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1522033

	registered interest
	date	13/10/2022
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Cost of Living: Chronic Illnesses
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the rising cost of living on people with chronic conditions, such as sickle cell disease.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Benjamin
	uin	HL2573
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/10/2022 answer text <p>The Government understands that people across the UK and especially the most vulnerable members of society, such as those suffering from long-term health conditions and disabilities, are worried about the rising cost of living. That is why the Government is taking decisive action to get households through this winter, while ensuring we act in a fiscally responsible way.</p><p> </p><p>People in receipt of extra-costs disability benefits such as Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or Disability Living Allowance (DLA) will receive a one-off Disability Cost of Living Payment of £150 from 20th September, to help with the extra costs disabled people are facing. The DWP has already processed around 6 million such payments.</p><p> </p><p>The Government is also providing a £650 Cost of Living Payment to recipients of means-tested benefits, to support people with low incomes with the rising cost of living. Individuals who have limited ability to work because of their health condition, and are in receipt of means-tested benefits such as income-related Employment and Support Allowance or the Universal Credit Health top up, are therefore eligible for this support.</p><p> </p><p>Those living with a long-term health condition, such as sickle cell disease, can also benefit from other forms of non-means-tested support which the Government is providing to assist with UK households’ energy bills.</p><p> </p><p>Firstly via the recently announced Energy Price Guarantee, a typical UK household will have to pay energy bills equivalent to no more than £2500 a year this winter. The Energy Price Guarantee will reduce the unit cost of electricity and gas and will supersede the existing energy price cap. Beyond April 2023, a Treasury-led review will consider how to support households and businesses with energy bills after April 2023.</p><p> </p><p>Secondly via the Energy Bills Support Scheme, which will provide £400 to help with domestic energy bills. All households in Council Tax bands A-D will also receive the Government-funded £150 Council Tax Rebate, which will be delivered by Local Authorities.</p><p> </p><p>Lastly, to support households who need further help or who are not eligible for elements of the wider package of support, the Government is also providing an extra £500 million of local support to help with the cost of essentials, via the Household Support Fund.</p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 27/10/2022 13:04:18 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
	tabling member	4167 label Biography information for Baroness Benjamin

1518482

	registered interest
	date	26/09/2022
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Taxation: Disclosure of Information
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have fully to meet the standards for tax transparency set by the General Assembly of the Global Initiative for Fiscal Transparency, including its 14 guiding principles.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
	uin	HL2324
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/10/2022 answer text <p>HMRC, in combination with HM Treasury, the Office of Budget Responsibility, Office for National Statistics, and other Government departments are already meeting, or exceeding, areas identified in the 14 guiding principles set by the General Assembly of the Global Initiative for Fiscal Transparency for tax transparency, for example:</p><p> </p><ul><li>HMRC publish an annual report which includes information on the prevailing tax gap and action taken to reduce it, as well as comprehensive accounts and other information on revenues, expenditure, performance and performance plans. This is in addition to separate publications on the measurement of tax gaps and other research conducted by HMRC on taxpayers’ behaviour and tax administration;</li><li>HMRC’s published Annual Report and Accounts, as well as other aspects of its performance and expenditure, are regularly audited by the independent National Audit Office (NAO), and subject to Parliamentary scrutiny. NAO reports of its audits are also published. Revenue and other statistics published by HMRC adhere to the Official Statistics Code of Practice and are also subject to independent audit by the UK’s Statistics Authority;</li><li>The UK Government and HMRC have increased their own transparency by publishing more data, including information about the exercise of powers. Government departments also publish data as part of a cross-Government transparency data publishing requirement, as directed by several letters from the Prime Minister since 2010;</li><li>The UK Government collaborates with international and regional financial institutions, contributing to their published revenue statistics, to improve the fairness, efficiency, and effectiveness of tax administration, including through the <a href="https://www.oecd.org/tax/forum-on-tax-administration/" target="_blank">Forum on Tax Administration</a>; and</li><li>The Tax Assurance Commissioner (TAC) role was created in 2012 to strengthen governance and assurance of tax disputes. The TAC provides assurance to Parliament and the public on the handling of civil tax disputes<em>, </em>and their Report is published as part of HMRC’s Annual Report.</li></ul><p> </p><p>Increasing transparency to improve the public’s trust in the tax system and Government accountability remains a focus for this administration.</p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 10/10/2022 11:29:53 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
	tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1521534

