HM Treasury

HM Treasury is the government’s economic and finance ministry, maintaining control over public spending, setting the direction of the UK’s economic policy and working to achieve strong and sustainable economic growth.



Secretary of State

 Portrait

John Healey
Chancellor of the Exchequer

Shadow Ministers / Spokeperson
Liberal Democrat
Baroness Kramer (LD - Life peer)
Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Treasury and Economy)
Daisy Cooper (LD - St Albans)
Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Treasury)
Charlie Maynard (LD - Witney)
Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Chief Secretary to the Treasury)

Green Party
Ellie Chowns (Green - North Herefordshire)
Green Spokesperson (Treasury)

Conservative
Andrew Griffith (Con - Arundel and South Downs)
Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer
Junior Shadow Ministers / Deputy Spokesperson
Conservative
Richard Fuller (Con - North Bedfordshire)
Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury
Baroness Neville-Rolfe (Con - Life peer)
Shadow Minister (Treasury)
Lord Altrincham (Con - Life peer)
Shadow Minister (Treasury)
Gareth Davies (Con - Grantham and Bourne)
Shadow Financial Secretary (Treasury)
Peter Bedford (Con - Mid Leicestershire)
Shadow Minister (Treasury)
Junior Shadow Ministers / Deputy Spokesperson
Conservative
Mark Garnier (Con - Wyre Forest)
Shadow Economic Secretary (Treasury)
John Cooper (Con - Dumfries and Galloway)
Shadow Exchequer Secretary (Treasury)
Ministers of State
Emma Reynolds (Lab - Wycombe)
Chief Secretary to the Treasury
James Murray (LAB - Ealing North)
Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General
Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State
Torsten Bell (Lab - Swansea West)
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Lucy Rigby (Lab - Northampton North)
Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
Lord Pitt-Watson (Lab - Life peer)
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
There are no upcoming events identified
Debates
Thursday 17th September 2026
Defence Funding
Lords Chamber
Select Committee Docs
Wednesday 23rd September 2026
00:01
Select Committee Inquiry
Tuesday 31st January 2023
Quantitative tightening

This inquiry will examine quantitative tightening, including its impact on the economy and its fiscal costs. It will also investigate …

Written Answers
Tuesday 29th September 2026
National Savings and Investments: Standards
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Statement made by Lord Livermore on 19 May (HLWS46), when they …
Secondary Legislation
Tuesday 15th September 2026
Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Cryptoassets) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2026
These Regulations amend and add to the regulatory regime for certain cryptoasset activities pursuant to powers conferred by the Financial …
Bills
Tuesday 1st September 2026
Sovereign Grant Bill 2026-27
A Bill to Specify the amount of the Sovereign Grant for the financial year 2027-28 and the percentage of the …
Dept. Publications
Monday 28th September 2026
16:56

HM Treasury Commons Appearances

Oral Answers to Questions is a regularly scheduled appearance where the Secretary of State and junior minister will answer at the Dispatch Box questions from backbench MPs

Other Commons Chamber appearances can be:
  • Urgent Questions where the Speaker has selected a question to which a Minister must reply that day
  • Adjornment Debates a 30 minute debate attended by a Minister that concludes the day in Parliament.
  • Oral Statements informing the Commons of a significant development, where backbench MP's can then question the Minister making the statement.

Westminster Hall debates are performed in response to backbench MPs or e-petitions asking for a Minister to address a detailed issue

Written Statements are made when a current event is not sufficiently significant to require an Oral Statement, but the House is required to be informed.

Most Recent Commons Appearances by Category
Sep. 08
Oral Questions
May. 21
Urgent Questions
Sep. 07
Written Statements
View All HM Treasury Commons Contibutions

Bills currently before Parliament

HM Treasury does not have Bills currently before Parliament


Acts of Parliament created in the 2024 Parliament

Introduced: 30th June 2026

A Bill to authorise the use of resources for the year ending with 31 March 2027; to authorise both the issue of sums out of the Consolidated Fund and the application of income for that year; and to appropriate the supply authorised for that year by this Act and by the Supply and Appropriation (Anticipation and Adjustments) Act 2026.

This Bill received Royal Assent on 15th July 2026 and was enacted into law.

Introduced: 24th June 2026

A Bill to Increase the rate of electricity generator levy and mileage amounts relating to income tax and to provide for temporary rates of vehicle excise duty for goods vehicles.

This Bill received Royal Assent on 15th July 2026 and was enacted into law.

Introduced: 4th December 2025

A Bill to Make provision to amend section 4 of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992, and section 4 of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits (Northern Ireland) Act 1992, so that amounts of salary sacrificed for employer pensions contributions pursuant to optional remuneration arrangements are liable to national insurance contributions.

This Bill received Royal Assent on 29th April 2026 and was enacted into law.

Introduced: 2nd December 2025

A Bill to make provision in connection with finance.

This Bill received Royal Assent on 18th March 2026 and was enacted into law.

Introduced: 4th March 2026

A Bill to Authorise the use of resources for the years ending with 31 March 2025, 31 March 2026 and 31 March 2027; to authorise the issue of sums out of the Consolidated Fund for those years; and to appropriate the supply authorised by this Act for the years ending with 31 March 2025 and 31 March 2026.

This Bill received Royal Assent on 18th March 2026 and was enacted into law.

Introduced: 25th June 2025

A Bill to Authorise the use of resources for the year ending with 31 March 2026; to authorise both the issue of sums out of the Consolidated Fund and the application of income for that year; and to appropriate the supply authorised for that year by this Act and by the Supply and Appropriation (Anticipation and Adjustments) Act 2025.

This Bill received Royal Assent on 21st July 2025 and was enacted into law.

Introduced: 13th November 2024

A Bill to make provision about secondary Class 1 contributions.

This Bill received Royal Assent on 3rd April 2025 and was enacted into law.

Introduced: 6th November 2024

A Bill to make provision about finance.

This Bill received Royal Assent on 20th March 2025 and was enacted into law.

Introduced: 25th July 2024

A Bill to amend the Crown Estate Act 1961.

This Bill received Royal Assent on 11th March 2025 and was enacted into law.

Introduced: 5th March 2025

A Bill to Authorise the use of resources for the years ending with 31 March 2024, 31 March 2025 and 31 March 2026; to authorise the issue of sums out of the Consolidated Fund for those years; and to appropriate the supply authorised by this Act for the years ending with 31 March 2024 and 31 March 2025.

This Bill received Royal Assent on 11th March 2025 and was enacted into law.

Introduced: 6th November 2024

A Bill to make provision for loans or other financial assistance to be provided to, or for the benefit of, the government of Ukraine.

This Bill received Royal Assent on 16th January 2025 and was enacted into law.

Introduced: 18th July 2024

A Bill to impose duties on the Treasury and the Office for Budget Responsibility in respect of the announcement of fiscally significant measures.

