Written questions by Brewer.

What the average processing time is for HMRC Research and Development tax relief claims; and what steps she is taking to reduce that time.

Awaiting answer.

Whether she has considered the potential merits of exempting early years education and care providers from increases in National Insurance contributions to help mitigate rising operational costs.

It is our ambition that all families have access to high- quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, improving opportunity for every child and work choices for every parent; the government is grateful for the work of childcare providers an...

What the average processing time is for applications to be entered onto the Non-Domestic Rating List for self-catering holiday accommodation; and what the longest outstanding application is.

HMRC Valuation Office do not currently publish statistical data showing the processing times for adding a new self-catering holiday let to the Non-Domestic Rating Lists.

What assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the Government’s current strategy to prevent illicit tobacco sale.

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) and Border Force have a robust cross‑government strategy to tackle the illicit tobacco trade: Stubbing out the problem: A new strategy to tackle illicit tobacco. The effectiveness of this approach is reflected in strong enf...

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the increase in employer National Insurance contributions on (a) hairdressers and (b) other small to medium sized high street businesses that do not

The Government has taken a number of fair and necessary decisions on tax, welfare and spending to fix the public finances and fund public services and one of these decisions, taken at Autumn Budget 2024, was to increase the rate of National Insurance cont...

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the new business rates multiplier system on High Street businesses in North East Hampshire.

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 a...

What assessment she has made of the potential compounded impact of (a) National Insurance contribution rises (b) business rate rises (c) energy price hikes, on pubs in North East Hampshire.

The value of the Great British pub is clear - culturally, socially and economically. Pubs are important places of community and friendship, they foster community pride, and this Government wants to protect them.Recognising the value pubs bring and the cha...

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the level of National Insurance contributions on the employment of young people in rural pubs.

The value of the Great British pub is clear - culturally, socially and economically. Pubs are important places of community and friendship, they foster community pride, and this Government wants to protect them.Recognising the value pubs bring and the cha...

Whether she has considered measures to help ensure that banking hubs have the same range of services that bank branches have.

The Government is committed to supporting the financial services industry’s roll-out of 350 banking hubs by the end of this Parliament, and industry agreed with my predecessor that they would achieve this. Over 275 hubs have been announced so far, and mor...

What comparative assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of banking hubs with bank branches.

The Government is committed to supporting the financial services industry’s roll-out of 350 banking hubs by the end of this Parliament, and industry agreed with my predecessor that they would achieve this. Over 275 hubs have been announced so far, and mor...

What steps her Department are taking to ensure the delivery of 350 banking hubs.

The Government is committed to supporting the financial services industry’s roll-out of 350 banking hubs by the end of this Parliament, and industry agreed with my predecessor that they would achieve this. Over 275 hubs have been announced so far, and mor...

What assessment she has made of the impact of high street bank branch closures on ageing populations.

The way people across the UK use retail banking services has changed significantly, with many customers now choosing to bank online. In response, banks and building societies have reshaped their branch networks, reflecting changing customer preferences. H...

What steps her Department are taking to ensure that banking hubs are inclusive to ageing populations who struggle to access banking services by digital means.

The way people across the UK use retail banking services has changed significantly, with many customers now choosing to bank online. In response, banks and building societies have reshaped their branch networks, reflecting changing customer preferences. H...

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 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 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 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.