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Written Question
Tonnage Tax
Monday 2nd March 2026

Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the total value was of dividend payments made to Tonnage Tax qualifying companies by companies not resident in the UK for tax purposes in each year since 2003-04 to date.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The information required is not readily available. Most dividends from non-UK resident companies are exempt in any event and tax risk is accordingly low.


Written Question
Tonnage Tax
Friday 27th February 2026

Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many ship management companies have qualified for the Tonnage Tax scheme since 1 April 2024 to date.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The data on the number of ship management companies which have qualified for Tonnage Tax scheme since 1 April 2024 to date is not available as the full set of corporation tax returns relating to 2024-25 liabilities are yet to be received and processed. Estimates will be published in the next Tax relief statistics publication, scheduled for January 2027.


Written Question
Tonnage Tax
Friday 27th February 2026

Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the (a) actual and (b) estimated cost was of Corporation Tax relief for qualifying shipping company groups in the Tonnage Tax in each year for which there are figures between 2020-21 and 2026-27.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

You can find the requested statistics here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/tax-reliefs


Written Question
Shipping: Tax Allowances
Thursday 26th February 2026

Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many (a) ratings and (b) officers claimed Seafarers’ Earnings Deduction in each financial year between 2015-16 and 2024-25.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Seafarers are not required to report their grade as the Seafarers’ Earnings Deduction tax relief applies regardless.

Outturn data for the Seafarers’ Earnings Deduction claimants is available until 2023-24; HMRC does not publish an estimate of the number of claimants for 2024-25.

HMRC’s Tax Relief Statistics published on 22 January 2026 contain a forecast of the cost of relief for 2024-25. A forecast for 2025-26 will be produced for the 2026 Autumn publication and outturn cost in the following year.


Written Question
Shipping: Tax Allowances
Thursday 26th February 2026

Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Tax Relief Statistics published on 22 January 2026, if she will provide the claimant number for Seafarers’ Earnings Deduction in 2024-25.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Seafarers are not required to report their grade as the Seafarers’ Earnings Deduction tax relief applies regardless.

Outturn data for the Seafarers’ Earnings Deduction claimants is available until 2023-24; HMRC does not publish an estimate of the number of claimants for 2024-25.

HMRC’s Tax Relief Statistics published on 22 January 2026 contain a forecast of the cost of relief for 2024-25. A forecast for 2025-26 will be produced for the 2026 Autumn publication and outturn cost in the following year.


Written Question
Shipping: Tax Allowances
Thursday 26th February 2026

Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when the cost figure for Seafarers’ Earnings Deduction from Income Tax for 2025-26 will be published.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Seafarers are not required to report their grade as the Seafarers’ Earnings Deduction tax relief applies regardless.

Outturn data for the Seafarers’ Earnings Deduction claimants is available until 2023-24; HMRC does not publish an estimate of the number of claimants for 2024-25.

HMRC’s Tax Relief Statistics published on 22 January 2026 contain a forecast of the cost of relief for 2024-25. A forecast for 2025-26 will be produced for the 2026 Autumn publication and outturn cost in the following year.


Written Question
Electric Vehicles: Excise Duties
Tuesday 27th January 2026

Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the cost of Electric Vehicle Excise Duty will be to the average Motability scheme user; and what equality impact assessment she has carried out on the differential impact on Motability scheme users.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

As announced at Budget 2025, the Government is introducing Electric Vehicle Excise Duty (eVED) from April 2028, a new mileage charge for electric and plug-in hybrid cars, recognising that EVs contribute to congestion and wear and tear on the roads but pay no equivalent to fuel duty.

eVED is designed to replace fuel duty for electric and plug-in hybrid cars. This means it will apply to cars driven by those who are wholly or partially exempt from Vehicle Excise Duty (VED), but where their petrol or diesel equivalents would be subject to fuel duty. This includes those who receive the mobility component of certain disability-related benefits (principally Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payment). These groups will continue to receive the same VED exemptions as they do now but will not be exempt from eVED, as they are not exempt from fuel duty.

As with petrol/diesel vehicles where fuel duty applies, eVED will also apply to cars that are leased. The leasing company will typically be responsible for paying eVED and can choose how to pass on to their customers.


Written Question
Electric Vehicles: Excise Duties
Tuesday 27th January 2026

Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate she has made of the cost to the Exchequer of exempting Motability vehicles from the introduction of Electric Vehicle Excise Duty from April 2028.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

As announced at Budget 2025, the Government is introducing Electric Vehicle Excise Duty (eVED) from April 2028, a new mileage charge for electric and plug-in hybrid cars, recognising that EVs contribute to congestion and wear and tear on the roads but pay no equivalent to fuel duty.

eVED is designed to replace fuel duty for electric and plug-in hybrid cars. This means it will apply to cars driven by those who are wholly or partially exempt from Vehicle Excise Duty (VED), but where their petrol or diesel equivalents would be subject to fuel duty. This includes those who receive the mobility component of certain disability-related benefits (principally Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payment). These groups will continue to receive the same VED exemptions as they do now but will not be exempt from eVED, as they are not exempt from fuel duty.

As with petrol/diesel vehicles where fuel duty applies, eVED will also apply to cars that are leased. The leasing company will typically be responsible for paying eVED and can choose how to pass on to their customers.


Written Question
Winter Fuel Payment
Thursday 17th July 2025

Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to her Department's press release entitled Nine million pensioners to receive Winter Fuel Payments this winter, published on 9 June 2025, what assessment she has made of the resources HMRC will require to (a) undertake the recovery of payments and (b) respond to (i) queries and (ii) complaints relating to the recovery of winter fuel payments; and whether additional funding will be made available for this work.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The Government announced in June 2025 that the Winter Fuel Payment will be made universal in England and Wales from winter 2025. Subsequently, the Scottish Government and Northern Ireland Executive have confirmed that they will mirror the approach for England and Wales.

Winter Fuel Payments of £200 will be made for a household with someone of State Pension age and £300 for a household with someone aged 80 or over. They will be paid automatically to anyone who has not opted out of getting a payment.

Individuals who are of State Pension age and have total income over £35,000 will have their Winter Fuel Payment recovered through the tax system. The amount recovered will be equal to the full value of the Winter Fuel Payment.

If a pensioner’s total income is above the income threshold, it will be automatically recovered through PAYE, or through their Self-Assessment return if they pay tax that way.

The Government will publish further details of the operational impacts on HM Revenue and Customs of making these changes in a Tax Information and Impact Note at Budget 2025, alongside draft Finance Bill legislation on the tax recovery of the Winter Fuel Payment.


Written Question
Heathrow Airport: Construction
Monday 28th April 2025

Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what representations she received that helped inform the decision to support expansion at Heathrow.

Answered by Darren Jones - Minister for Intergovernmental Relations

HM Treasury has received and continues to receive representations from a wide range of stakeholders about Heathrow expansion. These informed the speech supporting expansion in January and continue to inform the Government’s position on Heathrow.