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1643487

	registered interest
	date	09/06/2023
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Treasury: Darlington Economic Campus
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many and what proportion of his Department's civil servants working at the Darlington Economic Campus were (a) recruited locally and (b) relocated from London.
	tabling member constituency	Erith and Thamesmead
	tabling member printed	Abena Oppong-Asare
	uin	188794
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/06/2023 answer text Whilst the information requested is not publicly available, we will publish information on civil servants working at the Darlington Economic Campus in HM Treasury’s Annual Report and Accounts 2022-23 in July 2023. answering member constituency Grantham and Stamford answering member printed Gareth Davies question first answered 14/06/2023 16:20:37 answering member 4850 label Biography information for Gareth Davies
	tabling member	4820 label Biography information for Abena Oppong-Asare

1643490

	registered interest
	date	09/06/2023
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Treasury: Darlington Economic Campus
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many of the civil servants working for his Department at the Darlington Economic Campus were (a) civil servants prior to their deployment to the campus, and (b) new recruits to the civil service.
	tabling member constituency	Erith and Thamesmead
	tabling member printed	Abena Oppong-Asare
	uin	188797
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/06/2023 answer text <p>Whilst the information requested is not publicly available, we will publish information on civil servants working at the Darlington Economic Campus in HM Treasury’s Annual Report and Accounts 2022-23 in July 2023.</p> answering member constituency Grantham and Stamford answering member printed Gareth Davies question first answered 14/06/2023 16:22:47 answering member 4850 label Biography information for Gareth Davies
	tabling member	4820 label Biography information for Abena Oppong-Asare

1643489

	registered interest
	date	09/06/2023
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Darlington Economic Campus
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress his Department has made on securing a lease for a permanent Darlington Economic Campus at Brunswick House; and when he expects that site to open.
	tabling member constituency	Erith and Thamesmead
	tabling member printed	Abena Oppong-Asare
	uin	188796
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/06/2023 answer text <p>We announced on the 26 July 2022 that the Brunswick Street site would be the permanent home of the economic campus. Since then, the Government Property Agency have been working to finalise the commercial negotiations on the site.</p> answering member constituency Grantham and Stamford answering member printed Gareth Davies question first answered 14/06/2023 12:37:10 answering member 4850 label Biography information for Gareth Davies
	tabling member	4820 label Biography information for Abena Oppong-Asare

1643475

	registered interest
	date	09/06/2023
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Business: Insurance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the data collected by the Financial Conduct Authority on affected insurers and the progress of their non-damage business interruption insurance claims, what recent discussions he has had with (a) the Financial Conduct Authority and (b) insurance companies on outstanding claims where an offer of final settlement has either not (i) been made, (ii) accepted by the policyholder and (iii) paid in full; and what steps he is taking to ensure these cases are resolved in a timely manner.
	tabling member constituency	Ceredigion
	tabling member printed	Ben Lake
	uin	188763
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/06/2023 answer text <p>Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. Details of ministerial meetings with external organisations on departmental business are published on a quarterly basis and are available at:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-giftsand-overseas-travel" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-giftsand-overseas-travel</a>.</p><p>Under the independent Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) rules, insurers are required to handle claims fairly and promptly and settle claims quickly once settlement terms are agreed. The FCA has also outlined that all deductions from business interruption insurance settlements should be assessed on a case-by-case basis as policies differ significantly. The FCA may intervene and take further actions where firms do not appear to be meeting their expectations.</p><p> </p><p>Policyholders who feel that their claim has not been handled fairly may be able to refer the matter to the Financial Ombudsman Service, an independent body set up to provide arbitration in such cases.</p><p> </p><p>The information requested on business insurance premiums is not held. The Government works closely with the FCA and insurers to support businesses who are under pressure from the rising cost of living. The Government recognises the impact of increased costs on small businesses and has taken unprecedented action to protect millions of businesses, including the Recovery Loan Scheme, which has been extended until June 2024, cutting business rates by 75% for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure businesses in 2022-23, support via the Energy Bill Relief Scheme, and increasing the Employment Allowance to £5,000.</p> answering member constituency Arundel and South Downs answering member printed Andrew Griffith grouped question UIN 188764 188765 question first answered 14/06/2023 14:04:03 answering member 4874 label Biography information for Andrew Griffith
	tabling member	4630 label Biography information for Ben Lake

