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1129384

	registered interest
	date	03/06/2019
	answering body	Women and Equalities
	answering dept id	31
	answering dept short name	Women and Equalities
	answering dept sort name	Women and Equalities
	hansard heading	Human Papillomavirus: Vaccination
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the provision of the HPV vaccine at sexual health clinics.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	259224
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/07/2019 answer text <p>My right hon. Friend the Minister for Women and Equalities has frequent discussions with cabinet colleagues on a range of equalities matters.</p><p> </p><p>The Department for Health and Social Care lead on policy relating to the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. Advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation is that there may be considerable benefit in offering the HPV to other individuals who have a similar risk profile to that of the men who have sex with men (MSM) population attending Specialist Sexual Health Services and/or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) clinics. This wider range includes some MSM aged over 45 years, sex workers, HIV positive women, and HIV positive men.</p><p> </p><p>Clinicians are able to offer vaccinations outside of the national programme using individual clinical judgement, and HPV vaccination could therefore be considered for such individuals on a case-by-case basis.</p> answering member constituency Louth and Horncastle answering member printed Victoria Atkins question first answered 23/07/2019 11:36:03 answering member 4399 label Biography information for Victoria Atkins
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1137727

	registered interest
	date	09/07/2019
	answering body	Women and Equalities
	answering dept id	31
	answering dept short name	Women and Equalities
	answering dept sort name	Women and Equalities
	hansard heading	Members: Maternity Leave
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what discussions she has had with IPSA on their rules on funding for maternity leave.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	275190
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/09/2019 answer text <p>My Rt Hon Friend the Minister for Women and Equalities has not had any discussions with IPSA regarding funding for maternity leave but, like myself, she welcomes their work to improve support for MPs taking parental leave.</p><p> </p><p>We want all parents to take active and well-informed choices about balancing work and care, supported by a fair and clear Government offer. On 19th July, Government launched <em>Good Work Plan: proposals to support families</em> to consult on a range of options relating to reforming parental leave and increasing transparency around family friendly workplace policies.</p> answering member constituency Louth and Horncastle answering member printed Victoria Atkins question first answered 30/09/2019 16:54:13 answering member 4399 label Biography information for Victoria Atkins
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1173640

	registered interest
	date	27/01/2020
	answering body	Women and Equalities
	answering dept id	31
	answering dept short name	Women and Equalities
	answering dept sort name	Women and Equalities
	hansard heading	Employment: Disability
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what discussions her Department has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the fiscal support available for employers who incur costs by making reasonable adjustments for disabled employees.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	8286
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/01/2020 answer text <p>The Government is committed to protecting people with disabilities in the workplace. The Equality Act 2010 places obligations on employers in relation to disabled employees, including a duty to provide reasonable adjustments. However, the legislation recognises the need to strike a balance between the needs of disabled people and the interests of service providers. What is ‘reasonable’ will vary from one situation to another. This is because factors like the practicability of making the adjustment, the cost of the adjustment and the resources available to a business, will vary from one situation to another.</p><p>The government runs Access to Work, a demand-led discretionary grant scheme that offers up to £59,200 funding per year for in-work support for people whose disability or health condition affects the way they do their job. The scheme is designed to offer support above the level of employers’ statutory obligations under the Equality Act 2010, as well as providing advice to employers on in work support available for their employees which could include reasonable adjustments.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Louth and Horncastle answering member printed Victoria Atkins question first answered 30/01/2020 16:47:47 answering member 4399 label Biography information for Victoria Atkins
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1227172

	registered interest
	date	22/07/2020
	answering body	Women and Equalities
	answering dept id	31
	answering dept short name	Women and Equalities
	answering dept sort name	Women and Equalities
	hansard heading	Disability: Coronavirus
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	What assessment the Government has made of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on disabled people.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	905164
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/07/2020 answer text <p>The Government is committed to supporting disabled people affected by the COVID-19 outbreak.</p><p>We continue to monitor and understand the impact of the pandemic on people who are disabled or have a health condition by using both existing and new data sources.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 22/07/2020 16:36:26 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1349018

	registered interest
	date	21/07/2021
	answering body	Women and Equalities
	answering dept id	31
	answering dept short name	Women and Equalities
	answering dept sort name	Women and Equalities
	hansard heading	Age: Discrimination
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps she is taking to tackle age discrimination in the workplace.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	37469
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/09/2021 answer text <p>The Equality Act 2010 (the Act) provides protection for those aged 16 and over against direct and indirect age discrimination in employment. The Act makes it unlawful for an employer to directly discriminate against an employee or a job applicant because of their actual or perceived age or the age of someone they are associated with. Differential treatment because of age is permitted if the employer can show that this is proportionate and in pursuit of a legitimate aim. There are also a number of other limited exceptions to the general prohibition.</p><p>It is also unlawful for an employer to indirectly discriminate on age grounds, for example by use of a recruitment policy which unjustifiably disadvantages particular age groups; to harass an employee for reasons related to their age and to victimise an employee for bringing or supporting a complaint under the Act.</p><p>A person who believes that they have experienced discrimination because of age, or other unlawful treatment, may take their case to an employment tribunal. Before doing so, we advise people to seek advice and if possible try to solve their issue through conciliation.</p> answering member constituency Saffron Walden answering member printed Kemi Badenoch question first answered 10/09/2021 09:50:27 answering member 4597 label Biography information for Kemi Badenoch
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1362937

