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Written Question
Tax Avoidance
Tuesday 21st March 2023

Asked by: Deidre Brock (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh North and Leith)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to help reduce tax avoidance.

Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

Since 2010, the Government has introduced over 200 measures to tackle tax avoidance, evasion, and non-compliance, and in 2021-22 HMRC secured and protected £30.8 billion for public services that would otherwise have gone unpaid.

Last week the Government went further, closing an avoidance loophole within capital gains tax and setting out plans to double the maximum prison sentences for the most egregious tax fraudsters. The Government will also shortly consult on a new criminal offence for promoters of tax avoidance.


Written Question
Public Expenditure: Inflation
Tuesday 15th November 2022

Asked by: Deidre Brock (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh North and Leith)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the potential impact of inflation on the budgets of devolved governments.

Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

Spending Review 2021 provided the devolved administrations with their largest annual block grants, in real terms, of any spending review settlement since 1998. As a result, the devolved administrations’ funding is still growing in real terms over the Spending Review period despite higher inflation, which means they remain well-funded to deliver their devolved responsibilities. I continue to actively engage on this issue with my counterparts in the devolved administrations.


Written Question
Video Games: Tax Allowances
Monday 17th October 2022

Asked by: Deidre Brock (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh North and Leith)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether it is his policy to increase the rate of video games tax relief to the level proposed by the Independent Game Developers’ Association.

Answered by Felicity Buchan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

The Government recognises the valuable economic and cultural contribution of the video games industry. The Video Games Tax Relief (VGTR) has supported £5.1 billion of UK expenditure on 1,940 games since its introduction in 2014.

At Spending Review 2021 the government confirmed £8 million for the continuation of the UK Games Fund which provides bespoke support for the UK’s independent video game industry.

The Government regularly receives proposals for changes to tax reliefs. When considering changes, the Government must ensure they provide support to businesses in a fair way and that taxpayer money is effectively targeted. An uplift in the rate of VGTR is not currently under consideration. However, the Government keeps all tax reliefs under review.


Written Question
Video Games: Tax Allowances
Monday 17th October 2022

Asked by: Deidre Brock (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh North and Leith)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment his Department has made of the implications for his policies of the Irish government's decision to set video games tax relief at 32 per cent.

Answered by Felicity Buchan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

The Government recognises the valuable economic and cultural contribution of the video games industry. The Video Games Tax Relief (VGTR) has supported £5.1 billion of UK expenditure on 1,940 games since its introduction in 2014.

At Spending Review 2021 the government confirmed £8 million for the continuation of the UK Games Fund which provides bespoke support for the UK’s independent video game industry.

The Government regularly receives proposals for changes to tax reliefs. When considering changes, the Government must ensure they provide support to businesses in a fair way and that taxpayer money is effectively targeted. An uplift in the rate of VGTR is not currently under consideration. However, the Government keeps all tax reliefs under review.


Written Question
Consumer Goods: Repairs and Maintenance
Wednesday 30th March 2022

Asked by: Deidre Brock (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh North and Leith)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has been made of the potential merits of offering VAT relief on the repair of personal and household goods to support sustainability and circular economy commitments.

Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport

The current VAT treatment of the repair of personal and household goods is subject to the standard rate of VAT at 20 per cent, as is the case for the vast majority of goods and services.

Introducing any new VAT relief would come at a cost to the Exchequer, and the Government has received over £50 billion worth of requests for relief from VAT since the EU referendum.

Although the Government keeps all taxes under review, introducing a new relief on the repair of personal and household goods would impose additional pressure on the public finances, to which VAT makes a significant contribution. VAT raised around £130 billion in 2019/20, and helps to fund key spending priorities, including health, education, and defence.


Written Question
Refugees: Ukraine
Wednesday 16th March 2022

Asked by: Deidre Brock (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh North and Leith)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps HMRC is taking to reduce the documentary requirements for delivering aid to Ukrainian refugees in Europe.

Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport

The Government strongly recommends that, wherever possible, organisations and people who would like to help should donate cash rather than donating goods. This can be done through the Disasters Emergency Committee campaign and other trusted charities and humanitarian aid organisations. Cash can be transferred quickly to areas where it is needed, and individuals and aid organisations can use it to buy what is most needed.

However, the Government recognises that many individuals and organisations have already worked hard within their communities to collect aid and wish to see those donations reach those in need as quickly as possible. That is why we have introduced a customs easement to help ensure humanitarian aid goods sent to support those affected by the Ukraine crisis are fast-tracked. More information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/taking-humanitarian-aid-out-of-great-britain-to-support-ukraine.


Written Question
Ukraine: Humanitarian Aid
Wednesday 16th March 2022

Asked by: Deidre Brock (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh North and Leith)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether humanitarian relief to Ukraine is being treated as non-commercial goods to ensure delivery is expedited.

Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport

The Government strongly recommends that, wherever possible, organisations and people who would like to help should donate cash rather than donating goods. This can be done through the Disasters Emergency Committee campaign and other trusted charities and humanitarian aid organisations. Cash can be transferred quickly to areas where it is needed, and individuals and aid organisations can use it to buy what is most needed.

However, the Government recognises that many individuals and organisations have already worked hard within their communities to collect aid and wish to see those donations reach those in need as quickly as possible. That is why we have introduced a customs easement to help ensure humanitarian aid goods sent to support those affected by the Ukraine crisis are fast-tracked. More information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/taking-humanitarian-aid-out-of-great-britain-to-support-ukraine.


Written Question
Ukraine: Humanitarian Aid
Wednesday 16th March 2022

Asked by: Deidre Brock (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh North and Leith)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to accelerate humanitarian aid to Ukraine in line with the World Customs Organisation recommendations on forwarding of relief consignments in the event of disasters.

Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport

The Government strongly recommends that, wherever possible, organisations and people who would like to help should donate cash rather than donating goods. This can be done through the Disasters Emergency Committee campaign and other trusted charities and humanitarian aid organisations. Cash can be transferred quickly to areas where it is needed, and individuals and aid organisations can use it to buy what is most needed.

However, the Government recognises that many individuals and organisations have already worked hard within their communities to collect aid and wish to see those donations reach those in need as quickly as possible. That is why we have introduced a customs easement to help ensure humanitarian aid goods sent to support those affected by the Ukraine crisis are fast-tracked. More information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/taking-humanitarian-aid-out-of-great-britain-to-support-ukraine.


Written Question
Equitable Life Assurance Society: Compensation
Thursday 27th May 2021

Asked by: Deidre Brock (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh North and Leith)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions he has had (a) with Cabinet colleagues and (b) with his officials on compensation and support for people affected by the Equitable Life scandal.

Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

I refer the Honourable Member for Edinburgh North and Leith to the answer I gave on 17 May 2021.


Written Question
Equitable Life Assurance Society: Compensation
Thursday 27th May 2021

Asked by: Deidre Brock (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh North and Leith)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to ensure the retention and maintenance of the data his Department requires to make further payments to Equitable Life policyholders.

Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

I refer the Honourable Member for Edinburgh North and Leith to the answer I gave on 17 May 2021.