Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions she has had with the banking sector on the rollout of banking hubs beyond the lifetime of this Parliament.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
Treasury Ministers regularly engage with the banking sector on access to banking services, including the rollout of banking hubs.
The Government understands the importance of access to in-person banking services for communities and high streets and is committed to supporting the financial services industry’s roll-out of 350 banking hubs by the end of this Parliament. Importantly, this number is a floor, not a ceiling, and Cash Access UK will deliver a banking hub wherever LINK has recommended one.
The Government keeps the effectiveness of current arrangements under review through regular engagement with industry and other stakeholders to ensure they meet the needs of people and communities.
Asked by: Apsana Begum (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she made of the the potential impact of the economy of poor access to nutrient-dense food in low-income neighbourhoods.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The Government is committed to transforming the food system - making nutritious, locally grown British food more accessible and affordable for all, and supporting people to live healthier lives.Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2026 to Question 120381 on Lord Mandelson, whether the Chief Secretary to the Treasury discussed the exit payment with (a) the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and (b) 10 Downing Street.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
I did not have any discussions with the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office or 10 Downing Street on this issue.Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when HMRC last reviewed the overseas subsistence scale rates; what assessment she has made of the potential impact of those rates on employees working abroad, in the context of increases in the cost of food; and whether she plans to bring forward an updated schedule.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Where employers reimburse allowable travel expenses, tax relief is available provided the expenses are wholly, exclusively and necessarily incurred for work purposes.
Ordinarily, employers must hold evidence of the employee’s actual expenditure. However, to reduce administrative burdens on employers, HMRC allows expenses for travel outside the UK to be reimbursed without evidence up to the levels contained within the Overseas Scale Rates.
Where the Overseas Scale rates do not cover the expense incurred by employees, employers can still reimburse and provide tax relief provided they have appropriate evidence.
The Government keeps all taxes under review as part of the policy‑making process. Any decisions on future changes in this area will be taken in the context of the wider public finances.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the Valuation Office Agency’s performance in responding to Checks and Challenges to rateable values of non‑domestic properties; and what steps her Department is taking to help speed up that process.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
I refer the hon member to the answer to UIN 126458, tabled on 10 April 2026.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will provide a list of training programmes used by civil servants in her department since 2020.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The diverse nature of roles in HM Treasury means training is often provided at team-level rather than being centrally managed. As such, a list of all training courses is not readily available centrally and the information requested cannot be obtained without disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment has been made of the potential impact of Stamp Duty Land Tax, particularly the Higher Rates for Additional Dwellings, on the ability of residential property traders to provide liquidity to the housing market, especially among transactions relating to housing stock where no Stamp Duty Land Tax relief is available for those traders.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
At Autumn Budget 2024, the Government increased the higher rates of SDLT by two percentage points and set out the impacts of this change. This information can be found here on page 130: Autumn Budget 2024 - GOV.UK
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has had discussions with the Mayor of London on the causes of gender disparities in the unemployment rate in London.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Treasury Ministers have meetings with representatives of a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. Details of ministerial meetings with external organisations on departmental business are published on a quarterly basis and are available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hm-treasury-ministerial-overseas-travel-and-meetings
This Government takes gender equality seriously. We are working to increase women’s participation in the labour market and close the gender pay gap, including funding 30 hours of childcare for working parents of under-fives, so more women can work the hours they choose and build their careers if they want to.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the salary of the DHSC Permanent Secretary was approved by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The salary for the DHSC Permanent Secretary was approved as per the rules outlined in the senior pay guidance.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she plans to extend business rates relief to independent gyms and fitness centres.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Pubs rents in business rates valuations are analysed differently to some other sectors. While most hospitality and leisure properties are valued by comparing the size of the property, pubs are valued by comparing their turnover potential. Industry bodies have highlighted concerns with how costs are accounted for in this methodology, particularly during periods of high inflation. The Government agrees this needs to be looked at and is therefore launching a review which will explore how pubs are valued for business rates. In the meantime, pubs are being provided with additional support.
Independent gyms and fitness centres will continue to benefit from the wider £4.3 billion support package announced at Budget, which protects against ratepayers seeing large overnight increases in bills.
The Government has also introduced new permanently lower multipliers for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure properties. These new multipliers are worth nearly £1 billion per year and benefit over 750,000 properties, including gyms and fitness centres.
As a result, over half of ratepayers see no bill increases this year, including 23 per cent whose bills go down. Most properties seeing increases have them capped at 15 per cent or less this year, or £800 for the smallest properties.