To ask the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment what discussions he has had with UK Treasury regarding the rate of VAT within the tourism and hospitality industry in Northern Ireland; and to detail the outcomes of these discussions.

I have had no discussions with the UK Treasury regarding the rate of VAT within the tourism and hospitality industry in Northern Ireland. The Finance Minister takes the lead on financial issues such as this.

The Finance Minister wrote to David Gauke MP, Financial Secretary to the Treasury, on 15 June 2015 calling on the Government to once again consider how a reduced rate of VAT could be used and targeted to improve the competitiveness of the UK tourism industry. In his response dated 27 July 2015, Mr Gauke responded reaffirming Her Majesty’s Treasury’s position that such a change could not be applied exclusively to Northern Ireland, and that the Government had no plans to introduce a reduced rate of VAT for tourism across the UK as a whole.