	registered interest
	date	25/10/2021
	answering body	Women and Equalities
	answering dept id	31
	answering dept short name	Women and Equalities
	answering dept sort name	Women and Equalities
	hansard heading	Females: STEM Subjects
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what recent estimate the Government has made of the proportion of women in work who are employed in the STEM sector.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	62726
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/10/2021 answer text <p>It is difficult to give an accurate assessment of the proportion of women who are employed in the STEM sector as not all roles in the sector are STEM occupations. However, we want to ensure that women and girls can make informed choices about their career, including enabling more to work in STEM.</p><p>To enable more people into STEM sectors, the Government has introduced free courses through the National Skills Fund to enable adults to upskill and retrain.</p><p>In order to improve representation, we are encouraging more girls to take STEM subjects at school, college and university by rolling out several programmes and committing substantial funding to support STEM uptake.</p><p>In addition, we are improving careers advice in schools on routes into STEM careers, as well as sector specific action such as supporting the Tomorrow’s Engineers Code, managed by EngineeringUK.</p><p>Education and especially STEM is one of the key areas that the independent Gender Equality Advisory Council is looking at as part of our G7 Presidency and continues to be a key area for Government.</p> answering member constituency Saffron Walden answering member printed Kemi Badenoch question first answered 29/10/2021 12:52:05 answering member 4597 label Biography information for Kemi Badenoch
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1405152

	registered interest
	date	21/01/2022
	answering body	Women and Equalities
	answering dept id	31
	answering dept short name	Women and Equalities
	answering dept sort name	Women and Equalities
	hansard heading	Sexual Harassment: Employment
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps she is taking to (a) raise awareness of and (b) tackle the matter of sexual harassment of young women in the workplace.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	109229
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/01/2022 answer text <p>Every woman should be able to live without fear of harassment or violence in the workplace as much as anywhere else. In July 2021, as part of our strategy to tackle violence against women and girls, the Government announced a new package of measures which will strengthen protections for those affected by harassment at work.</p><p>We will introduce a new duty on employers to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace, as well as explicit protections against harassment by third parties. We are also supporting the Equality and Human Rights Commission to develop a statutory Code of Practice on workplace harassment, as well as preparing our own practical guidance for employers on preventing this issue.</p><p>In addition, the Government will be shortly launching a communications campaign to raise awareness and challenge behaviours that constitute violence against women and girls, including workplace harassment.</p><p>The steps we are taking will not only raise awareness of the nature and prevalence of sexual harassment in the workplace, but also motivate employers to prioritise prevention and ultimately improve workplace practices and culture.</p> answering member constituency Saffron Walden answering member printed Kemi Badenoch question first answered 26/01/2022 14:46:18 answering member 4597 label Biography information for Kemi Badenoch
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1471624

	registered interest
	date	20/06/2022
	answering body	Women and Equalities
	answering dept id	31
	answering dept short name	Women and Equalities
	answering dept sort name	Women and Equalities
	hansard heading	Endometriosis
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, if she will hold discussions with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on (a) the impact on women of waiting times for the diagnosis of and (b) the potential merits of additional funding for the training of specialists in endometriosis.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	21185
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/06/2022 answer text <p>Equalities Ministers have regular discussions with other Ministers across government on a range of issues, including women’s health.</p><p>We have invested £520 million to improve access to general practitioners (GPs) during the pandemic. This is in addition to £1.5 billion in 2020 to create an additional 50 million GP appointments by 2024, which will improve access for patients with endometriosis. The NHS has also published the Delivery Plan for Tackling the COVID-19 Backlog of Elective Care which sets out a clear vision for how the NHS will recover and expand elective services over the next three years.</p><p>On 23 December 2021, the Department of Health and Social Care published ‘Our Vision for the Women’s Health Strategy for England’, which sets out ambitions to improve the health and wellbeing of women in England and reduce disparities. The Women’s Health Strategy will be published later this year.</p> answering member constituency Saffron Walden answering member printed Kemi Badenoch question first answered 27/06/2022 16:15:13 answering member 4597 label Biography information for Kemi Badenoch
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1490505

	registered interest
	date	19/07/2022
	answering body	Women and Equalities
	answering dept id	31
	answering dept short name	Women and Equalities
	answering dept sort name	Women and Equalities
	hansard heading	Employment: Religion
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what recent assessment her Department has made of the prevalence of religion and belief discrimination in the workplace.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	39852
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/07/2022 answer text <p>The prevalence of any alleged discrimination by employers because of religion or belief is not routinely monitored by government. However, there are clear provisions set out in the Equality Act 2010 which prevent employers from discriminating against an employee, or a prospective employee, because of religion or belief (including any lack of religion or belief).</p><p>The Government sponsors the Equality Advisory &amp; Support Service, which is a free service offering help and advice to anyone who feels that they have suffered discrimination, and the EASS statistics for contacts to the service relating to religion or belief discrimination within employment over the last five years are:</p><table><tbody><tr><td>Year</td><td>Number of contacts</td><td>% of all contacts to the service</td></tr><tr><td>2018</td><td>150</td><td>0.83%</td></tr><tr><td>2019</td><td>179</td><td>0.97%</td></tr><tr><td>2020</td><td>110</td><td>0.71%</td></tr><tr><td>2021</td><td>193</td><td>1.17%</td></tr><tr><td>2022 (to date)</td><td>59</td><td>0.84%</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The year 2021 saw an increase in contacts, partly due to a number of people claiming that it was their philosophical belief to object to having a vaccination against Covid. Such concerns would be registered by the service under the ‘religion or belief’ protected characteristic category.</p> answering member constituency Derby North answering member printed Amanda Solloway question first answered 22/07/2022 13:22:12 answering member 4372 label Biography information for Amanda Solloway
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1605412

