theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Clive Jones:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what discussions (a) he and (b) other Ministers in his Department have had with AstraZeneca on vaccine production at Speke. \p Feryal Clark: My department and I are closely engaged with AstraZeneca as we develop our new modern industrial strategy, which will focus on the sectors with the highest growth opportunity for the economy, including Life Sciences. As part of our engagement, we have had regular discussions with AstraZeneca on vaccine production in Speke.
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Clive Jones:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the oral contribution by the hon. Member for Havant of 3 February 2025, Official Report, column 552, for what reason the letter from AstraZeneca of 9 July 2025 to the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology received a delayed response. \p Feryal Clark: The Government has had numerous discussions with AstraZeneca about their proposed investment into Speke. There were minor delays in replying to correspondence following the election period.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he has made an assessment of recent trends in the level of public support for ending animal experiments in medical research. \p Feryal Clark: The Labour Manifesto includes a commitment to “partner with scientists, industry, and civil society as we work towards the phasing out of animal testing”. A survey on public attitudes to animal research was carried out regularly until 2018 but ceased during the pandemic and has not been restarted. We are considering the future of the survey as part of our work to deliver the manifesto commitment.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what discussions he has had with ARIA on the impact of the rise of employer national insurance contributions on projects they fund or sponsor since July 2024. \p Feryal Clark: In order to repair the public finances and help raise the revenue required to increase funding for public services, the government has taken the difficult decision to increase employer National Insurance. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology continues to work with ARIA and the wider sector to create a sustainable research and innovation environment and discussions are ongoing.
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Alison Taylor:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to encourage investment in artificial intelligence in (a) the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District in Paisley and Renfrewshire North constituency and (b) other areas. \p Feryal Clark: The AI Action Plan will ensure all parts of the UK benefit from the opportunities AI presents. AI Growth Zones (AIGZs) will be closely aligned with wider government initiatives, including Local Growth Plans, ensuring substantial regional and national benefits.

By concentrating government support on planning and energy, AIGZs aim to attract significant private investment, accelerate the build-out of critical AI infrastructure, and drive local economic regeneration.
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Dr Scott Arthur:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to support the development of non-passenger carrying drones. \p Chris Bryant: My department supports the safe deployment of drones for commercial and public benefit, through R&D support and innovative regulation. Wider drone policy is led by the Department for Transport.

Since 2019, the Future Flight Challenge, administered by Innovate UK, has provided £125m of public funding for collaborative R&D and innovation in this area.

We established the Regulatory Innovation Office to support our ambition to be the best place in the world to innovate. ‘Drones and other autonomous technology’ is an initial focus area of the Regulatory Innovation Office.
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Alex Mayer:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment his Department has made of (a) the adequacy of the availability of land and property for new 5G infrastructure and (b) its impact on the UK telecoms market. \p Chris Bryant: The department has not carried out an assessment of the adequacy of the availability of land or property for 5G infrastructure, and this is not an issue previously raised by industry. The Electronic Communications Code provides the regulatory framework by which telecommunications operators gain access to land and property to deploy infrastructure. This aims to balance the rights of site providers and operators to facilitate infrastructure deployment on public and private land, as well as encouraging the sharing of infrastructure.
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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether his Department plans to strengthen age verification methods on social media platforms to protect children from having access to harmful content. \p Feryal Clark: The government is committing to doing what is necessary to protect children online. The Online Safety Act requires in-scope services to use highly effective age assurance to prevent children from encountering specific types of harmful content. On 16 January Ofcom published its finalised guidance on how they expect services to introduce highly effective age assurance to meet this duty.

We expect Ofcom’s finalised Children’s Safety Codes to be laid before parliament in April 2025 and following the parliamentary process the child safety duties should be in effect by summer 2025

Ofcom are required to produce and publish a report on in-scope services’ use of age assurance solutions within eighteen months of these duties coming into force.
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Terry Jermy:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department has taken to ensure Project Gigabit improves broadband speeds in South West Norfolk constituency. \p Chris Bryant: According to the independent website Thinkbroadband.com, over 96% of premises in the South West Norfolk constituency can access superfast broadband speeds (>=30 Mbps) and over 59% have access to a gigabit-capable broadband connection (>1000 Mbps).

