theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions his Department has had with the Competition and Markets Authority on the provision of consumer information to users of (a) Ticketmaster and (b) similar ticket platforms. \p Kate Dearden: The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is the UK’s independent competition authority and is independent of government. The department holds regular discussions with the CMA on consumer issues, including as part of its consultation on ticket resale and call for evidence on pricing practices for live events.

The CMA is subject to statutory rules around the disclosure of information about individual companies. Following the conclusion of the investigation and public announcement, the department has discussed the outcome and undertakings secured from Ticketmaster with the CMA. Further information about this case is published on the CMA’s website.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-21)

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Mr Louie French:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to support hospitality businesses that are (a) reducing their workforce and (b) operating at reduced capacity due to cost pressures. \p Kate Dearden: The Government recognises the vital role hospitality businesses play in local economies and communities. We also recognise the pressures they face.

That's why creating a fairer business rates system, including permanently lower rates for retail, hospitality and leisure properties under £500,000 and protecting the smallest businesses by increasing the Employment Allowance to £10,500, so that 865,000 employers will pay no NICs at all and can hire up to four full-time workers on the National Living Wage without incurring employer NIC costs.

We also work closely with the Hospitality Sector Council to improve the productivity and resilience of hospitality businesses by co-creating solutions to the issues including cost and employment pressures.
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Dr Scott Arthur:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of reducing the time to consult on Hugh’s Law to ensure earlier legislative consideration. \p Kate Dearden: Government recognises the significant challenges and distress that serious childhood illness can cause. The department will consult on Hugh’s Law in 2026. In line with the Consultation Principles, we will ensure that the consultation lasts a proportionate amount of time, taking into account the nature and impact of the proposals. Options for consultation must be carefully developed in an evidence-based manner to ensure that robust proposals are put forward for consideration.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-21)

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Dr Roz Savage:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to strengthen protections against (a) workplace exploitation, (b) excessive working hours and (c) zero-hour contracts for care sector staff. \p Kate Dearden: The Government is committed to ending exploitative zero hours contracts through the landmark Employment Rights Bill.

The Bill also introduces a framework for a fair pay agreement in social care, to bring together workers and providers to negotiate pay and terms and conditions.

All workers, including those in the care sector, have protections under the Working Time Regulations, which set the maximum working hours and minimum rest breaks workers are entitled to.
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Ms Stella Creasy:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make a assessment of the potential impact of the EU Commission proposal to (a) halve steel quotas and (b) increase tariffs to 50% on the (i) operation and (ii) implementation of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement. \p Chris Bryant: The Government is actively assessing the potential impact of this proposal on the implementation of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA). In addition to internal analysis, we are in active dialogue with the European Commission to fully understand the details of their proposal and next steps. We expect the EU to fulfil its obligations under the TCA.

We reserve the right to take any action in response to any changes to our trading relationships to protect steel jobs and defend our steel industry.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-21)

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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the UK's Trade Strategy 2025 on economic growth in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire. \p Chris Bryant: The UK's Trade Strategy takes a balanced approach reflecting sectors and regions. It works in tandem with the Industrial Strategy to benefit the UK’s growth-driving sectors, recognising the importance of both our high-productivity service sectors, but also our manufacturing and agricultural industries, particularly given their different regional impacts across the UK. The trade levers utilised in the Trade Strategy are cross-cutting and create the domestic and international trade frameworks that increase trade by British businesses and sectors across the economy, helping them grow. We have no analysis on the constituency level or that is specific to the Lincolnshire area.
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Clive Lewis:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he plans to recommence arms sales to Israel. \p Chris Bryant: We welcome the news that a deal has been reached on the first stage of President Trump's peace plan for Gaza - it is a moment of profound relief, particularly for the hostages, their families and the civilian population of Gaza.

The ceasefire agreement must now be implemented in full, alongside which we will continue to keep all export licences under close review in line with our robust Strategic Export Licensing Criteria.

