Asked by: Lord Robathan (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to repeal the Pensions Increase (Pension Scheme for Keir Starmer QC) Regulations 2013.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The 2013 regulations were introduced by the Conservative-led Coalition government to ensure the Director of Public Prosecutions’ pension scheme is uprated in line with other public service pension schemes.
Asked by: Nadia Whittome (Labour - Nottingham East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of establishing a taskforce on improving access to travel insurance for people with cancer.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The government does not intend to establish a taskforce on travel insurance for people with cancer at this time. However, the government recognises the important role of insurance products, including travel insurance, in building the financial resilience of consumers and protecting them when things go wrong. The government’s Financial Inclusion Strategy seeks to close gaps in protection and ensure that the insurance sector is well-placed to support the financial wellbeing of households and vulnerable customers.
In addition, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the independent body responsible for regulating and supervising the financial services industry, requires firms to treat customers fairly. Since 2021, the FCA also requires firms providing travel insurance to signpost consumers to a directory of specialist providers if they are declined cover, offered cover with an exclusion, or charged a significantly higher premium based on a pre-existing medical condition. The FCA has robust powers to act against firms that fail to comply with its rules.
Different insurers may take a different view of the relevant factors in determining the price of insurance based on their differing claims experience. The government would always encourage consumers to shop around for the most suitable cover at the best price. The British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA) can offer guidance on how to look across the insurance market for suitable products and may be able to provide names of specialist brokers. BIBA can be contacted at: www.biba.org.uk/find-insurance/.
Asked by: Baroness Lister of Burtersett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to involve organisations working to tackle youth homelessness in their review of value for money of homelessness services; and what is the timeline of that review.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Building on the recommendations of the Office for Value for Money, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury will lead a process with Secretaries of State to review how to improve value for money across homelessness services. The review will commence in 2026, with the outputs considered as part of the Spending Review 2027.
To drive meaningful change, the review will be a collaborative effort across government departments and we will consider where and how external expertise can be utilised as part of this to ensure a comprehensive assessment.
Asked by: Lord Truscott (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the tax rises for landlords in the Budget 2025 on (1) the supply of property in the private rented sector, and (2) rent levels.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The independent Office for Budget Responsibility does not expect that the reform to property income tax will have a significant impact on rental prices.
Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 4 December 2025 to Question 95762 on Income Tax: Wales, what estimate her Department has made of the number of taxpayers residing in Wales that will (a) begin paying income tax, (b) enter the higher rate band and (c) enter the additional rate band due to the threshold freeze in each year until 2030-31.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The number of people forecast to pay tax by marginal rate can be found in Table 3.19 in the OBR’s November 2025 Economic and fiscal outlook – detailed forecast tables: receipts, linked below:
The previous Government made the decision to maintain income tax thresholds at their current levels from April 2021 until April 2028.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will publish the Freedom of Information Act disclosure with reference Internal Review response to FOI252626.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
HM Treasury does not recognise the Freedom of Information case reference FOI252626.
Asked by: Bambos Charalambous (Labour - Southgate and Wood Green)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to ensure that (a) people with mental health difficulties, (b) caring responsibilities, (c) financial hardship and (d) other vulnerable consumers are not disproportionately affected during the motor finance redress process.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
It is vital that consumers have access to motor finance to enable them to spread the cost of a vehicle in a way that is manageable and affordable. We want to see this issue resolved in an efficient and orderly way that provides certainty for consumers and firms.
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), as independent regulator, has set out its proposals for a motor finance redress scheme. In its consultation, the FCA has set out how it expects consumers to be appropriately redressed. The FCA also sets out proposals on how firms should support vulnerable consumers, and address any gaps in their records, and what controls should be in place to ensure they operate the scheme in a fair and transparent way.
Throughout the consultation period which closed on December 12, the government has encouraged all stakeholders to fully engage with the process so that their views can be considered by the FCA. The FCA has indicated it will finalise the rules of the scheme in February or March 2026.
Asked by: Bambos Charalambous (Labour - Southgate and Wood Green)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of (a) incomplete and (b) missing lender records dating back to 2007 on the ability of consumers to be (i) identified and (ii) compensated under the car finance redress scheme.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
It is vital that consumers have access to motor finance to enable them to spread the cost of a vehicle in a way that is manageable and affordable. We want to see this issue resolved in an efficient and orderly way that provides certainty for consumers and firms.
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), as independent regulator, has set out its proposals for a motor finance redress scheme. In its consultation, the FCA has set out how it expects consumers to be appropriately redressed. The FCA also sets out proposals on how firms should support vulnerable consumers, and address any gaps in their records, and what controls should be in place to ensure they operate the scheme in a fair and transparent way.
Throughout the consultation period which closed on December 12, the government has encouraged all stakeholders to fully engage with the process so that their views can be considered by the FCA. The FCA has indicated it will finalise the rules of the scheme in February or March 2026.
Asked by: Bambos Charalambous (Labour - Southgate and Wood Green)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what sanctions are currently available to the Financial Conduct Authority if lenders fail to meet their obligations under the motor finance redress scheme; and whether the Treasury plans to review the adequacy of those sanctions.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
It is vital that consumers have access to motor finance to enable them to spread the cost of a vehicle in a way that is manageable and affordable. We want to see this issue resolved in an efficient and orderly way that provides certainty for consumers and firms.
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), as independent regulator, has set out its proposals for a motor finance redress scheme. In its consultation, the FCA has set out how it expects consumers to be appropriately redressed. The FCA also sets out proposals on how firms should support vulnerable consumers, and address any gaps in their records, and what controls should be in place to ensure they operate the scheme in a fair and transparent way.
Throughout the consultation period which closed on December 12, the government has encouraged all stakeholders to fully engage with the process so that their views can be considered by the FCA. The FCA has indicated it will finalise the rules of the scheme in February or March 2026.
Asked by: Bambos Charalambous (Labour - Southgate and Wood Green)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential challenges of a motor finance redress scheme which does not fully reflect consumers’ actual financial losses.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
It is vital that consumers have access to motor finance to enable them to spread the cost of a vehicle in a way that is manageable and affordable. We want to see this issue resolved in an efficient and orderly way that provides certainty for consumers and firms.
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), as independent regulator, has set out its proposals for a motor finance redress scheme. In its consultation, the FCA has set out how it expects consumers to be appropriately redressed. The FCA also sets out proposals on how firms should support vulnerable consumers, and address any gaps in their records, and what controls should be in place to ensure they operate the scheme in a fair and transparent way.
Throughout the consultation period which closed on December 12, the government has encouraged all stakeholders to fully engage with the process so that their views can be considered by the FCA. The FCA has indicated it will finalise the rules of the scheme in February or March 2026.