This Bill received Royal Assent on 10th September 2024 and was enacted into law.

Introduced: 24th July 2024

A Bill to authorise the use of resources for the year ending with 31 March 2025; to authorise both the issue of sums out of the Consolidated Fund and the application of income for that year; and to appropriate the supply authorised for that year by this Act and by the Supply and Appropriation (Anticipation and Adjustments) Act 2024.

This Bill received Royal Assent on 30th July 2024 and was enacted into law.

HM Treasury - Secondary Legislation

These Regulations amend and add to the regulatory regime for certain cryptoasset activities pursuant to powers conferred by the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (c. 8) (“the Act”).
These Regulations extend transitional provisions provided for in Regulation (EU) 575/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council on prudential requirements for credit institutions and amending Regulation (EU) No 648/2012 (the “Capital Requirements Regulation”) as extended by: i) the Central Counterparties (Transitional Provision) (Extension and Amendment) Regulations 2022 (S.I 2022/1244); ii) the Central Counterparties (Transitional Provision) (Extension and Amendment) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/999); iii) the Central Counterparties (Transitional Provision) (Extension and Amendment) Regulations 2024 (S.I. 2024/923); and iv) the Central Counterparties (Transitional Provision) (Extension and Amendment) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/1030).
View All HM Treasury Secondary Legislation

Petitions

e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.

If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.

If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).

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Petitions with most signatures
Petition Open
85,962 Signatures
(8,089 in the last 7 days)
Petition Open
22,543 Signatures
(97 in the last 7 days)
Petition Open
9,462 Signatures
(9,413 in the last 7 days)
Petition Debates Contributed

Raise the income tax personal allowance from £12570 to £20000. We think this would help low earners to get off benefits and allow pensioners a decent income.

We think that changing inheritance tax relief for agricultural land will devastate farms nationwide, forcing families to sell land and assets just to stay on their property. We urge the government to keep the current exemptions for working farms.

We want the government to introduce a new tax code for state pensioners, set at double the basic threshold. If this was implemented, pensioners would receive a higher tax-exempt limit, but wealthier pensioners would still pay tax.

View All HM Treasury Petitions

Departmental Select Committee

Treasury Committee

Commons Select Committees are a formally established cross-party group of backbench MPs tasked with holding a Government department to account.

At any time there will be number of ongoing investigations into the work of the Department, or issues which fall within the oversight of the Department. Witnesses can be summoned from within the Government and outside to assist in these inquiries.

Select Committee findings are reported to the Commons, printed, and published on the Parliament website. The government then usually has 60 days to reply to the committee's recommendations.


