Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what statistical criteria the Office for National Statistics uses to determine that weekly, rather than daily, publication represents the appropriate level of granularity for mortality statistics; and whether those criteria have been published.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
Despite the impact of shocks, the British economy has shown real resilience; growing at the joint fastest rate in the G7 this year.
The Budget seeks to further strengthen our resilience; including by making some of the structural and systemic changes that will create the conditions for further growth – with better and safer AI adoption, tax relief for entrepreneurs, a cheaper energy mix and fiscal devolution.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Office for National Statistics will publish historical daily numbers of deaths in England and Wales by (a) date of occurrence and (b) date of registration for periods sufficiently historic that registration delay is no longer a material source of incompleteness.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Supporting households amidst global economy challenges that have driven up bills is central to this Government’s economic strategy
In last week’s Budget, the Chancellor took further steps by extending the VAT cut on domestic electricity bill and the freeze to fuel duty.
£100 will also be paid directly into millions of bank accounts in January when energy bills are highest. This will help over 50,000 households in council tax bands A to D in Middlesbrough, representing over 90% of all properties there.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to maintain the existing 5p per litre fuel duty cut and introduce an Essential User Rebate for qualifying HGV, coach and van operators.
Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General
At the Budget, the Chancellor announced the government will extend the temporary 5p-per-litre (ppl) fuel duty cut for a further six months to 1 July 2027. The planned RPI increase for 2027–28 will also be deferred to 1 July 2027.
The government’s decisions on fuel duty across this Parliament will save the average light goods vehicle driver £472 and the average heavy goods vehicle driver nearly £4,000 compared to plans under the previous government.
The Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at fiscal events, and does not routinely comment on proposals.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the impact of the planned fuel duty increases in 2027 on road haulage, coach and van operators.
Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General
At the Budget, the Chancellor announced the government will extend the temporary 5p-per-litre (ppl) fuel duty cut for a further six months to 1 July 2027. The planned RPI increase for 2027–28 will also be deferred to 1 July 2027.
The government’s decisions on fuel duty across this Parliament will save the average light goods vehicle driver £472 and the average heavy goods vehicle driver nearly £4,000 compared to plans under the previous government.
The Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at fiscal events, and does not routinely comment on proposals.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what comparative assessment his Department has made of the forecast fiscal and economic impacts of (a) maintaining current hospitality taxation with (b) reducing VAT, employers’ National Insurance contributions and business rates.
Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General
The Government has considered the fiscal and economic impacts of proposals to reduce VAT, employer National Insurance contributions and business rates. Analysis indicates that reducing VAT for the hospitality sector to 10 per cent would cost around £11bn in 2026-27.
The Government has already started the work of reforming our business rates system by introducing new permanently lower multipliers for eligible RHL properties. These new multipliers provide nearly £1 billion per year of support and benefit over 750,000 properties.
The Employment Allowance has also been increased to £10,500, meaning around 900,000 employers will have no employer National Insurance liability, while businesses can benefit from targeted reliefs that support the employment of young people
A Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) was published alongside the introduction of the Bill containing the changes to employer NICs. The TIIN sets out the impact of the policy on the exchequer, the economic impacts of the policy, and the impacts on individuals, businesses, and civil society organisations, as well as an overview of the equality impacts.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the current tax burden on hospitality businesses on (a) closures, (b) employment, (c) private investment and (d) economic growth over the next five years.
Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General
The Government has provided targeted support to the hospitality sector, including a £4.3 billion business rates support package and the introduction of permanently lower multipliers for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure properties. These measures provide almost £1 billion of support each year and benefit more than 750,000 properties.
The Employment Allowance has also been increased to £10,500, meaning around 900,000 employers will have no employer National Insurance liability, while businesses can benefit from targeted reliefs that support the employment of young people.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what operational definition of a pandemic is used by her Department, NHS England and the UK Health Security Agency for preparedness and planning purposes; and whether that definition has changed since 2020.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
For the definition of a pandemic, I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the answer she received on 9 June in response to Question 3211. The National Risk Register, last updated in July, sets out the ‘reasonable worst case scenario’ pandemic used for planning purposes.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will publish the assumptions, diagnostic definitions, uncertainty ranges and validation methods underpinning influenza and respiratory-virus models used to inform NHS winter planning and resource allocation.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) produces information on excess winter deaths due to flu and COVID-19 and extreme cold, which can be found at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/influenza-in-the-uk-annual-epidemiological-reports
A more specific cold weather report focussing on cold mortality for 2024/25 is also available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ukhsa-publishes-first-cold-mortality-report
Until May 2026, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities assessed excess mortality weekly and then monthly by cause of death. Details can be found at the following two links:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/excess-mortality-in-england-and-english-regions
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/excess-mortality-in-england--2
The UKHSA currently publishes weekly official statistics in the National Influenza and COVID-19 Report, which summarises information from the surveillance systems that are used to monitor seasonal influenza, COVID-19, and other seasonal respiratory illnesses, and can be accessed at the link below:
The UKHSA has also published academic papers that give details of our approach to COVID-19 and flu modelling, and these can be found at the following link:
https://journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol/article?id=10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014644
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of each of influenza, Covid-19, cardiovascular disease, dementia, frailty, delayed treatment and hospital-acquired infection on excess winter mortality in each of the last five years.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) produces information on excess winter deaths due to flu and COVID-19 and extreme cold, which can be found at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/influenza-in-the-uk-annual-epidemiological-reports
A more specific cold weather report focussing on cold mortality for 2024/25 is also available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ukhsa-publishes-first-cold-mortality-report
Until May 2026, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities assessed excess mortality weekly and then monthly by cause of death. Details can be found at the following two links:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/excess-mortality-in-england-and-english-regions
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/excess-mortality-in-england--2
The UKHSA currently publishes weekly official statistics in the National Influenza and COVID-19 Report, which summarises information from the surveillance systems that are used to monitor seasonal influenza, COVID-19, and other seasonal respiratory illnesses, and can be accessed at the link below:
The UKHSA has also published academic papers that give details of our approach to COVID-19 and flu modelling, and these can be found at the following link:
https://journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol/article?id=10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014644
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how UKHSA distinguishes between detection of influenza viral RNA by PCR and evidence of active infection and clinically attributable influenza illness in published influenza surveillance statistics.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) produces information on excess winter deaths due to flu and COVID-19 and extreme cold, which can be found at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/influenza-in-the-uk-annual-epidemiological-reports
A more specific cold weather report focussing on cold mortality for 2024/25 is also available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ukhsa-publishes-first-cold-mortality-report
Until May 2026, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities assessed excess mortality weekly and then monthly by cause of death. Details can be found at the following two links:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/excess-mortality-in-england-and-english-regions
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/excess-mortality-in-england--2
The UKHSA currently publishes weekly official statistics in the National Influenza and COVID-19 Report, which summarises information from the surveillance systems that are used to monitor seasonal influenza, COVID-19, and other seasonal respiratory illnesses, and can be accessed at the link below:
The UKHSA has also published academic papers that give details of our approach to COVID-19 and flu modelling, and these can be found at the following link:
https://journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol/article?id=10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014644