Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the total number of calls (a) answered (b) abandoned was for each public helpline number provided by her Department and its executive agencies for each year from 2015 to date.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Every year, HMRC answers millions of calls. A call is recorded as ‘answered’ when a customer got through to an adviser after hearing the automated messages and choosing the option to speak to an adviser (this is also referred to as ‘adviser attempts handled’ (AAH) in HMRC published data).
A call is recorded as ‘abandoned’ when a customer hears the automated messages and chooses the option to speak to an adviser, but then hangs up before their call is answered.
Customers may hang up before their call is answered for a number of reasons. For example, they may have had their query answered by HMRC’s recorded messages, they may have found the information they require online or they may have decided to call back another time.
The below tables provide a breakdown of calls answered and calls abandoned over the past ten years for HMRC’s main helplines:
Calls answered | 2015-16 | 2016-17 | 2017-18 | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 | 2024-25 | 2025-26 YTD |
Child Benefit | 1,815,166 | 2,071,590 | 2,009,135 | 1,777,736 | 1,712,300 | 1,386,818 | 1,569,267 | 1,377,817 | 1,017,140 | 1,142,678 | 833,880 |
National Insurance | 1,483,095 | 1,671,677 | 1,475,416 | 1,377,855 | 1,349,929 | 1,069,710 | 1,247,349 | 1,242,943 | 1,097,036 | 1,044,772 | 682,058 |
Tax Credits Helpline and Tax Credits Payment Helpline – combined figures | 11,509,090 | 11,581,913 | 9,265,206 | 6,671,778 | 4,557,161 | 2,343,044 | 1,895,384 | 1,587,633 | 1,147,483 | 647,815 | 109,086 |
Corporation Tax | 373,190 | 500,940 | 508,270 | 475,961 | 441,835 | 378,406 | 507,372 | 506,145 | 421,603 | 378,862 | 231,741 |
Stamp duty land tax | 112,333 | 154,415 | 164,259 | 144,667 | 131,610 | 100,624 | 122,429 | 122,582 | 107,538 | 103,229 | 71,526 |
Agent Dedicated Line | 1,707,224 | 1,851,753 | 1,432,405 | 1,360,234 | 1,374,380 | 705,308 | 968,925 | 1,041,355 | 640,405 | 503,105 | 289,091 |
Construction Industry Scheme Helpline | 584,630 | 496,413 | 376,861 | 343,789 | 334,675 | 225,708 | 293,478 | 281,009 | 239,920 | 168,990 | 94,016 |
Employers Helpline | 819,618 | 984,212 | 976,437 | 939,286 | 755,040 | 588,062 | 650,432 | 686,890 | 589,002 | 506,637 | 328,452 |
Online Services Helpline | 675,158 | 1,073,270 | 982,535 | 730,981 | 635,733 | 548,319 | 688,575 | 780,038 | 978,228 | 932,393 | 611,680 |
PAYE | 6,513,062 | 8,913,008 | 8,199,621 | 7,707,564 | 7,127,556 | 4,703,878 | 5,973,909 | 5,908,209 | 4,405,365 | 4,586,352 | 3,177,096 |
Self Assessment Helpline | 2,389,400 | 3,094,058 | 3,444,452 | 3,219,552 | 3,236,719 | 2,560,862 | 2,602,917 | 2,643,691 | 1,441,380 | 1,904,363 | 1,113,666 |
VAT | - | 282,301 | 644,072 | 585,882 | 771,572 | 500,095 | 623,494 | 657,205 | 486,335 | 395,747 | 277,184 |
Calls abandoned | 2015-16 | 2016-17 | 2017-18 | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 | 2024-25 | 2025-26 YTD |
Child Benefit | 653,242 | 190,353 | 147,771 | 171,017 | 224,611 | 194,436 | 267,186 | 410,792 | 332,543 | 256,223 | 146,160 |
National Insurance | 891,375 | 126,759 | 118,987 | 156,762 | 132,920 | 109,035 | 196,346 | 415,222 | 336,696 | 277,058 | 84,032 |
Tax Credits Helpline and Tax Credits Payment Helpline – combined figures | 2,295,327 | 596,654 | 726,769 | 599,007 | 539,088 | 360,618 | 565,334 | 420,411 | 334,029 | 208,923 | 10,735 |
Corporation Tax | 99,498 | 37,064 | 51,406 | 45,763 | 63,957 | 35,267 | 78,894 | 89,900 | 68,084 | 56,574 | 35,108 |
