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1696165

registered interest
date	14/03/2024
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Banks: Closures
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 bank closures on (a) local communities and (b) elderly people's access to banking services.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	18747
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/03/2024 answer text <p>Whilst decisions to open or close a bank branch are commercial decisions for firms, and the Government does not intervene on individual closures, it is imperative that banks and building societies recognise the needs of all their customers, including those who still need to use in-person services. The impact of branch closures must be mitigated where possible so that all customers, wherever they live, continue to have appropriate access to banking services.</p><p> </p><p>The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)’s guidance sets out that firms must carefully consider the impact of planned branch closures on their customers’ everyday banking and cash access needs, and put in place reasonable alternatives. This seeks to ensure the implementation of closure decisions is done in a way that treats customers fairly. Where firms fall short, the FCA may ask for closures to be paused or other options to be put in place.</p><p> </p><p>Alternative options to access everyday banking services can be via telephone banking, through digital means such as mobile or online banking and via the Post Office or Banking Hubs. The Post Office allows personal and business customers to carry out everyday banking services at 11,500 Post Office branches across the UK.</p><p> </p><p>Banking Hubs are an initiative which enable customers of participating banks to access cash and banking services in shared facilities. Over 100 Banking Hubs have been announced so far, and the Government hopes to see these Hubs open as soon as possible.</p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency Hitchin and Harpenden answering member printed Bim Afolami question first answered 22/03/2024 11:20:14 answering member 4639 label Biography information for Bim Afolami
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1694557

registered interest
date	07/03/2024
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Fiscal Policy: Gender
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 using gender budgeting for his fiscal policies.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	17651
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/03/2024 answer text <p>In developing proposals for fiscal events, the Treasury takes care to consider the equality impacts on those sharing any of the nine protected characteristics, including gender, in line with both our legal obligations and this government’s strong commitment to promoting fairness.</p><p>We go beyond our legal requirements by publishing a summary of equality impacts for tax measures within in the Tax Information and Impact Notes (TIINs) alongside the Finance Bill.</p> answering member constituency Hitchin and Harpenden answering member printed Bim Afolami question first answered 12/03/2024 13:01:45 answering member 4639 label Biography information for Bim Afolami
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1694558

registered interest
date	07/03/2024
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Equal Pay
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 close the gender pay gap.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	17652
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/03/2024 answer text <p>HMT published its 2022/23 Gender Pay Gap Report in November 2023 <em>(</em><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hm-treasurys-gender-pay-gap-report-2022-to-2023" target="_blank"><em>HM Treasury’s Gender Pay Gap Report 2022 to 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</em></a><em>)</em></p> answering member constituency Grantham and Stamford answering member printed Gareth Davies question first answered 12/03/2024 14:40:48 answering member 4850 label Biography information for Gareth Davies
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1694559

registered interest
date	07/03/2024
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Public Finance: Equality
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department takes to ensure that the positive financial impact of measures in the Budget is equally experienced by people (a) with and (b) without protected characteristics.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	17653
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/03/2024 answer text <p>When developing policy, including at Spring Budget 2024, the Treasury carefully considers the impact of its decisions on those sharing any of the nine protected characteristics, including sex, race, disability and age, in line with its statutory obligations and strong commitment to promoting fairness.</p> answering member constituency Sevenoaks answering member printed Laura Trott question first answered 13/03/2024 12:10:45 answering member 4780 label Biography information for Laura Trott
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1694566

registered interest
date	07/03/2024
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Alcoholic Drinks: Excise Duties
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Spring Budget 2024, HC 560, published on 6 March 2024, whether he made an assessment with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care of the potential impact of freezing alcohol duty on public health.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	17658
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/03/2024 answer text <p>Treasury ministers and officials regularly engage with the Department of Health and Social Care on a variety of issues, including alcohol policy.</p><p> </p><p>The Treasury also engaged extensively with external stakeholders and other Government departments, including the Department of Health and Social Care, as part of the policy development and delivery process for the new alcohol reforms.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has delivered on its commitment to review the outdated and complex alcohol duty system and introduced the biggest reform of alcohol duties for over 140 years. From 1 August 2023, all alcoholic products are now taxed by strength.</p> answering member constituency Grantham and Stamford answering member printed Gareth Davies question first answered 14/03/2024 15:19:26 answering member 4850 label Biography information for Gareth Davies
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1694567

registered interest
date	07/03/2024
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Pension Funds: Investment
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will take steps to incentivise pension funds to invest in the UK.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	17659
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/03/2024 answer text <p>The Government is taking steps to strengthen capital markets, boost savings, increase pension fund transparency and facilitate investment in UK companies. Building on the announcements at Mansion House and Autumn Statement, at Spring Budget the Chancellor announced further measures incentivise pension funds to invest in the UK.</p><p>This includes introducing new requirements for DC and local government pension funds to disclose publicly their level of international and UK equity investments, and DC funds will be required to compare their performance against their largest competitors. We will then consider what further action should be taken if we are not on a positive trajectory.</p><p>These measures are to ensure that pension managers are focused on securing good returns for savers, rather than focused on driving down management fees at the expense of long-term performance.</p> answering member constituency Hitchin and Harpenden answering member printed Bim Afolami question first answered 15/03/2024 10:13:45 answering member 4639 label Biography information for Bim Afolami
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1694569

