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1361707

registered interest
date	20/10/2021
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Railways: Electrification
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Transport on funding for electrification of the UK rail network in relation to the 2040 target to remove all diesel-only trains from the network.
tabling member constituency	Slough
tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
uin	59929
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/10/2021 answer text <p>The Net Zero Strategy published last week reiterated the government’s commitment to deliver a net zero rail network by 2050, with the ambition to remove all diesel-only trains by 2040. Earlier this year, the government announced a £317 million investment to electrify and upgrade the Transpennine route between York and Church Fenton and a £78 million investment to electrify the route between Wigan and Bolton.</p><p> </p><p>We are currently carrying out the Spending Review which will set the Department for Transports’ resource and capital budgets for the next 3 years (2022-23 to 2024-25). This Spending Review concludes on 27th October alongside the Autumn Budget 2021.</p> answering member constituency Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland answering member printed Mr Simon Clarke question first answered 25/10/2021 14:22:33 answering member 4655 label Biography information for Sir Simon Clarke
tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1361732

registered interest
date	20/10/2021
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Bank Cards: Fraud
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 to monitor potential increased fraudulent use of contactless cards following the payment limit increase to £100.
tabling member constituency	East Londonderry
tabling member printed	Mr Gregory Campbell
uin	59718
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/10/2021 answer text <p>Since 15 October 2021, consumers and businesses have been able to take advantage of new higher contactless payments limits.</p><p> </p><p>The legal contactless payment limits were raised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) through changes to the Strong Customer Authentication rules in March 2021. The FCA has the power to amend these limits subject to public consultation and Treasury approval.</p><p> </p><p>In line with this process, the FCA publicly consulted on increasing contactless limits. In making this decision the FCA fully considered the risks to customers, including the potential impacts on fraud, alongside the benefits. When the limits were last raised in Spring 2020 from £30 to £45 there was no significant recorded increase in the fraudulent use of contactless cards.  Similarly, no material increase in fraudulent transactions has been observed in other countries where the contactless limit increased to the equivalent of £100 or above. The FCA continues to monitor fraud rates across all payment types and will consider action as appropriate if fraud rates rise.</p> answering member constituency Salisbury answering member printed John Glen question first answered 25/10/2021 13:54:43 answering member 4051 label Biography information for John Glen
tabling member	1409 label Biography information for Mr Gregory Campbell

1361745

registered interest
date	20/10/2021
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Business Rates
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the comparative potential merits of a (a) profit-related and (b) turnover-related tax to replace business rates.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	59853
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/10/2021 answer text <p>The Government published a Call for Evidence on 21 July 2020, as part of its Review of Business Rates, to gather views from stakeholders on all elements of the business rates system and several alternative taxes. This included questions on the scope and potential impacts of an Online Sales Tax.</p><p> </p><p>A summary of responses to the Call for Evidence was published in March 2021. The review will conclude at the Autumn Budget.</p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer question first answered 25/10/2021 15:16:18 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1361792

registered interest
date	20/10/2021
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Public Finance: Publicity
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much funding has been allocated by his Department to public relations for the October 2021 Budget, including promotion on social media.
tabling member constituency	Edinburgh West
tabling member printed	Christine Jardine
uin	59927
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/10/2021 answer text <p>All communications products related to the October 2021 Budget are produced in house by the Treasury’s Communications Team at no additional cost.</p> answering member constituency Faversham and Mid Kent answering member printed Helen Whately question first answered 25/10/2021 07:17:39 answering member 4527 label Biography information for Helen Whately
tabling member	4634 label Biography information for Christine Jardine

