Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

VAT: Pet Food

Thursday 12 January 2023 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Ministerial discussions on temporarily reducing VAT on pet food due to cost of living increases are led by the Treasury.
  • The Government are considering the impact of cost of living increases on all aspects of people's lives.
  • The Minister offered to meet David Linden and representatives of the Dogs Trust to discuss support for pet owners further.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 David Linden SNP
Taxation
Context

The cost of living crisis has affected various aspects, including the affordability of pet food.

Question

What discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on temporarily reducing VAT on pet food in the context of increases in the cost of living.

Answer from Mark Spencer

As the hon. Gentleman will know, the Treasury leads on VAT policy, and that includes VAT policy on pet food. The Government are actively considering the impact of the increased cost of living on all aspects of people's lives.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific ask about discussions with the Chancellor was not addressed.

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Q2 David Linden SNP
Economy Energy
Context

Staff from Dogs Trust have reported significant concerns about the impact of the cost of living crisis on pet owners, noting that many are going without meals to feed their pets.

Question

Would the Minister be willing to meet me, along with representatives of the Dogs Trust, to discuss this further and see what support we can provide for pet owners?

Answer from Mark Spencer

I pay tribute to the hon. Gentleman for highlighting that important case. The Government recognise the challenge people are facing with their household bills, which is why the Chancellor of the Exchequer has introduced a huge package providing billions of pounds of support for household incomes. I also pay tribute to Dogs Trust, which is dealing with its own challenges when pets are presented at its centres when families cannot continue to feed them. I will pass the hon. Gentleman's comments to the Treasury and will encourage Treasury Ministers to meet him, but if he has no success in that regard, I shall be happy to continue to work with him to secure the meetings that he requires.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific ask about arranging a meeting was not directly committed to.

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