Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she plans to meet with the British Retail Consortium to discuss its request that the UK’s de minimis limit on low value imports be reviewed.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The Government has received a broad range of representation from stakeholders who are interested in the customs treatment of low value imports. Last week the Government announced a review of these arrangements and as part of this, Treasury Ministers and officials will engage a broad range of stakeholders, including the British Retail Consortium, to further understand their views and gather evidence to support our analysis.Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the British Retail Consortium’s publication entitled Trade Community Call - De Minimis Rule, published on 11 April 2025.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The Government has received a broad range of representation from stakeholders who are interested in the customs treatment of low value imports. Last week the Government announced a review of these arrangements and as part of this, Treasury Ministers and officials will engage a broad range of stakeholders, including the British Retail Consortium, to further understand their views and gather evidence to support our analysis.Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she plans to review the de minimis limit for low value imports in the context of US tariffs.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The Government has received a broad range of representation from stakeholders who are interested in the customs treatment of low value imports. Last week the Government announced a review of these arrangements and as part of this, Treasury Ministers and officials will engage a broad range of stakeholders, including the British Retail Consortium, to further understand their views and gather evidence to support our analysis.Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what representations she has received on reviewing the UK’s de minimis limit for low value imports.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The Government has received a broad range of representation from stakeholders who are interested in the customs treatment of low value imports. Last week the Government announced a review of these arrangements and as part of this, Treasury Ministers and officials will engage a broad range of stakeholders, including the British Retail Consortium, to further understand their views and gather evidence to support our analysis.Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what her Department's policy is on whether compliance costs reported for financial regulations should be subject to periodic independent verification.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Following the announcement to cut the administrative costs of regulation on businesses by 25% by the end of this Parliament, the government is now taking forward a baselining exercise to understand how much regulation is costing and where it can be reformed to remove unnecessary burdens and achieve its policy objectives more efficiently. We are considering a range of methodologies to ensure our baselining is robust.
The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 requires the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) to undertake and publish a Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) when consulting on any proposal to make or amend rules, to analyse the likely expected costs and benefits arising from the changes. The FCA and PRA are also required to maintain CBA Panels which provide advice on the preparation of CBAs.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate she has made of the total value of the (a) VAT zero-rating and (b) Insurance Premium Tax concession applied to vehicles (i) purchased or (ii) leased as part of the Motability Scheme from the most recent data available.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
HMRC’s published tax relief statistics provide an estimate of the cost of the Zero Rate of VAT for Vehicles and other supplies to disabled people (vehicles only) of £1,210 million in 2023-24, see Non-structural tax reliefs - GOV.UK. Most of this cost represents vehicles in the Motability scheme, but it also includes other sales of adapted vehicles to disabled people.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will ensure that the proposed higher business rates multiplier for properties with a rateable value of £500,000 or more is index-linked.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The Government intends to introduce permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure properties, with rateable values below £500,000, from 2026-27.
This tax cut must be sustainably funded, and so the Government intends to apply a higher rate from 2026-27 on the most valuable properties - those with a rateable value (RV) of £500,000 and above. These represent less than one per cent of all properties, but cover the majority of large distribution warehouses, including those used by online giants.
The Government will confirm the rates for the new multipliers at Budget 2025, taking account of the outcomes of the 2026 revaluation as well as the broader economic and fiscal context.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate she has made of the number of shops with increased business rates under proposed reforms to that system.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
As set out at Autumn Budget 2024, the Government intends to introduce permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties, including those on the high street, from 2026-27. This permanent tax cut will ensure that they benefit from much-needed certainty and support. The Government intends to fund this by introducing a higher multiplier on all properties with a rateable value (RV) of £500,000 and above. These represent less than one per cent of all properties.
The Government will confirm the rates for the new multipliers at Budget 2025, taking account of the outcomes of the 2026 revaluation as well as the broader economic and fiscal context.
Tax policy and legislation is not subject to the Better Regulation Framework Guidance which requires an Impact Assessment to accompany policy decisions. Nevertheless, when the new multipliers are set at Budget 2025 – to take effect in the 2026-27 billing year – HM Treasury intends to publish analysis of the effects of the new multiplier arrangements.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the proposed higher business rates multiplier on larger stores.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
As set out at Autumn Budget 2024, the Government intends to introduce permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties, including those on the high street, from 2026-27. This permanent tax cut will ensure that they benefit from much-needed certainty and support. The Government intends to fund this by introducing a higher multiplier on all properties with a rateable value (RV) of £500,000 and above. These represent less than one per cent of all properties.
The Government will confirm the rates for the new multipliers at Budget 2025, taking account of the outcomes of the 2026 revaluation as well as the broader economic and fiscal context.
Tax policy and legislation is not subject to the Better Regulation Framework Guidance which requires an Impact Assessment to accompany policy decisions. Nevertheless, when the new multipliers are set at Budget 2025 – to take effect in the 2026-27 billing year – HM Treasury intends to publish analysis of the effects of the new multiplier arrangements.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of (a) the Autumn Budget 2024 and (b) Extended Producer Responsibility on inflation in 2025.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) publish their Economic and Fiscal Outlook (EFO) where they assess inflation, including the impact of policy. In their October 2024 EFO they assessed policies announced at Autumn Budget 2024. Since then, they have released an updated forecast on 26th March, this forecast takes Government policy, regulation, and external factors into account as well.
There is an impact assessment of the Extended Producer Responsibility system published, where the systems impact on inflation can be found. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/623efc968fa8f5276d1f9ec0/epr-final-impact-assessment.pdf