Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 29 October 2025 to Question 83833 on Schools: Employers' Contributions, what estimate she has made of the proportion of the £3.7 billion increase in school funding for 2025-26 that will be used to meet additional costs associated with increases in employers’ National Insurance contributions.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

As part of the £3.7 billion increase in funding for schools in the 2025/26 financial year, the department is providing mainstream schools and high needs settings with over £930 million to support them with the increases to employer national insurance contributions (NICs) from April 2025.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that additional capital funding for roads, rail and bus networks announced in the Budget is allocated fairly across the West Midlands, including to areas across Aldridge-Brownhills which do not benefit from major rail interchanges or tram extensions.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The West Midlands Combined Authority will receive almost £2.4bn in Transport for City Region (TCR) funding up to 31/32.

Enabling Mayors in recipient areas to deliver schemes that align with local priorities, the TCR programme provides unprecedented, multi-year, consolidated funding settlements to enhance the local transport networks of some of England’s largest city regions, including investment in public and sustainable transport infrastructure, to help to drive growth and productivity.

It is for the Combined Authority to determine how this funding is allocated across the city region in line with local priorities.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of electric vehicle charging infrastructure in the West Midlands; and whether she plans to provide additional support for installing public EV chargers across Aldridge-Brownhills constituency.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government is committed to accelerating the roll-out of charging infrastructure so that everyone, no matter where they live or work, can make the transition to an electric vehicle (EV). As of 1st October 2025 there were 7,661 public charging devices in the West Midlands, equating to 127 devices per 100,000 of the population. There were 31 public charging devices in the Aldrige-Brownhills constituency at the same period.

The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), which includes Aldridge-Brownhills constituency, has been allocated £16.6 million capital and resource funding as part of the Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund, to transform the availability of EV charging for drivers without off-street parking in the area. The WMCA has also been allocated £1,531,000 through the Electric Vehicles Pavement Channels Grant.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of excluding car parks, roads and other forms of hardstanding from the definition of Previously Developed Land under regulation 21 of the Building Safety Levy (England) Regulations 2025 on housing viability.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Works on previously developed sites will be charged at the 50% discount rate for the Building Safety Levy. This is because of the higher costs of developing a previously developed/ brownfield site, and the greater risk that these projects become unviable.

As set out in our response to technical consultation, we have implemented a definition of “Previously Developed Sites” in the Building Safety Levy regulations which draws on the definition of “Previously Developed Land” set out in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). Appropriate amendments have been made to reflect that the NPPF definition is primarily designed to inform planning policy whereas the Building Safety Levy definition is used in regulations to apply a tax discount.

We recognise the issues highlighted, and we are considering whether the approach in regulations could be more closely aligned with the NPPF, while maintaining the level of precision required for a taxation system.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether potential housing development on (i) supermarkets with car parks, (ii) edge of town retail parks, (iii) train station car parks and (iv) former industrial sites where more than 25% of each site is made up of hardstanding are brownfield.

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

The revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) published on 12 December 2024 broadened the definition of brownfield land, set a strengthened expectation that applications on brownfield land will be approved, and made clear that plans should promote an uplift in density in urban areas. The definition in question can be found in the NPPF glossary on gov.uk here.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether car parks, roads and other hardstanding in urban areas are brownfield land.

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

The revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) published on 12 December 2024 broadened the definition of brownfield land, set a strengthened expectation that applications on brownfield land will be approved, and made clear that plans should promote an uplift in density in urban areas. The definition in question can be found in the NPPF glossary on gov.uk here.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, for what reason a (a) supermarket with a car park and (b) former industrial site where more than 25% of the site is hardstanding is not considered previously developed land under regulation 21 of the Building Safety Levy (England) Regulations 2025.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Works on previously developed sites will be charged at the 50% discount rate for the Building Safety Levy. This is because of the higher costs of developing a previously developed/ brownfield site, and the greater risk that these projects become unviable.

As set out in our response to technical consultation, we have implemented a definition of “Previously Developed Sites” in the Building Safety Levy regulations which draws on the definition of “Previously Developed Land” set out in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). Appropriate amendments have been made to reflect that the NPPF definition is primarily designed to inform planning policy whereas the Building Safety Levy definition is used in regulations to apply a tax discount.

We recognise the issues highlighted, and we are considering whether the approach in regulations could be more closely aligned with the NPPF, while maintaining the level of precision required for a taxation system.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, for what reason the Building Safety Levy (England) Regulations 2025 introduced a new definition of Previously Developed land.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Works on previously developed sites will be charged at the 50% discount rate for the Building Safety Levy. This is because of the higher costs of developing a previously developed/ brownfield site, and the greater risk that these projects become unviable.

As set out in our response to technical consultation, we have implemented a definition of “Previously Developed Sites” in the Building Safety Levy regulations which draws on the definition of “Previously Developed Land” set out in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). Appropriate amendments have been made to reflect that the NPPF definition is primarily designed to inform planning policy whereas the Building Safety Levy definition is used in regulations to apply a tax discount.

We recognise the issues highlighted, and we are considering whether the approach in regulations could be more closely aligned with the NPPF, while maintaining the level of precision required for a taxation system.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people will move into higher tax bands due to the freezing of income tax and National Insurance thresholds for three years; and estimate she has made of the revenue raised through these measures.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The number of people forecast to pay tax by marginal rate can be found in Table 3.19 in the OBR’s November 2025 Economic and fiscal outlook – detailed forecast tables: receipts, linked below:

https://obr.uk/download/november-2025-economic-and-fiscal-outlook-detailed-forecast-tables-receipts/?tmstv=1764165511

The estimated revenue from maintaining the personal income tax and equivalent national insurance thresholds at current levels for a further three years until April 2031 can be found in Table 4.1, policy 46 in HMT’s Budget 2025 document, linked below:

Budget 2025 document - GOV.UK

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of applying National Insurance to salary-sacrificed pension contributions above £2,000 from 2029 on small and medium-sized employers, pension take-up and long-term pension savings; and whether she plans to bring forward measures to mitigate the impact on pension auto-enrolment and retirement preparedness.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

A Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) was published alongside the introduction of the Bill containing the changes to pensions salary sacrifice.

Small and medium-sized employers (SMEs) are less likely to be affected by these changes. Based on the latest ASHE data (2023/24), 28% of employees of SMEs use pension salary sacrifice, compared to 39% of larger employers.

The government supports all individuals to save into pensions through a generous system of tax reliefs worth over £70 billion a year.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what modelling she has undertaken on applying National Insurance to salary-sacrificed pension contributions above £2,000; and whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of that measure on pension contributions among middle-income workers.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

A Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) was published alongside the introduction of the Bill containing the changes to pensions salary sacrifice.

Individuals earning below £30,000 making pension contributions through salary sacrifice are overwhelmingly protected by a £2,000 cap, with few (c. 5%) making salary sacrifice contributions above this threshold.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether local authorities will be required to repay accumulated DSG deficits before 2028-29, or whether such deficits will be written off as part of the transition to central government funding of SEND provision.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

At Autmn Budget 2025, the government clarified that ambitious Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) reform plans will be set out early in the new year and that funding for SEND will be managed within the government’s overall departmental spending limits from 2028-29. Therefore, we do not expect local authorities to need to fund future SEND costs from general funds, once the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) Statutory Override ends at the end of 2027-28.

We recognise that local authorities are continuing to face significant pressure from the impact of historic and accruing DSG deficits on their accounts. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government engages regularly with local authorities and the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy on the impact of the deficits and the extent to which they are expected to grow. We will set out further details on our plans to support local authorities with their historic and accruing deficits through the upcoming Local Government Finance Settlement.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact on West Midlands local authorities of the Government’s decision in the Autumn Budget to transfer full responsibility for funding Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provision to central government from 2028-29; and whether his Department has modelled the financial implications for Walsall Council, in particular the treatment of existing Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) deficits.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

At Autmn Budget 2025, the government clarified that ambitious Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) reform plans will be set out early in the new year and that funding for SEND will be managed within the government’s overall departmental spending limits from 2028-29. Therefore, we do not expect local authorities to need to fund future SEND costs from general funds, once the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) Statutory Override ends at the end of 2027-28.

We recognise that local authorities are continuing to face significant pressure from the impact of historic and accruing DSG deficits on their accounts. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government engages regularly with local authorities and the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy on the impact of the deficits and the extent to which they are expected to grow. We will set out further details on our plans to support local authorities with their historic and accruing deficits through the upcoming Local Government Finance Settlement.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the OBR’s conclusion that cumulative local authority SEND deficits may reach £14 billion by 2027-28, and what implications this has for the financial sustainability of councils in the West Midlands, including Walsall, once the statutory override on DSG deficits expires in 2028.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

At Autmn Budget 2025, the government clarified that ambitious Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) reform plans will be set out early in the new year and that funding for SEND will be managed within the government’s overall departmental spending limits from 2028-29. Therefore, we do not expect local authorities to need to fund future SEND costs from general funds, once the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) Statutory Override ends at the end of 2027-28.

We recognise that local authorities are continuing to face significant pressure from the impact of historic and accruing DSG deficits on their accounts. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government engages regularly with local authorities and the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy on the impact of the deficits and the extent to which they are expected to grow. We will set out further details on our plans to support local authorities with their historic and accruing deficits through the upcoming Local Government Finance Settlement.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the impact of granting the Mayor of the West Midlands Combined Authority powers to levy a mandatory charge on overnight stays on smaller visitor economies such as Aldridge-Brownhills, Walsall and surrounding parts of the West Midlands that do not benefit from the international tourism profile of Birmingham city centre.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The impacts of the overnight visitor levy will be determined by local decisions. Mayors will need to decide whether to implement a levy, subject to a local consultation on specific proposals. This consultation will inform their decisions regarding whether and how a levy will be applied, and how any revenue is invested in their region.

The Government is consulting on the design and scope of the visitor levy and welcomes views from businesses, local authorities, and the public. The consultation runs until 18 February.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will publish any impact assessments on the potential displacement of visitors away from levy-charging areas of the West Midlands to neighbouring counties without such charges, and what analysis has been undertaken of the risks to the region’s smaller hospitality-based high streets.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The impacts of the overnight visitor levy will be determined by local decisions. Mayors will need to decide whether to implement a levy, subject to a local consultation on specific proposals. This consultation will inform their decisions regarding whether and how a levy will be applied, and how any revenue is invested in their region.

The Government is consulting on the design and scope of the visitor levy and welcomes views from businesses, local authorities, and the public. The consultation runs until 18 February.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the impact of the Budget’s roads funding announcements on tackling congestion hotspots in Aldridge-Brownhills, including the A452, A461, Chester Road, Walsall Wood Road and Brownhills High Street; and whether additional funding will be made available to local authorities to deliver small-scale but high-impact junction and safety improvements.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Tackling congestion hotspots on local roads is a matter for local highway authorities. The roads in question are the responsibility of Walsall Council, which is part of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA). WMCA is in receipt of £1.05bn of City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS) funding for the period 2022/23 to 2026/27, and this Government has allocated £2.4bn of Transport for City Regions (TCR) funding to the region for the period up until 2031/32. It is for the combined authority to determine how this funding is allocated across the city region in line with its local priorities.

The Government has also committed over £2 billion annually by 2029/30 for local authorities to repair and renew their roads and fix potholes – doubling funding since coming into office. For the first time, we have confirmed funding allocations for four years, enabling local authorities to plan ahead with certainty, move away from expensive, short-term repairs, and instead invest in proactive and preventative maintenance. As a result of this, WMCA are eligible to receive an additional £9 million in 2026/27.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has made an estimate of the number and demographic profile of savers impacted by the reduction in the annual cash ISA allowance; and whether she plans to introduce alternative saving and investment incentives.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

ISAs incentivise saving and investment by providing generous tax advantages to individual taxpayers. Individuals can save up to £20,000 into an ISA each year, and any savings income received within an ISA is tax free. In addition, due to the Personal Savings Allowance and the Starting Rate for Savings, in 2025-26 around 85 per cent of people with savings income will pay no tax on that income.

This policy will affect those aged under 65 from April 2027, but the overall Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) limit will remain at £20,000 for all savers when the annual Cash ISA limit is set at £12,000. Savers can still use stocks and shares ISAs beyond the £12,000 up to £20,000. It will not affect existing cash ISA savings.

A policy costing note for the package of measures was published alongside the Budget, including the changes to the ISA regime. Following a technical consultation, new ISA regulations will be laid, and a Tax Impact and Information Note will be published in the spring.

After around 800,000 savers aged 65 and above are carved-out, these changes will affect around 16% of Cash ISA subscribers, and around 12% of all ISA subscribers. This means around 1.3 million people are impacted by these changes.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the level of taxation set out in the Budget on savings, dividends and property income on small investors, retired people relying on investment income, and small business owners.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government is taking action to ensure income from assets are taxed more fairly. That is why we have increased taxes on property, dividend and savings income to narrow the gap between tax paid on work and tax paid on income from assets.

The majority of taxpayers, and the majority of pensioners, have no taxable savings, dividend or property income and will pay no more tax as a result of these changes.

Those with small amounts of income from assets will continue to be protected by tax-free allowances, and all income from savings and investments held in ISAs will continue to be entirely tax-free.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the level of taxation as a result of the Autumn Budget 2025 on the economy.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

HM Treasury does not publish forecasts of the economy. Forecasts, including assessments of the impact of policy decisions, are the responsibility of the independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). The OBR publishes its forecast in the Economic and Fiscal Outlook (EFO). The OBR’s latest EFO can be found here: Economic and fiscal outlook – November 2025 - Office for Budget Responsibility. 

The OBR does not expect a material impact on economy-wide growth as a result of Budget 2025 tax changes.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what analysis her Department has carried out of the potential macro-economic effects (on investment, business growth, rental markets, and savings behaviour) of raising dividend, property and savings income tax rates by two percentage points as part of the 2025 Autumn Budget.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

Economic forecasts, including assessments of the impact of policy decisions, are the responsibility of the independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). The OBR publishes its forecast in the Economic and Fiscal Outlook (EFO). The OBR’s latest EFO can be found here: Economic and fiscal outlook – November 2025 - Office for Budget Responsibility.

The OBR does not expect a material impact on economy-wide growth, investment, or savings behaviour as a result of Budget 2025 tax changes.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate she has made of the (a) number of savers who will exceed the new reduced annual ISA limit and (b) additional revenue from that measure.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The overall annual ISA limit has not changed and remains at £20,000. Individuals under 65s and subscribing £12,000 in a Cash ISA can still invest the remaining £8,000 in Stocks & Shares and/or Innovative Finance ISAs and up to £4,000 in a Lifetime ISA.

HMRC estimate that 1.3 million individuals aged under 65 subscribed over £12,000 into Cash ISAs based on the latest available data.

The exchequer impact for this measure, combined with other savings measures, has been published (Page 79) in the AB25 Budget policy costing document: Budget_2025-Policy_Costings.pdf

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 extent of Iranian state and proxy support for (a) Hamas and (b) other armed groups operating in Gaza and across the region; and what diplomatic or sanctions measures the UK is considering in response.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Iran continues to destabilise the region through political, financial and military support for its proxies and partners - in direct contravention of multiple UN Security Council Resolutions. We will continue to work alongside international partners to hold Iran to account for this escalatory behaviour and call on Iran to cease this activity. The UK has to date sanctioned over 450 Iran-linked individuals and entities. We do not comment on prospective sanctions as to do so would risk reducing their impact.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to strengthen the UK’s bilateral relationship with Israel following recent events in Gaza and in the context of the UK’s wider Middle East security priorities.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK has a longstanding and important relationship with Israel, built on cooperation in areas including security, trade, science, and technology. We remain firmly committed to Israel's security and continue to work together on shared regional challenges.

