Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions she has had with the Motability Foundation on the the potential impact of her Department's changes to (a) VAT and (b) Insurance Premium Tax for the Motability Foundation on (i) funding for the Mobility Foundation and (ii) the ability of the Foundation to cross-subsidise its work to support the most vulnerable residents.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Prior to announcing tax changes to the Motability Scheme at Budget 2025, the Government engaged with the Motability Foundation to understand how tax changes would impact the Motability Scheme and their customers.
For customers who cannot afford essential costs or need more complex adaptations, the Motability Foundation will continue to provide means-tested grants to those most in need of financial help. In 2024/25, these grants totalled £59.3 million, supporting over 10,000 customers.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of a) changes to Vehicle Exercise Duty and b) introduction of a Electric Vehicle Excise Duty on users of the Motability scheme leasing an electric vehicle.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
As announced at Budget 2025, the Government is introducing Electric Vehicle Excise Duty (eVED) from April 2028, a new mileage charge for electric and plug-in hybrid cars, recognising that EVs contribute to congestion and wear and tear on the roads but pay no equivalent to fuel duty.
eVED is designed to replace fuel duty for electric and plug-in hybrid cars. This means it will apply to cars driven by those who are wholly or partially exempt from Vehicle Excise Duty (VED), but where their petrol or diesel equivalents would be subject to fuel duty. This includes those who receive the mobility component of certain disability-related benefits (principally Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payment). These groups will continue to receive the same VED exemptions as they do now but will not be exempt from eVED, as they are not exempt from fuel duty.
As with petrol/diesel vehicles where fuel duty applies, eVED will also apply to cars that are leased. The leasing company will typically be responsible for paying eVED and can choose how to pass on to their customers.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions she has had with the Welsh Government on encouraging inclusive growth in coalfield communities in Wales.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
HM Treasury ministers regularly engage with Welsh Government counterparts, including through forums such as the Finance: Interministerial Standing Committee (F:ISC), to discuss a range of issues affecting Wales, including economic growth. The most recent F:ISC was on 17 October.
The Welsh Government receives funding through the Barnett formula which it can spend across its devolved responsibilities as it sees fit to promote inclusive growth in Wales, including in coalfield communities. The Welsh Government are accountable to the Senedd for these decisions.
Wales continues to receive targeted funding from UK Government designed to boost growth and opportunity, such as through the City and Growth deals covering all of Wales which the UK Government and the Welsh Government work in partnership to deliver. At the Spending Review in 2025, the UK Government announced a further investment of £143 million new spend over four years into a joint programme of work with the Welsh Government to maintain the safety of disused coal tips and drive local economic growth.
The UK Government will continue to work in partnership with Welsh Government to ensure communities, including those with disused coal tips, are empowered to fulfil their economic potential and help spread prosperity across all parts of the UK.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to help support economic growth in coalfield communities in Wales.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
HM Treasury ministers regularly engage with Welsh Government counterparts, including through forums such as the Finance: Interministerial Standing Committee (F:ISC), to discuss a range of issues affecting Wales, including economic growth. The most recent F:ISC was on 17 October.
The Welsh Government receives funding through the Barnett formula which it can spend across its devolved responsibilities as it sees fit to promote inclusive growth in Wales, including in coalfield communities. The Welsh Government are accountable to the Senedd for these decisions.
Wales continues to receive targeted funding from UK Government designed to boost growth and opportunity, such as through the City and Growth deals covering all of Wales which the UK Government and the Welsh Government work in partnership to deliver. At the Spending Review in 2025, the UK Government announced a further investment of £143 million new spend over four years into a joint programme of work with the Welsh Government to maintain the safety of disused coal tips and drive local economic growth.
The UK Government will continue to work in partnership with Welsh Government to ensure communities, including those with disused coal tips, are empowered to fulfil their economic potential and help spread prosperity across all parts of the UK.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of differentiating the emissions associated between pre- and post-consumer scrap metal in the UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
As set out in our response to the consultation on the introduction of a carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM), imported scrap products within the aluminum and iron & steel sectors will not be within scope of the CBAM, upon introduction from 1 January 2027.
The use of scrap, either post-consumer products at the end of their useful life or pre-consumer products such as offcuts with no productive use other than as a feedstock for recycling, has a net benefit on emissions as it reduces the need for additional production. Therefore, the carbon leakage risk posed by such goods is low.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has had discussions with HMRC on the potential merits of allowing British citizens overseas to file tax returns online.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
HMRC provides free software that allows the vast majority of Self Assessment customers to file their returns online. Certain small groups, including UK citizens living overseas, cannot use this software. They need either to file on paper or to purchase and use commercial software in order to file their returns online. HMRC aims to make its free software available to this group in future but has no immediate plans to do so.
HMRC offers support and guidance to non-UK resident customers through its dedicated Self Assessment telephone helpline on +44 161 931 9070. More information can be found here - Self Assessment: general enquiries - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to HMRC's consultation on Plastic Packaging Tax - chemical recycling and adoption of a mass balance approach, published on 18 July 2023, when he plans to publish his response.
Answered by Gareth Davies - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
The government’s consultation on whether to accept a mass balance approach in relation to chemically recycled plastic for the purposes of the Plastic Packaging Tax closed on 10 October 2023. The government would like to thank respondents for their representations.
The government is currently analysing responses and will publish a summary of responses document and next steps in due course.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the effectiveness of the Plastic Packaging Tax in raising the volume of recycled plastic used in packaging materials.
Answered by Gareth Davies - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
The Plastic Packaging Tax was introduced in April 2022 to encourage businesses to include more recycled plastic in packaging. This will increase demand for recycled plastic, which will stimulate increased levels of recycling and collection of plastic waste.
In April 2023 the government announced it will evaluate the Plastic Packaging Tax, using analysis of environmental and tax data to assess the impact of the measure.
Further information will be available in the evaluation plan, which will be published in due course.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what revenue was generated by the Plastic Packaging Tax in 2022-23.
Answered by Gareth Davies - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
The data requested is available in the HM Revenue and Customs publication: Plastic Packaging Tax (PPT) Statistics.
Please refer to Table 1 & 2 of the Plastic Packaging Tax (PPT) statistics tables in this publication.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an estimate of the number of pubs that have been (a) demolished, (b) converted and (c) sold in England and Wales in each of the last five years.
Answered by Gareth Davies - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
The Government does not hold data at this granular level. We do believe that pubs make an important contribution to our culture, fostering a sense of place and community, and the UK economy. And we understand the challenges pubs are facing.
That is why the alcohol duty system, implemented in August, included a new Draught Relief that provides a significant duty discount on alcohol sold in containers of 20 litres or more in the on-trade. As well as this, the Government’s ‘Brexit Pubs Guarantee,’ confirms that the duty on a draught pint will always be lower than its equivalent in a supermarket.
Pubs also benefit from a broader package of business rates support worth £13.6bn over the next five years, including a Retail, Hospitality and Leisure (RHL) relief scheme which increased from 50% to 75% relief in 2023-24.