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1544815

registered interest
date	23/11/2022
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Remote Working
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many and proportion of people were working from home (a) one, (b) two, (c) three, (d) four and (e) five days a week (i) as of 16 November 2022 and (ii) in November 2021; if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of trends in the number of people working from home on the economy; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	East Yorkshire
tabling member printed	Sir Greg Knight
uin	94692
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/11/2022 answer text According to ONS Annual Population Survey and Opinions and Lifestyle Survey data, the pandemic resulted in an increase in the proportion of workers that worked at least partially from home: from an average of 19 per cent of workers across 2019 to a peak of around 50 per cent in June 2020. This proportion fell to 30 per cent in November 2021. The latest data indicates that 38 per cent of workers were working at least partly from home in the period between 26 October and 6 November 2022.<p> </p>The long-term economic impacts of greater remote working are still highly uncertain. The Government is committed to supporting individuals and businesses to work flexibly. answering member constituency South Suffolk answering member printed James Cartlidge question first answered 28/11/2022 16:16:14 answering member 4519 label Biography information for James Cartlidge
tabling member	1200 label Biography information for Sir Greg Knight

1544821

registered interest
date	23/11/2022
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Fossil Fuels: Investment
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 impact of anti-trust and competition legislation on the work of the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero to limit investment in fossil fuels; and if he will take steps to help ensure that (a) anti-trust and competition and (b) other legislation does not prevent divestment from fossil fuels by the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
uin	94725
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/11/2022 answer text <p>The UK COP26 Presidency and UN Race to Zero Campaign launched the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ) to unite firms from the leading net zero initiatives across the global financial system to accelerate the transition to net zero emissions. It is now a fully independent organisation representing its members and is coordinated by a dedicated secretariat.</p><p> </p><p>To support companies to adapt as the world transitions towards a low carbon economy we also launched the Transition Plan Taskforce (TPT) in May. This brings together the best of British industry and academia with regulators and the third sector to develop a ‘gold standard’ for transition plans. The Government does not advocate divestment strategies believing transition plans have more impact.</p> answering member constituency Arundel and South Downs answering member printed Andrew Griffith question first answered 28/11/2022 14:29:27 answering member 4874 label Biography information for Andrew Griffith
tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1544849

registered interest
date	23/11/2022
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Pensions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will issue guidance to pension providers on whether changes to the Protected Pension Age will allow an unqualified right to access tax-privileged pension savings at a younger age than the increase to NMPA from 2028.
tabling member constituency	North Durham
tabling member printed	Mr Kevan Jones
uin	94701
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/11/2022 answer text Members of pension schemes which gave an unqualified right to access their pension benefits before age 57 will receive a protected pension age when the normal minimum pension age increases from 55 to 57 in April 2028. HMRC has published guidance on this protection regime in The Pensions Tax Manual. answering member constituency Arundel and South Downs answering member printed Andrew Griffith question first answered 28/11/2022 13:40:15 answering member 4874 label Biography information for Andrew Griffith
tabling member	1438 label Biography information for Mr Kevan Jones

1544884

registered interest
date	23/11/2022
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Bank Services and Banking Hubs
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 impact of the Financial Services and Markets Bill on (a) preventing the loss of local access to cash and banking services, (b) support for local communities to create banking hubs and (c) protecting free access to cash and in-person banking services.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
uin	94876
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/11/2022 answer text <p>The way consumers and businesses make payments and interact with their banking continues to develop at pace, bringing significant benefits to those who choose to opt for the convenience, security, and speed of digital payments and banking.</p><p> </p><p>The government is currently taking legislation through Parliament as part of the Financial Services and Markets Bill to protect access to cash. The Bill will establish the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) as the lead regulator for access to cash and provide it with appropriate powers to seek to ensure reasonable provision of withdrawal and deposit facilities. These powers will allow the FCA to take account of factors it considers appropriate, which could include cost for end users and accessibility.</p><p> </p><p>Following the government’s commitment to legislate, industry is working together to develop new initiatives to provide shared access to cash services. As a result, communities can request an assessment of access to cash in their area by LINK: <a href="https://www.link.co.uk/consumers/request-access-to-cash/" target="_blank">https://www.link.co.uk/consumers/request-access-to-cash/</a></p><p> </p><p>The government has welcomed industry’s commitments and, in recognition of these developments, the Bill grants HM Treasury powers to bring the operators of cash coordination arrangements under the FCA’s oversight.</p><p> </p><p>In terms of access to banking services, the government believes that all customers, wherever they live, should have appropriate access to banking services. However, decisions on opening and closing branches are a commercial issue for banks and building societies. The government does not intervene in these decisions or make direct assessments of these branch networks.</p><p> </p><p>Guidance from the FCA sets out its expectation of firms when they are taking decisions relating to the closure of their branches or free-to-use ATMs. Firms are expected to carefully consider the impact of planned branch closures on the everyday banking and cash access needs of their customers and possible alternative access arrangements. This ensures that the implementation of closure decisions is undertaken in a way that treats customers fairly. The FCA expects firms to exercise particular care with vulnerable customers, such as those who are elderly or disabled, and the guidance has recently been strengthened to enhance protections for consumers that rely on branch services.</p><p> </p><p>Alternative options for access can be via telephone banking, through digital means such as mobile or online banking, and the Post Office. Furthermore, industry has committed to new shared bank hubs in 27 locations across the UK to date, in addition to two existing pilot sites. These hubs provide basic banking services, including cash withdrawals and deposits, and a dedicated space where community bankers from participating banks can meet customers of that bank.</p> answering member constituency Arundel and South Downs answering member printed Andrew Griffith question first answered 28/11/2022 13:37:22 answering member 4874 label Biography information for Andrew Griffith
tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana

1544928

registered interest
date	23/11/2022
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Mortgages
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 on the economy of someone losing their home due to being able to afford the cost of mortgage payments.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	94802
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/11/2022 answer text <p>Arrears and repossession levels remain low: according to UK Finance data, 700 residential mortgaged properties were repossessed in Q3 2022, compared to 1,070 in Q1 2020 (pre-pandemic). The Government of course remains watchful of any emerging trends in this space.</p><p> </p><p>It is worth noting though that around 75% of residential mortgage borrowers are on fixed-rate deals and therefore shielded from interest rate rises in the near term. If mortgage borrowers do fall into financial difficulty, Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) guidance requires firms to provide support through tailored forbearance options. The Government has also taken a number of measures aimed at helping people to avoid repossession, including Support for Mortgage Interest loans for those in receipt of an income-related benefit, and protection in the courts through the Pre-Action Protocol, which makes clear that repossession must always be the last resort for lenders.</p><p> </p><p>More broadly, the Government has taken decisive action to support households across the UK through the cost-of-living challenges ahead, whilst remaining fiscally responsible. In addition to the £37 billion of support for the cost of living already announced for 2022-23, the Government has announced further support for next year designed to target the most vulnerable households. This cost-of-living support is worth £26 billion in 2023-24, in addition to benefits uprating, which is worth £11 billion to working age households and people with disabilities. The Government is also continuing to provide support to all households through the Energy Price Guarantee, which will save the average UK household £500 in 2023-24.</p> answering member constituency Arundel and South Downs answering member printed Andrew Griffith question first answered 28/11/2022 14:27:21 answering member 4874 label Biography information for Andrew Griffith
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1544933

registered interest
date	23/11/2022
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Business: Taxation
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the average increase in the cost in tax for businesses in Sefton Central constituency following the freeze to National Insurance announced in the Autumn Statement 2022.
tabling member constituency	Sefton Central
tabling member printed	Bill Esterson
uin	94738
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/11/2022 answer text <p>HMRC does not hold or publish this data.</p> answering member constituency Louth and Horncastle answering member printed Victoria Atkins question first answered 28/11/2022 14:19:00 answering member 4399 label Biography information for Victoria Atkins
tabling member	4061 label Biography information for Bill Esterson

1545006

registered interest
date	23/11/2022
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Electricity Generation: Taxation
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 impact of the Electricity Generator Levy on the financial viability of (a) solar projects already in operation and (b) solar projects under planning consideration; and what assessment he has made of the impact this will have on reaching the solar ambitions set out in the British Energy Security Strategy.
tabling member constituency	Southampton, Test
tabling member printed	Dr Alan Whitehead
uin	94668
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/11/2022 answer text <p>From January 2023, a 45 per cent tax will be levied on extraordinary returns being realised from non-carbon electricity generators, including solar generators, in the UK. The measure will raise around £14.2 billion over the scorecard and help fund support for households and businesses with their energy bills as well as vital public services.</p><p> </p><p>The levy will only be applied to a measure of extraordinary returns defined as returns from selling electricity for a period at an average price of more than £75/MWh. This is approximately 1.5 times the average price of electricity over the last decade. The Government considers this to be a proportionate approach to recovering a proportion of the extraordinary profits electricity generators are receiving whilst leaving them with a sufficient level of return to incentivise investment required to transition to net zero.</p><p> </p><p>The levy will be limited, through a de minimis threshold, to those groups generating more than 100 Gigawatt-hours per annum of electricity from in scope generation assets in a qualifying period and will only be applied on extraordinary profits in excess of £10m for the group. This means smaller generators will not be within scope of the levy.</p> answering member constituency Louth and Horncastle answering member printed Victoria Atkins grouped question UIN 94669 94670 question first answered 28/11/2022 14:03:48 answering member 4399 label Biography information for Victoria Atkins
tabling member	62 label Biography information for Dr Alan Whitehead

