p><p> </p><p>To give the Northern Ireland Executive the upfront certainty to plan and deliver their Covid-19 response this year, the UK Government guaranteed they would receive at least £2.8 billion in additional resource funding on top of their Spring Budget 20 funding. Spending Review 2020 is also providing a further £540 million for the Northern Ireland Executive in relation to Covid-19 in 2021-22. It is for the Executive to decide how to use this funding.</p><p> </p><p>This is on top of all the UK-wide schemes that the UK government has introduced this year to support all parts of the UK, including the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS), Self-Employed Income Support Scheme (SEISS) and Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS).</p> answering member constituency North East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Steve Barclay question first answered 08/12/2020 16:49:21 answering member 4095 label Biography information for Steve Barclay
tabling member	4846 label Biography information for Colum Eastwood

1258216

registered interest
date	03/12/2020
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Public Sector: Pay
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 people whose median annual pay is under £24,000 who are eligible to receive the £250 increase announced in the Spending Review 2020 and whose pay will fall in real terms as a result of inflation.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	124792
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/12/2020 answer text <p>We estimate that 2.1 million people earn less than £24,000 on a full-time equivalent basis in the public sector. The OBR forecasts inflation for the 2021/22 financial year will be 1.4%. With a payment of £250 everyone earning under £24,000 will receive a pay award worth over 1%, those earning less than £18,000 on a full-time equivalent basis will receive a pay award above inflation.</p><p> </p><p>For the financial year 2020/21 government implemented significant real terms increases of at least 2% for the nine major workforces for whom the government sets pay policy. School teachers received 3.1% on average, doctors and dentists 2.8% and police 2.5%. In addition, more than 1 million NHS workers continue to benefit from the three-year Agenda for Change deal, which delivers an investment of 3% in 2020/21. The OBR’s current inflation forecast for the 2020/21 financial year is 0.6%.</p><p> </p><p>Sources:</p><p> </p><p>OBR Economic and Fiscal Outlook:</p><p><a href="https://obr.uk/site-search/?_keywords=economic%20and%20fiscal%20outlook" target="_blank">https://obr.uk/site-search/?_keywords=economic%20and%20fiscal%20outlook</a></p><p>July Announcement:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pay-rises-for-doctors-police-and-more-in-the-public-sector" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pay-rises-for-doctors-police-and-more-in-the-public-sector</a></p><p> </p> answering member constituency North East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Steve Barclay question first answered 08/12/2020 16:44:28 answering member 4095 label Biography information for Steve Barclay
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1258221

registered interest
date	03/12/2020
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Public Sector: Pay
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to statistics showing average private sector pay is higher in November 2020 than at the same time 12 months ago, for what reason he used a six month period to highlight trends in the level of private sector pay during the 2020 Spending Review statement; and whether he has used a six month period to compare trends in private and public sector pay at previous fiscal events.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	124793
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/12/2020 answer text <p>The use of a six-month period to highlight trends in the level of private and public sector pay was specifically in response to the effect of Covid-19 on the labour market. Covid-19 has had a significant impact on private sector wages since April 2020, and the intention was to describe these trends at Spending Review 2020.</p> answering member constituency North East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Steve Barclay question first answered 08/12/2020 16:47:39 answering member 4095 label Biography information for Steve Barclay
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1258237

registered interest
date	03/12/2020
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Pension Wise
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to Q82 of the oral evidence taken before the Treasury Committee on 4 November 2020, HC950, what plans the Financial Conduct Authority has to set a target for take-up of Pensions Wise.
tabling member constituency	East Ham
tabling member printed	Stephen Timms
uin	124647
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/12/2020 answer text <p>This is a matter for the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which is operationally independent from Government. The question has been passed on to the FCA. The FCA will reply directly to the right honourable Gentleman’s question by letter. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.</p> answering member constituency Salisbury answering member printed John Glen question first answered 08/12/2020 14:08:46 answering member 4051 label Biography information for John Glen
tabling member	163 label Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms

1257576

registered interest
date	02/12/2020
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Debts
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 matter of problem debt.
tabling member constituency	Ceredigion
tabling member printed	Ben Lake
uin	124288
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/12/2020 answer text <p>The Government is committed to promoting financial resilience, to minimising financial hardship, to tackling financial exclusion and to helping consumers who fall into problem debt to return to a stable financial footing.</p><p> </p><p>The Government works closely with the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) to monitor personal finances. MaPS monitor levels of problem debt through an annual survey of 22,000 people. The latest data will be published in due course.</p><p> </p><p>The Government also notes the Financial Conduct Authority’s biennial Financial Lives Survey, which provides a comprehensive insight into the finances of 16,000 adults. The latest survey concluded in February and will be published in early 2021.</p> answering member constituency Salisbury answering member printed John Glen question first answered 08/12/2020 14:12:41 answering member 4051 label Biography information for John Glen
tabling member	4630 label Biography information for Ben Lake

