Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many (a) Valuation Office Agency and (b) HMRC staff by FTE are assigned to equality, diversity and inclusion roles.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
(a) The Valuation Office Agency has 1 Full‑Time Equivalent staff assigned to equality, diversity and inclusion roles.
(b) HMRC has 23.95 Full‑Time Equivalent staff assigned to equality, diversity and inclusion roles.
Note: This reflects the PQ’s requirement for FTE only.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has made an assessment of the potential cumulative impact of changes to (a) the Minimum Wage, (b) employer National Insurance, (c) Business Rates and (d) lack of uprating to VAT thresholds on micro-businesses in the hospitality sector since July 2024.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government recognises the important contribution that micro-businesses in the hospitality sector make to local communities, the high street and the wider economy. The potential impacts of changes on this sector are carefully considered as part of policy development.
The Government considers the impact of tax measures on these businesses. Where changes are made, relevant impact notes and assessments are published at fiscal events and otherwise as necessary, in line with the Government’s usual practice. The Treasury also engages regularly with the hospitality sector.
To protect the smallest businesses from changes to employer National Insurance Contributions (NICs) made at Autumn Budget 2024, the Government increased the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500. This means that this year, 865,000 employers will pay no NICs at all, and more than half of all employers will either gain or will see no change.
The Government is also supporting small businesses to grow. At Budget, the Government announced the extension of Small Business Rates Relief (SBRR) so that businesses opening second premises can retain their SBRR for three years, tripling the current allowance.
The Government continues to provide targeted support to the hospitality sector through the tax system and other policies and keeps all areas of the tax system under review, with future decisions taken at fiscal events under the normal process.
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 12 January 2026 to Question 101767 on Jeffrey Epstein, whether Jeffery Epstein visited HM Treasury offices in Whitehall during the period 1997 to 2010.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
Visitor information for HM Treasury offices in Whitehall is not retained for the time periods specified.
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 21 January 2026 to Question 101775 on 1 Carlton Gardens: Council tax, whether the Chancellor’s residence in Downing Street is her primary residence.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given on 8 January 2026 to Question 101771.Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential impact unresolved Covid Business Interruption claims expiring without payment on hospitality and leisure businesses.
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. This includes rules requiring insurers to handle claims fairly and promptly. The FCA meets with a wide variety of organisations in the course of delivering its statutory objectives. Queries about such engagements can be addressed directly to the FCA.
The Supreme Court published its final judgment in the FCA’s Business Interruption Insurance test case in 2021. At the time of the judgment, the FCA set out its expectation that insurers should communicate to all impacted policyholders what the judgment meant for their claim and should move quickly to resolve claims as determined by the judgment.
The FCA court case did not cover all potential issues with business interruption policies. The FCA has been clear that, in the event of further court rulings, insurers will need to consider carefully how the rulings impact claims they have already decided.
The FCA is continuing to supervise firms to ensure they are meeting their expectations and has robust powers to take action where necessary.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions the Financial Conduct Authority has had with representative bodies, including UKHospitality, on unresolved Covid Business Interruption claims.
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. This includes rules requiring insurers to handle claims fairly and promptly. The FCA meets with a wide variety of organisations in the course of delivering its statutory objectives. Queries about such engagements can be addressed directly to the FCA.
The Supreme Court published its final judgment in the FCA’s Business Interruption Insurance test case in 2021. At the time of the judgment, the FCA set out its expectation that insurers should communicate to all impacted policyholders what the judgment meant for their claim and should move quickly to resolve claims as determined by the judgment.
The FCA court case did not cover all potential issues with business interruption policies. The FCA has been clear that, in the event of further court rulings, insurers will need to consider carefully how the rulings impact claims they have already decided.
The FCA is continuing to supervise firms to ensure they are meeting their expectations and has robust powers to take action where necessary.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much of the funding allocated for compensating Equitable Life With-Profits Annuitants has been spent up to and including 2024-25; and how much was forecast to be spent on both a cash and discounted basis.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The previous Conservative Government allocated £1.5 billion to the Equitable Life Payment Scheme. Before it ceased operations in 2016, the Scheme had issued £1.12 billion in tax-free payments to nearly 933,000 policyholders. The remainder of the £1.5 billion has been set aside for future payments to the With-Profits Annuitants. Further information is available in the Final Report on the Scheme. (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/equitable-life-payment-scheme-final-report).
The total value of payments made by the Scheme stood at £1.35 bn as of 30 May 2025, and the Scheme is on track to pay out the remainder.
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 15 December 2025 to Question 97528 on Electronic Cigarettes: Public Houses, whether a pub vaping ban would constitute a material change of circumstances for the purposes of the Valuation Office Agency’s valuation of pubs.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
A vaping ban in pubs would not constitute a material change of circumstance that would impact the rating assessment of a property.
Section 14 of the Non-Domestic Rating Act 2023 in England, and in Wales, The Valuation for Rating (Prescribed Assumptions) (Wales) Regulations 2023, determined that any subsequent changes to legislation, government advice or policy could not be taken into account when determining the rateable value of a property.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what is the mean Rateable Value of a public house in (a) 2025-26 under the current Rating List and (b) 2026-27 under the draft Rating List in each billing authority in England.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Valuation Office Agency published data relating to your request which can be found here.
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 19 November 2025 to Question 89480 on Jeffery Epstein, whether those records are held in (a) electronic and (b) hard copy format; and whether Ministerial private office records for 2009-10 are searchable electronically.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
HM Treasury’s private office records for 2009-10, including for ministerial meetings and correspondence, are held within HM Treasury’s archives in both digital and paper formats, and those in electronic format are searchable electronically.