We will work to support the full implementation of the peace plan.
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David Smith:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has had discussions with Ukrainian egg farmers on improving the welfare standards of imported eggs. \p Chris Bryant: Ministers have not had direct discussions with Ukrainian egg farmers or with Ukrainian counterparts on egg production standards. However, as set out in the UK’s Trade Strategy, the Government will not lower food standards and will uphold high animal welfare standards. All agri-food products must comply with our import requirements in order to be placed on the UK market.

Government officials regularly meet with Ukraine counterparts to discuss trade as part of the Political, Free Trade and Strategic Partnership Agreement.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to page 12 of the National Security Strategy 2025, published on 24 June 2025, what progress he has made on (a) identifying, (b) nurturing and (c) protecting sovereign areas of strength in the UK’s (i) industrial, (ii) scientific and (iii) technological base. \p Blair McDougall: The Government’s Industrial Strategy identified the frontier industries where the UK will prioritise its interventions across its 8 growth-driving sectors, which have all published dedicated sector plans developed with business and sector experts. Our Digital and Technology Sector Plan outlined how we will build sovereign capability in strategic technologies, including launching the Sovereign AI Unit with £500m in new funding, and investing £670m in Quantum computing to secure UK leadership. Across our industrial base, DBT’s newly established supply chain centre will review key inputs and determine where action such as domestic capability building is required to protect our strategic strengths.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the importance of identifying sources of critical minerals as a domain of strategic competition. \p Chris McDonald: The government recognises that identifying sources of critical minerals is of growing strategic importance, as reflected in the UK’s Industrial and National Security Strategies published this year. According to estimates from the International Energy Agency, global demand for critical minerals for clean energy is set to quadruple by 2040. Securing resilient supplies is essential for economic growth, national security, and the clean energy transition. The government will launch a new Critical Minerals Strategy this year, working with industry and international partners to ensure the UK remains competitive. This will build on the Critical Minerals Intelligence Centre’s updated Criticality Assessment for the UK published last year.
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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that electric vehicles are manufactured (a) sustainably and (b) with appropriate environmental considerations. \p Chris McDonald: The Advanced Manufacturing Sector Plan announced DRIVE35 (Driving Research and Investment in Vehicle Electrification) which will support the latest research and development, accelerate commercial scale up, and unlock capital investment in zero emission vehicles, batteries and their supply chains. This programme contributes to our net zero objectives by helping to cut millions of tonnes of CO2 emissions – both in the UK, and globally in our EV manufacturing supply chain.

This Government is committed to transitioning to a circular economy and has convened a Circular Economy Taskforce of experts from industry, academia, and civil society. They are developing a series of roadmaps, including one for transport, detailing the interventions that the Government will make on a sector-by-sector basis. The Strategy will support the Government’s Missions to kickstart economic growth and make Britain a clean energy superpower.
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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to page 27 of the Agenda Report entitled The formation of the Vauxhall Luton Taskforce of the Agenda for the Luton Borough Council Executive meeting on 23 June 2025, whether the Government has made its own assessment of the cost of the closure of the Stellantis plant on the Bedfordshire economy. \p Chris McDonald: Despite extensive engagement from Ministers, Stellantis regrettably decided to close its Luton plant, with production ending in May 2025. While we do not have a formal assessment of the cost of the plant closure for the Bedfordshire economy, the Government along with Luton Borough Council and other partners worked closely to understand the likely impact of the closure. The Government also asked Luton Borough Council to form a locally led taskforce to co-ordinate the local response to the economic impact of the plant closure and provided ministerial and official support to the taskforce’s work.
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Callum Anderson:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of sovereign wealth fund partnerships on UK regional growth priorities. \p Lucy Rigby: Increasing economic growth is a strong priority of this Government and ensuring growth is felt in all regions of the UK is a core part of the Growth Mission. The Government recognises the important role that sovereign wealth fund partnerships can play in supporting this mission.
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Saqib Bhatti:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to ensure that the Autumn Budget 2025 incentivises businesses to invest in (a) job creation and (b) workforce development. \p Dan Tomlinson: Economic growth is the central mission of this government, and we recognise that sustainable growth can only be achieved in partnership with businesses and other stakeholders.

