Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what representations she has had from (a) pubs and licensed premises, (b) leisure arenas, (c) community sports clubs and (d) music venues on business rates increases in the next financial year.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government has engaged with a range of stakeholders on business rates in advance of the Budget and continues to do so.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department had any role in the development of the electric car grant.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
I refer the Member to the answer given to UIN 90404 on 21st November 2025.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when her Department will host the planned roundtable between Post Office and the major banks to discuss the opportunity of expanding in-person banking services at post offices.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government recognises the importance of access to cash and banking services for businesses and individuals, including those who may be in vulnerable groups or require assistance and is supportive of industry initiatives that improve access to these vital services.
The Post Office plays a key role in supporting access to banking services. Under the Banking Framework, a commercial agreement between the Post Office and 30 banking firms, personal and business customers can withdraw and deposit cash, check their balance, pay bills and cash cheques at 11,500 Post Office branches across the UK. The specific services provided under the Framework are subject to commercial negotiations between individual banks and the Post Office, and the Government has no role in deciding what these arrangements are.
The Government would welcome continued collaboration between Post Office and the banking sector, on a commercial basis and will look to host joint discussions with Post Office and the banking sector in the coming months.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how will the proposed mileage charge for EV's be calculated and collected.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government intends to create a fair motoring tax system while supporting the automotive industry and ensuring EVs remain an attractive choice for consumers.
As announced at Budget 2025, the Government is introducing Electric Vehicle Excise Duty (eVED) from April 2028, a new mileage charge for electric and plug-in hybrid cars, recognising that EVs contribute to congestion and wear and tear on the roads but pay no equivalent to fuel duty.
The government has published a consultation on GOV.UK, which provides further detail on how eVED is intended to work and seeks views on its implementation: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69282ac1a245b0985f034197/eVED_Consultation.pdf
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many surviving spouses in each public sector pension scheme have lost their pension because they have (a) remarried and (b) established a (i) legal and (ii) other partnership.
Answered by Darren Jones - Minister for Intergovernmental Relations
The data required to answer this question is not held centrally by HM Treasury, but some of the relevant data may be held by individual Public Service Pension Schemes (PSPSs). While the cessation of survivor pensions upon remarriage or cohabitation was a common feature across older legacy PSPSs, all active members of major PSPSs are now accruing pensions in reformed schemes that do not cease survivor pensions in the case of remarriage or cohabitation.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to ensure value for money in public spending.
Answered by John Glen
Value for money is at the heart of government spending. It is one of the key considerations for any decision involving the use of public funds across government.
Since the Spending Review, the government has taken several steps to ensure it continues to deliver the greatest value from every pound of taxpayer’s money it spends. Departments have reprioritised and identified further efficiencies to help manage the impacts of inflation, protect vital frontline services and give our key public sector workers the pay rise they deserve.
This is only the start, the Chancellor has asked me to lead an ambitious Public Sector Productivity Programme targeted at increasing public sector productivity growth, both in the short- and long-term.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will provide funding to veterans charities to ensure continued support is made available to veterans who were in receipt of support under the Veterans Mobility Fund.
Answered by John Glen
The Government is committed to supporting all our veterans, and to ensuring that they continue to thrive after leaving the services.
Since 2014, the Government has committed £773m of LIBOR fines to support Armed Forces and Emergency Service charities.
As part of this package, the Chancellor awarded the Royal British Legion £3m to develop a Veterans Mobility Fund, designed to meet the wellbeing needs of veterans discharged with service-attributable serious physical injury. At the same time, the Chancellor also awarded £10m to develop a Veterans Hearing Fund, providing support to veterans who suffered hearing loss during service.
In 2019, at the Royal British Legion’s request, the Treasury authorised the transfer of almost £1.5m from the Veterans Mobility Fund to the Veterans Hearing Fund, following dramatic increases in the rate of applications for the Hearing Fund and a comparatively static application rate for the Mobility Fund. Both the Veterans Hearing and Veterans Mobility Funds have now closed.
Since 2020, we have announced a further £10m funding to support veterans’ mental health, £475k to support the development of a digital and data strategy for the sector, £5m to enable charities to address the impact of events in Afghanistan on veterans, a £5m Veterans’ Health Innovation Fund, and £8.55m in December last year to end veteran homelessness in 2023.
More than 100 service charities, including those who support veterans, also benefitted from £6m of the £750m to support the charity sector announced by the Chancellor in April 21 in support of COVID-19.
The Governments Veterans’ Strategy Action Plan sets out the steps we will take in the next two years towards our ambition of making the UK the best place in the world to be a veteran by 2028.
Decisions on additional funding on Veterans’ issue are routinely considered at fiscal events.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to his statement on the economic update on the 26 May 2022 and his commitment to legislate to deliver support on the same terms in every part of the UK, whether it is his policy that people with the same circumstances will receive the same level of support regardless of where they live.
Answered by Simon Clarke
Most of the support announced by the Chancellor on 26 May is being provided directly to households in all parts of the UK by the UK Government.
The one-off Cost of Living payments will be paid directly to households across the UK. In the absence of a functioning Executive in Northern Ireland, the UK Government is supporting the Northern Irish people through these payments, on exactly the same terms as the rest of the UK.
The Energy Bill Support Scheme applies to Great Britain only, but equivalent support will be provided to people in Northern Ireland, and the Household Support Fund is England-only, but the devolved administrations will receive around £79 million through the Barnett formula.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the oral Statement of 3 February 2022, Official Report, on the Economic Update, whether the £150 rebate will be paid in full to all households in bands A to D in April 2022, with a cash payment to those households with monthly bills less than £150.
Answered by Simon Clarke
Households in bands A-D that are eligible for the rebate will receive the £150 rebate in full through a cash payment from their local authority, even where their monthly council tax bill is less than £150.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the oral Statement of 3 February 2022, Official Report, on the Economic Update, whether all households in council tax bands A to D will receive the £150 council tax rebate including those receiving council tax support.
Answered by Simon Clarke
All households in council tax bands A to D who are not exempt from council tax will receive the £150 council tax rebate in full, including those receiving council tax support.