Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the use of generative AI tools by consumers for pension planning and investment decision-making; and what steps they are taking to ensure that appropriate consumer protections and regulatory safeguards are in place.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
HMT has recently appointed Harriet Rees and Rohit Dhawan as Financial Services AI Champions. They will focus on helping firms seize opportunities of AI while protecting consumers and ensuring financial stability.
In recognition of growing consumer interest in these tools, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published information for consumers on using AI for investment research. This sets out the pros and cons of such tools, including the risk of incorrect or out-of-date information, and makes clear that advice from general purpose AI tools is not regulated and does not benefit from protections such as the Financial Services Compensation Scheme or the Financial Ombudsman Service.
The FCA also launched the Mills Review in January 2026 which will consider the implications of advanced AI on consumers, retail financial markets and regulators. The review will help the FCA support innovation while promoting the safe and trusted adoption of AI in retail financial services.
Asked by: Samantha Niblett (Labour - South Derbyshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of extending VAT exemption to counsellors, psychotherapists and CBT therapists who are on Professional Standards Authority-accredited registers.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Many services provided directly or supervised by registered health professionals are exempt from VAT, meaning no VAT is charged to the final consumer. This does not apply to professionals who do not have statutory registers, such as counsellors and psychotherapists.
The UK’s approach of linking VAT exemption to statutory registration provides a clear and objective criterion for defining ‘health professionals’ for VAT purposes, ensuring that VAT reliefs are tightly targeted. While the Government keeps all taxes under review, there are no current plans to introduce VAT exemptions for counsellors and psychotherapists without statutory registration.
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what reason Northern Ireland has been allocated £17 million of the £53 million home heating oil support package announced on 16 March 2026; and if she will publish the methodology used to determine that figure.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The government has acted quickly to provide timely, targeted support to low-income households struggling with the rising price of heating oils, based on the latest census data.
This means the funding is distributed in line with where the most vulnerable oil-heated homes are concentrated. It is for the Northern Ireland Executive to allocate the funding in Northern Ireland as they see fit.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Office for Budget Responsibility’s Economic and Fiscal Outlook published in March 2026, what estimate she has made of the forecast increase in welfare spending over the forecast period; what the projected level of welfare expenditure will be in each financial year to 2030-31; what proportion of that spending is forecast to be allocated to working-age benefits, disability benefits and pensioner benefits; and whether she is taking steps to control projected growth in welfare spending.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
Forecasts for welfare spending are the responsibility of the Office for Budget Responsibility.
Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what methodology was used to determine the distribution of funding of the Heating Oil Support Scheme between the four nations.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The government has acted quickly to provide timely, targeted support to low-income households struggling with the rising price of heating oils, based on the latest census data.
This means the funding is distributed in line where the most vulnerable oil-heated homes are concentrated.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will consider the potential merits of excluding hybrids cars from the Vehicle Excise Duty Expensive Car Supplement (a) after three years from the date of first registration and (b) when their resale value falls below £28,000.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The ECS applies to new petrol/diesel and hybrid cars with a list price of £40,000 or more, while as announced at Budget 2025, from 1 April 2026 the ECS will apply to new zero-emission cars with a list price of £50,000 or more which are first registered on or after 1 April 2025. The additional charge was introduced so that those who can afford to access the most expensive cars make a fair contribution.
The Government continues to view the Expensive Car Supplement (ECS) as a suitable way of distinguishing the more luxury end of the new car market. Although average list prices of cars have increased since the ECS was introduced, nearly two-thirds of petrol, diesel and hybrid vehicles still fall below the £40,000 threshold.
The Government annually reviews the rates and thresholds of taxes and reliefs, including Vehicle Excise Duty and the ECS, to ensure that they are appropriate and reflect the current state of the economy.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department plans to review the apprenticeship levy threshold in light of changes that increase costs for small levy-paying employers.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The Apprenticeship Levy was introduced in 2017 and is only paid by large employers with a total annual pay bill of over £3 million.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what consultations were had with the (a) fuel distribution industry and the (b) Welsh government on the development of the support package for households in Wales using heating oil and Liquid Petroleum gas as heating methods announced on 16 March 2026.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The government has acted quickly to provide timely, targeted support for those households struggling with the rising price of heating oil.
Officials from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero have coordinated closely with industry since the conflict in the Middle East began, and continue to do so.
I have discussed this support with all devolved government Finance Ministers. In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, it is for the relevant devolved government to deliver support as they see fit.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Office for Budget Responsibility’s Economic and Fiscal Outlook published in March 2026, what the forecast level of public sector net debt as a proportion of GDP will be in each year of the forecast period; what the reasons are for the projected increase in debt; and what steps she is taking to reduce public debt.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
This data is available at Table A.9: Fiscal aggregates in the March 2026 Economic and Fiscal Outlook published by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR).
The government’s fiscal plan brings down borrowing and debt, keeps the public finances on a sustainable path and supports the Bank of England to bring down inflation.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of including household Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) data in the methodology used to allocate support funding to each UK nation for heating oil and LPG‑heated properties announced on 16 March 2026.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The government has acted quickly to provide timely, targeted support to those households struggling with the rising price of heating oil.
In England, Crisis Payments can be provided by local authorities to support the purchase of any form of fuel that is used for domestic heating, cooking or lighting.
In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, it is for the relevant devolved government to deliver support as they see fit.