	registered interest
	date	20/03/2023
	answering body	Women and Equalities
	answering dept id	31
	answering dept short name	Women and Equalities
	answering dept sort name	Women and Equalities
	hansard heading	Women: Employment
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps her Department are taking to reduce incidences of workplace misogyny.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	169288
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/03/2023 answer text <p>Everyone should be able to live without fear of harassment or violence, in the workplace as much as anywhere else. Strong laws against workplace harassment are set out in the Equality Act 2010.</p><p>We listened carefully to the experiences shared through our consultation on sexual harassment in the workplace, and committed to a new package of measures which will prioritise prevention. As part of this work, the Government is supporting the Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Bill introduced by the Hon. Member for Bath, which will strengthen protections for employees against workplace harassment.</p><p>This builds on the steps we are taking to foster workplaces that celebrate diverse experiences and backgrounds. The Government’s Inclusion at Work Panel will tackle bias and ensure fairness in the workplace by developing and disseminating effective resources to help employers. This will help to create workplaces where everyone feels supported and encouraged to reach their career potential.</p> answering member constituency Lewes answering member printed Maria Caulfield question first answered 24/03/2023 09:45:38 answering member 4492 label Biography information for Maria Caulfield
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1312308

	registered interest
	date	27/04/2021
	answering body	Wales Office
	answering dept id	28
	answering dept short name	Wales
	answering dept sort name	Wales
	hansard heading	Referendums: Wales
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what recent discussions he has had with the Welsh Government on the potential for a Welsh independence referendum; and what steps he has taken to promote the Union.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	188110
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/04/2021 answer text <p>I have had no discussions with the Welsh Government on a Welsh independence referendum.</p><p> </p><p>The value to Wales of being part of a strong United Kingdom has been clearly demonstrated by the UK Government’s actions during the Covid-19 pandemic. We have safeguarded Welsh jobs through employment support schemes like the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and Self-Employment Income Support Scheme, and reduced transmission of Covid-19 through the successful rollout of the vaccine programme.</p><p> </p><p>We have protected Welsh jobs and businesses by ensuring trade continues to flow freely throughout the United Kingdom by virtue of the UK Internal Market Act 2020, and our programme of City and Growth Deals together with our local growth funds are helping to level up communities across the UK.</p><p> </p><p>Furthermore, the Government is progressing our ambitious plans to establish Freeports across the UK and, under the Union Connectivity Review, boost transport links between the nations of the UK.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire answering member printed Simon Hart question first answered 29/04/2021 08:47:30 answering member 3944 label Biography information for Simon Hart
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1133887

	registered interest
	date	21/06/2019
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Social Services: Finance
	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 adequacy of social care funding for people living with dementia.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	267751
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/06/2019 answer text <p>The Government monitors outcomes from social care closely. The quality of care continues to increase, with 81% of care homes and 86.5% of domiciliary care agencies rated good or outstanding by the CQC as of December 2018. And, over the last three years the Government has given councils access to up to around £10bn dedicated additional funding for adult social care.</p> answering member constituency South West Norfolk answering member printed Elizabeth Truss question first answered 25/06/2019 10:08:20 answering member 4097 label Biography information for Elizabeth Truss
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1134023

	registered interest
	date	24/06/2019
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Dementia: Health Services
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he will take to ensure that dementia care is adequately funded in the next Spending Review.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	268511
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/06/2019 answer text The Spending Review represents an opportunity to consider public spending priorities in the round, and the Treasury will be working closely with departments on funding issues, and with a renewed focus on delivering outcomes. answering member constituency South West Norfolk answering member printed Elizabeth Truss question first answered 28/06/2019 07:35:58 answering member 4097 label Biography information for Elizabeth Truss
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1134024

	registered interest
	date	24/06/2019
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Dementia: Health Services
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on funding for dementia care.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	268512
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/07/2019 answer text <p>In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of ministerial discussions are not normally disclosed.</p> answering member constituency South West Norfolk answering member printed Elizabeth Truss question first answered 01/07/2019 12:51:38 answering member 4097 label Biography information for Elizabeth Truss
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1144235

	registered interest
	date	03/09/2019
	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	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 effect of a two per cent increase on alcohol duty on (a) the amount of additional revenue that would be raised for the public purse and (b) reducing alcohol-related harm.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	286233
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>HMRC’s tax ready reckoner publication outlines the impact of illustrative tax changes. A one percent increase to beer and cider duties is estimated to raise around £30m per year. A two percent increase will have around double the impact. No assessment has been made of the alcohol-related harm of such a policy.</p> answering member constituency Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland answering member printed Mr Simon Clarke question first answered 09/09/2019 10:15:30 answering member 4655 label Biography information for Sir Simon Clarke
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1144236

	registered interest
	date	03/09/2019
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Beer and Wines: Excise Duties
	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 effect of the decision at Budget 2018 to freeze beer and wine duty on (a) total revenue raised, (b) levels of alcohol consumption and (c) alcohol-related deaths.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	286234
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>The financial impact of policy decisions can be found in the policy costings document published alongside each budget. Wine duty was not frozen at Budget 2018, however the impact of freezing the other alcohol duties and introducing a new band for high strength cider is estimated to cost the exchequer around £175m per year. Internal modelling indicates that duty freezes raise alcohol consumption, in comparison to uprating rates alongside inflation. No internal assessment has been of the impacts of this on alcohol-related deaths.</p> answering member constituency Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland answering member printed Mr Simon Clarke question first answered 09/09/2019 10:12:42 answering member 4655 label Biography information for Sir Simon Clarke
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1144600