1361826

registered interest
date	20/10/2021
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Carbon Emissions: Costs
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 14 September 2021 to Question 45954, on Carbon Emissions: Costs, when his Department will publish the expected cost of achieving the Government's net zero emissions target.
tabling member constituency	Newton Abbot
tabling member printed	Anne Marie Morris
uin	59797
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/10/2021 answer text <p>HM Treasury has published the Net Zero Review (NZR), which is an analytical report that uses existing data to explore the key issues and trade-offs as the UK decarbonises. This is against a backdrop of uncertainty on technology and costs, as well as changes to the economy over the next thirty years. It focuses on the potential exposure of households and businesses to the transition, and highlights factors to be taken into account in designing policy that will allocate costs over this time horizon.</p><p> </p><p>As highlighted in the NZR, the overall impact is uncertain and challenging to estimate. Existing estimates suggest that the impact on GDP by the end of the transition is likely to be relatively small, and dwarfed by the costs of global inaction. The economic impact will be uneven across the economy. The scale of the change for some businesses, sectors and regions is likely to be substantial.</p><p>As the transition will be dynamic and take place over thirty years, it is not possible to forecast impacts on households and assessments of abatement costs in the future are highly speculative. The net zero transition will also entail a number of technology transitions, and there is significant uncertainty in relation to their costs, although technology costs for some green technologies have shown that projected costs have been far higher than actual costs. The eventual impact will therefore depend on policy choices and the way the economy adjusts over time.</p><p>The NZR has not sought to duplicate existing analysis and uses the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy’s (BEIS) analysis on costs and benefits in line with Carbon Budget 6 and the Net Zero Strategy (NZS). In the NZS, BEIS estimate that the net cost, excluding air quality and emissions savings benefits, will be equivalent to 1-2% of GDP in 2050.</p> answering member constituency Faversham and Mid Kent answering member printed Helen Whately question first answered 25/10/2021 07:21:28 answering member 4527 label Biography information for Helen Whately
tabling member	4249 label Biography information for Anne Marie Morris

1361868

registered interest
date	20/10/2021
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Taxation: Energy
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans the Government has to use the UK tax system to accelerate the transition to clean energy in response to the European Commission's 2019 finding that the UK had the biggest fossil fuel subsidies in the EU.
tabling member constituency	Liverpool, Walton
tabling member printed	Dan Carden
uin	59940
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/10/2021 answer text <p>This Government is committed to net zero and takes its legally binding climate commitments very seriously. Carbon pricing (including through tax) is one of the most efficient tools for promoting decarbonisation and already plays a key role in helping the UK achieve net zero emissions by 2050. The UK Emissions Trading scheme, alongside a wide range of taxes, including the Climate Change Levy, Vehicle Excise Duty, and Carbon Price Support rate, are designed to encourage businesses and consumers to make greener choices.</p><p> </p><p>The UK supports the G20 commitment to rationalise and phase out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies that encourage wasteful consumption, and sees clear benefits in doing so. The UK does not have any fossil fuel subsidies, which are measures that reduce the effective price of fossil fuels below world market prices, as per the definition used by the International Energy Agency.</p><p> </p><p>The Government keeps all taxes under review, and any changes are made in the round at fiscal events.</p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer question first answered 25/10/2021 15:04:46 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
tabling member	4651 label Biography information for Dan Carden

1361896

registered interest
date	20/10/2021
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Cash Dispensing: Older People
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is planning to take to ensure access to cash for elderly and vulnerable people in response to bank closures.
tabling member constituency	Hornsey and Wood Green
tabling member printed	Catherine West
uin	59903
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/10/2021 answer text <p>The Government recognises that cash is important to the daily lives of millions of individuals and businesses across the UK, particularly to those who may be in vulnerable groups. That is why the Government has committed to protecting access to cash for those who need it and ensuring that the UK's cash infrastructure is sustainable for the long term.</p><p> </p><p>The Government made legislative changes via the Financial Services Act 2021 to support the widespread offering of cashback without a purchase, which will allow shops and other businesses to offer a new form of cash withdrawal service to local communities. The Government also recently closed an Access to Cash Consultation on 23 September, setting out further proposals for new laws to make sure people only need to travel a reasonable distance to pay in or take out cash.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In September 2020, the FCA published guidance for regulated firms setting out its expectations for banks, building societies and credit unions when they are considering closing branches or ATMs. It requires them to notify customers and the FCA of upcoming branch closures and consider the provision of alternatives for customers.</p><p> </p><p>Banks themselves are best placed to make the commercial decisions required to operate their businesses for their customers. However, the Government believes that the impact of branch closures should be understood, considered, and mitigated where possible so that all customers, wherever they live and especially the most vulnerable, continue to have access to face-to-face banking services.</p> answering member constituency Salisbury answering member printed John Glen question first answered 25/10/2021 13:51:31 answering member 4051 label Biography information for John Glen
tabling member	4523 label Biography information for Catherine West

