Asked by: Helen Whately (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department’s Get Britain Working White Paper published on 26 November 2024, whether the 140,000 places for Individual Placement and Support for severe mental illness are in addition to the those announced in the Autumn Statement 2023.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government inherited a £22 billion blackhole in the nation’s finances which has required tough choices around spending priorities. Despite this bleak financial backdrop, we were determined to identify the funding required to support local Individual Placement Support schemes.
The White Paper confirms the Government’s commitment to expand the number of places on these schemes, to help thousands more people with severe mental illness find and stay in employment.
Asked by: Helen Whately (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the White Paper entitled Get Britain Working, published November 2024, whether the 384,000 additional Talking Therapies places in Priority 1 were previously (a) announced and (b) funded in the Autumn Statement 2023.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government inherited a £22 billion blackhole in the nation’s finances which has required necessary choices around spending priorities. Despite this backdrop, we were determined to identify the funding required to support NHS Talking Therapies.
The White Paper confirms the Government’s commitment to expand access to NHS Talking Therapies for adults in England with common mental health conditions.
Asked by: Helen Whately (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an estimate of the number of farmers who will exit the sector as a result of the change to agricultural property relief in the Autumn Budget.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
From 6 April 2026, the full 100% relief from inheritance tax will be restricted to the first £1 million of combined agricultural and business property. Above this amount, landowners will access 50% relief from inheritance tax and will pay inheritance tax at a reduced effective rate up to 20%, rather than the standard 40%. This tax can be paid in instalments over 10 years interest free, rather than immediately, as with other types of inheritance tax.
This is on top of all the other spousal exemptions and nil-rate bands that people can access for inheritance tax too. This means that two people with farmland, depending on their circumstances, can pass on up to £3 million without paying any inheritance tax. This is an assumption based on the £1 million limit and nil-rate bands and does not take into consideration the specific circumstances that may affect the tax calculation. Furthermore, if land is transferred 7 years before death, farmers pay no inheritance tax at all.
Data from HMRC and supported by the independent Office for Budgetary Responsibility (OBR) indicates that around 500 estates a year will be impacted. The majority of those will be able to adapt their businesses. The exact number will depend on a wider range of factors based on their individual circumstances.
With 73% of claims being for less than £1 million, the majority of estates will be unaffected, and they will be able to pass the family farm down to their children just as previous generations have always done. This is a fair and balanced approach that protects the family farm while also fixing the public services that we all rely on.
Asked by: Helen Whately (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the economic contribution of farming to (a) Kent and (b) Faversham and Mid Kent constituency.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In 2023, total income from farming for Kent was £187.76 million.
Total income from farming for each of the five Kent ITL3 regions was £5.16 million for Medway; £52.72 million for Kent Thames Gateway; £35.15 million for East Kent; £54.52 million for Mid Kent; and £40.21 million for West Kent.
Regional estimates of total income from farming are produced at international territorial levels (ITL) 1, 2 and 3, with ITL3 being the most granular geographical breakdown. As such, the specific breakdown requested for part b) of the question is not available.
Asked by: Helen Whately (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how safeguarding the Best and Most Versatile agricultural land will be taken into account when she considers the Highsted Park development.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Call-in decisions are inherently about process and not the merits of any given planning application.
I refer the hon Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 26 March 2019 (HCWS1452), and on 26 October 2012, columns 71WS-72WS.
All relevant matters relating to the Highsted Park development will now be considered via a public inquiry.
Asked by: Helen Whately (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what criteria she uses to call in planning applications before they are discussed by local councillors.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Call-in decisions are inherently about process and not the merits of any given planning application.
I refer the hon Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 26 March 2019 (HCWS1452), and on 26 October 2012, columns 71WS-72WS.
All relevant matters relating to the Highsted Park development will now be considered via a public inquiry.
Asked by: Helen Whately (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, for what reason she called in Highsted Park outline planning applications 21/503906/EIOUT and 21/503914/EIOUT.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Call-in decisions are inherently about process and not the merits of any given planning application.
I refer the hon Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 26 March 2019 (HCWS1452), and on 26 October 2012, columns 71WS-72WS.
All relevant matters relating to the Highsted Park development will now be considered via a public inquiry.
Asked by: Helen Whately (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what case studies she has used to calculate the financial impact of proposed changes to Agricultural Property Relief.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The tax base consists of all estates subject to Inheritance Tax that are projected to claim Agricultural Property Relief or Business Property Relief across the scorecard period. The tax base is estimated using HMRC administrative data, and is grown over the forecast in line with the Office for Budget Responsibility’s forecast for IHT receipts.
More information is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6721d2c54da1c0d41942a8d2/Policy_Costing_Document_-_Autumn_Budget_2024.pdf
Asked by: Helen Whately (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to (a) agricultural and (b) business property relief in the Autumn Budget on family-owned farms in (a) Kent and (b) Faversham and Mid Kent constituency.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
I refer the Honourable Member to the PQ referenced 12250 published on 11th November 2024 at: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2024-11-01/12250.
The Chancellor also recently wrote to the Chair of the Treasury Select Committee on this issue, and her letter may be of interest: https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/45691/documents/226235/default/.
Asked by: Helen Whately (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to agricultural property relief in the Autumn Budget 2024 on the sustainability of domestic food production.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government published information about the reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief at www.gov.uk/government/publications/agricultural-property-relief-and-business-property-relief-reforms.
It is expected that up to around 2,000 estates will be affected in 2026-27 by the changes to APR and BPR, with around half of those being claims that involve AIM shares. Almost three-quarters of estates claiming agricultural property relief (or those claiming agricultural property relief and business property relief together) are expected to be unaffected by these reforms.
The UK has robust domestic production, and these reforms will only affect a small number of estates. The small number of landowners affected will not necessarily need to sell the land and, if they choose to, then it does not necessarily mean the land would stop being used for food production. At Autumn Budget 2024, the Government announced the largest ever investment in sustainable food production in England.
In accordance with standard practice, a tax information and impact note will be published alongside the draft legislation before the relevant Finance Bill.