Tag: Ian Paisley

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Paisley on 2016-03-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of (a) minimum pack-size requirements and (b) other elements of the new Tobacco Products Directive.

Jane Ellison

An assessment estimating the impact of the provisions introduced by the revised Tobacco Products Directive on business, including minimum pack size requirements, was published alongside a public consultation on transposition of the Directive in summer last year. A final impact assessment, reflecting the outcome of the consultation, will be published alongside the implementing Regulations.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Paisley on 2016-03-10.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of when the tax optimisation for cigarettes will be reached.

Damian Hinds

The government believes that cigarette duty achieves a balance between its two fiscal goals on tobacco; to raise revenue and to protect public health.

In considering fiscal impacts of duties, the illicit trade is an important consideration. The government is committed to tackling illicit tobacco, which undermines health and tax policy objectives and harms legitimate business. HMRC and Border Force have an established and effective strategy for tackling tobacco fraud which has seen the illicit market reduce significantly since the strategy was first launched in 2000. This has meant that, since the introduction of the tobacco duty escalator, the size of the illicit market has continued to fall.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Paisley on 2016-03-10.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment the Government has made of the potential effect of future tobacco excise increases on the black market in tobacco products.

Damian Hinds

The government believes that cigarette duty achieves a balance between its two fiscal goals on tobacco; to raise revenue and to protect public health.

In considering fiscal impacts of duties, the illicit trade is an important consideration. The government is committed to tackling illicit tobacco, which undermines health and tax policy objectives and harms legitimate business. HMRC and Border Force have an established and effective strategy for tackling tobacco fraud which has seen the illicit market reduce significantly since the strategy was first launched in 2000. This has meant that, since the introduction of the tobacco duty escalator, the size of the illicit market has continued to fall.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Paisley on 2016-05-18.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he plans to take to ensure that importers of soft drinks from outside the UK are subject to the soft drinks industry levy.

Damian Hinds

The levy will apply to importers of sugar-sweetened soft drinks and we will consult on the appropriate compliance arrangements.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Paisley on 2016-05-18.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will estimate the effect of the introduction of the new soft drinks industry levy on the level of the consumer prices index.

Damian Hinds

The information on the effect of the introduction of the Soft Drinks Industry Levy on the CPI are available at page 51 of the Economic and Fiscal Outlook published by the OBR, available at:

http://cdn.budgetresponsibility.org.uk/March2016EFO.pdf

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Paisley on 2016-05-18.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will estimate the cost of (a) collecting and (b) enforcing the soft drinks industry levy in each of the next five years; and from which of his Department’s budgets those costs will be met.

Damian Hinds

We will consult on the appropriate compliance arrangements for the levy and will plan resource allocation in due course.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Paisley on 2016-05-18.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much funding he plans to allocate to (a) HM Revenue and Customs and (b) relevant regulatory bodies to ensure importers of soft drinks from outside the UK pay the soft drinks industry levy.

Damian Hinds

We will consult on the appropriate compliance arrangements for the levy and will plan resource allocation in due course.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Paisley on 2016-05-18.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Government’s policy on the soft drinks levy will lead to a higher rate of tax per volume of product levied on some soft drinks than on some non-spirit alcoholic beverages.

Damian Hinds

The tax rates for the Soft Drinks Industry Levy have not yet been set. The levy will not capture drinks with an alcoholic content above 0.5% ABV, which cannot be purchased by children.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Paisley on 2016-05-18.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the aim of the Government’s policy on the new soft drinks levy is to persuade manufacturers to stop selling the regular full sugar versions of their drinks products.

Damian Hinds

The aim of the soft drinks industry levy is to help tackle obesity by encouraging producers to reformulate their overall product mixes by reducing added sugar content, helping their customers to choose low-sugar and sugar-free brands, and by reducing the portion sizes for high sugar drinks.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Paisley on 2016-05-18.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will estimate the potential effect of the introduction of the soft drinks industry levy on the cost of the average weekly shop in real terms in each year to 2018-19.

Damian Hinds

The tax rates for the Soft Drinks Industry Levy have not yet been set. The levy has been designed to encourage producers to reformulate their overall product mixes, and it is up to the industry how they respond to it. For example, if producers reformulate, they will pay less.