Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of reducing VAT on domestic energy bills on fuel poverty in Wales.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government believes that we need to support households who are struggling with energy bills now whilst we transition to cheaper clean power by 2030. We are providing targeted support that reaches low income households directly across Great Britain, including Wales.
This winter, 2.7 million extra households will receive £150 off their energy bills as the Warm Home Discount is expanded - putting money directly into people’s pockets. This increases the number of households who are eligible to over six million in total - including 900,000 families with children and a total of 1.8 million households in fuel poverty.
More widely, gas and electricity are subject to a reduced rate of VAT at five per cent, rather than the standard 20 per cent. The reduced rate for domestic fuel and power cost the Exchequer £8 billion in 2023-24, and going further would come at a significant additional cost.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions she has had with the Welsh Government on the Autumn Budget 2025.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
There have been regular discussions with the Welsh Government on the Budget. This ensures that we are taking account of their views to ensure that we are delivering for the people of Wales.
The Chancellor met with the First Minister for Wales on the 7th of August in Wales.
I also met with the Welsh Government’s Finance Minister on the 17th of October at the Finance: Interministerial Standing Committee (F:ISC), to discuss a range of issues affecting Wales, including funding arrangements and his priorities for the Autumn Budget .
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions she has had with the Welsh Government on a formal review of Wales’s fiscal framework.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
We have ongoing discussions with the Welsh Government about funding flexibilities and updating their Fiscal Framework and remain committed to working in partnership to ensure the smooth delivery of their funding settlement.
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 funding arrangements. The most recent F:ISC was on 17 October.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions her Department has had with the Welsh Government on (a) Wales’s comparability factor for transport and (b) the impact of that factor on funding for the Welsh Government.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
HM Treasury ministers and officials 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. The most recent F:ISC was on 17 October.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of levels of UK Research and Innovation funding allocated to Wales.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
This Government is investing in Wales to help create jobs and drive economic growth. UKRI has recently launched the Local Innovation Partnerships Fund (LIPF) - a new programme that will empower innovation leadership through local ‘triple helix’ partnerships between civic institutions, business and universities, delivering impact, at scale. This Fund has earmarked £30 million for the Cardiff Capital Region [1].
[1] Cardiff Capital Region backed by £30m to unlock innovation and growth - GOV.UK
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing (a) relief and (b) a discounted rate for small art galleries following the increase in anti-money laundering supervision fees.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
Economic crime presents a substantial threat to UK security and stability, and anti money laundering supervisors have an important role to play to ensure that supervised businesses understand and manage the risks to which they are exposed. HM Revenue & Customs supervises art market participantsalongside businesses in several other sectors.
It is policy of this, and previous Governments, that the cost of supervision should be met by supervised businesses and not through general taxation. HMRC has recently published its intention to increase some of the fees that itcharges for supervision to ensure that it has the income it needs to meet its obligations as a supervisor. HMRC is considering comments from businesses and trade bodies and will publish its next steps shortly. The Money Laundering Regulations apply only to sales of art exceeding the equivalent of €10,000 in value, which excludes 80% of businesses in the sector. HMRC hasconsidered the impact of the proposed fee increases on businesses against its needs as a supervisor and intends to minimise impact on supervised businesses, especially the vast majority who trade from a single premises.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of the flat rate anti-money laundering supervision fee regime on small art galleries.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
Economic crime presents a substantial threat to UK security and stability, and anti money laundering supervisors have an important role to play to ensure that supervised businesses understand and manage the risks to which they are exposed. HM Revenue & Customs supervises art market participantsalongside businesses in several other sectors.
It is policy of this, and previous Governments, that the cost of supervision should be met by supervised businesses and not through general taxation. HMRC has recently published its intention to increase some of the fees that itcharges for supervision to ensure that it has the income it needs to meet its obligations as a supervisor. HMRC is considering comments from businesses and trade bodies and will publish its next steps shortly. The Money Laundering Regulations apply only to sales of art exceeding the equivalent of €10,000 in value, which excludes 80% of businesses in the sector. HMRC hasconsidered the impact of the proposed fee increases on businesses against its needs as a supervisor and intends to minimise impact on supervised businesses, especially the vast majority who trade from a single premises.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 14 July 2025 to Question 66247 on Public Expenditure: Wales, when her Department plans to publish a new release of Block Grant Transparency data.
Answered by Darren Jones - Minister for Intergovernmental Relations
The Block Grant Transparency publication breaks down all changes in the devolved governments’ block grant funding from the 2015 Spending Review to Main Estimates 2023-24. The most recent report was published in July 2023.
The next publication will include a breakdown of devolved governments’ funding since the 2015 Spending Review up to and including Spending Review 2025 and will be published in due course.
Block Grant Transparency:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/block-grant-transparency-july-2023
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 10 September 2024 to Question 4409 on Taxation: International Cooperation, what recent steps she has taken to support the implementation of UN General Assembly resolution A /RES/78/230 on the Promotion of inclusive and effective international tax cooperation at the United Nations adopted on 22 December 2023.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The UK is committed to working with all stakeholders to ensure inclusive and effective international tax cooperation, and has been engaging in discussions at the UN over a future Framework Convention, including the recent informal sessions for the technical workstreams.
The UK believes that a UN Tax Framework Convention has the potential to further advance international tax cooperation, but to be successful, it needs to be clear in its aims, avoid duplicating initiatives, and seek to secure the broad support and participation of members.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate her Department has made of the total amount of Barnett consequential funding which will be made available to Wales following the City Region Local Transport funding announced on 4 June 2025.
Answered by Darren Jones - Minister for Intergovernmental Relations
The 2025 Spending Review set the Department for Transport’s budget for 2026-27 to 2028-29. In line with the Statement of Funding Policy, the Barnett formula is applied to changes in overall department settlements, not to individual programmes. As a result, it is not possible to identify specific Barnett consequentials arising from individual programmes, such as the Transport for City Regions funding announced on 4 June 2025. This is the normal operation of the Barnett formula at Spending Reviews.
The Welsh Government’s settlement at the 2025 Spending Review is the largest in real terms since devolution in 1998. It ensures that the Welsh Government continues to receive more than 20% more funding per person than equivalent UK Government spending in England, which is above their 15% higher relative need agreed in the Welsh Government Fiscal Framework.