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1715754

registered interest
date	03/05/2024
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Revenue and Customs: Correspondence
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking with HMRC to help ensure taxpayers receive (a) prompt and (b) accurate responses to queries.
tabling member constituency	Stirling
tabling member printed	Alyn Smith
uin	24829
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/05/2024 answer text <p>HMRC strives to answer all queries promptly and accurately. HMRC is also encouraging more customers to use its online services which are accessible 24/7 and regularly score satisfaction scores of over 80%.</p><p> </p><p>The details requested by the Hon. Member are published monthly by HMRC at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hmrc-monthly-performance-report-february-2024" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hmrc-monthly-performance-report-february-2024</a></p> answering member constituency Mid Worcestershire answering member printed Nigel Huddleston question first answered 09/05/2024 15:51:23 answering member 4407 label Biography information for Nigel Huddleston
tabling member	4738 label Biography information for Alyn Smith

1687996

registered interest
date	06/02/2024
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Voluntary Contributions: British National (Overseas)
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will allow British National (Overseas) visa holders to back pay voluntary National Insurance contributions.
tabling member constituency	Stirling
tabling member printed	Alyn Smith
uin	13438
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/02/2024 answer text <p>British National (Overseas) visa holders who live or work abroad (or have previously) are usually able to pay voluntary National Insurance contributions for the previous six tax years where they have either previously lived in the UK for three years in a row or paid at least three years of contributions.</p><p>For the tax years 2016 to 2017 and 2017 to 2018 the government has extended the deadline for paying voluntary contributions to 5 April 2025.</p><p>The deadline has also been extended to 5 April 2025 for eligible customers to pay voluntary contributions for the tax years 6 April 2006 to 5 April 2016. Further guidance on eligibility and deadlines for paying voluntary contributions, including for those living or working abroad is published online at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/voluntary-national-insurance-contributions" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/voluntary-national-insurance-contributions</a>.</p> answering member constituency Mid Worcestershire answering member printed Nigel Huddleston question first answered 12/02/2024 16:15:49 answering member 4407 label Biography information for Nigel Huddleston
tabling member	4738 label Biography information for Alyn Smith

1685223

registered interest
date	25/01/2024
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Cost of Living: Rural Areas
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 Cabinet colleagues on the impact of increases in the cost of living on rural households.
tabling member constituency	Stirling
tabling member printed	Alyn Smith
uin	901282
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/02/2024 answer text <p>The Government is committed to helping people who need it the most, wherever they are. Distributional analysis published at Autumn Statement 2023 shows that low-income households will receive the largest benefit as a percentage of income from government decisions.</p><p> </p><p>Taken together, cost of living support to households is worth £104 billion, or £3,700 per household on average, across 2022-25.</p> answering member constituency Sevenoaks answering member printed Laura Trott question first answered 01/02/2024 08:16:56 answering member 4780 label Biography information for Laura Trott
tabling member	4738 label Biography information for Alyn Smith

1678248

registered interest
date	14/12/2023
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Financial Conduct Authority and Financial Ombudsman Service: Standards
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 consistency of decision-making processes at the (a) Financial Conduct Authority and (b) Financial Ombudsmen Service.
tabling member constituency	Stirling
tabling member printed	Alyn Smith
uin	7128
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/12/2023 answer text <p>The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) are independent non-governmental bodies.</p><p> </p><p>Both the FCA and the FOS operate within the framework set by Parliament, and they are directly accountable to Parliament for how they discharge their statutory functions.</p><p> </p><p>This accountability includes a requirement for the FCA and the FOS to produce annual reports and accounts which are laid before Parliament by the Treasury. Both bodies are subject to full audit by the National Audit Office and to scrutiny through committee hearings, including the Public Accounts Committee and the Treasury Committee.</p><p> </p><p>Both organisations maintain arrangements for the independent investigation of complaints against them.</p><p> </p><p>The FOS regularly commissions independent reviews of its service. Most recently, a review carried out by Oaklin Consulting in 2021 found that the FOS is widely respected and viewed as reaching fair and impartial outcomes in the majority of cases.</p><p> </p><p>The FOS and the FCA are operationally independent from one another, but engage extensively on a range of issues through the Wider Implications Framework. The Financial Services and Markets Act 2023 introduced a statutory duty for the FCA, the FOS and the Financial Services Compensation Scheme to co-operate on issues which have or are likely to have significant implications for each other, or for the wider financial services market.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Hitchin and Harpenden answering member printed Bim Afolami question first answered 20/12/2023 17:08:55 answering member 4639 label Biography information for Bim Afolami
tabling member	4738 label Biography information for Alyn Smith

1678250

registered interest
date	14/12/2023
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Timesharing
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent steps his Department has taken with the Financial Conduct Authority to tackle mis-sold holiday timeshares.
tabling member constituency	Stirling
tabling member printed	Alyn Smith
uin	7130
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/12/2023 answer text <p>Timeshare arrangements are direct investments in property and are expressly carved out of regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Activities that are outside the remit of the FCA are also outside the compulsory jurisdiction of the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS).</p><p> </p><p>However, both lenders that provides credit to purchase a time share, and firms that make introductions to a lender, need to be authorised by the FCA and comply with relevant FCA rules. The FCA requires firms to have a complaints process in place for regulated activities, which customers should use in the first instance. If they are not satisfied with the firm’s response to their complaint, they may raise a complaint with the FOS.</p><p> </p><p>There are no plans for timeshare investment schemes to be brought within the scope of FCA regulation.</p> answering member constituency Hitchin and Harpenden answering member printed Bim Afolami grouped question UIN 7131 question first answered 20/12/2023 17:14:54 answering member 4639 label Biography information for Bim Afolami
tabling member	4738 label Biography information for Alyn Smith