1361925

registered interest
date	20/10/2021
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Public Houses: Fiscal Policy
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 merits of including fiscal easing measures for pubs in the Autumn 2021 Budget.
tabling member constituency	Ogmore
tabling member printed	Chris Elmore
uin	59914
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/10/2021 answer text <p>The Government keeps all taxes under review, and changes are announced in the usual way at budgets and fiscal events.</p> answering member constituency Faversham and Mid Kent answering member printed Helen Whately question first answered 26/10/2021 11:22:28 answering member 4527 label Biography information for Helen Whately
tabling member	4572 label Biography information for Chris Elmore

1361960

registered interest
date	20/10/2021
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	VAT: Scotland
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what analysis has been undertaken on the impact on Scottish retail shops and tourism businesses of the decision to end tax free shopping for international visitors.
tabling member constituency	Edinburgh South
tabling member printed	Ian Murray
uin	59773
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/10/2021 answer text <p>On 11 September 2020, the Government announced the VAT and excise duty treatment of goods purchased by individuals for personal use and carried in their luggage arriving from or going overseas (passengers) following the transition period. The following rules were implemented on 1 January 2021:</p><p>- Passengers travelling from Great Britain to any destination outside the United Kingdom (UK) can purchase duty-free excise goods once they have passed security controls at ports, airports, and international rail stations.</p><p>- Personal allowances apply to passengers entering Great Britain from any destination outside of the UK, with alcohol allowances significantly increased.</p><p>- The VAT Retail Export Scheme (RES) in Great Britain has not been extended to EU residents and has been withdrawn for all passengers.</p><p>- The concessionary treatment on tax-free sales for non-excise goods has been removed across the UK.</p><p> </p><p>The Government published a consultation which ran from 11 March to 20 May 2020. During this time the Government held a number of virtual meetings with industry stakeholders to hear their views and received 73 responses to the consultation. The Government has also met and discussed these changes with many stakeholders following the announcement of these policies.</p><p> </p><p>The detailed rationale for these changes was provided in the written ministerial statement and the published summary of responses to the consultation and a detailed technical note has also been made available to stakeholders.</p><p> </p><p>On 25 November 2020 the independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) set out their assessment of the fiscal impact of the withdrawal of the VAT RES.</p><p> </p><p>Factoring in a higher-than-usual elasticity of 1.9 to account for spending on luxury goods, the OBR estimate that the withdrawal of the VAT RES will result in a significant direct Exchequer saving of around £400 million per year, once passenger numbers recover from the impacts of Covid-19. Based on the 1.2 million users of the scheme who received a refund in 2019, this includes an assumption that approximately 20,000 – 30,000 fewer tourists visit Great Britain a year. That is 0.07% of the 40 million visitors to the UK in 2019.</p><p> </p><p>The OBR also looked at this package in the round when assessing the indirect impact on the economy – including the effects of extending duty-free sales – alongside the substantial support provided to the economy and retail industry.</p> answering member constituency Faversham and Mid Kent answering member printed Helen Whately question first answered 25/10/2021 07:19:44 answering member 4527 label Biography information for Helen Whately
tabling member	3966 label Biography information for Ian Murray

1360635

registered interest
date	19/10/2021
answering body	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 the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of the proposal to establish a Global Centre for Secure and Intelligent Regulatory Technologies in Northern Ireland.
tabling member constituency	Belfast South
tabling member printed	Claire Hanna
uin	58552
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/10/2021 answer text <p>The government is committed to maintaining the UK’s position a world-leading destination for fintech.</p><p> </p><p>In line with this ambition, the Government is taking forward key recommendations of the independent Kalifa Review of UK Fintech as part of ensuring the UK remains at the global cutting edge of technology and innovation in financial services.</p><p> </p><p>Government funding for future years will be confirmed as part of the Spending Review which will be announced on 27th October.</p> answering member constituency Salisbury answering member printed John Glen question first answered 25/10/2021 13:59:13 answering member 4051 label Biography information for John Glen
tabling member	4827 label Biography information for Claire Hanna