11 Members of the Treasury Committee
Meg Hillier Portrait
Meg Hillier (Labour (Co-op) - Hackney South and Shoreditch)
Treasury Committee Member since 9th September 2024
Yuan Yang Portrait
Yuan Yang (Labour - Earley and Woodley)
Treasury Committee Member since 21st October 2024
Siobhain McDonagh Portrait
Siobhain McDonagh (Labour - Mitcham and Morden)
Treasury Committee Member since 21st October 2024
John Glen Portrait
John Glen (Conservative - Salisbury)
Treasury Committee Member since 21st October 2024
Harriett Baldwin Portrait
Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)
Treasury Committee Member since 21st October 2024
Bobby Dean Portrait
Bobby Dean (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Treasury Committee Member since 28th October 2024
Chris Coghlan Portrait
Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
Treasury Committee Member since 28th October 2024
John Grady Portrait
John Grady (Labour - Glasgow East)
Treasury Committee Member since 9th December 2024
Catherine West Portrait
Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
Treasury Committee Member since 27th October 2025
Jim Dickson Portrait
Jim Dickson (Labour - Dartford)
Treasury Committee Member since 27th October 2025
Julie Minns Portrait
Julie Minns (Labour - Carlisle)
Treasury Committee Member since 22nd June 2026
Treasury Committee: Previous Inquiries
The Financial Conduct Authority’s Regulation of London Capital & Finance plc Budget 2021 Work of National Savings and Investments Lessons from Greensill Capital Appointment of Carolyn Wilkins to the Financial Policy Committee Appointment of Tanya Castell to the Prudential Regulatory Committee The work of the Prudential Regulation Authority Reappointment of Jill May and Julia Black to the Prudential Regulation Committee Committee on COP26: climate change and finance Spring Budget 2020 Appointment of Sarah Breeden to the Financial Policy Committee Appointment of Catherine Mann to the Monetary Policy Committee Reappointment of Jonathan Haskel to the Monetary Policy Committee Bank of England July Financial Stability Report and August Monetary Policy Report Economic Crime Regional Imbalances in the UK economy The Work of the Debt Management Office Appointment of Richard Hughes as Chair of the Office for Budget Responsibility Reappointment of Professor Silvana Tenreyro to the Monetary Policy Committee Reappointment of Andy Haldane to the Monetary Policy Committee Appointment of Jonathan Hall to the Financial Policy Committee Appointment of Nikhil Rathi as Chief Executive of the Financial Conduct Authority Maxwellisation inquiry The work of National Savings and Investments inquiry Retail Banking Market Review inquiry HMRC Executive Chair and Chief Executive Financial stability one-off hearing Appointment of the CEO of Financial Conduct Authority Bank of England Financial Stability Report Hearings 2016-17 UK's future economic relationship with the EU inquiry Appointment of Deputy Governor for Prudential Regulation EU Insurance Regulation inquiry HM Treasury: Report and Accounts 2015 – 2016 Appointment of Michael Saunders to the Monetary Policy Committee Appointment of Anil Kashyap to the Financial Policy Committee Tax credits, fraud and error inquiry The work of the Chancellor of the Exchequer inquiry Bank of England Inflation Report Hearing August 2016 Prudential Regulation Authority inquiry Sir Charles Bean appointment to Budget Responsibility Committee UK tax policy and the tax base inquiry Government Internal Audit Agency inquiry HM Treasury Annual Report and Accounts 2014-15 inquiry Valuation Office Agency inquiry Independent review of report into failure of HBOS inquiry Review of the Office for National Statistics inquiry Appointment of Angela Knight as Chair of the Office for Tax Simplification Appointment of Tim Parkes as Chair of Regulatory Decisions Committee Budget 2016 inquiry Financial Policy Committee re-appointment hearings Bank of England Inflation Report Hearing May 2016 Work of the Court of the Bank of England inquiry Bank of England Inflation Report Hearing February 2017 Appointment of the Deputy Governor for Markets and Banking Budget 2017 inquiry Restoration and Renewal of the Palace of Westminster inquiry Capital inquiry Work of the Payment Systems Regulator inquiry Effectiveness and impact of post-2008 UK monetary policy Access to basic retail financial services inquiry Financial Conduct Authority inquiry Bank of England Inflation Report Hearing November 2016 UK Financial Investments annual reports and accounts 2015-16 Housing Policy inquiry Autumn Statement 2016 Household finances: income, saving and debt inquiry Bank of England Inflation Reports inquiry Budget Autumn 2017 inquiry Student Loans inquiry The UK's economic relationship with the European Union inquiry The work of the Bank of England inquiry The work of the Financial Conduct Authority The work of the National Infrastructure Commission inquiry Women in finance inquiry Appointment of Professor Silvana Tenreyro to the Monetary Policy Committee Appointment of Sir Dave Ramsden as Deputy Governor for Markets and Banking, Bank of England The work of the Chancellor of the Exchequer EU Insurance Regulation inquiry HMRC Annual Report and Accounts inquiry Re-appointment of Professor Anil Kashyap to the Financial Policy Committee inquiry Re-appointment of Ben Broadbent as Deputy Governor for Monetary Policy, Bank of England inquiry The effectiveness of gender pay gap reporting inquiry Decarbonisation of the UK Economy and Green Finance inquiry Regional Imbalances in the UK Economy inquiry Work of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme inquiry Spending Round 2019 inquiry Access to Cash Review inquiry Appointment of Kathryn Cearns as Chair of the Office of Tax Simplification inquiry The future of the UK’s financial services inquiry The impact of Business Rates on business inquiry Spring Statement 2019 inquiry The work of the Adjudicator’s Office inquiry The work of the Debt Management Office inquiry Independent Review of the Co-Operative Bank inquiry Work of the Court of the Bank of England inquiry Tax enquiries and resolution of tax disputes inquiry IT failures in the financial services sector inquiry Work of the Banking Standards Board inquiry Independent Review of the Financial Ombudsman Service Appointment of Bradley Fried as Chair of Court, Bank of England Appointment of Professor Jonathan Haskel to the Monetary Policy Committee Andy King, Nominated Member of the Budget Responsibility Committee Re-appointment of Dr Gertjan Vlieghe to the Monetary Policy Committee Maxwellisation inquiry Work of the Valuation Office Agency inquiry Appointment of Julia Black as external member of the Prudential Regulation Committee Appointment of Jill May as an external member of the Prudential Regulation Committee Consumers’ Access to Financial Services inquiry The re-appointment of Sir Jon Cunliffe as Deputy Governor for Financial Stability at the Bank of England inquiry Budget 2018 inquiry The Work of the Treasury inquiry Service Disruption at TSB inquiry Economic Crime inquiry Re-appointment of Alex Brazier to the Financial Policy Committee Re-appointment of Donald Kohn to the Financial Policy Committee Re-appointment of Martin Taylor to the Financial Policy Committee VAT inquiry Spring Statement 2018 Digital Currencies inquiry Appointment of Charles Randell as Chair of the Financial Conduct Authority SME Finance inquiry Appointment of Elisabeth Stheeman to the Bank of England Financial Policy Committee The work of the Prudential Regulation Authority inquiry Bank of England Financial Stability Reports RBS's Global Restructuring Group and its treatment of SMEs inquiry Childcare inquiry The work of the Payment Systems Regulator inquiry HM Treasury Annual Report and Accounts inquiry Women in the City Crown Estate Cheques, the end of? Mortgage Arrears and Access to Mortgage Finance: Follow up Financial Institutions - Too Important To Fail? Budget 2010 Credit Searches European Macro and Micro Prudential Financial Regulation Presbyterian Mutual Society Pre-Budget Report 2009 Budget 2009 Pre-Budget Report 2008 Budget 2008 Pre-Budget Report 2007 Mortgage Arrears and Access to Mortgage Finance Evaluating the Efficiency Programme Administration and expenditure of the Chancellor’s Departments, 2008-09 Banking Crisis Banking Crisis: International Dimensions Banking Reform Run on the Rock Budget June 2010 Competition and choice in the banking sector Office for Budget Responsibility Financial Regulation Spending Review 2010 Administration and effectiveness of HMRC The principles of tax policy Retail Distribution Review European financial regulation Autumn forecast 2010 Accountability of the Bank of England Private Finance Initiative Budget 2011 Future of Cheques Independent Commission on Banking: Interim Report Closing the tax gap: HMRC's record at ensuring tax compliance Budget Measures and Low-income Households Financial Conduct Authority Inherited Estates Counting the population Administration and expenditure of the Chancellor's Departments, 2006-07 Comprehensive Spending Review 2007 Administration and expenditure of the Chancellor's Departments, 2007-08 Independent Commission on Banking: Final Report Global Imbalances Autumn Statement 2011 Budget 2012 Corporate governance and remuneration Money Advice Service LIBOR FSA's report into HBOS Spending Round 2013 Project Verde Macroprudential tools Disposal of Government Stakes in RBS and Lloyds Credit Rating Agencies Autumn Statement 2012 Appointment of Dr Mark Carney as Governor of the Bank of England Budget 2013 Quantitative easing Private Finance 2 Autumn Statement 2013 Bank of England Financial Stability Report hearings: Session 2014-15 Appointment hearings, Session 2013-14 Bank of England Inflation Report Hearings: Session 2013-14 EU Financial Regulation Monetary Policy: Forward Guidance UK Financial Investments Ltd 2013 The economics of HS2 SME Lending Financial Conduct Authority hearings The costing of pre-election policy proposals Performance of the Royal Mint Budget 2014 The economics of currency unions OBR: July 2013 Fiscal Sustainability Report Banks' Lending Practices: Treatment of Businesses in Distress RBS Independent Lending Review Prudential Regulation Authority Hearings: Session 2014-15 HM Treasury Annual Report and Accounts 2013-14 Treatment of Financial Services Consumers Bank of England Inflation Report Hearings: Session 2014-15 HMRC Business Plan 2014-16 Manipulation of Benchmarks Appointment hearings, Session 2014-15 Co-op Governance Review Cost effectiveness of economic and financial sanctions Bank of England Financial Stability Report Hearings 2015-16 Bank of England Inflation Report Hearings 2015-16 Summer Budget 2015 inquiry UK Financial Investments Ltd Annual Report and Accounts 14-15 Review of scope and performance of Office for Budget Responsibility Bank of England Bill inquiry Chair of Office for Budget Responsibility reappointment hearing HMRC Annual Report and Accounts 2014-15 inquiry Prudential Regulation Authority inquiry Comprehensive Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015 inquiry Review of CMA work on Retail Banking Market one-off session Financial Conduct Authority Practitioner Panels one-off session Appointment of Gertjan Vlieghe to the Monetary Policy Committee hearing Reappointment of Ian McCafferty to the Monetary Policy Committee hearing Financial Conduct Authority Economic and financial costs and benefits of UK's EU membership Crown Estate Annual Report and Accounts 2013/14 Bank of England Foreign Exchange Market Investigation HM Revenue and Customs and HSBC Budget 2015 The UK's EU Budget Contributions Press briefing of information in the Financial Conduct Authority’s 2014/15 Business Plan Fair and Effective Markets Review The Payment Systems Regulator Implementing the recommendations on the Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards Autumn Statement 2014 Work of the Tax Assurance Commissioner UK Financial Investments Ltd Proposals for further Fiscal and Economic Devolution to Scotland Debt Management Office Annual Report and Accounts 2013-14 UK Customs Policy Infrastructure The cost of living The venture capital market The crypto-asset industry Tax Reliefs September 2022 Fiscal Event The Financial Services and Markets Bill The mortgage market The Edinburgh Reforms Quantitative tightening Retail Banks Appointment of Andrew Bailey as Governor of the Bank of England Work of Government Actuary’s Department Work of the Financial Ombudsman Service Work of HM Treasury Future of Financial Services Spending Review 2020 HMRC Annual Report and Accounts Bank of England Financial Stability Reports The appointment of John Taylor to the Prudential Regulation Committee UK’s economic and trading relationship with the EU The appointment of Antony Jenkins to the Prudential Regulation Committee Access to Cash Review Bank of England Financial Stability Reports Bank of England Inflation Reports Consumers’ Access to Financial Services Decarbonisation of the UK Economy and Green Finance Economic Crime The effectiveness of gender pay gap reporting HMRC Annual Report and Accounts inquiry Tax enquiries and resolution of tax disputes IT failures in the financial services sector Appointment of Dame Colette Bowe to the Financial Policy Committee Re-appointment of Professor Anil Kashyap to the Financial Policy Committee Work of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme Spending Round 2019 The impact of Business Rates on business Work of the Court of the Bank of England Independent Review of the Co-Operative Bank Regional Imbalances in the UK Economy Re-appointment of Michael Saunders to the Monetary Policy Committee Re-appointment of Ben Broadbent as Deputy Governor for Monetary Policy, Bank of England Maxwellisation RBS's Global Restructuring Group and its treatment of SMEs SME Finance Spring Statement 2019 The future of the UK’s financial services HM Treasury Annual Report and Accounts Service Disruption at TSB The UK's economic relationship with the European Union VAT The work of the Bank of England The work of the Chancellor of the Exchequer The work of the Financial Conduct Authority The Work of the Treasury The work of the Prudential Regulation Authority

