Written questions by Brewer.

What steps her Department is taking to help support businesses experiencing financial stress that are awaiting a non‑domestic rates revaluation; and what the average time frame is for rates revaluations on non-domestic rates.

Every three years the Valuation Office Agency carries out a revaluation of non-domestic properties. The 2026 revaluation is due to come into effect on 1 April 2026, based on values from 1 April 2024. In recognition of the impact of the revaluation on bills, the Government introduced a support package worth £4.3 billion, to protect ratepayers seeing their bills increase. The Government is introducing new permanently lower multipliers for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure properties. These new multipliers are worth nearly £1 billion per year and will benefit over 750,000 properties.

What estimate her Department has made of the level of economic growth required to support long‑term defence spending commitments.

This Government has announced a significant uplift in defence spending over the Spending Review period, paid for by a reduction to ODA. This uplift is underpinned by our non-negotiable fiscal rules; reducing borrowing whilst investing in defence to keep the UK and allies safe and thus providing the stability that underpins the plans to boost economic growth. Future years’ spending allocations will be considered at the next Spending Review in 2027, which will be underpinned by the independent Office for Budget Responsibility’s economic and fiscal forecasts.

What steps her Department is taking to help ensure that banks respond more rapidly to reported fraud by freezing suspected scam accounts immediately pending investigation.

The Government takes the issue of fraud very seriously and is dedicated to protecting the public from this appalling crime.Financial institutions are required to maintain robust systems and controls to detect and prevent financial crime under the Money Laundering Regulations. Banks must report certain suspicious activity, including fraud, to the National Crime Agency under the Proceeds of Crime Act, and banks may already freeze or block accounts where suspicious activity is detected. We introduced new rules allowing banks to delay and investigate suspicious payments for up to 72 hours. This supports interception of suspicious payments — complementing existing account‑freezing powers — by giving firms more time to prevent funds reaching fraudsters when complex cases are identifiedAs set out in the Fraud Strategy published on 9 March, we are now taking decisive additional action to reinforce the system‑wide response. The new Online Crime Centre will bring together law enforcement, intelligence agencies and private‑sector partners, including the financial services industry, to improve real‑time data sharing and analysis, helping firms spot suspected scam accounts sooner and act more quickly to freeze or restrict them where appropriate. Alongside this, we have launched a call for evidence on economic‑crime information sharing to remove barriers that currently prevent firms acting on intelligence earlier.The Strategy also tasks the FCA with developing best‑practice guidance on preventing APP fraud and money‑mule activity, supporting firms to identify, investigate and close suspicious accounts more effectively, and improving protections for customers at risk.

What discussions she has had with the Financial Conduct Authority on the time taken for banks to pay refunds to victims of phishing scams; and if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of those delays on the level of refund available to customers.

The Government takes the issue of fraud very seriously and is dedicated to protecting the public from this appalling crime. The Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) is the independent regulator with responsibility for the Authorised Push Payment (APP) scam reimbursement regime.The PSR’s rules require in scope Payment Service Providers (PSPs) to reimburse victims of APP scams which take place over the Faster Payments System within five business days of making a claim. However, PSPs may take longer in specific circumstances, including where it may need more time to gather sufficient information from the victim or third parties to help assess the claim. The PSR monitors compliance with the reimbursement regime closely and has powers to take action where firms fall short of their obligations. Treasury Ministers have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. Details of ministerial meetings with external organisations on departmental business are published on a quarterly basis and are available at the link below. https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-gifts-and-overseas-travel

What steps her Department is taking to protect vulnerable consumers from disproportionate online insurance price increases.

Insurers make commercial decisions about the terms on which they will offer cover following an assessment of the relevant risks. This is usually informed by the insurer’s claims experience and other industry-wide statistics. The government does not usually intervene in these decisions. However, the government is committed to ensuring that insurers treat their customers fairly and insurance companies are required to do so under Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) rules. The FCA requires firms to ensure their products offer fair value (i.e. if the price a consumer pays for a product or service is reasonable compared to the overall benefits they can expect to receive). The FCA monitors firms to make sure they provide products that are fair value, and, where necessary, it will take action.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the planned vape tax increase on (a) cigarette consumption and (b) illicit tobacco sales.