Stamp duty land tax | 16,518 | 9,969 | 12,634 | 13,924 | 16,321 | 6,208 | 10,556 | 17,648 | 10,108 | 8,384 | 5,989 |
Agent Dedicated Line | 13,821 | 24,219 | 11,413 | 5,127 | 7,855 | 175,775 | 110,683 | 119,404 | 115,316 | 85,356 | 28,577 |
Construction Industry Scheme Helpline | 72,500 | 31,310 | 37,289 | 39,095 | 33,566 | 29,732 | 36,743 | 49,250 | 37,574 | 19,087 | 10,167 |
Employers Helpline | 226,890 | 50,288 | 63,019 | 66,163 | 62,852 | 63,135 | 86,365 | 138,787 | 122,053 | 125,470 | 81,521 |
Online Services Helpline | 350,563 | 138,027 | 97,650 | 108,720 | 119,130 | 126,824 | 128,903 | 235,456 | 197,111 | 226,446 | 76,031 |
PAYE | 2,755,469 | 401,321 | 840,726 | 917,232 | 1,067,304 | 1,427,842 | 1,303,284 | 1,769,338 | 1,765,227 | 1,248,174 | 628,559 |
Self Assessment Helpline | 1,193,023 | 206,772 | 372,471 | 380,719 | 443,148 | 611,544 | 689,007 | 1,144,135 | 704,546 | 523,645 | 201,569 |
VAT | - | 13,143 | 43,173 | 84,539 | 72,648 | 62,494 | 127,450 | 162,969 | 150,244 | 72,014 | 36,010 |
Further telephony data is published as part of HMRC’s quarterly performance reports: www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmrc-quarterly-performance-updates
And HMRC publishes a historical data series as part of its annual report and accounts: www.gov.uk/government/publications/hmrc-annual-report-and-accounts-2024-to-2025
Data covering VOA helplines:
Financial Year | Answered | Abandoned |
2015-16 | 283711 | 49173 |
2016-17 | 327896 | 67348 |
2017-18 | 232687 | 56334 |
2018-19 | 225205 | 72898 |
2019-20 | 261216 | 97460 |
2020-21 | 106016 | 27554 |
2021-22 | 222467 | 38949 |
2022-23 | 218353 | 37896 |
2023-24 | 202043 | 52191 |
2024-25 | 201663 | 71225 |
2025-2026 (YTD) | 129319 | 19618 |
Asked by: Sarah Hall (Labour (Co-op) - Warrington South)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent assessment he has made of the cumulative impact of property taxes, staffing costs, food and drink inflation and energy prices on the financial sustainability of hospitality businesses.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government recognises the significant pressures facing the hospitality sector and the Government is providing support through various measures to help ease these pressures.
We aim to permanently reduce business rates for RHL properties with a rateable value of less than 500,000 and we have announced a new Zero Carbon Services Hospitality trial which aims for Pubs, cafes, restaurants and hotels to receive free energy and carbon cutting advice to slash their energy bills as part of the government’s Plan for Change.
Additionally, the Employment Allowance has been increased to £10,500, meaning 865,000 employers will pay no National Insurance Contributions enabling businesses to employ up to four full-time staff on the National Living Wage without incurring employer NIC costs.
The Department will continue to engage with the sector, including through the Hospitality Sector Council with an aim to co-create solutions to the issues impacting the sector.
Asked by: Joshua Reynolds (Liberal Democrat - Maidenhead)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of consumer protections for leaseholders undertaking informal lease extensions, in the context of the (a) absence of specialist qualification requirements for solicitors handling such transactions, (b) exclusion of lease extension advice from Financial Conduct Authority regulation and (c) lack of price controls in the informal extension process.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My Department has considered the adequacy of consumer protections for leaseholders undertaking informal lease extensions as part of the wider package of leasehold reform.
The Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Act 2022 already provides some protections by restricting the ground rent payable following a non-statutory lease extension. Given that the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 will make the statutory route cheaper and easier, we expect more leaseholders to use it in future.
Solicitors must meet the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s strict education, training, and ethical standards and maintain competence throughout their careers. While there is no statutory requirement for specialist qualifications in lease-extension work, solicitors are professionally obliged to act only where competent and to provide a proper standard of service. Consumer protections include mandatory professional indemnity insurance, access to the Legal Ombudsman, and SRA enforcement powers.
The government and Parliament set the rules for financial services and decide which activities require official approval. These rules are detailed because financial products are varied and complex. The costs and benefits of bringing activities into the regulatory perimeter can be finely balanced, which is why the government is committed to regulating only where there is a clear case for doing so.
Asked by: Claire Hanna (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Belfast South and Mid Down)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the regulation of car insurance providers.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The government is determined that insurers should treat customers fairly and firms are required to do so under the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) rules.
The FCA is an independent body responsible for regulating and supervising the financial services industry across the United Kingdom and has robust powers to act against firms that fail to comply with its rules.
The government plans to publish the final report of the cross-government Motor Insurance Taskforce in the autumn. The Taskforce has a strategic remit to set the direction for UK Government policy, identifying short- and long-term actions for departments that may contribute to stabilising or reducing premiums, while maintaining appropriate levels of cover.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many active legal cases are open against the NHS.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS Resolution (NHSR) manages clinical negligence and other claims against the National Health Service in England.
NHSR handles negligence claims on behalf of the members of their indemnity schemes. The indemnity schemes are divided into clinical and non-clinical negligence schemes.
Clinical negligence schemes:
Non clinical negligence schemes:
NHSR has provided the attached information:
Table 1: Number of Clinical and Non-Clinical Claims received between Financial Years '2006/07' and '2024/25' where the status of the claim was open as at 31/03/2025. Broken down by Scheme (as noted above).
Table 2: Number of Clinical and Non-Clinical Claims and Incidents received between Financial Years '2006/07' and '2024/25' where the status was 'Open' or 'Incident' as at 31/03/2025. Broken down by Scheme (as noted above).
Note: NHSR defines an ‘open’ claim as one where NHSR is yet to settle or claims that have settled but remain open, where NHSR are yet to agree costs. NHSR has not included cases which are settled but remain open due to ongoing periodical order payments.
The distinction between Table 1 and Table 2 is that Table 2 includes incidents reported to NHSR that have not yet progressed to a formal notification of claim. NHSR encourages its members and beneficiaries to report such incidents directly, even prior to the receipt of a claim.
Asked by: Lord Birt (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent on 23 July (HL9313), whether they can identify the reasons as to why London’s economy is 28.5 per cent more productive on average than the rest of the United Kingdom.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
Please see the letter below from the National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority.
The Lord Birt
House of Lords
London
SW1A 0PW
4 September 2025
Dear Lord Birt,
As Acting National Statistician, I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent on 23 July (HL9313), whether the reasons as to why London’s economy is 28.5 per cent more productive on average than the rest of the United Kingdom can be identified (HL9939).
London is home to a high proportion of knowledge-intensive sectors such as financial services, insurance, and professional, scientific, and technical industries, all of which drive higher levels of productivity. There is evidence that London, like other major cities, benefits from an agglomeration effect, whereby the close proximity of a diverse mix of businesses, highly skilled labour, and major institutions fuels knowledge spillovers, collaboration, and innovation which enhance overall economic output. 1
London-based firms also consistently outperform their regional peers, even within the same industries, with firms benefitting from access to a large highly skilled labour market and a well-developed infrastructure and also from high competition between firms driving business dynamism.
This same pattern is found globally, with the largest cities typically having higher productivity levels compared with other areas due to these agglomeration impacts.
