Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress her Department has made in amending the rules on Gift Aid.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The government is pleased to confirm that charities will continue to be eligible for Gift Aid following implementation of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024.

HMRC has published guidance setting out that where subscriptions are currently eligible under existing Gift Aid rules, they will remain so. The guidance can be found on gov.uk via: Chapter 3 - 3.13.4: Gift Aid - GOV.UK

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to support the growth of (a) small and (b) micro companies.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

We are taking measures to ensure the wider economic environment is conducive to growth. We are cutting borrowing and debt, and supporting the Bank of England by taking action to bring inflation down – which otherwise dampens investment in the UK and slows economic growth. Government took measures at Budget to reduce consumer price inflation by 0.4pp in 2026/27, which the office for budget responsibility forecast will reduce CPI.

The Government set out its overall approach for supporting SMEs in the Small Business Strategy published in July 2025 and built on this with targeted reforms to support small businesses at Autumn Budget 2025. The Government is committed to a fair tax system that supports small firms, while ensuring the ongoing funding of essential public services and economic stability. Through our changes to Employer National Insurance Contributions, the threshold at which business start paying Employer NICs has doubled to £10,500.

We are supporting employment and skills by changing the rules to fully fund SME apprenticeships training costs for eligible people under the age of 25.

At the Budget we announced an Entrepreneurship package to support starts ups and scale ups. As part of this, Government is undertaking its largest ever injection of capital into the British Business Bank. Over the next five years, the British Business Bank will increase annual deployment by two-thirds, aiming to unlock around £26 billion of private capital alongside £13 billion in public funding, and enable up to an additional £10 billion in small business lending through guarantees. We are also doubling the eligibility of our enterprise tax incentives to boost scale-ups, consulting on plans to reducing business energy prices, and reforming and simplifying regulation.

We have also launched the Business Growth Service, making it easier for all firms, including micro companies, to get the advice and support they need to grow and thrive.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 17 November 2025, to Question 88685, on Coinage: Design, on what dates the Committee and Sub-Committee have met since July 2024; and what changes have been made to coinage theme and design policy since July 2024.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

Following the conclusion of each financial year, the Royal Mint Advisory Committee publishes its annual report on the Royal Mint Museum website. These reports contain detail on when the Committee and the Sub-Committee on the selection of themes met over the financial year and themes that were recommended to the Chancellor of the Exchequer in her capacity as Master of the Mint and HM The King. The annual report for 2024-25 can be found here: www.royalmintmuseum.org.uk/siteassets/about-us/rmac-annual-report-2024-25.pdf

The annual report for 2025-26 will be published later this year.

All designs for the themes recommended by the Committee can be found on The Royal Mint website, here: Coin Designs and Specifications | The Royal Mint

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the overseas scale rates.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Where employers reimburse allowable travel expenses, tax relief is available provided the expenses are wholly, exclusively and necessarily incurred for work purposes.

Ordinarily, employers must hold evidence of the employee’s actual expenditure. However, to reduce administrative burdens on employers, HMRC allows expenses for travel outside the UK to be reimbursed without evidence up to the levels contained within the Overseas Scale Rates. Where the Overseas Scale Rates do not cover the expense incurred by employees, employers can still reimburse and provide tax relief provided they have appropriate evidence.

The government keeps all taxes under review as part of the policy making process.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact on global reinsurance markets of war risk insurance coverage for the Strait of Hormuz being cancelled by marine insurers.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Treasury is in regular contact with the Bank of England, international counterparts, and affected industries, including our maritime sector.

I recently met with Lloyd’s of London as part of the government’s ongoing work to monitor impacts from the unfolding conflict in Iran and the Middle East. The Treasury will continue to monitor global insurance markets, including war risk insurance coverage.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) guidance on the treatment of vulnerable customers leads to changes in how payment terminals are (a) designed and (b) deployed; and whether she will take steps with the FCA to introduce binding requirements in this area.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The government is committed to ensuring high standards of financial inclusion across the financial services sector, including accessibility for blind and partially sighted customers.

The Equality Act 2010 provides legal protection from discrimination for disabled people in a range of circumstances, including in the provision of goods, facilities and services and requires retailers to make reasonable adjustments. The Financial Conduct Authority also requires authorised financial services firms to comply with their ‘Consumer Duty’, which requires them to deliver good outcomes for retail customers, including those with disabilities.

Ensuring individuals have access to the financial products and services they need is a key priority for the government. This is why I published the Financial Inclusion Strategy last year which sets out a range of ambitious measures for government and industry to improve financial inclusion for underserved groups across the UK. This includes the launch of an industry-led inclusive design working group to consider how to make products more accessible.

As part of the focus on inclusive design, the strategy specifically acknowledges that the phasing out of tactile features from payment processes has made it more difficult for people who are blind or partially sighted to make payments independently.

The Royal National Institute of Blind People is working with providers and UK Finance, the leading trade association for the banking sector, to introduce accessible features for cards. UK Finance is developing a Code of Practice for Accessible Cards, providing a set of guidelines for accessibility features on card products for participating firms. The government welcomes this positive example of industry and consumer representatives working together on tangible solutions.

UK Finance also maintains voluntary standards to help ensure point-of-sale technology remains accessible for those who are visually impaired. It will be working with the British Retail Consortium to identify opportunities to go further in embedding accessibility features where they can make the most difference in practice.

The government continues to closely monitor progress in this important area.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of accessibility across all aspects of banking and financial services for blind and partially sighted customers, including (a) payment terminals, (b) online banking, (c) card design, (d) verification processes, and (e) compatibility with assistive technology.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The government is committed to ensuring high standards of financial inclusion across the financial services sector, including accessibility for blind and partially sighted customers.

The Equality Act 2010 provides legal protection from discrimination for disabled people in a range of circumstances, including in the provision of goods, facilities and services and requires retailers to make reasonable adjustments. The Financial Conduct Authority also requires authorised financial services firms to comply with their ‘Consumer Duty’, which requires them to deliver good outcomes for retail customers, including those with disabilities.

Ensuring individuals have access to the financial products and services they need is a key priority for the government. This is why I published the Financial Inclusion Strategy last year which sets out a range of ambitious measures for government and industry to improve financial inclusion for underserved groups across the UK. This includes the launch of an industry-led inclusive design working group to consider how to make products more accessible.

As part of the focus on inclusive design, the strategy specifically acknowledges that the phasing out of tactile features from payment processes has made it more difficult for people who are blind or partially sighted to make payments independently.

The Royal National Institute of Blind People is working with providers and UK Finance, the leading trade association for the banking sector, to introduce accessible features for cards. UK Finance is developing a Code of Practice for Accessible Cards, providing a set of guidelines for accessibility features on card products for participating firms. The government welcomes this positive example of industry and consumer representatives working together on tangible solutions.

UK Finance also maintains voluntary standards to help ensure point-of-sale technology remains accessible for those who are visually impaired. It will be working with the British Retail Consortium to identify opportunities to go further in embedding accessibility features where they can make the most difference in practice.

The government continues to closely monitor progress in this important area.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to ensure that reforms to Stocks and Shares ISAs do not disadvantage investors who make regular cash contributions and invest those funds gradually over time, including through pound‑cost averaging strategies.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

ISA reform forms part of our strategy to support people into the higher returns that investing can provide.

Rules will be introduced to avoid circumvention of the lower limit for cash ISAs where an individual is under the age of 65. The industry is being consulted on the draft rules, which will be made by amendments to the ISA Regulations and laid in Parliament ahead of April 2027.

We will consult on the final rules as soon as these are ready, so that firms have enough notice before the new limit applies in April 2027.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what security checks are undertaken before an address change is accepted on a taxpayer’s Government Gateway account.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

When a taxpayer requests an address change on their Government Gateway account, a range of security checks are applied to help protect the account and prevent unauthorised access.

These checks include confirming the user’s identity through their Government Gateway credentials, monitoring for unusual or suspicious activity, and applying additional verification measures where appropriate. HMRC also uses automated controls and risk‑based assessments to help detect and prevent potential fraud.

The precise nature of these checks is kept under review and is not disclosed in detail, as doing so could undermine their effectiveness.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many staff in her Department are reliant on a visa for employment.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what advice or guidance her Department provides on compliance with sanctions imposed by the United States against judges, lawyers, and officials of the International Criminal Court to banks and firms providing financial services.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government has not issued specific advice or guidance to banks or financial services firms on complying with United States sanctions imposed on individuals associated with the International Criminal Court.

The action taken by the United States under Executive Order 14203 is limited to the jurisdiction of the United States and does not reflect any legal action or domestic sanction taken by the UK.

The UK respects the independence of the International Criminal Court and does not support sanctioning individuals or organisations associated with the Court.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure transparency in the insurance industry's use of algorithmic and AI pricing models.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The government is determined that insurers should treat customers fairly and firms are required to do so under Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) rules. The FCA requires firms to ensure their products offer fair value (i.e. if the price a consumer pays for a product or service is reasonable compared to the overall benefits they can expect to receive). The FCA has been clear that it will be monitoring firms to make sure they provide products that are fair value, and, where necessary, it has robust powers to take action.

The government believes that the safe and effective adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in financial services is a major strategic opportunity, with the potential to power growth across the UK.

As set out in the government’s Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness Strategy, it is our ambition to make the UK the world's most technologically advanced global financial sector, leveraging our dual strengths in financial services and AI.

To support the effective and safe use of AI by industry, while protecting consumers and financial stability, the government has appointed Financial Services AI champions, Harriet Rees and Rohit Dhawan. They will focus on helping firms seize the opportunities for AI in a way that supports innovation, maintains trust in UK financial services, and ensures that consumers are appropriately protected.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions her Department has had with the Financial Conduct Authority regarding the regulation of equity crowdfunding schemes such as the Equity for Punks programme operated by BrewDog.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government has regular conversations with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) on a range of topics, including the regulation of equity crowdfunding.

In 2024, the government delivered the Public Offers and Admissions to Trading Regulations which enabled the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to reform the UK Prospectus Regime.This new regime took effect on 19 January 2026, and gives investors access to better quality information to support their investment decisions.

The regulations also created a new regulated activity of operating a Public Offer Platform (POP). Companies seeking to make public offers of securities outside a public market to a broad investor base, where the value exceeds £5 million, will now need to do so via a POP, ensuring investors receive better information about their investments.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing statutory protections that would allow surviving policyholders, where the death of a partner has led to terminations of reissuing of joint insurance policies, to continue existing insurance policies until the end of their contract.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The government is determined that insurers should treat customers fairly, including where they have suffered a bereavement, and firms are required to do so under Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) rules. The FCA requires firms to ensure their products offer fair value (i.e. if the price a consumer pays for a product or service is reasonable compared to the overall benefits they can expect to receive). FCA rules also require insurers to ensure their communications are clear, fair and not misleading. The FCA have published guidance for firms on the fair treatment of vulnerable customers, including those who may recently have experienced bereavement.

The FCA monitors firms to make sure they comply with these rules, and, where necessary, it has robust powers to take action.

More broadly, insurers make commercial decisions about the terms of cover they offer based on their assessment of the relevant risks. The government does not generally intervene in these decisions by insurance companies.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure customers purchasing joint insurance policies are made aware of changes to cover and pricing when one policyholder dies by insurance companies.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The government is determined that insurers should treat customers fairly, including where they have suffered a bereavement, and firms are required to do so under Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) rules. The FCA requires firms to ensure their products offer fair value (i.e. if the price a consumer pays for a product or service is reasonable compared to the overall benefits they can expect to receive). FCA rules also require insurers to ensure their communications are clear, fair and not misleading. The FCA have published guidance for firms on the fair treatment of vulnerable customers, including those who may recently have experienced bereavement.

The FCA monitors firms to make sure they comply with these rules, and, where necessary, it has robust powers to take action.

More broadly, insurers make commercial decisions about the terms of cover they offer based on their assessment of the relevant risks. The government does not generally intervene in these decisions by insurance companies.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential benefits of introducing a mandatory bereavement grace period for insurers.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The government is determined that insurers should treat customers fairly, including where they have suffered a bereavement, and firms are required to do so under Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) rules. The FCA requires firms to ensure their products offer fair value (i.e. if the price a consumer pays for a product or service is reasonable compared to the overall benefits they can expect to receive). FCA rules also require insurers to ensure their communications are clear, fair and not misleading. The FCA have published guidance for firms on the fair treatment of vulnerable customers, including those who may recently have experienced bereavement.

The FCA monitors firms to make sure they comply with these rules, and, where necessary, it has robust powers to take action.

More broadly, insurers make commercial decisions about the terms of cover they offer based on their assessment of the relevant risks. The government does not generally intervene in these decisions by insurance companies.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department has made an of the potential impact of banks not accepting cheques on groups with protected characteristics; and whether she has discussions about this with (a) the Financial Conduct Authority, (b) the Payment Systems Regulator and (c) UK Finance.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government recognises that cheques remain an important payment method for some people, including those with protected characteristics. UK’s largest retail banks continue to accept cheques through a range of channels, including at bank branches, in banking hubs and the Post Office, by post, and digitally through cheque imaging.

The Treasury has not made a formal assessment of the impact of individual banks’ decisions on specific groups. Where banks have taken commercial decisions to change how they accept cheque deposits, they are expected to consider the needs of customers in vulnerable circumstances and to ensure alternative routes remain available.

The treatment of customers by UK banks is governed by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which requires firms to provide a prompt, efficient, and fair service to all of their customers. This includes special considerations for vulnerable customers. In addition, like all service providers, banks and building societies are bound under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments, where necessary, in the way they deliver their services. Treasury Ministers and officials engage regularly with the FCA, the Payment Systems Regulator and UK Finance on matters relating to retail banking and payments.

Ensuring everyone has access to the appropriate financial products and services they need is a priority for the Government. That is why we have published the Government’s Financial Inclusion Strategy which sets out a package of ambitious measures to improve financial inclusion and resilience across the UK. Access to banking is a key area of focus in the Strategy, alongside digital inclusion, including an intervention to make financial products more accessible through an industry-led inclusive design working group. Action to improve financial inclusion requires a joined-up approach, and the Government is committed to continuing to work collaboratively across the UK on this important agenda going forward.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has considered asking the Financial Conduct Authority to issue specific standards on payment terminal accessibility for blind and partially sighted people.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The government is committed to ensuring high standards of financial inclusion across the financial services sector, including accessibility for blind and partially sighted customers.

The Equality Act 2010 provides legal protection from discrimination for disabled people in a range of circumstances, including in the provision of goods, facilities and services and requires retailers to make reasonable adjustments. The Financial Conduct Authority also requires authorised financial services firms to comply with their ‘Consumer Duty’, which requires them to deliver good outcomes for retail customers, including those with disabilities.

Ensuring individuals have access to the financial products and services they need is a key priority for the government. This is why I published the Financial Inclusion Strategy last year which sets out a range of ambitious measures for government and industry to improve financial inclusion for underserved groups across the UK. This includes the launch of an industry-led inclusive design working group to consider how to make products more accessible.

As part of the focus on inclusive design, the strategy specifically acknowledges that the phasing out of tactile features from payment processes has made it more difficult for people who are blind or partially sighted to make payments independently.

The Royal National Institute of Blind People is working with providers and UK Finance, the leading trade association for the banking sector, to introduce accessible features for cards. UK Finance is developing a Code of Practice for Accessible Cards, providing a set of guidelines for accessibility features on card products for participating firms. The government welcomes this positive example of industry and consumer representatives working together on tangible solutions.

UK Finance also maintains voluntary standards to help ensure point-of-sale technology remains accessible for those who are visually impaired. It will be working with the British Retail Consortium to identify opportunities to go further in embedding accessibility features where they can make the most difference in practice.

The government continues to closely monitor progress in this important area.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to answer of 4 February 2026, to Question 108748, on Growth Mission Board: Membership, if she will list each of the internal and external members who attended the most recent meeting of the Growth Mission Board.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Chancellor chaired the Growth Mission Board. The membership was flexible, at the Chancellor's discretion, with internal and external attendees determined based on their relevance to the agenda. The Growth Mission Board was a Cabinet Committee. It is a long-established precedent that information about the discussions that have taken place in Cabinet and its committees, including attendance, is not normally shared publicly.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 21 January 2026, to Question 105914, on Cryptocurencies, what information her Department holds on the Financial Conduct Authority and the Financial Stability Board conducting a review into Tether.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

HMT does not hold any information on this matter.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 24 February 2026 to Question 113596 on Mission Boards: Cabinet Committees, if she will publish the terms of reference of the Kickstarting Economic Growth Mission Board.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

As previously published on GOV.UK, the Growth Mission Board was established 'to oversee and drive progress on the growth mission’.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what information they have on the quantity and value of UK industrial hemp exported to France for house construction.

Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is responsible for the collection and publication of data on imports and exports of goods to and from the UK. HMRC releases this information monthly, as an Accredited National Statistic called the Overseas Trade in Goods Statistics (OTS), which is available via their dedicated website at the following link: http://www.uktradeinfo.com/.

Commodity Codes are used to identify the goods being imported and exported and these can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/trade-tariff. However, there is not a commodity code specifically covering industrial hemp used in the construction industry.

Hemp is classified to several commodity codes within headings 1404 (vegetable products note elsewhere specified or included), 5302 (true hemp) and 6808 (panels, board, tiles, blocks of vegetable fibre) of the Tariff. Whilst none of these are specific to hemp used in construction, 6808 includes hempcrete used as an insulation material with hemp fibres mixed with lime and water and made into, for example, insulating panels and boards. This may be the most appropriate heading containing the information requested.

The value and net mass in kilograms for the headings that may contain hemp for the years 2023 to 2025 are as follows:

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the work to fit tokenised collateral into existing financial market regulation frameworks; and what discussions they are having with the Financial Conduct Authority and the Bank of England about ensuring those frameworks support innovation and financial stability.

Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

Last July, the Government published the Wholesale Financial Markets Digital Strategy, which sets out its commitment to establishing a regulatory and legislative framework that enables new digital solutions, such as tokenisation, to be taken forward.

The Strategy notes that current use cases demonstrate that English and Welsh law, alongside UK financial services legislation is, in many cases, sufficiently flexible to accommodate digital assets. However, the Strategy commits the Government to providing legal clarity where it is needed to accommodate distributed ledger technology and we are working closely with the financial services regulators to identify where such clarifications may be necessary.