50 most recent Written Questions

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department

15th Sep 2026
To ask His Majesty's Government when they last reviewed contingency plans for buy-in and buy-out pension annuity products in the event of a life insurer having financial difficulties; and whether they plan to review this in the next year.

The Government keeps the framework for managing insurer distress and failure under review. The Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) is responsible for the prudential regulation and supervision of insurers and has a range of powers to intervene where firms experience financial difficulties. Insurers are subject to robust prudential requirements and ongoing supervision designed to protect policyholders and promote the safety and soundness of firms.

In 2023, HM Treasury consulted on proposals for an Insurer Resolution Regime, which would provide the authorities with additional tools to manage the failure of a systemic insurer in an orderly manner. The Government is considering the implementation of these proposals and will continue to engage with stakeholders on the development of the regime.

Lord Pitt-Watson
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
10th Sep 2026
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will examine the potential for a Cardiff–Newport–Bristol economic corridor which would examine how transport, infrastructure, investment and closer collaboration between businesses and universities could create an integrated economic corridor to encourage more investment and high-value employment within Wales.

The Government's ambition is to support good growth across all parts of the United Kingdom.

At SR 25, the Government delivered the largest spending review settlements in real terms for the Welsh Government since devolution in 1998.

The UK and Welsh Governments have agreed a long-term plan for Welsh rail and we are committed to delivering that plan; unlocking 12,000 jobs and connecting the people of Wales to tens of thousands more across the country.  This represents a long term commitment to a pipeline of 43 projects worth up to £14bn in North, South, Mid and West Wales that will deliver the transport network Wales deserves.

We are also investing in the West of England, with the West of England Combined Authority receiving £800m of transport investment via the Transport for City Regions fund over 5 years (2027/28 – 2031/32), which will support mass transit development between Bristol, Bath, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset.

Bristol and Newport are each receiving £20m from the Pride in Place Fund over 10 years. Businesses across South Wales are benefiting through the Local Innovation Partnerships Fund, Cardiff Capital Region is receiving £30 million to build on its strengths in semiconductors and the creative industries, while South West Wales has secured up to £20 million for clean energy and advanced materials.

Dan Tomlinson
Exchequer Secretary (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with HM Treasury)
1st Sep 2026
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Statement made by Lord Livermore on 19 May (HLWS46), when they now expect to receive Sir Jim Harra's review into the background to the tracing problem and the lessons to be learned.

Sir Jim Harra’s review into the background to the tracing problem and the lessons to be learned has been received, and the Government is considering its recommendations. The review will be published in due course.

Lord Pitt-Watson
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
15th Sep 2026
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that UK financial services firms have sufficient cyber security and engineering capacity to address vulnerabilities identified by increasingly capable artificial intelligence systems.

The Government recognises that increasingly capable artificial intelligence systems present both opportunities and risks for the financial sector.

As noted in July’s Financial Stability Report, frontier AI may materially increase the flow of vulnerabilities requiring assessment and remediation by firms, which could itself become a source of systemic risk, even if cyber-attacks were not to increase. A materially higher volume of identified vulnerabilities would require firms and suppliers to patch and validate changes at much greater speed and frequency, increasing the risk of errors, outages, and disruption across interconnected systems.

In May 2026 the National Cyber Security Centre issued guidance to firms encouraging them to prepare for a wave of software updates that will need to be applied across the technology stack to address the disclosure of new vulnerabilities.

The UK financial authorities have made clear that firms should maintain effective protective, detective, threat containment and cyber response capabilities, and should be able to identify, assess and remediate vulnerabilities more quickly and at greater scale as AI capabilities develop. Firms are responsible for ensuring they have the skills, expertise and resources necessary to manage risks appropriately, including cyber security and engineering capacity.

The Government supports this through technical advice and guidance from the NCSC and ongoing engagement with industry and regulators, including through the Cross Market Operational Resilience Group (CMORG).

Lord Pitt-Watson
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
3rd Sep 2026
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the council tax for the Chancellor’s official residence in Downing Street is being paid for by (a) the Cabinet Office, (b) HM Treasury and (c) the Government Property Agency.

The Chancellor pays full council tax on the flat above 10 Downing Street as his primary residence.

Dan Tomlinson
Exchequer Secretary (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with HM Treasury)
28th Aug 2026
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what was the outturn spending by the department on communications, marketing and advertising in (a) 2024-25 and (b) 2025-26.

