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Written Question
Export Controls
Wednesday 27th March 2024

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

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to section 8.2 of the UK strategic export controls annual report 2022, published on 19 July 2023, HC1681, what the (a) value and (b) destination country of each compound settlement issued by HMRC was.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

Information on Compound Settlements issued by HMRC are available here:

UK strategic export controls annual report 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)


Written Question
UK Internal Trade: Northern Ireland
Wednesday 27th March 2024

Asked by: Lord Browne of Belmont (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that customs controls do not disproportionately affect small and medium-sized businesses trading between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government is committed to ensuring smooth trade flows within the UK internal market.

The UK Internal Market Scheme (UKIMS) replaced the previous UK Trader Scheme on 30 September 2023. UKIMS allows a much wider range of businesses to move goods into Northern Ireland under the existing ‘not at risk’ arrangements than the previous scheme, with over 3,000 new businesses now authorised.

Under UKIMS, the turnover threshold below which companies involved in processing can move eligible goods under the scheme quadrupled from the old £500,000 limit up to £2m, benefiting SMEs. From 30 September 2024, UKIMS traders will also be able to benefit from the new simplified processes for UK internal market movements which will scrap burdensome supplementary declarations and allow for the use of a simpler dataset based on standard commercial information as opposed to full customs declarations as is required currently.

There is tailored support available for all sizes of businesses trading between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, including small and medium-sized businesses, via the free-to-use Trader Support Service (TSS).


Written Question
UK Internal Trade: Northern Ireland
Wednesday 27th March 2024

Asked by: Lord Browne of Belmont (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made in March in simplifying trade procedures between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, to minimise disruption for businesses.

Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government is committed to ensuring smooth trade flows within the UK internal market.

The UK Internal Market Scheme (UKIMS) replaced the previous UK Trader Scheme on 30 September 2023, allowing a much wider range of businesses to move goods into Northern Ireland under the existing ‘not at risk’ arrangements, with over 3,000 new businesses now authorised.

From 30 September 2024, UKIMS traders will also be able to benefit from the new simplified processes for UK internal market movements which will scrap burdensome supplementary declarations and allow for the use of a simpler dataset based on standard commercial information as opposed to full customs declarations as is required currently.

There is also tailored support available for businesses trading between Great Britain and Northern Ireland via the free-to-use Trader Support Service (TSS).


Written Question
UK Internal Trade: Northern Ireland
Wednesday 27th March 2024

Asked by: Lord Browne of Belmont (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure a consistent and friction-free supply of goods to Northern Ireland from Great Britain.

Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government is committed to ensuring smooth trade flows within the UK internal market.

The UK Internal Market Scheme (UKIMS) replaced the previous UK Trader Scheme on 30 September 2023, allowing a much wider range of businesses to move goods into Northern Ireland under the existing ‘not at risk’ arrangements, with over 3,000 new businesses now authorised.

From 30 September 2024, UKIMS traders will also be able to benefit from the new simplified processes for UK internal market movements which will scrap burdensome supplementary declarations and allow for the use of a simpler dataset based on standard commercial information as opposed to full customs declarations as is required currently.

There is also tailored support available for businesses trading between Great Britain and Northern Ireland via the free-to-use Trader Support Service (TSS).


Written Question
Tourism: VAT
Wednesday 27th March 2024

Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential (1) costs, and (2) benefits, of reintroducing tax-free shopping for international visitors, including the impact on (a) retail sales, (b) employment levels, and (c) economic recovery.

Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

As set out at Spring Budget 2024, the government is considering the findings of the OBR’s review of the original costing of the withdrawal of tax-free shopping, published in the Economic and Fiscal Outlook on 6 March, alongside industry representations and broader data. The government welcomes further submissions in response to the OBR’s findings.


Written Question
Export Controls
Wednesday 27th March 2024

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

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to table 8.5 in the UK strategic export controls annual report 2022, published on 19 July 2023, HC1681, of the strategic exports and sanctions seizures in each year, how many and what proportion related to (a) strategic exports controls seizures and (b) goods subject to trade sanctions; what the destination countries were for each seizure; and in each case, (i) what and (ii) how many items were seized.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

Information on seizures of goods subject to sanctions and strategic export controls is available here:
UK strategic export controls annual report 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)


Written Question
Export Controls
Wednesday 27th March 2024

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

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to table 8.4 of the UK strategic export controls annual report 2022, published on 19 July 2023, HC1681, of the voluntary disclosures received, how many and what proportion related to (a) export controls and (b) sanctions violations; and what the destination country for each case was.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

Information on voluntary disclosures relating to trade sanctions and strategic export controls is available here:

UK strategic export controls annual report 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)


Written Question
Income Tax: G7
Wednesday 27th March 2024

Asked by: Simon Jupp (Conservative - East Devon)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the evidential basis is for his Department's tweet of 6 January 2024 that the UK had the lowest effective average personal tax rate in the G7; and what the effective average personal tax rate is in each G7 country.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government is committed to rewarding hard work through a fair and simple tax system that is also competitive internationally. The Government is taking a responsible approach by delivering tax cuts within the fiscal rules.

The tweet of 6 January 2024 was based on the most recently published data from the OECD’s Taxing Wages 2023 publication. This shows the total personal tax liability divided by salary for a single employed individual with no children on average earnings for Germany (37.4%), Italy (28.8%), France (27.7%), Canada (25.6%), the US (24.8%) and Japan (22.3%). Following the 2p NICs cut made at Autumn Statement, the effective personal tax rate for an employee on £44,300 (the OECD’s figure for UK average earnings) reduced from 23.6% to 21.5%, which would be the lowest rate in the G7, according to the latest available OECD data. This has fallen to 20.1% following the further 2p NICs cut made at Spring Budget.


Written Question
Tourism: VAT
Wednesday 27th March 2024

Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions has he had with businesses on tax-free shopping for international visitors.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

As the UK’s economic and finance ministry, HM Treasury has regular discussions with representatives from a wide range of industries including travel and retail as well as business representative organisations covering many sectors.


Written Question
Bank of England
Wednesday 27th March 2024

Asked by: Lord Sharkey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what, if any, statutory powers they have to issue binding directions to the Bank of England; and on how many occasions in each year since 2007 they have been exercised.

Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Treasury has statutory powers to issue directions to the Bank of England, which can only be used under specific conditions or circumstances. None of the powers outlined below have ever been used.

  • Under section 4 of the Bank of England Act 1946, the Treasury may direct the Bank, after consultation with the Governor, to action that is deemed to be necessary in the public interest. This power of direction applies to all of the Bank’s activities, with the exception of monetary policy and the exercise of the Bank’s functions as the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA).

  • Under section 19 of the Bank of England Act 1998, the Treasury may by order, after consultation with the Governor, direct the Bank with respect to monetary policy if it is deemed to be in the public interest and required by extreme economic circumstances.

  • Under section 410 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, the Treasury may direct the PRA and the Bank to not take an action that would be incompatible with the UK’s international obligations.

  • Under Section 61 of the Financial Services Act 2012, the Treasury may direct the Bank on specific measures relating to the assistance to or stabilisation of financial institutions.

The Bank of England also has powers to direct the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and Payment Systems Regulator (PSR).

  • Under section 9H of the Bank of England Act 1998, the Bank of England’s Financial Policy Committee (FPC) has powers of direction over the PRA and FCA (limited to the use of specific macroprudential tools). To date, the FPC has only ever used this power to implement the Leverage Ratio.

  • Under sections 9Y and 9Z of the Bank of England Act 1998, the Bank may direct the FCA to provide documents or information that the Bank reasonably requires for its financial stability functions. This power has never been used.

  • Under section 100 of the Financial Services (Banking Reform) Act 2013, the Bank has the power to direct the PSR not to exercise its powers, under specific circumstances. This power has never been used.