Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether their Department has run any (a) recruitment and (b) internship schemes aimed to increase the number of people from underrepresented groups in the workforce in the last year.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
HMT has not run any recruitment or internship schemes specifically aimed at increasing the number of people from underrepresented groups.
HMT has participated in some cross-government internship schemes such as the Cabinet Office run Summer Intern Placement (SIP), Autism Exchange Internship Placement and the Department of Work and Pensions’ Movement to Work Scheme.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the report by the Cancer Research UK and University College London entitled Cancer in the UK: Overview 2025, published in July 2025, and her Department's Tobacco statistics commentary, updated on 29 August 2025, what assessment she has made of the reason for the difference between the number of cigarettes (a) smoked and (b) cleared for sale in 2024.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Strong enforcement is essential in tackling the illicit tobacco market. HM Revenue and Customs and Border Force have had illicit tobacco strategies in place since 2000. Our latest strategy, “Stubbing out the problem”, was published in January 2024. The Department continues to investigate how the illicit tobacco market is evolving, including through its compliance activity, and the extent to which that may affect overall tax receipts seen.
The illicit tobacco market is dominated by organised crime groups that make money by smuggling and selling illicit tobacco products in the UK. Our latest estimate is that illicit tobacco costs the UK £1.8bn in lost revenue per year. HMRC recently published an updated version of their Measuring Tax Gaps publication which now includes tax gap estimates up to 2023/24. The illicit market volume for cigarettes is shown in Table 3.13 and the total consumption volume is shown in Table 3.12. The illicit market for hand rolling tobacco is shown in Table 3.17 and the total consumption volume is shown in Table 3.16.
Whilst tobacco duty has been progressively increased over time, successive illicit tobacco strategies have proven effective in tackling the size of the illicit tobacco market, reducing the tobacco duty tax gap from 21.7% in 2005/6 to 13.8% in 2023/24.
Tobacco duty raised almost £8 billion in 2024/25. High duty rates, making tobacco less affordable, have helped reduce smoking prevalence. ‘Cancer in the UK: Overview 2025’ published by Cancer Research cites an Office for National Statistics Adult Smoking Habits publication which shows that the percentage of adult smokers in the UK decreased from 20.2% in 2011 to 11.9% in 2023. The ONS smoking prevalence data shows the percentage of adults in the UK who smoke cigarettes but does not give any indication of how much or how often these adults smoke.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of illegal tobacco revenues on organised crime networks; and what discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential impact of the current tobacco excise regime on organised crime.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Strong enforcement is essential in tackling the illicit tobacco market. HM Revenue and Customs and Border Force have had illicit tobacco strategies in place since 2000. Our latest strategy, “Stubbing out the problem”, was published in January 2024. The Department continues to investigate how the illicit tobacco market is evolving, including through its compliance activity, and the extent to which that may affect overall tax receipts seen.
The illicit tobacco market is dominated by organised crime groups that make money by smuggling and selling illicit tobacco products in the UK. Our latest estimate is that illicit tobacco costs the UK £1.8bn in lost revenue per year. HMRC recently published an updated version of their Measuring Tax Gaps publication which now includes tax gap estimates up to 2023/24. The illicit market volume for cigarettes is shown in Table 3.13 and the total consumption volume is shown in Table 3.12. The illicit market for hand rolling tobacco is shown in Table 3.17 and the total consumption volume is shown in Table 3.16.
Whilst tobacco duty has been progressively increased over time, successive illicit tobacco strategies have proven effective in tackling the size of the illicit tobacco market, reducing the tobacco duty tax gap from 21.7% in 2005/6 to 13.8% in 2023/24.
Tobacco duty raised almost £8 billion in 2024/25. High duty rates, making tobacco less affordable, have helped reduce smoking prevalence. ‘Cancer in the UK: Overview 2025’ published by Cancer Research cites an Office for National Statistics Adult Smoking Habits publication which shows that the percentage of adult smokers in the UK decreased from 20.2% in 2011 to 11.9% in 2023. The ONS smoking prevalence data shows the percentage of adults in the UK who smoke cigarettes but does not give any indication of how much or how often these adults smoke.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the impact of the current tobacco excise duty regime on the levels of illegal tobacco consumption.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Strong enforcement is essential in tackling the illicit tobacco market. HM Revenue and Customs and Border Force have had illicit tobacco strategies in place since 2000. Our latest strategy, “Stubbing out the problem”, was published in January 2024. The Department continues to investigate how the illicit tobacco market is evolving, including through its compliance activity, and the extent to which that may affect overall tax receipts seen.
