Asked by: Roz Savage (Liberal Democrat - South Cotswolds)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what guidance HMRC issues to third-party debt collection agencies acting on its behalf to recover debts subject to (a) an active dispute or (b) an unresolved fraud investigation.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
HMRC does not place tax debts that are either in an active dispute or part of an unresolved investigation with debt collection agencies (DCAs). If a taxpayer communicates to a DCA that their debt is part of an active dispute, which could include being part of an open investigation, the guidance states that the case should be returned to HMRC
Asked by: Roz Savage (Liberal Democrat - South Cotswolds)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what policy HMRC follows on suspending automated penalty notices and enforcement action in cases where a taxpayer's account has been compromised by a third party.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Since May 2025, HMRC has seen a significant increase in VAT fraud attempts relating to criminals compromising legitimate customer accounts. HMRC security teams actively investigate these incidents and work with experts across the department to continually strengthen the security of online services.
HMRC’s approach is to identify and prevent fraud upstream by strengthening perimeter controls to prevent fraudulent access to systems, applying effective risk‑based controls at the point of registration and repayment, and targeting the organised criminal groups behind these attacks. HMRC’s Cybercrime team works proactively to understand these threats and identify those responsible.
Where HMRC identifies that a taxpayer’s VAT account has been compromised by a third party, the department takes action to lock the digital account to prevent further unauthorised access and to mitigate any adverse impact on the customer.
HMRC contacts the customer to explain what has occurred, the action taken to correct their account, and any steps the customer needs to take. Until recently, customers were asked to appeal any penalties or interest incurred. However, the process has been adjusted so that any incorrect penalties are now inhibited and removed.
Once the customer regains access to their account, HMRC provides appropriate support and allows additional time for the customer to submit updates and returns without accruing penalties.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how her Department monitors the impact of inflation on rural low-income families.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government recognises that rising household costs, driven by elevated inflation, continue to place pressure on many families, including those in rural areas.
CPI inflation is measured by the Office for National Statistics. While it is not broken down by geographic region or by income level, the ONS does produce a wider range of measures that consider the cost pressures faced by different groups. This in part recognises that low-income households can be more exposed to price rises in essential goods and services, and may be disproportionately affected when these rise faster than average inflation.
Tackling the cost of living is a top priority for the Government. At the Budget, the Government also took action to bear down on prices and support households, including by reducing household energy bills from April 2026, expanding the Warm Home Discount, freezing regulated rail fares and NHS prescription fees, and extending the 5p fuel duty cut. Alongside this, the Government is going even further to support those who need it most by removing the two-child limit, increasing the national living wage, and committing to the pensions Triple Lock for the duration of this Parliament.
Since the beginning of the Iran conflict, the government has acted quickly to provide £53m in timely, targeted support to low-income households struggling with the rising price of heating oil and at risk of losing access to heating and hot water.
Asked by: Iqbal Mohamed (Independent - Dewsbury and Batley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much funding her Department has provided for management apprenticeships for its own staff in each of the last three financial years.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
HM Treasury has spent the following on management apprenticeships:
2023-24 – £195,103
2024-25 - £749,375
2025-26 - £615,591
HMRC has spent the following on management apprenticeships:
2023-24 – £113,343
2024-25 - £95,811
2025-26 - £118,859
HM Treasury is reviewing its approach to apprenticeships and is looking to offer staff more opportunities in areas such as AI and digital.
Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when the Kickstarting Economic Growth Mission Board has met since November 2025.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Growth Mission Board was replaced by the Growth and Living Standards Committee in November 2025. It is co-chaired by the Chancellor and the Prime Minister.
It is a long-established precedent that information about the discussions that have taken place in Cabinet and its committees - including mission boards - including their attendance, and how often they have met, is not normally shared publicly.
Asked by: Roz Savage (Liberal Democrat - South Cotswolds)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps HMRC is taking to improve information-sharing between its fraud investigation and customer service functions in cases involving compromised taxpayer accounts.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
HMRC is establishing the Fraud Prevention Centre (FPC), a multifunctional capability led by HMRC’s Security directorate, to improve coordination between customer service, fraud investigation and security teams when taxpayer accounts are compromised. Through the FPC, HMRC is improving customer reporting routes, strengthening incident management processes across teams, and deploying targeted technical enhancements to support more joined-up handling of cases and enhanced support for affected customers.
Asked by: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East Antrim)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, did the Northern Ireland Executive receive a Barnett consequential payment as a result of the £42.3 million top-up to the English apprenticeship budget for the year 2025/2026.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The Barnett formula was applied in the normal way to changes in the English apprenticeships budget at Main Estimates 2025/26 and at Budget 2025, and the resulting consequentials were added to the Northern Ireland Executive’s existing block grant.
Asked by: Jack Rankin (Conservative - Windsor)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of taxes on the hospitality sector in (a) 2024, (b) 2025 and (c) the first quarter of 2026; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of further tax on hospitality businesses’ (i) confidence, (ii) profitability and (iii) ability to expand.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government recognises the important contribution that businesses in the hospitality sector make to local communities, the high street and the wider economy across the UK. The potential impacts of changes on this sector are carefully considered as part of policy development.
Where changes are made, relevant impact notes and assessments are published at fiscal events and otherwise as necessary, in line with the Government’s usual practice. The Treasury and other government departments also engage regularly with the hospitality sector to understand the challenges they face.
The Government continues to provide targeted support to the hospitality sector through the tax system and other policies and keeps all areas of the tax system under review.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department runs financial literacy programs for small charities.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
HM Treasury does not directly deliver financial literacy programmes. The Government supports financial capability through a range of activity, including the work of the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS), an arm’s length body which provides, free impartial money guidance for every stage of people’s financial lives.
MaPS runs the Money Guiders programme, which equips frontline staff – including those working in charities and community organisations – with the skills and confidence to have effect conversations about money with the people they support. As part of the Financial Inclusion Strategy, published on 5 November 2025, the Government announced that MaPS will expand and enhance Money Guiders to help deliver quality financial guidance across the UK. To date, Money Guiders has engaged over 18,000 practitioners and partnered with nearly 300 organisations. More detail on the Government’s broader approach to financial education and capability is set out in the Strategy.
Wider policy on civil society and youth, including charities and the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VSCE) sector sits with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DMCS).
Asked by: Mark Sewards (Labour - Leeds South West and Morley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of UK financial regulations in preventing hostile states, including Iran, from exploiting cryptocurrency platforms accessible in the United Kingdom to raise funds.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The UK has a robust anti-money laundering, counter-terrorist financing and sanctions regime to counter hostile state activity.
Cryptoassets are in scope of the UK’s Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Regulations, which require regulated firms to apply enhanced due diligence to business relationships and transactions involving high risk third countries, including Iran. This includes verifying customers’ identities and undertaking checks on source of funds and wealth.
The UK has imposed financial sanctions on Iran in response to their de-stabilising and hostile behaviour. These sanctions apply to cryptoassets as well as traditional finance. HM Treasury’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) delivered a cryptoasset Threat Assessment in July 2025 to support industry their implementation and compliance efforts.