Asked by: Sarah Pochin (Reform UK - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Autumn Budget 2024, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the increase in employers' National Insurance contributions on levels of private sector (a) jobs and (b) vacancies.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
A Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) was published alongside the introduction of the Bill containing the changes to employer NICs. The TIIN sets out the impact of the policy on the exchequer, the economic impacts of the policy, and the impacts on individuals, businesses, and civil society organisations, as well as an overview of the equality impacts.
The Office for Budget Responsibility publishes the Economic and Fiscal Outlook (EFO), which sets out a detailed forecast of the economy and public finances. With all policies considered, the OBR's March 2025 EFO forecasts the employment level to increase from 33.6 million in 2024 to 34.8 million in 2029.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much funding raised by the Apprenticeship Levy was passed to the Welsh Government as part of the Welsh Block Grant in each year of the past five years.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
While the Apprenticeship Levy is UK wide, apprenticeship policy and spending is devolved. This means that the devolved governments receive funding through the Barnett formula in relation to English apprenticeship spending as part of their block grant.
The Block Grant Transparency publication breaks down all changes in the devolved governments’ block grant funding from the 2015 Spending Review up to and including Spending Review 2025.
The most recent report was published in October 2025:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/block-grant-transparency-july-2023
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Liberal Democrat - Tewkesbury)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to help maintain (a) high street banks and (b) other non-digital alternatives to banking.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
Banking is changing, with many customers benefitting from the ease and convenience of remote banking. However, Government understands the importance of face-to-face banking to communities and is committed to championing sufficient access for customers. In addition to traditional bank branches, the financial services industry is committed to rolling out 350 banking hubs across the UK by the end of this Parliament. Over 240 hubs have been announced so far, and more than 190 are already open. Government is working closely with industry on this commitment.
While decisions on branch provision are commercial decisions for banks themselves, Financial Conduct Authority guidance requires firms to conduct a robust impact analysis. Firms must show they have considered customer needs and identified potential reasonable alternatives. The FCA also expects engagement with stakeholders at least 12 weeks before closure and firms must ensure that any replacement services, such as banking hubs, are in place before a branch closes. These measures aim to ensure closures are implemented fairly and transparently.
As well as bank branches, alternative non-digital options to access everyday banking services include telephone banking and the Post Office. The Post Office Banking Framework allows personal and business customers of participating banks to withdraw and deposit cash, check their balance, pay bills and cash cheques at 11,500 Post Office branches across the UK. Beyond branches, banking hubs and Post Office services, some banks also provide points of access through initiatives such as pop-up services in libraries and community centres, or mobile banking vans serving remote areas. The Government supports initiatives which give customers access to in-person banking, as well as digital access.
Asked by: Baroness Neville-Rolfe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether current public sector pay determination processes, particularly through the independent pay review bodies, sufficiently take account of productivity metrics.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government is firmly committed to improving public sector productivity and efficiency, as set out in its plans for a more productive and agile state at the Spending Review. At Budget 2024 the Government set a 2% productivity, efficiencies, and savings target for government Departments. The Office for Value for Money and its Chair have worked closely with all departments to agree bespoke and stretching efficiency targets, supported by robust delivery plans. Altogether, the Government will deliver technical efficiencies worth nearly £14 billion a year by 2028–29.
The Pay Review Body (PRB) process is used to set the pay for many public sector workforces. This process is independent from Government and PRBs will consider a range of evidence when forming recommendations on pay. This can include productivity factors, amongst other considerations such as the need to recruit, retain and motivate suitably qualified people.
Pay awards will need to be funded within departmental settlements set out at Spending Review 2025. If the PRBs recommend pay increases above the level departments have budgeted for, departments will need to carefully consider the justification for these awards and determine whether these additional costs can be borne either through offsetting savings or through further productivity gains.
Asked by: Baroness Neville-Rolfe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether any formal mechanism exists to directly link public sector pay settlements to measurable improvements in productivity at either departmental or workforce level.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government is firmly committed to improving public sector productivity and efficiency, as set out in its plans for a more productive and agile state at the Spending Review. At Budget 2024 the Government set a 2% productivity, efficiencies, and savings target for government Departments. The Office for Value for Money and its Chair have worked closely with all departments to agree bespoke and stretching efficiency targets, supported by robust delivery plans. Altogether, the Government will deliver technical efficiencies worth nearly £14 billion a year by 2028–29.
The Pay Review Body (PRB) process is used to set the pay for many public sector workforces. This process is independent from Government and PRBs will consider a range of evidence when forming recommendations on pay. This can include productivity factors, amongst other considerations such as the need to recruit, retain and motivate suitably qualified people.
Pay awards will need to be funded within departmental settlements set out at Spending Review 2025. If the PRBs recommend pay increases above the level departments have budgeted for, departments will need to carefully consider the justification for these awards and determine whether these additional costs can be borne either through offsetting savings or through further productivity gains.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the US government shutdown on UK-based financial institutions with exposure to US government (a) securities and (b) agencies.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The US Government shutdown ended on 12 November 2025. HM Treasury works closely with the Bank of England’s Financial Policy Committee (FPC) and UK financial regulators to assess any risks to the financial sector, including those relating to the global outlook.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of levels of debt interest payments on the public finances.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Chancellor has asked the Office for Budget Responsibility to prepare an economic and fiscal forecast for publication on 26 November 2025, which will accompany the annual Budget.
We are spending over £100bn a year on debt interest - equivalent to £1 in every £10 the government spends. The government’s fiscal strategy put the public finances on a sustainable path while prioritising investment to support long-term economic growth. The fiscal rules provide a blueprint for getting debt on a downward path over the next five years, while borrowing to invest in our economy.
This is the responsible choice – to live within our means, reduce our levels of borrowing in the years ahead and support the Bank of England to get inflation down, so we can deliver on the priorities of working people and spend less on servicing debt.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of recent trends in the level of government borrowing.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Chancellor has asked the Office for Budget Responsibility to prepare an economic and fiscal forecast for publication on 26 November 2025, which will accompany the annual Budget.
We are spending over £100bn a year on debt interest - equivalent to £1 in every £10 the government spends. The government’s fiscal strategy put the public finances on a sustainable path while prioritising investment to support long-term economic growth. The fiscal rules provide a blueprint for getting debt on a downward path over the next five years, while borrowing to invest in our economy.
This is the responsible choice – to live within our means, reduce our levels of borrowing in the years ahead and support the Bank of England to get inflation down, so we can deliver on the priorities of working people and spend less on servicing debt.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 4 November 2025 to Question 85347 on Company Cars: Taxation, what estimate her Department has made of the revenue to be raised from changes to benefit in kind taxation for vehicles provided through such schemes, and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of those changes on the employee car ownership industry.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
At Autumn Budget 2024, the proposed changes to Employee Car Ownership Schemes were estimated to raise £875m across the scorecard. This costing and the tax impact and information note will be updated at a future fiscal event to reflect the six-month delay to the originally announced implementation date.
Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what is the (a) cost and (b) number of HMRC staff undertaking inquiries into online marketplace sellers.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The department is unable to provide an exact breakdown in the cost or number of staff involved in this work. This is because HMRC takes a risk-based approach to compliance, and so tax enquiries into online marketplace sellers can fall into a number of different compliance areas. Staff involved will work across a variety of business types and in most cases will not be solely working on this one trade sector.