To improve this coverage further, CityFibre is delivering a Project Gigabit contract in Norfolk, targeted at bringing fast, reliable broadband to premises in hard-to-reach areas that are unlikely to be otherwise reached by suppliers’ commercial rollout. Approximately 5,000 premises in South West Norfolk are currently included within this contract.
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Terry Jermy:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to improve mobile phone access in (a) England, (b) East Anglia and (c) South West Norfolk constituency. \p Chris Bryant: The Government wants all areas of the UK, including East Anglia and South West Norfolk, to benefit from reliable and good quality mobile coverage.

Through the Shared Rural Network, 4G geographic coverage from at least one mobile operator has now reached over 95% of the UK landmass.

Our ambition is for all populated areas, including communities in rural areas, to have higher-quality standalone 5G by 2030. We are committed to ensuring we have the right policy and regulatory framework to support investment and competition. This includes working with Ofcom to ensure that their coverage reporting is more accurate.
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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, for what purposes the Intellectual Property Office has used artificial intelligence in the last 12 months. \p Feryal Clark: Artificial Intelligence is at the heart of the Government’s plan to kickstart economic growth and transform how we deliver public services.

The Intellectual Property Office has developed AI tools that improve its services and assist its customers. These include a new public facing search tool that performs key word searching assisting patent prior art searches as well as a tool that identifies similar existing trade marks to inform the customer prior to their application.

Tools have also been created to improve the IPOs operational function and reduce administrative tasks.
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Alan Mak:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how many in-year awards have been given to officials in his Department since 5 July 2024. \p Feryal Clark: 3,118 In-Year Awards were given to delegated DSIT staff from 5 July 2024 to 31 January 2025. This figure relates to all In-Year Awards paid during the months specified including awards approved prior to that period
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Nick Timothy:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what timescales her Department uses to assess public investment in energy infrastructure in (a) oil and gas, (b) wind, (c) solar, (d) hydropower and (e) nuclear. \p Darren Jones: The costs and benefits of a proposal should be calculated over its entire lifetime. The Green Book states that an appraisal period of 60 years is a standard measure for infrastructure projects. However, it is customary for departments to discuss and agree a suitable appraisal period with the Treasury in advance, based on the lifetime of the proposal.
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Bradley Thomas:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what provision she has made for the costs associated with the proposed Treaty with Mauritius on the future sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory in her Departmental Budget; and from which Departmental budget will the settlement be paid. \p Darren Jones: The FCDO and the MOD are the lead departments for this agreement. Any financial obligations, including departmental budgetary responsibilities, will be managed responsibly within the government’s fiscal framework, including through the upcoming Spending Review.
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Perran Moon:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of re-allocating a proportion of the National Wealth Fund for a new mineral exploration fund. \p Darren Jones: The National Wealth Fund (NWF) is a publicly owned investor which provides a range of financing tools across the capital structure, including loans, guarantees and equity investments for projects which align with its mandate.

The NWF’s investment decisions are based on the Investment Principles set out in its Framework Document. Investments from the NWF focus on areas where an undersupply of private finance exists. It targets opportunities to crowd-in three times as much private capital as its own investment committed across its portfolio. Allocating grants is not within the remit of the NWF.

Earmarking investment amounts for certain sectors is not within the remit of the NWF either. Maintaining a broad balance sheet, allows the NWF to remain flexible and adapt to market requirements.

The critical minerals sector is a key market for the NWF, as seen with its equity investments in Cornish Lithium, and in Cornish Metals.
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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of paragraph 59 of the Impact Assessment for the Immigration and Nationality (Fees) Order (Amendment) 2025, dated 13 January 2025. \p Darren Jones: The Impact Assessment for the Immigration and Nationality (Fees) Order (Amendment) 2025 considered a range of economic costs and benefits of the proposed changes, of which the indirect impact on the exchequer was one. However, this was considered alongside the estimated benefits, including the estimated revenue generated from the changes, as set out in paragraph 68.