In 2024-25, the department spent £6,599,338 and in 2025-26 the department spent £4,219,047 on communications, marketing and advertising.

A significant proportion of the expenditure in 2024-25 was for marketing the offer of retail shares in NatWest and was recovered accordingly from NatWest.

Dan Tomlinson
Exchequer Secretary (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with HM Treasury)
28th Aug 2026
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he plans to take to support economic growth in Newcastle-under-Lyme.

The Government's ambition is to support good growth across all parts of the United Kingdom. As set out in the Prime Minister's recent Machinery of Government Statement, No10 North will be responsible for driving good growth through devolution and working in close partnership with local leaders, businesses, and communities to strengthen place-based growth.

Staffordshire will receive £93m in transport capital funding between 2026/27 and 2029/30, enabling it to deliver more ambitious local transport improvements through a simplified, consolidated funding settlement.

Newcastle-under-Lyme will benefit from wider interventions to boost growth in the West Midlands, including the £25.3bn to progress the delivery of HS2 Phase One, improved connections to the South East, and funding to progress delivery of the Midlands Rail Hub to deepen connections with Wales and the South West. Conversations with local transport authorities are already taking place on the North – South New Rail Lines study, which is expected to bring further benefits to the region. The Government’s ambition is that every area in England has a strategic authority in place by 2027, or a plan for one, so that more power and resources are controlled locally to unlock more economic investment. This includes Newcastle-under-Lyme.

At Budget, the Government will publish a fiscal devolution roadmap which will set out a path to replacing grants from central government with a share of local income tax for every mayor beginning in 2028, such that where a region grows its tax base, it benefits from the increased receipts. This will sit alongside greater retention of the revenue from business rates for local councils and strategic authorities. The long-term certainty of funding via taxation will provide more flexibility and enable greater investment to fund interventions that will deliver a return.

Dan Tomlinson
Exchequer Secretary (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with HM Treasury)
7th Sep 2026
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent on 20 July (HL1330), whether the Chancellor of the Exchequer intends to publish a tax return on Gov.uk.

Publication of tax returns is a matter for individual Ministers. Any such publication would be made in the usual way.

Lord Pitt-Watson
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
15th Sep 2026
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to apply the reduction in VAT on domestic electricity bills to Northern Ireland.

The Government has announced a cut in VAT on electricity bills to give millions of households breathing space on the cost of living. These changes to VAT apply and are funded for this winter (from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027).

The Windsor Framework provides the legal basis and mechanism for changes to VAT on goods in Northern Ireland, and the Government has begun discussions with the European Union on applying this mechanism for these changes.

To ensure that households in Northern Ireland receive the same support as quickly as the rest of the UK, the Northern Ireland Executive will receive comparable funding to enable it to support households in Northern Ireland with the cost of living this winter.

Lord Pitt-Watson
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
15th Sep 2026
To ask His Majesty's Government whether there is a state guarantee for life insurers' buy-in or buy-out policies.

The Prudential Regulation Authority carefully supervises insurers and requires them to maintain sufficient financial resources and robust risk-management arrangements. If a UK-regulated insurer fails, eligible annuity policies, as contracts of long-term insurance, are protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme at 100% with no upper limit.

The Government is also developing proposals for an Insurer Resolution Regime, following consultation in 2023. This would provide additional powers to manage the failure of a systemic insurer in an orderly way, helping to protect policyholders and financial stability.

Lord Pitt-Watson
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
28th Aug 2026
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 15 July 2026 to Question 8154 on Lord Mandelson, whether substantive government business was discussed at the meeting and whether there were actions from the meeting which were reported back to the Chancellor’s Private Office.

In line with usual practice, any government business raised in meetings is fed back to the department.

Dan Tomlinson
Exchequer Secretary (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with HM Treasury)
14th Sep 2026
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address barriers faced by UK crypto asset firms in accessing banking services to support growth and competitiveness in the digital assets sector.

The Government is aware that cryptoasset firms are facing challenges associated with access to banking services, and is engaged with the sector on these matters.

Whilst the Government recognises that decisions around the provision of banking services are largely commercial in nature, we also expect businesses to be treated fairly. That is why the Government has taken action in this space, including legislating to enhance relevant protections in cases where a business has their bank account terminated by their provider.

The Government has also legislated to create a financial services regulatory regime for cryptoassets in the UK. Under this regime, firms will need to be licensed by the Financial Conduct Authority to provide relevant cryptoasset services, and the Government would not expect such licensed firms to be subject to restrictions by banking services providers simply because of the sector they belong to.

Lord Pitt-Watson
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
14th Sep 2026
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the fiscal devolution roadmap, to be published alongside the Autumn Budget, will include a weighting for rural sparsity and remoteness within the arrangements for the retention of business rates and income tax by strategic authorities; and whether those arrangements will provide for a minimum level of fiscal capacity below which no authority will fall.

The government is committed to supporting local leaders to drive growth and improve public services.

In the Cabinet Statement on ‘Rewiring the State’ the government committed to replace grants from central government with a share of local income tax for every mayor beginning in 2028, such that where a region grows its tax base, it benefits from the increased receipts. This will sit alongside greater retention of the revenue from business rates for local councils and strategic authorities.

At the Budget, the government will publish a roadmap setting out further detail on the design of fiscal devolution, and we will use the upcoming Spending Review to confirm the detailed arrangements for assigned income tax.

Lord Pitt-Watson
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
10th Sep 2026
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to strengthen the resilience of the UK financial system to cyberattacks enabled by increasingly capable artificial intelligence systems.

The Government recognises that increasingly capable artificial intelligence systems present both opportunities and risks for the financial sector. As noted in July’s Financial Stability Report, rapid progress in frontier AI capabilities presents a significant increase in the risks to financial stability from cyber and operational vulnerabilities.

HM Treasury works closely with the financial regulators, the National Cyber Security Centre and industry to strengthen the resilience of the UK financial system in the face of evolving cyber threats, including those enabled by AI. The authorities continue to work with firms through established resilience frameworks and industry bodies, including the Cross Market Operational Resilience Group (CMORG), which issued guidance for firms in June to help them assess their current capabilities and accelerate their response.

Frontier AI also has the potential to strengthen the financial sector’s cyber defences. To help firms share best practices on this front, the Bank of England has established a forum for systemically important UK financial institutions and Financial Market Infrastructure to share their experiences on the use of frontier AI for cyber defence.

Lord Pitt-Watson
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
9th Sep 2026
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that consumers using artificial intelligence for financial planning receive appropriate safeguards against inaccurate or unsuitable advice.

The Government wants consumers to be able to access high-quality support to make informed decisions about their finances and is committed to the safe adoption of AI in financial services, including financial guidance and advice. We support a principles-based, outcomes-focused approach to AI regulation enabling firms to innovate while maintaining high standards of consumer protection.

