Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the implications for her Department's policies of the report by Oxford Economics entitled Tourism Levy impacts in England, published in March 2026.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The precise design and scope of the power for Mayors to introduce a visitor levy is still under development, and the impacts of the levy will largely be determined by local decisions. Mayors will need to consult on specific proposals, including how the revenue should be invested to drive economic growth in their regions. Evidence from international and domestic schemes suggested modest rates have minimal impact on visitor numbers.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department has undertaken an assessment of the potential impact of an overnight visitor levy in England on the competitiveness of the UK tourism sector relative to European destinations.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The precise design and scope of the power for Mayors to introduce a visitor levy is still under development, and the impacts of the levy will largely be determined by local decisions. Mayors will need to consult on specific proposals, including how the revenue should be invested to drive economic growth in their regions. Evidence from international and domestic schemes suggested modest rates have minimal impact on visitor numbers.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has made an estimate of the number of families that may not take domestic holidays as a result of the introduction of an overnight visitor levy in England.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The precise design and scope of the power for Mayors to introduce a visitor levy is still under development, and the impacts of the levy will largely be determined by local decisions. Mayors will need to consult on specific proposals, including how the revenue should be invested to drive economic growth in their regions. Evidence from international and domestic schemes suggested modest rates have minimal impact on visitor numbers.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of resourcing levels in local Trading Standards services.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Trading Standards are provided by local authorities who operate independently from central government, so local authorities make decisions according to their individual needs.
The final 2026-27 Local Government Finance Settlement makes available £78 billion in Core Spending Power for local authorities in England in 2026-27, a 6.1% increase on 2025-26. Much of this funding is not ringfenced, recognising that local leaders are best placed to identify local priorities.
My officials are undertaking a review of Trading Standards duties, to ensure that consumers remain protected from harm and that local enforcement teams are able to focus on the issues that have the most impact on citizens and communities.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether HMRC will provide police forces with access to tobacco track-and-trace data to (i) support enforcement against organised criminal groups and (ii) identify the provenance of stolen tobacco products.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
HMRC has a robust strategy to tackle the illicit tobacco trade and works closely with both Trading Standards, Border Force and law enforcement partners to enforce this.
The tobacco track and trace system is an important part of the government’s efforts to tackle illicit tobacco. Under the current legislation, direct access to tobacco track and trace data is restricted to HMRC and Trading Standards to ensure lawful control over its use.
While the Police do not have direct access to track and trace data, HMRC is committed to working closely with all enforcement partners, including the police, to explore appropriate opportunities for wider data sharing.
In practice HMRC has already shared specific traceability data with the Police to support investigations into organised crime and stolen products.
HMRC will continue to explore how track and trace data can be shared more effectively to support enforcement partners, including the Police.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions she has had with representatives of the hospitality sector on comparative levels of VAT on accommodation and tourism in the UK and European destinations.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government engages with representatives from the hospitality and tourism sectors on a range of issues including taxation.
VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption, and the 20 per cent standard rate applies to most goods and services. The UK’s standard VAT rate of 20 per cent is close to the OECD average of 19.3 per cent.
The Government is aware that some European countries apply reduced VAT rates to hospitality, reflecting different tax systems, policy choices and wider fiscal contexts. Reduced rates of VAT come at a significant cost to the Exchequer, reduce the revenue available for vital public services, and must represent value for money for the taxpayer.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how (i) consumers and (ii) businesses can report incidents of illicit trade on high streets.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The National Crime Agency estimates that at least £1 billion is being laundered through rogue shops operating on UK high streets. Addressing this threat is a priority for the Government, and on 19 May, the government announced a £30 million crackdown targeting cash intensive business such as barber shops, vape stores, mini-marts and sweet shops operating on our high streets, over three years.
Consumers who have concerns about the conduct or legitimacy of a business can contact the Citizens Advice consumer service. The helpline can refer issues to local trading standards officers for them to act upon. The information shared is also used by enforcement teams and regulators nationwide to identify wider market issues and allow for more serious action to be taken against the most egregious breaches of consumer law.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many times Ministers from her Department have attended UK conferences, trade shows and exhibitions in each year since 2023.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
Ministers regularly meet with external stakeholders and attend external events to discuss a variety of issues, and these are recorded on GOV.UK on a quarterly basis in arrears.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how many times Ministers from her Department have attended UK conferences, trade shows and exhibitions since 7 February 2023.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Ministers at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology regularly attend and speak at conferences, trade shows and exhibitions across the UK. These events provide valuable opportunities to engage with stakeholders and the public. The requested information is not centrally held and could only be collated and verified for the purposes of answering this question at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to improve employment opportunities for women aged 16 to 25.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
There are almost one million young people aged 16-24 who are currently not in employment, education or training (NEET). Of this group 448,000 are women.
This government will not leave an entire generation of young people behind. We have recently committed a further £1 billion investment in young people, taking total additional investment into the Youth Guarantee and the Growth and Skills Levy to £2.5 billion over the next three years. This investment will support almost one million young people, including women, and create up to 500,000 opportunities to earn and learn.
This includes the delivery of eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazers in England, the expansion of Youth Hubs to more than 360 areas across Great Britain, and the introduction of a new Youth Guarantee Gateway in Jobcentres, providing more intensive support to 16–24-year-olds. We will also prioritise prevention – improving support in schools, access to work experience and further education places.
Within the up to 500,000 opportunities to earn and learn, this investment will also create around 300,000 more opportunities to gain workplace experience and training. It will also help unlock up to 200,000 more employment opportunities, through a new £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant for employers who hire 18–24-year-olds who have been on Universal Credit for over six months, a new £2,000 apprenticeship incentive for small and medium sized employers hiring 16–24-year-olds and the Jobs Guarantee scheme, providing long-term unemployed 18–24-year-olds with a fully funded six month job.
For jobseekers over the age of 24, the Department offers employment support through a range of channels including the Find a Job website, financial support through the Flexible Support Fund to help with interviews or starting work, and tailored flexible support through Jobcentre Plus. Work Coaches offer personalised advice to help individuals secure roles which reflect their skills, qualifications and prior experience, alongside targeted job‑search support. Where appropriate, Work Coaches also identify any skills gaps and signpost jobseekers to relevant training and provision, including Skills Bootcamps, apprenticeships, sector‑based work academy programmes (SWAPs), and free courses for jobs, as well as essential English, maths and digital skills.