The overall impact of these changes, if made in subsequent Regulations, is uncertain, and a range of impacts has been presented. However, in the central case, the Impact Assessment estimates a positive Net Present Social Value of £203.5 million over the five year period, were fees theoretically to be raised from current levels to the proposed maxima as set out in paragraph 85.
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Alison Taylor:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has of the potential impact of expanding Heathrow Airport on Scottish exports. \p Darren Jones: The benefits from Heathrow expansion are not just in London and the South East but the entire UK, with the Frontier Economics analysis estimating that over half (60%) of the benefits would be in the rest of the UK.

This could increase trade opportunities for products like Scotch whiskey and Scottish salmon - already two of the biggest British exports out of Heathrow.
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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential contribution of Cranfield to his plans to double the size of the economy of the Oxford to Cambridge Growth Corridor. \p Emma Reynolds: The Chancellor has recently announced the government’s commitment to unlock growth in the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor and the high potential sectors within it, as part of the government’s Plan for Change to kickstart economic growth.

The Oxford-Cambridge region is home to world leading universities, and globally renowned science and technology firms. But its true potential is being held back and we need to go further to address the key barriers to growth across this region to deliver benefits for the whole country. This could, according to industry experts, boost the UK economy by £78 billion, catalysing the growth of UK science and technology. Any approach to growth should build on the assets already represented in the corridor, such as Cranfield University’s existing aerospace strengths.

As champion for the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor, Lord Vallance will look across the region, including Cranfield, to identify key opportunities for growth.
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Matt Bishop:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will take steps to ensure that (a) self-employed people and (b) employees are not subject to higher taxation on both their earnings and state pension. \p James Murray: At Autumn Budget 2024 we made no changes to the rates of income tax, which means employed and self-employed people will see no increase in the rate of income tax that apply to their earnings or state pension income.
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Mr Peter Bedford:To ask the hon. Member for Warrington North, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the (a) time taken and (b) cost to administer claims made to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority by hon. Members' offices. \p Charlotte Nichols: IPSA has a statutory responsibility to regulate and administor a transparent scheme of staffing and business costs for MPs. Those spending public money are responsible for a suitable audit trail which is why IPSA asks for, and reviews, evidence of spend. This review helps IPSA to ensure public funds are properly spent and accounted for, and that MPs have the support they need to perfom their parliamentary functions.

IPSA has developed a proportionate, risk-based approach to validating MPs' expenditure. In the last year, IPSA received approximately 137,500 requests for funding and 40% of these were checked by one of the validation officers, with the majority validated by system checks. The number of checks is increased for new MPs or if issues are identified with claims, such as unuasually high volume or lack of appropriate evidence. IPSA's approach has led to a reduction in the time it takes to reimburse MPs from an average of 8 days in 2020-21 to an average of 2.4 days year-to-date.

The Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority annualy scrutinises IPSA's main estimate and business plan, which include details of its performance against key performance indicators such as the timetaken to reimburse claims. IPSA's operating costs are published via their Annual Report and Accounts.
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Mr Peter Bedford:To ask the hon. Member for Warrington North, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of asking the National Audit Office to undertake a value for money review. \p Charlotte Nichols: The Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (SCIPSA) is a statutory Committee established under the Parliamentary Standards Act 2009. The Committee's functions are set out in that Act. The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) was also created by the 2009 Act, as a statutory independent body.

Each year the Speaker's Committee reviews IPSA's annual estimate of the resources it needs to discharge its functions. SCIPSA is required by statute to ensure that the estimate is consistant with the efficient and cost-effective discharge of IPSA's functions. The Committee carries out public scrutiny of the estimate prior to it being laid before the House of Commons by the Speaker

