Susan Murray

The British Business Bank is undertaking a multi-year evaluation of the Covid-19 loan schemes, looking at whether the schemes met their objectives. The Year 2 evaluation report was published in November 2023 and shows that the schemes met their primary objectives of unlocking credit for businesses at scale and speed, reaching just over a quarter of small businesses in the UK. Evaluation evidence to date suggest that the schemes have had a positive impact on business outcomes like survival, turnover and employment.

Covid loan guarantee scheme performance data is published on a quarterly basis. As at 30 September 2024, within the Bounce Back Loan Scheme, £6.61 billion had been fully repaid by borrowers and £12.10 billion was being repaid on schedule.

The Consumer Rights Act 2015 sets out the standards consumers can expect when a trader supplies goods and services, including building work, and remedies if these rights are breached. Consumers can seek redress through local authority trading standards or the Small Claims Court.

Ensuring that we have a high-quality and professional construction industry is the best way to protect commercial clients. The Building Safety Act 2022 has introduced competence requirements for both individuals and businesses working in the built environment.

The Turing Scheme is the UK government’s global programme to provide grants for students to do study and work placements anywhere in the world, including in the EU. Students can develop new skills, gain international experience and boost their employability. Since its introduction following the UK’s departure from the Erasmus+ programme, the Turing Scheme has provided funding to support more than 160,000 international placements. In addition to travel and living costs, for students from disadvantaged backgrounds the Turing Scheme covers items that students may need to be able to travel, including vaccinations, visa applications, passports and insurance costs.

For the 2024/25 academic year, over £105 million has been allocated to send more than 43,000 students from across the UK on study and work placements around the world.

This government is committed to ending the VAT exemption that private schools enjoy. HM Treasury will deliver the tax changes and is engaging with a range of stakeholders as it carefully considers the impact of this policy.

Collection fees were introduced in 2014, with the objectives of subsidising the cost of the service; encouraging greater parental collaboration and more family-based arrangements; and encouraging compliance.

Collection fees only apply to the Collect and Pay service and are intended to provide both parents with an incentive to collaborate, and offset the cost of the scheme. Entry to the service is permitted if either both parents agree to it, or if the paying parent is deemed ‘unlikely to pay’. Paying parents therefore have the more influence in deciding which service type a case goes into.

The 20% collection fee for paying parents is a strong deterrent against non-compliance. The 4% collection fees for receiving parents acknowledges the costs associated with maintaining the case and provides a financial incentive for parents to consider using, or returning to, Direct Pay, or having a family-based arrangement, where appropriate.

The Government is dedicated to ensuring parents meet their obligations to children, taking robust enforcement action against those who do not.

Cases in Collect & Pay represent the most difficult cases, as many of these have been unwilling to pay voluntarily or have not been compliant in a Direct Pay arrangement. Cases where the paying parent has missed payments or demonstrated behaviour that suggests they are unlikely to pay, can be put on the Collect and Pay service. Fees only apply to the Collect and Pay Service. A fee of 20% is added to what the paying parent needs to pay, while 4% is deducted from maintenance paid to receiving parents. The receiving parent charge is only applied from the maintenance that the Child Maintenance Service has successfully collected.

Fees were introduced in 2014, partly with the objective to encourage greater collaboration and more family-based arrangements rather than using a statutory service.

After Collect and Pay fees were introduced an assessment was carried out by the previous government and published in The Child Maintenance Reforms; 30 Month Review of charging.

In July 2024 the government consulted on the proposal for wider reform to consolidate the CMS into a single service type where the CMS monitors and transfers payments. The consultation Improving the collection and transfer of payments, also proposed a new fee structure of just 2% for receiving parents, deducted from maintenance received; 2% for compliant paying parents, on top of maintenance owed; and 20% for non-compliant paying parents, on top of maintenance owed.

Following consideration of public responses concerning fees and other proposals in the consultation, and subsequent ministerial decisions, next steps will be detailed in the Government Response, which will be published in due course.

All parents are given the option to use the Direct Pay service, where no fees apply.

If a paying parent pays on time and in full on Direct Pay and there is no reason to believe they would be unlikely to pay; they cannot be forced to use the Collect and Pay service.

The 20% collection fee for paying parents is a deterrent against non-compliance and offsets the cost of action needed to recover arrears.

