Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of providing incentives such as tax credits to encourage rapid adoption of new technologies in the legal services sector.

The Government regularly receives proposals for sector specific tax reliefs. When considering any new tax reliefs, HM Treasury must ensure they provide support to businesses across the economy in a fair way and effectively target taxpayer money.

At the Budget, the Chancellor announced the Help to Grow programme to support over 100k SMEs across the UK improve their productivity and performance though management training and digital adoption. This includes Help to Grow: Digital, comprising free online advice and a discount on software that could help SMEs from all sectors and across the UK save time and cut costs.

The Help to Grow: Digital platform will help businesses to understand the benefits of different types of software and identify which could help deliver their business goals. Support will be provided through interactive tools and technology-specific guides. Through the platform, eligible businesses will be able to access a voucher providing up to 50% discount on the costs of buying new software, worth up to £5,000 a year per business. Vouchers are expected to be available for software that helps businesses: build customer relationships and increase sales; make the most of selling online; and manage their accounts and finances digitally.