The illicit tobacco market is dominated by organised crime groups that make money by smuggling and selling illicit tobacco products in the UK. Our latest estimate is that illicit tobacco costs the UK £1.8bn in lost revenue per year. HMRC recently published an updated version of their Measuring Tax Gaps publication which now includes tax gap estimates up to 2023/24. The illicit market volume for cigarettes is shown in Table 3.13 and the total consumption volume is shown in Table 3.12. The illicit market for hand rolling tobacco is shown in Table 3.17 and the total consumption volume is shown in Table 3.16.
Whilst tobacco duty has been progressively increased over time, successive illicit tobacco strategies have proven effective in tackling the size of the illicit tobacco market, reducing the tobacco duty tax gap from 21.7% in 2005/6 to 13.8% in 2023/24.
Tobacco duty raised almost £8 billion in 2024/25. High duty rates, making tobacco less affordable, have helped reduce smoking prevalence. ‘Cancer in the UK: Overview 2025’ published by Cancer Research cites an Office for National Statistics Adult Smoking Habits publication which shows that the percentage of adult smokers in the UK decreased from 20.2% in 2011 to 11.9% in 2023. The ONS smoking prevalence data shows the percentage of adults in the UK who smoke cigarettes but does not give any indication of how much or how often these adults smoke.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the current tobacco excise regime on the budgets of lower-income households.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
At Autumn Budget 2024, the Government renewed the commitment to a tobacco duty escalator, which increases duty by 2 per cent above RPI inflation at each Budget, until the end of the current Parliament. This is part of the Government’s focus on health prevention and to continue our drive to reduce smoking prevalence.
Tax changes are accompanied by a Tax Information and Impact Note which sets out the expected impacts on various groups.
Changes to tobacco duty rates from 30 October 2024 - GOV.UK
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Office for National Statistics’ dataset entitled Business demography quarterly, UK Quarter 2 April to June 2025 edition, if she will consider the effectiveness of the Family Farm Tax policy.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM 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. Where inheritance tax is due, those liable for a charge can pay any liability on the relevant assets over 10 annual instalments, interest-free.
The Government has set out that the reforms are expected to result in up to 520 estates claiming agricultural property relief, including those also claiming business property relief, paying more inheritance tax in 2026-27. Almost three-quarters of estates claiming agricultural property relief, including those that also claim for business property relief, will not pay any more tax as a result of the changes in 2026-27, based on the latest available data.
The reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief are forecast to raise a combined £520 million in 2029-30. The independent Office for Budget Responsibility certified this costing at Autumn Budget 2024 and it does not expect the reforms to have a significant macroeconomic impact.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of levels of borrowing to fund international climate finance on the debt to GDP ratio.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The UK’s current international climate finance commitment of £11.6bn from Financial Year 2021/22 to Financial Year 2025/26 (ICF3) is funded from the government’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget.
The ODA budget is accounted for as part of the UK's overall fiscal plans which is moving to a position where day-to-day spending is met with tax revenues, so that the government is only borrowing for investment.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an estimate of the projected interest costs to the taxpayer of the £11.6 billion in overseas climate aid.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The UK has committed to deliver £11.6bn of International Climate Finance (ICF3) to support developing countries’ climate mitigation and adaptation action from Financial Year 2021/22 to Financial Year 2025/26.
The Office for Budget Responsibility produces forecasts for interest costs in the round as part of its independent official forecast.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what information they hold on the number of workdays that were completed remotely in their Department in (a) 2024 and (b) 2025 to date.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The information requested is not available.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what purposes their Department has used artificial intelligence in the last year.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The tools available in HM Treasury include two secure Large Language Models (LLMs) which can be interacted with as you would a chatbot. There are a wide range of possible uses for these tools, including drafting, summarising and rewording text. The other available tool is a RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) tool, which retrieves information from a set of documents given to it.
Clear guidance is given to staff that these tools are designed to assist with work, not to replace colleagues in decision making processes. The goal of these tools is to make work and processes more efficient.
Further information about algorithmic tools that might be used to aid decisions can be found on the Algorithmic Transparency Reporting Standards page on gov.uk.