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 8 September 2025 to Question 71213 on Public Sector: Pay, how many applications made through the senior pay process (a) were rejected since 4 July 2024 and (b) were approved since the new guidance was issued in July 2025; and if he will publish the number of approvals made through that process since 4 July 2024, broken down by (i) Department and (ii) public body.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
Since July 2024, of the senior pay cases submitted to HM Treasury for approval, three were outright rejected. A further 28 cases were modified or partially approved. Since the issuance of new guidance in July 2025, 21 cases have been approved. Pay of senior public sector employees is published in organisation’s annual reports and accounts.
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 29 August 2025 to Question 68763 and to the Answer of 8 September 2025 to Question 74201 on Alcoholic Drinks, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of allowing the financing of alcohol-related spending in green bond frameworks.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government provides financial support for green technologies, including those related to the manufacturing of alcoholic beverages. These policies are not funded via the Green Financing Programme: in line with international norms and investor expectations for green bond frameworks, the financing of the direct manufacture of alcoholic beverages is excluded from the Green Financing Framework.
This approach enables the UK’s green gilts to be accessible to the greatest possible pool of investors, improving value-for-money. Allowing the financing of alcohol-related spending within the Framework would not change policy decisions or the level of public spending but could prohibit some investors from purchasing the green gilt, thus reducing value-for-money.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will place in the Library a copy of the presentation materials for the Guilt of Being British seminar given by her Department's race network.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
HMRC is focused on its three priorities as set by the government: improving day-to-day performance and the customer experience, closing the tax gap, and reforming and modernising the tax and customs system.
The question refers to a planned departmental staff network event which we can confirm was cancelled. Therefore, no materials will be placed in the Library.
The Cabinet Office recently published its Staff Network guidance on 23 September and HMRC’s Staff Networks will adhere to this.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many uncovered auctions there have been for Government gilts since 4 July 2024.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
From 4 July 2024 to the date of this response, there have been no uncovered auctions for gilts. The results of all gilt auctions are published on the UK Debt Management Office website.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what guidance HMRC has issued on claiming private residence capital gains tax exemption.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
HMRC has published information on capital gains tax private residence relief in their self-assessment helpsheets HS283 “Private Residence Relief” and HS281 “Capital Gains Tax, civil partners and spouses”; and their capital gains manual at page CG64200 onwards. These are available on the GOV.UK website.
Relief is available in most cases without a claim needing to be made.
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 July 2025 to Question 64049 on Alcoholic Drinks, what those international conventions are.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
I refer the honourable member to the answer given on 23 July to PQ UIN 68763.
Thirteen of the twenty largest sovereign green bond issuers to date, including the UK, explicitly exclude the financing of alcohol-related spending in their green bond frameworks. Another issues Sharia-compliant green bonds. Five of the remaining six make no mention of alcohol in their frameworks, and France places partial restrictions on alcohol production. The UK’s approach is thus in line with international norms.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what meetings the Chief Secretary to the Treasury has had with business organisations arranged through the (a) Labour Infrastructure Forum and (b) Bradshaw Advisory since July 2024.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Departments publish a quarterly register detailing Ministers’ meetings with external individuals and organisations. These returns will be made available on GOV.UK in line with the usual publication schedule.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the press release entitled Senior business leaders bolster Treasury board of 13 August 2025, whether the three new Board members had declarable political activity.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Appointments to the HMT Board are regulated by the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments. Sir Charlie Mayfield, Edward Twiddy and Jenny Scott have not engaged in any political activity in the last five years.
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 July 2025 to Question 64049 on Alcoholic Drinks, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the (a) production of organic wines and sparkling wines in British vineyards and (b) use of renewable technologies on achieving environmental objectives, in the context of green bond objectives.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Green Financing Programme’s objective is to raise funds via green gilts and retail Green Savings Bonds for policies with a positive climate or environmental impact. All eligible policies financed by the Programme are drawn from policies agreed by HM Treasury and departments in the Spending Review.
In the context of the Green Financing Programme, HM Treasury does not conduct impact assessments of existing or potential policies. Spending departments are responsible for the decision to conduct ex-ante or ex-post impact assessments of their policies.
HM Treasury does publish a biennial Impact Report of policies funded via the Green Financing Programme, using data from other departments. The most recent such report was published in September 2023 and can be found via the following website link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/651446cdb1bad4000d4fd916/HMT-UK_Green_Financing_Allocation_Impact_Report_2023_Accessible.pdf
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 23 July 2025 to Question 68763 on Alcoholic Drinks, for what reason domestic alcohol production is excluded from green bonds.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
All eligible policies financed by the Green Financing Programme are drawn from policies agreed by HM Treasury and departments in the Spending Review. These policies are assessed based on 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.