Written questions by Thomas.

What information her Department holds on the highest rate of short-term lending to small and medium sized businesses in the UK.

Interest rates are a commercial matter decided by lenders, reflecting the base rate, the risk of the applicant, and a margin to make the loan commercially viable given the cost of underwriting and broader funding costs. Rates vary across the market and even significantly within the SME sector – dependent on the trading history, credit position, security, and other factors of the individual business applicant. The UK also benefits from a broad lending market, enabling a diverse range of finance providers to facilitate access to finance for a wide range of SMEs. SMEs should shop around to find the product that best suits their needs when choosing finance. The Bank of England’s ‘bankstats’ data provides insights into business and household credit, including the effective interest rates for SMEs on new and outstanding loans. The monthly average of UK resident banks’ sterling weighted loans for new advances to SMEs now stands at 6.35%, as of 31st August 2025, a figure that has tracked down as the base rate has fallen.

Whether Police Scotland has had discussions with her Department on its investigation into McClures Solicitors asset protection trusts.

The Public Safety Group has no role in data collection on trustee mismanagement, or in any police investigations which may or may not be going on.Matters relating to solicitor regulation or misgivings are for Ministry of Justice’s Arms Lengths Bodies.

Whether Police Scotland has had discussions with his Department on its investigation into McClures Solicitors asset protection trusts.

Police Scotland has not had discussions with the Scotland Office regarding its investigation into McClures Solicitors' asset protection trusts. It would not be appropriate for the Secretary of State or Scotland Office officials to discuss this matter with Police Scotland as the investigating authority. I am aware however that the relevant authorities have been considering any implications for the firm’s clients in England and Wales.

Whether her Department holds information on the number of cases of trustee mismanagement of asset protection trusts that were investigated in each of the last three years by (a) Merseyside Police, (b) Metropolitan Police, (c) Suffolk Police, (d) the National Crime Agency and (e) the Serious Fraud Office; and what discussions she has had with Police Scotland on this matter.

The Public Safety Group has no role in data collection on trustee mismanagement, or in any police investigations which may or may not be going on.Matters relating to solicitor regulation or misgivings are for Ministry of Justice's Arms Lengths Bodies.

Whether she will conduct a post-legislative review of (a) the Consumer Insurance (Disclosure and Representations) Act 2012 and (b) the Insurance Act 2015.

On 23 September 2025 Which? made a supercomplaint to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) that makes recommendations on relevant matters, including that the FCA and Government should review consumer protection legislation in insurance. The FCA and the Government are considering the issues raised. The FCA will respond to the supercomplaint in due course.

Whether she plans to update (a) the Consumer Insurance (Disclosure and Representations) Act 2012 and (b) the Insurance Act 2015 to strengthen statutory consumer protections in the insurance market.

On 23 September 2025 Which? made a supercomplaint to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) that makes recommendations on relevant matters, including that the FCA and Government should review consumer protection legislation in insurance. The FCA and the Government are considering the issues raised. The FCA will respond to the supercomplaint in due course.

Whether he plans to discuss concerns about the former legal firm WW&J McClure Ltd with the Law Society of Scotland and Police Scotland.

The Secretary of State is aware that the closure of WW & J McClure Limited has caused anguish and worry to many of its clients, and hopes the matter can be brought to a satisfactory conclusion. As crime and justice are devolved in Scotland, it would not be appropriate for the Secretary of State to discuss this matter with the Law Society of Scotland as the regulator and Police Scotland as the investigating authority. I am aware however that the Solicitors Regulation Authority and the Legal Ombudsman have been responding to the implications for clients in England and Wales of the firm’s closure.

Whether credit unions will be allowed to offer Help to Save accounts from 2027.

