Written questions by Morton.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of proposed changes to Business Property Relief on the private sector.

The Government believes its reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief from 6 April 2026 get the balance right between supporting farms and businesses, and fixing the public finances. The reforms reduce the inheritance tax advantages available to owners of agricultural and business assets, but still mean those assets will be taxed at a much lower effective rate than most other assets. Despite a tough fiscal context, the Government will maintain very significant levels of relief from inheritance tax beyond what is available to others and compared to the position before 1992. The reforms are expected to result in up to 520 estates claiming agricultural property relief, including those also claiming business property relief, paying more inheritance tax in 2026-27. Almost three-quarters of estates claiming agricultural property relief, including those that also claim for business property relief, will not pay any more tax as a result of the changes in 2026-27, based on the latest available data. The Government has also set out that around 1,500 estates across the UK only claiming business property relief are expected to be affected in 2026-27, with around 1,000 of these expected to only hold shares designated as “not listed” on the markets of recognised stock exchanges, such as the Alternative Investment Market. The remaining 500 estates will include business assets from sectors across the economy that are eligible for business property relief. Around three-quarters of estates claiming business property relief in 2026-27 (excluding those only relating to holding shares designated as “not listed”) will not pay any more inheritance tax in 2026-27. The reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief are forecast to raise a combined £520 million in 2029-30. The independent Office for Budget Responsibility certified this costing at Autumn Budget 2024 and it does not expect the reforms to have a significant macroeconomic impact. In accordance with standard practice, a tax information and impact note will be published alongside the draft legislation before the relevant Finance Bill.

What discussions she had with the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Domestic Affairs on the China audit before 10 January 2025.

The UK Government is carrying out an audit to examine the UK's interests with respect to China to improve our ability to understand and respond to the challenges and opportunities China poses. The Chancellor of the Exchequer has discussed various topics including the China audit with the Secretary of State of Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs.

Pursuant to the Answer of 26 July 2024 to Question 824 on Development Aid, when she plans to set out her approach on restoring official development assistance spending to 0.7 per cent of gross national income.

As set out at Autumn Budget 2024, the government remains committed to restoring ODA spending to the level of 0.7% of GNI as soon as the fiscal circumstances allow. The OBR’s latest forecast shows that the ODA fiscal tests, which determine when a return to 0.7% of GNI is possible, are not due to be met within this Parliament. The government will continue to monitor future forecasts closely, and each year will review and confirm, in accordance with the International Development Act (ODA Target) Act 2015, whether a return to spending 0.7% of GNI on ODA is possible against the latest fiscal forecast.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the most recent quarterly Gross Domestic Product growth figures published by the Office of National Statistics on levels of available Overseas Development Aid spending for 2025.

At Phase One of the 2025 Spending Review, departmental allocations for Official Development Assistance (ODA) were reset for 2024-25 and provided for 2025-26. As set out at Autumn Budget 2024, this settlement provides departments with £13.3 billion of ODA in Financial Year 2024-25 and £13.7 billion in Financial Year 2025-26, enabling the UK to spend 0.5% of Gross National Income (GNI) on ODA in Calendar Years 2024 and 2025.

What estimate she has made of the value of Russian state assets in the UK.

The Government coordinates these figures closely with our G7 partners. There are sensitivities around publishing these figures, and other G7 partners have restrictions on their ability to publish. It is important, therefore, that a decision to release any figures is taken on a collective G7 basis.

What assessment has she made of the potential impact of changes to Employer’s National Insurance Contributions announced in the Autumn Budget 2024 on charities and community organisations in (a) the West Midlands and (b) Aldridge-Brownhills constituency.

