{ "format" : "linked-data-api", "version" : "0.2", "result" : {"_about" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?min-date=2015-03-18&hansardHeading=Debts", "definition" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/meta/answeredquestions.text?min-date=2015-03-18&hansardHeading=Debts", "extendedMetadataVersion" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?min-date=2015-03-18&_metadata=all&hansardHeading=Debts", "first" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?_page=0&min-date=2015-03-18&hansardHeading=Debts", "hasPart" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?min-date=2015-03-18&hansardHeading=Debts", "isPartOf" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?min-date=2015-03-18&hansardHeading=Debts", "items" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1726037", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Treasury"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1726037/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
While specific decisions around early repayment charges on loans are a commercial matter for lenders in which the Government does not intervene, there are rules that govern their use.<\/p>
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For mortgages, the Financial Conduct Authority rules set out that lenders should not impose early repayment charges at a level that is more than a reasonable pre-estimate of the costs that would be incurred as a result of a loan being terminated early. For unsecured credit, the Consumer Credit Act 1974 and accompanying regulations set out the requirements on firms where loans are repaid early.<\/p>
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Consumers should also be given adequate information about the existence of these charges in the pre-sale disclosure documents lenders are required to give them.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4518", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Tulip Siddiq"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Hampstead and Highgate"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Tulip Siddiq"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-09-05", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-09-05T14:10:36.703Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "14"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Treasury"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Treasury"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2024-08-30", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Debts"} , "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 she has made an assessment of the potential merits of (a) restricting early repayment charges on debt to benefit customers and (b) encouraging early repayment.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4813", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Richard Holden"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Basildon and Billericay"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Richard Holden"} ], "uin" : "3177"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1717853", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Treasury"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1717853/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Government wants to see fair treatment of individuals in problem debt, and there is a range of work underway across government and regulators to promote responsible debt collection practices.
The Financial Conduct Authority\u2019s (FCA) new Consumer Duty aims to ensure firms provide a higher standard of care to their customers. This includes that firms take reasonable steps to contact customers at a suitable time, taking individual needs into account.<\/p>
The Government and the FCA will continue to work closely together to ensure consumer protections are fit for purpose, including through the upcoming reform of the Consumer Credit Act.<\/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" : "2024-05-22", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-05-22T15:54:25.553Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "14"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Treasury"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Treasury"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2024-05-14", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Debts"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Money and Health Policy Institute report entitled Debts and Despair, published in December 2023, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of instructing the Financial Conduct Authority to place limits on how often creditors can contact people in debt.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4651", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dan Carden"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Liverpool, Walton"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Dan Carden"} ], "uin" : "26213"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1698601", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Treasury"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1698601/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Government is committed to supporting people in problem debt. This is why at Spring Budget 2024 the Chancellor announced changes to make it easier to access a Debt Relief Order (DRO) in England and Wales.<\/p>
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In May 2021, the Government launched the Breathing Space scheme, providing a period of protections from creditor enforcement action for individuals in problem debt. The Government Debt Management Function (GDMF) have also recently developed and published a toolkit to help public sector creditors identity and support vulnerable individuals.<\/p>
The Government provides a range of debt advice services through the Money and Pensions Service to meet the needs of individuals in problem debt, including national and community-based services.<\/p>
<\/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" : "2024-04-17", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-04-17T10:45:06.04Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "14"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Treasury"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Treasury"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2024-03-25", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Debts"} , "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 implications for his policies of the recommendations of Debt Justice's Together Against Debt Manifesto, published in March 2024.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4651", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dan Carden"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Liverpool, Walton"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Dan Carden"} ], "uin" : "20386"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1696760", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1696760/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
DWP Debt Management holds information on people owing monies to DWP (benefit debt recovery) but does not hold data on general, personal/household indebtedness.<\/p>
<\/p>
Problem debt statistics are published by the Office for National Statistics.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3926", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Paul Maynard"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Blackpool North and Cleveleys"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Paul Maynard"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-03-26", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-03-26T11:31:52.553Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2024-03-18", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Debts"} , "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, what information his Department holds on trends in the number of people with problem debt; and if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of those trends.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/193", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dame Siobhain McDonagh"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Mitcham and Morden"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Dame Siobhain McDonagh"} ], "uin" : "18963"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1679592", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Treasury"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1679592/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Government regularly engages with the Bank of England, Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) to monitor levels of household debt and their impacts.<\/p>
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The Government remains committed to helping households that are struggling with debt to access the support they need and get their finances back on track. This is why the Government has maintained record levels of funding for MaPS to provide debt advice in England, bringing their debt advice budget to £92.7 million in 2023/24.<\/p>
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We have also taken steps to support those on low incomes, who are vulnerable to debt burdens. In response to the energy crisis, the government provided one of the largest support packages in Europe. Total Government support over 2022/23 to 2024/25 to help households with the high cost of living is worth £104 billion \u2013 an average of £3,700 per UK household.<\/p>
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