The Government is dedicated to ensuring parents meet their obligations to children, taking robust enforcement action against those who do not.

Cases in Collect & Pay represent the most difficult cases, as many of these have been unwilling to pay voluntarily or have not been compliant in a Direct Pay arrangement. Cases where the paying parent has missed payments or demonstrated behaviour that suggests they are unlikely to pay, can be put on the Collect & Pay service. Fees only apply to the Collect and Pay Service. A fee of 20% is added to what the paying parent needs to pay, while 4% is deducted from maintenance paid to receiving parents.

Fees were introduced in 2014, with the objectives of subsidising the cost of the service; encouraging greater collaboration and more family-based arrangements; and encouraging compliance.

When Collect and Pay charges were introduced, an assessment was carried out by the previous government and published in The Child Maintenance Reforms; 30 Month Review of charging. The government response to the assessment was that application fees may influence some parents’ decisions regarding their maintenance arrangement.

On 8 May 2024 the consultation Child Maintenance: Improving the collection and transfer of payments was published by the previous government before being extended on the 31 July by the current government. The consultation included a range of proposals with the key one being to remove the Direct Pay service and consolidate the CMS into a single streamlined service that monitors and transfers all payments. In addition, it also proposed a new fee structure of just 2% for receiving parents, deducted from maintenance received; 2% for compliant paying parents, on top of maintenance owed; and 20% for non-compliant paying parents, on top of maintenance owed.

Following consideration of public responses concerning fees and other proposals in the consultation, and subsequent ministerial decisions, next steps will be detailed in the Government Response, which will be published in due course.

The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) is only able to provide information on prescriptions for cannabis-based medicines that have been prescribed and submitted to the NHSBSA. Data on National Health Service prescriptions for unlicensed cannabis-based medicines is withheld in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation, due to the number of prescriptions attributed to fewer than five patients, and the enhanced risk of the release of patient identifiable information. Patient information is not routinely collected for private prescriptions.

The following table shows the number of identifiable patients that were prescribed NHS prescriptions for licensed cannabis-based medicines, for instance epidyolex, nabilone, and sativex, in the community in England in the 12 months, from February 2024 to January 2025, the latest available data:

Source: NHSBSA.

The Licence in Dental Surgery (LDS) exam is operated by the Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCSEng), and the exam is regulated by the General Dental Council (GDC). There are no restrictions to accessing the exam based on British residency status.

It is the role of the GDC to approve eligibility criteria for the exam, which is proposed by the RCSEng as its operator. The GDC is independent of the Government. The RCSEng continues to increase the capacity of the LDS exam to ensure more candidates can access a place.

The Licence in Dental Surgery (LDS) exam is operated by the Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCSEng), and the exam is regulated by the General Dental Council (GDC). There are no restrictions to accessing the exam based on British residency status.

It is the role of the GDC to approve eligibility criteria for the exam, which is proposed by the RCSEng as its operator. The GDC is independent of the Government. The RCSEng continues to increase the capacity of the LDS exam to ensure more candidates can access a place.

The Department monitors and manages medicine supply issues at a national level so that stocks remain available to meet regional and local demand. Information on stock levels within individual National Health Service trusts is not held centrally.

The Department is continuing to engage with all suppliers of pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) to mitigate the supply issue that is affecting the whole of the United Kingdom. Through this, we have managed to secure additional volumes of PERT for 2025 for the UK. We are continuing to work with all suppliers to understand what more can be done to add further resilience to the market. The Department has also reached out to specialist importers who have sourced unlicensed stock to assist in covering the remaining gap in the market.

In the longer term, the Department has had interest from non-UK suppliers wishing to bring their products to the UK and, along with colleagues in the Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, we are working with these potential suppliers, and if authorised, these products could further diversify and strengthen the market.

In December 2024, the Department issued further management advice to healthcare professionals. This directs clinicians to consider the unlicensed imports when licensed stock is unavailable and includes actions for integrated care boards to ensure local mitigation plans are put in place and implemented. The Department continues to collaborate closely with NHS England colleagues, clinicians, patient groups, and charities to ensure that these mitigation plans are supporting patients, and routinely updates advice and issues further guidance when necessary. There are no current plans to provide additional funding for unlicensed imports.

