Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 10 July 2024 to Question 65661 on Wealth: Taxation, whether this will include a wealth tax.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

I refer the Honourable Member to the answer given to UIN 65661.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how much his Department has spent on advertising the Industrial Strategy in (a) newspapers, (b) other print media, (c) online and (d) in total.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Marketing including paid advertising is necessary to reach a target audience of senior business decision makers, raising awareness of the UK’s new modern industrial strategy and the opportunities it presents for business growth. The Department of Business and Trade declares all advertising and media spend above £25,000 through its monthly transparency reporting process. These figures are published on gov.uk.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when she plans to publish Ministerial transparency data on hospitality in the fourth quarter of 2024.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Transparency data on hospitality received by HM Treasury Ministers can be found on gov.uk here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/register-of-ministers-gifts-and-hospitality

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the fiscal impact of introducing a wealth tax.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government is committed to making sure the wealthiest in our society pay their fair share of tax. That is why the Chancellor announced a series of reforms at Autumn Budget 2024 to help fix the public finances in as fair a way as possible.  These and other decisions announced at the Budget will help repair the public finances and fund public services such as the NHS and education.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential fiscal impact of introducing an exit tax payable upon persons ending their UK tax residency.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

HMRC publishes regular estimates of the direct impacts of illustrative tax changes in its Direct effects of illustrative tax changes publication. However, the Government does not routinely publish costings for hypothetical tax changes outside of this.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to correspondence of (a) 2 April, (b) 6 May and (c) 12 June 2025 from the hon. Member for Arundel and South Downs.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

I replied to the Hon. Member on 6 June 2025. The Department sent a further copy of this reply to the Hon. Member on 10 July 2025.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to ensure that small businesses have input into Departmental regulatory consultations.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

For regulation to be effective, it must be created in partnership with businesses. To support this, the government initiated the Invest 2035 call for evidence from key stakeholders, including small businesses, providing input on where regulation can be reformed across our key growth-driving sectors to help encourage growth and innovation.

These responses informed our Modern Industrial Strategy published last month, as well as the Government’s Action Plan for Regulation, published in March. We are continuing to engage with SMEs, via a dedicated forum chaired by Minister Thomas, which will directly inform our forthcoming SME Strategy.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has made an estimate of the time spent by businesses on regulatory paperwork annually.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Determining the cumulative administrative costs of regulation that businesses face has not been done for 15 years. That’s why we are undertaking a baselining exercise to understand the administrative costs of regulation to businesses. This baseline will inform how we implement the target of reducing administrative burdens by 25% by the end of the Parliament, as announced in the March Action Plan for Regulation. We have considered different analytical options and looked to identify the most proportionate methodology to calculate the baseline for costs. We will announce a final baseline in due course.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of carbon reporting requirements on businesses.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Building on a summary of responses to a Call for Evidence published in November 2024 , DESNZ has commissioned an evaluation of the SECR regulations, which we expect to publish in early 2026. DESNZ is also undertaking an internal review to assess opportunities to streamline carbon reporting requirements to reduce the administrative burden placed on businesses, supporting the Department for Business and Trade’s Non-Financial Reporting (NFR) review and cross-Government Regulation Action Plan.

The Government has committed to delivering the foundations of a world-leading sustainable finance framework to drive investment in the green transition and deliver economic growth. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has worked closely with the Department for Business and Trade and HM Treasury on how best to take forward transition plan and emissions reporting requirements, with recently published consultations on these topics now live.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what comparative assessment he has made of levels of regulation on businesses in (a) the UK and (b) other G20 countries.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The UK is an excellent place to do business, and in 2023 scored in the top 3 G20 countries on regulatory quality according to the World Bank [Regulatory Quality: Percentile Rank | Data]. However, businesses have told us that regulation can be too complex, stifle progress and innovation, with 45% businesses agreeing that regulation was an obstacle to their success in 2022, according to DBT’s Business Perceptions Survey. Our Action Plan for Regulation aims to reduce these burdens for businesses, including by cutting the administrative costs for business by 25% by the end of this Parliament.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has had discussions with devolved Administrations on coordinating business regulation to reduce duplication.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

To deliver growth across the UK, and support businesses and consumers, UK Government officials have been engaging with officials from the Scottish and Welsh Governments, and Northern Ireland Executive, on its Action Plan to overhaul our regulatory system, including the target to reduce the administrative cost of regulation to business by 25% by the end of this Parliament. Whilst the territorial scope relates to reserved matters, the Government is committed to collaborating with the devolved governments, including at Ministerial level using intergovernmental structures where appropriate, to ensure that reforms benefit the maximum number of people around the UK.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent steps his Department has taken to reduce cross-border trade processes for small businesses.

Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

There are a number of different Departments and agencies with responsibility for cross-border processes. The Government’s Trade Strategy sets out how HMG will continue to work to support business, including through DBT working with industry on initiatives to improve the uptake of Electronic Trade Documents to reduce paperwork and administrative burdens for small businesses trading across borders

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he has had discussions with industry representatives on the impact of data protection requirements on SMEs.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

Yes, my department has regularly engaged with businesses, trade associations and other interest groups during passage of the Data (Use and Access) Act. Many of the provisions in the Act are designed to simplify the data protection legislation for organisations, while promoting innovation and economic growth, and maintaining high data protection standards.

