Asked by: Dave Doogan (Scottish National Party - Angus and Perthshire Glens)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to her oral contribution of 26 November 2025 on Financial Statement and Budget, Official Report, column 388, what (a) meetings, (b) correspondence and (c) other discussions did she have with Mr Sarwar to arrive at the £820 million uplift to Scotland's Block Grant prior to the Autumn Budget 2025.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The government listens to a wide range of representations to help shape the Budget, including from Scottish Labour.
Asked by: Dave Doogan (Scottish National Party - Angus and Perthshire Glens)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to her oral contribution of 26 November 2025 on Financial Statement and Budget, Official Report, column 388, if she will confirm whether her £820m allocation to Scotland's Block Grant is as a function of Barnett Consequentials following her finalisation of UK Government Expenditure in England.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The £820 million additional funding for the Scottish Government referenced is a result of the operation of the Barnett formula.
Asked by: Dave Doogan (Scottish National Party - Angus and Perthshire Glens)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that when errors in earnings submissions to HMRC are self-identified and corrected, those corrections are communicated promptly and accurately to the Department for Work and Pensions, so that claimants are not adversely or unfairly affected by inaccurate income data.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Where an error has been identified, employers can submit revised information to HMRC through standard reporting processes.
HMRC transmits payroll data to the Department for Work and Pensions on a daily basis.
Asked by: Dave Doogan (Scottish National Party - Angus and Perthshire Glens)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what was the total value of bonds sold by, or on behalf of, the Development Company for Israel in the UK in the most recent year for which data is available.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The government does not hold this information.
Asked by: Dave Doogan (Scottish National Party - Angus and Perthshire Glens)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the (a) Bank of England and (b) Financial Conduct Authority have a role in the (i) authorisation and (ii) regulation of bond sales (A) by and (B) on behalf of the Development Company for Israel in the UK.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The government does not comment on individual firms.
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is the independent non-governmental body responsible for regulating and supervising the financial services industry. The FCA is responsible for authorising and supervising regulated firms, in line with their objectives, and for taking enforcement action where necessary.
This includes responsibility for the UK Prospectus Regime which sets out requirements firms must follow for the public issuance or admission of securities – including debt securities – on UK regulated markets.
Asked by: Dave Doogan (Scottish National Party - Angus and Perthshire Glens)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the planned increase of £13.4 billion in annual defence spending by the 2027-28 financial year includes previously announced funding of (a) £150 million for national security and (b) £4.5 billion for the Single Intelligence Account in the 2025-26 financial year.
Answered by Darren Jones - Minister for Intergovernmental Relations
The Prime Minister announced in February 2025 that NATO-qualifying defence spending will increase to 2.6% in 2027. This will be achieved through an increase in funding from a reduction in the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget from 0.5% to 0.3% Gross National Income, and, in line with practice among our allies, recognising the contribution of our intelligence and security services to the defence of our nation.
The inclusion of other departmental spending that falls under NATO qualifying defence spending definitions will continue to be periodically reviewed in line with NATO guidance.
Asked by: Dave Doogan (Scottish National Party - Angus and Perthshire Glens)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Answer of 16 June 2025 to Question 59132 on Intelligence Services: Finance, whether the provision of 2.5% of GDP on defence spending includes spending on the increase to the Single Intelligence Account.
Answered by Darren Jones - Minister for Intergovernmental Relations
The Prime Minister announced in February 2025 that NATO-qualifying defence spending will increase to 2.6% in 2027 through a reduction in ODA funding, and, in line with practice among our allies, recognising the contribution of our intelligence and security services to the defence of our nation. The SIA budget will be fully NATO qualifying from 27-28.
The inclusion of departmental spending that falls under NATO qualifying defence spending definitions will continue to be periodically reviewed in line with NATO guidance.
Asked by: Dave Doogan (Scottish National Party - Angus and Perthshire Glens)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will require the Financial Conduct Authority to consider access to banking services when carrying out local access to cash assessments.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Financial Services and Markets Act 2023 granted the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) the responsibility and powers to seek to ensure the reasonable provision of cash withdrawal and deposit facilities. Under the FCA’s regime, LINK, the operator of the UK’s ATM network, is responsible for undertaking access to cash assessments. When a cash service such as a bank branch closes, or if LINK receives a request directly from a community, LINK assesses a community’s access to cash needs and can recommend a new service, such as a banking hub.
The criteria for access to cash assessments is a matter for LINK, the financial services sector and the FCA. We have no plans to change the criteria.
The FCA is required by law to keep its access to cash rules under review and is monitoring the impact of these rules on an ongoing basis to ensure they deliver the right outcomes for businesses and consumers.
Asked by: Dave Doogan (Scottish National Party - Angus and Perthshire Glens)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an estimate of the potential cost to the public purse of the Bank of England's Quantitative Tightening programme (a) since July 2024 and (b) since its commencement in November 2022.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Since October 2022, HM Treasury has transferred £85.9bn to the Bank of England to cover losses arising from the Asset Purchase Facility, of which £25bn was transferred since July 2024. This covers losses incurred from net interest costs and the sale and redemption of bonds as the portfolio is unwound.
Data on these quarterly cash transfers between HM Treasury and the Bank of England are made publicly available by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in its monthly Public Sector Finances publication. The data are available at the following link under the ONS series ID MF7A in worksheet PSA9B:
Asked by: Dave Doogan (Scottish National Party - Angus and Perthshire Glens)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, which minister is responsible for overseeing progression of The Payment Services (Contract Terminations Amendment) Regulations 2024.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
I am the minister responsible for the progression of this policy.
The Government is preparing to lay these regulations in Parliament in due course.