Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the Great British Summer Savings scheme to include admission to public swimming pools.

From 25 June to 1 September the Government is introducing a temporary reduced rate of VAT on children's menu meals and eligible family attractions.

This is a targeted and temporary scheme to reduce the costs of children’s meals in restaurants, children’s tickets for theatres and cinemas and tickets for everyone for attractions like soft play, adventure centres, and theme parks, helping families enjoy a day out for less. Individual businesses should consult HMRC’s guidance to determine how the rules apply in their circumstances.

Sport, including swimming pools, is not in scope of the relief. This is in line with the decision to focus on a narrower set of eligible activities to ensure the scheme is targeted and financially sustainable.

Many sports facilities which families use already enjoy some form of VAT relief, including many leisure centres and local swimming pools that are operated by local authorities and are out of scope of VAT already. Local authorities are able to reclaim their input VAT when providing sports facilities in leisure centres.