The Chief Medical Officer has been clear that vaping is not risk free and those who don't smoke shouldn't vape. The Vaping Products Duty (VPD) will take effect from 1 October 2026 at £2.20 per 10ml. This will be accompanied by an equivalent one-off increase in Tobacco Duty to maintain the financial incentive to switch from tobacco to vaping. Reducing affordability forms part of the Government’s wider strategy to influence behaviour, especially given the addictive nature of these products. VPD will also raise revenue to fund vital public services such as the NHS, defence, education and stop-smoking initiatives supporting a smoke-free UK.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the reduction of face to face banking options for all customers who find digital and telephone banking difficult to access.

Although digital banking is now widely used, with 93% of people making use of mobile or online services last year, the Government recognises that the ability to access cash and in-person banking support remains essential for many. This is why we have secured the industry’s commitment to roll out 350 banking hubs by the end of this Parliament, ensuring that access to face-to-face banking is protected. Over 230 hubs have been announced so far, and over 170 are already open. An alternative option to access in-person banking services is via the Post Office. The Post Office Banking Framework allows personal and business customers to withdraw and deposit cash, check their balance, pay bills and cash cheques at 11,500 Post Office branches across the UK. The Government protects the Post Office network by setting minimum access criteria. These include ensuring that 99% of the UK population lives within three miles of a Post Office and 90% of the population within one mile. More widely, ensuring individuals have access to the appropriate financial products and services they need is a key priority for the Government. That is why we have committed to publish a Financial Inclusion Strategy later this year which will examine the barriers consumers face in accessing the products they need.

What discussions she has had with banks on the time taken to pay full refunds to people who have been subject to phishing scams.

Government ministers have meetings with a wide variety of organisations, details of which can be found at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-gifts-and-overseas-travel The Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) is the independent regulator with responsibility for the Authorised Push Payment (APP) scam reimbursement regime. The PSR’s rules require in scope Payment Service Providers (PSP’s) to reimburse victims of APP scams which take place over the Faster Payments System within five business days of making a claim. However, PSPs may take longer in specific circumstances, including where it may need more time to gather sufficient information from the victim or third parties to help assess the claim.

What discussions she has had with the Payment Systems Regulator on the enforcement of the Authorised Push Payment fraud reimbursement rules introduced on 7 October 2024.

Government ministers have meetings with a wide variety of organisations, details of which can be found at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-gifts-and-overseas-travel The Government takes the issue of fraud very seriously and is dedicated to protecting the public from this appalling crime. The Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) has introduced a mandatory reimbursement cap for APP scams taking place over the Faster Payment system. This came into force on 7 October 2024. Enforcement of the APP scam reimbursement regime is a matter for the PSR, but to monitor the success and impact of this, the PSR has committed to commission an independent post implementation review of its policy after 12 months of the policy being in force. On 11 March, the Government announced its intentions to consolidate the PSR and its functions primarily within the FCA. The PSR continues to be an independent economic regulator with full access to its statutory powers until legislation is passed to change this and APP scam victims will continue to benefit from the same levels of protection.

What steps she plans to take to support small wine companies following changes to alcohol duty rates.

Following the end of the wine easement on 1 February some administrative work will be required for small wine companies, due to the need to make different calculations for wines of different strengths between 11.5% and 14.5% ABV to establish the level of duty. This extra step is one that was considered in detail during the consultation period.  To reduce small wine companies burdens, HMRC will accept the ABV on the label of the bottle for the calculation of duty. Whilst the new system of wine labelling allows product labelling to 0.1 per cent ABV, this is optional, and wine can still be labelled to the nearest 0.5 per cent ABV.

Whether her Department plans to review the Lifetime ISAs property price limit.

Data from the latest UK House Price Index) shows that while the average price paid by first-time buyers has increased, it is still below the LISA property price cap in all regions of the UK except for London, where the average price paid is affected by boroughs with very high property values. The Government keeps all aspects of savings tax policy under review.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of an increase in the rate of employers' National Insurance contributions on (a) hairdressers and (b) other small to medium-sized high street businesses that do not qualify for business rates relief.

In order to repair the public finances and help raise the revenue required to supportpublic services, the Government has taken the difficult decision to increase employer National Insurance contributions (NICs). The Government published a Tax Information and Impact Note on 13 November which sets out the impact of the employer NICs changes. The Government has protected the smallest businesses and charities from the impact of the increase to employer National Insurance by increasing the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500. This means that 865,000 employers will pay no NICs at all next year, more than half of employers will see no change or will gain overall from this package, and all eligible employers will be able to employ up to four full-time workers on the National Living Wage and pay no employer NICs.