	registered interest
	date	04/09/2019
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Small Businesses: Tax Allowances
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to introduce tax relief to small businesses to encourage those businesses to pay the living wage.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	286751
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>The Government is responsible for setting legal minimum wage floors which protect vulnerable low paid workers. We are proud to have introduced The National Living Wage, which increased again in April to £8.21. We commend employers who pay more when they can afford to do so.</p><p> </p><p>The Government keeps the tax system under review, and since 2010 has taken a range of actions to support small businesses.</p><p> </p><p>The corporation tax rate has been lowered from 19%, businesses have been entitled to the Employment Allowance, 100% Small Business Rate Relief has been made permanent and the Government has doubled the rateable value threshold for 100% relief, meaning more than 675,000 of the smallest businesses do not pay business rates at all.</p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman question first answered 09/09/2019 15:07:35 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1144601

	registered interest
	date	04/09/2019
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Stamp Duty Land Tax: Repayments
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether a refund for higher stamp duty after the sale of a principle home will be granted in the event that the deadline for reclaiming stamp duty has passed due to technical issues at HMRC.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	286752
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>Where an individual meets the conditions for requesting a refund of the higher rates of Stamp Duty Land Tax, following the sale of their previous main residence, they must do so within a prescribed time limit.</p><p> </p><p>If an individual’s refund is delayed by an HMRC technical issue, the individual would need to include information and evidence about that issue so that HMRC can consider those circumstances.</p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman question first answered 09/09/2019 15:07:53 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1173821

	registered interest
	date	28/01/2020
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	NHS: Finance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with the devolved Administrations on NHS funding after the UK leaves the EU; and what his policy is on levels of pay for frontline staff in the NHS.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	9025
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/02/2020 answer text <p>NHS funding has been set out in the published Long Term Plan which commits to grow NHS revenue funding by an average of 3.4% in real terms over the next 5 years – a real terms increase of 20.5 billion by 2023/24. The Barnett formula will be applied in the usual way to determine funding for the devolved administrations. It is for devolved administrations to allocate this funding across their devolved responsibilities, including to their health services if they so choose.</p><p> </p><p>The Government is committed to supporting frontline staff in the NHS who make a valuable contribution to patient care. More than one million NHS staff in England are currently benefitting from the three-year Agenda for Change pay deal, which came into force in 2018/19 and will see the starting salary for a newly qualified NHS nurse rise to £24,907 by 2020/21, an increase of 12.6% since 2017/18.</p><p> </p><p>The Government takes a flexible approach to public sector pay, taking into account each workforce’s circumstances so that public sector employers can address skill shortages, incentivise improvements to public sector productivity, and recruit to meet demand for services. This approach means that public servants, including NHS frontline staff, are rewarded fairly while making sure that public services remain affordable and sustainable in the long-term.</p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Rishi Sunak question first answered 05/02/2020 15:31:55 answering member 4483 label Biography information for Rishi Sunak
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1177431

	registered interest
	date	10/02/2020
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Aviation
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what long term steps he is taking to protect regional aviation connectivity.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	14703
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/02/2020 answer text <p>The Government has recently announced additional measures to support and enhance regional connectivity across the UK, to ensure all corners of the country drive the economy, and fully benefit from prosperity in years to come.</p><p> </p><p>In a sign of the Government’s commitment to levelling up all regions of the UK, a review of regional connectivity will ensure all nations and regions of the UK have the domestic transport connections local communities rely on – including regional airports.</p><p> </p><p>As part of this work and ahead of the March Budget, HM Treasury is currently reviewing Air Passenger Duty to ensure regional connectivity is strengthened while meeting the UK’s climate change commitments to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.</p><p> </p><p>The government established a technical working group to explore the operational and legal challenges to changing APD in Northern Ireland. Members include representatives from industry, experts, and civil servants from both the UK government and Northern Ireland.</p> answering member constituency Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland answering member printed Mr Simon Clarke question first answered 13/02/2020 12:49:52 answering member 4655 label Biography information for Sir Simon Clarke
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1177595

	registered interest
	date	11/02/2020
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Social Services: Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether has plans to allocate additional funding to the Department for Education for the provision of children's services.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	501
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/02/2020 answer text <p>The government recognises the importance of children’s services. Decisions on funding for children’s services beyond 2020/21 will be considered in full at the Comprehensive Spending Review.</p> answering member constituency North East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Steve Barclay question first answered 19/02/2020 09:55:08 answering member 4095 label Biography information for Steve Barclay
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1177597

	registered interest
	date	11/02/2020
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Funerals: Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with Ministers in the Northern Ireland Government on establishment of a child funeral fund to support bereaved families.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	503
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/02/2020 answer text <p>Treasury Ministers and officials have regular discussions with the Northern Ireland Executive on matters of importance to the economy across the UK, including on funding for justice issues.</p><p> </p><p>Matters of justice are devolved to the Northern Ireland Executive. It is for them to set their own priorities and determine the allocation of funds to deal with justice issues from within their own budgets.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Salisbury answering member printed John Glen question first answered 19/02/2020 09:59:27 answering member 4051 label Biography information for John Glen
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1179834

	registered interest
	date	24/02/2020
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Inheritance Tax
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to reduce Inheritance Tax to 10 per cent.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	19958
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/03/2020 answer text <p>All taxes are regularly kept under review and as is customary for tax policy, any changes to Inheritance Tax would be delivered through a future fiscal event.</p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman question first answered 03/03/2020 13:43:00 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1180927