We are providing long-term stability through clear fiscal rules that give firms the confidence to hire and expand. Through the National Wealth Fund, we are unlocking over £70 billion in private investment and creating jobs across key sectors. We are also advancing structural reforms to drive business-led job creation, including a new modern Industrial Strategy, agreeing new trade deals, reforming the UK planning system, and have launched the Backing Your Business plan, which delivers targeted support for small and medium-sized enterprises.

To support workforce development, we are transforming the apprenticeship levy into a more flexible Growth and Skills Levy, enabling employers to fund a wider range of high-quality training, including shorter and foundation apprenticeships and short courses under the Industrial Strategy. Employers are also supported through an NIC exemption for apprentices under 25.

However, we cannot comment in advance on Budget measures.
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Navendu Mishra:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment has been made of the potential impact of the proposed removal of exemptions proposed in the Consultation on Reform of Landfill Tax in England and Northern Ireland, published on 28 April 2025, on (a) housebuilding and (b) development. \p Dan Tomlinson: The Government recently consulted on proposals for reform of Landfill Tax to ensure the regime remains effective in encouraging waste to be diverted away from landfill and to support our environmental goals. As part of the consultation, the Government has received a wide range of views from stakeholders, including representatives from the construction sector. The consultation closed on 28 July, and the government is considering responses and will set out next steps, including a summary of responses, in due course.

This government is committed to delivering 1.5 million homes over 5 years as set out in the Plan for Change, and any final proposals will be designed to maintain the environmental effectiveness of the tax while supporting these plans.
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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an estimate of the amount of (a) Income Tax and (b) National Insurance contributions paid by holders of dependent visas in the 2024-25 financial year. \p Dan Tomlinson: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) does not hold data on the immigration status of taxpayers.
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Jon Trickett:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has had any discussions with the Bank of England on the Bank of England’s Prudential Regulatory Authority proposal to reduce data reporting for banks. \p Lucy Rigby: The Chancellor and I meet regularly with the leadership of the Bank of England to discuss a range of topics, including its work to streamline data reporting requirements for banks and other firms regulated by the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA).

The government has today published an update on the Regulation Action Plan which welcomes actions the PRA has proposed or implemented to reduce some of the requirements on the firms it regulates.
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Lewis Cocking:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to page 20 of the Valuation Office Agency's document entitled Annual Report and Accounts 2024-25, published on 17 July 2025, if she will set out the changes to the methodology for valuing (a) petrol filling stations and (b) public houses in the 2026 business rates revaluation. \p Dan Tomlinson: There has been no change to the valuation methodology for pubs or petrol filling stations for the 2026 business rates revaluation.

Our approach to valuing pubs has been established in collaboration with industry experts from the British Beer & Pub Association, UK Hospitality, British Institute of Innkeeping and the Federation of Licensed Victuallers Associations. Our approach to valuing petrol stations has been established in collaboration with industry experts, including the Petrol Retailers Association (PRA) and Fuels Industry UK.

The Rating Manual guidance will be updated on 1st April 2026 when the 2026 list takes effect.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of removing the ABV limit of 8.5% from Small Producer Relief on businesses. \p Dan Tomlinson: Following public consultation, a new strength-based duty structure for alcohol products was introduced in August 2023.

As part of these reforms, Small Producer Relief (SPR) replaced and extended the previous Small Brewers Relief. SPR supports SMEs and new entrants by permitting smaller producers who make 4,500 hectolitres or less of alcohol per year to pay reduced duty rates on all products below 8.5 per cent ABV.

The design of SPR balances the needs of businesses against the Government’s public health objectives. The 8.5% ABV limit aligns with the duty thresholds set within the wider duty system and ensures that the Government does not provide a lower rate of duty on higher strength alcohol products, even if they are produced by small producers.

This issue was considered in detail as part of the Alcohol Duty Review consultation, the response to which is available here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/the-new-alcohol-duty-system-consultation

HMRC plans to evaluate the new rates and structures three years after the changes took effect on 1 August 2023.  This will allow time for HMRC to gather a broad range of data. The Government welcomes evidence on the impact of the changes so far.
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Gareth Thomas:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will provide the Financial Ombudsman Service with additional powers to monitor the use of personal guarantees by financial services companies for lending to small and medium sized businesses. \p Lucy Rigby: The Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) was set up to resolve complaints between consumers and small businesses, and their financial services providers. While the Treasury sets the legal framework in which the FOS operates, the rules on how the FOS should handle complaints, including the jurisdiction of the FOS and what complaints it can deal with, are determined by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and set out in the FCA Handbook.