1257577

registered interest
date	02/12/2020
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Debts: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has considered the potential merits of a Jubilee Fund as proposed by the Reset the Debt campaign.
tabling member constituency	Ceredigion
tabling member printed	Ben Lake
uin	124289
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/12/2020 answer text <p>The Government has delivered unprecedented support for living standards during this challenging time, protecting livelihoods with the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, and temporary welfare measures</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We have also worked with mortgage lenders, credit providers and the Financial Conduct Authority to ensure the financial sector provides support for people across the UK to manage their finances by providing payment holidays on mortgages and consumer credit products</p><p> </p><p> </p><p><br> The Government has also provided unprecedented support for businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This support includes the Coronavirus Business Interruption Scheme, Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Scheme, Bounce Back Loan Scheme and the Future Fund which, as of 15 November, have collectively supported over 1.4 million businesses with facilities worth in excess of £65bn. The Chancellor has announced that the Government has extended the application deadline for these schemes to a single date, 31 January 2020, meaning that even more businesses will have access to financial support.</p><p>The Government recognises that some people are struggling with their finances at this challenging time. We must be fair to people who pay their bills on time by taking a proportional approach to those who do not. A Jubilee fund to provide grants to write-off debts accrued as a result of Covid-19 would not deliver this fairness</p><p> </p><p><br> To help people in problem debt get their finances back on track, an extra £37.8 million support package is being made available to debt advice providers this financial year, bringing this year's budget for free debt advice in England to over £100 million</p><p><br> From May 2021 the Breathing Space scheme will offer people in problem debt a pause of up to 60 days on most enforcement action, interest, fees and charges, and will encourage them to seek professional debt advice</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Salisbury answering member printed John Glen question first answered 08/12/2020 14:11:10 answering member 4051 label Biography information for John Glen
tabling member	4630 label Biography information for Ben Lake

1257141

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	Bank Services: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will (a) extend financial support to those facing a recent increase in bank overdraft interest rates and (b) discourage banks from increasing their overdraft interest rates during the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Hampstead and Kilburn
tabling member printed	Tulip Siddiq
uin	123655
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/12/2020 answer text <p>In 2019, following the High-cost Credit Review, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) introduced changes to overdraft rules. These included mandating that firms cannot charge more for unarranged overdrafts than arranged overdrafts, banning fixed daily and monthly charges, and a package of measures to improve the transparency of pricing.</p><p> </p><p>Overall, these changes will make overdrafts simpler, fairer and easier to manage. FCA analysis from January this year found that 7 out of 10 overdraft users will be better off or see no change to their overdraft costs as a result of the changes. In instances where a firm identifies that a customer has a pattern of repeat overdraft use and may see increased fees on their borrowing, the new rules require firms to develop strategies to reduce harm to customers.</p><p> </p><p>In April 2020, in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the FCA announced a series of temporary proposals to provide emergency support in response to the Covid-19 outbreak. On overdrafts, firms were expected to provide up to £500 interest free buffer for customers. Firms were also expected to make sure customers were not paying more for their overdraft than they were before the rule changes came into force. In July 2020, the FCA extended this guidance for those customers who have been impacted by Covid-19 for a further 3 months.</p><p> </p><p>In September 2020, the FCA announced proposals to ensure that firms provide tailored support for users of consumer credit and overdraft products who continue to face payment difficulties due to Covid-19. Where a customer needs further support, firms are expected to use measures such as reducing or waiving interest, agreeing a programme of staged reductions in the overdraft limit, or supporting customers to reduce their overdraft usage by transferring the debt. If any overdraft customer requires this further support then they should speak to their provider.</p> answering member constituency Salisbury answering member printed John Glen question first answered 08/12/2020 12:23:41 answering member 4051 label Biography information for John Glen
tabling member	4518 label Biography information for Tulip Siddiq