1545007

registered interest
date	23/11/2022
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Electricity Generation: Taxation
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how solar feed-in tariff projects and the pre-determined revenue streams they deliver will be considered under the Electricity Generator Levy.
tabling member constituency	Southampton, Test
tabling member printed	Dr Alan Whitehead
uin	94669
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/11/2022 answer text <p>From January 2023, a 45 per cent tax will be levied on extraordinary returns being realised from non-carbon electricity generators, including solar generators, in the UK. The measure will raise around £14.2 billion over the scorecard and help fund support for households and businesses with their energy bills as well as vital public services.</p><p> </p><p>The levy will only be applied to a measure of extraordinary returns defined as returns from selling electricity for a period at an average price of more than £75/MWh. This is approximately 1.5 times the average price of electricity over the last decade. The Government considers this to be a proportionate approach to recovering a proportion of the extraordinary profits electricity generators are receiving whilst leaving them with a sufficient level of return to incentivise investment required to transition to net zero.</p><p> </p><p>The levy will be limited, through a de minimis threshold, to those groups generating more than 100 Gigawatt-hours per annum of electricity from in scope generation assets in a qualifying period and will only be applied on extraordinary profits in excess of £10m for the group. This means smaller generators will not be within scope of the levy.</p> answering member constituency Louth and Horncastle answering member printed Victoria Atkins grouped question UIN 94668 94670 question first answered 28/11/2022 14:03:48 answering member 4399 label Biography information for Victoria Atkins
tabling member	62 label Biography information for Dr Alan Whitehead

1545008

registered interest
date	23/11/2022
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Electricity Generation: Taxation
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to exempt from the Energy Generator Levy the revenues collected from new solar assets that start operating from January 2023.
tabling member constituency	Southampton, Test
tabling member printed	Dr Alan Whitehead
uin	94670
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/11/2022 answer text <p>From January 2023, a 45 per cent tax will be levied on extraordinary returns being realised from non-carbon electricity generators, including solar generators, in the UK. The measure will raise around £14.2 billion over the scorecard and help fund support for households and businesses with their energy bills as well as vital public services.</p><p> </p><p>The levy will only be applied to a measure of extraordinary returns defined as returns from selling electricity for a period at an average price of more than £75/MWh. This is approximately 1.5 times the average price of electricity over the last decade. The Government considers this to be a proportionate approach to recovering a proportion of the extraordinary profits electricity generators are receiving whilst leaving them with a sufficient level of return to incentivise investment required to transition to net zero.</p><p> </p><p>The levy will be limited, through a de minimis threshold, to those groups generating more than 100 Gigawatt-hours per annum of electricity from in scope generation assets in a qualifying period and will only be applied on extraordinary profits in excess of £10m for the group. This means smaller generators will not be within scope of the levy.</p> answering member constituency Louth and Horncastle answering member printed Victoria Atkins grouped question UIN 94668 94669 question first answered 28/11/2022 14:03:48 answering member 4399 label Biography information for Victoria Atkins
tabling member	62 label Biography information for Dr Alan Whitehead

1545063

registered interest
date	23/11/2022
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Tobacco: Smuggling
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 include Trading Standards officers in the HMRC with the power to fine retailers for selling illicit tobacco products.
tabling member constituency	Ealing, Southall
tabling member printed	Mr Virendra Sharma
uin	94724
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/11/2022 answer text <p>Trading Standards officers are not part of HMRC. They are a separate local government service.</p><p> </p><p>However, HMRC works very closely with TS to tackle illicit tobacco. HMRC introduced legislation for tougher sanctions to tackle illicit tobacco sales in Finance Act 2022 including a new civil penalty of up to £10,000 for serious breaches. The new sanctions will take the innovative approach of HMRC and Trading Standards (TS) both working together to enforce them. Secondary legislation will be introduced next year setting out the detail on how the sanctions will operate.</p> answering member constituency South Suffolk answering member printed James Cartlidge question first answered 28/11/2022 16:14:49 answering member 4519 label Biography information for James Cartlidge
tabling member	1604 label Biography information for Mr Virendra Sharma