Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to Qs 258-259 of the oral evidence given by the Chancellor of the Exchequer to the Treasury Select Committee on Wednesday 6 November 2024, what value of Business Property Relief was claimed on farmer's estates for financial year 2021-22.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government published information about the reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief at www.gov.uk/government/publications/agricultural-property-relief-and-business-property-relief-reforms. This includes information on claims at death in 2021to 2022 referenced by the Chancellor at the Treasury Select Committee on 6 November 2024.

The Chancellor wrote to the Treasury Select Committee on 15 November 2024, detailing the distribution of claims at death for agricultural property relief with values of business property relief claims added, where an estate has also claimed business property relief. This letter has been published at https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/45691/documents/226235/default/.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to Qs 258-259 of the oral evidence given by the Chancellor of the Exchequer to the Treasury Select Committee on Wednesday 6 November 2024, whether the figures quoted in her answers related only to Agricultural Property Relief and did not include Business property Relief claimed by farmers for the same period.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government published information about the reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief at www.gov.uk/government/publications/agricultural-property-relief-and-business-property-relief-reforms. This includes information on claims at death in 2021to 2022 referenced by the Chancellor at the Treasury Select Committee on 6 November 2024.

The Chancellor wrote to the Treasury Select Committee on 15 November 2024, detailing the distribution of claims at death for agricultural property relief with values of business property relief claims added, where an estate has also claimed business property relief. This letter has been published at https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/45691/documents/226235/default/.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to (a) agricultural property relief and (b) business property relief announced in the Autumn Budget 2024 on (i) abattoirs, (ii) butchers, (iii) agricultural retailers, (iv) agricultural machinery retailers and (v) other agriculture-related businesses.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government published information about the reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief at www.gov.uk/government/publications/agricultural-property-relief-and-business-property-relief-reforms.

It is expected that up to around 2,000 estates will be affected by the changes to APR and BPR in 2026-27, with around half of those being claims that involve AIM shares. Almost three-quarters of estates claiming agricultural property relief (including those claiming agricultural property relief and business property relief together) each year are expected to be unaffected by these reforms.

In accordance with standard practice, a tax information and impact note will be published alongside the draft legislation before the relevant Finance Bill.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief on (a) arable, (b) livestock and (c) hill farms.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government published information about the reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief at www.gov.uk/government/publications/agricultural-property-relief-and-business-property-relief-reforms.

It is expected that up to around 2,000 estates will be affected by the changes to APR and BPR in 2026-27, with around half of those being claims that involve AIM shares. Almost three-quarters of estates claiming agricultural property relief (including those claiming agricultural property relief and business property relief together) each year are expected to be unaffected by these reforms.

In accordance with standard practice, a tax information and impact note will be published alongside the draft legislation before the relevant Finance Bill.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of changes to (a) Agricultural Property Relief and (b) Business Property Relief on trends in the sale of agricultural land assets.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government published information about the reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief at www.gov.uk/government/publications/agricultural-property-relief-and-business-property-relief-reforms.

It is expected that up to around 2,000 estates will be affected by the changes to APR and BPR in 2026-27, with around half of those being claims that involve AIM shares. Almost three-quarters of estates claiming agricultural property relief (including those claiming agricultural property relief and business property relief together) each year are expected to be unaffected by these reforms.

In accordance with standard practice, a tax information and impact note will be published alongside the draft legislation before the relevant Finance Bill.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will take steps to ensure the provision of adequate funding to support (a) up-to-date local plans and (b) high-quality design codes.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Within weeks of taking office, the government consulted on increasing planning fees to put planning services on a firmer footing and to reflect the real costs of the services they provide.

Subject to the outcome of our consultation on proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework, the government will provide funding to enable eligible local authorities to progress their plans to examination quickly. Further details on the funding will be provided in due course.

More generally, the government is committed to supporting local planning authorities. At the Budget, the Chancellor announced a £46 million package of investment into the planning system to support capacity and capability in local planning authorities. This includes funding for the recruitment and training of 300 graduate and apprentice planners, along with funding to Public Practice for the recruitment of planners, architects, and urban designers. Together, this framework provides a clear basis for the delivery of more high-quality, well-designed homes.

We are also developing a wider programme of support, working with partners across the planning sector, to ensure that local planning authorities have the skills and capacity they need, both now and in the future to modernise local plans and speed up decision making, including through innovative use of digital planning data and software.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department plans to utilise architects to allow development of complex brownfield sites in proposed National Planning Policy Framework reforms.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

National planning policy sets out the circumstances in which the development of brownfield land is considered appropriate, and the standards that are expected, including a high quality of design. It does not specify the professions which should be involved, which is a matter for the client, but is important that a range of disciplines is brought to bear as appropriate to the nature of the site, and architects will often play a key role. We have set out proposals for how brownfield development could be better supported in our consultation on changes to the National Planning Policy Framework and our discussion paper on ‘brownfield passports’.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam in Mauritius.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

After his recent election, the UK sent congratulatory messages to Prime Minister Ramgoolam. The Prime Minister's Special Envoy, Jonathan Powell, then visited Mauritius and met Prime Minister Ramgoolam on 25 November. We look forward to developing our shared priorities with the new Government of Mauritius.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of Russian interference in the upcoming Ghanaian general election.

Answered by Anneliese Dodds - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Foreign actors, including Russia, attempt to use information manipulation and interference to manipulate social discourse, skew national and international debates on subjects of critical importance, and try to undermine democratic institutions and national security. In Africa, Russia-linked media and influence organisations are using disinformation to garner support for Russian activity and discredit others.

We are working with our African partners to strengthen resilience to malign activity through strategic security and defence relationships alongside humanitarian, development and stabilisation programmes. The UK and Ghana are strong partners and we support the integrity of its elections and strength of its democracy. The UK's approach to supporting Ghana's resilience, including during its elections period, is focused on partnering with civil society, which has an essential role in ensuring a credible and transparent process. The UK's £5 million Ghana Governance Programme is working to support democracy and strong governance. This includes delivering communication and media relations training to counter and tackle mis/disinformation during the election.

During his visit to Ghana in September, Lord Collins met with the President and the two main Presidential candidates and welcomed Ghana's commitment to democracy, highlighting the importance of credible, transparent and inclusive elections.

Found: a letter to the European Scrutiny Committee on 13 October 2021, the then Minister for Europe Wendy Morton