Asked by: Lewis Cocking (Conservative - Broxbourne)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will publish the Valuation Office Agency presentation entitled Use of AVMs – Council Tax revaluation in Wales, given at the Conference of Valuation Agencies in October 2024.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Information about how the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) uses model assisted valuation and mass appraisal to support large-scale valuation is available on GOV.UK: How model assisted valuation delivers large-scale property valuations - GOV.UK.
Asked by: Lewis Cocking (Conservative - Broxbourne)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to support (a) older people and (b) people who are not digitally confident in accessing online banking services.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Government understands the importance of face-to-face banking to communities and high streets across the UK, and is committed to championing sufficient access for all as a priority. This is why the Government is working closely with industry to roll out 350 banking hubs across the UK. The UK banking sector has committed to deliver these hubs by the end of this Parliament. Over 230 hubs have been announced so far, and over 180 are already open.
Whilst the Government meets with LINK to discuss a variety of matters, any decisions on changes to LINK’s independent assessment criteria are a matter for LINK and the financial services sector.
The treatment of customers by UK banks is governed by the the Financial Conduct Authority, which requires firms to provide a prompt, efficient, and fair service to all of their customers. This includes special considerations for vulnerable customers. In addition, like all service providers, banks and building societies are bound under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments, where necessary, in the way they deliver their services.
Alternative options to access everyday banking services can be via telephone banking, through digital means such as mobile or online banking, and via the Post Office. The Post Office Banking Framework allows personal and business customers to withdraw and deposit cash, check their balance, pay bills and cash cheques at 11,500 Post Office branches across the UK.
Asked by: Lewis Cocking (Conservative - Broxbourne)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions she has had with LINK on the potential for widening the criteria for establishing additional banking hubs across the UK.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Government understands the importance of face-to-face banking to communities and high streets across the UK, and is committed to championing sufficient access for all as a priority. This is why the Government is working closely with industry to roll out 350 banking hubs across the UK. The UK banking sector has committed to deliver these hubs by the end of this Parliament. Over 230 hubs have been announced so far, and over 180 are already open.
Whilst the Government meets with LINK to discuss a variety of matters, any decisions on changes to LINK’s independent assessment criteria are a matter for LINK and the financial services sector.
The treatment of customers by UK banks is governed by the the Financial Conduct Authority, which requires firms to provide a prompt, efficient, and fair service to all of their customers. This includes special considerations for vulnerable customers. In addition, like all service providers, banks and building societies are bound under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments, where necessary, in the way they deliver their services.
Alternative options to access everyday banking services can be via telephone banking, through digital means such as mobile or online banking, and via the Post Office. The Post Office Banking Framework allows personal and business customers to withdraw and deposit cash, check their balance, pay bills and cash cheques at 11,500 Post Office branches across the UK.
Asked by: Lewis Cocking (Conservative - Broxbourne)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate has been made of the number of (a) retail, (b) hospitality and (c) leisure hereditaments ineligible for the retail, hospitality and leisure business rate relief under the £110,000 cap per business.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Retail, Hospitality and Leisure (RHL) relief has been extended year-by-year by previous Governments since the pandemic – creating uncertainty for businesses and an unsustainable fiscal pressure for the Government.
Without any Government intervention, the RHL relief scheme would have ended entirely in April 2025, creating a cliff-edge for businesses. Instead, the Government decided to provide a 40 per cent discount to RHL properties up to a cash cap of £110,0000 per business in 2025/26, ahead of permanently lower rates for RHL properties from 2026/27. Like all business rates multipliers, these lower RHL multipliers will not be subject to a cash cap. This permanent tax cut will ensure that RHL businesses benefit from much-needed certainty and support.
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, HM Treasury intends to publish analysis of the effects of the new multiplier arrangements.