1643476

	registered interest
	date	09/06/2023
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Business: Insurance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress he has made on discussions with the insurance industry to agree specific conditions for forms of Government support that should not be taken into account when calculating business interruption insurance claims.
	tabling member constituency	Ceredigion
	tabling member printed	Ben Lake
	uin	188764
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/06/2023 answer text <p>Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. Details of ministerial meetings with external organisations on departmental business are published on a quarterly basis and are available at:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-giftsand-overseas-travel" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-giftsand-overseas-travel</a>.</p><p>Under the independent Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) rules, insurers are required to handle claims fairly and promptly and settle claims quickly once settlement terms are agreed. The FCA has also outlined that all deductions from business interruption insurance settlements should be assessed on a case-by-case basis as policies differ significantly. The FCA may intervene and take further actions where firms do not appear to be meeting their expectations.</p><p> </p><p>Policyholders who feel that their claim has not been handled fairly may be able to refer the matter to the Financial Ombudsman Service, an independent body set up to provide arbitration in such cases.</p><p> </p><p>The information requested on business insurance premiums is not held. The Government works closely with the FCA and insurers to support businesses who are under pressure from the rising cost of living. The Government recognises the impact of increased costs on small businesses and has taken unprecedented action to protect millions of businesses, including the Recovery Loan Scheme, which has been extended until June 2024, cutting business rates by 75% for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure businesses in 2022-23, support via the Energy Bill Relief Scheme, and increasing the Employment Allowance to £5,000.</p> answering member constituency Arundel and South Downs answering member printed Andrew Griffith grouped question UIN 188763 188765 question first answered 14/06/2023 14:04:03 answering member 4874 label Biography information for Andrew Griffith
	tabling member	4630 label Biography information for Ben Lake

1643477

	registered interest
	date	09/06/2023
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Small Businesses: Insurance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an estimate of the average increase in insurance premiums for small businesses in the last two years; and what assessment he has made of the impact of increases in insurance premiums on small businesses.
	tabling member constituency	Ceredigion
	tabling member printed	Ben Lake
	uin	188765
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/06/2023 answer text <p>Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. Details of ministerial meetings with external organisations on departmental business are published on a quarterly basis and are available at:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-giftsand-overseas-travel" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-giftsand-overseas-travel</a>.</p><p>Under the independent Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) rules, insurers are required to handle claims fairly and promptly and settle claims quickly once settlement terms are agreed. The FCA has also outlined that all deductions from business interruption insurance settlements should be assessed on a case-by-case basis as policies differ significantly. The FCA may intervene and take further actions where firms do not appear to be meeting their expectations.</p><p> </p><p>Policyholders who feel that their claim has not been handled fairly may be able to refer the matter to the Financial Ombudsman Service, an independent body set up to provide arbitration in such cases.</p><p> </p><p>The information requested on business insurance premiums is not held. The Government works closely with the FCA and insurers to support businesses who are under pressure from the rising cost of living. The Government recognises the impact of increased costs on small businesses and has taken unprecedented action to protect millions of businesses, including the Recovery Loan Scheme, which has been extended until June 2024, cutting business rates by 75% for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure businesses in 2022-23, support via the Energy Bill Relief Scheme, and increasing the Employment Allowance to £5,000.</p> answering member constituency Arundel and South Downs answering member printed Andrew Griffith grouped question UIN 188763 188764 question first answered 14/06/2023 14:04:03 answering member 4874 label Biography information for Andrew Griffith
	tabling member	4630 label Biography information for Ben Lake

1643431

	registered interest
	date	09/06/2023
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Income Tax: Exemptions
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many companies make use of the Section 317 exemption of the Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003.
	tabling member constituency	Harrow East
	tabling member printed	Bob Blackman
	uin	188704
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/06/2023 answer text <p>This information is not collected as the provision of these benefits are not subject to Income Tax or National Insurance contributions, therefore there is nothing for employers to report to HM Revenue &amp; Customs.</p> answering member constituency Louth and Horncastle answering member printed Victoria Atkins question first answered 19/06/2023 15:41:38 answering member 4399 label Biography information for Victoria Atkins
	tabling member	4005 label Biography information for Bob Blackman

