Asked by: Baroness Neville-Rolfe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effects of the Bank Corporation Tax Surcharge on the availability and cost of lending to small and medium-sized enterprises, and the implications for those businesses’ investment and recruitment.
Answered by Lord Pitt-Watson - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
At Budget 2026, the government announced a temporary increase to the Bank Corporation Tax Surcharge rate, setting it at 6% from 1 January 2027 for a period of fifteen months, returning to 3% from 1 April 2028.
This increase has been designed as a temporary additional contribution that raises revenue to support families while maintaining the sector’s ability to support small and medium-sized enterprises through lending and investment.
Asked by: Baroness Neville-Rolfe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question
To ask His Majesty's Government, in light of the number of government websites compromised on 22 October, whether they have reviewed their security advice to the public on matters including the storage of credit card details and, in particular, card verification codes on supplier systems.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
As I updated the House on 22 October, the issue concerned precautionary action taken in response to a critical vulnerability affecting PHP, a widely used web technology. Some public-facing services were temporarily taken offline while mitigations and updates were applied. There have been no reported compromises of government websites resulting from this vulnerability. The Government keeps its cyber security guidance under continual review, and organisations handling payment card data are also expected to comply with established industry requirements for protecting that information.
Asked by: Baroness Neville-Rolfe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord Wilson of Sedgefield on 15 September (HL Deb col 1070) that “we are in a position where we have to raise taxes to help solve the problems that we were left with two years ago”, whether they intend to raise taxes in the forthcoming Budget.
Answered by Lord Pitt-Watson - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Fiscal stability and credibility underpin this Government's plans and the Chancellor is committed to meeting his fiscal rules. The Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at fiscal events.
Asked by: Baroness Neville-Rolfe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the cost of severance payments to special advisers resulting from the cabinet reshuffle in July.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The cost of severance payments will be published in the Annual Report on Special Advisers.
Asked by: Baroness Neville-Rolfe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the cost of ministerial severance payments resulting from the cabinet reshuffle in July.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Full details of severance payments received by ministers are routinely published in the relevant department’s Annual Report and Accounts. Any severance payments associated with the July reshuffle will now be published in the 2026-27 Annual Reports and Accounts.
Asked by: Baroness Neville-Rolfe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the projected cost of ministerial severance payments in the financial year 2026–27.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Full details of severance payments received by ministers are routinely published in the relevant department’s Annual Report and Accounts. Any severance payments associated with the July reshuffle will now be published in the 2026-27 Annual Reports and Accounts.
Asked by: Baroness Neville-Rolfe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect of the decline in UK birth rates on levels of pension spending.
Answered by Lord Pitt-Watson - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) is the Government's official forecaster responsible for assessing the UK economic and fiscal outlook. Its annual publication the Fiscal Risks and Sustainability (FRS) report incorporates biennial long-term projections
The OBR has noted that demographic change can affect future spending and revenues, including the pressures that demographic changes create on state pension spending
The Government keeps these issues under review as part of its wider consideration of the public finances. In July 2025, the Government announced the launch of the Third State Pension age review to consider whether the rules around pensionable age are appropriate, based on the latest life expectancy data and other evidence. The review is ongoing.
Asked by: Baroness Neville-Rolfe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the reply by Lord Livermore on 14 July (HL Deb col 562), what legal advice they have received on the compatibility of a revised UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement with the UK's obligations under the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership and UK-US Economic Prosperity Deal.
Answered by Lord Pitt-Watson - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The UK and EU are committed to building a closer relationship and are negotiating agreements that will boost trade, enhance energy security and create opportunities for young people. The government takes all its international partnerships seriously and will ensure that UK-EU agreements are consistent with the UK’s wider international obligations.
Asked by: Baroness Neville-Rolfe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Statement of 29 June (HL Deb cols 868–70), how many letters and complaints about Nottingham maternity and neonatal services were received by the Department of Health and Social Care from MPs in the 13 years covered by the report.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The information requested can only be provided at a disproportionate cost to the Department.
However, the Department has listened to the significant concerns that families have raised about their care, experiences, and devastating outcomes at Nottingham maternity and neonatal services.
In May 2022, NHS England commissioned an independent review of Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust maternity services after significant concerns were raised in relation to quality and safety of care, and concerns of local families. On 24 June, the independent report into Nottingham University Hospitals was published, and we will carefully consider Donna Ockenden’s recommendations in full and take the decisive action needed. Both former and current ministers have met with families affected by the failings at Nottingham maternity services, to listen to their experiences.
Asked by: Baroness Neville-Rolfe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will publish an annual report on the work of the Defending Democracy Taskforce.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
Parliament is regularly updated about the progress and priorities of the Defending Democracy Taskforce.
Most recently, in March 2026 the previous Security Minister updated Parliament in his statement on the work the Taskforce is undertaking to defend our democracy and those who serve within it.