Yours sincerely,
Emma Rourke
1 https://whatworksgrowth.org/insights/understanding-agglomeration/
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the House of Lords Select Committee on Financial Exclusion's report entitled Tackling financial exclusion: A country that works for everyone?, published on 25 March 2017, Session 2016-17, HL Paper 132, what progress she has made on implementing the (a) recommendations on (i) older and (ii) vulnerable consumers and (b) other recommendations.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government has committed to publish a National Financial Inclusion Strategy later this year to tackle a range of barriers individuals and households face in accessing the financial products and services they need. The strategy will consider what more Government and industry can do to address key issues, including a focus on: (i) digital inclusion and access to banking; (ii) savings; (iii) insurance; (iv) affordable credit; (v) problem debt; and (vi) financial education and capability.
Across these areas, the themes of accessibility, mental health, and economic abuse have also been considered in recognition of the particular challenges individuals can face in relation to these issues.
More widely, the Government works closely with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the independent regulator of the UK’s financial services sector, to ensure customers get the right support with their financial products and services. The FCA’s Vulnerability Guidance requires firms to consider the needs of vulnerable customers appropriately.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Conservative - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support her Department is providing to schools in Hampshire schools with (a) increased class sizes and (b) reduced staffing levels due to budget constraints.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Through the dedicated schools grant (DSG), Hampshire is receiving £1.1 billion for mainstream schools in the 2025/26 financial year. That is equivalent to £6,031 per pupil (excluding growth and falling rolls funding), which is an increase of 2.4% per pupil compared to 2024/25.
On top of the DSG funding, the department is providing additional funding to support schools with increases to employer National Insurance Contributions, and the costs of the teacher and local government support staff pay awards in 2025/26.
The department provides a suite of free tools, guidance and support to help schools better manage their budgets. Schools are already bringing core operating costs down through initiatives such as our new ‘Energy for Schools’ offer. Additionally, they can access services such as the ‘Get Help Buying for Schools’ service to get best value when procuring goods and our ‘Teaching Vacancies Service’ to save recruitment costs.
Asked by: Mary Kelly Foy (Labour - City of Durham)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will take steps with the Financial Conduct Authority to help ensure that (a) Gypsies and (b) Travellers are able to access homes and contents insurance.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
As set out in the answer to question 75505 on 11 September 2025, the Government is determined that insurers should treat customers fairly, and insurers must comply with all relevant regulations and legislation. This includes the Equality Act 2010 which generally prohibits discrimination based on certain protected characteristics, including race.
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), as the independent regulator of financial services firms, requires firms to treat customers fairly under its rules. This includes ensuring that firms meet their obligations under the Equality Act 2010.
The FCA operates independently within the statutory framework agreed by Parliament and has robust powers to take action where necessary.
Asked by: Baroness Neville-Rolfe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the Smarter Regulatory Framework, in particular the impact of the repeal of retained EU law under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2023, on promoting sustainable economic growth and the international competitiveness of the UK’s financial services sector.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
As of the most recent update in July 2025, HM Treasury has repealed, amended, or replaced 51% of assimilated law it is responsible for, as set out in the Retained EU law and Assimilated Law Dashboard. The great majority of this is financial services legislation.
In the last 12 months, HM Treasury has made SIs to replace the EU’s Packaged Retail and Insurance-based Investment Products (PRIIPs) Regulation, and the EU’s Short Selling Regulation.
Sustainable economic growth is a priority of the government. That is why the Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness Strategy, published on 15 July 2025, sets out the government’s approach to delivering a regulatory environment for financial services that is proportionate, predictable, and internationally competitive.
The government has sought to deliver this approach in a way that minimises disruption and produces the most streamlined and accessible framework for firms and creates an agile, workable and coherent regime. For example, through the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Designated Activities) (Supervision and Enforcement) Regulations 2025, which make it easier for the FCA to consistently supervise activities and enforce rules that replace key parts of EU law.
The financial services regulators already have significant rule-making powers, and the government worked closely with them in determining its approach to replacing retained EU law, to ensure that regulators are ready to take on additional responsibilities. It is for regulators like the Prudential Regulation Authority, the Financial Policy Committee, as well as the Financial Conduct Authority, to determine their approach to these new responsibilities They are funded via a levy on financial services firms, and it is their responsibility to set their own funding requirements each year, following consultation, to ensure that they are able to carry out their functions.