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Written Question
Treasury: Ministers' Private Offices
Friday 27th March 2026

Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the average staffing complement is for a ministerial private office within their Department; what grades those staff are appointed at; what the typical remuneration and contracted working hours are for those posts; and what the staff turnover rate is.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

HMT ministerial private offices hire an average 6.5 FTE per office. Staff are appointed at grades: AO, EO, HEO, SEO, G7, G6 and Deputy Director. Contracted working hours for these staff members are 37 hours per week.

Staff salaries for the appointed grades are typically between £26,200 - £117,800. Designated posts may also benefit from Private Office Allowance.

The average staff turnover over the last 3 years was between 20-30%, which can include staff on loans to HMT returning to their home departments, or individuals leaving to other government departments, including on promotion.


Written Question
Valuation Office Agency: Conferences
Friday 27th March 2026

Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, at what domestic conferences the Valuation Office Agency has made presentations since July 2024.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Staff members are supported to speak at, learn from and contribute to various conferences and meetings of valuation professionals here in the UK. We do not keep a central log of all these domestic activities.


Written Question
Fuel Oil: Northern Ireland
Friday 27th March 2026

Asked by: Claire Hanna (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Belfast South and Mid Down)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Northern Ireland Executive has the ability to create an energy support scheme for users of home heating oil with funding from the UK government, announced in the Autumn budget.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

Spending classed as Annually Managed Expenditure will be provided to Northern Ireland to develop a comparable scheme to that developed in GB.

It is for the Northern Ireland Executive to decide how they would like to deliver a comparable offer. The UK Government is ready to review the business case once it has been submitted by the Northern Ireland Executive.


Written Question
Energy Intensive Industries: Finance
Friday 27th March 2026

Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade on additional funding for extending the UK Supercharger Scheme.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The Chancellor has regular discussions with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade on a range of topics.


Written Question
Energy: Prices
Friday 27th March 2026

Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the impact of industrial energy prices on economic growth.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

We know high energy costs are one of the greatest challenges facing industry and is a key barrier to growth in the UK.

In the Modern Industrial Strategy, we announced the new British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme, which will reduce electricity costs by c.£35-40/MWh up to 2030 and support thousands of businesses.

This forms part of a wider package of support to industry.


Written Question
Public Expenditure
Friday 27th March 2026

Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Office for Budget Responsibility’s Economic and Fiscal Outlook published in March 2026, what the projected levels of total public expenditure are expected to be in (a) 2026-2027, (b) 2027-2028, (c) 2028-2029, (d) 2029-2030 and (d) 2030-2031 financial years; which areas of public spending are expected to see the largest increases over the forecast period; and what steps her Department intends to take to manage spending pressures within departmental budgets.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The OBR’s Economic and Fiscal Outlook – published on the OBR’s website - sets out in detail the projected levels of total public expenditure over the next five years.

The government's public spending approach is fair, disciplined and controlled, helping to reduce borrowing and keep public finances on a sustainable path.


Written Question
Fuel Oil: Prices
Friday 27th March 2026

Asked by: James Wild (Conservative - North West Norfolk)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of support available to households using heating oil, in the context of rising global oil prices linked to the conflict in Iran.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The government has acted quickly to provide £53m in timely, targeted support to vulnerable households, struggling with the rising price of heating oil, predominantly in rural communities.


Written Question
Public Expenditure: Scotland
Friday 27th March 2026

Asked by: Euan Stainbank (Labour - Falkirk)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what Barnett consequentials will be generated for Scotland by (a) the awarding of grants to local authorities in England to address SEND deficits, as set out in UIN HCWS1315 and (a) the funding for SEND announced in the Spring Statement 2026.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

At Spring Forecast 2026 it was confirmed that the Scottish Government will receive £533 million Barnett consequentials in 2026-27, through the application of the Barnett formula to the grants for Local Authorities to address SEND deficits in England.

The Barnett formula applies mechanically to new funding for the Department for Education in 2028-29, to support reforms of the SEND system. This results in an additional £362 million for the Scottish Government in 2028-29.


Written Question
Public Expenditure: Scotland
Friday 27th March 2026

Asked by: Euan Stainbank (Labour - Falkirk)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what Barnett consequentials will be generated for the Scottish government by (a) grants awarded to local authorities in England to address SEND deficits announced in the written statement entitled Local Government Finance Settlement 2026-27 to 2028-29, published on 9 February 2026, HCWS1315, and (b) additional funding for SEND announced in the Spring Statement.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

At Spring Forecast 2026 it was confirmed that the Scottish Government will receive £533 million Barnett consequentials in 2026-27, through the application of the Barnett formula to the grants for Local Authorities to address SEND deficits in England.

The Barnett formula applies mechanically to new funding for the Department for Education in 2028-29, to support reforms of the SEND system. This results in an additional £362 million for the Scottish Government in 2028-29.


Written Question
Defence: Finland and Netherlands
Friday 27th March 2026

Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the fiscal implications of joint defence financing arrangements with Finland and the Netherlands.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

Last week the Chancellor announced that the UK is exploring a new defence mechanism for financing driving joint demand by 2027 with the Netherlands and Finland and other EU and NATO partners.

This is still in development with partners and will follow best international practice and relevant HM Government Guidance, including Managing Public Money.