	registered interest
	date	26/02/2020
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Mortgages
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has held discussions with representatives from the UK Mortgage Prisoners campaign group.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	21267
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/03/2020 answer text <p>I met with members of the UK Mortgage Prisoners action group on 29 January 2020 to discuss the experiences of mortgage prisoners in the UK, and the action the Government and the FCA have taken to remove the regulatory barriers that previously prevented switching and Government support for borrowers in problem debt.</p><p> </p><p>Decisions concerning the pricing of loans, including the level of interest charged, remain commercial decisions for lenders, and the Government does not seek to intervene in these decisions.</p> answering member constituency Salisbury answering member printed John Glen grouped question UIN 21268 question first answered 05/03/2020 09:38:36 answering member 4051 label Biography information for John Glen
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1180928

	registered interest
	date	26/02/2020
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Mortgages: Interest Rates
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with representatives of the banking sector on interest rates for UK mortgage prisoners.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	21268
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/03/2020 answer text <p>I met with members of the UK Mortgage Prisoners action group on 29 January 2020 to discuss the experiences of mortgage prisoners in the UK, and the action the Government and the FCA have taken to remove the regulatory barriers that previously prevented switching and Government support for borrowers in problem debt.</p><p> </p><p>Decisions concerning the pricing of loans, including the level of interest charged, remain commercial decisions for lenders, and the Government does not seek to intervene in these decisions.</p> answering member constituency Salisbury answering member printed John Glen grouped question UIN 21267 question first answered 05/03/2020 09:38:36 answering member 4051 label Biography information for John Glen
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1183518

	registered interest
	date	09/03/2020
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Gaming Machines: Excise Duties
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much Machine Games Duty was paid by (a) individuals and (b) organisations based in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	26860
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/03/2020 answer text <p>During the last five financial years HMRC received the following payments for Machine Games Duty (MGD) from UK taxpayers:</p><p>2014/15 = £562.3 million</p><p>2015/16 = £663.3 million</p><p>2016/17 = £707.0 million</p><p>2017/18 = £712.2 million</p><p>2018/19 = £720.0 million</p><p>HMRC publish information on total MGD receipts within the ‘UK Betting and Gaming Statistics’ publication: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/uk-betting-and-gaming-statistics" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/uk-betting-and-gaming-statistics</a>. No disaggregation of MGD receipts paid by individuals and organisations in Northern Ireland is available as this information is not recorded on trader returns or cash receipts.</p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman question first answered 17/03/2020 15:25:28 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1183519

	registered interest
	date	09/03/2020
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Gaming Machines: Excise Duties
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many (a) individuals and (b) organisations based in Northern Ireland are registered to pay Machine Games Duty.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	26861
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/03/2020 answer text <p>HMRC registration data indicates that there are 791 businesses registered for Machine Games Duty and 27 registered for Bingo Duty with a Northern Ireland postcode. HMRC cannot split the data by business type for NI alone.</p><p> </p><p>The HMRC figure for registrations with an NI postcode does not include any UK-wide businesses which are registered to a GB address.</p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman grouped question UIN 26863 question first answered 17/03/2020 15:51:52 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1183520

	registered interest
	date	09/03/2020
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Bingo: Excise Duties
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much Bingo Duty was paid by (a) individuals and (b) organisations based in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	26862
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/03/2020 answer text <p>During the last five financial years HMRC received the following payments for Bingo Duty from UK taxpayers:</p><p> </p><p>2014/15 = £47.0 million</p><p>2015/16 = £33.9 million</p><p>2016/17 = £34.5 million</p><p>2017/18 = £32.4 million</p><p>2018/19 = £33.4 million</p><p> </p><p>HMRC publish information on total Bingo Duty receipts within the ‘UK Betting and Gaming Statistics’ publication: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/uk-betting-and-gaming-statistics" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/uk-betting-and-gaming-statistics</a></p><p> </p><p>No disaggregation of Bingo Duty receipts paid by individuals and organisations in Northern Ireland is available as this information is not recorded on trader returns or cash receipts.</p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman question first answered 17/03/2020 15:21:16 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1183521

	registered interest
	date	09/03/2020
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Bingo: Excise Duties
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many (a) individuals and (b) organisations based in Northern Ireland are registered to pay Bingo Duty.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	26863
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/03/2020 answer text <p>HMRC registration data indicates that there are 791 businesses registered for Machine Games Duty and 27 registered for Bingo Duty with a Northern Ireland postcode. HMRC cannot split the data by business type for NI alone.</p><p> </p><p>The HMRC figure for registrations with an NI postcode does not include any UK-wide businesses which are registered to a GB address.</p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman grouped question UIN 26861 question first answered 17/03/2020 15:51:52 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1186986

	registered interest
	date	23/03/2020
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Charities 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 providing VAT relief to support the charity and tourism sectors during the covid-19 outbreak.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	33534
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/03/2020 answer text <p>On 20 March, the Government announced that all UK VAT registered businesses, which include charities and businesses in the tourism sector, can defer VAT payments due with their VAT returns between now and the end of June. No UK VAT registered business will have to make a VAT payment alongside their VAT return to HMRC in that period. They will have until the end of the financial year (March 31 2021) to repay.</p><p> </p><p>This is in addition to the Chancellor’s announcement on 17 March of a comprehensive support package worth £330 billion to protect businesses during the COVID-19 outbreak.</p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman question first answered 27/03/2020 10:02:28 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1199477

