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1518482

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

1521534

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

1522039

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

1522040

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

1699319

	registered interest
	date	27/03/2024
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Interparliamentary Finance Committee Forum
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government why no Minister attended the meeting on 21 March of the Interparliamentary Finance Committee Forum with members of the Scottish Parliament and Senedd Cymru.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
	uin	HL3655
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/04/2024 answer text <p>The Government recognises the importance of the devolved legislature finance committees’ roles in providing rigorous scrutiny to devolved administration budgets and holding devolved administration ministers to account for their policy and budgetary decisions. As the previous Chief Secretary to the Treasury set out in his letters to the Senedd Finance Committee and the Finance and Public Administration Committee last year, we are mindful of parliamentary accountabilities where UK Government is accountable to the UK Parliament for its tax and spending decisions.</p> answering member printed Lord Roborough question first answered 12/04/2024 13:10:02 answering member 4953 label Biography information for Lord Roborough
	tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1200750

	registered interest
	date	04/06/2020
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Developing Countries: Financial Services
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they plan to take to ensure that commercial loans are covered in COVID-19-related debt-relief schemes for the 75 lowest-income nations.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
	uin	HL5282
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2020 answer text <p>Her Majesty’s Government is deeply concerned about the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on low-income developing countries. It is vital that all creditors work together to ensure that countries especially vulnerable to the pandemic are able to protect their citizens and economies.</p><p> </p><p>The Chancellor and his G20 counterparts called on commercial creditors to participate in the G20 Debt Service Suspension Initiative, which suspends payments due from the 77 poorest countries, on comparable terms to the official sector.</p><p> </p><p>Her Majesty’s Government is working closely with the Paris Club of official creditors and Institute of International Finance (IIF) to facilitate private sector participation. On 28 May, the IIF published a Terms of Reference to guide its members’ responses to DSSI-eligible requests for commercial forbearance.</p> answering member printed Lord Agnew of Oulton grouped question UIN HL5089 question first answered 16/06/2020 11:12:15 answering member 4689 label Biography information for Lord Agnew of Oulton
	tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1224704

	registered interest
	date	14/07/2020
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Cash Dispensing: Coronavirus
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of COVID-19 on the provision of cash machines; and what plans they have to ensure the availability of cash in vulnerable and remote communities in the future.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
	uin	HL6829
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/07/2020 answer text <p>The Government recognises that widespread access to cash is extremely important to the daily lives of millions of people across the UK. The Government is engaging with the financial regulators, including through the Joint Authorities Cash Strategy Group, to monitor the impact of COVID-19 on the UK’s cash infrastructure and remains committed to protecting access to cash for those who need it, while supporting digital payments.</p><p>At the March 2020 Budget, the Chancellor announced that the Government will bring forward legislation to protect access to cash. This will ensure that those who continue to rely on cash can continue to do so in the long-term.</p><p>The Financial Conduct Authority and Payment Systems Regulator are developing a comprehensive picture of cash access infrastructure across the UK in relation to social economic factors that reflect consumer needs, building upon their mapping work carried out during the COVID-19 crisis.</p> answering member printed Lord Agnew of Oulton question first answered 22/07/2020 14:06:52 answering member 4689 label Biography information for Lord Agnew of Oulton
	tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1227109

	registered interest
	date	21/07/2020
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Social Security Benefits: Coronavirus
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to provide income and other support for individuals forced to self-isolate or find a safe place to remain during a geographically-defined or workplace-related COVID-19 lockdown.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
	uin	HL7079
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/07/2020 answer text <p>Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) has been extended to those told to self-isolate due to whole household quarantine, or due to the Test and Trace programme. The Government has taken additional measures to make SSP payable from day 1, not day 4 for these cases. SSP should only be paid to those unable to work, and those able to work from home should receive their normal wage. These changes apply in areas under local lockdown.</p><p>In addition to the changes to SSP, those living in areas of local lockdown can benefit from the unprecedented set of measures introduced by the Chancellor to help individuals affected by COVID-19. This includes the introduction of the Coronavirus Job Retention and Self-Employment Income Support Schemes, as well as the injection of an additional £9.3bn into the welfare system according to OBR estimates.</p><p>On accommodation, the Government recognises the challenges faced by many who are sleeping rough and it is committed to helping them. So far, over 90 per cent of those on the streets at the beginning of the crisis and known to local authorities have been offered safe accommodation.</p><p>The Government has provided £221m of additional funding for rough sleepers during the crisis, including £3.2m specifically to help those who need to self-isolate. This brings total support for rough sleepers in 2020/21 to over half a billion pounds. All local authorities in England will be able to benefit from these measures, including those under local lockdown.</p> answering member printed Lord Agnew of Oulton question first answered 28/07/2020 15:44:41 answering member 4689 label Biography information for Lord Agnew of Oulton
	tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1228031

	registered interest
	date	27/07/2020
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Working Hours
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to encourage and support firms in reducing working hours in an equitable manner while avoiding redundancies, on a model similar to the German Kurzarbeit scheme.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
	uin	HL7324
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/08/2020 answer text <p>The Government is committed to ensuring that people are able to return to work in a manner that is sustainable and adjustable to the reopening of the economy.</p><p> </p><p>The Government therefore introduced flexible furloughing from 1 July. Firms can now bring back employees that have been furloughed for any amount of time and any shift pattern, while still being able to claim Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme grants for the hours not worked, with no minimum furlough period.</p><p> </p><p>It is right that state support is slowly reduced and the focus shifts to getting furloughed employees back to work. As such, from August 2020, the level of the grant will be slowly tapered to reflect that people will be returning to work. Employees will continue to receive 80% of wages up to a cap of £2,500 when furloughed.</p><p>While other countries have announced similar schemes, the UK response remains among the most comprehensive.</p> answering member printed Lord Agnew of Oulton question first answered 10/08/2020 14:32:13 answering member 4689 label Biography information for Lord Agnew of Oulton
	tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1233558

	registered interest
	date	10/09/2020
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Retail Trade: Corporation Tax
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that online retail businesses pay corporate taxation (1) at similar levels to high street retailers, and (2) which is relative to profits.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
	uin	HL8014
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/09/2020 answer text <p>Corporation tax is charged on profits that businesses generate from the activities they undertake in the UK.</p><p> </p><p>Significant measures have been put in place to counter arrangements designed to shift profits derived from UK activities overseas.</p><p> </p><p>Furthermore, the UK is actively involved in continuing OECD discussions which aim to deliver a fairer and more sustainable approach to the taxation of highly digital businesses.</p> answering member printed Lord Agnew of Oulton question first answered 22/09/2020 11:09:05 answering member 4689 label Biography information for Lord Agnew of Oulton
	tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle