Written questions by Ballinger.

What steps she is taking to support access to finance for SMEs in the West Midlands.

The Government is committed to ensuring that businesses across the UK, including in the West Midlands, can access the capital they need to grow. Through the British Business Bank (BBB), we are delivering a range of targeted interventions, including loan guarantee programmes and equity investment, designed to address regional funding gaps and unlock investment opportunities. Businesses in the West Midlands already benefit from the £400 million Midlands Engine Investment Fund II (MEIF). This fund is increasing the supply and diversity of early-stage finance for smaller businesses across the Midlands and enabling businesses that might otherwise not receive investment to access capital. The BBB’s 2025 Impact Report estimates that their investments supported 2,200 West Midlands SMEs in 2024/25, and created 2,000 jobs. This follows the 10 June milestone of more than £100 million having been provided to West Midlands businesses as part of the Start Up Loans programme. The Bank also hosted a ‘Meet the Investor’ event in partnership with Tech UK in Birmingham in March to help connect SMEs with potential investors. West Midlands businesses will also benefit from the recent Spending Review uplift, which increased the Bank’s total capacity to £25.6 billion. This uplift will enable the Bank to make annual investments of around £2.5 billion, supporting more high-growth and innovative UK businesses access finance across the UK.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of reducing the maximum amount that can be added to a cash ISA on small building societies.

The pricing of mortgages is a commercial decision for lenders in which the Government does not intervene. However, mortgage rates are influenced by a range of factors, including Base Rate, which has been cut five times since this Government came to power. ISAs incentivise saving and investment for future goals by providing tax advantages to individual taxpayers. The Government recognises the important role that cash savings play. The Government continues to consider reforms to ISAs and savings to achieve the right balance between cash savings and investment and ensure better outcomes for both savers and the UK economy.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of reducing the maximum amount that can be added to a cash ISA on mortgage rates.

The pricing of mortgages is a commercial decision for lenders in which the Government does not intervene. However, mortgage rates are influenced by a range of factors, including Base Rate, which has been cut five times since this Government came to power. ISAs incentivise saving and investment for future goals by providing tax advantages to individual taxpayers. The Government recognises the important role that cash savings play. The Government continues to consider reforms to ISAs and savings to achieve the right balance between cash savings and investment and ensure better outcomes for both savers and the UK economy.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of extending the mortgage guarantee scheme beyond 30 June 2025.

The Government recognises the difficulties some prospective first-time buyers face in buying a home, and is committed to helping them get on the housing ladder.We committed in our manifesto to introduce a permanent and comprehensive mortgage guarantee scheme to help buyers who struggle to save for a large deposit. At Autumn Budget 2024, the Chancellor confirmed our intention to introduce this scheme. We will announce further details of this scheme in due course.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of changing the UK VCT rules on the age limit for qualifying companies in line with EU regulations.

The Venture Capital Trust (VCT) Scheme was evaluated in 2022, and these evaluations were published on gov.uk: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/evaluation-of-venture-capital-schemes.The evaluations found that the schemes were well targeted to address the market failure which makes it difficult for early-stage, high-risk companies to secure the investment they need.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of adjusting the annual limits for VCT investee companies alongside inflation.

The Venture Capital Trust (VCT) Scheme was evaluated in 2022, and these evaluations were published on gov.uk: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/evaluation-of-venture-capital-schemes.The evaluations found that the schemes were well targeted to address the market failure which makes it difficult for early-stage, high-risk companies to secure the investment they need.

What recent assessment she has made of the potential merits of raising taxation on gambling operators.

Gambling Duties raised £3.5 billion in revenue in 2023-24.As with all taxes, the Government keeps the gambling duty system under review during its Budget process.

What discussions he has had with HMRC on instructions given to debt collection agencies in the event of (a) an unresolved dispute or (b) error on a taxpayer's account.

The debt collection agencies (DCAs) that HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) collaborates with are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and are strictly bound by HMRC's processes and guidance.HMRC undertakes regular reviews, including the monitoring of calls and examination of messages, to ensure compliance with these stringent processes and guidelines. In the event of an unresolved dispute, or an error on a taxpayer's account, the DCAs must return the taxpayer’s case to HMRC for direct handling.HMRC will then work with the taxpayer to ensure that any disputes or errors are resolved.