Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make it her policy to exempt film studios from the business rates surcharge for hereditaments with a rateable value over £500,000.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
At Autumn Budget 2024, the Government announced an intention to introduce a higher business rates multiplier on the most valuable properties – those with Rateable Values (RVs) of £500,000 and above – from April 2026 to fund permanently lower multipliers for retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties.
This permanent tax cut will ensure that RHL businesses benefit from much-needed certainty. The Government intends to fund this by introducing a higher multiplier on all properties with an RV of £500,000 and above – these represent less than one per cent of properties. The final details of the new higher multiplier will be set at Budget 2025.
Eligible film studios in England benefit from 40 per cent business rates relief. Business rates bills are calculated by applying the relevant multiplier first, meaning film studios receive 40 per cent relief on their total liability.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 9 June 2025 to Question 54866 on Alcoholic Drinks, if she will remove the exclusion of the direct manufacture of alcoholic beverages from paragraph 2.12 of the UK Government Green Financing Framework.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Green Financing Framework, published in 2021, explains how proceeds from green gilts and NS&I’s retail Green Savings Bonds will finance public expenditures that demonstrate a direct and positive environmental impact.
The Framework includes guidelines on the types of expenditures that can be included in the Programme. Eligible expenditures are drawn from departments’ confirmed Spending Review settlements and assessed on the basis of their contribution to the government’s climate and environmental objectives.
The Framework excludes financing of the direct manufacture of alcoholic beverages, alongside other named exclusions, in line with international convention and investor expectations for green bond frameworks. This approach enables the UK’s green gilts to be accessible to the greatest possible pool of investors, improving value-for-money.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 13 June 2025 to Question 57280 on Local Government: Reorganisation, what estimate she has made of the change in public sector net borrowing from local government reorganisation in each of the next four financial years; and whether she plans to limit the levels of that reorganisation.
Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
HM Treasury has not undertaken an assessment of the impact of local government reorganisation on local authority borrowing nor the impact on public sector net borrowing. The OBR will continue to update its forecast for overall local government borrowing at each fiscal event, in line with standard practice.
The government announced its plans for local government reorganisation in the English Devolution White Paper on 16 December 2024. The ambition is to replace two-tier authorities with suitably sized unitary councils to create simpler structures, strengthen disjointed services and help councils pursue efficiencies. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government received interim plan responses from all areas in March. Surrey councils submitted their final proposals on 9 May 2025, and all other areas invited will be submitting their final proposals later this year. The government will set out next steps in due course.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 9 June 2025 to Question 56711 on Council tax: valuation, how many complaints have been made to (a) Tier 1 complaints process, (b) Tier 2 complaints process and (c) the Adjudicator's Office in relation delays in council tax banding appeals by the Valuation Office Agency in the last 12 months.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Between 1 July 2024 and 30 June 2025, the VOA received the following number of complaints about delays:
Tier 1 – 677
Tier 2 - 103
Adjudicator’s Office (Council Tax complaints)– 9
For context, on average the VOA deals with around 60,000 cases each year in England and Wales where customers wish to challenge their council tax band.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the guidance entitled Civil Service 2024/2025 External Expenditure on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, published on 30 May 2025, which suppliers were used to provide Antisemitism and Anti-Islamophobia training.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
HM Treasury volunteers coordinated 3 events on Antisemitism and Anti-Islamophobia with 2 paid for speakers- TellMAMA and Antisemitism Policy Trust (APT).
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 9 June 2025 to Question 55222 on Film: Business Rates, how many film studios in England will be subject to the higher multiplier on Rateable Values above £500,000, from April 2026.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
At Autumn Budget 2024, the Government announced an intention to introduce a higher business rates multiplier on the most valuable properties – those with Rateable Values (RVs) of £500,000 and above – from April 2026 to fund permanently lower multipliers for retail, hospitality and leisure properties with RVs below £500,000.
The next revaluation will take effect from April 2026. The VOA are required to publish a draft of all properties’ new RVs this year, at which point it will be clear how many film studios will be in scope of the new higher multiplier.
Eligible film studios in England benefit from 40 per cent business rates relief on their total liability. Business rates bills are calculated by applying the relevant multiplier first and so film studios will receive 40 per cent relief on their total liability.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department has had recent discussions with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development on council tax (a) revaluation and (b) re-banding.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government engages regularly and constructively with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on a range of economic issues. Property tax reform has not been discussed with the OECD since the current Government took office in July 2024, but it was discussed under the previous Government.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she had discussions with the Chinese Government on the proposed Chinese Embassy at the Royal Mint (a) at the 11th round of China-UK Economic and Financial Dialogue and (b) on any other occasion.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Chancellor has engaged with the Chinese Government on a number of occasions, including during her visit to China for the 2025 UK-China Economic and Financial Dialogue, and has discussed a range of economic and financial issues. The Chancellor published a written ministerial statement about her visit to China on the morning of Monday 13 January (found here) and delivered an oral statement to the House of Commons on Tuesday 14 January (found here).
On 10 June, the Planning Inspector responsible for the Planning Inquiry into China’s application to build a new embassy at Royal Mint Court submitted her report to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government. A target decision date of 9 September has been set. As this case will come before ministers in MHCLG for determination, it would not be appropriate to comment further.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps the Valuation Office Agency is taking to tackle delays in processing council tax valuation challenges.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The VOA is working as quickly as possible to clear cases, and moving staff to where there is the greatest customer demand. The VOA is focusing on the oldest cases first, and where customers are facing financial hardship.
The VOA is replacing IT systems with modern cloud-based platforms that will deliver significant efficiencies. It is also upskilling its workforce to ensure there is flexibility in managing a wide range of cases and improving its digital services to make it easier for customers to self-serve.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what guidance she has issued to local authorities on Anti-Money Laundering checks in relation to (a) working with and (b) loaning funds to developers.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
Guidance for local authorities on investments is available here: Guidance_on_local_government_investments.pdf
It is for local authorities to determine their own capital strategies as they are best placed to understand local needs and are accountable to the local electorate. In doing so, local authorities have a duty to comply with the Prudential Framework and must have regard to statutory guidance to ensure plans are prudent, affordable, and sustainable.
Property developers are in scope of the Money Laundering Regulations if they act as estate agents (i.e. they sell their properties through a separate legal entity) or provide relevant financial services and products. Guidance on how such firms should comply with the Regulations is published online by Anti-Money Laundering supervisors, including His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs and the Financial Conduct Authority. The HMRC guidance on estate agents can be found here: Estate and letting agency business guidance for money laundering supervision - GOV.UK