Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to review the National Trusts Acts to require the National Trust to publish a comprehensive annual statement of the financial benefits it enjoys from tax reliefs and other disbursements from the Exchequer, whether direct or indirect.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Government has no plans to review the National Trust Acts. The National Trust is an independent charity, run by its board of Trustees who are responsible for the organisation’s governance.

The accounts and annual reports of all registered charities with an income of over £25,000 are freely accessible on the public register of charities provided by the Charity Commission on gov.uk. These provide detailed information on the charity’s income and expenditure, which can help the public better understand the charity and its finances.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by the Prime Minister at the Downing Street news conference on 25 February, how they calculated that 0.2 per cent of GDP equates to £13.4 billion.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

In 2027/28 we will be spending £13.4 billion more on defence than we do today. Our cash spend in 24/25 is £66.3 billion and our cash spend in 27/28 will be £79.7 billion.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effects on UK GDP of the imposition of tariffs by the President of the United States of America on Mexico and Canada.

Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

HMT continuously monitors external developments and potential impacts on the UK economy and is committed to considering what actions are best to promote and safeguard UK business interests.

Global trade is an important driver of global and domestic growth; increased trade barriers and increased uncertainty about trade policies between partners will be detrimental to the global and UK economies. We are clear – as a very open economy – that free and open global trade is in our national interest.