Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Topical Questions

Tuesday 9 September 2025 · 7 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 7 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Steve Witherden asked about public support for tax measures on wealth, banks, and gambling companies, citing a Trades Union Congress poll.
  • Richard Fuller inquired about Labour's welfare reform proposals, which he characterized as rushed and leading to chaos.
  • Lauren Edwards asked the Chancellor to consider extending the children's hospice grant for five years, with an inflation-linked increase.
  • Helen Morgan questioned the impact of tax rates on retail, hospitality, and leisure businesses, highlighting the importance of community pubs.
  • Graham Leadbitter criticized hiking excise duty on spirits, claiming it has cost 600 million, and urged the Chancellor to support the Scotch whisky industry.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Steve Witherden Lab Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr
Taxation
Context

The Trades Union Congress has released new polling showing public support for taxes on wealth, banks, and gambling companies. The poll also found that 74% of Labour voters now leaning towards Reform support these measures.

Question

New polling by the Trades Union Congress shows that the public overwhelmingly support packages of taxes on wealth, on banks and on gambling companies. It also found that 74% of 2024 Labour voters who are now leaning towards Reform back those measures. Will the Chancellor commit to protecting working people from higher taxes on their income by ensuring that wealth pays its fair share, rather than imposing cuts and regressive measures?

Answer from The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Rachel Reeves)

In the Budget last year, we got rid of the non-dom tax status, we put up capital gains tax, we started treating carried interest as income—not as capital gains—we introduced new taxes on private jets, we put VAT and business rates on private school fees and, of course, we changed the rules around agricultural property relief so that people who have farms worth more than £3 million will pay inheritance tax, although at half the rate that everybody else does. We took a number of measures last year to ensure that the wealthy pay their fair share.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Chancellor did not specifically commit to new taxes on wealth, banks and gambling companies as requested.

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Q2 Richard Fuller Con North Bedfordshire
Economy Benefits & Welfare
Context

Earlier this year, Labour proposed welfare reform measures which were later reversed due to a £5 billion gap in public finances. The Leader of the Opposition has now pledged Conservative support for a thoughtful plan on welfare reform.

Question

I welcome the new members of the Treasury team and particularly the new Chief Secretary. Earlier this year, Labour made a mess of its welfare reform proposals because they were rushed out to help plug a £5 billion gap in public finances. The result was chaos and a humiliating reversal for the Chancellor. Welfare spending is too high—it does need reform—and today the Leader of the Opposition has pledged Conservative support to help the Government to develop a thoughtful plan on welfare reform. Will the Chancellor take up this offer of support?

Answer from The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Rachel Reeves)

While the Leader of the Opposition is talking down the British economy, we are setting our sights on growing the economy and making working people better off. No, we will not be taking any advice from the Leader of the Opposition, who was part of a Government who crashed the economy, sending mortgage rates spiralling and putting pensions in peril.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Chancellor dismissed the offer without engaging with it.

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Q3 Richard Fuller Con North Bedfordshire
Benefits & Welfare
Context

Earlier this year, Labour proposed welfare reform measures which were later reversed due to a £5 billion gap in public finances. The Leader of the Opposition has now pledged Conservative support for a thoughtful plan on welfare reform.

Question

I welcome the new members of the Treasury team and particularly the new Chief Secretary. Earlier this year, Labour made a mess of its welfare reform proposals because they were rushed out to help plug a £5 billion gap in public finances. The result was chaos and a humiliating reversal for the Chancellor. Welfare spending is too high—it does need reform—and today the Leader of the Opposition has pledged Conservative support to help the Government to develop a thoughtful plan on welfare reform. Will the Chancellor confirm that the November Budget will include savings from welfare reform?

Answer from The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Rachel Reeves)

In the Universal Credit Act 2025, which passed before the summer recess, we reformed the universal credit system to reduce the gap between what people on the health element and those on the standard element got. That reform will help more people into work, as well as the £1 billion package of measures to help people—particularly those who have been long-term unemployed—get back to work.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Chancellor did not confirm savings from welfare reform in November Budget.

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Q4 Lauren Edwards Lab Rochester and Strood
NHS
Context

The children’s hospice grant needs certainty and sustainable funding to help Demelza Children's Hospices continue their important work.

Question

Last Friday, I visited Demelza children’s hospice, which does amazing work for children and their families, but it needs certainty and sustainable funding to survive. Will the Chancellor consider extending the children’s hospice grant for the next five years, increasing it in line with inflation, to help it to plan and deliver those vital services?

Answer from The Chief Secretary to the Treasury (James Murray)

The Government are investing £100 million to improve hospice facilities and a further £26 million of revenue funding to support children and young people’s hospices this year. That is the biggest investment in hospices in a generation. Details about the funding arrangements for 2026-27 will be set out by the Department of Health and Social Care in due course.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Chief Secretary did not commit to extending the grant or increasing it with inflation.

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Q5 Helen Morgan Lib Dem North Shropshire
Economy Taxation Business & Trade
Context

Local pubs are struggling under higher business rates, national insurance increases and energy costs.

Question

Pubs are at the heart of the community in North Shropshire, whether community-owned pubs such as the White Lion in Ash and the Horse and Jockey at Northwood, the Bailey Head in Oswestry, which was the Campaign for Real Ale’s pub of the year, or attached to a microbrewery like the Stonehouse brewery in Morda. But all those hospitality businesses are buckling under the strain of higher business rates, the national insurance increase and higher energy costs. May I add my plea to those of my Liberal Democrat colleagues and ask the Chancellor that, in the upcoming Budget, measures are put in place to support our struggling hospitality industry?

Answer from The Chief Secretary to the Treasury (James Murray)

As set out at the last Budget, we will introduce permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses with rateable values below £500,000. The relief that we inherited from the previous Government was due to end entirely in April of this year. We extended it for one year to give us time to legislate for permanently lower tax cuts for pubs across this country.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Chief Secretary did not commit to specific measures for upcoming Budget, only mentioned existing relief extensions.

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Q6 Helena Dollimore Labour (Co-op) Hastings and Rye
Economy Transport
Context

The ghost terminal at Ashford International train station could be revitalized with international rail services, potentially benefitting the local economy by over £2.5 billion.

Question

I recently visited the ghost terminal at Ashford International train station, where five years ago Eurostar, shamefully, ceased to have its services stop. A report last month found that bringing back those international trains to Ashford could benefit our local economy in Sussex and Kent by over £2.5 billion, which would mean more jobs and more visitors for my constituents in Hastings and Rye. Will the Chancellor join me in calling on the train operators and the rail regulator to grasp that opportunity for growth?

Answer from The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Rachel Reeves)

I thank my hon. Friend for the work that she is doing to help grow the economy in all parts of the country, including Kent and Sussex. The Government have made significant commitments on the expansion of international rail services, and we are working closely with the German and Swiss Governments on direct links between our countries. Work is under way to understand the prospects for expansion of the number of services on the channel tunnel rail link. I absolutely agree that new opportunities at Ashford and Ebbsfleet have huge potential to help grow the economy, giving more opportunities for people in those communities to access good jobs and other leisure opportunities.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Chancellor did not commit to supporting bringing back international trains but acknowledged ongoing work.

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Q7 Graham Leadbitter SNP Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey
Taxation Scotland Business & Trade
Context

The Scotch whisky industry is facing a significant challenge with excise duties having increased by 14% over the past two years. This has cost the Treasury £600 million rather than generating revenue as expected, and with 70% of spirits produced in Scotland, this policy is seen as detrimental to Scottish businesses.

Question

Hiking excise duty by 14% over the past two years was expected to raise £600 million for the Treasury in duty on spirits, but it has actually cost £600 million. With 70% of spirits produced in Scotland, this is nothing short of a tax on Scotland. The Chancellor has 77 days to back Scotch, support Scotland and sustain growth in this iconic and entrepreneurial sector. Will she therefore commit to reversing the Government’s attacks on a great Scottish success story by bringing down whisky duty in the Budget?

Answer from The Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury (Torsten Bell)

Over 90% of Scotch is exported and therefore not affected by the measures mentioned, but it will be benefited by being the biggest beneficiary of the trade deal with India, which is set to reduce tariffs from 150% to 75% initially, and then to 40% over time. This is what a Government getting on with backing the Scotch industry looks like.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Parliamentary Secretary did not directly address the question of reducing whisky duty in the Budget but instead highlighted trade deals that might benefit the industry.

How: Changing Subject

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