As set out in the government’s small business strategy, which my Honourable Friend contributed so much to, we are committed to working with lenders on the appropriate use of personal guarantees. This includes a mandatory Code of Conduct for accredited lenders that use the British Business Bank’s Growth Guarantee Scheme to ensure the use of personal guarantees under the Scheme is fair and transparent.

Recognising the necessary role that personal guarantees play in business lending, the government will work with UK Finance to build on their existing lender commitments to use personal guarantees responsibly, and with the business finance community as a whole to build businesses’ understanding of how to access the right finance on the right terms to meet their needs and to help businesses better understand the role of personal guarantees.
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Sir Gavin Williamson:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department holds correspondence between Jeffrey Epstein and former Ministers in her Department on the sale of Sempra Commodities. \p Lucy Rigby: Public records of HM Treasury ministerial meetings are available from May 2010 onwards. HM Treasury has also conducted a proportionate search of its archives for the relevant period and has found no evidence of correspondence or meetings between Jeffrey Epstein and Treasury ministers, or any Treasury officials, in relation to this sale, or on any other matter.
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Mary Kelly Foy:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a windfall tax on the profits of (a) banks and (b) other financial institutions. \p Lucy Rigby: The government’s position on the taxation of the banking sector remains as set out in the Corporate Tax Roadmap. The regime is kept under review to ensure that objectives around growth and fiscal responsibility are appropriately balanced.
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Helen Whately:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will ask HMRC to release a separate estimate of the cost of Motability’s Insurance Premium Tax exemption. \p Dan Tomlinson: HMRC publishes estimates of the costs of tax reliefs in its annual Non-structural tax relief statistics publication.

The last publication on 5 December 2024 showed an estimate and forecast for the financial years 2023-24 and 2024-25 of £1,210m for the relief “Vehicles and other supplies to disabled people (vehicles only)”. This includes the cost of VAT reliefs for supplies of vehicles to disabled people, including but not limited to Motability.
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Cameron Thomas:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department is taking to help mitigate the potential impact of moving the Valuation Office Agency into HMRC on the timely processing of cases. \p Dan Tomlinson: The VOA is meeting the majority of its performance targets. In the areas where it isn’t, it has robust service recovery plans in place. These include moving staff to where there is the greatest customer demand and upskilling its workforce in a wider range of casework, to ensure greater flexibility. It continues to prioritise any cases where a customer is facing financial hardship.

The VOA proactively contacts customers, through direct email or automated updates sent as cases progress through a service.

The VOA reports monthly on performance to the HMRC Executive Committee and Board. The decision to move the VOA’s functions into HMRC next year will strengthen direct accountability to ministers.

Integration is being carefully managed by a joint HMRC and VOA team, with detailed transition plans in place and appropriate oversight from my department.
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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department undertakes checks on whether holders of work visas are paying (a) Income Tax and (b) National Insurance. \p Dan Tomlinson: HMRC have interpreted ‘checks’ in this instance as ‘compliance checks’ on taxpayers with tax and National Insurance owed in the UK.

HMRC takes a risk-based approach to compliance and focuses its resources where tax is most at risk of not being paid. This approach may result in compliance checks on holders of work visas.

