Asked by: Lord Hunt of Wirral (Conservative - Life peer)
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.
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Wirral (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government, in regard to the comment by the Minister for Creative Industries, Arts and Tourism on 3 September 2025 (HC Deb col 351) that there are no plans to introduce a tourism tax, why they are considering the introduction of an overnight visitor levy.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
English devolution is a key priority for this government, and by putting more fiscal powers into the hands of local leaders in England, we can help them to increase prosperity in their regions.
As part of this, we will empower local leaders in England to introduce a levy on overnight accommodation in their areas. This will give them greater fiscal freedom, enabling them to drive economic growth including through support for the local visitor economy. Evidence from international and domestic schemes suggested modest rates have minimal impact on visitor numbers and improves destinations and visitor experiences.
The precise design and scope of the power to introduce an overnight visitor levy are still being developed. Decisions on whether to introduce a levy will ultimately be for Mayors and other local leaders, based on what is right for their area.
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Wirral (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of private capital's willingness to invest in British Steel under the present ownership and control structure.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
British Steel remains owned by Jingye and it would be inappropriate for HM Government to formally approach potential third-party investors in such circumstances. We are in discussions with Jingye to find a pragmatic, realistic solution for the future of the site and our long-term aspiration for the steel sector will require co-investment with the private sector.
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Wirral (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many potential third-party investors have been formally approached regarding investment in British Steel since April 2025.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
British Steel remains owned by Jingye and it would be inappropriate for HM Government to formally approach potential third-party investors in such circumstances. We are in discussions with Jingye to find a pragmatic, realistic solution for the future of the site and our long-term aspiration for the steel sector will require co-investment with the private sector.
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Wirral (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to consult with hospitality and tourism businesses before introducing an overnight visitor levy; and what steps they will take to ensure that views of small and medium-sized enterprises are represented in that consultation.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The government is empowering Mayors to introduce an overnight visitor levy in their region to drive economic growth, including through support for the local visitor economy.
The government is consulting on the design of the new power but the decision of whether or not to introduce the levy will be for mayors who will need to consult when they do so. The precise design and scope of the power is still under development, but the impacts will largely be determined by local decisions.
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Wirral (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential impact of an overnight visitor levy on recruitment, hiring intentions and employment levels within the hospitality and tourism sectors.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The government is empowering Mayors to introduce an overnight visitor levy in their region to drive economic growth, including through support for the local visitor economy.
The government is consulting on the design of the new power but the decision of whether or not to introduce the levy will be for mayors who will need to consult when they do so. The precise design and scope of the power is still under development, but the impacts will largely be determined by local decisions.
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Wirral (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of an overnight visitor levy on small and independent businesses operating in the hospitality sector.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The government is empowering Mayors to introduce an overnight visitor levy in their region to drive economic growth, including through support for the local visitor economy.
The government is consulting on the design of the new power but the decision of whether or not to introduce the levy will be for mayors who will need to consult when they do so. The precise design and scope of the power is still under development, but the impacts will largely be determined by local decisions.
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Wirral (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential impact of the proposed overnight visitor levy on the ability of lower income families to afford domestic holidays.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The government is empowering Mayors to introduce an overnight visitor levy in their region to drive economic growth, including through support for the local visitor economy.
The government is consulting on the design of the new power but the decision of whether or not to introduce the levy will be for mayors who will need to consult when they do so. The precise design and scope of the power is still under development, but the impacts will largely be determined by local decisions.
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Wirral (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government on what date they plan to publish the revised implementation timetable for the Employment Rights Act 2025.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
As set out in the Implementation Roadmap, the Employment Rights Act 2025 will be delivered in phases to give employees and employers time to prepare.
Following Royal Assent on 18 December 2025, the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023 was repealed. In February further trade union measures will commence, including repealing the majority of the Trade Union Act 2016.
Further measures will take effect in April 2026, including day one rights to statutory sick pay and paternity leave, and launch of the Fair Work Agency.
The Government remains committed to the Implementation Roadmap timelines and will provide further updates and support for employers and workers in early 2026.
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Wirral (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on small drink manufacturers, including administrative burdens, of the proposed changes to the Soft Drinks Industry Levy, including its extension to milk-based and plant-based drinks and the lowering of the sugar threshold to 4.5 g per 100 ml.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The changes to the Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL) confirmed at the Budget in November 2025 were informed by the ‘Strengthening the Soft Drinks Industry Levy’ consultation, which was open from 28 April to 21 July 2025. Representations from small manufacturers, and the trade bodies representing them, were received and considered as part of this process.
On 25 November 2025, the government published its summary of responses to the consultation, including a full assessment of the impacts of the announced policy changes to the levy. This is available here:
The smallest producers, producing less than a million litres a year, will remain exempt from the SDIL.