1257158

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	Bank Services: British Nationals Abroad
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to ensure that UK citizens living in (a) The Netherlands and (b) other countries in Europe are able to continue holding UK bank accounts after the conclusion of transitional arrangements for the UK leaving the EU.
tabling member constituency	Manchester, Withington
tabling member printed	Jeff Smith
uin	123633
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/12/2020 answer text <p>The UK authorities have taken the appropriate actions to mitigate risks of disruption to cross-border financial services at the end of the Transition Period (TP), including confirming that the Temporary Permissions Regime will apply from the end of the TP. This will allow EEA firms currently providing services in the UK via a financial services ‘passport’ to continue operating after the TP while they apply for full UK authorisation.</p><p> </p><p>However, the issue of whether UK firms can service EEA-based retail customers remains a matter of local law and regulation in each country. It may also be impacted by how firms are set up and what steps they have taken to continue to service customers. We expect banks to act lawfully and in accordance with local regulators’ expectations.</p><p> </p><p>We also expect that banks work to ensure good outcomes for their customers and provide timely communications to enable them to make appropriate decisions. UK banking providers are expected to contact impacted customers if they need to make any changes to their product or the way it is provided.</p><p> </p><p>We encourage customers with questions or concerns to speak to their service provider. There is also further guidance for impacted customers on the Money Advice Service website, which can be found here: <a href="https://www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en/articles/brexit-banking-insurance-finance" target="_blank">https://www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en/articles/brexit-banking-insurance-finance</a></p> answering member constituency Salisbury answering member printed John Glen question first answered 08/12/2020 12:25:08 answering member 4051 label Biography information for John Glen
tabling member	4456 label Biography information for Jeff Smith

1257319

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	Debts
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 effectiveness of the Government's steps to tackle problem debt.
tabling member constituency	Ceredigion
tabling member printed	Ben Lake
uin	123675
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/12/2020 answer text The Government has delivered unprecedented support for living standards during this challenging time, protecting livelihoods with the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, and temporary welfare measures<p /><p><br> The Government has extended the Coronavirus Jobs Retention Scheme until 31 March 2021. Eligible employees will continue to receive 80% of their usual salary for hours not worked, up to a maximum of £2,500 per month. The Government has increased the overall level of the third grant under the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme to 80 per cent of average trading profits, meaning that the maximum grant available has now increased to £7,500</p><p><br> The Government has provided Local Authorities with £500 million to support people who may struggle to meet their council tax payments this year. The Government expects that this will provide all recipients of working age local council tax support with a further reduction in their annual council tax bill of £150 this financial year</p><p><br> These measures are in addition to the changes this Government has made to make the welfare system more generous, worth over £7 billion according to recent OBR estimates. This includes a £20 per week increase to the Universal Credit standard allowance and Working Tax Credit basic element, and a nearly £1 billion increase in support for renters through increases to Local Housing Allowance rates</p><p><br> We have also worked with mortgage lenders, credit providers and the Financial Conduct Authority to ensure the financial sector provides support for people across the UK to manage their finances by providing payment holidays on mortgages and consumer credit products</p><p><br> The Government has also provided unprecedented support for businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This support includes the Coronavirus Business Interruption Scheme, Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Scheme, Bounce Back Loan Scheme and the Future Fund which, as of 18th October, have collectively supported over 1.4 million businesses with facilities worth more than £62 billion. The Chancellor has announced that the Government has extended the application deadline for these schemes to a single date, 31 January 2020, meaning that even more businesses will have access to financial support</p><p><br> To help people in problem debt get their finances back on track, an extra £37.8 million support package is being made available to debt advice providers this financial year, bringing this year's budget for free debt advice in England to over £100 million</p><p><br> In May, the Government also announced the immediate release of £65 million dormant assets funding to Fair4All Finance, an independent organisation that has been founded to support the financial wellbeing of people in vulnerable circumstances. The funding is used to increase access to fair, affordable and appropriate financial products and services for those in financial difficulties</p><p><br> From May 2021 the Breathing Space scheme will offer people in problem debt a pause of up to 60 days on most enforcement action, interest, fees and charges, and will encourage them to seek professional debt advice</p><p /> <br /> It would be premature to evaluate the impact of these measures, which seek to prevent financial hardship and to resolve problem debt where it does arise. answering member constituency Salisbury answering member printed John Glen question first answered 08/12/2020 12:27:02 answering member 4051 label Biography information for John Glen
tabling member	4630 label Biography information for Ben Lake

1256763

registered interest
date	30/11/2020
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Development Aid
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he plans to return the official development assistance budget to 0.7 per cent of GNI; and what the fiscal criteria are for that return.
tabling member constituency	Central Suffolk and North Ipswich
tabling member printed	Dr Dan Poulter
uin	122658
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/12/2020 answer text <p>The Government intends to return to the 0.7% target when the fiscal situation allows. We cannot at this moment predict with certainty when the current fiscal circumstances will have sufficiently improved.</p> answering member constituency North East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Steve Barclay question first answered 08/12/2020 16:46:08 answering member 4095 label Biography information for Steve Barclay
tabling member	3932 label Biography information for Dr Dan Poulter