Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has had recent discussions with the (a) retail and (b) travel industries on the impact of the withdrawal of the VAT Retail Export Scheme on those industries.

As the UK’s economic and finance ministry, HM Treasury has regular discussions with representatives from a wide range of industries including travel and retail as well as business representative organisations covering many sectors.

As announced in the Autumn Statement, the government is continuing to accept representations from industry on the impact of this policy decision, and considering this evidence alongside broader data.