Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government, following the removal of tax-free shopping for international visitors, what steps they are taking to support affected small and medium-sized enterprises in regional economies.

Earlier this year, the Office for Budget Responsibility conducted a review of the previous government’s 2020 costing of removing tax-free shopping for tourists.

The Chancellor has commissioned HM Treasury officials to provide an assessment of the state of the government’s spending inheritance, to be presented to Parliament before the summer recess. Any required support for small to medium enterprises will be assessed as part of wider fiscal considerations.