To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 27 January 2026 to Question 102744 on Hospitality Industry and Retail Trade: Business Rates, what estimate she has made for the total business rates liability for the current set of properties in category 159 (Local Authority Schools) in...

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 27 January 2026 to Question 102744 on Hospitality Industry and Retail Trade: Business Rates, what estimate she has made for the total business rates liability for the current set of properties in category 159 (Local Authority Schools) in...

Chairman of Ways and Means statement about the Ministerial Code and disclosure of fiscal policy by the Government and Office of Budget Responsibility outside of the House prior to the Budget statement. Budget statement 26 November 2025. Ways and means resolution. Agreed to on question.

Chairman of Ways and Means statement about the Ministerial Code and disclosure of fiscal policy by the Government and Office of Budget Responsibility outside of the House prior to the Budget statement. Budget statement 26 November 2025. Ways and means resolution. Agreed to on question.

It is my understanding that the Office for Budget Responsibility’s “Economic and fiscal outlook” was released on its website before this statement. This is deeply disappointing and a serious error on its part. It has already made a statement taking full responsibility for its breach.

We are rebuilding our economy. Over...

It is my understanding that the Office for Budget Responsibility’s “Economic and fiscal outlook” was released on its website before this statement. This is deeply disappointing and a serious error on its part. It has already made a statement taking full responsibility for its breach.

We are rebuilding our economy. Over...

I am happy for them to shout as much as they like, Madam Deputy Speaker, as long as they do it from the Opposition Benches, where they cannot cause any more damage.

I said that there would be no return to austerity, and I meant it. This Budget will maintain investment...

I am happy for them to shout as much as they like, Madam Deputy Speaker, as long as they do it from the Opposition Benches, where they cannot cause any more damage.

I said that there would be no return to austerity, and I meant it. This Budget will maintain investment...

We beat the forecasts this year, and we will beat them again by boosting trade, not blocking it; by increasing investment, not cutting it; by championing innovation, not stifling it; and by backing working people, not making them poorer. Brick by brick, we have been building our economy—building roads, building...

We beat the forecasts this year, and we will beat them again by boosting trade, not blocking it; by increasing investment, not cutting it; by championing innovation, not stifling it; and by backing working people, not making them poorer. Brick by brick, we have been building our economy—building roads, building...

The Tories do not want to hear what they did to schools like mine, but I will tell them. Textbooks were rationed, libraries closed and kids herded into portacabins in the playground. I came into politics to change that. The money that I allocated at the spending review will fix...

The Tories do not want to hear what they did to schools like mine, but I will tell them. Textbooks were rationed, libraries closed and kids herded into portacabins in the playground. I came into politics to change that. The money that I allocated at the spending review will fix...

I would not want any hon. Member to miss this. We are chasing down that money and have almost £400 million back from dodgy pandemic spending and contracts. Tory contracts handed out by Tory Ministers to Tory peers and Tory donors. That money belongs in our schools and in our...

I would not want any hon. Member to miss this. We are chasing down that money and have almost £400 million back from dodgy pandemic spending and contracts. Tory contracts handed out by Tory Ministers to Tory peers and Tory donors. That money belongs in our schools and in our...

Under the Conservatives, the cost of our welfare system increased by nearly 1 percentage point of GDP—equivalent to £88 billion in just five years. The broken welfare system that we inherited wrote off millions of people as too sick to work. We will reform that system, so that it is...

Under the Conservatives, the cost of our welfare system increased by nearly 1 percentage point of GDP—equivalent to £88 billion in just five years. The broken welfare system that we inherited wrote off millions of people as too sick to work. We will reform that system, so that it is...

The Leader of the Opposition supported these freezes when her party made them; she might want to forget about that, but the British people never will.

At the same time, we are ensuring that people only in receipt of the basic or new state pension do not have to pay small...

The Leader of the Opposition supported these freezes when her party made them; she might want to forget about that, but the British people never will.

At the same time, we are ensuring that people only in receipt of the basic or new state pension do not have to pay small...

I think our constituents have heard all they need to from Conservative Members today. We on the Labour Benches do not believe that the solution to a broken welfare system is to punish the most vulnerable. We are lifting 450,000 children out of poverty with the end of the two-child...

I think our constituents have heard all they need to from Conservative Members today. We on the Labour Benches do not believe that the solution to a broken welfare system is to punish the most vulnerable. We are lifting 450,000 children out of poverty with the end of the two-child...