As part of this, the Government has established the Digital Securities Sandbox (DSS). This addresses priority areas where existing requirements can create barriers to adopting new technology. The DSS allows participating entities to be subject to modified legislative requirements, to facilitate new digital infrastructures in the UK market.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Government plans to apply the same inheritance tax treatment used for the infected blood compensation scheme to future comparable schemes.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Some payments made under Government established compensation schemes will not give rise to an income tax liability. This is because payments intended to compensate individuals for personal injury would generally fall within established tax principles that treat compensation for personal injury as non-taxable. If payments are made which specifically represent loss of earnings, they will be subject to income tax under miscellaneous income rules.

Beyond this, tax exemptions for individual schemes will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Given the historic nature of the Infected Blood Scandal and the reduced life expectancy of Infected Blood recipients, many individuals will have passed away before they could receive their compensation. This means that concerns around the impacts of secondary transfers are particularly acute in the case of Infected Blood compensation. For this reason, we have taken steps to extend the inheritance tax relief for this scheme.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on household budgets of the reduction of the rate of inflation from 3.4 per cent in December to the current rate of 3 per cent.

Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

Inflation fell to 3 per cent in January 2026. Wages rose faster than inflation in Q4 2025, indicating that real wages are growing, which will support household purchasing power and ease pressure on household budgets.

The Government welcomes the fall in inflation and is committed to improving living standards for everyone, in every part of the UK. We recognise that the cost of living remains too high, which is why, at the last Budget, we took action to bear down on prices and help ease the cost of living pressures for people by targeting everyday expenses. This includes taking on average £150 of costs off household energy bills from April 2026, expanding the £150 Warm Home Discount to 6 million lower income households, freezing rail fares and NHS prescription fees, and extending the 5p fuel duty cut until the end of August 2026.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to remove abandoned vehicles from Crown Estate land; and whether Crown Estate land is designated as off road for the purposes of vehicles in receipt of a Statutory Off Road Notification.

Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Crown Estate is an independent commercial organisation, and the Government is not involved in its operations and day-to-day decision making.

Removal of abandoned vehicles is primarily the responsibility of the relevant local authority; therefore, where vehicles are abandoned on land under the Crown Estate’s control and management, they will engage with the relevant authorities to address the issue.

Crown Estate land is not automatically considered “off road” for Statutory Off Road Notification purposes.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on household budgets of the Bank of England's decision in January to reduce the base rate to 3.75 per cent.

Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

In December 2025, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) at the Bank of England announced its decision to reduce the Bank Rate to 3.75%. The MPC has the government's full support as it acts to return inflation to the 2% target sustainably. This was the sixth interest rate cut since the election. Those interest rate cuts will save households over £1,300 a year on a typical new 2-year fix for a £215,000 mortgage over a 29-year term.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what criteria the Government uses to determine whether payments made under a Government compensation scheme are exempt from (a) income tax and (b) inheritance tax.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Some payments made under Government established compensation schemes will not give rise to an income tax liability. This is because payments intended to compensate individuals for personal injury would generally fall within established tax principles that treat compensation for personal injury as non-taxable. If payments are made which specifically represent loss of earnings, they will be subject to income tax under miscellaneous income rules.

Beyond this, tax exemptions for individual schemes will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Given the historic nature of the Infected Blood Scandal and the reduced life expectancy of Infected Blood recipients, many individuals will have passed away before they could receive their compensation. This means that concerns around the impacts of secondary transfers are particularly acute in the case of Infected Blood compensation. For this reason, we have taken steps to extend the inheritance tax relief for this scheme.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the European Union regarding financial services as part of the UK-EU reset.

Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

Strengthening our relationships with all international partners, including the EU, is a key focus of the Government’s Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness Strategy.

The UK and EU both face the same challenges – delivering growth, renewal of our infrastructure and the green transition. Financial services are a key part of the solution. We want to work with the EU to ensure that firms and individuals across Europe are able to access much needed capital and investment as efficiently as possible.

This is the message the Chancellor has set out to EU Leaders, including at Eurogroup in December 2024, and reiterated in her Mansion House speech last July. This was also the message that the Economic Secretary to the Treasury shared when she met with European Commissioner Maria Luís Albuquerque in Brussels in January.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 26 February 2026 to Question 114105 on Tyres: Imports, what consideration her Department has given to using different codes; and whether her Department plans to implement different codes for single-use and other kinds of tyres.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what forecast they have made of the UK tax-to-gross domestic product (GDP) ratio in (1) 2025–26, (2) 2026–27, (3) 2027–28, (4) 2028–29, and (5) 2029–30; and what comparative assessment they have made of the tax-to-GDP ratio of each of the G7 countries in each of those years.

Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) published the latest Economic and Fiscal Outlook (EFO) in March 2026[1]. This forecasts the tax-to-GDP ratio to change as follows: 2025-26 – 36.3%; 2026-27 – 37.0%; 2027-28 – 37.7%; 2028-29 – 37.8%; 2029-30 – 38.3%[2].

The UK’s current tax-to-GDP ratio is in the middle of the pack within the G7; lower than Italy (42.8%), France (43.5%) and Germany (38.0%), but above Japan (33.7%), Canada (34.9%) and the US (25.6%) based on the latest available OECD data. [3]

[1] https://obr.uk/efo/economic-and-fiscal-outlook-march-2026/#

[2] https://obr.uk/efo/economic-and-fiscal-outlook-march-2026/#, page 42

[3] Latest OECD data 2024, except Japan, which is from 2023.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to ensure individuals with large liabilities under the Loan Charge are given adequate support, particularly in cases involving financial and personal distress.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government recognised that concerns continued to be raised about the loan charge and that some felt strongly that it had not been handled appropriately. The Government therefore commissioned an independent review of the loan charge to bring the matter to a close for those who had not settled and paid their loan charge liabilities.

The Government accepted all but one of the independent review’s recommendations and in some cases is going further. The Government’s decision to write off £5,000 from everyone’s liability will mean that around a third will have their liabilities written off entirely. Most people will see reductions in their liabilities of at least 50%.

HMRC will continue to work with taxpayers to resolve their cases in line with existing legislation and case law. HMRC is committed to working sensitively and pragmatically with taxpayers to reach settlement. This includes offering flexible payment terms where people need more time to pay their liabilities.

The Government takes the wellbeing of all taxpayers very seriously. Vulnerable customers can make use of HMRC’s well-established Extra Support Service.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 21 January 2026, to Question 105915, on Katie Martin, for what reason her adviser is unpaid.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

I refer the hon member to my answer of 3 March 2026, to PQ UIN 114888.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given, if any, to abolishing stamp duty.

Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government has no plans to abolish Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT). SDLT continues to be an important source of Government revenue, raising around £14 billion each year to help pay for the essential services the Government provides.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what was the total VAT revenue from a). domestic and b). commercial heating oil sales in FY2024-25.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

HM Revenue and Customs does not hold information on VAT revenue from specific products or services. This is because businesses are not required to provide figures at a product level within their VAT returns, as this would impose an excessive administrative burden.

VAT is chargeable at the reduced rate of 5% on domestic fuel and power. Business consumers of energy may reclaim VAT on their purchases of energy subject to normal VAT deduction rules.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of rent inflation on the level of disposable incomes and consumer spending.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

According to the latest ONS data, annual rental price slowed to 3.5% in January 2026, after peaking at 9.1% in March 2024. However, the Government recognises the pressure that rental inflation places on the finances of households in the private rental sector.

The most effective way to keep rents down is by increasing housing supply across the UK. The Government’s Plan for Change has set a milestone to build 1.5m homes in this Parliament. This will help address the housing crisis which impacts everyone, especially private renters. The Government has also passed the Renter’s Rights Act 2025 which empowers 11 million renters in England to challenge unreasonable rent increases, giving them greater security and stability.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of requiring parents to apply for Child Benefit on their eligibility to qualify for National Insurance credits.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Child Benefit is a non-means tested benefit payable to families as a contribution towards the cost of raising children. Successfully applying for Child Benefit automatically gives eligible parents and carers Class 3 National Insurance (NI) credits until their child turns twelve. The requirement to apply for Child Benefit to qualify for the corresponding NI credit has existed since the introduction of Child Benefit in 2010. A similar policy link between Child Benefit and an individual’s NI record applied previously via Home Responsibilities Protection.

Given the link between Child Benefit and an individual’s NI record is a long-standing feature of the system, HMRC has not conducted an assessment of the impacts of requiring parents to apply for Child Benefit to access these particular NI credits.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of government debt over each of the past five financial years has been held by (a) domestic investors and (b) overseas investors.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The ONS publishes estimates of holdings of government debt by sector. The latest available data, as at end 2025 Q3, splits holdings by overseas and domestic investors. ONS data shows a split of holdings between overseas and domestic investors of 28% and 72% respectively in 2021 Q3 and 33% and 67% respectively in 2025 Q3.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the average length of time is for HMRC investigations into the potential underpayment of stamp duty land tax by individuals.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

There will be many factors that impact the length of time a case is open, including complexity and whether the customer wishes to appeal HMRC’s decision and enters a dispute resolution process.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment she has had made of the potential merits of extending tax relief for pension contributions for people aged 75 and over.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government wishes to encourage pension saving, to help ensure that people have an income, or funds on which they can draw, throughout retirement. This is why, for the majority of savers, pension contributions are tax-free. This makes pensions tax relief one of the most expensive reliefs in the personal tax system. In 2023/24 Income Tax relief on total contributions and investment income of pension funds and National Insurance relief on employer contributions for pension savings cost the Exchequer £78.2 billion, with around 68 per cent of Income Tax relieved at the Higher and Additional rates.