We recognise that general-purpose AI technology has already changed the nature of financial advice and guidance.

On 6 July, the Financial Conduct Authority published the Mills Review, which recommended a rapid FCA review on this issue.

On 14 July, the Government published the Financial Services AI Champions’ Adoption Plan, which included a high-priority recommendation that the FCA should consider the impacts of financial guidance and advice-like outputs through general purpose large language models (LLMs).

The Government are engaging with the FCA to determine next steps. This is an important piece of work that complements the Government’s broader ambition to make the UK a global leader in AI, leveraging our dual strengths in financial services and AI to drive growth, productivity and better, safe outcomes for consumers.

Lord Pitt-Watson
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
9th Sep 2026
To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made in discussions regarding UK involvement in the proposed Defence, Security and Resilience Bank.

The UK and Canada share a common objective of strengthening Allied defence industrial capacity through closer international cooperation. The Multilateral Defence Mechanism (MDM) and Canada's proposed Defence, Security and Resilience Bank (DSRB) are intended to address related challenges within the defence industrial ecosystem.

Following the joint-PM statement at the NATO Ankara summit in July, we committed to working closely with our Canadian allies on how the MDM and DSRB can work together, and we continue to do this.

Lord Pitt-Watson
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
23rd Jul 2026
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to using war bonds to fund defence and the impact on public debt.

War bonds are not being considered by the government. The Defence Investment Plan, which places defence on a stronger, more sustainable footing, is being funded by reprioritising public spending, with £10.3 billion already identified and a further £4.7 billion to be confirmed at Budget 2026 in a fair and balanced way.

The Government is clear that our core gilt programme is the most stable and cost-effective way of raising finance to fund the day-to-day activities of the government, owing to the depth and liquidity of the market. Finance raised via gilts or National Savings and Investments products is generally not tied to specific areas of government spending, in order to offer the best value-for-money for taxpayers. Issuing bonds aimed at specific areas of spending risks fragmenting the gilt market, which would not be consistent with the government’s debt management objective of minimising the cost of long-term financing.

The Government remains open to the introduction of new debt instruments; however, HM Treasury and the UK Debt Management Office apply certain criteria when considering the launch of a new type of debt instrument. These include consistency with the Government’s debt management objective (to minimise the long-term cost of financing, taking into account risk); the impact on the general functioning of the gilt market; the expected size, sustainability, and nature of investor demand for the instrument; and an assessment of the cost and resource commitment required for its introduction into the market.

The Government would also need to be satisfied that any new instrument would meet value-for-money criteria, enjoy strong and sustained demand in the long term, and be consistent with wider fiscal objectives. We keep the introduction of new debt financing instruments under regular review.

Lord Pitt-Watson
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
28th Aug 2026
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what fiscal steps he is taking to close the labour productivity gap in the East Midlands.

The Government's ambition is to support good growth across all parts of the United Kingdom. As set out in the Prime Minister's recent Machinery of Government Statement, No10 North will be responsible for driving good growth through devolution and working in close partnership with local leaders, businesses, and communities to strengthen place-based growth.

We are also committed to fundamentally rewiring the way our country works, transferring greater powers, funding and accountability to the local leaders who know what it takes to drive growth and productivity in their areas.

The government has invested £10m into Team Derby – a city wide partnership between business and regional government designed to turn major national investments into local jobs, skills and regeneration opportunities. The wider East Midlands is receiving £2bn via the Transport for City Regions fund which will enable design of a new mass transit system to connect Derby and Nottingham and drive growth and productivity by better integrating transport networks.

The Chancellor has announced that the Green Book discount rate will be reduced from 3.5% to 3.0%, in line with recommendations from independent academics. This will place greater value on the long-term benefits of investment and strengthen the case for transformational projects that drive growth – wherever they take place.

At Budget, the government will publish a fiscal devolution roadmap which will set out a path to replacing grants from central government with a share of local income tax for every mayor beginning in 2028, such that where a region grows its tax base, it benefits from the increased receipts. This will sit alongside greater retention of the revenue from business rates for local councils and strategic authorities. The long-term certainty of funding via taxation will provide more flexibility and enable greater investment to fund interventions that will deliver a return.

Dan Tomlinson
Exchequer Secretary (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with HM Treasury)
10th Sep 2026
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the recommendations in the final report of the Law Commission entitled Review of the Friendly Societies Acts 1974 and 1992, published on 10 September.

The Government will carefully consider the Law Commission's Review of the Friendly Societies Acts 1974 and 1992.

Lord Pitt-Watson
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
9th Sep 2026
To ask His Majesty's Government how much UK debt is linked to the retail prices index; and what assessment they have made of how this compares to the debt of other G7 countries.

As set out in the 2026-27 Debt Management Report, when determining the annual financing remit the Government issues an appropriate balance of conventional and index-linked gilts, with the latter linked to the Retail Prices Index. In determining this mix, the Government considers the level of structural demand, the diversity of the investor base and its preferences for inflation exposure.

The report shows that the stock of index-linked gilts stood at around £668 billion at the end of 2025 in nominal uplifted terms, equivalent to around 25.2% of the Government's debt portfolio. The proportion of index linked debt in the Government's wholesale debt portfolio is higher than other G7 countries, largely due to the historical high level of structural demand for such instruments, from pension funds in particular.

Lord Pitt-Watson
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
9th Sep 2026
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the rates that the UK pays on 10-year and 30-year bonds compared to other G7 countries; and what analysis they have done on the reason why the UK pays higher rates on bonds than other countries.

The Government does not comment on financial market movements. Last year borrowing fell 1 percentage point (over £20 billion) to its lowest level in six years. The IMF have forecast that, between 2025-2030, the UK will be reducing the deficit by more than any other G7 or G20 country.

Lord Pitt-Watson
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
9th Sep 2026
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to reduce the rates of interest on UK government debt.

The Government does not comment on financial market movements. Last year borrowing fell 1 percentage point (over £20 billion) to its lowest level in six years. The IMF have forecast that, between 2025-2030, the UK will be reducing the deficit by more than any other G7 or G20 country.

Lord Pitt-Watson
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
28th Aug 2026
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, further to the answer of 3 June 2026, to Question 3339, on Special Advisers: Public Appointments, how many delivery advisers have been appointed to date, broken down by (a) special advisers, (b) Direct Ministerial Appointments, (c) civil servants appointed by exception, and (d) permanent civil servants appointed through open competition.

Details of all our special advisers are published by the Cabinet Office via its Annual Report on Special Advisers (the latest report from July 2026 avaialble via https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a6b4cbf862aaf18d9c62a50/Annual_Report_on_Special_Advisers_2026__1_.pdf , details of all Direct Ministerial Appointments are available via the gov.uk DMA announcement portal via https://apply-for-public-appointment.service.gov.uk/direct-ministerial-appointments-announcements

Dan Tomlinson
Exchequer Secretary (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with HM Treasury)
8th Sep 2026
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to make touring-specific operating costs eligible for theatre tax relief.

