Asked by: John Glen (Conservative - Salisbury)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if the Office for Value for Money will investigate the value for money of (a) expenditure relating to in the Civil Service and (b) trade union facility time in the Civil Service.
Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The Office for Value for Money (OVfM) has two primary roles. First, to provide targeted interventions, working with Treasury and departments, so that value for money governs every decision government makes. Second, to recommend system reforms to ensure any changes support the government’s missions and deliver value for money.
The OVfM is focussed on tackling wider systemic challenges that impact Government operations. Internal teams across departments already consider the value for money on respective policies and external interactions, using existing tools to consider their impact.
Asked by: John Glen (Conservative - Salisbury)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether (a) her Department and (b) the Office for Value for Money plans to issue guidance on the value for money of (i) domestic and (ii) international flights.
Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The Office for Value for Money (OVfM) has two primary roles. First, to provide targeted interventions, working with Treasury and departments, so that value for money governs every decision government makes. Second, to recommend system reforms to ensure any changes support the government’s missions and deliver value for money.
The OVfM is focussed on tackling wider systemic challenges that impact Government operations. Internal teams across departments already consider the value for money on respective policies and external interactions, using existing tools to consider their impact.
Asked by: Lord Moynihan (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the outcome to the consultation The new alcohol duty system, which ran from 27 October 2021 to 30 January 2022, has met the stated core principles by making the system (1) simpler, (2) more economically rational, and (3) less administratively burdensome on businesses.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
A new duty structure for alcohol products was introduced in August 2023 by the previous Government.
HMRC plans to evaluate the impact of the new rates and structures three years after the changes took effect. This will allow time for HMRC to gather a broad range of data with which to evaluate the impacts.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of business relief for Inheritance Tax in supporting family owned businesses.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
HMRC publishes data regularly about the number of claims and the cost of non-structural tax reliefs, such as agricultural property relief and business property relief. The information can be found at www.gov.uk/government/statistics/main-tax-expenditures-and-structural-reliefs.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of agricultural relief for Inheritance Tax in supporting farming businesses.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
HMRC publishes data regularly about the number of claims and the cost of non-structural tax reliefs, such as agricultural property relief and business property relief. The information can be found at www.gov.uk/government/statistics/main-tax-expenditures-and-structural-reliefs.
Asked by: Pete Wishart (Scottish National Party - Perth and Kinross-shire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much funding her Department has allocated to the Pension Credit Week of Action campaign, launched on 2 September 2024.
Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The Government wants those eligible for Pension Credit but not currently claiming it to receive the benefits they are entitled to, including their Winter Fuel Payment. We will continue to maximise opportunities to promote Pension Credit – such as the recent Week of Action - and to raise awareness of its wider benefits and to encourage pensioners to apply.
In the five weeks following the Chancellor’s statement on 29 July we have seen a 115% increase in claims for Pension Credit, compared to the five weeks before. This is a welcome increase, but we must continue to raise awareness. We are now focusing on a paid media partnership and a national Pension Credit marketing campaign through to 21 December to maximise take-up.
Campaign activity is funded from DWP's budget. We will confirm department's control totals for 2024-25, and expenditure limits for 2025-26 alongside the Budget on 30 October.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what advice the Center for Appraisal Research and Technology provided to the Valuation Office Agency for its work on an automated valuation model for council tax revaluation in Wales.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
To support the model development, VOA let a short-term advisory contract with the Centre for Appraisal Research and Technology (CART) who provided advice on:
Asked by: Lord Moynihan (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to either (1) extending, or (2) making permanent, the wine temporary easement period in order to meet the core principles outlined in The new alcohol duty system consultation, which ran from 27 October 2021 to 30 January 2022, to make the alcohol duty system (a) simpler, (b) more economically rational, and (c) less administratively burdensome.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Chancellor and Exchequer Secretary regularly receive representations on the tax system from a wide range of stakeholders and welcome their views.
The current, temporary duty easement for wine is due to end on 1 February 2025.
Asked by: Andrew Bowie (Conservative - West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the report by Offshore Energies UK entitled Impact of UKCS fiscal policy on UK economic growth, published on 2 September 2024, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of (a) increasing the headline rate of the Energy Profits Levy to 78%, (b) extending the Energy Profits Levy for a year and (c) removing all allowances associated with the Energy Profits Levy on (i) demand for supply chain companies and (ii) business decisions on the location of (A) resource capability and (B) assets in that sector.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
In July, the government confirmed changes to the Energy Profits Levy (EPL), including extending the levy’s end date to March 2030, increasing it by three percentage points to 38%, removing the levy’s main 29% investment allowance, and reducing the generosity of capital allowances when calculating profits taxable by the EPL. The government will confirm further details of these changes at Budget on October 30, including the rate of the EPL’s decarbonisation investment allowance, which has been retained. We are currently consulting with the sector to finalise these changes and ensure a phased and responsible transition for the North Sea.
Money raised from these changes will support the transition to clean energy, increasing security and independence while providing sustainable jobs for the future and helping to protect electricity bills against future price shocks. Full costings certified by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) will be published at Budget on October 30. Forecasts for investment in the sector will also be published by the OBR at this time, and will take into account policy decisions impacting the production of oil and gas across the UK and UK Continental Shelf.
Asked by: Andrew Bowie (Conservative - West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the report by Offshore Energies UK entitled Impact of UKCS fiscal policy on UK economic growth, published on 2 September 2024, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of (a) increasing the headline rate of the Energy Profits Levy to 78%, (b) extending the Energy Profits Levy for a year and (c) removing all allowances associated with the Energy Profits Levy on the (i) level of employment and (ii) number of projects that will start in the period to 2029.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
In July, the government confirmed changes to the Energy Profits Levy (EPL), including extending the levy’s end date to March 2030, increasing it by three percentage points to 38%, removing the levy’s main 29% investment allowance, and reducing the generosity of capital allowances when calculating profits taxable by the EPL. The government will confirm further details of these changes at Budget on October 30, including the rate of the EPL’s decarbonisation investment allowance, which has been retained. We are currently consulting with the sector to finalise these changes and ensure a phased and responsible transition for the North Sea.
Money raised from these changes will support the transition to clean energy, increasing security and independence while providing sustainable jobs for the future and helping to protect electricity bills against future price shocks. Full costings certified by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) will be published at Budget on October 30. Forecasts for investment in the sector will also be published by the OBR at this time, and will take into account policy decisions impacting the production of oil and gas across the UK and UK Continental Shelf.