Written questions by Brown-Fuller.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of proposed changes to (a) retail, (b) hospitality and (c) leisure business rates on high street businesses.

Without any government intervention, the current Retail, Hospitality and Leisure (RHL) relief would have ended entirely in April 2025, creating a cliff-edge for businesses. Instead, the Government has decided to offer a 40 per cent discount to RHL properties up to a cash cap of £110,0000 per business in 2025-26 and frozen the small business multiplier. This is a package worth over £1.6 billion in 2025-26, aimed at supporting the most vulnerable businesses, ensuring that over 250,000 RHL properties receive the full 40% support. By tapering RHL relief to 40%, rather than removing it entirely, the government has saved the average pub, with a rateable value (RV) of £16,800, over £3,300 in 2025. At Budget, the Government also announced that from 2026-27, it intends to introduce permanently lower tax rates for RHL properties, including those on the high street. This permanent tax cut will ensure that they benefit from much-needed certainty and support. The Government intends to fund this by introducing a higher multiplier on the most valuable properties, which includes the majority of large distribution warehouses, including warehouses used by online giants. The exact rates for any new business rate multipliers will not be set until Budget 2025 so that the Government can take into account the revaluation outcomes as well as the economic and fiscal context.

Whether she has plans to help deliver railway infrastructure upgrades in Chichester constituency.

The Chancellor has been clear about the state of the nation's finances and has launched a multi-year Spending Review. The Secretary of State has announced her intention to conduct a thorough review of the previous government's transport plans to ensure that our transport infrastructure portfolio drives economic growth and delivers value for money for taxpayers. No specific infrastructure upgrades are being actively considered in the Chichester constituency at present. Any proposals to government for such upgrades should include the support of West Sussex County Council and Transport for the South East and outline the impacts to growth, employment and housing that the proposal would involve.

If he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the practice of GP surgeries charging fees to patients for (a) signed certificates, (b) reports and (c) medical letters.

For general practices (GPs), there are some medical evidence letters, certificates, or reports that GPs may charge for, and other certificates that they must not charge patients for. The legislation that sets this out is the General Medical Services and Personal Medical Services Regulations, which form the basis of the GP Contract with the National Health Service. There is no statutory limit to the level of such fees, as this is outside of core NHS work. However, we would expect the practice to charge a reasonable sum appropriate for the workload involved.The Professional Fees Committee of the British Medical Association (BMA) suggests guideline fees for such services to help doctors set their own professional fees. However, these fees are guidelines only, not recommendations, and a doctor is not obliged to charge the rates suggested. Where doctors intend to charge for services to patients, the BMA advises them to forewarn patients at the earliest opportunity of the likely level of fees.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of retaining existing rates of agricultural property relief.

At Autumn Budget 2024, the Government took a number of difficult but necessary decisions on tax, welfare, and spending to restore economic stability, fix the public finances, and support public services. These were tough decisions given the situation we inherited from the previous administration, but the Government has done so in a way that makes the tax system fairer and more sustainable. The Government set out its policy at Autumn Budget 2024 regarding agricultural property relief and business property relief. From 6 April 2026, in addition to existing nil-rate bands and exemptions, the 100% rate of relief will continue for the first £1 million of combined agricultural and business assets, and the rate of relief will be 50% thereafter.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of lifting the proposed £50 million cap on reparations for LGBT+ veterans.

Defence is committed to welcoming back LGBT veterans into the Armed Forces community, where they have always belonged. All 49 recommendations made in Lord Etherton’s report have been accepted and to date, 38 of the recommendations have already been implemented, demonstrating the Government’s commitment to supporting our veterans and the LGBT+ community. Lord Etherton’s report demonstrated the broad range of ways that LGBT+ personnel were impacted by the ban. The financial recognition scheme has been designed with this in mind, intending to provide a sense of closure to all those affected. Defence has worked with experts across Government to design an appropriate scheme where applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis, enabling appropriate distribution of the available funds. The Minister for Veterans and People has met Lord Etherton and LGBT Veterans and he plans to provide a further update on the financial recognition scheme before the end of the year.

Pursuant to the Answer of 14 October 2024 to Question 7694 on Private Education: VAT, whether providers offering Higher-Level studies at Level 6 will be subject to VAT.

On 29 July, the Government announced that, as of 1 January 2025, all education services and vocational training provided by a private school in the UK for a charge will be subject to VAT at the standard rate of 20 per cent. The Government has no plans to make changes to the VAT treatment of Higher Education.

Communities and Local Government, if she will have discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the potential merits of reforming the electoral system used to elect Members of Parliament.

I refer the hon Member to the answer given to Question UIN 5974 on 14 October 2024.

Whether providers of higher-level qualifications funded through the Dance and Drama Awards scheme will be subject to VAT.

On 29 July, the Government announced that, as of 1 January 2025, all education services and vocational training provided by a private school in the UK for a charge will be subject to VAT at the standard rate of 20 per cent. As announced in July this change will apply to private schools providing full-time education for pupils of school age or to institutions providing full-time education for 16-19 year olds for a fee, where that institution is principally concerned with providing education suitable to that age range. The draft legislation was published in July and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vat-on-private-school-fees-removing-the-charitable-rates-relief-for-private-schools.

What data her Department holds on the number of parents who (a) applied for a Reciprocal Enforcement Maintenance Order in the last 12 months and (b) are awaiting the outcome of an application for such an order.

The information provided relates to England and Wales. The most recent published figure for applications received by the Reciprocal Enforcement of Maintenance Orders Unit on behalf of the Lord Chancellor is for the calendar year 2023 and is shown in the attached table 6.1. The figure for REMO applications in 2024 will be published in June 2025. Data on those awaiting the outcome of an application is not held centrally.

What plans she has for the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Fund beyond March 2025; and whether she has had recent discussions with the Minister for Women and Equalities on that fund.

This Government is committed to ensuring that all victims of rape and sexual abuse have the information and support they need. On 1 October 2024, I wrote to recipients of the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Fund to confirm that HM Treasury have announced departmental budgets for financial year 2025/26 will be set out through a Budget on 30 October 2024. I understand the need to prioritise confirmation of their budgets as early as possible. My office is in the process of arranging a meeting with the Minister for Women and Equalities and I look forward to meeting with her in due course.