Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to his Department's policy paper VAT and the Public Sector: Reform to VAT Refund Rules, published on 27 August 2020, whether he plans to implement changes to the VAT regime for NHS (a) trusts and (b) foundation trusts considering establishing wholly owned subsidiary companies.

The 2020 policy paper published by HM Treasury set out the case for a Full Refund Model for public bodies currently eligible for VAT refunds under Section 41 of the VAT Act, to simplify the VAT system for public bodies and enhance public sector productivity. Please find the published paper on the GOV.UK website here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vat-and-the-public-sector-reform-to-vat-refund-rules.

We are continuing to consider the practicalities of any reform and no decisions have been made on whether to proceed. We will update on next steps in due course.