Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to ensure that anti-money laundering supervisory authorities effectively discharge their functions under the Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds (Information on the Payer) Regulations 2017 in relation to commercial activity connected with Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and the occupied Syrian Golan Heights.
Answered by Rachel Blake
The MLRs do not prescribe separate requirements on supervisors in relation to commercial activity involving particular geographic areas or territories. Regulated businesses and firms are required to consider relevant risk factors relating to customers, transactions and the countries and geographical areas in which they operate. Anti-money laundering and counter terrorist financing (AML/CTF) supervisors help businesses and firms comply with the Money Laundering Regulations (MLRs), this includes issuing relevant guidance. HM Treasury publishes an annual report on supervision activity using information requested from supervisors.
The Government keeps threats posed by money laundering and terrorist financing under review and works with supervisors, law enforcement agencies and the private sector to identify and address emerging risks. HMT and the Home Office jointly-published the latest National Risk Assessment of money laundering and terrorist financing in 2025. This is used to inform regulated businesses’ own risk assessments, along with supervisors’ risk assessments and other sources of risk information and intelligence.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of whether UK persons and regulated businesses are exposed to money laundering risks through transactions involving companies whose goods or revenues are wholly or partly generated from Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and the occupied Syrian Golan Heights.
Answered by Rachel Blake
The MLRs do not prescribe separate requirements on supervisors in relation to commercial activity involving particular geographic areas or territories. Regulated businesses and firms are required to consider relevant risk factors relating to customers, transactions and the countries and geographical areas in which they operate. Anti-money laundering and counter terrorist financing (AML/CTF) supervisors help businesses and firms comply with the Money Laundering Regulations (MLRs), this includes issuing relevant guidance. HM Treasury publishes an annual report on supervision activity using information requested from supervisors.
The Government keeps threats posed by money laundering and terrorist financing under review and works with supervisors, law enforcement agencies and the private sector to identify and address emerging risks. HMT and the Home Office jointly-published the latest National Risk Assessment of money laundering and terrorist financing in 2025. This is used to inform regulated businesses’ own risk assessments, along with supervisors’ risk assessments and other sources of risk information and intelligence.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has issued, or plans to issue, guidance to anti-money laundering supervisory authorities on the application of Regulation 47 of the Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds (Information on the Payer) Regulations 2017 in relation to commercial activity connected with Israeli settlements in occupied territory.
Answered by Rachel Blake
The MLRs do not prescribe separate requirements on supervisors in relation to commercial activity involving particular geographic areas or territories. Regulated businesses and firms are required to consider relevant risk factors relating to customers, transactions and the countries and geographical areas in which they operate. Anti-money laundering and counter terrorist financing (AML/CTF) supervisors help businesses and firms comply with the Money Laundering Regulations (MLRs), this includes issuing relevant guidance. HM Treasury publishes an annual report on supervision activity using information requested from supervisors.
The Government keeps threats posed by money laundering and terrorist financing under review and works with supervisors, law enforcement agencies and the private sector to identify and address emerging risks. HMT and the Home Office jointly-published the latest National Risk Assessment of money laundering and terrorist financing in 2025. This is used to inform regulated businesses’ own risk assessments, along with supervisors’ risk assessments and other sources of risk information and intelligence.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department has undertaken an assessment of the expected impact on consumer food prices of the temporary suspension of tariffs on agricultural and food products announced on 30 April 2026.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with HM Treasury)
The Chancellor appreciates that the weekly shop is one of the biggest worries for families and is taking action on the cost of living, by suspending tariffs on a range of agri-food products.
The Government announced a package of temporary tariff suspensions on 30 April with a detailed list published on 20 May. These suspensions will reduce import costs for these items. The benefit to consumers is estimated to be around £100m to £400m annually.
The Chancellor also announced a consultation on a further list of products on 21 May. Taking account of all the items on the second list of products, published on 27 May, and currently subject to the call for input, would increase the estimated consumer benefit to a total of around £330m to £770m.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate her Department has made of the proportion of tariff savings that will be passed through to consumers in retail food prices.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with HM Treasury)
The Chancellor appreciates that the weekly shop is one of the biggest worries for families. She is taking action on the cost of living, including by suspending tariffs on a range of agri-food products. The UK grocery market is highly competitive, and we fully expect that retailers will pass on the entirety of cost savings to consumers.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate her Department has made of the average annual saving to households arising from the temporary suspension of tariffs on agricultural and food products announced on 30 April 2026.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with HM Treasury)
The Chancellor appreciates that the weekly shop is one of the biggest worries for families and is taking action on the cost of living, by suspending tariffs on a range of agri-food products.
The Government announced a package of temporary tariff suspensions on 30 April with a detailed list published on 20 May. These suspensions will reduce import costs for these items. The benefit to consumers is estimated to be around £100m to £400m annually.
The Chancellor also announced a consultation on a further list of products on 21 May. Taking account of all the items on the second list of products, published on 27 May, and currently subject to the call for input, would increase the estimated consumer benefit to a total of around £330m to £770m.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department intends to publish an assessment of the expected consumer benefits of any tariff suspensions implemented following the Call for Input on goods for cost of living tariff suspensions.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with HM Treasury)
The Government will be setting out next steps after the Call for Input closes on 24 June.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many Full‑Time Equivalent staff are engaged via the Managed Service Provider, broken down by business area.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with HM Treasury)
HMRC is currently using Managed Service Providers (MSPs) to provide additional customer service capacity, equivalent to around 500 FTE, focused on routine work. This includes support for the Online Services Helpdesk and handling simple PAYE enquiries.
HMRC are currently in an initial approximately 18 month ‘proof of value’ phase using existing Government contracts. This will allow them to test, learn and ensure quality and value for money before wider implementation.
HMRC has been clear that no HMRC colleague will be made redundant as a result of this initiative.
HMRC will continue to use a range of resourcing models, alongside the use of MSPs, to meet variable customer demand.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what modelling HMRC has undertaken on the displacement risk from the Managed Service provider model to existing HMRC roles, including surge staff and fixed‑term employees.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with HM Treasury)
HMRC is currently using Managed Service Providers (MSPs) to provide additional customer service capacity, equivalent to around 500 FTE, focused on routine work. This includes support for the Online Services Helpdesk and handling simple PAYE enquiries.
HMRC are currently in an initial approximately 18 month ‘proof of value’ phase using existing Government contracts. This will allow them to test, learn and ensure quality and value for money before wider implementation.
HMRC has been clear that no HMRC colleague will be made redundant as a result of this initiative.
HMRC will continue to use a range of resourcing models, alongside the use of MSPs, to meet variable customer demand.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether Managed Service Provider staffing levels are expected to increase beyond peak‑demand coverage for each function.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with HM Treasury)
HMRC is currently using Managed Service Providers (MSPs) to provide additional customer service capacity, equivalent to around 500 FTE, focused on routine work. This includes support for the Online Services Helpdesk and handling simple PAYE enquiries.
HMRC are currently in an initial approximately 18 month ‘proof of value’ phase using existing Government contracts. This will allow them to test, learn and ensure quality and value for money before wider implementation.
HMRC has been clear that no HMRC colleague will be made redundant as a result of this initiative.
HMRC will continue to use a range of resourcing models, alongside the use of MSPs, to meet variable customer demand.