In order to repair the public finances and raise the revenue required to fund our public services, the government has taken the difficult decision to increase employer National Insurance which has included the charity sector. HMRC has published a Tax Information and Impact Note that covers the employer NICs changes, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/changes-to-the-class-1-national-insurance-contributions-secondary-threshold-the-secondary-class-1-national-insurance-contributions-rate-and-the-empl/changes-to-the-class-1-national-insurance-contributions-secondary-threshold-the-secondary-class-1-national-insurance-contributions-rate-and-the-emplThe 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, which 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.More broadly, within the tax system, we provide support to charities through a range of reliefs and exemptions, including reliefs for charitable giving, with more than £6 billion in charitable reliefs provided to charities, CASCs and their donors in 2023 to 2024.

With reference to Qs 258-259 of the oral evidence given by the Chancellor of the Exchequer to the Treasury Select Committee on Wednesday 6 November 2024, what value of Business Property Relief was claimed on farmer's estates for financial year 2021-22.

The Government published information about the reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief at www.gov.uk/government/publications/agricultural-property-relief-and-business-property-relief-reforms. This includes information on claims at death in 2021to 2022 referenced by the Chancellor at the Treasury Select Committee on 6 November 2024. The Chancellor wrote to the Treasury Select Committee on 15 November 2024, detailing the distribution of claims at death for agricultural property relief with values of business property relief claims added, where an estate has also claimed business property relief. This letter has been published at https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/45691/documents/226235/default/.

With reference to Qs 258-259 of the oral evidence given by the Chancellor of the Exchequer to the Treasury Select Committee on Wednesday 6 November 2024, whether the figures quoted in her answers related only to Agricultural Property Relief and did not include Business property Relief claimed by farmers for the same period.

The Government published information about the reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief at www.gov.uk/government/publications/agricultural-property-relief-and-business-property-relief-reforms. This includes information on claims at death in 2021to 2022 referenced by the Chancellor at the Treasury Select Committee on 6 November 2024. The Chancellor wrote to the Treasury Select Committee on 15 November 2024, detailing the distribution of claims at death for agricultural property relief with values of business property relief claims added, where an estate has also claimed business property relief. This letter has been published at https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/45691/documents/226235/default/.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief on (a) arable, (b) livestock and (c) hill farms.

The Government published information about the reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief at www.gov.uk/government/publications/agricultural-property-relief-and-business-property-relief-reforms. It is expected that up to around 2,000 estates will be affected by the changes to APR and BPR in 2026-27, with around half of those being claims that involve AIM shares. Almost three-quarters of estates claiming agricultural property relief (including those claiming agricultural property relief and business property relief together) each year are expected to be unaffected by these reforms. In accordance with standard practice, a tax information and impact note will be published alongside the draft legislation before the relevant Finance Bill.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to (a) agricultural property relief and (b) business property relief announced in the Autumn Budget 2024 on (i) abattoirs, (ii) butchers, (iii) agricultural retailers, (iv) agricultural machinery retailers and (v) other agriculture-related businesses.

The Government published information about the reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief at www.gov.uk/government/publications/agricultural-property-relief-and-business-property-relief-reforms. It is expected that up to around 2,000 estates will be affected by the changes to APR and BPR in 2026-27, with around half of those being claims that involve AIM shares. Almost three-quarters of estates claiming agricultural property relief (including those claiming agricultural property relief and business property relief together) each year are expected to be unaffected by these reforms. In accordance with standard practice, a tax information and impact note will be published alongside the draft legislation before the relevant Finance Bill.

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of changes to (a) Agricultural Property Relief and (b) Business Property Relief on trends in the sale of agricultural land assets.

The Government published information about the reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief at www.gov.uk/government/publications/agricultural-property-relief-and-business-property-relief-reforms. It is expected that up to around 2,000 estates will be affected by the changes to APR and BPR in 2026-27, with around half of those being claims that involve AIM shares. Almost three-quarters of estates claiming agricultural property relief (including those claiming agricultural property relief and business property relief together) each year are expected to be unaffected by these reforms. In accordance with standard practice, a tax information and impact note will be published alongside the draft legislation before the relevant Finance Bill.