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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

1678249

registered interest
date	14/12/2023
answering body	Department for Business and Trade
answering dept id	214
answering dept short name	Business and Trade
answering dept sort name	Business and Trade
hansard heading	Timesharing: Misrepresentation
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent steps he has taken with Cabinet colleagues to help protect consumers from being mis-sold timeshare arrangements.
tabling member constituency	Stirling
tabling member printed	Alyn Smith
uin	7129
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/12/2023 answer text <p>The Timeshare, Holiday Products, Resale and Exchange Contracts Regulations 2010, as amended in 2018, provide consumers with robust protections relating to the sale, marketing and content of timeshare contracts. We keep the system under review and engage with industry representatives as appropriate.</p><p>Furthermore, the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations (2008), which prohibit unfair commercial practices, are being restated in the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill, currently in Parliament. Unfair commercial practices include misleading actions and omissions which are likely to persuade consumers into taking decisions they otherwise would not have.</p> answering member constituency Thirsk and Malton answering member printed Kevin Hollinrake grouped question UIN 7132 7133 question first answered 22/12/2023 11:26:06 answering member 4474 label Biography information for Kevin Hollinrake
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

1678252

registered interest
date	14/12/2023
answering body	Department for Business and Trade
answering dept id	214
answering dept short name	Business and Trade
answering dept sort name	Business and Trade
hansard heading	Timesharing: Misrepresentation
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to help prevent consumers being mis-sold timeshare agreements.
tabling member constituency	Stirling
tabling member printed	Alyn Smith
uin	7132
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/12/2023 answer text <p>The Timeshare, Holiday Products, Resale and Exchange Contracts Regulations 2010, as amended in 2018, provide consumers with robust protections relating to the sale, marketing and content of timeshare contracts. We keep the system under review and engage with industry representatives as appropriate.</p><p>Furthermore, the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations (2008), which prohibit unfair commercial practices, are being restated in the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill, currently in Parliament. Unfair commercial practices include misleading actions and omissions which are likely to persuade consumers into taking decisions they otherwise would not have.</p> answering member constituency Thirsk and Malton answering member printed Kevin Hollinrake grouped question UIN 7129 7133 question first answered 22/12/2023 11:26:06 answering member 4474 label Biography information for Kevin Hollinrake
tabling member	4738 label Biography information for Alyn Smith

1678253

registered interest
date	14/12/2023
answering body	Department for Business and Trade
answering dept id	214
answering dept short name	Business and Trade
answering dept sort name	Business and Trade
hansard heading	Timesharing: Sales Methods
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions his Department has had with industry stakeholders on tackling (a) misrepresentation and (b) aggressive sales of holiday timeshares.
tabling member constituency	Stirling
tabling member printed	Alyn Smith
uin	7133
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/12/2023 answer text <p>The Timeshare, Holiday Products, Resale and Exchange Contracts Regulations 2010, as amended in 2018, provide consumers with robust protections relating to the sale, marketing and content of timeshare contracts. We keep the system under review and engage with industry representatives as appropriate.</p><p>Furthermore, the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations (2008), which prohibit unfair commercial practices, are being restated in the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill, currently in Parliament. Unfair commercial practices include misleading actions and omissions which are likely to persuade consumers into taking decisions they otherwise would not have.</p> answering member constituency Thirsk and Malton answering member printed Kevin Hollinrake grouped question UIN 7129 7132 question first answered 22/12/2023 11:26:06 answering member 4474 label Biography information for Kevin Hollinrake
tabling member	4738 label Biography information for Alyn Smith

1677870

registered interest
date	13/12/2023
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Visas: Families
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on what evidential basis he has proposed a minimum income threshold of £38,700 for family and spousal visas.
tabling member constituency	Stirling
tabling member printed	Alyn Smith
uin	6900
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/12/2023 answer text <p>The Government has proposed a minimum income requirement of £38,700 to align with the updated skilled worker salary threshold, to ensure fairness and consistency across immigration routes.</p><p>Analytical work has been undertaken across Government to support decision making in this process, and an Impact Assessment will be developed in due course.</p> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove question first answered 19/12/2023 16:31:16 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
tabling member	4738 label Biography information for Alyn Smith

1675985

registered interest
date	06/12/2023
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Visas: Families
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the proposed changes to the minimum salary threshold for family visas include renewals to spousal visas.
tabling member constituency	Stirling
tabling member printed	Alyn Smith
uin	5634
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/12/2023 answer text <p>The revised minimum income requirement will be implemented in spring 2024.</p><p>The Government will set out any transitional provisions associated with the increase in the minimum income requirement in January.</p><p>Any applications already submitted will be considered in line with the existing policy.</p> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove question first answered 14/12/2023 12:24:37 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
tabling member	4738 label Biography information for Alyn Smith

1675997

registered interest
date	06/12/2023
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Migrant Workers: Visas
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to his Department's news story entitled Home Secretary unveils plan to cut net migration, published on 4 December 2023, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the planned increase in the earning threshold for overseas workers on (a) people whose existing work visas do not meet the threshold and (b) international students moving from graduate visas to work visas that do not meet the threshold.
tabling member constituency	Stirling
tabling member printed	Alyn Smith
uin	5643
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/12/2023 answer text <p>The Government will provide further details on what transitional arrangements will apply in due course.</p> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove grouped question UIN 5646 question first answered 13/12/2023 14:47:15 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
tabling member	4738 label Biography information for Alyn Smith

1676000

registered interest
date	06/12/2023
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Migrant Workers: Visas
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to his Department's news story entitled Home Secretary unveils plan to cut net migration, published on 4 December 2023, whether he plans to introduce transitional protection measures for people whose existing visas do not meet the new threshold and require renewal after the increased threshold is introduced.
tabling member constituency	Stirling
tabling member printed	Alyn Smith
uin	5646
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/12/2023 answer text <p>The Government will provide further details on what transitional arrangements will apply in due course.</p> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove grouped question UIN 5643 question first answered 13/12/2023 14:47:15 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
tabling member	4738 label Biography information for Alyn Smith