Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether HM Government intends to cite provisional estimates by the OBR in the future.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) is the government’s official forecaster. The OBR will publish its next forecast assessing the UK economic and fiscal outlook on 28 October alongside the Budget.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the office attendance target is for HM Treasury staff assigned to Darlington; and what the attendance rate was in the last quarter.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with HM Treasury)
HM Treasury's office attendance policy applies across all of its office locations including Darlington Economic Campus. Employees are expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in their contractual workplace, unless alternative arrangements have been agreed through workplace adjustments
The Department uses aggregated building access data to understand overall occupancy levels but does not monitor attendance at the individual level. Line managers are responsible for supporting and monitoring compliance with the departments office attendance expectations.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 9 September 2026 to Question 26641, whether the approval of his Department is required by the Department for Health and Social Care to award financial redress in response to recommendations by the Patient Safety Commissioner.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
HM Treasury is responsible for setting overall departmental spending settlements and considering proposals for expenditure in line with the framework set out in Managing Public Money. As such, HM Treasury discusses a wide range of policies and their associated funding implications on matters within DHSC’s remit, but does not typically comment on ongoing policy development and specific approvals processes.
Further information on the role of HM Treasury consent in approving public spending is set out in Chapter 2 of Managing Public Money:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/managing-public-money
Asked by: Dave Doogan (Scottish National Party - Angus and Perthshire Glens)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to support international efforts to address sovereign debt challenges faced by developing countries; and what discussions he has had with international partners on reforming global debt restructuring mechanisms to improve access to timely and effective debt relief.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The UK has a long history of leadership on global sovereign debt. Tackling unsustainable debt and its impact on global stability is one of the UK Government’s international priorities. The UK has fully participated in recent debt restructurings, working alongside other creditors to restore debt sustainability. We have also championed transparency and sustainability, including publishing details of new lending and introducing “pause clauses” into UK debt to provide fiscal space following external shocks.
The Government works through various multilateral fora, including the G20, Paris Club and the Global Sovereign Debt Roundtable. The UK also co-chairs the London Coalition on Sustainable Sovereign Debt which brings together government and private sector stakeholders to find innovative solutions to more sustainable sovereign debt financing in developing economies.
Asked by: Michelle Scrogham (Labour - Barrow and Furness)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking towards establishing a long-term plan around the application of VAT on donated medicines through compassionate access schemes.
Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General
The Government has heard concerns from patient groups and industry that the application of VAT to free-of-charge donations have impacted patient access. On 23rd June 2026, the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury announced that we will bring forward a new approach to address this issue, which will consist either of changes to VAT rules or a reimbursement scheme.
The new approach will be permanent and backdated to 23rd June, giving firms certainty when making donations now.
The Government will set out the details of the new approach at the earliest opportunity.
Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - South Shropshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the National Security Strategy, published 24 June 2025, what long-term fiscal adjustments have been modeled to support economic security.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government considers the implications of national security, economic resilience and economic security as part of its overall approach to fiscal policy, spending decisions and public investment.
The National Security Strategy, published on 24 June 2025, set out the Government's approach to strengthening the UK's security and resilience, including the commitment to increase spending on national security to 5 per cent of GDP by 2035.
Decisions on taxation, public spending and investment are taken through the normal fiscal event and Spending Review processes, consistent with the Government's fiscal framework.
Through these processes, the Government is supporting economic security and resilience, including through our public finance offer, with Public Finance Institutions and interventions working together to direct more investment at strategic sectors and supply chains. This includes the expansion of the National Security Strategic Investment Fund, which invests into advanced dual-use technology companies to support the National Security and Defence community and start-ups across the country.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the reasons for 30 year gilts reaching 6% as of 1 October 2026.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
As is long-standing convention, the government does not comment on specific financial market movements. Gilt yields are determined by a wide range of international and domestic factors.
The Chancellor has been clear that that fiscal credibility is his first priority, and he and the Prime Minister are committed to meeting the fiscal rules with a buffer against uncertainty, controlling borrowing to bear down on inflation, and reducing long term pressures on our public finances.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many sick days have been taken by staff of his Department in each of the last five years; and what the cost of such absences was in each such year.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with HM Treasury)
Please see below table for the total number of sickness days taken at HM Treasury by financial year:
| 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 | 2024-25 | 2025-26 |
Total sickness days taken | 6440.5 | 6952.5 | 7184 | 7139 | 9685 |
Note that HM Treasury increased headcount during 2025-26 due to machinery of government changes, which may partially contribute to the increase in the total working days lost during the 2025-26 financial year. Annual headcount data for HM Treasury can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/civil-service-statistics
HM Treasury does not report data on the yearly cost of sickness absence.
Asked by: Louie French (Conservative - Old Bexley and Sidcup)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much his Department spent on hotel accommodation for (a) staff and (b) Ministers broken down by (i) UK stays and (ii) overseas stays in the 2024-25 financial year.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with HM Treasury)
Following a search of our records, we can confirm that HM Treasury does hold information within the scope of your question. In financial year 24/25 our recorded expenditure was:
FY 24/25 | UK stays | Overseas stays | Total |
Staff Hotel Accommodation | 451,762.31 | 313,115.16 | 764,877.47 |
Ministers Hotel Accommodation | 1,407.66 | 9,838.30 | 11,245.96 |
Total spend | 453,169.97 | 322,953.46 | 776,123.43 |
Asked by: Samantha Niblett (Labour - South Derbyshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will consider a time-limited VAT holiday on Heating Oil and LPG payments between 1 October 2026 and 31 March 2027.
Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General
Heating oil and Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) benefit from a reduced VAT rate of five per cent, rather than the standard 20 per cent. In addition, to help these households manage higher energy costs, the Government is providing over £50 million of additional support for low-income households which rely on heating oil.
The Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at fiscal events, and does not routinely comment on proposals.