1643422

	registered interest
	date	09/06/2023
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Broadband: Tax Yields
	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 annual VAT revenue generated from companies installing business broadband in employee properties.
	tabling member constituency	Haltemprice and Howden
	tabling member printed	Mr David Davis
	uin	188659
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/06/2023 answer text <p>The information requested is not available. HMRC does not hold information on VAT revenue from specific products or services because businesses are not required to provide figures at a product level on their VAT returns, as this would impose an excessive administrative burden on them.</p> answering member constituency Louth and Horncastle answering member printed Victoria Atkins question first answered 19/06/2023 08:10:29 answering member 4399 label Biography information for Victoria Atkins
	tabling member	373 label Biography information for Sir David Davis

1643483

	registered interest
	date	09/06/2023
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Revenue and Customs: Telephone Services
	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 adequacy of the level of staffing assigned to the HMRC National Insurance helpline.
	tabling member constituency	Ceredigion
	tabling member printed	Ben Lake
	uin	188768
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/06/2023 answer text <p>The HMRC Personal Tax (PT) Operations unit is responsible of administering the National Insurance (NI) Helpdesk and they typically have not kept staffing numbers for specific helplines since they employ a variable workforce model, where their staff may switch between answering phones, processing correspondence, and replying to webchat inquiries throughout the day.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>For your reference, information about the PT Operation unit's performance in terms of customer service going back to 2016 is included in the HMRC's quarterly performance reports on GOV.UK.</p><p>GOV.UK link to HMRC quarterly performance reports: <a href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fgovernment%2Fcollections%2Fhmrc-monthly-performance-reports%23reporting-year-2022-to-2023&amp;data=05%7C01%7Cdavid.g.piper%40hmrc.gov.uk%7Cead3c946da77486e26d708db6b46f8ca%7Cac52f73cfd1a4a9a8e7a4a248f3139e1%7C0%7C0%7C638221724779883722%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=i5MsMLzupU2YSBIcKM6Kuw%2FPTU2MZ2PzpMVIdCoswPw%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmrc-monthly-performance-reports#reporting-year-2022-to-2023</a>.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Louth and Horncastle answering member printed Victoria Atkins question first answered 15/06/2023 14:35:49 answering member 4399 label Biography information for Victoria Atkins
	tabling member	4630 label Biography information for Ben Lake

1643420

	registered interest
	date	09/06/2023
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Broadband: Taxation
	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 merits of taxing upgrades to business broadband for non-business properties.
	tabling member constituency	Haltemprice and Howden
	tabling member printed	Mr David Davis
	uin	188657
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/06/2023 answer text <p>The Government’s ambition is to connect at least 85 per cent of UK premises to gigabit-capable broadband by 2025, and for nationwide connectivity (at least 99 per cent) to be realised by 2030. Project Gigabit is the government’s £5 billion programme that will ensure the whole of the UK benefits from gigabit connectivity by providing subsidy to deliver gigabit-capable connectivity to uncommercial premises, which are typically in rural or remote locations. Over 75 per cent of UK premises can now access gigabit-capable broadband, a huge leap forward from July 2019, when coverage was just 8 per cent.</p><p> </p><p>Regarding the tax treatment of home broadband, under long-standing rules, payments from employers reimbursing employees for reasonable additional costs they incur while having to work from home are exempt from taxation. This includes the cost of providing broadband to an employee where a connection was not already available, the employee requires broadband to work from home, and the broadband is used mainly for business purposes.</p><p> </p><p>HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) does not hold information on the revenue received from taxes on businesses that provide their employees with business broadband for their residential properties.</p> answering member constituency Louth and Horncastle answering member printed Victoria Atkins grouped question UIN 188658 188660 188661 question first answered 19/06/2023 08:05:21 answering member 4399 label Biography information for Victoria Atkins
	tabling member	373 label Biography information for Sir David Davis