Ending the provision of tax relief on pension contributions at the age of 75 is a longstanding feature of the pensions tax system. It is the age at which at which most people will bring or will have brought their pension into payment.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department is taking to pursue enforcement action against promoters of tax avoidance schemes in connection with the loan charge.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

This government recognised that concerns continued to be raised about the loan charge and that some felt strongly that it had not been handled appropriately.

The Government therefore commissioned an independent review of the loan charge to bring the matter to a close for those affected, ensure fairness for all taxpayers and ensure that appropriate support is in place for those subject to the loan charge.

The Government is introducing new powers in Finance Bill 2025/26 to close in on promoters of marketed tax avoidance and the other professionals who market or enable tax avoidance schemes.

These new powers will go further and include more criminal sanctions. This shows the Government’s clear determination to close in on the few remaining promoters by strengthening deterrents and introducing significant additional consequences for promoters who continue promoting tax avoidance schemes.

At the Budget, the Government announced action to tackle tax avoidance by umbrella companies, where most disguised remuneration now takes place. The Government will introduce legislation, effective from April 2026, to make recruitment agencies using umbrella companies legally responsible for accounting for PAYE on workers’ pay. Where there is no agency in the supply chain, this responsibility will fall to the end client. This along with the measures on promoters will help prevent disguised remuneration in the future.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to ensure that HMRC provides clear information about interest on delayed and forward payments.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

HMRC provides guidance on the interest applied to tax that is paid late, and on the repayment interest paid when taxpayers are owed money. The rates and explanatory information are published on GOV.UK and reviewed regularly to ensure they remain accurate, accessible and up to date.

Details of HMRC’s current interest rates for late and early payments are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rates-and-allowances-hmrc-interest-rates-for-late-and-early-payments/rates-and-allowances-hmrc-interest-rates

For customers who need extra help, including those who are vulnerable or digitally excluded, HMRC provides dedicated tailored support through their Extra Support Team. They can offer additional assistance over the phone and help customers understand what interest applies and why.

Anyone worried about meeting their tax obligations on time should contact HMRC as early as possible to discuss options, such as setting up a time to pay arrangement.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will assess the potential impact of her debt management policies on pension funds.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

Consistent with the debt management objective, the government assesses a range of cost and risk factors when setting its financing plans, in addition to demand considerations and market conditions. HM Treasury and the Debt Management Office regularly consult with gilt market investors, including pension funds, to provide participants with the opportunity to inform decisions on debt management.

The gilt holdings of pension funds will decline in the coming years as most private sector defined benefit pension schemes are closed to new members and will eventually wind down. This trend is well understood by the market – and it remains an important consideration when setting debt management policy. This was reflected in the 2026-27 UK Debt Management Office financing remit, which was announced on 3 March. The remit sets out a balanced and well-diversified gilt issuance programme across the range of maturities, in order to support maintaining an accessible, well-functioning gilt market.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of ensuring that tax is not paid on state pensions.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

Exempting the State Pension from income tax entirely would reduce tax receipts substantially undermining the public services we all rely on – especially the NHS.

However, I can confirm that those whose sole income is the basic and full new State Pension, without any increments, will not pay any income tax this tax year or next.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has made a recent assessment of the potential impact of business rates on small and medium-sized enterprises.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

At the Budget, the VOA announced updated property values from the 2026 revaluation. This revaluation is the first since the pandemic, which has led to significant increases in rateable values for some properties as they recover from the pandemic.

To support with bill increases, the Government has introduced a generous support package worth £4.3 billion over the next 3 years, including support to help ratepayers to transition to their new bill. This means most properties seeing increases will see them capped at 15% or less next year, or £800 for the smallest.

The Government is introducing new permanently lower multipliers for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties. These new tax rates are worth nearly £1 billion per year and will benefit over 750,000 properties.

From April, every pub and live music venue will get 15% off its new business rates bill on top of the support announced at Budget and then bills will be frozen in real terms for a further two years.

The Government is also supporting small businesses to grow. At Budget, the Government announced the extension of Small Business Rates Relief (SBRR) so that businesses opening second premises can retain their SBRR for three years, tripling the current allowance.

Around a third of properties already pay no business rates as they receive 100 per cent Small Business Rate Relief (SBRR), with an additional 85,000 benefiting from reduced bills as this relief tapers.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 12 January 2026 to Question 101767 on Jeffery Epstein, what information her Department holds on Lord Mandelson's representations on the disposal of RBS Sempra Commodities to JP Morgan in 2009-10.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The government is cooperating fully with a Metropolitan Police investigation and is providing any assistance required.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the proposed Electric Vehicle Excise Duty pay per mile charge for plug in hybrid vehicles will apply only to the mileage driven using electric power, or to the vehicle’s total mileage.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Electric and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) cars will be in scope of electric Vehicle Excise Duty (eVED) on the basis they can be plugged in to charge, where the electricity input is not subject to a fuel duty equivalent.

PHEVs have the capacity to drive in either electric or petrol mode and will continue to pay fuel duty on miles driven in petrol mode. In recognition of this, they will be subject to a reduced eVED rate of 1.5 pence per mile upon its introduction in April 2028 – half the rate of 3 pence per mile that will apply to fully electric cars.

The government recognises that PHEV driving habits vary and that some motorists will drive more or less than 50% in electric mode. However, alternative options would require motorists to report their exact mileage driven in petrol versus electric mode, which is not considered a practical or proportionate approach. A reduced rate for PHEVs strikes the right balance between fairness, protecting motorists’ privacy and minimising administrative burdens on motorists.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of rent inflation plays on levels of in-work poverty.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

According to the latest ONS data, annual rental price inflation slowed to 3.5% in January 2026, after peaking at 9.1% in March 2024. However, the Government recognises the pressure that rental inflation places on the finances of working households in the private rental sector.

The Government is taking action to reduce levels of in-work poverty for families by tackling the cost of living. Thanks to decisions the Government made at the Budget, households across Britain will now save around £150 on energy bills from April 2026. We have also removed the two-child benefit cap, which will lift 450,000 children out of poverty and we have increased the minimum wage, so that those on low incomes are properly rewarded for their hard work. Alongside this, the Government is taking steps to increase housing supply and improve conditions in the private rented sector, helping to ease pressure on renters.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether HM Revenue and Customs has conducted a recent assessment of vulnerabilities in the Government Gateway system relating to unauthorised changes to personal account details.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of rent stabilisation on inflation.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

Forecasting the economy, including the impact of Government policy decisions on inflation, is the responsibility of the independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). The OBR set out its latest assessment of policy measures in its Spring Forecast 2026, published on 3 March 2026. The OBR did not publish a specific estimate of the impact of social rent convergence on inflation in that forecast.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of easing taxes for elderly residents who are privately funding their care home place.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

There are a wide range of factors to take into consideration when introducing a tax relief. These include how effective the relief would be at achieving the policy intent, how targeted support would be, whether it adds complexity to the tax system, and the cost.

Tax reliefs are typically of greatest benefit to those paying higher rates of tax. Furthermore, new reliefs also add complexity to the tax system and are likely to result in similar calls for reliefs on other forms of personal expenditure or income, which others may argue are equally deserving.

To support social care authorities to deliver key services, in light of pressures, the Government is making available up to £3.7 billion of additional funding for social care authorities in 2025/26, which includes a £880 million increase in the Social Care Grant. This is part of an overall increase to local Government spending power of 6.8% in cash terms.

Moreover, the Government is making available around £4.6 billion of additional funding for adult social care in 2028/29 compared to 2025/26, to support the sector to improve adult social care.

The Government recognises the significant challenges facing the adult social care system and is committed to transforming the sector and supporting the care workforce. Baroness Louise Casey is leading an independent commission to build consensus on reform. The first phase will report in 2026 and will focus on how to make the most of existing resources.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 4 February 2026, to Question 108650, on Gardens: Council tax, whether there is internal guidance on how gardens are valued for council tax, other than prevailing legislation.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Where a dwelling includes a garden, then this will be reflected in the valuation subject to the legislative framework. The Valuation Office Agency’s internal guidance on when gardens are included in the valuation can be found in the Council Tax Manual, published online here.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what reason the council tax surcharge and the ordinary council tax charge for new builds will be based on different antecedent valuation dates from April 2028.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Council Tax bands are based on the price a property could have sold for on a fixed date set in law. The High Value Council Tax Surcharge (HVCTS) is in addition to Council Tax. This will be a new charge on owners of residential property in England worth £2 million or more in 2026, taking effect in 2028. The precise antecedent valuation date for HVCTS has not yet been set in legislation.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has made an assessment of the adequacy of the Valuation Office Agency's responses to Member's correspondence, including on matters of confidentiality.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Valuation Office Agency is committed to protecting taxpayer confidentiality in line with its duty under the Commissioners for Revenue and Customs Act 2005.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 23 January 2026, to Question 105913, on Revenue and Customs: Social Media, if she will name the social media influencers who were used, including their social media handles.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The social media influencers used across all of these campaigns were commissioned and managed by a specialist agency, who identify, contract and oversee creators on HMRC's behalf based on the objectives set for reaching and engaging with specific audiences.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many HMRC investigations into the potential underpayment of stamp duty land tax are ongoing.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

HMRC are unable to provide the current number of ongoing Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) investigations because live case data isn’t routinely released. This is due to the way in which enquiries are handled and categorised, as they have not been through the end of year assurance process.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 16 January 2026, to Question 103793, on Cabinet Office: Electronic Purchasing Card Solution, if she will place in the Library a copy of the invoice and receipt from TasteThatLove.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

Government Procurement Card spend data is declared in relevant transparency publications.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of public spending was accounted for by (1) national insurance-funded pensions, including the State Earnings Related Pension Scheme and the additional pension, and (2) UK health expenditure, in (a) 1996–97, (b) 2009–10, and (c) 2024–25.

Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

The requested information is in the table below. The data presentation is consistent with PQ HL3608 that was tabled in November 2022.

Data Sources:

(1) Figures taken from benefit expenditure and caseload tables published by the Department of Work and Pensions. Figures for National insurance-funded pensions are in line with data provided in a similar PQ from November 2022.

(2) Data from 2009-10 onwards taken from Table 10 of the Public Spending Statistics (PSS) release of February 2026. Data for 1996-97 are taken from Table 4.2 of PESA 2020.

(3) Data originally published by the Office for National Statistics consistent with the February 2026 PSS release from HM Treasury.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the integration of buy now pay later services into digital payment platforms; and what steps they are taking to ensure that consumer credit regulation and affordability safeguards remain effective for the use of those services.

Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government recognises that Buy-Now, Pay-Later (BNPL) products are increasingly embedded within digital payment platforms and are now widely offered to consumers at checkout. Millions of people across the UK have used BNPL products, which can help spread the cost of purchases. However, without regulation there are risks — particularly around unaffordable borrowing.

That is why, in July 2025, Parliament passed legislation to bring BNPL products within the scope of Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) regulation. The new regulatory regime will come into force this July and last month, the FCA published its final rules for BNPL lending.

Under these rules, BNPL providers will be required to carry out affordability checks as well as provide consumers with clear and upfront information about costs and repayment obligations. Consumers will also benefit from stronger rights, including access to the Financial Ombudsman Service and protection under section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act, making it easier to obtain refunds where purchases go wrong. These new rules will ensure that BNPL products remain a useful payment option while protecting consumers from harm.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government how much resource and capital was allocated to the Department of Education in the Spending Review 2025 for (1) 2026–27, (2) 2027–28, and (3) 2028–29; whether they have revised the spending allocations for that department at any point since the Spending Review 2025 on 11 June 2025; and if so, whether they will publish the revised spending allocations for capital and resource in each of those years.

Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

All departments’ Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL) budgets are freely available on GOV.UK.

DfE’s DEL budgets allocated at the Spending Review 2025 were:

Revised budgets were published at the Autumn Budget in 2025:

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the launch of the London Stock Exchange's private securities market under the private intermittent securities and capital exchange system framework; and what assessment they have made of the impact of that market on UK capital formation for high-growth technology businesses.

Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

In May 2025, the Government delivered legislation to establish the Private Intermittent Securities and Capital Exchange System (PISCES), which will support private firms to scale and grow.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has since approved two PISCES operators.

The Treasury and the FCA will jointly assess the efficacy of PISCES over the five-year sandbox period. Consideration will be given to the functioning of the legal and regulatory framework, as well as to the outcomes for market participants.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate she has made of the number of people subject to the loan charge who will have their cases settled following the independent review of the loan charge.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

I refer the Hon. Member to the answers I gave on 9 February 2026 to UIN 109841, 109843 and 109842.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Livermore on 12 February (HL14156), what assessment framework is used to assess the effectiveness of due diligence checks on politically exposed persons undertaken by financial institutions in the United Kingdom.

Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

The FCA is responsible for overseeing compliance by financial institutions with due diligence checks on politically exposed persons. The overall effectiveness of the UK’s anti-money laundering regime is assessed on a regular basis by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global body for standard setting on anti-money laundering and counter terrorist financing (AML/CFT). The methodology used by the FATF for assessments, including of the effectiveness of due diligence checks undertaken by financial institutions, is available online. [1] The next FATF assessment of the UK will take place by 2028.

[1] https://www.fatf-gafi.org/content/dam/fatf-gafi/methodology/FATF-Assessment-Methodology-2022.pdf

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to page 92 of the Strategic Defence Review, how many meetings officials from their Department have attended on the national conversation on defence and security; which directorate in their Department is responsible for the departmental contribution to that national conversation; and what the job title is of the official responsible.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

Officials from HM Treasury work closely with other departments across Government – including the Ministry of Defence – to support the delivery of the vision outlined in the Strategic Defence Review.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 23 February 2026, to Question 113125, on Erasmus+ programme, if he will publish or provide a relevant hyperlink to the technical amendments made.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The text of the Decision will be published on the GOV.UK, at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/specialised-committee-on-participation-in-union-programmes.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department will examine whether the options chosen for the restoration and renewal programme have been developed in accordance with HM Treasury’s Green Book guidance.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

Parliament is responsible for the Restoration and Renewal programme.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans her Department has to establish service standards to improve the effectiveness of the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS); and pursuant to the Answer of 16 October 2025 to Question 77954 on Financial Ombudsman Service, when she expects to publish a response to the consultation on improving the regulatory coherence between the FOS and the Financial Conduct Authority.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) sets itself performance targets in its annual Plans and Budgets publication.

Ensuring timely outcomes is one of the FOS’s main priorities for 2025-26, as outlined in its annual Plans and Budget publication on 1 April 2025.

In 2023-24, the FOS resolved over half of its cases within three months.

The FOS regularly publishes data on its casework, including progress against its annual performance targets. The latest complaints data is available at https://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/data-insight/our-insight and its Annual Reports and Accounts can be found at https://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/who-we-are/governance-funding/annual-reports-accounts

The government is considering the feedback received to its recent consultation on the FOS, and will publish a response soon.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to help support the spending power of those who are on the national minimum wage.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

From 1 April 2026, the National Living Wage will increase by 4.1% to £12.71 per hour for eligible workers aged 21 and over. This represents an increase of £900 to the gross annual earnings of a full-time worker on the National Living Wage, and is expected to directly benefit the spending power of around 2.4m low-paid workers.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what support is available for small businesses and self-employed individuals to assist them in meeting the requirements of Making Tax Digital; and what measures are in place to monitor the effectiveness of this support.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Making Tax Digital will help businesses and landlords keep on top of their tax affairs. It places small businesses on a more digital footing, with digital tools helping to reduce errors and make annual tax returns easier.

The government is undertaking a range of activities to ensure those needing to use MTD for Income Tax from April 2026 are ready and able to do so successfully.

This includes targeted media campaigns, awareness letters, developing guidance, and working with the software industry to ensure a broad range of MTD-compatible products is available, to suit different needs and budgets. Free options will support those with the simplest affairs.

Supporting its introduction is a dedicated team of fully-trained MTD advisors. From April 2026, new options will be available on HMRC’s Self-Assessment and Agent helplines tailored to the needs of MTD users.

Further support will continue to be offered through webinars, industry engagement and marketing activities targeted to reach those affected by the changes.

HMRC’s latest published assessment of the potential impact of MTD for Income Tax across different taxpayer groups is available at:

Extension of Making Tax Digital for Income Tax Self Assessment to sole traders and landlords - GOV.UK

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of HMRC support available for (a) sole traders and (b) landlords to help ensure they can meet the Making Tax Digital deadline.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Making Tax Digital will help businesses and landlords keep on top of their tax affairs. It places small businesses on a more digital footing, with digital tools helping to reduce errors and make annual tax returns easier.

The government is undertaking a range of activities to ensure those needing to use MTD for Income Tax from April 2026 are ready and able to do so successfully.

This includes targeted media campaigns, awareness letters, developing guidance, and working with the software industry to ensure a broad range of MTD-compatible products is available, to suit different needs and budgets. Free options will support those with the simplest affairs.

Supporting its introduction is a dedicated team of fully-trained MTD advisors. From April 2026, new options will be available on HMRC’s Self-Assessment and Agent helplines tailored to the needs of MTD users.

Further support will continue to be offered through webinars, industry engagement and marketing activities targeted to reach those affected by the changes.

HMRC’s latest published assessment of the potential impact of MTD for Income Tax across different taxpayer groups is available at:

Extension of Making Tax Digital for Income Tax Self Assessment to sole traders and landlords - GOV.UK

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate she has made of the average financial cost to businesses of complying with Making Tax Digital; and what support is available to offset those costs.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Making Tax Digital will help businesses and landlords keep on top of their tax affairs. It places small businesses on a more digital footing, with digital tools helping to reduce errors and make annual tax returns easier.

The government is undertaking a range of activities to ensure those needing to use MTD for Income Tax from April 2026 are ready and able to do so successfully.

This includes targeted media campaigns, awareness letters, developing guidance, and working with the software industry to ensure a broad range of MTD-compatible products is available, to suit different needs and budgets. Free options will support those with the simplest affairs.

Supporting its introduction is a dedicated team of fully-trained MTD advisors. From April 2026, new options will be available on HMRC’s Self-Assessment and Agent helplines tailored to the needs of MTD users.

