Written questions by Dance.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of abolishing Stamp Duty for downsizers in (a) Yeovil constituency (b) Somerset and (c) England.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of regulating property investment training course providers.

Awaiting answer.

How many and what percentage of people have had their child benefits incorrectly suspended from (a) Yeovil constituency, (b) Somerset and (c) England in each of the last three years.

Awaiting answer.

Whether the Access to Banking Services Review will consider rurality.

The Government recognises the importance of ensuring that communities across the UK can access the banking services they need. That is why HM Treasury has commissioned an independent Review into Access to Banking Services. Whilst there is evidence on a lo...

What her planned timetable is for the (a) production and (b) publication independent review to protect access to face-to-face banking across the UK.

The Access to Banking Services Review will consider access to in-person banking services and whether changes to access to in-person banking services are causing consumer detriment. The Review will conclude in October 2026 so that its findings can inform t...

What assessment she has made of the impact of business rates on the viability of post offices in Yeovil constituency.

At the Budget, the VO announced updated property values from the 2026 revaluation. This revaluation is the first since pandemic, which has led to significant increases in rateable values for some properties. The Government has introduced a support package...

What steps she is taking with the Financial Conduct Authority to regulate the online (a) wealth creation and (b) property investment industries.

The UK’s financial promotions regime is designed to ensure that consumers are provided with clear and accurate information that enables them to make appropriate decisions for their individual circumstances. As a technology-neutral framework, the regime ho...

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the absence of in-person banking services in (a) Yeovil constituency, (b) Somerset and (c) the United Kingdom on individuals with mental health conditions.

The Government recognises that access to in‑person banking services can be particularly important for some customers, including blind and partially sighted people, individuals with learning disabilities, and those with mental health conditions. The Government is committed to maintaining high standards of financial inclusion across the financial services sector, including in the Yeovil constituency, Somerset and the United Kingdom as a whole. Where banks make commercial decisions to reduce their branch network, they are required by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to carefully consider the impact on customers’ everyday banking and cash access needs, including the needs of vulnerable customers, and to put appropriate alternative arrangements in place. The Government understands the importance of banking services to communities and is committed to supporting the financial services industry’s roll-out of 350 banking hubs by the end of this Parliament. Over 270 hubs have been announced so far, and more than 225 are already open. Banking hubs offer everyday counter services provided by Post Office staff, enabling people and businesses to withdraw and deposit cash, deposit cheques, pay bills and make balance enquiries. They also contain dedicated rooms where customers can see community bankers from their own bank to carry out wider banking services. In addition, customers can access everyday banking services through the Post Office. The Post Office Banking Framework allows personal and business customers to withdraw and deposit cash, check balances and pay bills at over 10,000 Post Office branches across the UK. Some firms also provide additional in‑person access through services such as mobile banking vans or pop‑up locations in community venues, particularly in rural and remote areas. Financial services provided by banks and building societies must comply with the FCA’s rules, which require firms to provide a prompt, efficient and fair service to all customers. The FCA’s Consumer Duty further requires firms to act in good faith, avoid foreseeable harm and support customers to pursue their financial objectives, including by ensuring that information and services are accessible. The FCA’s Handbook requires firms to identify particularly vulnerable customers, and to consider the needs of these customers appropriately. This includes blind and partially sighted people, individuals with learning disabilities, and those experiencing mental health difficulties. Banks and building societies are also subject to the Equality Act 2010, which requires service providers to make reasonable adjustments so that disabled people can access services on an equal basis. More broadly, the Government’s Financial Inclusion Strategy, published in November, sets out an ambitious programme of work to improve access to financial services for underserved groups across the UK. This includes a key focus on access to banking and digital inclusion, with interventions to make financial products and services more accessible, support in-person banking services, and make it easier for individuals to access a bank account. The Government keeps the effectiveness of current arrangements under review through regular engagement with stakeholders to ensure they meet the needs of local communities.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of a lack of in-person banking services in (a) Yeovil constituency, (b) Somerset and (c) the United Kingdom on (i) blind and (ii) partially sighted people.

The Government recognises that access to in‑person banking services can be particularly important for some customers, including blind and partially sighted people, individuals with learning disabilities, and those with mental health conditions. The Government is committed to maintaining high standards of financial inclusion across the financial services sector, including in the Yeovil constituency, Somerset and the United Kingdom as a whole. Where banks make commercial decisions to reduce their branch network, they are required by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to carefully consider the impact on customers’ everyday banking and cash access needs, including the needs of vulnerable customers, and to put appropriate alternative arrangements in place. The Government understands the importance of banking services to communities and is committed to supporting the financial services industry’s roll-out of 350 banking hubs by the end of this Parliament. Over 270 hubs have been announced so far, and more than 225 are already open. Banking hubs offer everyday counter services provided by Post Office staff, enabling people and businesses to withdraw and deposit cash, deposit cheques, pay bills and make balance enquiries. They also contain dedicated rooms where customers can see community bankers from their own bank to carry out wider banking services. In addition, customers can access everyday banking services through the Post Office. The Post Office Banking Framework allows personal and business customers to withdraw and deposit cash, check balances and pay bills at over 10,000 Post Office branches across the UK. Some firms also provide additional in‑person access through services such as mobile banking vans or pop‑up locations in community venues, particularly in rural and remote areas. Financial services provided by banks and building societies must comply with the FCA’s rules, which require firms to provide a prompt, efficient and fair service to all customers. The FCA’s Consumer Duty further requires firms to act in good faith, avoid foreseeable harm and support customers to pursue their financial objectives, including by ensuring that information and services are accessible. The FCA’s Handbook requires firms to identify particularly vulnerable customers, and to consider the needs of these customers appropriately. This includes blind and partially sighted people, individuals with learning disabilities, and those experiencing mental health difficulties. Banks and building societies are also subject to the Equality Act 2010, which requires service providers to make reasonable adjustments so that disabled people can access services on an equal basis. More broadly, the Government’s Financial Inclusion Strategy, published in November, sets out an ambitious programme of work to improve access to financial services for underserved groups across the UK. This includes a key focus on access to banking and digital inclusion, with interventions to make financial products and services more accessible, support in-person banking services, and make it easier for individuals to access a bank account. The Government keeps the effectiveness of current arrangements under review through regular engagement with stakeholders to ensure they meet the needs of local communities.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the absence of in-person banking services in (a) Yeovil constituency, (b) Somerset and (c) the United Kingdom on individuals with learning disabilities.

The Government recognises that access to in‑person banking services can be particularly important for some customers, including blind and partially sighted people, individuals with learning disabilities, and those with mental health conditions. The Government is committed to maintaining high standards of financial inclusion across the financial services sector, including in the Yeovil constituency, Somerset and the United Kingdom as a whole. Where banks make commercial decisions to reduce their branch network, they are required by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to carefully consider the impact on customers’ everyday banking and cash access needs, including the needs of vulnerable customers, and to put appropriate alternative arrangements in place. The Government understands the importance of banking services to communities and is committed to supporting the financial services industry’s roll-out of 350 banking hubs by the end of this Parliament. Over 270 hubs have been announced so far, and more than 225 are already open. Banking hubs offer everyday counter services provided by Post Office staff, enabling people and businesses to withdraw and deposit cash, deposit cheques, pay bills and make balance enquiries. They also contain dedicated rooms where customers can see community bankers from their own bank to carry out wider banking services. In addition, customers can access everyday banking services through the Post Office. The Post Office Banking Framework allows personal and business customers to withdraw and deposit cash, check balances and pay bills at over 10,000 Post Office branches across the UK. Some firms also provide additional in‑person access through services such as mobile banking vans or pop‑up locations in community venues, particularly in rural and remote areas. Financial services provided by banks and building societies must comply with the FCA’s rules, which require firms to provide a prompt, efficient and fair service to all customers. The FCA’s Consumer Duty further requires firms to act in good faith, avoid foreseeable harm and support customers to pursue their financial objectives, including by ensuring that information and services are accessible. The FCA’s Handbook requires firms to identify particularly vulnerable customers, and to consider the needs of these customers appropriately. This includes blind and partially sighted people, individuals with learning disabilities, and those experiencing mental health difficulties. Banks and building societies are also subject to the Equality Act 2010, which requires service providers to make reasonable adjustments so that disabled people can access services on an equal basis. More broadly, the Government’s Financial Inclusion Strategy, published in November, sets out an ambitious programme of work to improve access to financial services for underserved groups across the UK. This includes a key focus on access to banking and digital inclusion, with interventions to make financial products and services more accessible, support in-person banking services, and make it easier for individuals to access a bank account. The Government keeps the effectiveness of current arrangements under review through regular engagement with stakeholders to ensure they meet the needs of local communities.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of replacing the business rates system on businesses in Yeovil constituency.

The Government has already started the work of reforming our business rates system by introducing new permanently lower multipliers for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties. These new multipliers are worth nearly £1 billion per year and will benefit over 750,000 properties. The Government is also supporting small businesses to grow. At Budget, the Government announced the extension of Small Business Rates Relief (SBRR) so that businesses opening second premises can retain their SBRR for three years, tripling the current allowance. The Call for Evidence, published at Budget, built on the findings of the Transforming Business Rates: Discussion Paper and asked stakeholders for more detailed evidence on how the business rates system influences investment decisions. We are carefully considering representations we’ve received, and a Government response to the Call for Evidence will be published in due course. Any reforms taken forward will be phased over the course of the Parliament.

What steps she is taking to help improve the efficiency of His Majesties Revenue and Customs' operations.

As published in the Spending Review 2025 Departmental Efficiency Plans, HM Revenue and Customs will be delivering significant efficiencies of £886m per year by 2028-29 in five areas: moving to digital services – HMRC will use digital services as its main form of customer communication and the primary method of interaction. These services are more convenient, more productive, and more cost-effective;improving and modernising the IT estate – HMRC will replace its legacy IT infrastructure with modern platforms and services. Moving to modern IT platforms reduces risk, enables decommissioning of costly systems, and provides more productive digital tools for staff and customers;continuous improvement and productivity – HMRC has a strong track record of continuous improvement activity. Improvements in training, guidance and retention have also enabled HMRC to deliver productivity benefits;restructuring the physical estate – HMRC will consolidate its offices into modern regional centres, exit some sites and streamline its facilities contracts; andupstream compliance – HMRC aims to prevent non-compliance from happening proactively, rather than reacting when it has occurred. This prevents costly compliance and litigation, as well as closing the tax gap.

What her planned timetable is for appointing a retail and hospitality envoy.

The Government will make an announcement on the appointment of the Retail and Hospitality Envoy in the coming weeks.

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of (a) increases in business rates valuations and (b) the removal of 40% rate relief announced in the Autumn 2025 Budget on grassroots music venues in Yeovil Constituency.

The amount of business rates paid on each property is based on the rateable value of the property, assessed by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), and the multiplier values, which are set by the Government. Rateable values are re-assessed every three years. Revaluations ensure that the rateable values of properties (i.e. the tax base) remain in line with market changes, and that the tax rates adjust to reflect changes in the tax base. At the Budget, the VOA announced updated property values from the 2026 revaluation. Music venues are valued in the same way as any other class of non-domestic property, through applying the statutory and common law principles that apply across non-domestic rating. This revaluation is the first since Covid, which has led to significant increases in rateable values for some properties. To support with bill increases, at the Budget, the Government introduced a support package worth £4.3 billion over the next three years to protect ratepayers seeing their bills increase because of the revaluation. As a result, over half of ratepayers will see no bill increases, including 23% seeing their bills go down next year. Government support also means that most properties seeing increases will see them capped at 15% or less next year, or £800 for the smallest. More broadly, the Government is delivering a long overdue reform to rebalance the business rates system and support the high street, as promised in our manifesto. The Government is doing this by introducing permanently lower tax rates for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties, including grassroots music venues, while ensuring that warehouses used by online giants will pay more. The new RHL tax rates replace the temporary RHL relief that has been winding down since Covid.Unlike RHL relief, the new rates are permanent, giving businesses certainty and stability, and there will be no cap, meaning all qualifying properties on high streets across England will benefit.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of His Majesty's Revenue and Customs timings for processing tax refunds on residents in Yeovil constituency.

HMRC recognise that repayments are important for customers. They prioritise them to ensure they are processed as quickly and securely as possible. HMRC balance the provision of prompt payments to eligible customers with effective revenue protection from fraudsters. The majority of repayments are issued promptly and HMRC’s online ‘Where’s My Reply’ tool can help customers understand when they can expect to receive a response. This year, HMRC customer service performance has improved and that is positively impacting repayment processing. In addition, HMRC is continuing to invest in automation, deploy additional resources where required and review their internal processes to ensure repayments are issued as quickly as possible.

What assessment her Department made during the development of the autumn budget 2025 on the potential impact of the Budget on the hospitality sector in (a) Yeovil constituency and (b) the South West.

The hospitality sector is the heartbeat of our communities, and the Government recognises the contribution it makes to our culture and the UK exchequer.We are determined to support hospitality businesses and help them succeed. At Budget, the Chancellor announced the first National Licensing Policy Framework which sets a new strategic direction for licensing authorities to have more regard for growth when reviewing licensing applications and decisions in England and Wales. We are exploring planning reforms to help pubs and hospitality expand and will appoint a Retail and Hospitality Envoy shortly.The new Community Right to Buy will help communities safeguard valued community assets – such as pubs – and the English Devolution Bill will ban upward only rent reviews.

What steps she is taking to support the cider industry in (a) Yeovil constituency and (b) south Somerset.

The cider industry makes a vital contribution to our economy and society, which is recognised in the tax system.The current duty system supports the cider industry through Draught Relief (DR), which ensures products served on draught pay less duty, and Small Producer Relief (SPR), which permits smaller producers to pay reduced duty rates.Eligible producers making cider products below 8.5 per cent alcohol by volume can claim both DR and SPR.At Budget 2024, the Chancellor announced a duty cut on qualifying draught products – approximately 60% of the alcoholic drinks sold in pubs. This reduces alcohol producers’ duty bills by over £85m a year and has cut 1p off the duty on an average strength pint.The Chancellor also increased the generosity of the discount available for small cider-makers, by increasing the relative value of the SPR discount, compared to the main duty rates, for both draught and non-draught products. To illustrate, a cider-maker producing 10,000 litres of pure alcohol a year received a 52% discount on the main rate before the Budget, and receives a 53% discount now.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the level of (a) Value Added Tax rates and (b) business rates on the recovery of hospitality businesses in rural areas in Yeovil constituency.

The Government recognises the significant contribution made by hospitality and tourism businesses, including those in rural areas, to economic growth and social life in the UK. To deliver our manifesto pledge, from 2026/27, we intend to introduce permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties, including hotels, with rateable values below £500,000. This permanent tax cut will ensure that they benefit from much-needed certainty and support. Ahead of these new multipliers being introduced, the Government recognises that businesses will need support in 2025/26. As such, we prevented the current RHL relief from ending in April 2025, extending it for one year at 40 per cent up to a cash cap of £110,000 per business, and we froze the small business multiplier. When the new, permanently lower tax rates are set at Budget 2025, the Treasury intends to publish analysis of the effects of the new multiplier arrangements. VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption, and the 20 per cent standard rate applies to most goods and services. The UK’s VAT rate of 20 per cent is close to the OECD average of 19.3 per cent. At £90,000, the UK has a higher VAT registration threshold than any EU country and the joint highest in the OECD. This keeps the majority of businesses out of the VAT regime altogether.

What steps she is taking to improve small business confidence in Yeovil constituency.

As set out in the Plan for Change, the Government’s priority mission is to deliver strong, secure and sustainable economic growth. The Government will deliver this in partnership with businesses, making the UK the best place in the world to invest and to do business. We recently published ‘Backing your business: our plan for small and medium-sized businesses’ which set out a long-term direction for the Government’s support for smaller firms. This includes:- going further than any previous government with the most significant package of legislative reforms in 25 years to tackle late payments;- increasing the financial capacity of the British Business Bank to £25.6bn, which will enable a two-thirds increase in support for SMEs across the UK. As part of this, we are expanding Start-up Loans to offer 69,000 new businesses, and committing to the British Business Bank’s Growth Guarantee Scheme for the longer term;- cutting the administrative costs of regulation for business by 25%, to save businesses time and money so they can focus on running successful businesses;- modernising the tax and customs system, as referenced in HMRC’s Transformation Roadmap - including AI powered tech and personalised digital experiences make it easier for small businesses to navigate their tax affairs- Launching a High Streets and Growth Incubators to back high street businesses, redevelop commercial space and trigger private investment.- delivering growth boosting support with a new Business Growth Service to unlock business potential. I recognise the importance of the Defence sector for Yeovil’s economy. Our uplift of national defence spending to 2.6% of GDP, with the ambition to reach 3% in the next Parliament when economic and fiscal conditions, will help revitalise our economic base, benefiting towns like Yeovil. Businesses in Yeovil can get access to free expert advice, support and signposting to all kinds of Government programmes by engaging through the Heart of the South West Growth Hub.

If she will hold discussions with LINK on the adequacy of (a) its assessment process for approving banking hubs in rural areas and (b) its considerations of the need for in-person banking services beyond access to cash when approving banking hubs.

Banking has changed significantly in recent years with many customers benefitting from the ease and convenience of remote banking. 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 220 hubs have been announced so far, and over 135 are already open. Where a branch closure is announced or a community has submitted a cash access assessment request, LINK, the independent industry coordinating body responsible for making access to cash assessments, assesses a community’s access to cash needs, and will recommend appropriate solutions where it considers that a community requires additional cash services. The FCA’s rules require designated firms to consider a range of factors in their assessments which will account for challenges in cash access faced in rural areas. For example, firms are required to consider the actual travel times and costs to reach cash access facilities and identify gaps in provision where these are unreasonable, which may be particularly the case in rural areas. 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, the financial services sector, and for the FCA, which oversees the access to cash regime.