Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she plans to review (a) anti-money laundering laws and (b) guidance applicable to property lawyers.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Under the Money Laundering Regulations, estate agents and legal professionals must apply customer due diligence measures to mitigate the risk that property purchases are used to launder the proceeds of crime. These measures include checking and verifying the identity of buyers and sellers and assessing the purpose and intended nature of the transaction. The Regulations enable a proportionate, risk-based approach to customer due diligence, meaning conveyancers and others should actively assess and respond to the specific risks in each transaction. The Legal Sector Affinity Group (LSAG) guidance provides detailed advice to legal professionals on how to comply proportionately with these requirements in property transactions. HM Treasury has regular discussions with representatives of regulated sectors, including conveyancers, to ensure the Regulations remain proportionate and effective.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the consistency of enforcement by the Office for Professional Body Anti-Money Laundering Supervision across legal sector regulators.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
OPBAS oversees 22 Professional Body Supervisors (PBSs) in the legal and accountancy sectors, to improve their Anti-Money Laundering/Counter-Terrorist Financing (AML/CTF) supervision. Its powers include obtaining information from PBSs, appointing skilled persons to improve supervisory work, and recommending that HM Treasury remove a PBS as an AML/CTF supervisor. OPBAS produces annual reports on PBS performance against the expectations set out in its Sourcebook. These show that OPBAS has delivered substantial improvements since 2018; however some weaknesses remain and HM Treasury has consulted on further options for reform.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department has made a recent assessment of the adequacy of compensation provided to Equitable Life policyholders.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Equitable Life Payment Scheme was designed by the Coalition Government and closed in 2016. There are no plans to reopen decisions relating to the Payment Scheme. Further guidance on the status of the Payment Scheme after closure is available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/equitable-life-payment-scheme#closure-of-the-scheme
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to ensure (a) transparency and (b) accountability in property valuations conducted by the Valuation Office Agency.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The Valuation Office Agency has a statutory duty to maintain fair and accurate lists for Council Tax and business rates purposes. Both the lists, the VOA’s rating manuals, and other technical guidance, including its approach to valuing over 200 types of non-domestic property, are publicly available for transparency on GOV.UK. The VOA also publishes blogs explaining how they assess properties and why they might ask for information from taxpayers to perform their functions.
The Government’s business rates reforms will deliver greater transparency on valuations for ratepayers and greater accuracy. By 2026, most ratepayers will be able to access more tailored details about comparable properties and by 2029, more specific valuation information and rental evidence will also be available.
The VOA uses internationally recognised valuation methods. It has a robust three-stage assurance framework which maintains and improves the quality of valuations across all areas through assuring adherence to professional standards, legislative obligations and internal processes. It also has a performance target around valuation quality, which it reports on in its annual report and accounts, which are published on GOV.UK.
The recent decision to move the Valuation Office Agency’s functions into its parent department (HMRC) by 2026 was taken to increase efficiency, business experience and provide greater ministerial oversight and accountability around delivery.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is planning to take to assist low-income families facing rising living costs in West Dorset constituency.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
To support those most in need, the Government have introduced a Fair Repayment Rate, capping debt deductions made through Universal Credit, enabling 1.2 million families to keep more of their UC award each month and benefiting around 700,000 of the poorest families with children.
We also extended the Household Support Fund in England, as well as Discretionary Housing Payments in England and Wales, helping households facing the greatest hardship. Working age benefits increased fully by inflation in 2025-26 which will see around 5.7 million families on Universal Credit gain £150 on average this year.
The Government has set out the next steps in delivering our approach for regional growth, spreading growth across the country through investment and reform, including via devolution of funding and powers. This will benefit people across the country, including in the West Devon constituency.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of increases in the cost of living on households in West Dorset constituency.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The Plan for Change outlines key milestones, including raising living standards in every part of the United Kingdom to put more money back in people’s pockets. In the latest data, living standards (as measured by real household disposable income per capita) are already growing at their fastest quarterly rate in two years.
The Government has set out the next steps in delivering our approach for regional growth, spreading growth across the country through investment and reform, including via devolution of funding and powers. This will benefit people across the country, including in the West Devon constituency.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a lower rate of employer National Insurance contributions for businesses in the hospitality sector which employ a high proportion of part-time workers.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The Government has taken difficult but necessary decisions to fix the public finances and create long-term stability in which businesses can invest and grow.
The Government decided to protect the smallest businesses from changes to employer National Insurance contributions by increasing the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500. This means that this year, 865,000 employers will pay no NICs at all, and more than half of all employers will either gain or will see no change. It means employers will be able to employ up to four full-time workers on the National Living Wage without paying employer NICs.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department plans to extend the deadline for voluntary National Insurance contributions.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
Individuals can pay voluntary National Insurance contributions for up to six years in arrears to fill gaps in their National Insurance record.
Transitional arrangements to the new State Pension introduced by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in 2013 entitled men born after 5 April 1951 and women born after 5 April 1953 to pay voluntary National Insurance contributions for older years (back to the tax year 2006-2007) by 5 April 2025.
The 5 April 2025 deadline has been implemented, though individuals who were unable to pay contributions before that date were able to register for a call back from DWP after the deadline.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what impact recent discussions with representatives from the (a) pub and (b) brewing industries on (i) the levels of duty payable on beer and (ii) fiscal support for those industries have had on her policy decisions.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
Treasury ministers have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery.
Details of ministerial meetings with external organisations on departmental business are published on a quarterly basis and are available at the link here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-gifts-and-overseas-travel
As with all taxes, the Government welcomes representations on how the alcohol duty system can be improved. The Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at fiscal events in the context of the public finances.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has had recent discussions with representatives from the (a) pub and (b) brewing industries on (i) the levels of duty payable on beer and (ii) fiscal support for those industries.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
Treasury ministers have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery.
Details of ministerial meetings with external organisations on departmental business are published on a quarterly basis and are available at the link here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-gifts-and-overseas-travel
As with all taxes, the Government welcomes representations on how the alcohol duty system can be improved. The Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at fiscal events in the context of the public finances.