Asked by: Alison Taylor (Labour - Paisley and Renfrewshire North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that there is adequate access to free-to-use cash machines in towns.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government recognises that cash continues to be used by millions of people across the UK, including those in vulnerable groups, and is committed to protecting access to cash for individuals and businesses.
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) introduced regulatory rules for access to cash in September 2024. Its rules require the reasonable provision of free withdrawal and deposit facilities for personal current accounts. The FCA also require the UK’s largest banks and building societies to assess the impact of a closure or material alteration of a relevant cash withdrawal or deposit facility, and put in place a new service if necessary.
Where a resident, community organisation or other interested party feels access to cash in their community is insufficient, they can submit a request for a cash access assessment. Further information about submitting a cash access request can be found at the following link: https://www.link.co.uk/helping-you-access-cash/request-access-to-cash
Asked by: Alison Taylor (Labour - Paisley and Renfrewshire North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps the Government is taking to prevent the loss of in-person banking services in towns.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government understands the importance of face-to-face banking to communities, high streets and towns across the UK, and is committed to championing sufficient access for all as a priority. This is why the Government is working closely with banks to roll out 350 banking hubs, which will provide local residents and businesses up and down the country with critical cash and banking services. Over 200 banking hubs have been announced so far and over 100 are already open.
Alternative options to access everyday banking services can be via telephone banking, through digital means such as mobile or online banking and via the Post Office. The Post Office Banking Framework allows personal and business customers to withdraw and deposit cash, check their balance, pay bills and cash cheques at 11,500 Post Office branches across the UK.
Asked by: Alison Taylor (Labour - Paisley and Renfrewshire North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has of the potential impact of expanding Heathrow Airport on Scottish exports.
Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The benefits from Heathrow expansion are not just in London and the South East but the entire UK, with the Frontier Economics analysis estimating that over half (60%) of the benefits would be in the rest of the UK.
This could increase trade opportunities for products like Scotch whiskey and Scottish salmon - already two of the biggest British exports out of Heathrow.
Asked by: Alison Taylor (Labour - Paisley and Renfrewshire North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of increasing the personal savings allowance for basic rate taxpayers.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Personal Savings Allowance (PSA) allows basic rate taxpayers to receive up to £1,000 in savings income tax free. Higher rate taxpayers can receive up to £500 in savings income tax free.
Individuals can also save up to £20,000 into an Individual Savings Account (ISA) each year, where savings income is received tax free. In addition, the Starting Rate for Savings allows for tax free savings income of up to £5,000 for those with earned income below £17,570. Taken together, this means that around 85 per cent of people with savings income pay no tax on that income.
The Government keeps all aspects of the tax system under review.
Asked by: Alison Taylor (Labour - Paisley and Renfrewshire North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has had discussions with Santander on (a) its banking presence on high streets and (b) the impact of that on (i) consumers and (ii) businesses.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Chancellor of the Exchequer meets regularly with all major banks to discuss a wide variety of topics.
The Government understands the importance of face-to-face banking to communities, high streets and businesses across the UK, and is committed to championing sufficient access for all as a priority. Access to financial services is key to ensuring all citizens and businesses can both contribute to and benefit from growth in the UK.
The Government continues to work closely with banks to roll out 350 banking hubs by the end of this parliament, which will provide local residents and businesses up and down the country with critical cash and banking services.
Asked by: Alison Taylor (Labour - Paisley and Renfrewshire North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate she has made on the number of family owned businesses who will be impacted by the proposed changes to (a) Business Property Relief and (b) Agricultural Property Relief in Paisley and Renfrewshire North constituency.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government published information about the reforms to agricultural property relief (APR) and business property relief (BPR) at www.gov.uk/government/publications/agricultural-property-relief-and-business-property-relief-reforms. The Chancellor also recently wrote to the Chair of the Treasury Select Committee about the reforms to Agricultural Property Relief: https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/45691/documents/226235/default/.
It is expected that up to around 2,000 estates across the UK will be affected by the changes to APR and BPR in 2026-27, with around half of those being claims that involve AIM shares. Almost three-quarters of estates claiming agricultural property relief (or those claiming agricultural property relief and business property relief together) are expected to be unaffected by these reforms.
In accordance with standard practice, a tax information and impact note will be published alongside the draft legislation before the relevant Finance Bill.
The number of affected estates, meaning how many estates making relief claims that would pay more inheritance tax as a result of the change, is affected by who the owners of any businesses are, how many owners there are, any borrowing they have, and how they plan their affairs. Without such information, which the Government does not hold at the UK Parliamentary Constituency level, area level assessments cannot be made.
Asked by: Alison Taylor (Labour - Paisley and Renfrewshire North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to employer National Insurance contribution rates on third sector organisations; and whether she plans to take steps with Cabinet colleagues to provide additional funding to charities to support them with these costs.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government recognises the important role charities play in our society, and has made it a priority to develop a Civil Society Covenant recognising the sector as a trusted and independent partner.
Within the tax system, we provide support to charities through a range of reliefs and exemptions, including reliefs for charitable giving. The tax reliefs available to charities are a vital element in supporting charitable causes across the UK, and our tax regime for charities is among the most generous of anywhere in the world with more than £6 billion in charitable reliefs provided to charities, CASCs and their donors in 2023 to 2024. The biggest individual reliefs provided are Gift Aid at £1.6 billion and business rates relief at nearly £2.4 billion.
To repair the public finances and help raise the revenue required to increase funding for public services, the government has taken the difficult decision to increase employer National Insurance.
The Government recognises the need to protect the smallest businesses and charities, which is why we have more than doubled the Employment Allowance to £10,500, meaning more than half of employers with NICs liabilities either gain or see no change next year. Charities will still be able to claim employer NICs reliefs including those for under 21s and under 25 apprentices, where eligible.
The Government has committed to provide support for departments and other public sector employers for additional Employer NICs costs only. This is the usual approach the Government takes to supporting the public sector with additional Employer NICs costs, as was the case with the previous Government’s Health and Social Care Levy.
Asked by: Alison Taylor (Labour - Paisley and Renfrewshire North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will take steps to ensure that the Pensions Investment Review makes an assessment of the potential impact of each of its recommendations on people who plan to retire in the next five years.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
Since launching in July, the Pensions Investment Review has focused on engaging with stakeholders and gathering insights and evidence. A Call for Evidence was published in September and the evidence received will inform our understanding of the impacts any changes in this area could have on savers.
Any measures that are taken forward into legislation will have the relevant accompanying impact assessments.
Asked by: Alison Taylor (Labour - Paisley and Renfrewshire North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of (a) introducing transitional arrangements for and (b) delaying implementation of her policy on VAT on school fees in Scotland.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Whilst developing these policies, the Government has carefully considered the impact that they will have on pupils and their families across both the state and private sector, as well as the impact they will have on state and private schools. This consideration includes the impacts of these changes across all four nations of the UK.
The Government has additionally engaged extensively with all the devolved Governments, including the Scottish Government, on this issue.
Following scrutiny of the Government’s costing by the independent Office for Budget Responsibility, the Government will confirm its approach to these reforms at the Budget on 30 October and set out its assessment of relevant expected impacts in a Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN).