Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of further business VAT deferrals in response to the ongoing covid-19 outbreak; and if he will make a statement.

The Government continues to make timely decisions to support businesses throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Approximately 600,000 payments were deferred to the value of £34bn through the VAT payments deferral scheme, which ended on 30 June 2020. As part of the Winter Economy Plan, the Government announced further support for those with deferred VAT. Instead of paying the full deferred VAT outstanding by 31 March 2021, businesses can spread what they owe over up to 11 smaller monthly payments. More information is available at www.gov.uk/hmrc/vat-deferral.

There are currently no plans to launch another VAT deferral scheme.