Patrick Spencer MP: written questions 2025
64 published records · newest first.
Written questions
VATTreasuryTabled 7 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36553More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if HMRC will extend the 30-day challenge period for instances where they disallow VAT.
Answer: Taxpayers can challenge certain decisions from HMRC. For indirect tax, including VAT, HMRC will offer the taxpayer a review in the decision letter. They will have 30 days from the date of the offer to either accept the offer of a review or appeal to the t...
Answered 13 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordPrivate Education: VATTreasuryTabled 7 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36552More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she plans to introduce leniency provisions for private schools through the initial implementation of VAT.
Answer: Since 1 January, all education services and vocational training provided by private schools in the UK for a charge have been subject to VAT at the standard rate of 20 per cent. This also applies to boarding services provided by private schools. Since the ...
Answered 13 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordPrivate Education: VATTreasuryTabled 7 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36551More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she plans to adapt the VAT penalty regime for private schools in the context of the publication of comprehensive guidance by HMRC.
Answer: Since 1 January, all education services and vocational training provided by private schools in the UK for a charge have been subject to VAT at the standard rate of 20 per cent. This also applies to boarding services provided by private schools. Since the ...
Answered 13 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordPrivate Education: VATTreasuryTabled 7 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36550More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much input VAT is forecast to be repayable to private schools for the first quarter that the VAT is levied; how much output VAT is expected to be raised from these schools from these schools in the first quarter
Answer: The Annex to the Government Response to the Technical Note, Government_Response_to_the_Technical_Note_on_Applying_VAT_to_Private_School_Fees_and_Removing_the_Business_Rates_Charitable_Rate_Relief.pdf, sets out the forecast input VAT and calculation of out...
Answered 17 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordPrivate Education: VATTreasuryTabled 7 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36549More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much input VAT is forecast to be repayable to private schools for the first quarter that the VAT is levied; how much output VAT is expected to be raised from private schools in the first quarter; and what the ne
Answer: The Annex to the Government Response to the Technical Note, Government_Response_to_the_Technical_Note_on_Applying_VAT_to_Private_School_Fees_and_Removing_the_Business_Rates_Charitable_Rate_Relief.pdf, sets out the forecast input VAT and calculation of out...
Answered 17 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordFood: VATTreasuryTabled 7 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36548More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether food for people living at (a) school and (b) home will have VAT payable on it under the VAT guidance published in November 2024 by HMRC.
Answer: Since 1 January 2025, all education services and vocational training provided by private schools in the UK for a charge have been subject to VAT at the standard rate of 20 per cent. This also applies to boarding services provided by private schools. Since...
Answered 17 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordPrivate Education: VATTreasuryTabled 7 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36547More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the forecasts for input VAT reclaimable by private schools are in line with Revenue and Customs Brief 16 being issued.
Answer: Revenue and Customs Brief 16 (2016) clarified that VAT incurred prior to registration can be recovered as input tax, subject to the normal rules. The approach taken to VAT recovery by private schools, including projection of taxable use, is in line with t...
Answered 13 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordAgriculture: Government AssistanceDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 28 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 34728More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking with the (a) Country Land and Business Association, (b) National Farmer's Union, (c) Tenant Farmers Association and (d) other industry bodies to help support wo
Answer: The Government is working to ensure farming becomes more profitable. That is the best way to make farming businesses viable for the future and ensure the long-term food security this country needs. We regularly meet and discuss Defra’s policies with a ran...
Answered 27 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordSchools: ScotlandScotland OfficeTabled 25 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 902934More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, whether he has had recent discussions with the Scottish Government on school standards.
Answer: It was John Swinney himself who said education was the “defining mission” of the SNP government. Yet just last week, we got the news that standards of attainment in Scotland's schools are declining across the board and, shamefully, outcomes for young work...
Answered 5 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordPoliceHome OfficeTabled 5 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29303More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how her Department calculates the number of police officers required per 100,000 of the population in (a) Suffolk, (b) Kent, (c) Norfolk and (d) England.
Answer: The Home Office collects and publishes data on the size of the police workforce in England and Wales on a bi-annual basis in the ‘Police Workforce, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-w...
Answered 13 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordBoys: EqualityWomen and EqualitiesTabled 30 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 902574More
Question: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps the Government is taking to improve opportunities for white working-class boys.
Answer: Too often white working-class boys face barriers that hold them back. Disadvantaged white British boys are one of the lowest attaining groups in our schools with only 37% reaching the expected standard in reading writing and maths at KS2 and 17.5% achievi...
Answered 5 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordSpecial Educational Needs: Central Suffolk and North IpswichDepartment for EducationTabled 29 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 27436More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what schools in Central Suffolk and North Ipswich constituency are using the Nuffield Early Language Intervention programme; and what their uptake is.
Answer: In England, there are over 11,100 schools, two thirds of English state primaries, that have received funding to deliver the Nuffield Early Language Intervention (NELI) programme. In the Central Suffolk and North Ipswich constituency there are 42 state pri...
Answered 7 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordSpecial Educational Needs: Central Suffolk and North IpswichDepartment for EducationTabled 29 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 27435More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what primary schools in Central Suffolk and North Ipswich constituency offer early intervention support; and what type of support is offered.
Answer: Schools, including further education colleges, sixth form colleges and 16 to 19 academies, are required to identify and address the special educational needs (SEN) of the pupils they support and, in the case of mainstream settings, to use their best endea...
Answered 7 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordPension Credit: SuffolkDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 28 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 27033More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make a comparative estimate of the number of pensioners claiming Pension Credit in winter (a) 2023-24 and (b) 2024-25; and how many pensioners are ineligible for the winter fuel payment in S
Answer: We do not yet hold data on the number of Pension Credit recipients through winter 2024-25. However, Pension Credit outturn and forecasted caseload statistics are routinely published and made publicly available via Benefit expenditure and caseload tables 2...
Answered 3 Feb 2025
Original Parliament record
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