The Help to Save scheme supports financial resilience for working people on low incomes by encouraging consistent, long-term saving and helping them build a financial buffer to plan and prepare for the future. In April 2025, the government widened the eligibility criteria for the Help to Save scheme to all Universal Credit claimants in work, rather than only those earning above a specified threshold. This expansion means around 550,000 additional people can benefit from the scheme, increasing the eligible population to approximately 3 million. The government recognises that further groups may also benefit from Help to Save. Any future changes would need to be carefully assessed to ensure the scheme continues to be well targeted and deliverable. The government has recently consulted on reforms to the delivery of Help to Save after 2027 and we continue to engage with a range of third-party financial institutions, including credit unions, as part of this process.

Whether she plans to extend eligibility to Help to Save to people of pension age and in receipt of (a) carers allowance, (b) pension credit and (c) housing benefit after 2027.

The Help to Save scheme supports financial resilience for working people on low incomes by encouraging consistent, long-term saving and helping them build a financial buffer to plan and prepare for the future. In April 2025, the government widened the eligibility criteria for the Help to Save scheme to all Universal Credit claimants in work, rather than only those earning above a specified threshold. This expansion means around 550,000 additional people can benefit from the scheme, increasing the eligible population to approximately 3 million. The government recognises that further groups may also benefit from Help to Save. Any future changes would need to be carefully assessed to ensure the scheme continues to be well targeted and deliverable. The government has recently consulted on reforms to the delivery of Help to Save after 2027 and we continue to engage with a range of third-party financial institutions, including credit unions, as part of this process.

If she will ask the Prudential Regulation Authority to ease the rules on credit unions being able to lend to other credit unions.

According to Section 11 of the Credit Unions Act 1979, credit unions are able to lend to other credit unions. Credit unions are regulated by the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in a way that ensures the stability and soundness of the sector. The PRA and FCA are independent regulators and take decisions on the regulation of credit unions in line with their statutory objectives.

Whether he has commissioned research from National Institute of Economic and Social Research in the last three years on (a) international lending rates and (b) levels international lending to SMEs.

The Department for Business and Trade has commissioned research on the alternatives to commercial lending in the SME Business Market. The research, undertaken by the National Institute of Economic and Social Research, intends to study the characteristics of debt finance and lending markets within and outside the UK to identify market failures in the UK system and potential changes that could support businesses, especially SMEs.

When he expects the Court of Appeal to consider the 1998 conviction of former subpostmistress Patricia Owen.

The case of Patricia Owen has been referred to the Court of Appeal by the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) under section 9 of the Criminal Appeal Act 1995.Following approval for her daughter to act on her behalf, solicitors have been directed to lodge Grounds of Appeal by 3 December 2025.Once these are received, and the Respondent’s Notice is filed, the case will be prepared for listing before the Court.

If he will require NHS Trusts to offer payroll savings schemes for staff.

Local employers across the National Health Service are best placed to understand their staff’s needs and circumstances. NHS staff have access to a range of support for financial wellbeing including credit union membership, savings schemes, and access to discount schemes such as the ‘Blue Light Card’.NHS Employers has also published guidance for employers on salary sacrifice arrangements and tax-free childcare, which is available at the following link:https://www.nhsemployers.org/articles/salary-sacrifice-schemes

Whether she plans to take further steps to reform regulation of the (a) home and (b) travel insurance markets.

The government expects that insurers deliver good outcomes to consumers and firms are required to do so under Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) rules. These rules require firms to ensure their products offer fair value. This means the price paid by consumers must be reasonable compared to the benefits they receive. The FCA monitors firms and has robust powers to act against firms that breach its rules. The government’s Financial Inclusion Strategy, published on 5 November 2025, recognises that insurance has an important part to play in financial resilience and wellbeing, and sets out a range of interventions to improve access. This includes a total signposting initiative which will help underserved consumers find insurance policies which meet their needs. The government also plans to publish the final report of the cross-government Motor Insurance Taskforce in the autumn. As part of the taskforce’s work to understand how the cost of motor insurance impacts on particular groups of customers, the FCA is conducting statistical analysis to evaluate the impacts on different age groups and consumers living in areas with a higher proportion of minority ethnic residents. The FCA will publish its findings later this year.