My officials and I will continue to engage with stakeholders in the months ahead as we implement the Act. An impact assessment can be found here.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 7 July 2025 to Question 64503 on British Steel: Scunthorpe, if he will publish (a) the findings of the independent assessment and (b) a summary of the findings of the independent assessment.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government does not intend to publish the findings of the independent assessment as they are commercially sensitive.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 7 July 2025 to Question 64503 on British Steel: Scunthorpe, what conclusion the report in late 2024 commissioned at British Steel reached on the remaining lifespan of the blast furnaces.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to Question 65668.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 10 July 2024 to Question 65664 on Taxation: Overseas Residence, whether the Government has conducted such hypothetical tax change costings for an exit tax payable upon person ending their residency in the United Kingdom.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

HMRC publishes estimates of the direct impacts of illustrative tax changes in its Direct effects of illustrative tax changes publication. The Government does not routinely publish costings for hypothetical tax changes outside of this.

The Government is committed to ensuring that the wealthiest in society pay their fair share of tax. The reforms announced at Autumn Budget 2024 were designed to help repair the public finances in a fair and balanced way.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 10 July 2024 to Question 65661 on Wealth: Taxation, whether this will include an exit tax payable upon persons ending their UK tax residency.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

HMRC publishes estimates of the direct impacts of illustrative tax changes in its Direct effects of illustrative tax changes publication. The Government does not routinely publish costings for hypothetical tax changes outside of this.

The Government is committed to ensuring that the wealthiest in society pay their fair share of tax. The reforms announced at Autumn Budget 2024 were designed to help repair the public finances in a fair and balanced way.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent discussions he has had with the (a) Secretary of State for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development office and (b) UK Ambassadors on the promotion of exports.

Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Department engages regularly with other government departments including the FCDO. As set out in our Trade Strategy our overseas network is a critical asset for British businesses. The network is led by nine HM Trade Commissioners who work closely with HM Ambassadors and High Commissioners around the world to support UK exports. This includes helping businesses to build local relationships, providing advice on market conditions and regulations, and promoting UK goods and services in a unified "Team UK spirit".

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make an assessment of the effectiveness of secondary live event ticket sales price caps in other countries, in the context of potential price caps in the UK.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The government is committed to putting fans back at the heart of live events by clamping down on exploitative practices in the ticket resale market. We ran a consultation earlier this year to seek views on a range of proposals, including a price cap that would restrict the price at which tickets could lawfully be resold.

We are currently reviewing all the evidence that we received in response to our consultation, including insights on international comparisons and operational requirements. We will set out our plans in the government response, which we intend to publish later this summer.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment the he has made of the potential impact of a secondary live event ticket sales price cap on levels of tourism.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The government is committed to putting fans back at the heart of live events by clamping down on exploitative practices in the ticket resale market. We ran a consultation earlier this year to seek views on a range of proposals, including a price cap that would restrict the price at which tickets could lawfully be resold.

We are currently reviewing all the evidence that we received in response to our consultation, including insights on international comparisons and operational requirements. We will set out our plans in the government response, which we intend to publish later this summer.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of has made of the feasibility of implementing a secondary live event ticket sales price cap.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The government is committed to putting fans back at the heart of live events by clamping down on exploitative practices in the ticket resale market. We ran a consultation earlier this year to seek views on a range of proposals, including a price cap that would restrict the price at which tickets could lawfully be resold.

We are currently reviewing all the evidence that we received in response to our consultation, including insights on international comparisons and operational requirements. We will set out our plans in the government response, which we intend to publish later this summer.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many prosecutions have been brought under the Breaching of Limits on Ticket Sales Regulations 2018 in each year since their coming into force; and what their outcomes were.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

To date there have been no recorded prosecutions under this offence.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions she has had with business groups on the impact of increases to employer's National Insurance contributions.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Ministers and officials from multiple Government departments have had meetings with organisations which have covered this matter since Autumn Budget 2024.

A Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) was published alongside the introduction of the Bill containing the changes to employer NICs. The TIIN sets out the impact of the policy on the exchequer, the economic impacts of the policy, and the impacts on individuals, businesses, and civil society organisations, as well as an overview of the equality impacts.

The Government decided to protect the smallest businesses from the changes to employer NICs by increasing the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500. This means that this year, 865,000 employers will pay no NICs at all, and more than half of all employers will either gain or will see no change.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions she has had with business groups on the impact of changes to Business Property Relief.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government believes its reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief from 6 April 2026 get the balance right between supporting farms and businesses, and fixing the public finances. The reforms reduce the inheritance tax advantages available to owners of agricultural and business assets, but still mean those assets will be taxed at a much lower effective rate than most other assets. Despite a tough fiscal context, the Government will maintain very significant levels of relief from inheritance tax beyond what is available to others and compared to the position before 1992. Where inheritance tax is due, those liable for a charge can pay any liability on the relevant assets over 10 annual instalments, interest-free.

Ministers and officials have had a number of meetings with organisations on this matter since Autumn Budget 2024. After listening, the Government believes the approach set out is an appropriate one.

Found: a severance payment due to changing roles (Secretary of State for Health and Social Care) 49 Andrew Griffith

Found: Hon Julia Lopez M P Minister of State for Data and Digital Infrastructure To 5 Jul 2024 Rt Hon Andrew Griffith

Found: Hon Julia Lopez M P Minister of State for Data and Digital Infrastructure To 5 Jul 2024 Rt Hon Andrew Griffith