1643421

	registered interest
	date	09/06/2023
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Broadband: Fringe Benefits
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an estimate of the loss of revenue resulting from ceasing to tax business broadband upgrades for homeowners as a benefit in kind.
	tabling member constituency	Haltemprice and Howden
	tabling member printed	Mr David Davis
	uin	188658
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/06/2023 answer text <p>The Government’s ambition is to connect at least 85 per cent of UK premises to gigabit-capable broadband by 2025, and for nationwide connectivity (at least 99 per cent) to be realised by 2030. Project Gigabit is the government’s £5 billion programme that will ensure the whole of the UK benefits from gigabit connectivity by providing subsidy to deliver gigabit-capable connectivity to uncommercial premises, which are typically in rural or remote locations. Over 75 per cent of UK premises can now access gigabit-capable broadband, a huge leap forward from July 2019, when coverage was just 8 per cent.</p><p> </p><p>Regarding the tax treatment of home broadband, under long-standing rules, payments from employers reimbursing employees for reasonable additional costs they incur while having to work from home are exempt from taxation. This includes the cost of providing broadband to an employee where a connection was not already available, the employee requires broadband to work from home, and the broadband is used mainly for business purposes.</p><p> </p><p>HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) does not hold information on the revenue received from taxes on businesses that provide their employees with business broadband for their residential properties.</p> answering member constituency Louth and Horncastle answering member printed Victoria Atkins grouped question UIN 188657 188660 188661 question first answered 19/06/2023 08:05:21 answering member 4399 label Biography information for Victoria Atkins
	tabling member	373 label Biography information for Sir David Davis

1643423

	registered interest
	date	09/06/2023
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Broadband: Fringe Benefits
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has conducted a cost-benefit analysis of the impacts of treating business broadband as a benefit in kind.
	tabling member constituency	Haltemprice and Howden
	tabling member printed	Mr David Davis
	uin	188660
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/06/2023 answer text <p>The Government’s ambition is to connect at least 85 per cent of UK premises to gigabit-capable broadband by 2025, and for nationwide connectivity (at least 99 per cent) to be realised by 2030. Project Gigabit is the government’s £5 billion programme that will ensure the whole of the UK benefits from gigabit connectivity by providing subsidy to deliver gigabit-capable connectivity to uncommercial premises, which are typically in rural or remote locations. Over 75 per cent of UK premises can now access gigabit-capable broadband, a huge leap forward from July 2019, when coverage was just 8 per cent.</p><p> </p><p>Regarding the tax treatment of home broadband, under long-standing rules, payments from employers reimbursing employees for reasonable additional costs they incur while having to work from home are exempt from taxation. This includes the cost of providing broadband to an employee where a connection was not already available, the employee requires broadband to work from home, and the broadband is used mainly for business purposes.</p><p> </p><p>HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) does not hold information on the revenue received from taxes on businesses that provide their employees with business broadband for their residential properties.</p> answering member constituency Louth and Horncastle answering member printed Victoria Atkins grouped question UIN 188657 188658 188661 question first answered 19/06/2023 08:05:21 answering member 4399 label Biography information for Victoria Atkins
	tabling member	373 label Biography information for Sir David Davis

1643424

	registered interest
	date	09/06/2023
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Broadband: Fringe Benefits
	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 financial merits of maintaining business broadband as a taxable benefit in kind.
	tabling member constituency	Haltemprice and Howden
	tabling member printed	Mr David Davis
	uin	188661
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/06/2023 answer text <p>The Government’s ambition is to connect at least 85 per cent of UK premises to gigabit-capable broadband by 2025, and for nationwide connectivity (at least 99 per cent) to be realised by 2030. Project Gigabit is the government’s £5 billion programme that will ensure the whole of the UK benefits from gigabit connectivity by providing subsidy to deliver gigabit-capable connectivity to uncommercial premises, which are typically in rural or remote locations. Over 75 per cent of UK premises can now access gigabit-capable broadband, a huge leap forward from July 2019, when coverage was just 8 per cent.</p><p> </p><p>Regarding the tax treatment of home broadband, under long-standing rules, payments from employers reimbursing employees for reasonable additional costs they incur while having to work from home are exempt from taxation. This includes the cost of providing broadband to an employee where a connection was not already available, the employee requires broadband to work from home, and the broadband is used mainly for business purposes.</p><p> </p><p>HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) does not hold information on the revenue received from taxes on businesses that provide their employees with business broadband for their residential properties.</p> answering member constituency Louth and Horncastle answering member printed Victoria Atkins grouped question UIN 188657 188658 188660 question first answered 19/06/2023 08:05:21 answering member 4399 label Biography information for Victoria Atkins
	tabling member	373 label Biography information for Sir David Davis