IPSA's accounts are audited annually by the National Audit Office (NAO) and are presented to Parliament. The NAO audit includes consideration of value for money of both IPSA's spend and MPs' spend which IPSA oversees. IPSA is also subject to a rigorous internal audit programme overseen by its own Audit, Risk, and Assurance Committee.
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Lisa Smart:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to help increase economic growth in Hazel Grove constituency. \p James Murray: There is excellence right across the country and this government is backing it: lifting living standards and putting more money in people’s pockets.  Greater Manchester Combined Authority will receive £2.5bn through the Transport for City Regions Fund and the Greater Manchester Investment Zone is expected to deliver £1.1 bn in private sector investment and 32,000 jobs.
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Sam Rushworth:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress she has made with Cabinet colleagues on implementing the Pride in Place programme. \p James Murray: For too long, people have watched their towns and neighbourhoods’ decline. Through the Pride in Place programme, we’re cutting through bureaucracy to put money directly in the hands of local people. As it stands, almost 250 places will receive a share of £5bn from Spring next year to help them reclaim beloved local assets and drive renewal, street by street.
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Steve Yemm:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the potential merits of using the investment reserve to increase the pensions of members of the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme. \p James Murray: The Government is considering the proposals put forward by the trustees regarding the investment reserve transfer to British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme members. The Government will reach a decision as soon as possible this year.
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Callum Anderson:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate her Department has made of the size of the UK FinTech scale-up funding gap. \p Lucy Rigby: The Scale-up Unit is a joint initiative by the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to enhance engagement with fast-growing, innovative firms. It builds on existing regulatory support for early-stage innovative firms, including through the joint PRA and FCA New Bank and Insurer Start-up Units, to support firms as they seek to scale-up.

The FCA and PRA will conduct further industry-wide engagement to gather input which will help shape the future direction of the Unit.

Sir Ron Kalifa, in his 2021 Review of Fintech, identified a UK Fintech scale-up funding gap of £2 billion. The Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness Strategy set out measures to tackle this gap, including the launch of this Scale-Up Unit, and work led by the City of London Corporation and British Business Bank to facilitate greater access to finance and commercial opportunities for fast-growing Fintech firms.
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Anneliese Midgley:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Youth Guarantee on economic growth. \p Torsten Bell: The Chancellor recently announced that we will offer guaranteed paid work to eligible young people who are unemployed on Universal Credit for over 18 months.

This is because we must turn around one of the worst legacies of the last government: almost a million young people not in education, employment or training.

This forms a key part of the Government’s Youth Guarantee, and further details will be announced at the Budget.
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Mike Wood:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to her Department's Guidance on Public Sector Exit Payments: Use of Special Severance Payments, updated on 28 July 2025, for what reason the guidance no longer requires all special severance payments to be approved by her Department. \p James Murray: Departments are fully accountable for ensuring that exit payments are appropriate and proportionate. HMT scrutiny will now focus on the largest and most contentious payments.

This change supports greater departmental autonomy while maintaining strong standards of financial control.
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Ben Lake:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment she made has made of the potential impact of providing compensation to local authorities in Wales via the Barnett Formula on the adequacy of funding to cover the additional Employer National Insurance costs announced at the Autumn Budget 2024 incurred by Local Authorities in Wales. \p James Murray: At Autumn Budget 2024, the Chancellor agreed to provide funding to the public sector to support with the changes to employer National Insurance.

The devolved governments received funding through the Barnett formula in 2025-26, including on this support. This is the normal operation of the funding arrangements as set out in the Statement of Funding Policy.

The current Welsh Government Spending Review settlement is the largest settlement in real terms of any since devolution.
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Mike Wood:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the correspondence entitled DAO 02/25 Updates to Managing Public Money, published on 12 June 2025, what the business case was for the changes of guidance on (a) the propriety of using the Companies Act 2006 to establish Government-owned companies and (b) revisions permitting the setting of delegations by the Treasury for the approval of special severance payments. \p James Murray: The guidance contained in Managing Public Money is produced by the Treasury, and reflects the ongoing dialogue between the Treasury and the Committee of Public Accounts regarding Parliament’s expectations for the use of public money. It also includes operational guidance in the interests of effective administration.

While the government has used the Companies Act and its precursors since their original passage, the position on the propriety of this, and its interaction with the 1932 PAC Concordat, was unclear. Following correspondence between the Treasury Officer of Accounts and the Public Accounts Committee in late 2024, the revised approach was incorporated into the latest edition of Managing Public Money.