1678251

registered interest
date	14/12/2023
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Timesharing
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has had recent discussions with the (a) Financial Ombudsman and (b) Financial Conduct Authority on mis-sold time shares.
tabling member constituency	Stirling
tabling member printed	Alyn Smith
uin	7131
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/12/2023 answer text <p>Timeshare arrangements are direct investments in property and are expressly carved out of regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Activities that are outside the remit of the FCA are also outside the compulsory jurisdiction of the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS).</p><p> </p><p>However, both lenders that provides credit to purchase a time share, and firms that make introductions to a lender, need to be authorised by the FCA and comply with relevant FCA rules. The FCA requires firms to have a complaints process in place for regulated activities, which customers should use in the first instance. If they are not satisfied with the firm’s response to their complaint, they may raise a complaint with the FOS.</p><p> </p><p>There are no plans for timeshare investment schemes to be brought within the scope of FCA regulation.</p> answering member constituency Hitchin and Harpenden answering member printed Bim Afolami grouped question UIN 7130 question first answered 20/12/2023 17:14:55 answering member 4639 label Biography information for Bim Afolami
tabling member	4738 label Biography information for Alyn Smith

1627308

registered interest
date	12/05/2023
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Revenue and Customs: Standards
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what HMRC's target response times are for (a) public enquiries and (b) Member of Parliament enquiries; and if he will provide details of performance against those targets for each of the last six months.
tabling member constituency	Stirling
tabling member printed	Alyn Smith
uin	184849
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/05/2023 answer text <p>HMRC publishes monthly and quarterly performance data on the GOV.UK website links below:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmrc-monthly-performance-reports" target="_blank"><em>https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmrc-monthly-performance-reports</em></a></p><p><em><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmrc-quarterly-performance-updates" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmrc-quarterly-performance-updates</a></em></p><p> </p><p>HMRC aims to reply to 80 per cent of Ministerial correspondence within fifteen working days.</p><p> </p><p>The Cabinet Office asks all Government departments to reply to 80 per cent of Ministerial correspondence within 20-working days and publishes data on responses to correspondence from MPs and peers on an annual basis this can be found on the GOV.UK website here:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/data-on-responses-to-correspondence-from-mps-and-peers" target="_blank"><em>https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/data-on-responses-to-correspondence-from-mps-and-peers</em></a></p> answering member constituency Louth and Horncastle answering member printed Victoria Atkins question first answered 18/05/2023 11:19:30 answering member 4399 label Biography information for Victoria Atkins
tabling member	4738 label Biography information for Alyn Smith

1416908

registered interest
date	26/01/2022
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme: National Insurance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the role of National Insurance numbers was in the delivery of the Coronavirus Job Retention scheme.
tabling member constituency	Stirling
tabling member printed	Alyn Smith
uin	112693
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/02/2022 answer text <p>In the context of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, National Insurance Numbers (NINO) were, and are, used for additional verification of employees, including to help protect against fraud.</p><p> </p><p>Employers were required to provide the NINO of an employee they wished to place on furlough at the stage of making a claim.</p><p> </p><p>In exceptional cases where an employee did not need or have a NINO, employers were able to contact HMRC to claim for them. Further exception procedures were applied to larger employers.</p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer question first answered 03/02/2022 15:04:07 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
tabling member	4738 label Biography information for Alyn Smith

1329566

registered interest
date	04/06/2021
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Royal Bank of Scotland: Small Businesses
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has plans to establish an independent quality assurance review of RBS Global Restructuring Group's treatment of SMEs.
tabling member constituency	Stirling
tabling member printed	Alyn Smith
uin	10648
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2021 answer text <p>It would be inappropriate for the Government to comment on or intervene in the independent redress process overseen by Sir William Blackburne.</p><p>The Government believes that the financial services industry has changed significantly since the challenging period leading up to and following the financial crisis. For example, all of the major SME lenders have signed up to the Standards of Lending Practice (SLP), which are overseen by the independent Lending Standards Board and contain clear guidance on best practice.</p><p>The Government has always been clear that the fact that there were areas of widespread inappropriate treatment of firms by RBS GRG is unacceptable. RBS has rightly apologised for these mistakes and as stated above, has set up a scheme to compensate victims. The redress scheme has paid out over £130 million so far and the Government continues to monitor how much redress is being paid out.</p><p>There are currently no plans to undertake a review of RBS Global Restructuring Group's treatment of SMEs.</p> answering member constituency Salisbury answering member printed John Glen question first answered 10/06/2021 08:54:36 answering member 4051 label Biography information for John Glen
tabling member	4738 label Biography information for Alyn Smith

1329572

registered interest
date	04/06/2021
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Revenue and Customs: Electronic Government
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people have Government Gateway accounts for (a) personal and (b) business use.
tabling member constituency	Stirling
tabling member printed	Alyn Smith
uin	10649
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/06/2021 answer text <p>There are currently 73.1 million active credentials/accounts registered with Government Gateway; a single unique user may hold several accounts for use in interactions with HMRC and/or other Government departments.</p><p> </p><p>69.4 million credentials are linked to HMRC services and are profiled across the user types below:</p><ul><li>Tax Agents: 1.0 million</li><li>Individuals: 20.9 million</li><li>Organisations: 47.5 million</li></ul><p> </p><p>The remaining 3.7 million credentials are associated to OGDs (not HMRC) and HMRC do not hold a record as to whether these are used for personal or business use.</p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman question first answered 11/06/2021 13:54:23 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
tabling member	4738 label Biography information for Alyn Smith