Decisions on which taxpayers should be subject to a compliance check are based on HMRC’s understanding of compliance risk in the tax system, which is supported by data and intelligence sources including banking data and credit card sales, business databases, international exchanges of information and reported wrongdoing, as well as assessments of the tax gap, economic and social trends, operational insight and risk monitoring.
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Mike Wood:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 8 September 2025 to Question 71214 on Permanent Secretaries: Pay, if he will publish the salaries for the two roles that were approved; and what was the business case of the exceptional salaries. \p James Murray: Details of senior salaries are published in individual departmental Annual Reports and Accounts.
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Mike Wood:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much additional funding has been allocated to (a) central government departments and (b) local authorities due to the cost of higher National Insurance rates for employers in 2025-26. \p James Murray: At Autumn Budget 2024 the Government set aside funding to support the public sector with the additional cost of employer National Insurance Contributions. The Government published allocations by department for 2025-26 alongside Main Estimates. This included support for local authorities through the Local Government allocation.
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Edward Morello:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make it her policy to allocate funding for rainwater management strategies in the Autumn Budget 2025. \p James Murray: The Chancellor will set out any new policy at the Autumn Budget in the usual way.

The Government is already investing a record £10.5bn to build new flood defences and repair existing defences. This is the largest flood programme in history and will protect nearly 900,000 properties from the devastation of flooding.
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Wera Hobhouse:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the reduction of ODA budget on UK (a) jobs and (b) trade income. \p James Murray: The overall economic impact of policy measures is set out in the OBR’s economic and fiscal forecast. The OBR’s March 2025 outlook provides details of the impacts of policy changes including the ODA reduction.
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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of public sector headcount on the financial sustainability of public sector pension schemes. \p James Murray: The Government’s central measure of the affordability of public service pensions is long-term public service pension spending as a share of GDP.

Public sector headcount is considered in several ways within this measure, using the OBR’s long-term assumptions on the size of the public sector workforce.
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Mark Pritchard:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will have discussions with the Royal Household on (a) publishing data and (b) promoting access to published data on Royal Household finances to ensure (i) accessibility and (ii) transparency for the public. \p James Murray: The rules governing the Sovereign Grant were set by Parliament in the Sovereign Grant Act 2011. No member of the Royal family receives a private income from the Sovereign Grant or any other public funds.

The Sovereign Grant accounts are audited by the National Audit Office and laid before Parliament every year. Those accounts are also published on the official website of the Royal Family, along with other information regarding the finances of the Royal Household, and are available here: https://www.royal.uk/royal-finances.
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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the Government’s house building programme on the value of assets in the Public Sector Net Financial Liabilities. \p James Murray: Net Financial Debt, otherwise known as Public Sector Net Financial Liabilities, recognises the value of financial assets that are expected to make a future return, such as loans.

Houses are non-financial assets and so their value is not captured in this fiscal metric.

Through the Spending Review, the government provided the biggest boost to social and affordable housing in a generation.
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the news story entitled Chancellor takes on the blockers to get Britain building, published on 15 October 2025, what the 34 infrastructure projects are; and what the (a) outcome and (b) duration was of each judicial review case. \p James Murray: Last week the government announced that we will work with the judiciary to take forward further procedural changes to ensure Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) are dealt with more quickly and consistently.

Lord Banner’s independent review into legal challenges against Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (published in October 2024) contains detail and links to statistics requested.

It is standard practice not to comment on the specifics of discussions between ministers and the judiciary.

Finally, members of public will still have the right to pursue judicial review. The Government remains committed to this important principle, and ensuring that local communities can effectively challenge the decisions which impact them. These reforms are about ensuring cases move through the courts more quickly and efficiently, not about limiting the right to challenge decisions.
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Andrew Lewin:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what is the average value of a redeemed child trust fund since (a) July 2023 and (b) July 2024. \p Lucy Rigby: The average market value of Child Trust Fund accounts that have matured and have been claimed or transferred to an ISA can be found in the Child Trust Fund tables of the Annual Savings Statistics.

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/annual-savings-statistics-2025
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Mike Wood:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she plans to establish a sector council for financial services. \p Lucy Rigby: The Treasury is committed to continuing to work closely with industry as we drive forward our programme to grow our world-leading financial services sector, ensuring that it delivers for UK businesses and consumers.

Treasury ministers regularly meet with a wide range of stakeholders from across the financial services sector. Details of ministerial meetings with external organisations on departmental business are published on a quarterly basis and are available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-gifts-and-overseas-travel
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Mike Wood:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 14 July 2025 to Question 65150 on Royal Mint: Committees, whether the (a) Royal Mint Advisory Committee and (b) Sub-Committee on the Selection of Themes have a policy on equality, diversity and inclusion in coin designs. \p Lucy Rigby: The Royal Mint Advisory Committee advises the Chancellor of the Exchequer (in her capacity as Master of the Mint) on the themes and designs of new coins.

While there is no formal written policy on equality, diversity and inclusion in coin designs or themes, the Committee actively encourages that the themes and designs it recommends reflect diversity in age, race, gender and other characteristics.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-21 conversation_185

Layla Moran:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help ensure that people without access to digital payment options (a) can to pay for goods and services in their local communities in cash and (b) are supported to get online when they need to. \p Lucy Rigby: While the ongoing trend in payments in the UK has been away from cash and towards card and digital payment methods, the Government recognises that cash continues to be used by millions of people across the UK, including those in vulnerable groups, and is committed to protecting access to cash for individuals and businesses.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) assumed regulatory responsibility for access to cash in September 2024. Its rules ensure cash continues to be a viable method of payment for the millions of people who depend on it by providing reasonable access to cash withdrawal and deposit facilities for personal accounts.

There is no legal requirement for businesses to accept specific forms of payment, and the Government has no plans to mandate cash acceptance. It is for each business to decide on the forms of payment it chooses to accept, based on a variety of factors, including cost and customer preferences. However, the FCA’s access to cash regime will ensure that businesses have reasonable access to cash deposit facilities, which supports their ability to accept cash.

More widely, the Government has committed to publish a National Financial Inclusion Strategy later this year to tackle a range of barriers individuals face in accessing the financial products they need, including a focus on access to banking and digital inclusion.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-21 conversation_186

Mike Wood:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 30 April 2025 to Question 47195 on Environment Protection: Finance, what is the policy of the Taskforce for Climate-related Financial Disclosure in relation to investment in (a) defence and (b) nuclear weapons. \p Lucy Rigby: The UK government formally endorsed the Taskforce for Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) framework in 2021 and has mandated TCFD-aligned disclosure for large entities in the private sector since 2022. The FCA also refers to the TCFD framework in its listing rules and has required TCFD aligned reports since 2021 for listed companies.

The new International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) Standards, so called S1 and S2, are designed to replace the TCFD framework. These draft standards, which will be known as UK Sustainability Reporting Standards (UK SRS) were published for consultation in June 2025, closing in September 2025.

Both UK SRS, and the TCFD framework that they will replace, are disclosure standards that ask firms to disclose financially material climate related risks to their business. The objective of these is to provide investors with consistent, comparable and reliable information about companies' sustainability-related risks and opportunities. These standards are designed to enhance transparency and do not dictate how a company should invest. They do not prevent or impose restrictions on investment in specific sectors, including defence or nuclear weapons.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-21 conversation_187

Layla Moran: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. \p Lucy Rigby: 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.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-21 conversation_188

Mike Wood:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 14 July 2025 to Question 65148 on Bank Notes, whether (a) her Department or (b) the Bank of England has an equality, diversity and inclusion policy on the (i) design of and (ii) selection of characters to appear on banknotes. \p Lucy Rigby: The Bank of England is responsible for all aspects of banknote design and character selection, as set out in the Currency and Bank Notes Act 1954 and the 2025 Memorandum of Understanding between HM Treasury and the Bank of England, which can be found online here: Financial relationship between HM Treasury and the Bank of England Memorandum of Understanding.

As a result, HM Treasury is not involved in decisions on banknote designs or character selections.

Recently, the Bank of England announced that they will be launching a new series of banknotes and over the summer concluded a public consultation on possible themes to be featured on the new series:

Help us design our next series of banknotes | Bank of England
wrans/answers2025-10-21 conversation_189
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-21 conversation_189

Mr Peter Bedford:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to help businesses mitigate increases in levels of food inflation. \p Lucy Rigby: The Government prioritises sound public finances, which are essential to economic and financial stability, and delivering economic growth. We are living within our means, reducing our levels of borrowing in the years ahead and supporting the Bank of England to get inflation down. We have already made progress towards this, with five interest rate cuts delivered this since the election.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-21 conversation_190

Luke Taylor:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has had discussions with Santander UK plc on its introduction of £120 annual charge for small business accounts. \p Lucy Rigby: The Government regularly engages with a wide range of stakeholders across the financial services sector including Santander.