If she will request that the Financial Conduct Authority assess whether people living in the 244 neighbourhoods experiencing the highest levels of deprivation are paying above average rates for (a) home, (b) car and (c) travel insurance.

The government expects that insurers deliver good outcomes to consumers and firms are required to do so under Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) rules. These rules require firms to ensure their products offer fair value. This means the price paid by consumers must be reasonable compared to the benefits they receive. The FCA monitors firms and has robust powers to act against firms that breach its rules. The government’s Financial Inclusion Strategy, published on 5 November 2025, recognises that insurance has an important part to play in financial resilience and wellbeing, and sets out a range of interventions to improve access. This includes a total signposting initiative which will help underserved consumers find insurance policies which meet their needs. The government also plans to publish the final report of the cross-government Motor Insurance Taskforce in the autumn. As part of the taskforce’s work to understand how the cost of motor insurance impacts on particular groups of customers, the FCA is conducting statistical analysis to evaluate the impacts on different age groups and consumers living in areas with a higher proportion of minority ethnic residents. The FCA will publish its findings later this year.

If she will require banks to (a) publish lending data by postcode and (b) identify the neighbourhoods where the (i) least and (ii) most lending takes place.

The Government has no plans to require banks to publish lending data by postcode or to identify neighbourhoods with the least and most lending. However, as I outlined in my answers to PQs 86597 (5 November) and 77972 (16 October), and as set out in the recently published Financial Inclusion Strategy, the Government is committed to ensuring that access to finance is available for individuals and businesses across the UK and to tackle barriers where these exist. The Strategy presents an ambitious programme of measures to improve access to credit, among them new funding for the credit union sector in England and a small sum lending pilot.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to help prevent (a) products or (b) services produced in illegal settlements in the West Bank from entering the UK.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer I provided on 15 October 2025 to Question 77510.

If she will make an assessment of the adequacy of access to affordable credit for (a) people and (b) small businesses in the 100 most deprived communities according to the English indices of multiple deprivation 2025 published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on 30 October 2025.

The Government recognises that credit, when provided responsibly, supports business growth, and can be crucial for people facing unexpected expenses or managing their cash flow. The UK has a diverse landscape for credit provision to individuals and businesses, comprising traditional banks, challenger and specialist banks, and non-bank finance providers such as Community Development Finance Institutions (CDFIs). In 2024, CDFIs and social banks lent £96.7 million to 364 social enterprises, with 67% of this lending directed to the UK’s most disadvantaged areas.The Government recently published its Financial Inclusion Strategy which sets out an ambitious programme of measures to improve financial inclusion and resilience for people across the UK. In recognition of the important role responsible credit can play for consumers, the strategy includes a focus on access to credit, among other priority issues, with the launch of new funding to support the credit union sector in England and a small sum lending pilot.

With reference to the Independent Commission on Neighbourhoods, if she will review the availability of affordable credit in mission critical neighbourhoods.

The Government recognises that credit, when provided responsibly, can be crucial for people facing unexpected expenses or managing their cash flow. The UK has a diverse landscape for credit provision to individuals, comprising traditional banks, challenger and specialist banks, credit unions, and non-bank finance providers. Within this landscape, Community Development Finance Institutions (CDFIs) play an important role in delivering credit to consumers who are underserved by mainstream lenders. In 2024, CDFIs provided £81.8 million in loans to over 130,000 individuals. More than a third of these borrowers in England were based in the North, which contains most of England’s mission critical neighbourhoods as identified by the Independent Commission on Neighbourhoods. Today I have published the Government’s Financial Inclusion Strategy, which includes a focus on how to improve access to affordable credit. The Strategy outlines measures to support the community finance sector, including encouraging partnerships between the sector and mainstream firms. It was developed in collaboration with a range of consumer and industry representatives and the Government will continue to work closely with stakeholders to deliver on the interventions.

If she will take legislative steps to reform the Bank Referral Scheme to ensure that SMEs are referred to the (a) most appropriate and (b) best value funding option.

I refer the Honourable Member to the answer I gave on 28 October to PQ 84135.