Similarly, the introduction of the ability to set delegations for special severance payments supports greater departmental autonomy while maintaining strong standards of financial control.
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Gareth Thomas:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will take legislative steps to reform the Bank Referral Scheme to ensure that SMEs are referred to the (a) most appropriate and (b) best value funding option. \p Lucy Rigby: I refer the Honourable Member to the answer I gave on 28 October to PQ 84135.
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Jerome Mayhew:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of levels of stamp duty on the housing market. \p Lucy Rigby: At this Government’s first Budget, we made changes to stamp duty to help give first-time buyers, and other people buying a home to live in, an advantage over those buying second homes, third homes, or more.

The independent Office of Budget Responsibility estimated that the changes will result in 130,000 additional transactions over the next five years by first-time buyers and other people buying a primary residence.

We are proud of that record.
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Chris Bloore:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the value is of outstanding (a) loans and (b) debts liable to the UK from lower-income countries. \p Lucy Rigby: The value of outstanding debt from Low Income Countries to the UK is approximately £2.1bn as of August 2024.

This data is publicly available in the ‘Report on outstanding debt owed by other countries to His Majesty’s Government in 2024’, published on gov.uk in December 2024. Low Income Countries are defined in this response using the Development Assistance Committee list of Least Developed Countries from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
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Gregory Stafford:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has had discussions with the Financial Conduct Authority on improving guidance for debt purchasers on responding to disclosures of consumer vulnerability. \p Lucy Rigby: The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is responsible for the regulation of firms carrying out debt purchasing activities in respect to credit or consumer hire agreements. The FCA expects that these firms treat customers fairly, including those in vulnerable circumstances.

Under the FCA’s Consumer Duty, firms are required to take steps to identify and respond to signs of vulnerability, support customers to disclose their needs, and make them aware of available assistance.

In March 2025, the FCA published examples of good and poor practice, identifying areas for improvement in how firms deliver good outcomes for customers in vulnerable circumstances.

When an Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA) is completed, it is the responsibility of the Insolvency Practitioner to inform Credit Reference Agencies (CRAs) of the completion. Additionally, debt purchasers who report to CRAs are expected to update the credit information they provide to reflect payments made towards debts that formed parts of the IVA.

CRAs also receive public data on IVAs from the Individual Insolvency Register, which is maintained by the Insolvency Service, and retain this information for six years from the date the IVA was approved.
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Mike Wood:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many times the Growth Mission Board has met; and on what dates she attended. \p Lucy Rigby: The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the Chair of the Growth Mission Board and has attended, and chaired, all meetings of the Board. Beyond this, it is a long-established precedent that information about the discussions that have taken place in Cabinet and its committees - including mission boards - including their attendance, and how often they have met, is not normally shared publicly.
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James McMurdock:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Mortgage Guarantee Scheme in tackling regional disparities in home ownership. \p Lucy Rigby: The Government recognises the difficulties some prospective first-time buyers face in buying a home and is committed to helping them get on the housing ladder.

The new Mortgage Guarantee Scheme is designed to support and sustain the availability of low deposit mortgage products for credit-worthy borrowers. 95% loan-to-value mortgage products can be particularly important for first-time buyers who may struggle to raise larger deposits, and the scheme aims to support this segment of the UK mortgage market.

The Scheme recently launched in July 2025 and will now remain permanently available to lenders. Properties of any value are eligible for the mortgage guarantee, and the scheme is available in all regions of the UK.
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Gareth Snell:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress she has made on joint discussions between the Post Office and banks to expand the range of banking services available at post offices. \p Lucy Rigby: The Government is supportive of industry initiatives that assist access to in-person banking. These include the Post Office Banking Framework which allows personal and business customers to withdraw and deposit cash, check their balance, pay bills and cash cheques at 11,500 Post Office branches across the UK. The specific services provided under the Framework are subject to commercial negotiations between individual banks and the Post Office, and the Government has no role in deciding what these arrangements are.