	registered interest
	date	12/10/2022
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Financial Services
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what recent steps they have taken to determine whether the financial sector presents too great a risk for the UK economy and regulatory structures to bear.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
	uin	HL2516
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/10/2022 answer text <p>The Government actively monitors the financial sector and any risks to financial stability and the UK economy more widely. It continues to work closely with the regulators, including the Bank of England and the Financial Conduct Authority, to assess risks and where appropriate coordinate a response with them. The regulators are working with firms to improve their resilience to market shocks, and it is a focus of government to ensure that we have a robust regulatory system. The UK financial sector remains resilient and well capitalised – ensuring it can continue to support households and business and play an important part in the UK economy.</p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 25/10/2022 13:03:09 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
	tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1522039

	registered interest
	date	13/10/2022
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Refugees: Ukraine
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will consider including refugees arriving under the family visa scheme within the funding of the Homes for Ukraine scheme; and whether they will remove the barriers to exchanging Ukrainian currency for sterling.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
	uin	HL2579
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/10/2022 answer text <p>To support those fleeing the conflict, the Government has introduced two visa schemes to welcome Ukrainian refugees to the UK: the Ukraine Family Scheme and Homes for Ukraine. The Ukraine Family Scheme allows applicants to join family members or extend their stay in the UK. Homes for Ukraine allows Ukrainian nationals and their family members to come to the UK if they have a named sponsor under the scheme. Further details on scheme eligibility can be found at GOV.UK. People that enter under both visa schemes support integration by providing full access to social services and welfare in the UK for up to three years.</p><p> </p><p>As each of these schemes uses different routes to support Ukrainians to find safe refuge in the UK, they were set up to be funded differently. The Ukraine Family Scheme is similar to existing family visa routes, and provision of public services from this route will be managed in the usual way. The UK-based family member is expected to provide support and accommodation for those coming to join them, who in turn benefit from the wider integration advantages in joining an existing family network.</p><p> </p><p>On the matter of exchanging Ukrainian currency for sterling, the Government has taken steps to ensure support for incoming Ukrainian nationals opening bank accounts, and Ukrainians are able to convert their currency to GBP electronically at several major banks and electronic money institutions. The industry has also taken measures to support refugees and their access to essential financial services, including commitments to waive certain fees. The Government continues to monitor the situation for Ukrainians in the UK’s financial marketplace closely.</p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 27/10/2022 13:05:00 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
	tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1522040

	registered interest
	date	13/10/2022
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Public Health and Unemployment
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of recent data from the Office for National Statistics regarding the UK employment rate for October 2022, which found that "UK economic inactivity rate was estimated at 21.7%, which is 0.6 percentage points higher than the previous three-month period"; and what steps they are taking to improve public health, given this is a potential contributory factor for such economic inactivity.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
	uin	HL2580
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/10/2022 answer text <p>The latest data indicates that the working age inactivity rate in the three months to August was 21.7%, up 0.6 percentage points on the previous three months and up 0.5 percentage points on the year. The headline employment rate for the three months to August was 75.5%, up 0.3 percentage points on the year. Demand for labour remains strong, with vacancies near record highs and significantly above pre-pandemic levels in the third quarter of 2022 (+51%). The latest data indicates that that the unemployment rate fell to 3.5% in the three months to August, the lowest rate since 1974<em>.</em></p><p> </p><p>Our Plan for Patients, which the Department of Health and Social Care introduced in Parliament on 22 September, sets out our immediate priorities to support individuals to live healthier lives and to strengthen the resilience and health of the nation. This includes moving prevention services closer to the patient, expanding mental health support in schools and increasing support for people to start, stay and succeed in employment. Alongside this, the Department of Health and Social Care is currently reviewing all of its wider priorities with a focus on improving the health of the population across the breadth of the country.</p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 27/10/2022 12:55:38 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
	tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1524809

