Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what consideration her Department gives to the statutory conservation and education requirements that zoological institutions must meet when deciding business rates policy.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
At the Budget, the VOA announced updated property values from the 2026 revaluation. This revaluation is the first since the pandemic, which has led to significant increases in rateable values for some properties as they recover from the pandemic.
To respond to those who are seeing large increases, Government has already acted to limit increases in bills, announcing a support package worth £4.3 billion package at the Budget.
The Government is also introducing new permanently lower tax rates for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties. This includes zoos and aquariums with rateable values below £500,000 that are open to members of the public. These new tax rates are worth nearly £900 million per year, and will benefit over 750,000 properties.
Further details on what is meant by “visiting members of the public” can be found online here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/business-rates-multipliers-qualifying-retail-hospitality-or-leisure.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the business rates revaluation on (a) zoos and (b) aquariums in 2026.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
At the Budget, the VOA announced updated property values from the 2026 revaluation. This revaluation is the first since the pandemic, which has led to significant increases in rateable values for some properties as they recover from the pandemic.
To respond to those who are seeing large increases, Government has already acted to limit increases in bills, announcing a support package worth £4.3 billion package at the Budget.
The Government is also introducing new permanently lower tax rates for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties. This includes zoos and aquariums with rateable values below £500,000 that are open to members of the public. These new tax rates are worth nearly £900 million per year, and will benefit over 750,000 properties.
Further details on what is meant by “visiting members of the public” can be found online here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/business-rates-multipliers-qualifying-retail-hospitality-or-leisure.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, further to the Treasury Select Committee, Work of HM Revenue and Customs - Oral evidence, HC 416, 13 January 2026, Question 480, what number and proportion of hotels have seen their Rateable Value increase above the English average change of 19%.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Statistics on changes in the rateable value of non-domestic properties as a result of the 2026 Revaluation and publication of the draft 2026 Rating List are published here: Change in rateable value of rating lists, 2026 Revaluation.
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the (a) higher value surcharge in 2025-26 on hereditaments valued at £500,000 and (b) withdrawal of the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure multiplier at £500,000 on the economy.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The OBR’s Economic and Fiscal Outlook sets out the forecast for the economy over a five-year horizon. For more information, please visit https://obr.uk/docs/dlm_uploads/OBR_Economic_and_fiscal_outlook_November_2025.pdf
Asked by: Baroness Shawcross-Wolfson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Livermore on 5 January (HL13130), whether the expert reviews into public service inefficiencies, announced on 19 January, represent the review of value for money across government spending announced in the Budget.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
At the Budget last year, the Chancellor announced that the Chief Secretary to the Treasury will lead a review of value for money across government spending. The recommendations from this review will then be considered at the next Spending Review.
A further announcement was made on the 19th January, outlining the four key areas of focus and how a review into each will work. This includes drawing on expertise from across the public and private sector.
Asked by: Baroness Smith of Llanfaes (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what recent discussions they have had with the devolved administrations about changes to the allocation of funding across the UK on reserved matters.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The UK and devolved governments have regular discussions about changes to the allocation of funding across the UK, including on reserved matters.
The UK Government remains committed to ensuring that funding across the UK is allocated in line with the Statement of Funding Policy.
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Non-Domestic Rating (Definition of Qualifying Retail, Hospitality or Leisure Hereditament) Regulations 2025, for what reason casinos and gambling clubs are eligible for the new business rate relief but betting shops are not.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
In October 2024, the Government laid a statutory instrument defining the retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties that will be eligible for new, lower business rates multipliers from April 2026.
Since they were announced at Budget 2024, the Government has been clear that scope of the RHL multipliers would broadly reflect the scope of the current RHL relief. The previous Government made the decision to exclude betting shops from the relief. This Government considered the issue in the round, and decided to continue the treatment the previous Government chose to ensure the tax cut is appropriately targeted.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate she has made of the number of pensioners who will be required to pay tax for the first time after 2027.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The majority of pensioners paid tax under the previous Government, with 8.3 million taxpayers over state pension age in 2024/2025.
The Chancellor has said that those whose only income is the basic or new State Pension without any increments will not have to pay income tax over this Parliament
At the Budget, the Government announced that it will achieve this by easing the administrative burden for pensioners so that they do not have to pay small amounts of tax via Simple Assessment from 2027/28. The Government will set out more details in due course.
Asked by: Lord Rogan (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government how much additional funding will be allocated to the Northern Ireland Executive through Barnett consequentials following the announcement of the pubs and live music venues relief scheme on 27 January; and whether they plan to extend that relief scheme to the wider hospitality sector.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Any Barnett consequentials for the Northern Ireland Executive resulting from changes to business rates revenues in England will be confirmed when business rates forecasts change at the relevant fiscal event.
Asked by: Jerome Mayhew (Conservative - Broadland and Fakenham)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of ringfencing UK ETS revenues generated from maritime emissions for investment in shore power, grid upgrades, vessel retrofits and alternative fuels.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The government is committed to maintaining an ambitious carbon pricing scheme to ensure that polluters continue to pay for their emissions. The UK Emissions Trading Scheme is our key lever to do so. This supports a cost-efficient transition toward net zero.
In July 2025, the UK Emissions Trading Scheme Authority confirmed an expansion to emissions from domestic maritime regime, commencing on 1 July 2026.
The UK does not hypothecate revenue from the UK ETS. All receipts from the UK ETS accrue to the consolidated fund, and go to funding government priorities, which includes decarbonisation support for the maritime sector.