The UK's immediate priority, working alongside our international partners, is to ensure continued progress on the 20-point peace plan endorsed by the UN Security Council on 17 November, including maintaining the current ceasefire, increasing the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza, and advancing the political process necessary for a just and lasting peace.

We discuss those matters regularly, and we remain committed to the pursuit of a two-state solution, with a secure Israel living side by side in peace and security alongside a viable, sovereign Palestinian state.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to increase humanitarian aid access and delivery into Gaza including through coordination with Israel, Egypt and the United Nations.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the statement made by the Foreign Secretary to the House on 18 November 2025 regarding the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. In October, the Foreign Secretary spoke with UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, and Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar about the importance of opening more crossings to enable the flow of humanitarian supplies into Gaza at the pace and volume required to meet the scale of the crisis.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how she plans to assess and administer the new high-value property charge; what steps she is taking to prevent avoidance and undervaluation; and whether there will be transitional relief for homeowners whose property value has recently increased due to market fluctuations.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Valuation Office Agency will be conducting a targeted valuation to identify properties in scope of the High Value Council Tax Surcharge (HVCTS). HVCTS will then be collected by local authorities.

The Government will consult on the detailed implementation of the HVCTS in the new year, including the provision of support for those who may find it more difficult to pay. Further information on HVCTS is available at the following link:

High Value Council Tax Surcharge - GOV.UK

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he will require the Department for Education or newly responsible central government bodies to publish borough-level data on SEND provision, EHCP timeliness and outcomes once funding is centralised, to ensure regional transparency for areas such as Walsall and the Black Country.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Information on the number of pupils with special educational needs (SEN) is published in the statistical release, Special educational needs in England, accessible at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/special-educational-needs-in-england/2024-25. This includes information for each local authority on the number of pupils with SEN, their type of need, type of school attended and characteristics such as ethnicity, age sex, and free school meal eligibility.

Information on the number of education, health and care (EHC) plans maintained by each local authority is published in the statistical release, accessible at:https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/education-health-and-care-plans/2025. This includes information for each local authority on the number of plans maintained for all children and young people aged 0 to 25, including those educated other than in schools. It also covers the timeliness for issuing EHC plans, the number of requests for and number of EHC needs assessments carried out, the placement of children and young people with an EHC plan, and the number of plans which cease and the reasons why they cease.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of introducing a 3p-per-mile charge for electric cars and 1.5p for plug-in hybrids on low-income households, the environment, society and the economy.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

As announced at Budget 2025, the Government is introducing Electric Vehicle Excise Duty (eVED) from April 2028, a new mileage charge for electric and plug-in hybrid cars, recognising that EVs contribute to congestion and wear and tear on the roads but pay no equivalent to fuel duty.

The Government has set out estimated impacts on household incomes from tax, welfare and public service spending decisions taken at Budget 2025, including eVED. These impacts are available at GOV.UK: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69269c6222424e25e6bc31bb/Impact_on_households.pdf

The Government has also set out Exchequer and behavioural impacts from eVED and other Budget measures in the Budget 2025 Policy Costings document at GOV.UK: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/692872fd2a37784b16ecf676/Budget_2025-Policy_Costings.pdf

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the Budget on self-employed workers, including freelancers and contractors.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government is committed to a fair tax system that supports small firms and the self-employed, while ensuring the ongoing funding of essential public services and economic stability. The Budget raises revenue in a fair and progressive way, and the Government is sticking to its manifesto pledge not to increase the headline rates of income tax, National Insurance and VAT and its commitments in the Corporate Tax Roadmap.

We are providing support for small businesses and the self-employed in a number of areas. We are introducing the toughest late payment laws in the G7. Through the new Business Growth Service, small businesses will be able to access support with skills training, recruitment, or accessing Start Up Loans and Export Finance.

