Asked by: Dan Norris (Independent - North East Somerset and Hanham)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what fiscal steps her department is taking to minimise barriers for international firms to invest in the UK.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
Restoring sustainable, long-term economic growth remains the number one priority of this government. This is the foundation for the prosperity that families throughout the UK expect, and it is essential to creating the conditions that attract investment across sectors such advanced manufacturing, clean energy, and digital technologies.
The UK continues to champion free trade and global investment. We are supported by over 70 international trade agreements and have more than doubled the government’s budget headroom, strengthening our resilience and capacity to respond to future challenges. Our stable fiscal framework and pro‑investment tax system give international firms the confidence to invest. Consistent with the commitments set out in the 2024 Corporate Tax Roadmap, the government is maintaining the elements of the UK’s corporate tax offer that matter most for new investment:
The UK is also an attractive location for groups to locate their headquarters or holding companies, offering broad exemptions for gains on disposals of substantial shareholdings and a broad exemption for dividends paid to UK companies. There are also limited withholding taxes on outbound payments such as dividends, interest and royalties.
These measures are delivering results. We are set to be the second fastest growing economy in the G7 this year; PWC last year named the UK as the second most attractive country for investment in the world among CEOs, behind only the US and since coming into government we have seen companies from across the globe commit over £325bn worth of private investment into the UK.
Asked by: Melanie Onn (Labour - Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of establishing a Technical Excellence College in Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes constituency.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department is introducing Technical Excellence Colleges (TECs) to specialise in training skilled workforces which industry needs in growth-driving priority sectors.
The Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper confirmed that the government is expanding the TEC programme to a further four sectors: clean energy, advanced manufacturing, digital and technologies, and defence. These new TECs, backed by £175 million, will secure the pipeline of skilled workers into these areas.
The selection process for these TECs will start by the end of 2025, with delivery planned to begin from April 2026. Exact locations are yet to be determined, and colleges will be appointed through a fair and transparent application process. Further details will be published in due course.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps is she taking to support the development of electric vertical take off and landing vehicles in (a) Northern Ireland, (b) Wales and (c) Scotland.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport (DfT) is committed to the Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) industry and to delivering on the future of flight objectives, which include piloted commercial electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) operations from 2028.
The Future Flight Challenge was a £300m investment programme designed to support the development of new aviation systems — including electric and autonomous aircraft, drones, advanced airspace management, and supporting infrastructure. This year, over £4.4m of investment is funding projects to demonstrate progress towards commercialisation of Future of Flight technologies. These investments included projects in devolved administrations, such as SATE 1 and SATE 2, which explored the application of eVTOL aircraft.
Asked by: Lord Risby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the UK's tax regime on foreign direct investment competitiveness.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The UK has considerable economic strengths. It is the second largest services exporter in the world, the second most attractive location to invest in Europe and is ranked sixth in the Global Innovation Index.
Investment is at the heart of the government’s growth mission and is one of its key pillars alongside stability and reform. The UK continues to champion free trade and global investment, supported by over 70 international trade agreements and a competitive tax regime. Our stable fiscal rules and competitive tax system enable international firms to invest confidently and drive innovation across advanced manufacturing, clean energy, and digital technologies.
Investment is critical to growth and we are taking further steps to make the UK the most attractive destination for global investment. As confirmed at the Budget in November 2025, the government has committed over £120 billion of additional departmental capital spending over the course of the Parliament. This investment is being directed to infrastructure and planning priorities that support growth, including supporting regional growth by bringing new affordable homes and improved transport connectivity to more places and supporting energy and net zero priorities through new nuclear power. The National Wealth Fund and the British Business Bank are catalysing private investment and the new National Housing Bank will extend that catalytic effect to the housing market. The strategy is working: the UK is attracting international investment, with £150 billion of new confirmed inward investment commitments at the US State Visit in September and further commitments at the Regional Investment Summit in October.
In addition, following the commitments in the Corporate Tax Roadmap in 2024, the government continues to maintain the parts of the UK corporate tax offer that are most important for attracting new investment: a low Corporation Tax main rate of 25% - the lowest in the G7 - a flexible and competitive regime for intangible assets, the Patent Box, and one of the most generous and competitive capital allowances regimes in the world.
The UK is an attractive location for groups to locate their headquarters or holding companies, offering broad exemptions for gains on disposals of substantial shareholdings and a broad exemption for dividends paid to UK companies. There are also limited withholding taxes on outbound payments such as dividends, interest and royalties.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment has been made of police and enforcement capacity to investigate cryptocurrency-related crimes, including scams, ransomware payments, and illicit trading platforms.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The UK government has strengthened UK policing capabilities to tackle cryptocurrency-related crime effectively.
Through the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act (2023), law enforcement agencies (LEAs) gained new powers to seize illicit cryptoassets. As set out in the UK’s National Risk Assessment (NRA) of Money Laundering (ML) and Terrorist Financing (TF) 20251, this is supported by the recruitment of 475 new financial investigators across UK law enforcement, investment in advanced crypto forensic tracing technologies for LEAs, provision of specialist training for officers in crypto investigations and the creation of public-private operational crypto partnerships. Together, these measures enhance the UK’s ability to investigate cryptoasset crimes of all types and confiscate criminal proceeds.
This year LEAs also received £3.2m of additional funding through the Asset Recovery Incentivisation Scheme (ARIS) Top Slice grant to tackle crypto crime through innovative projects which further build capability within the LEA system. A further c£3.9m of funding is committed for next year. Monitored by the Home Office, these projects strengthen efforts to investigate and seize crypto attributed to crime.