In due course, as committed to, the government will look to host joint discussions with Post Office and the banking sector on collaboration between Post Office and the banking sector in providing cash and banking services, on a commercial and voluntary basis.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-04)

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Dame Chi Onwurah:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of Israeli goods imported to the UK are from the Occupied Territories. \p Dan Tomlinson: HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is responsible for the collection and publication of data on imports and exports of goods to and from the UK. HMRC releases this information monthly, as an accredited official statistic called the Overseas Trade in Goods Statistics (OTS), which is available via their dedicated website (www.uktradeinfo.com). From this website, it is possible to build your own data tables based upon bespoke search criteria.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-04 conversation_17

Rupert Lowe:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether (a) ministers and (b) special advisers from her Department have received briefings on analyses of (a) tax contributions and (b) benefits of people by (i) ethnicity, (ii) nationality and (iii) country of birth since 2020. \p Dan Tomlinson: HM Treasury does not routinely publish information which is released in response to Freedom of Information (FOI) requests. The FOI was answered in accordance with the Freedom of Information principles.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-04 conversation_18

Tom Hayes:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department is taking with the financial sector to support the transition to net zero. \p Lucy Rigby: The UK’s sustainable finance sector is world leading, and the Government is actively mobilising capital to support the transition and improve our energy independence.

Since July 2024, over £50 billion of private investment has been announced in clean energy industries and this summer the Government set out our vision for the UK’s sustainable finance regulatory framework in the Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness Strategy.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-04 conversation_19

Richard Burgon:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 15 October 2025 to Question 77510 on Israeli Settlements: Import Controls, how many companies have been found by HMRC to be in breach of mis-declaring goods from the Occupied Palestinian Territories as Israeli products in each financial year since 2010-11. \p Dan Tomlinson: The UK Government has a clear position that Israeli settlements in Palestine are illegal under international law. Goods produced in these settlements are not entitled to benefit from preferential tariff treatment under the UK’s current trade agreements with the Palestinian Authority and Government of Israel.

Where there are doubts about the origin of goods that have been declared as being of Israeli origin, HMRC will undertake checks to verify the origin of those goods to ensure fiscal compliance. HMRC does not however provide specific details regarding checks as it may serve to undermine compliance activity.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-04 conversation_20

Liz Jarvis:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of providing business rates relief for independent nurseries. \p Dan Tomlinson: For early years (including maintained nursery schools), the Government funds local authorities to deliver the early years entitlements through the early years national funding formula (EYNFF) for the 3- and 4-year-old entitlement and a separate formula for the 2-year-old entitlement. The hourly funding rate paid to local authorities for these entitlements is designed to recognise the average costs across different provider types and is intended to reflect staff and non-staff costs, including business rates.

Business rates are a broad-based tax on the value of non-domestic properties, including nurseries.

To protect small businesses, the Government has frozen the small business multiplier for 2025-26. Taken together with Small Business Rates Relief, this intervention ensures that over a million properties will be protected from inflationary increases.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-04 conversation_21

Perran Moon:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress she has made on implementing the findings of the Green Book Review 2025. \p James Murray: The Chancellor has listened to regional leaders who have said that, for too long, the Green Book has downplayed the importance of local outcomes and the potential of targeted regional investment. The Chancellor commissioned a new review of the Green Book.

The conclusions of that review were published in June, setting out a new approach to public sector appraisal that will deliver a more effective assessment of place-based interventions. This includes the introduction of place-based business cases that will galvanise departments across Whitehall and highlight the reinforcing effects of different investments within an area.

Liverpool, Plymouth, Port Talbot and Birmingham will be the first early adopters of place-based business cases. HM Treasury will also publish an updated Green Book at the start of 2026.

A cross-government taskforce has been established to develop the approach to place-based business cases and oversee their implementation. This taskforce is currently comprised of the Second Permanent Secretary of HM Treasury responsible for regional growth and devolution, the Director General for Local Government, Growth and Communities in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, the Director General for Public Transport and Local Group in the Department for Transport, and the CEO of the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-04 conversation_22

Mike Wood:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, which organisation administers the defined contribution staff pension scheme for the National Wealth Fund; and what information her Department holds on the proportion of the funds are invested outside the UK. \p James Murray: The National Wealth Fund selected a pension provider adhering to Cabinet Office guidance. As an operationally independent body, the National Wealth Fund administers its pension scheme in accordance with its framework document and public sector pay guidance.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-04 conversation_23

