Asked by: John Glen (Conservative - Salisbury)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate she has made of the cost of the 2024-25 civil service pay settlements.
Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
Pay for civil servants outside of the Senior Civil Service is not set centrally; rather, departments and bodies have freedom to make decisions on pay within the parameters of the Pay Remit Guidance published annually by the Cabinet Office. The Pay Remit Guidance for 2024/5 can be found using the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-pay-remit-guidance-2024-to-2025/civil-service-pay-remit-guidance-2024-to-2025.
Asked by: John Glen (Conservative - Salisbury)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to her Department's consultation on the UK Green Taxonomy, published in November 2024, what assessment she has made of (a) the potential regulatory costs of a UK Green Taxonomy and (b) the duplication with other regimes.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The government has set out its ambition for the UK to be the world leader in sustainable finance. This includes delivering a regulatory framework to support sustainable growth and enable the private sector to realise the opportunities of the transition. Through the consultation, the government was keen to explore whether a UK Green Taxonomy can be a useful tool in contributing to this ambition.
The government is reviewing and analysing the consultation responses, this includes considering the potential costs and how it fits in with existing regulation and regimes. We will publish a formal consultation response in due course which will set out next steps.
Asked by: John Glen (Conservative - Salisbury)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, which Department is responsible for the (a) UK Climate Transition Benchmarks and (b) UK Paris-aligned Benchmarks.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
HM Treasury is responsible for financial services policy, including financial benchmarks.
Asked by: John Glen (Conservative - Salisbury)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 2.45 of the Spring Statement 2025, 26 March 2025, CP1298, what the monetary value is of the baseline spending on administrative budgets on which the 15% saving will be based; what the baseline spending on back-office functions is on which the £2.2 billion savings in 2029-30 will be based; and whether the £2.2 billion is a cumulative saving over the period.
Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The 15% saving on administration budgets will be made against the counterfactual assumption that these budgets would have remained flat in real terms over the period 2025-26 to 2029-30. The £2.2 billion represents the value of this 15% saving in the final year only rather than being a cumulative total.
Further details will be published as part of the Spending Review later this year.
Asked by: John Glen (Conservative - Salisbury)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the EU Green Taxonomy regulations apply to Northern Ireland.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The EU Taxonomy Regulation, which is part of the EU's sustainable finance framework, does not directly apply in Northern Ireland.
There are some circumstances where a UK company may be subject to the EU Taxonomy reporting requirements because of its operations in the EU. This could apply to relevant companies in Northern Ireland, just as elsewhere in the UK.
Asked by: John Glen (Conservative - Salisbury)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to Annex 2 of the Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/1816, whether Trident renewal is classified as a controversial weapon for the purposes of (a) environmental, social, and governance and (b) ethical investments.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The UK Benchmarks Regulation sets out the requirements for UK Climate Transition Benchmarks and UK Paris-aligned Benchmarks. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) monitor and supervise benchmark administrators according to the Benchmarks Regulation to ensure that benchmarks are produced robustly and with due transparency. The FCA published a statement regarding their position on sustainability regulations and UK defence investment on 11 March 2025.
It is for benchmark administrators to decide if they wish to provide UK Climate Transition Benchmarks and UK Paris-aligned benchmarks under the Benchmarks Regulation, including by paying due regard to the relevant FCA guidance, and which companies to include in their benchmarks. It is then up to firms and investors to choose whether to use these benchmarks.
This Government does not see a conflict between sustainable investment and investment in our world-leading defence sector.
Asked by: John Glen (Conservative - Salisbury)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 4 March 202, to Question 33375 on Environment Protection: Finance, whether (a) UK Paris-aligned Benchmarks and (b) UK Climate Transition Benchmarks require investment in firms which support the renewal of Trident nuclear deterrent to be excluded.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The UK Benchmarks Regulation sets out the requirements for UK Climate Transition Benchmarks and UK Paris-aligned Benchmarks. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) monitor and supervise benchmark administrators according to the Benchmarks Regulation to ensure that benchmarks are produced robustly and with due transparency. The FCA published a statement regarding their position on sustainability regulations and UK defence investment on 11 March 2025.