Further support will continue to be offered through webinars, industry engagement and marketing activities targeted to reach those affected by the changes.

HMRC’s latest published assessment of the potential impact of MTD for Income Tax across different taxpayer groups is available at:

Extension of Making Tax Digital for Income Tax Self Assessment to sole traders and landlords - GOV.UK

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will offer the same settlement terms that will be provided in the settlement opportunity resulting from the implementation of the McCann Review to those that have already settled with HMRC.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

I refer the Hon. Member to the answers I gave on 9 February 2026 to UIN 109841 and 109842.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate she has made of the number of people subject to the loan charge who will have their cases settled following the independent review of the loan charge.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

I refer the Hon. Member to the answers I gave on 9 February 2026 to UIN 109841 and 109842.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department has issued guidance to HM Revenue and Customs on implementing the recommendations of the independent review of the loan charge.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government commissioned an independent review of the loan charge to bring the matter to a close for those affected, ensure fairness for all taxpayers and ensure that appropriate support is in place for those subject to the loan charge.

The Government accepted the review’s conclusion that the loan charge was an extraordinary piece of Government policy which necessitated an exceptional response, and is now legislating a new settlement opportunity that will assist those who have not yet settled to do so.

As a result, most individuals could see reductions of at least 50% in their outstanding loan charge liabilities, and an estimated 30% of individuals could have these liabilities written off entirely. To encourage more people to settle, the Government will write off the first £5,000 of liabilities in addition to the proposals put forward by Ray McCann.

The Government’s response to the review represents a fair and proportionate attempt to provide a route to resolution for those who have not yet been able to settle with HMRC. In turn, this requires those individuals to now come forward and engage with HMRC in good faith.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the (a) effectiveness of the loan charge and (b) adequacy of HMRC’s approach to dealing with disguised remuneration schemes.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

I refer the Hon. Member to the answers I gave on 9 February 2026 to UIN 109841, 109843 and 109842.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment has her Department made of the effectiveness of (a) the Loan Charge and (b) HMRC’s approach to dealing with disguised remuneration schemes.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

I refer the Hon. Member to the answers I gave on 9 February 2026 to UIN 109841, 109843 and 109842.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many outstanding Loan Charge cases she expects will be settled as a result of the McCann Review.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

I refer the Hon. Member to the answers I gave on 9 February 2026 to UIN 109841, 109843 and 109842.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment has her Department made of the value-for-money to the taxpayer of the Loan Charge.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

I refer the Hon. Member to the answers I gave on 9 February 2026 to UIN 109841, 109843 and 109842.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the value-for-money of the loan charge.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

I refer the Hon. Member to the answers I gave on 9 February 2026 to UIN 109841, 109843 and 109842.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 2 February 2026 to Question 107997 on Council tax, valuation, if he will list the DwellingHouse Codes that the Valuation Office Agency uses for council tax.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Dwelling house codes are used by the VOA internally to classify dwellings by Group and Type – there are therefore no plans to publish these.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 2 February 2026 to Question 107997 on Council tax, valuation, if she will publish the list of Value Significant Codes.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Value Significant Codes are used internally by the Valuation Office Agency to indicate specific features that are likely to affect the value of a property – there are therefore no plans to publish these.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 4 February 2026 to Question 108649 on Valuation Office Agency: Training, if she will list the titles of the 400 internal training opportunities in relation to council tax and business rates.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The VOA training modules are for internal use only and are not routinely published.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether any crown servant has been (a) dismissed and (b) disciplined for sharing information related to the Budget 2025 without authority.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

HM Treasury commissioned a Budget Information Security Review following the November 2025 Budget which was published on 9 February 2026. A copy of the review can be found here: Budget Information Security Review - GOV.UK

No Crown Servants employed by HM Treasury were dismissed or disciplined for the stated reason.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how her Department tracks the exposure of financial institutions to UK sovereign debt.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The ONS publishes estimates of holdings of government debt by sector. The latest available data, as at end 2025 Q3, can be found here - UK Economic Accounts - Office for National Statistics - via the July to September 2025 dataset.

HMT works closely with the Bank of England (“the Bank”), including through its membership of the Bank’s Financial Policy Committee (FPC), to monitor and manage risks to UK financial stability, including any risks that may occur from the exposure of financial institutions to UK sovereign debt.

As part of this the FPC conducts regular stress tests of the banking sector, which assess how banks’ capital and liquidity would withstand a severe macroeconomic shock, ensuring institutions are able to continue to provide core financial services through severe economic shocks which may impact the value of their UK sovereign debt holdings. You can read more about the Bank’s approach to stress testing and the results of the latest stress tests here.

We also work closely with the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), which supervises individual firms, to understand the risks arising from those individual firms exposure to UK sovereign debt and ensure that these are managed prudently within the regulatory framework. You can read more about the supervision of financial institutions here.

In 2024, the Bank conducted a world first System‑Wide Exploratory Scenario (SWES), to explore how a broad range of financial institutions (including banks, insurers, pension funds and other non‑bank financial intermediaries) would respond to a severe market shock. The 2024 SWES focused on the functioning and resilience of key markets such as the gilt and gilt repo markets. It sought to understand the behaviour of firms in stress, and how market dynamics can amplify a shock. The Bank’s final report found that actions following previous market shocks have improved gilt market resilience, with the broader financial system showing an improved ability to absorb large price swings in assets, including sovereign bonds, while also highlighting areas for further policy work. You can see the final report from the SWES here.

Taken together these actions – HMTs work with the FPC, regular bank stress tests, PRA supervision, insights from the SWES and ongoing monitoring – ensure that risks arising from financial institutions exposures to UK sovereign debt are well understood and effectively managed.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 25 November 2025 to Question 91847 on Leisure: Business Rates, when the analysis on the effects of the multiplier arrangements will be published.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government published its assessment of the business rates retail, hospitality and leisure multipliers on the 26 November 2025, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/effects-of-the-business-rates-retail-hospitality-and-leisure-multipliers-and-high-value-multiplier/effects-of-the-business-rates-retail-hospitality-and-leisure-multipliers-and-high-value-multiplier

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to page 30 of the Budget 2025 policy costings document, published in November 2025, if she will make an assessment of the reasons for the change in business rate RHL multipliers between 2026-27 and 2027-28.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) multipliers being introduced from April are worth nearly £1 billion per year and will benefit over 750,000 properties in England.

The Exchequer impact of the new RHL multipliers can be found on page 30 of the ‘Policy costings’ document, published at the Budget and found online at this address: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/692872fd2a37784b16ecf676/Budget_2025-Policy_Costings.pdf

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 6 February 2026 to Question 109143 on Business Rate: Uprating, what the evidential basis is for the business rate system raising the same amount of revenue as was forecast before the Spring Budget 2025; and what the date and sources are for the previous estimate.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Business rates receipts are forecast independently by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR).

The previous answer that the business rates system will raise the same amount of revenue in the coming year as was forecast before the Spring Budget 2025 is based on a comparison between the OBRs pre-measures forecast at Spring Budget 2025, and forecasts for the same year at Autumn Budget 2025, which incorporates policy costings.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 20 January 2026, to Question 105534, on Public Sector: Pay, if he will publish the names of the three departments or public bodies that were rejected through the senior pay approvals process.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The senior pay control process acts as an additional layer of scrutiny to senior salaries within the public sector and is designed to ensure value for money for the taxpayer. Details of the cases that are submitted through this process are not published. Individual salaries for successful applications are available through the annual reports and accounts of the employing bodies.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what metrics and data points HM Treasury collates on government spending on consultancy.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

Information on spending on consultancy each financial year is published and available through individual departments’ Annual Reports and Accounts, which departments input to OSCAR after publication. This is the most accurate source of data on consultancy spending, and is how we judge whether spending targets on consultancy have been met.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 20 January 2026 to Question 105537 on Government Departments: Cost Effectiveness, what datasets are Departments required to submit to her Department quarterly as part of the Government Efficiency Framework; and whether there is guidance on the Government Efficiency Framework requirements.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The Government Efficiency Framework sets out guidance on how departments should monitor and report the delivery and realisation of efficiency savings.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Guidance on Public Sector Exit Payments: Use of Special Severance Payments, November 2025, whether payments made under the £150 million government employee exit scheme fund will be reportable under the special severance scheme guidance.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

Where payments made from the fund meet the criteria of special severance payments, the associated reporting requirements will apply.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the oral statement of 27 January 2026, Official Report, Col. 770, on business rates, what the evidential basis is that around three quarters of pubs will see their bills either fall or stay the same next year; what number of bills will remain the same; and what number of pubs were at the £110k cap for RHL relief in 2025-26.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The statistic is based on analysis conducted by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) using property-level data on rateable values from the Valuation Office Agency, and local authority returns on the value of reliefs and the number of properties receiving reliefs, published in MHCLG’s National Non-Domestic Rates statistics.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether any Ministers or officials in HM Treasury have met with representatives of oil and gas companies to discuss North Sea oil and gas extraction since 1 March 2026.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

Treasury Ministers and officials regularly engage with multiple industry stakeholders. The Chancellor met the UK’s oil and gas sector this month following the events in the Middle East. This included discussing how to navigate this uncertain period and the desire to provide certainty to support jobs in the UK, particularly in Scotland.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 5 February 2026 to Question 109139 on Business Rates: Valuation, if she will publish that analysis.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The government does not routinely publish analysis and advice used during the policy making process.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has issued guidance to Cabinet colleagues on making spending commitments over more than a 10 year period.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

Spending Review 2025 set department budgets until 2028-29, with an additional year for capital investment.