We are taking wider measures to ensure the wider economic environment is conducive to growth. We are cutting borrowing and debt, and supporting the Bank of England by tackling the persistent high inflation that dampens investment in the UK and slows economic growth. Government took measures at Budget to reduce consumer price inflation by 0.4pp in 2026/27.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the Budget 2025 on (a) investment and (b) hiring decisions by small and medium-sized enterprises.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

We are cutting borrowing and debt, and supporting the Bank of England by tackling the persistent high inflation that dampens investment in the UK and slows economic growth. The Government set out its overall approach for supporting SMEs in the Small Business Strategy published in July 2025 and built on this with targeted reforms to support small businesses at Autumn Budget 2025. We are supporting employment and skills by changing the rules to fully fund SME apprenticeships training costs for eligible people under the age of 25. At the Budget we announced an Entrepreneurship which includes the largest ever injection of capital into the British Business Bank. Over the next five years, the British Business Bank will enable up to an additional £10 billion in small business lending through guarantees. We are also doubling the eligibility of our enterprise tax incentives to boost scale-ups and consulting on plans to reduce business energy prices.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will publish a full impact assessment for ending the Energy Company Obligation scheme.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

To bring energy bills down for all, the decision has been made not to continue the Energy Company Obligation when the current scheme ends.

The government does not intend to publish a new impact assessment for ending the scheme. An assessment of their impacts was produced when both the ECO4 and Great British Insulation Scheme were laid.

The government has committed £1.5 billion in additional grant funding to support low-income households and those in fuel poverty. Details of this will be set out in the Warm Homes Plan, which will be published soon.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the Budget 2025 on areas with lower average incomes in each region.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

HM Treasury’s ‘Impact on households’ publication, produced alongside Budget 2025, shows that the impact of government tax, welfare and public service spending decisions from Autumn Budget 2024 onwards are benefit households in the lowest income deciles the most, on average HM Treasury does not produce a distributional assessment of policy decisions at a subnational level.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate she has made of the average increase in annual tax paid by households earning between £25,000 and £50,000 following the Autumn Budget 2025.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

HM Treasury’s ‘Impact on households’ publication, produced alongside Budget 2025, shows that the impact of government tax, welfare and public service spending decisions from Autumn Budget 2024 onwards are progressive and benefit households in the lowest income deciles the most, on average, with increases in tax concentrated on the highest income households. On average, all but the richest 10% of households will benefit from policy decisions in 2028-29.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of raising taxes on property income on the private rented sector, including supply and rent levels.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The independent Office for Budget Responsibility does not expect that the reform to property income tax will have a significant impact on rental prices.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of funding for buses in the Autumn Budget 2025 on bus routes serving Aldridge-Brownhills constituency; and whether her Department plans to issue guidance to Combined Authorities on protecting services in semi-rural areas of the West Midlands.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government reaffirmed its commitment to investing in bus services long-term in the Spending Review, confirming over £3 billion from 2026/27 to support local leaders and bus operators across the country to improve bus services for millions of passengers.

This includes multi-year allocations for local authorities under the Local Authority Bus Grant (LABG) totalling nearly £700 million per year, ending the short-term approach to bus funding and giving councils the certainty they need to plan ahead to improve services for local communities. West Midlands Combined Authority has been allocated £120 million under the LABG from 2026/27 to 2028/29. LABG allocations have been calculated using a fair and transparent approach that considers population size, levels of deprivation, the extent of existing bus services and rurality.

The Government knows that bus services can be a lifeline for many, including in semi-rural areas. The Department for Transport’s guidance to local transport authorities and bus operators on developing their Bus Service Improvement Plans makes clear that these should consider how to improve services across the full Local Transport Authority area. In the case of West Midlands Combined Authority, this includes Aldridge-Brownhills constituency.

The Government has also introduced the Bus Services Act 2025 which puts passenger needs, reliable services and local accountability at the heart of local bus services by putting the power back in the hands of local leaders right across England. The Act includes a measure on socially necessary services so that local authorities and bus operators have to have regard for alternatives to changing or cancelling services.

Found: November 2024 Members present Bob Blackman, in the Chair 1 Jack Abbott Mary Glindon Alison Hume Wendy Morton