Ben Lake:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate she has made of the total amount of funding to be allocated to the Welsh Government through the Barnett Formula following the the full rollout of free childcare in England. \p James Murray: The Barnett formula is applied when departmental budgets change – not when departments announce how they are spending their budgets or when policy is delivered. The Barnett formula was applied in the usual way following Spending Review 2025

The published Block Grant Transparency document provides a detailed breakdown and the most recent iteration was published on October 2025: Block Grant Transparency: October 2025 - GOV.UK
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-04 conversation_24

Victoria Collins:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what reason HMRC has treated the (a) Palmrock and (b) Horizon loan schemes differently in relation to the application of PAYE credits. \p Dan Tomlinson: As a minister I cannot comment on any individual or identifiable businesses and their tax affairs. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) should always treat taxpayers sensitively and fairly in accordance with the HMRC Charter.

To ensure fairness, HMRC applies the law in accordance with its published Litigation and Settlement Strategy (LSS). This ensures every taxpayer, no matter who they are, pays the tax due under the law.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-04 conversation_25

Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of proposed changes to benefit in kind taxation for vehicles provided through Employee Car Ownership Schemes on retired scheme participants; and if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a (a) grandfathering provision and (b) exemption for existing retirees to avoid retrospective taxation. \p Dan Tomlinson: At Autumn Budget 2024 the Government announced plans to change the legislation around Employee Car Ownership Schemes (ECOS), to prevent them being used by employers to circumvent the employee company car tax (CCT) liability and the employer NICs liability. Private use of a company car is a valuable benefit to an employee, and it is right that CCT is paid on it, ensuring fairness with other taxpayers.

On 21 July 2025, the Government published draft legislation to ensure employees receiving vehicles through these arrangements pay CCT. In response to industry feedback, the changes will now take effect from October 2026 rather than April 2026 as originally announced.

The Government is considering feedback received as part of the technical consultation.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-04 conversation_26

Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the tobacco duty escalator on inflation. \p Dan Tomlinson: The independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) is responsible for estimating the impact of Government policies on inflation. The OBR did not include an assessment on the contribution of tobacco excise duty to inflation in either the October 2024 or March 2025 Economic and Fiscal Outlook.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-04 conversation_27

Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of tobacco excise in reducing smoking prevalence. \p Dan Tomlinson: Tobacco duty aims to both raise revenue and reduce harm to public health by discouraging smoking. High duty rates, making tobacco less affordable, are a proven way to reduce smoking prevalence and have helped reduce the percentage of adult smokers in the UK from 26% in 2000 to 11.9% in 2023. As set out in the ONS survey on adult smoking habits 2023.

Adult smoking habits in the UK - Office for National Statistics

The commitment to a tobacco duty escalator which increases duty at RPI+2% inflation at each Budget was renewed at Autumn Budget 2024 until the end of the current Parliament. A Tax Information and Impact Note was published alongside the Budget setting out the impacts

Changes to tobacco duty rates from 30 October 2024 - GOV.UK
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-04 conversation_28

Charlotte Cane:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 12 September to Question 74875 on Horse racing: Gambling, if her Department will publish any assessment they have made to date. \p Dan Tomlinson: The Government makes tax policy decisions at fiscal events. If any changes are made to gambling duties at Budget, legislation will be accompanied by a Tax Information and Impact Note which will set out the expected impacts.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-04 conversation_29

Ben Lake:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of reducing VAT on domestic energy bills on fuel poverty in Wales. \p Dan Tomlinson: The Government believes that we need to support households who are struggling with energy bills now whilst we transition to cheaper clean power by 2030. We are providing targeted support that reaches low income households directly across Great Britain, including Wales.

This winter, 2.7 million extra households will receive £150 off their energy bills as the Warm Home Discount is expanded - putting money directly into people’s pockets. This increases the number of households who are eligible to over six million in total - including 900,000 families with children and a total of 1.8 million households in fuel poverty.

More widely, gas and electricity are subject to a reduced rate of VAT at five per cent, rather than the standard 20 per cent. The reduced rate for domestic fuel and power cost the Exchequer £8 billion in 2023-24, and going further would come at a significant additional cost.