Examination of Witnesses (Questions 240-250)
MR JON
CUNLIFFE, MR
JONATHAN STEPHENS,
MR NICK
HOLGATE, MR
DAVE RAMSDEN
AND MR
CHRIS MARTIN
14 DECEMBER 2004
Q240 Chairman: No.
Mr Holgate: —allowed more
time.
Q241 Chairman: You have learned from
your mistake. Okay. On that, while the decision to hold further
consultations on the changes to life office taxation seems to
have been communicated to some in the industry on 9 December,
the Inland Revenue website continued to indicate on 13 December
that the consultation period had expired on 8 December and no
press release detailing the changed consultation period was listed.
If the consultation process is to be seen to be effective, should
you not have made greater efforts to communicate widely the changes
in the timetable?
Mr Holgate: I agree that the Inland
Revenue website should have given the date as soon as the Financial
Secretary had indicated that it would be in the Finance Bill.
Q242 Chairman: Last one: Financial Inclusion
Taskforce, where will they be located within Government and with
what ministerial input?
Mr Holgate: I think it will be
held jointly between the Treasury and the DTI. The Treasury has
taken a lead in terms of certain aspects of financial inclusion
but it is the DTI, of course, that is piloting the Consumer Credit
Bill and has also published an indebtedness policy.
Q243 Chairman: A joint ministerial input?
Mr Holgate: I am sure ministers
from both departments will be contributing to the taskforce separately.
Mr Mudie: When are you going to set it
up? While we are talking about it, surely if you have decided
to set it up, it should be set up. When are we talking about?
We have been 7 years in Government, and that is a disgraceful
paper reflecting 7 years in Government. When are we setting this
up?
Q244 Chairman: You have not been 7 years
in Government, you have been there forever.
Mr Holgate: I am sure we will
be setting up as soon as we can.
Q245 Mr Mudie: What does that mean?
Mr Holgate: We have appointed
the Chairman, Brian Pomeroy, I am sure he will be pursuing it
with alacrity. I think it is slightly unfair to suggest that nothing
else has been happening. For example, basic bank accounts have
been introduced.
Q246 Mr Mudie: For whom?
Mr Holgate: For hundreds of thousands
of people.
Q247 Mr Mudie: There are 2.8 million
people without them, is that not in the report?
Mr Holgate: As we say, and that
is why—
Q248 Mr Mudie: 2.8 million after 7 years.
Mr Holgate: You have got to ask
where they were some time ago. I think the number may have come
down but it has proved a very intractable problem, it is fair
to say.
Q249 Chairman: The last question: how
is the £182 million planned for the Financial Inclusion Fund
to be broken down over the three years from 2005-06 to 2007-08?
What is the envisaged breakdown between the different initiatives
it is designed to support and how does that affect the devolved
governments?
Mr Holgate: I cannot answer the
question about devolved governments, I apologise for that.
Q250 Chairman: Could you tell us on Thursday.
Mr Holgate: We will find out for
you[8].
In terms of the breakdown between the three strands, I think that
the largest element will probably be the face-to-face money advice.
Chairman: Okay. The notes we have asked
for, if we can get them before Thursday, it will be very helpful.
Okay? Can I thank you for your time and we look forward to seeing
you again on Thursday.
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