	registered interest
	date	02/06/2020
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Aviation: Coronavirus
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many meetings Ministers in his Department have had with representatives from the aviation industry on the covid-19 pandemic in the last three months.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	53428
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/06/2020 answer text <p>Treasury Ministers and officials meet with a wide range of stakeholders across sectors as part of ongoing policy development and implementation.</p><p> </p><p>Ministers and officials from the Department for Transport are in regular contact with airlines, airports and unions to understand the impact that COVID-19 is having on the sector and its workers.</p> answering member constituency Saffron Walden answering member printed Kemi Badenoch grouped question UIN 51599 51600 51744 51745 53429 question first answered 04/06/2020 15:31:05 answering member 4597 label Biography information for Kemi Badenoch
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1199478

	registered interest
	date	02/06/2020
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Airports: Coronavirus
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, on how many occasions Ministers in his Department have held meetings with representatives from UK airports since the start of the covid-19 outbreak.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	53429
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/06/2020 answer text <p>Treasury Ministers and officials meet with a wide range of stakeholders across sectors as part of ongoing policy development and implementation.</p><p> </p><p>Ministers and officials from the Department for Transport are in regular contact with airlines, airports and unions to understand the impact that COVID-19 is having on the sector and its workers.</p> answering member constituency Saffron Walden answering member printed Kemi Badenoch grouped question UIN 51599 51600 51744 51745 53428 question first answered 04/06/2020 15:31:05 answering member 4597 label Biography information for Kemi Badenoch
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1201503

	registered interest
	date	05/06/2020
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Aviation and Tourism: Coronavirus
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment the Government has made of the economic effect of the covid-19 quarantine on (a) airlines, (b) airports, and (c) tourism and hospitality businesses.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	55684
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/06/2020 answer text <p>The Government wants the UK to open up for travel as soon as it is safe to do so. The Government recognises the challenging times facing the aviation, tourism and hospitality sectors and has provided an unprecedented package of support for workers and businesses to support them through the current economic emergency.</p> answering member constituency Saffron Walden answering member printed Kemi Badenoch question first answered 15/06/2020 09:35:00 answering member 4597 label Biography information for Kemi Badenoch
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1217420

	registered interest
	date	24/06/2020
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Travel: Insurance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to ensure that competitively priced travel insurance is available to elderly people with chronic diseases.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	64191
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/07/2020 answer text <p>The Government is in continual dialogue with the insurance sector to understand and influence its contribution to handling this unprecedented situation.</p><p> </p><p>We have discussed with insurers the importance of insurance cover for Covid-19 in restoring consumer confidence to travel again. Firms assure us that they will look to offer cover again where and when they can. They are monitoring announcements by Government and reviewing their position as the situation evolves. We will continue to monitor this situation closely.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Salisbury answering member printed John Glen question first answered 03/07/2020 09:50:00 answering member 4051 label Biography information for John Glen
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1221368

	registered interest
	date	07/07/2020
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Small Businesses: Tax Allowances
	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 on the potential merits of tax relief for small business owners that pay their staff above minimum wage.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	70396
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/07/2020 answer text <p>BEIS and HM Treasury Ministers have regular discussions on a number of different topics, including employment and business support. However, in line with the practice of successive administrations, details of ministerial discussions are not generally disclosed.</p><p> </p><p>The Government keeps all tax policy under review and regularly receives proposals for new tax reliefs. When considering any new relief, HM Treasury must ensure that the relief would be effective at meeting its objectives, would not be subject to abuse, and would represent good value for money for the taxpayer.</p><p> </p><p>At Spring Budget, the Government supported businesses by making further significant cuts to business rates and also delivered on its commitment to increase the Employment Allowance from £3,000 to £4,000. This allowed businesses and charities to claim up to £4,000 off their National Insurance contributions from April 2020. Businesses can also deduct 100% of staff costs from their corporation tax bill. These measures are on top of having the lowest corporation tax in the G20.</p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman question first answered 14/07/2020 13:52:48 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1244829

	registered interest
	date	20/10/2020
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Money Lenders: Coronavirus
	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 prevent people made vulnerable as a result of the covid-19 outbreak from becoming victims of loan sharks.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	106346
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/10/2020 answer text <p>The Government funds the Illegal Money Lending Teams (IMLTs) of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to tackle illegal money lenders, or ‘loan sharks’, via a Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) levy on industry. The IMLTs also have powers to deal with wider criminality associated with loan sharks, such as violence and blackmail, and can seize the assets of convicted loan sharks to fund support for victims and raise awareness of the dangers of illegal lending in affected communities.</p><p> </p><p>The Government and IMLTs are alert to the particular challenges faced by vulnerable consumers as a result of COVID-19 and continue to work together to ensure that this dangerous and illegal activity is stopped.</p><p> </p><p>The Government also recognises that some people who are struggling with their finances at this challenging time may turn to loan sharks.</p><p> </p><p>That is one of the reasons why the Government has delivered unprecedented support for living standards, protecting livelihoods with the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, and temporary welfare measures amongst other support.</p><p> </p><p>To help people in problem debt get their finances back on track, an extra £37.8 million support package is being made available to debt advice providers this financial year, bringing this year’s budget for free debt advice in England to over £100 million.</p><p> </p><p>In May, the Government also announced the immediate release of £65 million dormant assets funding to Fair4All Finance, an independent organisation that has been founded to support the financial wellbeing of people in vulnerable circumstances. The funding is used to increase access to fair, affordable and appropriate financial products and services, including credit, for those in financial difficulties.</p> answering member constituency Salisbury answering member printed John Glen question first answered 23/10/2020 08:16:28 answering member 4051 label Biography information for John Glen
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1244837

