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Written Question
Housing: Valuation
Tuesday 26th March 2024

Asked by: Paul Howell (Conservative - Sedgefield)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 12 March 2024 to Question 16860,on Housing: Valuation, whether the Valuation Office Agency plans to collect additional (a) dwelling house codes and (b) value significant codes in addition to those used in England for the model.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Welsh Government has commissioned the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) to carry out a revaluation of all domestic property in Wales. To facilitate this, the VOA has built an Automated Valuation Model which has produced values for 1.46 million properties.

The following external datasets were used:

  • Land Registry Price Paid data to supplement VOA sales data
  • Land Registry Title Polygons and Ordnance Survey National Geographic Database for plot sizes for houses
  • Ordnance Survey Master Map for building footprints for houses
  • House Price Index to adjust sales in time
  • National Statistics Postcode Lookup (NSPL) to incorporate Census Geography
  • Ordnance Survey AddressBase Premium for latest property coordinate data
  • Energy Performance Certificates

Additionally, as part of model development, sales verification was undertaken. VOA staff used a range of available data, such as aerial and street view photography, sales particulars, EPC certificates and Local Authority Planning websites to verify the usefulness of the sale.

The VOA has not collected additional codes over and above those already used within England and Wales.

I would observe that this is a policy proposed by the Labour Welsh Government, and does not represent the policy position of the UK Government in England.


Written Question
Housing: Valuation
Tuesday 26th March 2024

Asked by: Paul Howell (Conservative - Sedgefield)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 12 March 2024 to Question 16860 on Housing: Valuation, how many value estimates have been produced using the Valuation Office Agency's automated valuation model.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Welsh Government has commissioned the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) to carry out a revaluation of all domestic property in Wales. To facilitate this, the VOA has built an Automated Valuation Model which has produced values for 1.46 million properties.

The following external datasets were used:

  • Land Registry Price Paid data to supplement VOA sales data
  • Land Registry Title Polygons and Ordnance Survey National Geographic Database for plot sizes for houses
  • Ordnance Survey Master Map for building footprints for houses
  • House Price Index to adjust sales in time
  • National Statistics Postcode Lookup (NSPL) to incorporate Census Geography
  • Ordnance Survey AddressBase Premium for latest property coordinate data
  • Energy Performance Certificates

Additionally, as part of model development, sales verification was undertaken. VOA staff used a range of available data, such as aerial and street view photography, sales particulars, EPC certificates and Local Authority Planning websites to verify the usefulness of the sale.

The VOA has not collected additional codes over and above those already used within England and Wales.

I would observe that this is a policy proposed by the Labour Welsh Government, and does not represent the policy position of the UK Government in England.


Written Question
Housing: Valuation
Tuesday 26th March 2024

Asked by: Paul Howell (Conservative - Sedgefield)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 12 March 2024 to Question 16860 on Housing: Valuation, which already available data from third parties was used for the model development.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Welsh Government has commissioned the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) to carry out a revaluation of all domestic property in Wales. To facilitate this, the VOA has built an Automated Valuation Model which has produced values for 1.46 million properties.

The following external datasets were used:

  • Land Registry Price Paid data to supplement VOA sales data
  • Land Registry Title Polygons and Ordnance Survey National Geographic Database for plot sizes for houses
  • Ordnance Survey Master Map for building footprints for houses
  • House Price Index to adjust sales in time
  • National Statistics Postcode Lookup (NSPL) to incorporate Census Geography
  • Ordnance Survey AddressBase Premium for latest property coordinate data
  • Energy Performance Certificates

Additionally, as part of model development, sales verification was undertaken. VOA staff used a range of available data, such as aerial and street view photography, sales particulars, EPC certificates and Local Authority Planning websites to verify the usefulness of the sale.

The VOA has not collected additional codes over and above those already used within England and Wales.

I would observe that this is a policy proposed by the Labour Welsh Government, and does not represent the policy position of the UK Government in England.


Written Question
Export Controls
Tuesday 26th March 2024

Asked by: Liam Byrne (Labour - Birmingham, Hodge Hill)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy for strategic export controls annual reports to provide separate figures for voluntary disclosures and seizures in relation to (a) strategic export restrictions and (b) trade sanctions.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

HMRC will take this request away for consideration.


Written Question
Empty Property: Business Rates
Tuesday 26th March 2024

Asked by: James Murray (Labour (Co-op) - Ealing North)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to question 1 of his Department's consultation on business rates avoidance and evasion, published in July 2023, and to page 37 of his Department's publication entitled, Spring Budget 2024: Policy Costings, published in March 2024, whether his Department made an assessment of the potential merits of extending the reset period for empty property relief to six months.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

Responses to the Business Rates Avoidance and Evasion consultation made clear that avoidance of business rates through abuse of Empty Property Relief (EPR) is an area we need to take action on. Most respondents, and all those from local government, agreed that extending the EPR ‘reset period’ is an effective means of reducing rates avoidance. Extending the reset period to 13 weeks will help ensure a level playing field between ratepayers while maintaining support for landlords while they seek new tenants for vacant properties.


Written Question
Empty Property: Business Rates
Tuesday 26th March 2024

Asked by: James Murray (Labour (Co-op) - Ealing North)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to question 1 of his Department's consultation on business rates avoidance and evasion, published in July 2023, and to page 37 of his Department's publication entitled, Spring Budget 2024: Policy Costings, published in March 2024, whether his Department made an estimate of the Exchequer impact of extending the reset period for empty property relief to six months.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

Responses to the Business Rates Avoidance and Evasion consultation made clear that avoidance of business rates through abuse of Empty Property Relief (EPR) is an area we need to take action on. Most respondents, and all those from local government, agreed that extending the EPR ‘reset period’ is an effective means of reducing rates avoidance. Extending the reset period to 13 weeks will help ensure a level playing field between ratepayers while maintaining support for landlords while they seek new tenants for vacant properties.


Written Question
Revenue and Customs: Telephone Services
Tuesday 26th March 2024

Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will introduce alternative arrangements for HMRC to answer calls during the self-assessment telephone helpline closure between 8 April and 30 September 2024.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

HMRC has halted its planned changes to the Self Assessment, VAT and PAYE telephone helplines between April and September 2024 while it engages with stakeholders about how to ensure all taxpayers’ needs are met as the Department shifts more people to online self-service.

HMRC encourages customers to use its online services and the HMRC App where they can. These offer quicker and easier handling of most transactions and queries.

However, for those who are vulnerable, digitally excluded, or have complex tax affairs, HMRC's helpline and webchat advisers will remain available to provide the necessary support.


Written Question
National Insurance Contributions: Personal Income
Tuesday 26th March 2024

Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department conducted distributional analysis of the impact of the reduction to National Insurance contributions announced in the Spring Budget 2024 on people in different income brackets.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

HM Treasury published distributional analysis at Spring Budget 2024, which can be found here:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/65e83ed008eef600115a5660/Impact_on_households_-_SB24_FINAL.pdf


Written Question
Revenue and Customs: Telephone Services
Tuesday 26th March 2024

Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has made an equality impact assessment of the decision to close the HMRC helpline between April and September each year.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

HMRC conducted a full Equalities Impact Assessment regarding the planned closure of the Self Assessment helpline between 8 April and 30 September 2024. However, HMRC has halted this plan while it engages with stakeholders about how to ensure all taxpayers’ needs are met as the Department shifts more people to online self-service.


Written Question
Motor Vehicles: Exports
Tuesday 26th March 2024

Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department is taking steps to monitor the end destination of vehicle exports to ensure compliance with international sanctions.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

HMRC is responsible for the civil and criminal enforcement of export controls and trade sanctions which fall within its customs remit. In addition, for certain trade sanctions outside its customs, HMRC enforces under criminal law on referral from a civil enforcement body.

At UK ports and airports, HMRC in partnership with Border Force carries out targeted risk and intelligence-based checks to ensure traders are compliant with sanction measures and identify breaches.

HMRC takes breaches of sanctions seriously and undertakes a preliminary investigation into all credible allegations of Trade Sanctions offences.

Options for tackling breaches of export controls or sanctions range from the issuing of written warnings, through to compound settlements and, in the most serious cases, referral to the UK Prosecution Authorities for consideration of criminal prosecution.