It is for benchmark administrators to decide if they wish to provide UK Climate Transition Benchmarks and UK Paris-aligned benchmarks under the Benchmarks Regulation, including by paying due regard to the relevant FCA guidance, and which companies to include in their benchmarks. It is then up to firms and investors to choose whether to use these benchmarks.
This Government does not see a conflict between sustainable investment and investment in our world-leading defence sector.
Asked by: John Glen (Conservative - Salisbury)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of her policy on tackling non-compliance in the umbrella company market on (a) freelancers and (b) temporary workers seeking to evidence a stable income for mortgage applications.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government recognises the positive role that compliant and well-managed umbrella companies can play in the functioning of the temporary labour market. However, non-compliance in the umbrella company market is widespread and costs taxpayers billions of pounds a year.
HMRC analysis shows that at least 275,000 workers, and likely significantly more, were engaged at some point in 2022 to 2023 by umbrella companies that were involved in tax avoidance, evasion or fraud. In the same year around £500 million was lost to disguised remuneration tax avoidance schemes, almost all of which was facilitated by umbrella companies. Hundreds of millions more was lost to so called ‘mini umbrella company’ fraud and other fraudulent attacks by people abusing umbrella company structures.
The Government is committed to closing the tax gap and making the tax system fairer by ensuring temporary workers are protected from large, unexpected tax bills caused by unscrupulous behaviour from non-compliant umbrella companies. That is why the Chancellor announced in her Autumn Budget that the Government will introduce legislation to make recruitment agencies using umbrella companies legally responsible for accounting for PAYE on workers’ pay.
The Government set out the expected Exchequer impacts of this measure at the Budget. The Government will publish a full Tax Impact and Information Note later this year.
Asked by: John Glen (Conservative - Salisbury)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of her policies on tackling non-compliance in the umbrella company market on the level of pension contributions made by affected people.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government recognises the positive role that compliant and well-managed umbrella companies can play in the functioning of the temporary labour market. However, non-compliance in the umbrella company market is widespread and costs taxpayers billions of pounds a year.
HMRC analysis shows that at least 275,000 workers, and likely significantly more, were engaged at some point in 2022 to 2023 by umbrella companies that were involved in tax avoidance, evasion or fraud. In the same year around £500 million was lost to disguised remuneration tax avoidance schemes, almost all of which was facilitated by umbrella companies. Hundreds of millions more was lost to so called ‘mini umbrella company’ fraud and other fraudulent attacks by people abusing umbrella company structures.
The Government is committed to closing the tax gap and making the tax system fairer by ensuring temporary workers are protected from large, unexpected tax bills caused by unscrupulous behaviour from non-compliant umbrella companies. That is why the Chancellor announced in her Autumn Budget that the Government will introduce legislation to make recruitment agencies using umbrella companies legally responsible for accounting for PAYE on workers’ pay.
The Government set out the expected Exchequer impacts of this measure at the Budget. The Government will publish a full Tax Impact and Information Note later this year.
Asked by: John Glen (Conservative - Salisbury)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 2.19 of the Autumn Budget 2024, whether she plans to provide additional funding for tackling non-compliant umbrella companies.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government recognises the positive role that compliant and well-managed umbrella companies can play in the functioning of the temporary labour market. However, non-compliance in the umbrella company market is widespread and costs taxpayers billions of pounds a year.
HMRC analysis shows that at least 275,000 workers, and likely significantly more, were engaged at some point in 2022 to 2023 by umbrella companies that were involved in tax avoidance, evasion or fraud. In the same year around £500 million was lost to disguised remuneration tax avoidance schemes, almost all of which was facilitated by umbrella companies. Hundreds of millions more was lost to so called ‘mini umbrella company’ fraud and other fraudulent attacks by people abusing umbrella company structures.
The Government is committed to closing the tax gap and making the tax system fairer by ensuring temporary workers are protected from large, unexpected tax bills caused by unscrupulous behaviour from non-compliant umbrella companies. That is why the Chancellor announced in her Autumn Budget that the Government will introduce legislation to make recruitment agencies using umbrella companies legally responsible for accounting for PAYE on workers’ pay.
The Government set out the expected Exchequer impacts of this measure at the Budget. The Government will publish a full Tax Impact and Information Note later this year.