	registered interest
	date	20/10/2020
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Repossession Orders
	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 to support people at risk of having their homes repossessed.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	106354
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/10/2020 answer text <p>Following the Coronavirus outbreak, the Government worked quickly with lenders and financial regulators to give people access to payment holidays on their mortgages. This gives customers a much-needed respite period, where no repayments on these products are due. The Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) guidance on mortgage payment holidays from 2 June also included a lender ban on repossessions until 31 October 2020, meaning that no-one will lose their home throughout this difficult period.</p><p> </p><p>The FCA published further guidance on mortgage payment holidays on 14 September setting out that firms should continue to provide support through tailored forbearance options for those borrowers that are facing ongoing financial difficulties.</p><p> </p><p>We have also ensured that regulations concentrate on helping people avoid repossession, including protection in the courts through the Pre-Action Protocol which makes it clear that repossession must always be the last resort for lenders.</p><p> </p><p>The Government also has support in place for qualifying borrowers that cannot afford their mortgage interest. Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI) provides financial help to homeowners who qualify for an income related benefit. Claimants must be in receipt of Universal Credit for nine assessment periods (nine months), before receiving support through the SMI scheme. The loan is then repayable upon sale of the property. The primary purpose of SMI is to enable people to stay in their homes without fear of repossession.</p> answering member constituency North East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Steve Barclay question first answered 26/10/2020 09:44:46 answering member 4095 label Biography information for Steve Barclay
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1276169

	registered interest
	date	13/01/2021
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Bank Services: Internet
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans his Department has to improve online banking security.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	137207
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/01/2021 answer text <p>The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) requires banks to maintain effective systems and controls to prevent the risk that they might be used for financial crime. The protection for consumers who fall victim to fraudulent transactions is set out in the Payment Services Regulations 2017. The Regulations state that a customer who claims that they did not authorise a transaction on their account must receive a refund from their bank, unless the bank has reasonable grounds to suspect that the customer is liable for the transaction (for example due to customer fraud or gross negligence).</p><p> </p><p>Several regulatory and industry initiatives are currently being implemented with the aim of improving online banking security and reducing fraud.</p><p> </p><p>Payment service providers, which include banks, are introducing new online security procedures in response to regulatory rules known as Strong Customer Authentication. These rules intend to ensure that the person requesting access to an account, or trying to make a payment, is securely authenticated, thereby reducing the risks of fraud. The FCA is responsible for making and enforcing these rules, and providing guidance on their implementation.</p><p> </p><p>Another example of improved security in online banking has been the introduction of Confirmation of Payee, a new industry initiative that aims to reduce authorised push payment scams by checking that the account name and details entered by the payer match those of the intended payee. The payer is notified if the details do not match the name they have entered, and they can choose not to proceed with the payment. This service aims to help consumers and businesses avoid making misdirected payments to the wrong account holder, as well as providing additional protection against fraud. In August 2019, the Payment Systems Regulator issued a specific direction which required the UK’s six largest banking groups to fully implement Confirmation of Payee.</p> answering member constituency Salisbury answering member printed John Glen question first answered 20/01/2021 14:04:17 answering member 4051 label Biography information for John Glen
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1281575

	registered interest
	date	28/01/2021
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Health Professions: Tax Avoidance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of doctors and nurses who have (a) been subject to the Loan Charge and (b) settled to avoid that charge.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	145018
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/02/2021 answer text <p>I refer the Honourable Member to the answers given on 26 January 2021 to UIN 140966 and 140967.</p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman grouped question UIN 145019 question first answered 04/02/2021 12:30:17 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1281576

	registered interest
	date	28/01/2021
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Armed Forces: Tax Avoidance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many armed forces veterans (a) are subject to the Loan Charge and (b) have settled to avoid that charge.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	145019
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/02/2021 answer text <p>I refer the Honourable Member to the answers given on 26 January 2021 to UIN 140966 and 140967.</p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman grouped question UIN 145018 question first answered 04/02/2021 12:30:17 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1281577

	registered interest
	date	28/01/2021
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Revenue and Customs: Audit
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when the HMRC was last audited.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	145020
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/02/2021 answer text The National Audit Office undertake an annual audit of the HMRC accounts. The latest audit findings were published on 5 November 2020 alongside the HMRC Annual Report and covered the period 2019-20. answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman question first answered 04/02/2021 12:12:05 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1285046

	registered interest
	date	10/02/2021
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Customs: Northern Ireland
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to extend the customs exemption period beyond the deadline of 31 March 2021 for goods entering into Northern Ireland via Great Britain.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	151710
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/02/2021 answer text <p>The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster has written to the European Commission in relation to the implementation of aspects of the Northern Ireland Protocol. The letter has been published on GOV.UK: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/letter-from-the-chancellor-of-the-duchy-of-lancaster-to-the-vice-president-of-the-european-commission-2-february-2021" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/letter-from-the-chancellor-of-the-duchy-of-lancaster-to-the-vice-president-of-the-european-commission-2-february-2021</a>.</p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman question first answered 17/02/2021 15:19:54 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1293255

	registered interest
	date	01/03/2021
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Financial Services: UK Trade with EU
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his policy is on future regulatory cooperation with the EU on financial services.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	160658
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/03/2021 answer text <p>Alongside the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, the UK and EU have agreed, in the Joint Declaration on Regulatory Cooperation, to establish structured regulatory cooperation for financial services.</p><p> </p><p>To that end, a Memorandum of Understanding will be agreed in discussions between the EU and UK, to establish a framework for this cooperation. We have had initial conversations with the EU, but we will not be providing a running commentary on those discussions.</p> answering member constituency Salisbury answering member printed John Glen question first answered 09/03/2021 14:53:54 answering member 4051 label Biography information for John Glen
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1299174