The Department will continue to meet with suppliers, clinicians, representatives from the impacted patient advocacy groups, and charities so that they are informed on the supply situation and the mitigation actions being taken.

The Department monitors and manages medicine supply issues at a national level so that stocks remain available to meet regional and local demand. Information on stock levels within individual National Health Service trusts is not held centrally.

The Department is continuing to engage with all suppliers of pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) to mitigate the supply issue that is affecting the whole of the United Kingdom. Through this, we have managed to secure additional volumes of PERT for 2025 for the UK. We are continuing to work with all suppliers to understand what more can be done to add further resilience to the market. The Department has also reached out to specialist importers who have sourced unlicensed stock to assist in covering the remaining gap in the market.

In the longer term, the Department has had interest from non-UK suppliers wishing to bring their products to the UK and, along with colleagues in the Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, we are working with these potential suppliers, and if authorised, these products could further diversify and strengthen the market.

In December 2024, the Department issued further management advice to healthcare professionals. This directs clinicians to consider the unlicensed imports when licensed stock is unavailable and includes actions for integrated care boards to ensure local mitigation plans are put in place and implemented. The Department continues to collaborate closely with NHS England colleagues, clinicians, patient groups, and charities to ensure that these mitigation plans are supporting patients, and routinely updates advice and issues further guidance when necessary. There are no current plans to provide additional funding for unlicensed imports.

The Department will continue to meet with suppliers, clinicians, representatives from the impacted patient advocacy groups, and charities so that they are informed on the supply situation and the mitigation actions being taken.

The UK continues to call on Israel to increase humanitarian and commercial access into the Occupied Palestinian Territories by ensuring all aid crossings are fully operational, including the port of Ashdod. The Foreign Secretary recently spoke to Israeli Officials and raised the urgent need for a rapid increase in aid for those most in need. FCDO officials have raised the matter of this donation directly with the Israeli authorities and are working with colleagues in the Scottish Government to resolve the matter.

Inheritance tax is a wealth transfer tax charged on the estate (the property, money, and possessions) of someone who has died. In the latest available tax year (2021-22), 4.39% of all UK deaths were liable to inheritance tax.

The tax liability is on the estate and not the beneficiary of any inherited assets. As such, HMRC does not collect information on the beneficiaries of estates, as it has no reason to do so.

The Government announced several reforms to inheritance tax at Autumn Budget 2024. The Government’s analysis of these reforms is based on the number of estates expected to pay more inheritance tax. More information is available in the various policy papers published alongside the Budget: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/autumn-budget-2024.

Inheritance tax is a wealth transfer tax charged on the estate (the property, money, and possessions) of someone who has died. In the latest available tax year (2021-22), 4.39% of all UK deaths were liable to inheritance tax.

The tax liability is on the estate and not the beneficiary of any inherited assets. As such, HMRC does not collect information on the beneficiaries of estates, as it has no reason to do so.

The Government announced several reforms to inheritance tax at Autumn Budget 2024. The Government’s analysis of these reforms is based on the number of estates expected to pay more inheritance tax. More information is available in the various policy papers published alongside the Budget: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/autumn-budget-2024.

Small and medium sized businesses make a vital contribution to the UK economy. There are various arrangements in place that enable businesses to access reduced or zero import charges.

With regards to customs duty, the UK has a number of free trade agreements which enable businesses to benefit from paying reduced or zero customs duty. The UK also has several customs procedures which allow businesses to pay a reduced amount of duty on their imports, depending on what they are and what they do with them – for example, if they are importing them temporarily or repairing them.

VAT is due on all imports of goods into the UK at the same rate as domestic transactions. This ensures imports cannot undercut UK businesses and does not represent an additional charge for businesses buying imports. VAT registered businesses are able to reclaim VAT paid upon import, in the same way as for domestic purchases, as well as making use of VAT accounting schemes to smooth cash flow.

At £90,000, the UK has a higher VAT registration threshold than any EU country and the joint highest in the OECD. This keeps the majority of businesses out of the VAT regime altogether.

The Government’s approach to the VAT threshold and applicable rates aims to balance potential impacts on small businesses, including their growth and financial sustainability, the economy as a whole, and tax revenues. Tax breaks reduce the revenue available for public services and must represent value for money for the taxpayer.

The Government is committed to supporting disabled people and is determined that support should be focused on people who need it most. The aim of existing Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) exemptions for recipients of some disability benefits is to provide additional help for people who become disabled early, or relatively early, in life and as a result experience economic disadvantage. These allowances are therefore only available to people who become disabled before State Pension age.

For individuals who develop a disability after State Pension age, Attendance Allowance (AA) is a non-means-tested benefit which provides targeted help with the extra costs of disability and helps them maintain their independence. Unlike Disability Living Allowance and Personal Independence Payment, AA does not have a mobility component and is intended to cover the need for care or supervision an individual requires as a result of their disability rather than specific mobility needs. Individuals can however choose to use their AA to fund mobility aids.

While we have no current plans to reform the VED exemptions for recipients of some disability benefits, the Government keeps all taxes under review as part of the policy making process, and the Chancellor makes decisions at fiscal events in the context of the public finances.

The Visit caseworker guidance provides guidance to decision makers when assessing Visitor applications. It sets out that all information provided by the applicant must be assessed which may include supporting statements or references provided by British nationals to support the application - Visit caseworker guidance (accessible) - GOV.UK

Visitor visa applications are assessed on their individual merits, considering all aspects of the case. This may include supporting documents provided by a sponsor, which are then evaluated, along with the rest of the application, against the balance of probabilities to determine if the application meets the requirements of the Visitor Immigration Rules - Immigration Rules - Immigration Rules Appendix V: Visitor - Guidance - GOV.UK.

At present, asylum seekers who have had their claim outstanding for 12 months or more, through no fault of their own, can apply for permission to work. Those permitted to work are restricted to jobs on the Immigration Salary List. This list is based on expert advice from the independent Migration Advisory Committee.

The Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 provides the police and local authorities with a range of flexible tools and powers that they can use to respond quickly and effectively to anti-social behaviour, including the misuse of fireworks.

To inform any future decisions on the legislative framework the Government will continue to engage with stakeholders to gather evidence on the issues raised by the antisocial use of fireworks, and consider any further steps that need to be taken to tackle the problem.

The Government is firmly committed to promoting and protecting the right to freedom of religion, or belief, and being a strong voice internationally in defence of this fundamental right.

Any attempt to intimidate, harass or harm individuals in the UK will not be tolerated. Wherever we identify such threats, we will use all measures, including through our world-class intelligence services, to mitigate risk to individuals.

Police forces are operationally independent of Government. Therefore, the Home Office does not comment on operational decisions taken by the Police, including, any decisions taken by the police to issue protective security advice.

The Blue Book of Protective Security is available to anyone who would like to improve their personal security, for whatever reason, and is freely available on the Protect UK website.Anyone who is concerned for their safety should contact the police in the first instance.

The Department is assessing current policies and identifying those which obstruct individuals from joining the Armed Forces. It is essential that new entrants to the Armed Forces are medically fit to meet the various challenges of Service life and the roles in which they will be expected to deploy.

Candidates with mild or moderate allergies are currently able to join the Armed Forces providing they meet certain criteria. Candidates with severe symptoms, including anaphylaxis and those who require an adrenaline auto-injector, are currently unable to join the Armed Forces as it is not possible to guarantee avoidance of allergen cross-contamination throughout a Service career, especially when on operations, or rapid access to life-saving treatment.

If an application is rejected on medical grounds, a candidate can appeal the decision with additional medical information. There is also an executive waiver process where the employing Service may, exceptionally, recruit someone who is below the normal entry standards.

The key objective of the government’s cladding funding schemes is to ensure that life safety fire risks associated with cladding are addressed as quickly as possible to ensure that residents in residential buildings are safe and feel safe in their homes. Funding is available towards eligible costs related to action needed to mitigate the risk posed by cladding on residential buildings over 11m in height. Commercial leaseholders operating in mixed use residential and commercial developments may in some circumstances benefit from protections against having to pay service charges towards equivalent works to fix cladding. Full details of eligibility for cladding safety funding can be found at Cladding Safety Scheme overview - GOV.UK.

The UK Government recognises the substantial contribution the Scottish tourism industry makes to the UK visitor economy. We are committed to working with industry to strengthen the future of this key sector.

While tourism is devolved, we work closely with the Scottish Government and its agencies to ensure that the sector thrives. This Government will also continue to encourage tourism across the whole of Scotland through our Brand Scotland work to promote Scotland around the world.