Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many complaints HMRC have received in the last 6 months about VAT refunds to businesses because the refund was a) not received and b) delayed.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Between 1 June to 30 November 2025, HMRC processed around 1.4 million VAT repayment returns, with around 93% paid promptly following initial risking.
Based on the information held on HMRC’s complaints database, between 1 June to 30 November 2025, HMRC received 162 complaints relating to VAT repayments of which 119 were directly linked to VAT refund delays.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many VAT refunds to businesses in the last six months a) have not been refunded and b) have been delayed.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Between 1 June to 30 November 2025, HMRC processed around 1.4 million VAT repayment returns, with around 93% paid promptly following initial risking.
Based on the information held on HMRC’s complaints database, between 1 June to 30 November 2025, HMRC received 162 complaints relating to VAT repayments of which 119 were directly linked to VAT refund delays.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of continued fuel duty freezes on (a0 supporting economic growth and (b) supply chain stability in the North West.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
At Budget 2025, the Government announced continued support for people and businesses by extending the temporary 5p fuel duty cut until the end of August 2026. Rates will then gradually return to previous levels. The planned increase in line with inflation for 2026-27 will not take place, with the government uprating fuel duty rates by RPI from April 2027. This will save the average car driver £49 next year compared to previous plans.
The Government considers the impact of fuel duty on the economy, including households and businesses, with decisions on rates made at fiscal events.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will take steps to ensure that HMRC does not impose (a) penalties and (b) interest on (i) people and (ii) businesses who make inadvertent errors on their tax returns.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Financial penalties encourage taxpayers to comply with their obligations and act as a sanction for those who fail to comply. HMRC recognises that people may make inadvertent errors and does not charge a penalty provided the customer has not failed to take reasonable care in completing their return.
If a penalty for an inaccuracy is charged by HMRC, a person can also appeal against our decision to impose a penalty.
Interest is only applied to any outstanding liability. If a corrected error shows no outstanding amount, no interest will be charged.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of her Department's proposals for a Remote Betting & Gaming Duty on (a) levels of investment in the UK, (b) consumer costs and (c) levels of illegal gambling.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The Government is consulting on proposals to simplify the current gambling tax system by merging the three current taxes that cover remote (including online) gambling into one. The Government welcomes views from stakeholders, as part of the consultation process.
No final policy decisions have been made. If any changes are made to gambling duties at a future Budget following the consultation, they will be accompanied by a Tax Information and Impact Note which will set out the expected impacts, including to individuals, businesses and the wider economy.
DCMS works closely with the Gambling Commission to ensure that illegal gambling, in all its forms, is addressed. The Crime and Policing Bill, introduced in Parliament on 25 February 2025, will grant the Gambling Commission with powers to move quickly and effectively to take down illegal gambling websites.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department has updated guidance on the use of single-sex facilities in response to the Supreme Court judgement in the case of For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers of 16 April 2025.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
HM Treasury is working with Government People Group in the Cabinet Office to understand the revised model policies and will implement required changes accordingly.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many staff network events took place in her Department in May 2025; and what the names of those events were.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
3 events were held by the Treasury’s staff networks in May 2025.
Treasury History Network held 2 sessions of “Wars, fires and pandemics: how events shaped our buildings”.
The Ethnic Diversity Network hosted “Inclusivity within national security and demystifying the DV process”.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Answer of 4 March 2025 to Question 32918 on Agriculture and Business: Inheritance Tax, if she will publish the full modelling her Department has carried out on that issue.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The Government believes its reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief from 6 April 2026 get the balance right between supporting farms and businesses, and fixing the public finances. The reforms reduce the inheritance tax advantages available to owners of agricultural and business assets, but still mean those assets will be taxed at a much lower effective rate than most other assets. Despite a tough fiscal context, the Government will maintain very significant levels of relief from inheritance tax beyond what is available to others and compared to the position before 1992.
A “clawback” would mean inheritance tax would only be due if the relevant assets are sold within a specified time period after a death. Introducing this mechanism, as some have suggested, could mean some of the wealthiest estates pay less inheritance tax compared to the proposed reforms. The Government disagrees with suggestions that a clawback would raise the same revenue as the reforms being introduced from 6 April 2026; it would raise much less, which would mean raising taxes elsewhere or lowering public spending. It would also add complexity to the tax system and continue to attract the very wealthiest to tax plan since beneficiaries could hold onto the assets over the specified clawback period just to escape the tax.
In accordance with standard practice, the Government does not publish internal modelling of alternative tax proposals that are not Government policy.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what modelling her Department has carried out on the potential merits of a clawback mechanism for proposed changes to (a) agricultural property relief and (b) business property relief.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The Government believes its reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief from 6 April 2026 get the balance right between supporting farms and businesses, and fixing the public finances. The reforms reduce the inheritance tax advantages available to owners of agricultural and business assets, but still mean those assets will be taxed at a much lower effective rate than most other assets. Despite a tough fiscal context, the Government will maintain very significant levels of relief from inheritance tax beyond what is available to others and compared to the position before 1992.
A “clawback” would mean inheritance tax would only be due if the relevant assets are sold within a specified time period after a death. Introducing this mechanism, as some have suggested, could mean some of the wealthiest estates pay less inheritance tax compared to the proposed reforms. The Government disagrees with suggestions that a clawback would raise the same revenue as the reforms being introduced from 6 April 2026; it would raise much less, which would mean raising taxes elsewhere or lowering public spending. It would also add complexity to the tax system and continue to attract the very wealthiest to tax plan since beneficiaries could hold onto the assets over the specified clawback period just to escape the tax.
In accordance with standard practice, the Government does not publish internal modelling of alternative tax proposals that are not Government policy.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many procurement contracts awarded by her Department since 5 July 2024 have been terminated due to non-performance.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
No contracts awarded by HM Treasury since 5 July 2024 have been terminated for that reason.