	registered interest
	date	03/03/2021
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Bank Services: Fraud
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will take steps to require banks to publish their bank transfer scam data.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	162604
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/03/2021 answer text <p>The Government is committed to tackling fraud and ensuring that victims of Authorised Push Payment (APP) scams are protected.</p><p> </p><p>The Government therefore welcomed the publication of the Payment Systems Regulator’s (PSR) call for views on APP scams in February 2021. This invited views on a number of potential measures that could deliver a higher level of protection for customers against scams, including requiring individual payment service providers to publish data on scams on a quarterly or six-monthly basis.</p><p> </p><p>The Government looks forward to engaging with the outcomes of the PSR's call for views, including considering what further actions may be necessary to make progress on this issue.</p> answering member constituency Salisbury answering member printed John Glen question first answered 12/03/2021 12:25:54 answering member 4051 label Biography information for John Glen
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1301197

	registered interest
	date	10/03/2021
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Housing: VAT
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on the potential cost benefits of reducing VAT on (a) building products and (b) low-carbon technologies used to retrofit homes to improve (i) indoor air quality, (ii) energy efficiency and (iii) the health of occupants.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	166426
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/03/2021 answer text <p>The Government already makes available a reduced rate of VAT on the installation of energy efficient products, including solar panels and micro combined heat and power units, when certain conditions are met.</p><p> </p><p>Extending the current VAT relief would come at a significant cost to the Exchequer, and there are no current plans to extend the scope of the relief already in place. However, the Government keeps all taxes under review.</p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman question first answered 18/03/2021 12:06:32 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1306211

	registered interest
	date	25/03/2021
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Public Sector Debt: China
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much and what proportion of the UK's national debt is owed to Chinese financial institutions.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	175848
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/04/2021 answer text <p>Most of the Government’s debt is in the form of publicly traded bonds (‘gilts’). The most recent data release by the Office for National Statistics indicates that, at the end of 2020, overseas investors held £708 billion of gilts, a minority of the total stock of outstanding gilts (28%). These data are not broken down by country.</p> answering member constituency Salisbury answering member printed John Glen question first answered 19/04/2021 08:47:01 answering member 4051 label Biography information for John Glen
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1310957

	registered interest
	date	21/04/2021
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Revenue and Customs: Tax Avoidance
	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 implications for his policies of HMRC's reported use of contractors using disguised remuneration schemes.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	185362
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/04/2021 answer text <p>The careful and considered Independent Loan Charge Review found that it was right to tackle disguised remuneration (DR) tax avoidance and that everyone should pay their fair share of tax.</p><p>HMRC do not engage in, or enter into, DR schemes. It is possible for a contractor providing services to HMRC to use a DR scheme without the department’s knowledge or participation. Where HMRC become aware of a contractor who is using a DR scheme, they take robust compliance action, including immediate action to terminate the engagement. These individuals are subject to the same tax compliance action in respect of their DR scheme use as any other scheme user.</p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman question first answered 29/04/2021 08:25:03 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1313771

	registered interest
	date	12/05/2021
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Economic Growth
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent estimate he has made of projected economic growth in the next 12 months.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	732
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/05/2021 answer text <p>HM Treasury does not prepare formal forecasts for the UK economy, which are the responsibility of the independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). In its March forecast, the OBR expects that GDP will grow by 4% in 2021 and return to its pre-Covid peak in 2022. Further details can be found in Table 1.1 of the OBR’s latest Economic and Fiscal Outlook published in March 2021: https://obr.uk/download/march-2021-economic-and-fiscal-outlook-executive-summary/</p><p> </p><p>In addition to the OBR’s forecast, the Government has published a significant amount of analysis on the health, economic and social impact of COVID-19 and public health measures throughout the pandemic. This includes the analysis that underpinned the steps announced as part of the Government’s Roadmap out of lockdown. For the economy, this included the impacts on GVA and jobs in those sectors affected by restrictions over the last year, as well as information about the distribution of those impacts. The published report can be found at:</p><p>https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/944823/Analysis_of_the_health_economic_and_social_effects_of_COVID-19_and_the_approach_to_tiering_FINAL_-_accessible_v2.pdf</p> answering member constituency Salisbury answering member printed John Glen question first answered 20/05/2021 09:45:14 answering member 4051 label Biography information for John Glen
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1316131

	registered interest
	date	19/05/2021
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Revenue and Customs: Tax Avoidance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether HMRC uses real time information to close down tax avoidance schemes.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	3866
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/05/2021 answer text <p>HMRC identify new avoidance schemes and the promoters behind those schemes using a range of data and intelligence, including real time information from PAYE systems.</p><p> </p><p>HMRC actively monitor the avoidance market and when they find a scheme act quickly to disrupt the scheme promoter’s business. HMRC challenge schemes and promoters using their full range of powers, including the Disclosure of Tax Avoidance Schemes (DOTAS) and Promoters of Tax Avoidance Schemes (POTAS) rules.</p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman question first answered 27/05/2021 14:22:01 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1316132

	registered interest
	date	19/05/2021
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Tax Avoidance: Prosecutions
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many promoters and operators of schemes now subject to the Loan Charge have been prosecuted for promoting and operating these schemes to date.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	3867
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/05/2021 answer text <p>I refer the Honourable Member to the answer given on 29 April 2021 to UIN 187240.</p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman question first answered 27/05/2021 14:27:52 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon