Asked by: Andrew Mitchell (Conservative - Sutton Coldfield)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 16 December 2025 to Question 97744 on Council Tax: Sutton Coldfield, if she will publish the evidential basis for the claim that the surcharge will raise £400m in revenue in 2028/29.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The policy costing note for the High Value Council Tax Surcharge is available on page 51 of the Budget 2025 policy costings document:
Asked by: Andrew Mitchell (Conservative - Sutton Coldfield)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate she has made of the potential savings to the public purse of the closure of the online filing service to support small businesses with simple tax affairs.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
I understand the impact the closure of this service for filing company accounts and tax returns may have on small, unrepresented businesses.
The service is closing because Companies House is modernising its accounts filing requirements under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, passed by the previous government. The current service does not meet these new standards.
The Act forms part of wider reforms designed to strengthen corporate transparency and give Companies House greater powers to tackle economic crime and support economic growth.
The closure of the service, which is outdated and incompatible with modern requirements, will also allow HMRC to introduce measures to prevent abuse of the tax system and help close the small business tax gap, which was estimated to be £14.7 billion in the 2023/24 tax year.
Asked by: Andrew Mitchell (Conservative - Sutton Coldfield)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions she has had with small business owners on the closure of the online filing service to support small, unrepresented businesses with simple tax affairs.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
I understand the impact the closure of this service for filing company accounts and tax returns may have on small, unrepresented businesses.
The service is closing because Companies House is modernising its accounts filing requirements under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, passed by the previous government. The current service does not meet these new standards.
The Act forms part of wider reforms designed to strengthen corporate transparency and give Companies House greater powers to tackle economic crime and support economic growth.
Government officials meet regularly with business groups and representatives to discuss issues affecting small businesses. HMRC has engaged directly with users of the service and with representative bodies. They continue to work with Companies House and software providers to support a smooth transition.
HMRC announced the closure of the service in February 2025, giving more than a year for those affected to make other arrangements. At the same time HMRC wrote to those impacted with support on how to transition. HMRC and Companies House will continue to ensure appropriate support is in place for small businesses during the transition.
Asked by: Andrew Mitchell (Conservative - Sutton Coldfield)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an estimate of the number of houses in Sutton Coldfield constituency which will incur council tax surcharges from 2028.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
I refer the member to the answer given to UIN 94638 on 26 November 2025.
The Government has not estimated the number of homes in Sutton Coldfield that will be liable for the new HVCTS.
Asked by: Andrew Mitchell (Conservative - Sutton Coldfield)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will estimate the number of houses in Sutton Coldfield which will incur council tax surcharges from 2028.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The High Value Council Tax Surcharge (HVCTS) will apply to owners of properties worth £2 million or above, ensuring those with the most valuable properties pay their fair share. The HVCTS will affect fewer than 1% of all properties across England.
Asked by: Andrew Mitchell (Conservative - Sutton Coldfield)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many additional people will be eligible for the Help to Save scheme in the West Midlands from 2028.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The government is expanding the Help to Save scheme to Universal Credit claimants who receive either the carer’s element or the child element. This will enable more low-income households to build savings, supported by a government bonus, to improve their financial security.
Whilst no estimate has been made of potential take-up of the scheme on a regional basis, up to an additional 1.5 million households could benefit from the scheme from April 2028.
This is an estimate of the number of non-working households who are estimated to be in receipt of the child element and/ or carer element on Universal Credit in April 2028. It is derived from the DWP’s Policy Simulation Model which is a microsimulation model that is based on data from the Family Resources Survey and DWP benefit forecasts. Eligibility estimates are therefore subject to some uncertainty.
Asked by: Andrew Mitchell (Conservative - Sutton Coldfield)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what fiscal steps her Department is taking to support pensioners with the cost of living in Sutton Coldfield.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
We’re committed to helping pensioners with the cost of living and ensuring financial security in retirement. The State Pension is the foundation of income in retirement and will remain so. At Autumn Budget 2025 we announced that, in line with the government’s commitment to the Triple Lock throughout this parliament, over 12 million pensioners will benefit from a 4.8% increase to their basic or new State Pension in April 2026, increasing their income by up to £575 a year. This follows a substantial increase in 2025/26, with those receiving a full new State Pension getting a £360 boost.
The Pension Credit Standard Minimum Guarantee will increase by 4.8% in April 2026, from £227.10 to £238 a week for a single pensioner and from £346.60 to £363.25 a week for a couple, protecting the income of the poorest pensioners. Those in receipt of Pension Credit will also automatically receive the Cold Weather Payment alongside other benefits.
The Winter Fuel Payment will benefit over three quarters of pensioners for the duration of this parliament, targeting help to those on lower and middle incomes while ensuring fairness for pensioners and taxpayers.
To help with ongoing cost of living pressures, the government will remove around £150 on average off household energy bills across Great Britain from April 2026. By ending the Energy Company Obligation, we are taking some of the expensive legacy levies off bills.
We are expanding the Warm Home Discount to around an additional 2.7 million households. This means that from this winter, around 6 million low-income households will receive the £150 support to help with their energy bill costs. The Warm Home Discount regulations expire in 2026, and we will want to consider all options for future bill support beyond this point.
We are also providing support for low-income households through our Warm Homes Plan which will support investment in insulation and low carbon heating – upgrading millions of homes over this Parliament. At the recent Budget, we announced £1.5 billion in new funding to support households facing fuel poverty.
Asked by: Andrew Mitchell (Conservative - Sutton Coldfield)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an estimate of the number of pensioners who will need to pay back the Winter Fuel Payment through tax system in Sutton Coldfield constituency in the next 12 months.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The vast majority of pensioners, around 9 million individuals, will benefit from Winter Fuel Payments this winter.
The Government has been clear that the Winter Fuel Payment should be means-tested on the basis of income. For higher income pensioners, those with an annual income of more than £35,000, the payment will be recovered via the tax system.
Estimates for winter 2025/26 are not available at the Parliamentary Constituency level.
Asked by: Andrew Mitchell (Conservative - Sutton Coldfield)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make it her policy to circulate to all Ministers holding economic portfolios the article published in The Times entitled Want to help the poor? Don’t chase out the rich, published on 16 May 2025.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
Successful businesses and entrepreneurs who create jobs and wealth are the driving engine of the Government’s mission to increase economic growth. We will support them to succeed whilst making those with wealth pay their fair share toward the public finances.
That is why the Government is removing barriers to growth such as burdensome planning processes and unnecessary regulation, whilst also increasing the rates of capital gains taxation and restricting reliefs for inheritance tax that benefit some of the wealthiest estates. These and other decisions announced at Autumn Budget 2024 will help repair the public finances and fund public services such as the NHS and education.
Asked by: Andrew Mitchell (Conservative - Sutton Coldfield)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions his Department has had with (a) the International Monetary Fund and (b) his counterparts in G7 countries on helping to ensure that Pakistan’s debt repayments do not divert resources from the ongoing humanitarian situation in that country.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade
The Government expresses deep concern and condolences for the severe humanitarian and economic impact of flooding in Pakistan. The UK recently announced an uplift in Pakistan flood relief funding, taking the total amount pledged to £16.5m. In addition, at COP26, the UK announced more than £55m of support to help Pakistan tackle climate change.
The Government regularly engages on debt issues with our international partners in a number of fora. The UK acts in concert with its partners in the Paris Club and G20 on international debt issues and we stand ready to consider any formal request from Pakistan through the Paris Club or Common Framework process.