HMRC conducted a full Equalities Impact Assessment regarding the planned closure of the Self Assessment helpline between 8 April and 30 September 2024. However, HMRC has halted this plan while it engages with stakeholders about how to ensure all taxpayers\u2019 needs are met as the Department shifts more people to online self-service.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4407", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Nigel Huddleston"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Mid Worcestershire"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Nigel Huddleston"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-03-26", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-03-26T15:07:51.47Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "14"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Treasury"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Treasury"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2024-03-20", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Revenue and Customs: Telephone Services"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has made an equality impact assessment of the decision to close the HMRC helpline between April and September each year.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4523", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Catherine West"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Hornsey and Wood Green"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Catherine West"} ], "uin" : "19655"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1678489", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Treasury"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1678489/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Government is committed to supporting people of all incomes and at all stages of life to save, and to making the aspiration of home ownership a reality for as many households as possible.<\/p>
<\/p>
The Lifetime ISA is intended to support younger people saving for their first home or for later life by offering a generous government bonus of 25% on up to £4,000 of savings each year. These funds, including the government bonus, can be used to purchase a first home up to the value of £450,000.<\/p>
<\/p>
The Government remains of the view that the property price cap is set at an appropriate level to support most first-time buyers across the UK while targeting households that may find it most difficult to get onto the property ladder. The withdrawal charge is needed to protect the LISA\u2019s status as a long-term savings product. Reducing this and would encourage the use of LISAs in ways for which they were not intended.<\/p>
<\/p>
The Government does not undertake an assessment of the effectiveness of the LISA by region, however the Government regularly publishes annual savings statistics, which includes information on the LISA. (https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/annual-savings-statistics-2022)<\/p>
<\/p>
The Government will continue to keep all aspects of savings tax policy under review and considers all representations made carefully, with any changes made as part of the Budget process.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4639", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Bim Afolami"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Hitchin and Harpenden"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Bim Afolami"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-01-09", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "7376"} , {"_value" : "7601"} ], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-01-09T17:23:54.86Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "14"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Treasury"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Treasury"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2023-12-18", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Individual Savings Accounts: First Time Buyers"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Lifetime ISAs for helping first-time buyers in London.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4523", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Catherine West"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Hornsey and Wood Green"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Catherine West"} ], "uin" : "7375"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1678490", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Treasury"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1678490/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Government is committed to supporting people of all incomes and at all stages of life to save, and to making the aspiration of home ownership a reality for as many households as possible.<\/p>
<\/p>
The Lifetime ISA is intended to support younger people saving for their first home or for later life by offering a generous government bonus of 25% on up to £4,000 of savings each year. These funds, including the government bonus, can be used to purchase a first home up to the value of £450,000.<\/p>
<\/p>
The Government remains of the view that the property price cap is set at an appropriate level to support most first-time buyers across the UK while targeting households that may find it most difficult to get onto the property ladder. The withdrawal charge is needed to protect the LISA\u2019s status as a long-term savings product. Reducing this and would encourage the use of LISAs in ways for which they were not intended.<\/p>
<\/p>
The Government does not undertake an assessment of the effectiveness of the LISA by region, however the Government regularly publishes annual savings statistics, which includes information on the LISA. (https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/annual-savings-statistics-2022)<\/p>
<\/p>
The Government will continue to keep all aspects of savings tax policy under review and considers all representations made carefully, with any changes made as part of the Budget process.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4639", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Bim Afolami"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Hitchin and Harpenden"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Bim Afolami"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-01-09", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "7375"} , {"_value" : "7601"} ], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-01-09T17:23:54.797Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "14"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Treasury"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Treasury"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2023-12-18", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Individual Savings Accounts: First Time Buyers"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of reducing the penalty charge to 20% for people (a) with Lifetime ISAs and (b) whose first property costs more than £450,000.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4523", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Catherine West"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Hornsey and Wood Green"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Catherine West"} ], "uin" : "7376"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1659212", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Treasury"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1659212/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) undertakes an annual review of assets frozen as a result of UK financial sanctions, requiring all persons or institutions that hold or control frozen assets in the UK to report to OFSI.<\/p>
<\/p>
Details of assets reported to OFSI as part of the 2021 frozen asset review were published in OFSI\u2019s 2021-2022 Annual Review. As of September 2021, £12.4 billion of frozen funds across all regimes were reported to be held by UK institutions. The value of assets held in relation to the Myanmar regime is aggregated under \u2018Others\u2019 so as not to disclose the value of funds held by particular individuals.<\/p>
<\/p>
Details of assets reported to OFSI in 2022 will be published in OFSI\u2019s 2022-2023 Annual Review, in Autumn 2023.<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4850", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Gareth Davies"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Grantham and Stamford"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Gareth Davies"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2023-09-12", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2023-09-12T12:38:42.71Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "14"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Treasury"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Treasury"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2023-09-07", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Sanctions: Myanmar"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the total sum of assets frozen under the Myanmar sanctions regime.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4523", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Catherine West"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Hornsey and Wood Green"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Catherine West"} ], "uin" : "198402"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1657825", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Treasury"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1657825/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Government recognises the vital role that advice services play in helping people in problem debt and vulnerable circumstances.<\/p>
<\/p>
To help people in problem debt, the Government continues to maintain record levels of funding for free-to-client debt advice in England, bringing the 2023-24 debt advice funding for the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) to over £92 million. MaPS expect to serve over 500,000 clients with debt advice this year. Further information can be found in MaPS\u2019 2023-24 corporate plan: https://moneyandpensionsservice.org.uk/corporate-strategy-and-plan/<\/a><\/p> <\/p>