1643498

	registered interest
	date	09/06/2023
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Credit: Interest Rates
	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 trends in the level of interest charged by payday loan companies.
	tabling member constituency	Gower
	tabling member printed	Tonia Antoniazzi
	uin	188759
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/06/2023 answer text <p>The Government does not hold data on the trends in the level of interest charged by payday loan companies.</p><p> </p><p>However, the Government believes that consumers should be protected from unfair costs in the payday lending market. That is why the Government legislated to require the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to introduce a cap on the cost of payday loans. This came into force in January 2015 and means that payday loans have a total cost cap of 100%, ensuring that consumers never need to pay back more than twice the sum they have borrowed. This cap also includes a daily interest cap of 0.8%, lowering prices for borrowers who pay back loans on time.</p><p> </p><p>The FCA has also conducted a review of the cap. In July 2017 it released a Feedback Statement as part of its review of the high-cost credit market. This showed that the payday cap has been effective, leading to total savings of approximately £150 million for the 760,000 individuals using payday loans each year, and highlighted that many payday lenders lend at well below the 100% total cost cap. Overall, the review concluded that consumers pay less, repay on time more often, and are less likely to need help from debt charities.</p><p> </p><p>More broadly, the FCA requires regulated lenders to treat customers fairly when they are in financial difficulty. FCA guidance sets out that firms should provide support through tailored forbearance options for borrowers which ensures they receive the most appropriate and sustainable support for the long-term, including payment holidays where these are in the interest of the consumer. On 25 May 2023, the FCA published a consultation on how it plans to incorporate aspects of this tailored support guidance into its rules. The consultation can be found here: <a href="https://www.fca.org.uk/publications/consultation-papers/cp23-13-strengthening-protections-borrowers-financial-difficulty-consumer-credit-mortgages" target="_blank">https://www.fca.org.uk/publications/consultation-papers/cp23-13-strengthening-protections-borrowers-financial-difficulty-consumer-credit-mortgages</a></p><p> </p><p>For people in problem debt who do need help, the Government continues to maintain record levels of funding for free-to-client debt advice in England, bringing the 2023-24 debt advice budget for the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) to £92.7 million. MaPS is the single largest funder of debt advice in England. It works alongside partners across the UK to make debt advice easier and quicker to access, and to improve standards and quality across the sector. In addition to this, the Breathing Space scheme which launched in England and Wales in 2021, offers people in problem debt a period of protection of up to 60 days on most enforcement action, interest, fees and charges, and encourages them to seek professional debt advice. As of May 2023 over 130,000 people have accessed the scheme’s vital protections.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Arundel and South Downs answering member printed Andrew Griffith grouped question UIN 188760 188761 question first answered 15/06/2023 12:40:39 answering member 4874 label Biography information for Andrew Griffith
	tabling member	4623 label Biography information for Tonia Antoniazzi

1643499

	registered interest
	date	09/06/2023
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Credit: Interest Rates
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department is taking steps to regulate the interest rates offered by payday loan providers.
	tabling member constituency	Gower
	tabling member printed	Tonia Antoniazzi
	uin	188760
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/06/2023 answer text <p>The Government does not hold data on the trends in the level of interest charged by payday loan companies.</p><p> </p><p>However, the Government believes that consumers should be protected from unfair costs in the payday lending market. That is why the Government legislated to require the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to introduce a cap on the cost of payday loans. This came into force in January 2015 and means that payday loans have a total cost cap of 100%, ensuring that consumers never need to pay back more than twice the sum they have borrowed. This cap also includes a daily interest cap of 0.8%, lowering prices for borrowers who pay back loans on time.</p><p> </p><p>The FCA has also conducted a review of the cap. In July 2017 it released a Feedback Statement as part of its review of the high-cost credit market. This showed that the payday cap has been effective, leading to total savings of approximately £150 million for the 760,000 individuals using payday loans each year, and highlighted that many payday lenders lend at well below the 100% total cost cap. Overall, the review concluded that consumers pay less, repay on time more often, and are less likely to need help from debt charities.</p><p> </p><p>More broadly, the FCA requires regulated lenders to treat customers fairly when they are in financial difficulty. FCA guidance sets out that firms should provide support through tailored forbearance options for borrowers which ensures they receive the most appropriate and sustainable support for the long-term, including payment holidays where these are in the interest of the consumer. On 25 May 2023, the FCA published a consultation on how it plans to incorporate aspects of this tailored support guidance into its rules. The consultation can be found here: <a href="https://www.fca.org.uk/publications/consultation-papers/cp23-13-strengthening-protections-borrowers-financial-difficulty-consumer-credit-mortgages" target="_blank">https://www.fca.org.uk/publications/consultation-papers/cp23-13-strengthening-protections-borrowers-financial-difficulty-consumer-credit-mortgages</a></p><p> </p><p>For people in problem debt who do need help, the Government continues to maintain record levels of funding for free-to-client debt advice in England, bringing the 2023-24 debt advice budget for the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) to £92.7 million. MaPS is the single largest funder of debt advice in England. It works alongside partners across the UK to make debt advice easier and quicker to access, and to improve standards and quality across the sector. In addition to this, the Breathing Space scheme which launched in England and Wales in 2021, offers people in problem debt a period of protection of up to 60 days on most enforcement action, interest, fees and charges, and encourages them to seek professional debt advice. As of May 2023 over 130,000 people have accessed the scheme’s vital protections.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Arundel and South Downs answering member printed Andrew Griffith grouped question UIN 188759 188761 question first answered 15/06/2023 12:40:39 answering member 4874 label Biography information for Andrew Griffith
	tabling member	4623 label Biography information for Tonia Antoniazzi

1643501

	registered interest
	date	09/06/2023
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Credit: Interest Rates
	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 people in debt as a result of interest being accrued on pay day loans.
	tabling member constituency	Gower
	tabling member printed	Tonia Antoniazzi
	uin	188761
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/06/2023 answer text <p>The Government does not hold data on the trends in the level of interest charged by payday loan companies.</p><p> </p><p>However, the Government believes that consumers should be protected from unfair costs in the payday lending market. That is why the Government legislated to require the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to introduce a cap on the cost of payday loans. This came into force in January 2015 and means that payday loans have a total cost cap of 100%, ensuring that consumers never need to pay back more than twice the sum they have borrowed. This cap also includes a daily interest cap of 0.8%, lowering prices for borrowers who pay back loans on time.</p><p> </p><p>The FCA has also conducted a review of the cap. In July 2017 it released a Feedback Statement as part of its review of the high-cost credit market. This showed that the payday cap has been effective, leading to total savings of approximately £150 million for the 760,000 individuals using payday loans each year, and highlighted that many payday lenders lend at well below the 100% total cost cap. Overall, the review concluded that consumers pay less, repay on time more often, and are less likely to need help from debt charities.</p><p> </p><p>More broadly, the FCA requires regulated lenders to treat customers fairly when they are in financial difficulty. FCA guidance sets out that firms should provide support through tailored forbearance options for borrowers which ensures they receive the most appropriate and sustainable support for the long-term, including payment holidays where these are in the interest of the consumer. On 25 May 2023, the FCA published a consultation on how it plans to incorporate aspects of this tailored support guidance into its rules. The consultation can be found here: <a href="https://www.fca.org.uk/publications/consultation-papers/cp23-13-strengthening-protections-borrowers-financial-difficulty-consumer-credit-mortgages" target="_blank">https://www.fca.org.uk/publications/consultation-papers/cp23-13-strengthening-protections-borrowers-financial-difficulty-consumer-credit-mortgages</a></p><p> </p><p>For people in problem debt who do need help, the Government continues to maintain record levels of funding for free-to-client debt advice in England, bringing the 2023-24 debt advice budget for the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) to £92.7 million. MaPS is the single largest funder of debt advice in England. It works alongside partners across the UK to make debt advice easier and quicker to access, and to improve standards and quality across the sector. In addition to this, the Breathing Space scheme which launched in England and Wales in 2021, offers people in problem debt a period of protection of up to 60 days on most enforcement action, interest, fees and charges, and encourages them to seek professional debt advice. As of May 2023 over 130,000 people have accessed the scheme’s vital protections.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Arundel and South Downs answering member printed Andrew Griffith grouped question UIN 188759 188760 question first answered 15/06/2023 12:40:39 answering member 4874 label Biography information for Andrew Griffith
	tabling member	4623 label Biography information for Tonia Antoniazzi

