Independent School Fees: VAT Debate

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Department: HM Treasury

Independent School Fees: VAT

Baroness Neville-Rolfe Excerpts
Thursday 13th March 2025

(1 month, 2 weeks ago)

Lords Chamber
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Lord Livermore Portrait Lord Livermore (Lab)
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I am grateful to my noble friend for his question. As I have said, the continuity of education allowance is designed to provide clearly defined financial support to ensure that the need for frequent mobility, often involving overseas postings, does not interfere with the education of the children involved.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe Portrait Baroness Neville-Rolfe (Con)
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My Lords, VAT on independent school fees is an unpleasant, class-based change of the kind sometimes adopted by the party opposite. This increased private school fees by 12.7% this January, according to the ONS. We will debate this matter next week with the Finance Bill, but does the Minister not feel rather embarrassed that his Government are the first one to tax education?

Lord Livermore Portrait Lord Livermore (Lab)
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If the noble Baroness wants to talk about what she is embarrassed about, I am very happy to talk about the previous Government’s record over the past 14 years. This was a necessary decision that will generate additional funding to help improve public services, including for the 94% of pupils who are in the state sector.