Just increase tax.

Just increase tax.

I think if you have a house that is worth £5 million, then you can probably afford it, but Conservative Members get more exercised about reducing child poverty than they do about the richest paying more.

Under this Government, wages have risen by more since we were elected than in 10...

I think if you have a house that is worth £5 million, then you can probably afford it, but Conservative Members get more exercised about reducing child poverty than they do about the richest paying more.

Under this Government, wages have risen by more since we were elected than in 10...

Those are my choices, not austerity and not reckless borrowing, but cutting the debt, cutting waiting lists and cutting the cost of living. Those are Labour choices, promised and delivered by this Budget—promised and delivered by this Labour Government. I commend this statement to the House.

Those are my choices, not austerity and not reckless borrowing, but cutting the debt, cutting waiting lists and cutting the cost of living. Those are Labour choices, promised and delivered by this Budget—promised and delivered by this Labour Government. I commend this statement to the House.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 15 October 2025 to Question 78960 on Hospitals and Schools: Solar Power, how many (a) schools and (b) hospitals have had their Rateable Values amended by the Valuation Office Agency due to the installation of solar panels since...

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 15 October 2025 to Question 78960 on Hospitals and Schools: Solar Power, how many (a) schools and (b) hospitals have had their Rateable Values amended by the Valuation Office Agency due to the installation of solar panels since...

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the HMRC guidance, Local authorities and similar bodies (VAT Notice 749), whether local authorities will be able to recover VAT on private hire for school transport.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the HMRC guidance, Local authorities and similar bodies (VAT Notice 749), whether local authorities will be able to recover VAT on private hire for school transport.

I am proud that the Government have invested £250 million in putting solar panels on schools and hospitals. In Stroud, we have a programme whereby, through community energy funding, we will put solar panels on every school in the area. I was going to ask the Chancellor about Treasury rules that were blocking that, but I heard from her answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Congleton (Sarah Russell) that that may no longer be the case. Will she confirm that that block has been removed?

I am proud that the Government have invested £250 million in putting solar panels on schools and hospitals. In Stroud, we have a programme whereby, through community energy funding, we will put solar panels on every school in the area. I was going to ask the Chancellor about Treasury rules that were blocking that, but I heard from her answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Congleton (Sarah Russell) that that may no longer be the case. Will she confirm that that block has been removed?

It was good to see my hon. Friend and the engineering company Redler in Downing Street yesterday. On the issue about schools, as I said in answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Congleton (Sarah Russell), the scheme is now reopened. I have not had a look at the schools mentioned by my hon. Friend the Member for Stroud (Dr Opher). There may be some issues with maintained schools, but we are looking into that and are keen to work with him to ensure that schools in his constituency—indeed, schools in all hon. Members’ constituencies—can benefit from the scheme.

It was good to see my hon. Friend and the engineering company Redler in Downing Street yesterday. On the issue about schools, as I said in answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Congleton (Sarah Russell), the scheme is now reopened. I have not had a look at the schools mentioned by my hon. Friend the Member for Stroud (Dr Opher). There may be some issues with maintained schools, but we are looking into that and are keen to work with him to ensure that schools in his constituency—indeed, schools in all hon. Members’ constituencies—can benefit from the scheme.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will set out the the policy of the Valuation Office Agency on amending the valuation of (a) schools and (b) hospitals following the installation of rooftop solar panels.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will set out the the policy of the Valuation Office Agency on amending the valuation of (a) schools and (b) hospitals following the installation of rooftop solar panels.

To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made for the period of 1 January to 30 June of (1) the number of pupils who have transferred from independent to state schools due to the levying of VAT on independent school fees, (2) the cost of these extra pupils...

To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made for the period of 1 January to 30 June of (1) the number of pupils who have transferred from independent to state schools due to the levying of VAT on independent school fees, (2) the cost of these extra pupils...

To ask His Majesty's Government, for the period of 1 January to 30 June, what estimate they have made of (1) the number of pupils who have transferred from independent to state schools because of the application of value added tax to independent school fees, (2) the cost of these...

To ask His Majesty's Government, for the period of 1 January to 30 June, what estimate they have made of (1) the number of pupils who have transferred from independent to state schools because of the application of value added tax to independent school fees, (2) the cost of these...