The Government continues to provide generous support to the theatre sector through Theatre Tax Relief (TTR). TTR is designed to support expenditure incurred in the production of a theatrical performance. Since 1 April 2025, qualifying touring productions have been eligible for relief at a rate of 45 per cent, compared with 40 per cent for non-touring productions.

Changes to existing tax reliefs must be assessed against their effectiveness, targeting, complexity and value for money, and considered in the context of the wider public finances. Tax policy decisions are taken by the Chancellor at fiscal events.

Lord Pitt-Watson
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
8th Sep 2026
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to reduce the minimum theatre tax relief performance threshold for touring ballet and opera performances from 14 to 7 to reflect the challenges of touring large-scale work.

The Government continues to provide generous support to the theatre sector through Theatre Tax Relief (TTR). TTR is designed to support expenditure incurred in the production of a theatrical performance. Since 1 April 2025, qualifying touring productions have been eligible for relief at a rate of 45 per cent, compared with 40 per cent for non-touring productions.

Changes to existing tax reliefs must be assessed against their effectiveness, targeting, complexity and value for money, and considered in the context of the wider public finances. Tax policy decisions are taken by the Chancellor at fiscal events.

Lord Pitt-Watson
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
8th Sep 2026
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to Answer of 10 July 2026 to Question 14818, how much of HMRC's 2025 tax debt balance of £42.8 billion has been paid back.

HMRC publishes information on the total amount of tax debt owed. Information on what proportion of a tax debt balance at a particular date is subsequently paid could only be provided at disproportionate cost. In 25-26, HMRC collected around £83 billion in tax debt.

James Murray
Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General
7th Sep 2026
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the merits of replacing business rates with a land value tax.

The Government is committed to creating a fairer business rates system over the course of this Parliament that protects the high street, supports investment, and is fit for the 21st century.

The Call for Evidence on business rates and investment, published at Budget 2025, built on the findings of the Transforming Business Rates Discussion Paper and asked stakeholders for more detailed evidence on how the business rates system influences investment decisions. The Government are carefully considering representations received, and a Government response to the Call for Evidence will be published in due course.

Lord Pitt-Watson
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
7th Sep 2026
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the merits of replacing council tax with a proportional property tax.

The Government keeps all tax policy under review and any changes are set out at fiscal events.

Council Tax is a vital source of income for Local Authorities, which the OBR forecasts to raise c. £50.9 billion across England in 2025-26. It ensures households contribute to the cost of local services, including those who rent.

Lord Pitt-Watson
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
7th Sep 2026
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to review the tax information and impact note, Private School Fees – VAT Measure, published on 15 November 2024, given that pupil losses in the independent school sector have already exceeded the level forecast for the 2029/30 school year.

Introducing VAT on private schools will raise £1.7 billion per year by 2029/30. Since the VAT measure on private school fees has come into effect, the Office for Budget Responsibility has continued to re-cost the revenue raised each year. At Autumn Budget 2025 the re-costing of the measure showed it will raise around £40 million per year more than originally forecast, reaffirming the detailed analysis conducted when this policy was introduced.

The overall fall in private school pupil numbers since the policy came into effect is in line with expectations and reflects demographic change across the whole school system, not the VAT policy alone. We have seen pupil numbers fall across primary, secondary, and independent schools alike. This is primarily driven by falling birth rates, following a peak in 2012, as cohorts move through secondary school age and smaller year groups enter primary.

Lord Pitt-Watson
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
7th Sep 2026
To ask His Majesty's Government, in the light of the Financial Conduct Authority letter Sponsorship Arrangements Between Football Clubs and Unauthorised Firms published in June 2026, whether the Financial Conduct Authority intends to review sponsorship or arrangements between crypto-currency firms, and (1) political parties, and (2) politicians.

Protecting the integrity of our democratic and electoral processes is a priority for this Government.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) does not intend to undertake such a review. The FCA has taken steps to address the risks associated with football club sponsorship arrangements involving unauthorised cryptoasset firms. Oversight of sponsorship arrangements involving political parties or politicians falls under electoral law and is a matter for the Government and the independent Electoral Commission.

The Government is bringing forward a number of policy reforms on political finance as part of the Representation of the People Bill. These include reforms to rules around political donations, as well as new rules relating to political donations in the form of cryptoassets, donations from companies and LLPs, and a cap on donations from overseas electors.   

In March 2026, alongside the publication of the independent Rycroft Review into countering foreign financial interference and influence in UK politics, the Government announced a moratorium on political donations made via cryptoassets. This includes political donations which take the form of sponsorships.

Lord Pitt-Watson
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
7th Sep 2026
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of businesses that delisted from the London Stock Exchange in each of the last three years.

We have already delivered an ambitious set of ongoing reforms to boost the UK’s capital markets to ensure the UK is the best place for firms to start, scale, list and stay.

Our stock markets are showing signs of renewed momentum, with over £26.8 billion raised since the start of 2025 through IPOs and follow-on issuances.

The government has also established the Listings Taskforce to ensure the UK attracts the best and brightest businesses from the UK and around the world, to list on UK markets.

Lord Pitt-Watson
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
11th Sep 2026
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 8 September 2026, to question 27061 on Defence: Finance, what public spending has been reprioritised within the £10.3 billion.

The UK faces rising threats, and the government is responding by boosting defence spending. The £10.3 billion of funding for the Defence Investment Plan has primarily been secured by reallocating capital budgets from across government to the MOD.

This includes a 1% top-slice of departmental capital budgets, additional reductions to Department for Transport and Department for Energy Security and Net Zero spending, proceeds from asset sales, and the transfer of certain risks from the Ministry of Defence to HM Treasury.

A detailed breakdown of these measures is set out in the Defence Investment Plan Funding explainer.

Emma Reynolds
Chief Secretary to the Treasury
7th Sep 2026
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Pitt-Watson on 1 September (HL2691), what was the cost of obtaining the photographic licence to illustrate the HM Treasury accounts with the image of the Can’t we just print more money books; and whether HM Treasury endorses the book’s substantive recommendation on not printing more money as a tool of fiscal and monetary policy.

The image was selected from HM Government's approved image library because it was relevant to the subject matter discussed in the Annual Report and Accounts. In particular, it related to quantitative easing and the Bank of England Asset Purchase Facility Fund Limited (BEAPFF), which is associated with the most material elements of HM Treasury's accounts. The Government agrees that increasing the money supply cannot by itself increase the economy's productive capacity or sustainably raise living standards. The Government's monetary policy framework is based on the objective of maintaining low and stable inflation through an operationally independent Bank of England.