Alongside the Spending Review, HM Treasury also published a 10-Year Infrastructure Strategy, with 10-year settlements for school rebuilding, Affordable Homes, flood defenses and maintenance budgets for schools, prison, hospitals and other public assets.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 12 February 2026, to Question 111133, on Housing: Sales, whether HMRC holds information on the number of sales of primary homes by local authority area in 2025.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

HMRC does not hold the information requested.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much revenue the Exchequer raised from the introduction of VAT to private school fees between 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2025.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

At Autumn Budget 2024, the revenue from applying the standard rate of VAT to education and boarding services provided by private schools from 1 January 2025 was estimated at £460 million in 2024-25 and £1,505 million in 2025-26, rising to £1,725 million in 2029-30.

In their November 2025 Economic and Fiscal Outlook, the Office for Budget Responsibility revised the yield from this measure up by an average of £40 million per year, with outturn data providing initial support for the original assumption on pupil movements.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when HMRC plans to move from Government Gateway to One Login.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

HMRC detailed its ambitions for moving to GOV.UK One Login in its Transformation Roadmap which was published in July 2025. This can be found here: HMRC's Transformation Roadmap - GOV.UK

HMRC entered public beta testing for new individual customers (those without a Government Gateway account) in February 2026 and controlled numbers of new users can now sign up to access HMRC digital services through GOV.UK One Login.

This public beta is scheduled to run until June 2026, prior to a full go-live for new individual customers later this year.

This will be followed by existing individuals (those with a Government Gateway account) and agents and organisations, as set out in the Transformation Roadmap.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the cumulative implications for the hotel sector of (a) the recent changes to business rates, (b) the rise in employers’ National Insurance Contributions and (c) the rises in the rates for the National Minimum and Living Wages.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government recognises the important contribution that the hotel and wider hospitality sectors make to the economy, to local communities and to the UK’s appeal as a destination for domestic and international tourists. The potential impacts of changes on this sector are carefully considered as part of policy development.

Where changes are made, relevant impact notes and assessments are published at fiscal events and otherwise as necessary, in line with the Government’s usual practice. The Treasury also engages regularly with the hospitality sector to understand the challenges they face.

The Government continues to provide targeted support to the hospitality sector through the tax system and other policies and keeps all areas of the tax system under review, with future decisions taken at fiscal events under the normal process.

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Found: Fragmentation of regulatory responsibility across the FCA, BoE, PSR, and HMT compounds this uncertainty

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Found:  The FCA and HM Treasury approach has already included strong customer and investor protection goals

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Found: We remain in ongoing dialogue with MHCLG, HM Treasury and major mortgage lenders.

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Found: Correspondence to and from HM Treasury, relating to Farming in Wales in 2025, dated 3 and 25 February

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Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of Motability tax changes on disabled people’s ability to access work, healthcare and caring responsibilities.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

An Equality Impact Assessment including consideration of the impact on affected individuals was undertaken and published by HMT as part of the Autumn Budget and can be found here: Motability Scheme: reforming tax reliefs - GOV.UK.

The Motability Scheme will continue to offer a choice of vehicles to meet a range of accessibility needs and vehicles which require no advance payment, meaning that people will be able to access a suitable vehicle using only their qualifying disability benefit. Motability Foundation will continue to offer means-tested grants to support eligible people who would otherwise struggle to afford the advance payment or adaptations for a vehicle, or a wheelchair accessible vehicle (WAV) through the Scheme.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how long before the commencement of publicly funded works on the Lower Thames Crossing will the Full Business Case be published.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Construction enabling works for the Lower Thames Crossing have now begun on both sides of the River Thames. Ground works are underway to create haul roads and site compounds. Site compounds are under construction and utility works have commenced with connections to these. Ecological and archaeological works are also ongoing, as are extensive pre-construction surveys.

The project continues to progress through the required assurance and governance processes. The next iteration of the business case will be developed ahead of seeking private sector investment.

The project follows the standard Five Case Business Case model used for government projects. Funding decisions continue to undergo rigorous scrutiny and appraisal in line with Department for Transport standards and HM Treasury Green Book principles. The economic dimension of the business case will keep assessing Value for Money alongside the other four dimensions.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent steps her Department has taken to help tackle the use of cash intensive businesses for money laundering.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

The Government is committed to tackling the use of cash intensive businesses for money laundering.

As part of the Economic Crime Plan 2 commitment, the Government has worked with the National Crime Agency, The Financial Conduct Authority and UK Finance to develop a set of economic crime priorities, which include cash-based money laundering. This will ensure that public and private sectors allocate resources to where they can have the most impact on a threat. The Government has also committed to recruit 475 new roles by March 2026 to help clamp down on money laundering- increasing prevention, detection and disrupting illegal activity.

In the 2025 Autumn Budget, the Government allocated £10 million per year for three years to tackle high street illegality. This funding includes the creation of the High Streets Illegality Taskforce, enhancements to Trading Standards capabilities and support for at least 45 additional law enforcement officers. Hosted by the Home Office, the cross-government Taskforce will develop a strategic long-term policy response to money laundering and associated illegality on UK high streets, including other forms of economic crime, tax evasion, and illegal working, and tackling the systemic vulnerabilities that criminals exploit.

More broadly, we expect to publish a new Anti-Money Laundering and Asset Recovery (AMLAR) strategy in the 2026. Developed jointly with HMT and in partnership with the private sector, the strategy will set a clear direction for strengthening the UK’s approach to tackling money laundering and boosting asset recovery.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 12 March 2026 to Question 118863, what the annual estimated cost of the Competition and Markets Authority’s Sustainability Taskforce is in (a) 2025-26, (b) 2026-27, (c) 2027-28 and (d) 2028-29.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Competition and Markets Authority (“CMA”) is not able to provide an estimated annual cost for the Sustainability Taskforce for 2025/26 before its accounts for the financial year are finalised. Its Annual Report and Accounts for 2025/26 will be laid before Parliament in the normal way.

The CMA does not allocate specific multi-year funding to individual workstreams such as the Sustainability Taskforce, which remain subject to wider prioritisation decisions. Budgets for 2026/27 and 2027/28 have not yet been formally delegated by HM Treasury or approved through the Main Estimate process. Estimated costs for these future years are therefore not available.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much has been spent by the (a) Cabinet Office, (b) HM Treasury and (c) Government Property Agency on the Prime Minister’s official residence in 11 Downing Street since 4 July 2024.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

I refer the Hon Member to the Cabinet Office Annual Report and Accounts, which contains the total expenditure on the Prime Minister’s residence.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what discussions she has had with ministerial colleagues from a) the Home Office, b) HM Treasury and c) the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on coordinated action to tackle online piracy.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

While the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology has policy responsibility for protecting intellectual property (IP), IP crime and infringement, including online piracy, is a serious, cross-cutting issue that affects many sectors. Tackling this issue requires a co-ordinated approach which is why DSIT works closely with the Home Office, HM Treasury, and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, as well as others across government to tackle online piracy

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 20 January 2026, to Question 105533, on Civil Servants: Redundancy Pay, and to Question 105534, on Public Sector: Pay whether departments are required to report details of civil service leavers, and exit payments, to HM Treasury.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Departments are not required to report details of Civil Service leavers and exit payments under the terms of the Civil Service Compensation Scheme to HM Treasury. Departments publish information on exit payments and staffing numbers within their Annual Reports and Accounts. Departments are however required to report to HM Treasury the use of all special severance payments paid within the financial year in line with the published transparency requirements.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether apprenticeships have been created through unspent Growth and Skills Levy funds.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Department for Work and Pensions has responsibility for apprenticeships in England only. The English apprenticeships budget is set by HM Treasury and although closely linked, is distinct from the income collected from the Growth and Skills Levy.

The apprenticeships budget pays for apprenticeship training costs at both levy-paying and non-levy paying employers, as well as the costs of English and maths tuition for apprentices and additional payments to employers, training providers and apprentices.

The funds available to levy-paying employers, through their apprenticeship service accounts, are not the same as the annual apprenticeships budget, and while levy-paying employers can use all their levy funds, the majority do not. This allows the government to fund apprenticeship training for non-levy paying employers from the apprenticeship budget.

As a result, over the last four years, on average, 98% of the English apprenticeships budget has been spent.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what response was provided by DHSC to the consultation by HM Treasury around changes to the VAT treatment of public bodies under Section 41 of the VAT Act.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department of Health and Social Care did not submit a formal response to HM Treasury’s consultation on proposed changes to the VAT treatment of public bodies under section 41 of the Value Added Tax Act 1994.

The consultation, VAT and the Public Sector: Reform to VAT Refund Rules, was published by HM Treasury on 27 August 2020 and closed on 19 November 2020.

As a central Government department, the Department of Health and Social Care engaged with HM Treasury and HM Revenue and Customs through cross-Government discussions to consider the potential implications of the proposals for the health and care system, including National Health Service bodies, rather than responding as a stakeholder in its own right.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment had been made by DHSC or provided to DHSC by NHS England about the potential impact on the NHS of proposed changes to introduce the full refund model for VAT in the NHS.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department has not made a formal published assessment of the potential impact on the National Health Service of the proposed changes to introduce a full refund model for VAT under section 41 of the Value Added Tax Act 1994.

The Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England have engaged with HM Treasury and HM Revenue and Customs through cross-Government discussions to understand the potential implications of the proposals for the NHS, including the interaction with NHS funding flows and the principle that any reform would need to be fiscally neutral.

NHS England has provided input to the Department to support this engagement, including analysis of existing VAT recovery arrangements and high-level consideration of the potential impacts of moving from the current Contracted Out Services regime to a full refund model. This work has been undertaken to inform cross-Government discussions and data-gathering exercises led by HM Treasury, rather than as a standalone assessment of the impact on NHS services.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if his department will make a formal recommendation to HM Treasury on extending VAT relief to heat batteries for domestic heating.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Tax treatment is the responsibility of HM Treasury and they keep all taxes under review.

This government has invested £15 billion in the Warm Homes Plan to help upgrade British homes and cut bills. Whilst we expect heat pumps to be suitable for the vast majority of properties, some may be less suitable and so we are supporting alternative low carbon technologies like heat batteries, air-to-air heat pumps, and biomass boilers. We are also expanding the Boiler Upgrade Scheme to provide more options, including heat batteries.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment HM Treasury has made of the potential economic impact of the expiry of the Plug-in Motorcycle Grant on SMEs and self-employed delivery riders.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

As announced in February 2025, the Plug-in Motorcycle Grant will close at the end of financial year 2025/26 or when current funds are exhausted, whichever comes first.

In 2024, mopeds and motorcycles accounted for 0.4% of domestic transport greenhouse gas emissions in the UK. Available funding is being targeted at higher emission segments such as cars, vans, and heavy duty vehicles.

Ending the £500 Plug-in Motorcycle Grant is not expected to have a significant impact on uptake of zero emission motorcycles or on riders. The Government, working with industry, will monitor the development of the zero emission motorcycle market and the need for any further interventions on an ongoing basis.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of making a formal recommendation to HM Treasury on extending VAT relief to Microgeneration Certification Scheme-certified heat batteries.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Tax treatment is the responsibility of HM Treasury and they keep all taxes under review.

This Government has invested £15 billion in the Warm Homes Plan to help upgrade British homes and cut bills. Whilst we expect heat pumps to be suitable for the vast majority of properties, some may be less suitable and so we are supporting alternative low carbon technologies like heat batteries, air-to-air heat pumps, and biomass boilers.

We are also expanding the Boiler Upgrade Scheme to provide more options, including heat batteries. To simplify the system for consumers and installers, Government has recently mandated Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) as the sole certification scheme for clean heat installations under DESNZ schemes.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department will achieve an average 5% annual real-terms reduction in resource spending between 2025-26 and 2028-29.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Spending plans for the period from 2025-26 to 2028-29 were agreed with HM Treasury as part of the Spending Review 2025 settlement and can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/spending-review-2025-document.

They were amended as part of the Autumn Budget 2025 and can be found at [page 146] https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/Budget_2025.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether additional funding has been provided to the Scottish Government to support religious organisations following the end of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

At the Spending Review 2025, HM Treasury agreed budgets for Departments for a three-year period for Resource DEL, and a four-year period for Capital DEL. The Department then completed a Business Planning process to allocate this funding to programmes. This included £92 million (£23 million per year) for the Places of Worship Renewal Fund.

At Spending Reviews, the Devolved Governments generally receive Barnett consequentials as a proportion of overall departmental settlements, not specific funding lines or programmes. Barnett consequentials were confirmed taking into account the overall DCMS allocation, which includes funding for the Places of Worship Renewal fund. Decisions on the allocation of this funding are then for the Devolved Governments to take.

Found: See also: HM Treasury, ‘Budget 2025 in full’, 26 November 2025. 33 Because the government extended

Found: This already applies to those who joined MTD voluntarily. 16 HM Treasury, Spring Statement 2025

Found: the Cabinet Office analysed resilience-related spending proposals across government and advised HM Treasury

Found: the Cabinet Office analysed resilience-related spending proposals across government and advised HM Treasury

Found: It includes MoD, Home Office, FCDO and MHCLG officials and representatives from HM Treasury and Cabinet

Found: There was no budget set at the June 2025 Spending Review for the intervention, and HM Treasury (HMT)

Found: assessment (AO assessment) is a critical part of HM Treasury’s controls and processes set out in HM Treasury

Found: fi ve years £287 million 10-year budget for the National Quantum Computing Centre approved by HM Treasury

Found: fi ve years £287 million 10-year budget for the National Quantum Computing Centre approved by HM Treasury

Found: The Green Book. 9 HM Treasury, 2013.

Found: specialist services and unlock other sources of support for women, drawing on Reducing Reoffending HM Treasury

Found: methodologies in HMG appraisal, monitoring, and evaluation principles, such as those set out in the HMT

Found: methodologies in HMG appraisal, monitoring, and evaluation principles, such as those set out in the HMT

Found: lists as updated from time to time: Consolidated List of Financial Sanctions Targets in the UK[1] - HMT

Found: The programme has been designed to be five years [and permission has been agreed from HMT for the programme

Found: conjunction with the guidance set out in the MHCLG Appraisal Guide (2026) and in accordance with the HMT

Found: conjunction with the guidance set out in the MHCLG Appraisal Guide (2026) and in accordance with the HMT

Found: For media enquiries, contact HMT press office.

Found: notification requirement for relevant persons using the humanitarian exception, requiring them to notify HM Treasury

Found: Affairs with the consent of the Treasury and in accordance with the Companies Act 2006 and the HM Treasury

Found: Medium Step towards EP 4 EP 4 - LH2 First Ops - CAA H2/new technologies resource support from DfT/HMT

Found: members should encompass DfT (aviation ministers/officials), DESNZ (net-zero and industry officials), HMT

Found: cell">Financial Reporting Transactions & Gov

Found: remains subject to due diligence, value-for-money assessments, and all necessary approvals and the HMT

Found: economic uncertainty such as the Covid-19 pandemic and the UK’s exit from the EU. 12 See HM Treasury

Found: and leisure business rates multipliers and pubs and live music venues relief’ subsidy scheme by HM Treasury

Found: and leisure business rates multipliers and pubs and live music venues relief’ subsidy scheme by HM Treasury

Found: Following HM Treasury Green Book guidance, direct staffing costs from internal OPSS teams have been

Found: the responsibilities of an Accounting Officer, as set out in Managing Public Money published by HM Treasury

Found: Affairs with the consent of the Treasury and in accordance with the Companies Act 2006 and the HM Treasury

Found: progress for our 17* nuclear sites over the next three years, in line with the funding agreed with HM Treasury

Found: Our gender pay gap data is published as part of His Majesty’s Treasury’s (HMT) Gender Pay Gap report

Found: HM Treasury and BEIS, 2019. Green Finance Strategy. London. The Stationery Office.

Found: The centre for the function, based in HM Treasury, supports this work and provides expertise and strategic

Found: Information provided to HM Treasury in connection with this licence shall be disclosed to third parties

Found: Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation HM Treasury

Found: notification requirement for relevant persons using the humanitarian exception, requiring them to notify HM Treasury

Found: and written representations received, ministers and officials from across government , including HM Treasury

Found: Uses the HMT Orange Book Risk Control Framework (&/or key controls from various sources that are relevant

Found: discount the five-year costs and benefits using a 3.5% discount rate based on guidance issued by HM Treasury

Found: The Rt Hon Rachel Reeves MP Chancellor of the Exchequer HM Treasury From: Sarah Cardell Chief

Found: specialist services and unlock other sources of support for women, drawing on Reducing Reoffending HM Treasury

Found: 1 (“ MPM ”) (as updated from time to time) and has been approved by HM Treasury

Found: Minister for Investment Department for Business and Trade & HM Treasury

Found: We went into Skipser for a private session because HMT have questioned our estimate and the amount based

Found: Minister for Investment Department for Business and Trade & HM Treasury

Found: Energy and Industrial Strategy, Chancellor’s Other Departments, Department for International Trade, HM Treasury

Found: • In 2026 HM Treasury / Cabinet Office will be launching refreshed Green and Magenta Books (Central

Found: HMT have used these forecasts to calculate updated Block Grant Adjustment (BGA) estimates for the Scottish

Found: The Welsh Government’s response to the Committee’s report on the Draft Budget 2026-27 stated: “The HMT

Found: the Welsh Government uses the same boundary for the budget presented to the Senedd as used by HM Treasury

Found: guidance on non-investment asset valuation from 1 April 2025 further to a major thematic review by HM Treasury

Found: (LP) is a public sector consultancy, jointly owned by the Local Government Association (50%), HM Treasury

Found: The PAO memorandum from HM Treasury sets out the delegated authority of the Permanent Secretary, including

Found: would require UK Government approval and as at 2024 progress had stalled, with discussions wit h HM Treasury

Found: In line with the HM Treasury Magenta Book a process evaluation would seek to answer questions such as

Found: The Managing Public Money1 document by HM Treasury sets out the principles of financial probity, transparency

Found: performance, and understand whether policies or actions are having their intended effect (Adapted from HM treasury