While the Government recognises the concerns of long-standing customers who signed up to different business accounts, decisions regarding the products offered and any associated charges are commercial matters for individual firms. The Government does not intervene in these commercial decisions but continues to monitor wider access to bank account provision.

The Government also recognises the importance of transparency in business bank account fees, enabling businesses to make informed choices when selecting banking services. Encouraging competition in financial services helps stimulate a strong and diverse market for SMEs, improves access to finance, and ensures that businesses benefit from competitive pricing and improved choice.

The Government is committed to ensuring that SMEs are treated fairly by banks and have access to the financial services they need. That is why the Financial Ombudsman Service has jurisdiction over 99% of business banking disputes, providing a wide safety-net for businesses and an important avenue for redress where SMEs feel they have been misled or unfairly charged.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-21 conversation_191

James McMurdock:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the barriers faced by young people in accessing the Lifetime ISA. \p Lucy Rigby: The Lifetime ISA encourages younger people to save towards later life at the same time as being able to save for their first home. The Lifetime ISA is open to all UK residents of the UK aged 18 or over and is offered by a range of providers.

As of 2023/24, there were over 1.3 million LISA accounts open and, since its introduction in 2017, the LISA has helped 227,600 people purchase their first property.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-21 conversation_192

Callum Anderson:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department is taking to promote UK-based Islamic finance capabilities in international markets. \p Lucy Rigby: The UK is the leading Western destination for Islamic finance businesses. The Islamic finance sector also has a role in the overall UK financial ecosystem by providing sharia-compliant products for the UK’s Muslim population as well as its contribution to the UK’s competitiveness as an Islamic finance hub.

The Government aims to build the right environment to allow businesses to capitalise on growth opportunities in the UK and also promotes the UK’s capabilities and expertise overseas. For example, the Economic Secretary to the Treasury visited the UAE and Saudi Arabia in February 2025 and attended the UK-Saudi Arabia GREAT FUTURES Leadership Summit in September 2025.

The Government is considering opportunities to support the Islamic finance sector through UK trade agreements with partners which have significant domestic markets for shariah-compliant finance, such as the Gulf Cooperation Council.

The UK's two sovereign sukuk issuances have been successful in providing a platform for and helping to maintain the UK’s position as the leading western hub for Islamic finance while also supporting the UK’s Islamic banks. Given the development of the sector in the last decade and the relatively high cost of issuing sukuk, the Government is not at this time planning to issue another Sukuk after the current Sukuk matures in summer 2026.

Officials continue to engage with industry and international partners to explore opportunities for synergies between Islamic finance and the sustainability agenda.

Islamic financial instruments are covered under the same legislative and regulatory framework as their conventional equivalents, and the Government works to address any unintended differences that may arise.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-21 conversation_193

Ayoub Khan:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will take steps in the UK’s capacity as a co-host of the Global Fund's Eighth Replenishment Summit to encourage contributions from international partners. \p Chris Elmore: I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 11 September 2025 to question 72859.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-21 conversation_194

Sammy Wilson:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure that overseas farmers and workers involved in UK agricultural supply chains are receiving living incomes. \p Chris Elmore: The UK Government is committed to advancing free and fair trade around the world that is inclusive, sustainable and reduces poverty. To do this, the UK supports a range of initiatives to drive inclusive growth and create more and better jobs at scale, including in agricultural supply chains.

Such initiatives include the recently concluded Work and Opportunities for Women (WOW) programme, which aimed to advance women's economic empowerment in global supply chains. In Kenya, WOW supported over 300,000 tea farmers, over 80% of whom reported improved productivity and income through climate-resilient practices and diversified livelihoods.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-21 conversation_195

Andrew Gwynne:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she has taken with international partners to (a) provide effective humanitarian aid to Sudan and (b) help resolve the conflict in Sudan. \p Chris Elmore: I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 7 October 2025 to Question 75005.