Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department is taking to encourage investment in British equities by pension funds.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The government has taken forward an ambitious programme of reforms to boost UK markets, including overhauling the UK listing and prospectus rules to make it easier for firms to raise the capital they need to grow.
In addition, the government has taken steps through the measures outlined in the Pensions Investment Review to improve long-term returns to pension savers and support UK growth. These will directly support investment in UK growth markets, including firms quoted on AIM and Acquis.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will publish the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) forecasting schedule agreed between the OBR and her Department.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
HM Treasury published the Budget Information Security Review on 9 February: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/budget-information-security-review.
The review states that "The OBR will not publish the full forecast timetable ahead of the 2026 Spring Statement. The OBR will consider, ahead of Budget 2026, whether the current approach to publishing the timetable continues to contribute to transparency and stability as was intended when it was implemented in October 2022 following a recommendation by the OBR’s then non-executive directors"
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the target date is for a new chair of the Office for Budget Responsibility to be in post.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
HM Treasury launched a competitive external recruitment campaign for a new Chair of the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) on 20 February. The intention is that a new Chair is in post by the Budget later this year.
While the Chair’s post is vacant, the two current members of the Budget Responsibility Committee, Professor David Miles and Tom Josephs, will lead the OBR.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to page 79 of the HM Budget 2025 Policy Costings, published in November 2025, for what reason the Exchequer Impact of the Cash ISA changes fluctuate from (a) £5 million in 2028-29 to (b) £35 million in 2029-30 to (c) £15 million in 2030-31.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The figures set out on page 79 of the Budget 2025 Policy Costings document reflect the estimated Exchequer impact from a combination of savings tax changes.
The savings measures covered are:
The profile of the Exchequer impacts reflects the different commencement dates of these changes, as well as the timing of receipts collected through Self-Assessment.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, through which (a) companies and (b) registries HM Government holds its crypto-assets.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
Neither the Treasury nor central Government hold any cryptoassets. However, the Government recognises the transformative potential of cryptoassets and blockchain technologies to drive economic growth in the UK and increase efficiencies across financial markets.
We are therefore committed to making the UK a world leading destination for cryptoassets and have taken steps to establish a new financial services regulatory regime for cryptoassets.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the FCA's letter to Stewarts LLPs, dated 23 January 2026, what assessment her Department has made of the level of compliance of insurers with the FCA's expectations to review and revisit Covid Business Interruption claims following post-Test Case court rulings.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), as the independent regulator for financial services, sets the conduct standards required of insurance firms. The FCA has made clear its expectation that insurers carefully consider how new legal rulings affect claims they have already decided. It is for the FCA to supervise firms and, if necessary, take action against those that do not comply with its rules. The FCA has robust powers to take action where it deems appropriate.
The FCA’s 23 January letter (available online at: https://www.fca.org.uk/publication/correspondence/fca-response-insurance-open-letter.pdf) stated that the FCA stopped publishing business interruption claims data in March 2023. Questions about data held by the FCA can be addressed directly to the FCA.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what data the Financial Conduct Authority holds on the number of Covid Business Interruption claims that were reopened or reassessed by insurers following post-Test Case court judgments.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), as the independent regulator for financial services, sets the conduct standards required of insurance firms. The FCA has made clear its expectation that insurers carefully consider how new legal rulings affect claims they have already decided. It is for the FCA to supervise firms and, if necessary, take action against those that do not comply with its rules. The FCA has robust powers to take action where it deems appropriate.
The FCA’s 23 January letter (available online at: https://www.fca.org.uk/publication/correspondence/fca-response-insurance-open-letter.pdf) stated that the FCA stopped publishing business interruption claims data in March 2023. Questions about data held by the FCA can be addressed directly to the FCA.
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 4 November 2025 to Question 85189 on National Wealth Fund: Workplace Pensions, and with reference to page 19 of the UK Infrastructure Bank's document entitled Framework document, published on 9 January 2024, whether the Civil Service Pay guidance applies to the National Wealth Fund; and whether the Chief Secretary to the Treasury’s pay controls apply to the body.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
National Wealth Fund employees are subject to the Civil Service Pay guidance, including pay controls.
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 22 November 2024 to Question 14351 on Ministerial Powers, whether any confidential Ministerial directions have been issued since July 2024.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
Details of all published Ministerial Directions can be found on the GOV.UK website.
Information on confidential Ministerial Directions is not published. The process for confidential Ministerial Directions is set out in Managing Public Money: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/managing-public-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 9 February 2026 to Question 110416 on Government Departments: Publicity, whether there are plans for (a) HM Treasury or (b) HMRC to remove the HM reference in its public branding.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
There are no plans for either HM Treasury or HMRC to remove the “HM” reference from their public branding.