Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Lifetime ISA price threshold on prospective first-time buyers in Chichester constituency.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
Data from the latest UK House Price Index shows that while the average price paid by first-time buyers has increased, it is still below the LISA property price cap in all regions of the UK except for London, where the average price paid is affected by boroughs with very high property values.
HMRC commits to publishing all research in their Annual Report and Accounts. The findings from all strands of research on the LISA will be published in due course.
The Government keeps all aspects of savings tax policy under review.
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to HM Treasury’s consultation on the tax treatment of online gambling, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of harmonising remote betting and gaming duties on (a) turnover in horserace betting, (b) receipts to the Horserace Betting Levy, (c) employment across the racing and racecourse sectors, and (d) Exchequer revenues.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government consultation on proposals to simplify the current gambling tax system by merging the three current taxes that cover remote (including online) gambling into one closed on 21 July 2025. Responses are now being analysed and a response to the consultation will be published at Autumn Budget 2025.
If any changes are made to gambling duties at a future Budget following the consultation, they will be accompanied by a Tax Information and Impact Note which will set out the expected impacts.
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential (a) impact of the Lifetime ISA price cap on prospective first-time buyers in the South East and (b) merits of introducing regionalised property caps on Lifetime ISAs.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
Data from the latest UK House Price Index shows that while the average price paid by first-time buyers has increased, it is still below the LISA property price cap in all regions of the UK except for London, where the average price paid is affected by boroughs with very high property values.
HMRC commits to publishing all research in their Annual Report and Accounts. The findings from all strands of research on the LISA will be published in due course.
The Government keeps all aspects of savings tax policy under review.
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department plans to review Business Rates.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government is committed to creating a fairer business rates system that protects the high street, supports investment, and is fit for the 21st century.
At Autumn Budget 2024, we took the first step with the announcement of permanently lower tax rates for the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure properties that make up the backbone of our high streets, from 2026-27.
The Budget announcements reflected the Government’s first steps to support the high street. We wanted to go further to modernise the system, and so, we published a Discussion Paper, setting out priority areas for reform and inviting industry to co-design a fairer system.
The Government will publish an interim report that sets out a clear direction of travel for the business rates system, with further policy detail to follow at Autumn Budget 2025.
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of HMRC developing Making Tax Digital software without using third-party providers.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
HMRC has always maintained that it would not offer its own software products for Making Tax Digital. This helps to ensure a competitive market which will better support taxpayers with a flexible and tailored range of software that integrates with other business management tools. This includes free and low-cost options, which would be undermined by an HMRC produced solution. Third party developers are also well placed to build the necessary help and support within their products that is particularly important for unrepresented customers or those who do not already use digital tools to manage their affairs.
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of exempting infected blood scandal compensation payments from Inheritance Tax when such payments are transferred to the next of kin of deceased victims.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Infected Blood compensation payments are relieved from inheritance tax under Schedule 15 of the Finance Act 2020. This is applied to the estate of the recipient of the compensation payment. Where these payments are subsequently inherited, they become part of the beneficiary’s estate and are subject to standard inheritance tax rules, in line with normal practice for compensation schemes.
This ensures victims receive full compensation without tax burdens whilst maintaining fairness in the tax system and protecting the public finances.
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of trends in levels of charges incurred at ports due to customs procedures on small businesses.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
HMRC and Border Force do not typically charge for any customs related processes or checks carried out at ports, and any costs levied at ports are a commercial matter for port operators. HMRC is committed to making customs processes as simple as possible while ensuring effective checks are in place at the border and to reducing trader burden related to complying with customs obligations.
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of a reduction on the savings limit on Individual Savings Accounts on savers.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Government is committed to incentivising greater saving and investment. Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) help people save for their future goals and build greater financial resilience.
The Government recognises the important role that cash savings play in helping households build a financial buffer for a rainy day. The Government also wants to see more consumers participate in capital markets and benefit from the long-term financial security and returns that investing can provide.
The impact of any changes to ISAs would be set out in a tax information impact note. The Government continues to keep all aspects of savings policy under review.
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of changes to orchestral tax relief for International work on the orchestral sector's ability to deliver loss-making activities in the UK.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The UK provides world-leading support for orchestras: at Autumn Budget 2024, the Government confirmed that from 1 April 2025, the rate of Orchestra Tax Relief (OTR) will be set at the generous rate of 45%.
From April 2024, qualifying expenditure is expenditure incurred on goods or services that are ‘used or consumed in the UK’, replacing the previous rule that qualifying costs were those incurred on goods and services provided from the UK or EEA. To ease the transition to the new rule, orchestras with concerts in train on 1 April 2024 were permitted to continue claiming relief on goods and services provided from within the EEA until 31 March 2025.
It is appropriate to refocus orchestra tax relief on UK expenditure now that the UK has left the EU. Under the new rule, the relief incentivises activity within the UK, rather than the UK and the EEA.
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to her Department's policy paper, Changes to the Class 1 National Insurance Contributions Secondary Threshold, the Secondary Class 1 National Insurance contributions rate, and the Employment Allowance from 6 April 2025, published on 13 November 2024, if she will make an estimate of the (a) revenue that will accrue to the Exchequer from businesses in the dentistry sector as a result of the proposed increased rate of employer national insurance contributions and (b) average cost per business (i) nationally and (ii) by constituency of that increase in the next five financial years.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The latest forecasts for tax revenues were published alongside the Office for Budget Responsibility’s (OBR) October Economic and Fiscal Outlook. These forecasts are based on economic determinants, including wage growth and employment levels. The OBR do not forecast NICs receipts at a sector level. Detailed tax receipts forecasts can be found here: Economic and fiscal outlook – October 2024 - Office for Budget Responsibility.
The government will provide support for departments and other public sector employers for additional employer National Insurance Contributions, i.e. central government, public corporations and local government. Dentists are independent contractors and therefore will not be exempt from these changes.
The government has taken tough decisions to fix the foundations so that increased funding for the NHS in England could be announced at the Budget. Resource spending for the Department of Health and Social Care is set to increase by £22.6 billion in 2025-26 compared to 2023-24 outturn, providing a real-terms growth rate of 4% for the NHS, the largest since before 2010 excluding Covid-19 years. This includes funding to support the NHS to deliver the first step of an extra two million NHS operations, scans, and appointments a year in England.
Primary care providers – general practice, dentistry, pharmacy and eye care – are valued independent contractors who provide nearly £20bn worth of NHS services. Every year we consult with each sector both about what services they provide, and the money providers are entitled to in return under their contract.
DHSC will confirm funding for dentistry for 2025/26 as part of the usual contract processes later in the year, including through consultation with the sector.
Government keeps all taxes under review.