The Home Office is developing legislative proposals to counter ransomware, which will provide law enforcement and operational partners with a robust evidence base and understanding of the ransomware payment landscape to support investigations and wider activity. The UK has led significant disruptions against ransomware gangs and their criminal ecosystem. In October 2024, we sanctioned 16 members of the prolific cyber-crime gang, Evil Corp, and in February 2025, UK sanctions targeted ZSERVERS, a prolific Russian cybercrime entity responsible for facilitating crippling ransomware attacks globally.
The Government will also soon publish a new fraud strategy designed to tackle all types of scams, including those involving cryptocurrencies.
1National risk assessment of money laundering and terrorist financing 2025 - GOV.UK
Asked by: Lord Naseby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the capacity of the National Wealth Fund to finance (1) new manufacturing facilities, and (2) the hydrogen and fuel cell technology manufacturing sector.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The NWF is the government’s principal investor and policy bank, with £27.8 billion of capital to mobilise investment in the growth and clean energy missions
The NWF prioritises clean energy, digital and technologies, advanced manufacturing, and transport sectors. The NWF will commit at least £5.8 billion over this Parliament to green hydrogen, carbon capture, ports, gigafactories and green steel sub-sectors.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 September 2025 to Question 74254, what steps she will take to (a) speed up and (b) scale the production of Sustainable Aviation Fuels.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is working at pace to deliver greener aviation as a key enabler of Government’s missions to kickstart economic growth and make Britain a clean energy superpower.
The UK plays a key role on coordinated international action through ICAO and forging strong bilateral partnerships to scale SAF technologies and markets. We were one of the first countries in the world to introduce a SAF mandate and a wide range of SAF projects are underway across the UK, using different technologies and progressing through various stages of development.
We are working to speed up and scale up the production of SAF in the UK through the Advanced Fuels Fund and the Revenue Certainty Mechanism. The Advanced Fuels Fund provides funding to first-of-a-kind commercial and demonstration-scale SAF projects in the UK, helping speed up the development and scale up of new technologies and projects. We are also currently legislating for a Revenue Certainty Mechanism. This will help UK-based SAF projects attract investment and start producing SAF at commercial scale more quickly.
The UK’s expertise in petrochemicals, jet fuel, and engineering positions it as a prime location for SAF production and we are confident that our policies can make the UK a world leader in SAF production and use. This will create high-skilled green jobs, attract investment, drive growth, boost fuel security, and open export opportunities. Low-carbon fuel production could support up to 15,000 UK jobs by 2050.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 September 2025 to Question 74254, what steps she will take to ensure that increased production of Sustainable Aviation Fuels delivers high skilled jobs.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is working at pace to deliver greener aviation as a key enabler of Government’s missions to kickstart economic growth and make Britain a clean energy superpower.
The UK plays a key role on coordinated international action through ICAO and forging strong bilateral partnerships to scale SAF technologies and markets. We were one of the first countries in the world to introduce a SAF mandate and a wide range of SAF projects are underway across the UK, using different technologies and progressing through various stages of development.
We are working to speed up and scale up the production of SAF in the UK through the Advanced Fuels Fund and the Revenue Certainty Mechanism. The Advanced Fuels Fund provides funding to first-of-a-kind commercial and demonstration-scale SAF projects in the UK, helping speed up the development and scale up of new technologies and projects. We are also currently legislating for a Revenue Certainty Mechanism. This will help UK-based SAF projects attract investment and start producing SAF at commercial scale more quickly.
The UK’s expertise in petrochemicals, jet fuel, and engineering positions it as a prime location for SAF production and we are confident that our policies can make the UK a world leader in SAF production and use. This will create high-skilled green jobs, attract investment, drive growth, boost fuel security, and open export opportunities. Low-carbon fuel production could support up to 15,000 UK jobs by 2050.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 12 September 2025 to Question 74693, if she will consider the potential merits of the UK becoming a global leader in SAF production.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is working at pace to deliver greener aviation as a key enabler of Government’s missions to kickstart economic growth and make Britain a clean energy superpower.
The UK plays a key role on coordinated international action through ICAO and forging strong bilateral partnerships to scale SAF technologies and markets. We were one of the first countries in the world to introduce a SAF mandate and a wide range of SAF projects are underway across the UK, using different technologies and progressing through various stages of development.
We are working to speed up and scale up the production of SAF in the UK through the Advanced Fuels Fund and the Revenue Certainty Mechanism. The Advanced Fuels Fund provides funding to first-of-a-kind commercial and demonstration-scale SAF projects in the UK, helping speed up the development and scale up of new technologies and projects. We are also currently legislating for a Revenue Certainty Mechanism. This will help UK-based SAF projects attract investment and start producing SAF at commercial scale more quickly.
The UK’s expertise in petrochemicals, jet fuel, and engineering positions it as a prime location for SAF production and we are confident that our policies can make the UK a world leader in SAF production and use. This will create high-skilled green jobs, attract investment, drive growth, boost fuel security, and open export opportunities. Low-carbon fuel production could support up to 15,000 UK jobs by 2050.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate he has made of the number of Advanced Modular Reactors that will be functional and fully operational by 2035.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Advanced Modular Reactors (AMRs) have the potential to provide reliable, low-carbon energy for electricity generation and energy uses beyond baseload power.
At the Spending Review, the government committed to provide a pathway for privately-led advanced nuclear technologies. Great British Energy – Nuclear has been tasked with assessing proposals within a new framework, with the National Wealth Fund exploring potential investment opportunities and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero exploring revenue support for viable projects. The new framework will be published shortly.