The UK and EU negotiating teams have reached agreement on the terms of an Implementation Period that will start on 29 March 2019 and last until 31 December 2020. During the Implementation Period, the UK will no longer be a Member State of the European Union, but market access will continue on current terms. This would mean that the current ban on surcharging consumer credit and debit cards, as set out in the second Payment Services Directive, would apply during an Implementation Period.

In the event that the UK leaves the European Union without a Withdrawal Agreement or Implementation Period, credit and debit card transactions with UK payment cards in EU member states could become more expensive and surcharges may be applied, given the UK would be treated as a third country in relation to the EU. As the second Payment Services Directive, which currently bans surcharging for consumer credit and debit cards issued in EU Member States, would no longer apply to UK payment cards, any changes would be a result of the laws of individual EU Member States. The UK Government cannot legislate with respect to surcharges applied by merchants in the EU, and any decision to apply a surcharge would be a commercial decision by the merchant.

Merchants in the UK will continue to be banned from applying surcharges to payments made by a consumer credit or debit card issued by a provider based in the UK.

I will make sure that the specific issue is looked at and that he can meet my hon. Friend the Exchequer Secretary, who handles such tax and VAT issues.

My right hon. Friend makes an important point. It would be very foolish indeed for anyone to vote for independence on the basis that Scotland will keep the pound. It is highly unlikely that a currency union would be workable, and therefore highly unlikely that any euro-style arrangement for the UK would be in the best interests of either Scotland or the rest of the UK. The only way to be sure of keeping the pound is to keep the UK together.

A search of the Department's records has disclosed one case in which the Treasury Solicitor oversaw the realisation of property, with proceeds handed over to the Commissioners. That was a bequest which was realised in 2011 with the sale of property in Cambridgeshire. £45,900 was realised from the sale of the property.

The Treasury Solicitor will generally only become involved in bequests where it is executor. Generally, in cases where a bequest is made for the reduction of the national debt, HM Treasury will ask the executors of the will to realise the property themselves before transferring funds to the Commissioners. Over the last decade, sales of those properties have included property in Leicester (sold for £452,000), Leeds (£275,000), East Sussex (£240,000) and Merseyside (£143,000). Those bequests also included some chattels with a total value of £11,995, but further information on chattels would require a detailed search of paper files, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Historical data on public sector debt interest and central Government debt interest is set out on the supplementary table of the latest public sector finances statistical bulletin, available on the Office for National Statistics website at:

http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/psa/public-sector-finances---supplementary-table/may-2013/index.html

Figures can be found on variable JW2R and NMFX in the following table:

[holding answer 24 June 2013]: The Charity Commission and Attorney-General's Office have been considering the National Fund's status and objects. As part of this process HMT officials have been approached for advice on potential indemnities and kept informed of key developments.

Gifts to the Crown for the reduction of the national debt are processed by the Commissioners for the Reduction of the National Debt (CRND) at the Debt Management Office (DMO). CRND has a statutory function to manage any donations and payments given with respect to gifts for the reduction of the national debt. Information on the CRND is available on the DMO's website.

Members of the public wishing to make donations for the purpose of reducing the national debt can contact the DMO by phone, email or in writing. Payments can be made by cheque to the CRND, or directly to the CRND's donations and bequests bank account Bank of England.

The Government currently assesses these arrangements to be appropriate but continues to keep them under review.

Information on the nature and value of gifts donated by the public for the purpose of reducing the national debt since 2004-05 is set out in the following table. The DMO does not hold data on individual donations prior to this date. The CRND accept cash and securities only, so other gifts from the public (eg property and other chattels) must be liquidated before the cash proceeds can be processed.

Gifts to the Crown for the reduction of the national debt are processed by the Commissioners for the Reduction of the National Debt (CRND) at the Debt Management Office (DMO). CRND has a statutory function to manage any donations and payments given with respect to gifts for the reduction of the national debt. Information on the CRND is available on the DMO's website.

Members of the public wishing to make donations for the purpose of reducing the national debt can contact the DMO by phone, email or in writing. Payments can be made by cheque to the CRND, or directly to the CRND's donations and bequests bank account Bank of England.

The Government currently assesses these arrangements to be appropriate but continues to keep them under review.

Information on the nature and value of gifts donated by the public for the purpose of reducing the national debt since 2004-05 is set out in the following table. The DMO does not hold data on individual donations prior to this date. The CRND accept cash and securities only, so other gifts from the public (eg property and other chattels) must be liquidated before the cash proceeds can be processed.

Gifts to the Crown for the reduction of the national debt are processed by the Commissioners for the Reduction of the National Debt (CRND) at the Debt Management Office (DMO). CRND has a statutory function to manage any donations and payments given with respect to gifts for the reduction of the national debt. Information on the CRND is available on the DMO's website.

Members of the public wishing to make donations for the purpose of reducing the national debt can contact the DMO by phone, email or in writing. Payments can be made by cheque to the CRND, or directly to the CRND's donations and bequests bank account Bank of England.

The Government currently assesses these arrangements to be appropriate but continues to keep them under review.

Information on the nature and value of gifts donated by the public for the purpose of reducing the national debt since 2004-05 is set out in the following table. The DMO does not hold data on individual donations prior to this date. The CRND accept cash and securities only, so other gifts from the public (eg property and other chattels) must be liquidated before the cash proceeds can be processed.

HM Revenue and Customs offers a range of contact channels for deaf people. Those whose first language is British Sign can ask HM Revenue and Customs officials to provide a sign language interpreter

to help deal with their tax and benefits issues. An interpreter can also make a telephone call to HM Revenue and Customs help lines on their behalf when they are in the presence of the interpreter. Text based communication is also possible, through written letters and textphone services including text relay. Deaf people can also appoint an agent to act on their behalf.

The UK Debt Management Office, an executive agency of HM Treasury, provides post and email contact details on the ‘contact us’ page of its website, and would consider on a case-by-case basis any request for information to be provided in an alternative format in order to ensure equality of access.

Other non-departmental public bodies for which HMT is responsible will consider access requests as required.

HM Revenue and Customs offers a range of contact channels for deaf people. Those whose first language is British Sign can ask HM Revenue and Customs officials to provide a sign language interpreter to help deal with their tax and benefits issues. An interpreter can also make a telephone call to HM Revenue and Customs help lines on their behalf.

Text-based communication is also possible, through written letters and textphone services including text relay. Along with all our customers, deaf people can also appoint an agent to act on their behalf.

The UK Debt Management Office, an Executive agency of HM Treasury, provides post and e-mail contact details on the 'contact us' page of its website, and would consider on a case-by-case basis any request for information to be provided in an alternative format in order to ensure equality of access.

Other non-departmental public bodies for which HMT is responsible will consider access requests as required.