Lord Pitt-Watson
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
7th Sep 2026
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Livermore on 9 July 2026 (HL1393), what plans they have to trail policies in the 2026 Budget to the media ahead of any formal statements to Parliament.

There are occasions where the Government will trail and/or announce policy ahead of a Budget to provide context and help the public understand major fiscal events.

Consistent with the Macpherson Principles, the Civil Service Code, The Ministerial Code and the Special Advisers’ Code, any such communications are tightly controlled, respect Parliament, and protect market-sensitive information.

Lord Pitt-Watson
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
7th Sep 2026
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Economic Secretary to the Treasury on 15 April (HC123696), what types of EU cohesion spending will the UK's payments be allocated to; and whether any spending will be allocated to Northern Ireland/Ireland programmes.

As set out in the answer of 15 April, the UK is not currently contributing to EU Cohesion Funds as a consequence of the UK/EU reset. Whilst the EU is seeking to establish a mechanism for a UK financial contribution towards reducing economic and social disparities between the regions of the Union as part of participation in the Internal Electricity Market, any UK financial contribution would be subject to negotiations with the EU, and no contributions have yet been made or agreed upon.

Lord Pitt-Watson
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
14th Sep 2026
To ask His Majesty's Government whether guidance has been issued to valuation officers from the HMRC Valuation Office regarding their behaviour during an internal inspection of a dwelling to gather property attribute data for a council tax valuation, including regarding whether they should take their shoes off if asked to do so by the householder.

HMRC's Valuation Office does not publish guidance on property inspections for Council Tax purposes. However, staff undertaking property inspections are provided with guidance on professional conduct, which states that inspections should be carried out in a tactful, courteous and respectful manner and that occupiers should be treated with consideration and respect.

Lord Pitt-Watson
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
11th Sep 2026
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will review the structure of Stamp Duty Land Tax to support mobility throughout the housing market.

The Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at fiscal events, and does not routinely comment on proposals.

James Murray
Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General
11th Sep 2026
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of reducing Stamp Duty Land Tax on residential property transactions on the economy.

The Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at fiscal events, and does not routinely comment on proposals.

James Murray
Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General
11th Sep 2026
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has considered options for replacing Stamp Duty Land Tax with an alternative that creates fewer disincentives to move home.

The Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at fiscal events, and does not routinely comment on proposals.

James Murray
Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General
11th Sep 2026
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to review VAT on school uniforms.

The Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at fiscal events, and does not routinely comment on proposals.

James Murray
Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General
11th Sep 2026
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to ensure an orderly implementation of Making Tax Digital for people due to join between April 2027 and April 2028.

Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax is being introduced gradually, with taxpayers joining in phases according to their level of qualifying income.

The phased approach enables HMRC to build on experience from each stage of implementation before additional groups are brought into the regime.

HMRC is actively supporting this transition through a marketing campaign targeted at unrepresented customers, supported by intensive multi-channel engagement and communications with taxpayers, agents, representative bodies and software developers and targeted guidance to help those affected prepare.

James Murray
Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General
11th Sep 2026
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the press release entitled Stronger protections and greater confidence for renters, published on 9 September 2026, what the estimated cost is of establishing and operating the new rent determination service within the Valuation Office.

The overall cost of the service will depend on the final design and demand volumes.
James Murray
Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General
11th Sep 2026
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the press release entitled Stronger protections and greater confidence for renters, published on 9 September 2026, what estimate he has made of the expected average time taken by the Valuation Office to determine a challenge to a rent increase.

We are working across Government to agree the detailed design of this service, which will provide faster and simpler resolutions of rent disputes. 

James Murray
Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General
11th Sep 2026
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the press release entitled Stronger protections and greater confidence for renters, published on 9 September 2026, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the new rent determination service on landlords' ability to increase rents to reflect changes in costs.

The role of the new rent determination function will be to determine the current market rent. It provides a quicker and more proportionate route for resolving disputes and does not change a landlord's ability to propose rents that reflect market conditions.
James Murray
Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General
11th Sep 2026
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 10 September 2026 to question UIN 27117, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of further international co-ordination on Public Country by Country Reporting.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given on 10 September 2026 to Question UIN 27117.

James Murray
Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General
10th Sep 2026
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 7 September 2026 to Question 20813, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the UK/EU reset and new financial obligations to the EU on changes to the profile of payments to and from the EU.

As announced on 17 December 2025, the UK has agreed to join the Erasmus+ programme in 2027 at a 30% discount compared to the default terms of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA). This will require a payment of c. £570m. The UK’s existing financial obligations to the EU under the Withdrawal Agreement and the TCA are unchanged. The Government will continue to assess the financial implications of any further commitments as the relevant arrangements are negotiated and implemented.

Lucy Rigby
Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
10th Sep 2026
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the OSCAR II database holds information on departmental spending on communications, marketing and advertising.

Financial information explicitly recording Communications and Advertising expenditure is not held centrally within OSCAR. OSCAR records Marketing expenditure against the Chart of Accounts code "EXP - PURCHASE OF GOODS/SERVICES - MARKETING & MEDIA".

There are no separate expenditure codes specifically attributed to Communications or Advertising activity; however, departments may include these items of spend within this aggregate account on OSCAR.

Individual departments may hold more detailed information on expenditure recorded against this code, or the specific items of expenditure being enquired about, within their own finance systems.

The most recent OSCAR data are published as part of the OSCAR annual release: November 2025 - GOV.UK, which can be accessed online.

Dan Tomlinson
Exchequer Secretary (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with HM Treasury)
28th Aug 2026
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 17 July 2026, to Question 16029, on Darlington Economic Campus: Remote Working, how many HMT departmental staff are assigned to work at the Darlington Economic Campus, how many desks are assigned to that office for those staff, and whether the expected office attendance rate is 60% or a lower figure.

362 active staff, as of March 2026, are assigned to work at the Darlington Economic Campus. The campus operates a shared workspace model and HM Treasury's apportioned allocation is 105 desks and 133 workspaces.

HM Treasury's office attendance policy applies across all office locations. Employees are expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in their contractual workplace, unless alternative arrangements have been agreed through workplace adjustments

Dan Tomlinson
Exchequer Secretary (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with HM Treasury)
28th Aug 2026
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 17 July 2026, to Question 16029, on Darlington Economic Campus: Remote Working, how many HMT staff are assigned to Darlington Feethams House; and what is the expectation of the percentage rate of office attendance for staff at that office.

362 active staff, as of March 2026, are assigned to work at the Darlington Economic Campus.

HM Treasury's office attendance policy applies across all office locations. Employees are expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in their contractual workplace, unless alternative arrangements have been agreed through workplace adjustments.

Dan Tomlinson
Exchequer Secretary (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with HM Treasury)