Asked by: Lewis Cocking (Conservative - Broxbourne)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many (a) pubs, (b) hotels and (c) restaurants in England have a Rateable Value over £500,000.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Valuation Office Agency published this information, as at 31 March 2025, in its latest 'Non-domestic rating: stock of properties' release here: Non-domestic rating: stock of properties, 2025 - GOV.UK
Asked by: Lewis Cocking (Conservative - Broxbourne)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of (a) wealth taxes and (b) taxes on high-value residential property.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government is committed to making sure the wealthiest in our society pay their fair share of tax. That is why the Chancellor announced a series of reforms at Autumn Budget 2024 to help fix the public finances in as fair a way as possible. These and other decisions announced at the Budget will help repair the public finances and fund public services such as the NHS and education.
The Government keeps all taxes under review as part of the tax policy making process. Any tax changes are generally announced at Budget where decisions are taken in the round.
Asked by: Lewis Cocking (Conservative - Broxbourne)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Entrepreneurship Advisor role on small businesses.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Reducing barriers for business, entrepreneurs and investors is key to boosting economic growth and delivering the government’s Plan for Change.
Alex Depledge has been appointed as the government’s Entrepreneurship Advisor and brings extensive entrepreneurship experience, having successfully built several businesses from the ground up.
Over the coming months, Alex will advise the Chancellor on the government’s entrepreneurship landscape, focusing on addressing the key barriers faced by businesses seeking to start up and scale up in the UK. The impact of any policy decisions taken by the Chancellor as a result of this advice will be assessed in the usual way.
Asked by: Lewis Cocking (Conservative - Broxbourne)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the target for the number of banking hubs to be opened by the end of this Parliament.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Government understands the importance of face-to-face banking to communities and high streets across the UK, and is committed to championing sufficient access for all as a priority. This is why the Government is working closely with industry to roll out 350 banking hubs across the UK. The UK banking sector has committed to deliver these hubs by the end of this Parliament. Over 230 hubs have been announced so far, and over 160 are already open.
The commitment to open 350 banking hubs by the end of this Parliament is not a limit. Cash Access UK will deploy a banking hub wherever LINK, the industry coordinating body responsible for making access to cash assessments following a community request or branch closure, suggests one is appropriate.
Asked by: Lewis Cocking (Conservative - Broxbourne)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to require LINK to amend its assessment criteria for establishing new banking hubs.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
While the Government has no current plans to amend legislation, we continue to work closely with industry to roll out 350 banking hubs across the UK. The UK banking sector has committed to deliver these hubs by the end of this Parliament. Over 220 hubs have been announced so far, and over 140 are already open.
Any decisions on changes to LINK’s independent assessment criteria are a matter for LINK, the financial services sector, and for the Financial Conduct Authority, which oversees the access to cash regime.
Asked by: Lewis Cocking (Conservative - Broxbourne)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 3 March 2025 to Question 33105 on Banking Hubs, whether she has the power to change the assessment criteria used by LINK to establish new banking hubs.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Banking has changed significantly in recent years with many customers benefitting from the ease and convenience of remote banking. While branch closures are commercial decisions for banks, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) guidance expects firms to carefully consider the impact of planned branch closures on their customers’ everyday banking and cash access needs and put in place alternatives where reasonable. This seeks to ensure that branch closures are implemented in a way that treats customers fairly.
Where firms fall short of expectations, the FCA may ask for closures to be paused or other options to be put in place. Where alternative services have been recommended, a branch cannot close until any recommended services are in place.
The Financial Services and Markets Act 2023 granted the FCA the responsibility and powers to seek to ensure the reasonable provision of cash withdrawal and deposit facilities. Under the FCA’s regime, LINK, the operator of the UK’s ATM network, is responsible for undertaking access to cash assessments. When a cash service such as a bank branch closes, or if LINK receives a request directly from a community, LINK assesses a community’s access to cash needs and can recommend a new service, such as a banking hub.
The Government has no powers to intervene in decisions to open new banking hubs, and the criteria for access to cash assessments is a matter for LINK, the financial services sector and the FCA. The FCA is required by law to keep its access to cash rules under review and is monitoring the impact of these rules on an ongoing basis to ensure they deliver the right outcomes for businesses and consumers.