	registered interest
	date	20/10/2022
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Mortgages
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of buy-to-let mortgages in the UK.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Hayman of Ullock
	uin	HL2755
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/10/2022 answer text <p>While the Government wants to support those who aspire to be homeowners, we appreciate that this is not everyone’s aspiration and that there are many people for whom renting a home is either more practical or affordable. There therefore needs to be a thriving private rental sector to accommodate these people’s housing needs.</p><p> </p><p>In Q2 this year, 13.6% of new advances were buy-to-let mortgages. The government does not hold data on the number of buy-to-let mortgages on variable or fixed rates.</p><p> </p><p>The pricing of mortgages and rents remain commercial decisions for lenders and landlords respectively, and the Government does not seek to intervene in these decisions. The Government is, however, providing millions of the most vulnerable households with financial support with the cost of living this year.</p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie grouped question UIN HL2756 question first answered 27/10/2022 12:54:45 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
	tabling member	4395 label Biography information for Baroness Hayman of Ullock

1524810

	registered interest
	date	20/10/2022
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Mortgages
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of buy-to-let mortgages in the UK that are on (1) a variable rate, or (2) a fixed rate that expires by the end of 2023.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Hayman of Ullock
	uin	HL2756
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/10/2022 answer text <p>While the Government wants to support those who aspire to be homeowners, we appreciate that this is not everyone’s aspiration and that there are many people for whom renting a home is either more practical or affordable. There therefore needs to be a thriving private rental sector to accommodate these people’s housing needs.</p><p> </p><p>In Q2 this year, 13.6% of new advances were buy-to-let mortgages. The government does not hold data on the number of buy-to-let mortgages on variable or fixed rates.</p><p> </p><p>The pricing of mortgages and rents remain commercial decisions for lenders and landlords respectively, and the Government does not seek to intervene in these decisions. The Government is, however, providing millions of the most vulnerable households with financial support with the cost of living this year.</p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie grouped question UIN HL2755 question first answered 27/10/2022 12:54:45 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
	tabling member	4395 label Biography information for Baroness Hayman of Ullock

1416153

	registered interest
	date	24/01/2022
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Alcoholic Drinks: Excise Duties
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how the proposed alcohol duty system will impact on their ability to cover the costs of alcohol to (1) the NHS, and (2) on society.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town
	uin	HL5619
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/01/2022 answer text The Government intends to move to a new system that taxes all products in reference to their alcohol content for the first time. This will help to target problem drinking by taxing higher-strength products associated with alcohol-related harm a higher rate of duty.<p><br> The Government is continuing to engage with interested stakeholders, including public health professionals, on these reforms. A consultation was launched in October and stakeholders are encouraged to respond before the deadline of 30 January 2022. A tax information and impact note will be published following the consultation when the policy is final, or near final, in the usual way.</p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 31/01/2022 17:20:47 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
	tabling member	4159 label Biography information for Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town

1524812

	registered interest
	date	20/10/2022
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	National Savings and Investments: Premium Bonds
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to increase the amount of money which individuals can hold in National Savings Premium Bonds.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Hoey
	uin	HL2758
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/10/2022 answer text <p>The Government does not currently have plans to change the amount of money which individuals can hold in Premium Bonds. However, the Government keeps this under review to ensure that the limit continues to reflect the interests of savers, taxpayers and the wider financial sector.</p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 26/10/2022 13:33:53 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
	tabling member	210 label Biography information for Baroness Hoey

1404697

	registered interest
	date	19/01/2022
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Home Shopping: Taxation
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce an online sales tax; and, as part of any such plans, whether they intend to hold consultative forums with small businesses, including booksellers.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Merron
	uin	HL5551
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/01/2022 answer text <p>At Autumn Budget 2021, the Government announced that it will continue to explore the arguments for and against an Online Sales Tax (OST). No decisions on whether to proceed with an OST have yet been made. If implemented, the revenue from an OST would be used to provide business rates relief for in-store retail. The consultation will launch shortly.</p><p> </p><p>The Government would welcome views and evidence from a range of stakeholders, including small businesses and booksellers. Details of how interested stakeholders can engage with the process will be published alongside the consultation.</p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 31/01/2022 17:13:34 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
	tabling member	347 label Biography information for Baroness Merron