Asked by: Alison Griffiths (Conservative - Bognor Regis and Littlehampton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate her Department has made of the annual administrative and compliance costs of an overnight visitor levy in England for small and independent accommodation providers, including guesthouses, bed and breakfasts, campsites, self-catering properties and short-term lets.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government has announced powers for Mayors to introduce a visitor levy on short-term overnight accommodation in their region, to drive economic growth, including through support for the local visitor economy.
The Government recognises the important role our rural and coastal communities play in supporting the visitor economy. At Budget, the Government published a consultation so that the public, businesses, and local government could shape the design of these powers, including options to minimise the burden on businesses and communities. This consultation closed on the 18th of February and the Government will publish a response in due course.
The precise design and scope of the power for Mayors to introduce a visitor levy is still under development, and the impacts of the levy will largely be determined by local decisions. Mayors will decide whether to introduce a levy and, if so, consult on specific proposals. We expect Mayors to engage constructively with businesses and their communities to hear any concerns. Following consultation, we expect Mayors to publish a summary of the consultation results and their response, including a final prospectus, and an impact assessment.
Asked by: Alison Griffiths (Conservative - Bognor Regis and Littlehampton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of an overnight visitor levy in England on levels of displacement of overnight stays in levy areas to nearby non-levy areas; and whether she has modelled the potential impact of such displacement on coastal and seasonal visitor economies.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government has announced powers for Mayors to introduce a visitor levy on short-term overnight accommodation in their region, to drive economic growth, including through support for the local visitor economy.
The Government recognises the important role our rural and coastal communities play in supporting the visitor economy. At Budget, the Government published a consultation so that the public, businesses, and local government could shape the design of these powers, including options to minimise the burden on businesses and communities. This consultation closed on the 18th of February and the Government will publish a response in due course.
The precise design and scope of the power for Mayors to introduce a visitor levy is still under development, and the impacts of the levy will largely be determined by local decisions. Mayors will decide whether to introduce a levy and, if so, consult on specific proposals. We expect Mayors to engage constructively with businesses and their communities to hear any concerns. Following consultation, we expect Mayors to publish a summary of the consultation results and their response, including a final prospectus, and an impact assessment.
Asked by: Alison Griffiths (Conservative - Bognor Regis and Littlehampton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what comparative assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of an overnight visitor levy in England on (a) coastal visitor economies with shorter average stays and lower average visitor spend and (b) major urban destinations.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government has announced powers for Mayors to introduce a visitor levy on short-term overnight accommodation in their region, to drive economic growth, including through support for the local visitor economy.
The Government recognises the important role our rural and coastal communities play in supporting the visitor economy. At Budget, the Government published a consultation so that the public, businesses, and local government could shape the design of these powers, including options to minimise the burden on businesses and communities. This consultation closed on the 18th of February and the Government will publish a response in due course.
The precise design and scope of the power for Mayors to introduce a visitor levy is still under development, and the impacts of the levy will largely be determined by local decisions. Mayors will decide whether to introduce a levy and, if so, consult on specific proposals. We expect Mayors to engage constructively with businesses and their communities to hear any concerns. Following consultation, we expect Mayors to publish a summary of the consultation results and their response, including a final prospectus, and an impact assessment.
Asked by: Alison Griffiths (Conservative - Bognor Regis and Littlehampton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of a overnight visitor levy in England on levels of visitor spend in local high streets, hospitality businesses, and attractions in levy areas.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government has announced powers for Mayors to introduce a visitor levy on short-term overnight accommodation in their region, to drive economic growth, including through support for the local visitor economy.
The Government recognises the important role our rural and coastal communities play in supporting the visitor economy. At Budget, the Government published a consultation so that the public, businesses, and local government could shape the design of these powers, including options to minimise the burden on businesses and communities. This consultation closed on the 18th of February and the Government will publish a response in due course.
The precise design and scope of the power for Mayors to introduce a visitor levy is still under development, and the impacts of the levy will largely be determined by local decisions. Mayors will decide whether to introduce a levy and, if so, consult on specific proposals. We expect Mayors to engage constructively with businesses and their communities to hear any concerns. Following consultation, we expect Mayors to publish a summary of the consultation results and their response, including a final prospectus, and an impact assessment.
Asked by: Katie Lam (Conservative - Weald of Kent)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what reason HMRC does not collect data on the number of wine producers claiming Small Producers Relief; and whether the Department plans to begin collecting such data to inform the evaluation of the 2023 alcohol duty reforms.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) holds data on the volume of products on which Small Producer Relief (SPR) is claimed, however it is not possible to accurately attribute this amount to a specific number of producers.
HMRC does not approve producers for SPR as both eligibility and rates can vary annually, depending on production levels. Instead, producers self- assess their eligibility and calculate the correct rate, meaning there is no central record of SPR claimants.
In some cases, the duty is paid by someone other than the producer. For example, goods may move in duty suspension from the producer to an excise warehouse, which pays the duty. In other cases large producers may conduct processes, such as bottling, on behalf of several smaller producers and account for the duty on behalf of their customers when the goods are released.
These arrangements reduce burdens on small producers while accommodating common commercial practices. Although HMRC cannot determine a definitive number of producers claiming SPR, it assesses that very few wine producers will have claimed the relief due to the 8.5% ABV eligibility limit.
HMRC will evaluate the 2023 duty reforms using several data sources, including SPR clearance volumes. For the reasons stated there are no plans to collect additional data on the number of producers claiming SPR.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what fiscal steps her Department is taking to help encourage charitable donations.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
To encourage charitable donations, the Government allows charities and their donors to claim tax reliefs across several different tax heads and exemptions, including VAT, Inheritance Tax, Stamp Duty, and Business Rates. Charities can also claim Gift Aid of 25p for every £1 of eligible donations made by UK taxpayers.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent steps she has taken to support the ceramics industry in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and b) Staffordshire.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The government engages closely with the ceramics sector.
As set out in the Industrial Strategy, we are increasing support for our most energy-intensive industries eligible for the British Industry Supercharger package, including some of those in the ceramics sector, with an uplift of the Network Charging Compensation scheme from 60% to 90%. This will provide additional price relief from April 2026 to eligible businesses.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment has been made of the potential benefits derived to Northern Ireland people and businesses from the Belfast Office operational since December 2024.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
HM Treasury has not made a standalone assessment of the benefits of the HMRC Belfast office, but having an operational presence in Belfast supports access to HMRC services, engagement with local businesses and stakeholders, and the effective administration of the tax system in Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when she plans to publish the results of the open book assessment of Northern Ireland devolved departments.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The open-book exercise is intended to support the Northern Ireland Executive, so any decision to publish the report would be a question for the Northern Ireland Executive.
Asked by: Alec Shelbrooke (Conservative - Wetherby and Easingwold)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 4 March 2026 to Question 115363, if she will provide the underlying data used to calculate the impact of the Personal Allowance freeze on those of state pension age.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Information on the methodology used to estimate the impacts of maintaining the personal income tax thresholds can be found in HM Treasury’s Policy Costing paper.
Budget_2025-Policy_Costings.pdf
The Chancellor has said that those whose only income is the basic or new State Pension without any increments will not have to pay income tax over this Parliament. At the Budget, the Government announced that it will achieve this by easing the administrative burden for pensioners so that they do not have to pay small amounts of tax via Simple Assessment from 2027/28. The Government will set out more details in due course.