On 27 April, the Chancellor announced the Bounce Back Loans Scheme to ensure that the smallest businesses can access loans in a matter of days. The scheme launched on 4 May, offering loans from £2,000 up to £50,000, capped at 25% of firms\u2019 turnover. The Government will provide lenders with a 100% guarantee on each loan, to give lenders the confidence they need to support the smallest businesses in the country. The Bounce Back Loans Scheme is open to businesses and lenders across the UK. Lenders in Northern Ireland interested in accreditation can enquire through the British Business Bank.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4051", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for John Glen"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Salisbury"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "John Glen"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2020-05-06", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2020-05-06T11:30:33.327Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "14"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Treasury"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Treasury"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2020-05-01", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Credit Unions: Northern Ireland"} , "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 Credit Unions in Northern Ireland are able to be accredited lenders under the Bounce Back Loan scheme.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4846", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Colum Eastwood"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Foyle"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Colum Eastwood"} ], "uin" : "42214"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1126824", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1126824/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
In July 2018, as Minister for Pensions and Financial Inclusion I individually and collectively met with a number of Credit Unions in Northern Ireland as part of a roundtable event for key stakeholders and practitioners in this field. I look forward to returning to visit Northern Ireland soon.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4142", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Guy Opperman"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Hexham"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Guy Opperman"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-05-20", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-05-20T14:39:02.217Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-05-15", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Credit Unions: Northern Ireland"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when she next plans to visit Northern Ireland to discuss ways in which Credit Unions can expand their services.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1409", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Gregory Campbell"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "East Londonderry"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Gregory Campbell"} ], "uin" : "254751"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/923131", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Treasury"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/923131/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The government remains committed to supporting credit unions, which provide vital services to financially under-served communities and contribute to the diversity of the UK\u2019s financial services sector.<\/p>
<\/p>
Government engages closely with representatives of the credit union sector throughout the UK to understand how credit unions may best be supported. This includes speaking to Northern Ireland specific trade bodies and maintaining an ongoing relationship with the devolved Department for Economy in Northern Ireland to understand any issues specific to Northern Ireland\u2019s credit union sector.<\/p>
Government\u2019s engagement with the credit union sector includes ongoing consideration of its legislative framework. For example, in 2014 Government conducted a Call for Evidence (\u2018British Credit Unions at 50\u2019) on credit unions. Several respondents asked for changes to the legislation governing credit unions, and in its response, Government committed to actively consider legislative changes in the next Parliament. At Autumn Budget 2017, Government committed to raising the geographical common bond limit for credit unions from 2 to 3 million. This change came into effect in April 2018.<\/p>
All changes to credit union legislation must be considered alongside the need to maintain an appropriate regulatory regime for credit unions. A looser legislative framework would likely require increased regulation which might be inappropriate for small, community based institutions.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1091", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Bates"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Bates"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-06-27", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : {"_value" : "HL8594"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-06-27T14:03:17.65Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "14"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Treasury"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Treasury"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2018-06-13", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Credit Unions: Northern Ireland"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty's Government what lessons, if any, they have learnt from the credit union movement in Northern Ireland.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4153", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Kennedy of Southwark"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Kennedy of Southwark"} ], "uin" : "HL8595"} ], "itemsPerPage" : 10, "page" : 0, "startIndex" : 1, "totalResults" : 3, "type" : ["http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#ListEndpoint", "http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#Page"]} }