Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, further to the answer of 16 December 2025 to Question 98338, whether she has reviewed the Bank Confidential report; and if she will establish a judge-led inquiry into its findings.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Treasury is aware of the Bank Confidential report about former misconduct in SME banking by the NatWest Group. The Government also recognises the serious impact that historical issues of misconduct have had on small businesses, and we acknowledge the significant distress and hardship this has caused to many business owners.
Successive Governments, as well as the Financial Conduct Authority, working with lenders, have taken steps that aimed to address these issues. This included helping to establish and support a range of compensation and redress schemes to enable those affected to seek appropriate compensation, with redress over interest rate hedging rate disputes alone paying out more than £2bn to affected customers.
As I set out in my previous response, the Government keeps the financial services regulatory framework under ongoing review, working closely with the Financial Conduct Authority.
Asked by: Lord Cameron of Lochiel (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what additional funding they provided to the Scottish Government through the Barnett Formula when they announced the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee policy on 4 December 2024.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Funding for the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee announced on 4 December is being met from within the Home Office settlement agreed at Spending Review 2025. At Spending Reviews, the Barnett formula is applied to the overall change in UKG departments DEL budget. Because the formula is not applied to individual programmes, the consequentials associated with these individual programmes cannot be identified.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer to Question 99603 on Local Government: Essex, what discussions he had Cabinet colleagues prior to informing councils that multiple mayoral elections would not proceed in 2026.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I spoke to leaders in Greater Essex following the announcement of funding and next steps for the devolution agreements that are being developed through the Devolution Priority Programme. The Department has continued to engage closely with them since the announcement, jointly discussing the benefits devolution will bring to these areas.
As the Government confirmed to Parliament on 4 December, we remain committed to the long-term funding offer to all DPP areas, providing £1 million mayoral capacity funding for all areas for financial year 25/26, and a minimum of £3 million over the following three financial years, subject to the establishment of the Mayoral Strategic Authorities. Government will also provide each area with a proportion of their investment funds to ensure they can start delivering on key local priorities and deliver the benefits of devolution on the ground, ahead of the mayors taking office.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer to Question 99604 on Local Government: Essex, if he will publish the minutes of any meetings held with councils whose mayoral elections are not proceeding in 2026.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I spoke to leaders in Greater Essex following the announcement of funding and next steps for the devolution agreements that are being developed through the Devolution Priority Programme. The Department has continued to engage closely with them since the announcement, jointly discussing the benefits devolution will bring to these areas.
As the Government confirmed to Parliament on 4 December, we remain committed to the long-term funding offer to all DPP areas, providing £1 million mayoral capacity funding for all areas for financial year 25/26, and a minimum of £3 million over the following three financial years, subject to the establishment of the Mayoral Strategic Authorities. Government will also provide each area with a proportion of their investment funds to ensure they can start delivering on key local priorities and deliver the benefits of devolution on the ground, ahead of the mayors taking office.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer to Question 99603 on Local Government: Essex, if he will publish any meeting minutes for meetings held regarding the decision to delay multiple mayoral elections.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I spoke to leaders in Greater Essex following the announcement of funding and next steps for the devolution agreements that are being developed through the Devolution Priority Programme. The Department has continued to engage closely with them since the announcement, jointly discussing the benefits devolution will bring to these areas.
As the Government confirmed to Parliament on 4 December, we remain committed to the long-term funding offer to all DPP areas, providing £1 million mayoral capacity funding for all areas for financial year 25/26, and a minimum of £3 million over the following three financial years, subject to the establishment of the Mayoral Strategic Authorities. Government will also provide each area with a proportion of their investment funds to ensure they can start delivering on key local priorities and deliver the benefits of devolution on the ground, ahead of the mayors taking office.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many Technical Excellence Colleges are planned to be in Lincolnshire.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
As part of its mission to break down barriers to opportunity, this government is transforming further education colleges into specialist technical excellence colleges (TECs), working with a wide range of skills partners to provide young people and adults with better opportunities and the highly trained workforce that local economies need.
We have already launched ten new construction TECs, backed by £120 million, and are now expanding the TEC programme to a further four high growth sectors in defence, clean energy, advanced manufacturing, and digital and technologies.
Applications for all four sectors are now live and will close on 16 February 2026.
Exact locations are yet to be determined, and colleges will be appointed through a fair and transparent application process. Successful TECs will be appointed from April 2026.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick on 22 September (HL10373), when they will publish an updated plan for the delivery of a single trade window.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government is committed to minimising administrative burdens and frictions experienced by businesses trading internationally and is engaging with key stakeholders to better understand their needs for the future operation of the UK border.
The Government does not have a definitive timeframe for the implementation of the Single Trade Window, though traders are able to submit import and export documentations electronically via the Customs Declaration Service.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Liberal Democrat - Tewkesbury)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent steps she has taken to seize frozen Russian assets and use them to resource Ukraine.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government remains determined to ensure Russia is held accountable for the damage it has caused, and continues to cause, in Ukraine.
We will continue work and coordinate with G7 and EU partners to ensure that Ukraine gets the funding it needs, ensuring any options developed by the Government are in line with international law.
We continue to pledge that Russia's sovereign assets will remain immobilised until they cease the war and pay compensation to Ukraine.
Asked by: Harpreet Uppal (Labour - Huddersfield)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the likelihood of the £100m contingency from within the £1.5bn allocated for compensating Equitable Life policyholders being needed to make payments to eligible With-Profits Annuitants.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Equitable Life Payment Scheme has been fully wound down and closed since 2016. The only remaining part of the Payment Scheme in operation is the annual payments made to eligible With-Profit-Annuitants and the Scheme is on track to distribute the remainder of the £1.5 billion as planned.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the adoption of agentic AI systems by banks is aligned with existing financial services consumer protections and regulatory standards.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government is working closely with industry and regulators to ensure that the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems by banks is aligned with existing financial services consumer protections and regulatory standards.
The treatment of customers by UK banks and building societies is governed by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the independent regulator of the UK’s financial services sector. The FCA’s Principles for Businesses require firms to deliver a prompt, efficient, and fair service to all customers. In addition, the FCA’s Consumer Duty requires firms to act in good faith, avoid foreseeable harm, and act in consumers’ best interests.
The use of AI, including agentic AI, does not absolve firms from their regulatory responsibilities or the need to comply with relevant laws and regulations.
In April 2024, the FCA published an update to its regulatory approach to AI, making clear that where firms use AI as part of their business operations, they remain responsible for ensuring compliance with FCA rules.