1643488

	registered interest
	date	09/06/2023
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Treasury: Darlington Economic Campus
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many civil servants are based full time at the Darlington Economic Campus at grades (a) Administrative Officer/Administrative Assistant, (b) Executive Officer, (c) Senior Executive Officer/Higher Executive Officer, (d) Grade 7, (e) Grade 6, (f) Senior Civil Servant 1, (g) Senior Civil Servant 2, and (h) Senior Civil Servant 3.
	tabling member constituency	Erith and Thamesmead
	tabling member printed	Abena Oppong-Asare
	uin	188795
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/06/2023 answer text <p>The Darlington Economic Campus comprises of the following civil service departments and agencies, HM Treasury, Department for Business and Trade, Department for Energy, Security and Net Zero, Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, Office for National Statistics, Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Competition and Markets Authority, Department for Culture, Media and Sport.</p><p> </p><p>HM Treasury does not hold the information requested by grade across the campus.</p> answering member constituency Grantham and Stamford answering member printed Gareth Davies question first answered 14/06/2023 10:56:40 answering member 4850 label Biography information for Gareth Davies
	tabling member	4820 label Biography information for Abena Oppong-Asare

1643473

	registered interest
	date	09/06/2023
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Hospitality Industry: VAT
	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 reducing VAT for the hospitality sector.
	tabling member constituency	Belfast South
	tabling member printed	Claire Hanna
	uin	188798
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/06/2023 answer text <p>Since the start of the pandemic, over £37 billion has been provided to the tourism, leisure and hospitality sectors in the form of grants, loans and tax breaks.</p><p> </p><p>VAT is the UK's third largest tax forecast to raise £161 billion in 2023/2024, helping to fund key spending priorities such as important public services, including the NHS, education and defence. The previous VAT relief for tourism and hospitality cost over £8 billion and reintroducing it would come at a significant further cost.</p><p> </p><p>While there are no plans to reduce the rate of VAT paid by hospitality businesses, the Government keeps all taxes under review.</p> answering member constituency Louth and Horncastle answering member printed Victoria Atkins question first answered 14/06/2023 13:23:45 answering member 4399 label Biography information for Victoria Atkins
	tabling member	4827 label Biography information for Claire Hanna

1643496

	registered interest
	date	09/06/2023
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Hospitality Industry and Tourism: VAT
	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 reducing VAT to 5 per cent for hospitably businesses for (a) tourism and (b) hospitality.
	tabling member constituency	Ceredigion
	tabling member printed	Ben Lake
	uin	188769
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/06/2023 answer text <p>Since the start of the pandemic, over £37 billion has been provided to the tourism, leisure and hospitality sectors in the form of grants, loans and tax breaks.</p><p> </p><p>VAT is the UK's third largest tax forecast to raise £161 billion in 2023/2024, helping to fund key spending priorities such as important public services, including the NHS, education and defence. The previous VAT relief for tourism and hospitality cost over £8 billion and reintroducing it would come at a significant further cost.</p><p> </p><p>While there are no plans to reduce the rate of VAT paid by hospitality businesses, the Government keeps all taxes under review.</p> answering member constituency Louth and Horncastle answering member printed Victoria Atkins question first answered 14/06/2023 13:25:31 answering member 4399 label Biography information for Victoria Atkins
	tabling member	4630 label Biography information for Ben Lake

1643486

	registered interest
	date	09/06/2023
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Treasury: Civil Servants
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many and what proportion of civil servants in his Department are based full-time in (a) London and (b) the Darlington Economic Campus.
	tabling member constituency	Erith and Thamesmead
	tabling member printed	Abena Oppong-Asare
	uin	188793
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/06/2023 answer text <p>Information on the number and proportion of roles in the Darlington Economic Campus will be published in HM Treasury’s Annual Report and Accounts 2022-23 in July 2023.</p> answering member constituency Grantham and Stamford answering member printed Gareth Davies question first answered 14/06/2023 10:58:27 answering member 4850 label Biography information for Gareth Davies
	tabling member	4820 label Biography information for Abena Oppong-Asare

1643419

	registered interest
	date	09/06/2023
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Broadband: Tax Yields
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what revenues his Department received from taxes on businesses that provide their employees with business broadband for their residential properties in the latest period for which data is available.
	tabling member constituency	Haltemprice and Howden
	tabling member printed	Mr David Davis
	uin	188656
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/06/2023 answer text <p>HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) does not hold information on the revenue received from taxes on businesses that provide their employees with business broadband for their residential properties.</p> answering member constituency Louth and Horncastle answering member printed Victoria Atkins question first answered 19/06/2023 08:08:49 answering member 4399 label Biography information for Victoria Atkins
	tabling member	373 label Biography information for Sir David Davis