registered interest
date	07/03/2024
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	NHS and Public Sector: Productivity
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish the (a) Public Sector Productivity Programme and (b) NHS productivity plan.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	17661
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/03/2024 answer text <p>The government published detail on the Public Sector Productivity Programme in the Spring Budget. This included the announcement of £4.2 billion to drive productivity in the NHS and the wider public sector, and a separate document, Seizing the Opportunity, that outlined work to date across government to improve efficiency and productivity in counter-fraud, procurement, project management, asset management and digital transformation.</p> answering member constituency Sevenoaks answering member printed Laura Trott question first answered 15/03/2024 10:26:54 answering member 4780 label Biography information for Laura Trott
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1694570

registered interest
date	07/03/2024
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	NHS: Finance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 2.20 of the Spring Budget 2024, HC 560, if he will take steps to ensure the (a) governance and (b) accountability of the £3.4 billion allocated to the NHS.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	17662
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/03/2024 answer text <p>The Government and NHS England have been working closely together on plans to improve productivity following the publication of the Long Term Workforce Plan last summer, including on the announcement last week of £3.4bn additional investment allowing the NHS to commit to a significant increase in productivity growth.</p><p>This investment will continue to remain subject to close work between Government and NHS, recognising its importance for ensuring the NHS’s sustainability and ability to deliver better outcomes for patients.</p><p>To support delivery of the productivity programme, Spring Budget also highlighted that an external expert advisory panel will be convened to ensure that technological and digital transformation plans have the support and challenge to deliver on its goals, with NHS England also starting reporting against new productivity metrics regularly from the second half of 2024-25. Further detail will be set out in due course</p> answering member constituency Sevenoaks answering member printed Laura Trott question first answered 15/03/2024 10:56:33 answering member 4780 label Biography information for Laura Trott
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1694571

registered interest
date	07/03/2024
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Electronic Cigarettes: Excise Duties
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he plans to take with Cabinet colleagues to help tackle the trade in illicit vapes, in the context of the introduction of duties on vapes at the Spring Budget 2024.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	17663
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/03/2024 answer text <p>Proposals for a Vaping Products Duty which will come in force from October 2026 are set out in the consultation here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/vaping-products-duty-consultation" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/vaping-products-duty-consultation</a></p><p> </p><p>These include measures to tackle non-compliance, including:</p><ul><li>Declaration and payments via digital channels to minimise fraud and error.</li><li>The introduction of civil and criminal powers for HMRC to assess for duty, seize products and equipment/vehicles used to produce or transport illicit product.</li><li>Penalties for those who do not meet their obligations.</li></ul><p> </p><p>HMRC will collaborate and share intelligence with agencies such as Border Force and Trading Standards, who will have enhanced their capabilities around vaping by the time the duty is introduced.</p><p> </p><p>HMRC also intends to recruit operational staff to enforce the duty, integrating with existing tobacco compliance teams and building on HMRC’s recent success in driving down the tobacco tax gap. This success includes reducing the illicit trade for hand-rolling tobacco from 65.2% in 2005 to 33.5% in 2021/22 and for cigarettes from 16.9% to 11% over the same period.</p> answering member constituency Grantham and Stamford answering member printed Gareth Davies question first answered 14/03/2024 15:16:32 answering member 4850 label Biography information for Gareth Davies
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1694572

registered interest
date	07/03/2024
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Local Government Finance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he made an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential merits of increasing funding for local government in the Spring Budget 2024.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	17664
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/03/2024 answer text <p>The Chancellor and Chief Secretary hold regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on spending priorities for fiscal events.</p><p>Local councils play an essential role in the fabric of our country – providing services which we all rely on and supporting some of the most vulnerable people in our communities.</p><p>That is why the final Local Government Finance Settlement for 2024-25 makes available up to £64.7 billion in total for local authorities in England, which includes the £600 million of additional measures that was announced on 24 January in response to representations from local government stakeholders. This is an increase in overall Core Spending Power of 7.5%, or up to £4.5 billion, on 2023-24, an above-inflation increase.</p><p>The Government is continuing to support all councils by providing a sector-wide Funding Guarantee, ensuring all local authorities see a minimum 4% increase in Core Spending Power before local council tax decisions.</p> answering member constituency Sevenoaks answering member printed Laura Trott question first answered 15/03/2024 10:58:35 answering member 4780 label Biography information for Laura Trott
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell