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In the 2024 Autumn Budget the Chancellor announced the introduction of VAT on private school fees from 1 January 2025. This briefing discusses the background to the government's decision and the legislation to bring it into effect.
In the 2024 Autumn Budget the Chancellor announced the introduction of VAT on private school fees from 1 January 2025. This briefing discusses the background to the government's decision and the legislation to bring it into effect.
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the sufficiency of secular education offered to schoolchildren who spend the majority of their schooling hours in religious schools.
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the sufficiency of secular education offered to schoolchildren who spend the majority of their schooling hours in religious schools.
State‑funded schools with a religious character may teach religious education in line with their faith, but they are subject to the same requirements as other state‑funded schools to promote community cohesion and to teach a broad and balanced curriculum.
Since 2014, all schools, including independent schools and those with a religious character or ethos, have been required to actively promote the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance for those of different faiths and beliefs.
Independent schools with a religious character or ethos must be registered with my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education and meet the Independent School Standards, which set minimum requirements relating to safeguarding, the quality of education, and pupils’ welfare. The Standards include, among other things, a requirement to teach a broad curriculum.
The government assesses the sufficiency of education through the inspection and regulatory framework. All registered schools are inspected by Ofsted, and the Secretary of State has statutory powers to intervene where standards are not met.
The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill includes measures to strengthen the regulation and oversight of independent schools and will bring additional full-time educational settings, including some which provide a religious education, within the same regulatory regime as independent schools.
The government does not routinely monitor examination entry or progression to higher education for pupils in independent schools, as responsibility rests with schools and parents.
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that religious education offered to children who spend the majority of their schooling hours in religious schools does not promote hostility towards religions other than their own.
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that religious education offered to children who spend the majority of their schooling hours in religious schools does not promote hostility towards religions other than their own.
State‑funded schools with a religious character may teach religious education in line with their faith, but they are subject to the same requirements as other state‑funded schools to promote community cohesion and to teach a broad and balanced curriculum.
Since 2014, all schools, including independent schools and those with a religious character or ethos, have been required to actively promote the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance for those of different faiths and beliefs.
Independent schools with a religious character or ethos must be registered with my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education and meet the Independent School Standards, which set minimum requirements relating to safeguarding, the quality of education, and pupils’ welfare. The Standards include, among other things, a requirement to teach a broad curriculum.
The government assesses the sufficiency of education through the inspection and regulatory framework. All registered schools are inspected by Ofsted, and the Secretary of State has statutory powers to intervene where standards are not met.
The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill includes measures to strengthen the regulation and oversight of independent schools and will bring additional full-time educational settings, including some which provide a religious education, within the same regulatory regime as independent schools.
The government does not routinely monitor examination entry or progression to higher education for pupils in independent schools, as responsibility rests with schools and parents.
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that children who spend the majority of their schooling hours in religious education are enabled to take national examinations and apply for admission to higher education institutions.
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that children who spend the majority of their schooling hours in religious education are enabled to take national examinations and apply for admission to higher education institutions.
State‑funded schools with a religious character may teach religious education in line with their faith, but they are subject to the same requirements as other state‑funded schools to promote community cohesion and to teach a broad and balanced curriculum.
Since 2014, all schools, including independent schools and those with a religious character or ethos, have been required to actively promote the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance for those of different faiths and beliefs.
Independent schools with a religious character or ethos must be registered with my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education and meet the Independent School Standards, which set minimum requirements relating to safeguarding, the quality of education, and pupils’ welfare. The Standards include, among other things, a requirement to teach a broad curriculum.
The government assesses the sufficiency of education through the inspection and regulatory framework. All registered schools are inspected by Ofsted, and the Secretary of State has statutory powers to intervene where standards are not met.
The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill includes measures to strengthen the regulation and oversight of independent schools and will bring additional full-time educational settings, including some which provide a religious education, within the same regulatory regime as independent schools.
The government does not routinely monitor examination entry or progression to higher education for pupils in independent schools, as responsibility rests with schools and parents.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that independent faith schools meet independent school standards.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that independent faith schools meet independent school standards.
All private schools are required to comply with the Independent School Standards (ISS). Schools that fail to meet the ISS at inspection are subject to regulatory action as per the ‘Independent Schools: Regulatory and Enforcement Action’ policy statement.
Motion that this House has considered the impact of VAT on independent faith schools. Agreed to on question.
Motion that this House has considered the impact of VAT on independent faith schools. Agreed to on question.
I beg to move,
That this House has considered the impact of VAT on independent faith schools.
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Sir Alec. I hope that this debate will go well. I welcome the Minister to her place and look forward to engaging with her. I have...
I beg to move,
That this House has considered the impact of VAT on independent faith schools.
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Sir Alec. I hope that this debate will go well. I welcome the Minister to her place and look forward to engaging with her. I have...
I appreciate the solution that the hon. Gentleman is presenting for faith-based schools, but does he accept that any tax on education is wrong in principle? Would he support my party’s policy of reversing the burden of VAT for all independent schools?
I appreciate the solution that the hon. Gentleman is presenting for faith-based schools, but does he accept that any tax on education is wrong in principle? Would he support my party’s policy of reversing the burden of VAT for all independent schools?
This debate is quite clearly on VAT on independent faith-based schools, but I do support that principle and have voted accordingly in the Chamber, as has been recorded. I am today putting forward the case for independent faith-based schools and asking for them to be considered differently, but I accept...
This debate is quite clearly on VAT on independent faith-based schools, but I do support that principle and have voted accordingly in the Chamber, as has been recorded. I am today putting forward the case for independent faith-based schools and asking for them to be considered differently, but I accept...
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Alec. I thank the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon) for bringing forward this debate.
It is well established that the Liberal Democrats oppose taxing education, whether that is independent, faith or non-faith schools. We did not support the Government’s decision...
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Alec. I thank the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon) for bringing forward this debate.
It is well established that the Liberal Democrats oppose taxing education, whether that is independent, faith or non-faith schools. We did not support the Government’s decision...
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Alec. This issue is very close to my heart, and I am grateful to the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon) for bringing it to Westminster Hall. I see how the issue affects my constituents, and the Conservatives care very...
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Alec. This issue is very close to my heart, and I am grateful to the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon) for bringing it to Westminster Hall. I see how the issue affects my constituents, and the Conservatives care very...
I am sorry—you are right, Sir Alec. The impacts of this policy are something that we have to continue to raise throughout our time in Parliament, until the next general election. We cannot forget that this should not stand; we need to reverse the legislation.
3.30 pm
I am sorry—you are right, Sir Alec. The impacts of this policy are something that we have to continue to raise throughout our time in Parliament, until the next general election. We cannot forget that this should not stand; we need to reverse the legislation.
3.30 pm
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Sir Alec. I thank all hon. Members for attending, and particularly the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon) for securing this debate and for his characteristically engaging speech. I am grateful for the suggestions that he made, which have all been...
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Sir Alec. I thank all hon. Members for attending, and particularly the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon) for securing this debate and for his characteristically engaging speech. I am grateful for the suggestions that he made, which have all been...
Respectfully, it is not about how the schools can do things; it is about the parents who make that sacrifice so that their children can get to those schools. I suggest—the Minister has it in front of her—a simple solution, which is to introduce a VAT registration threshold that is...
Respectfully, it is not about how the schools can do things; it is about the parents who make that sacrifice so that their children can get to those schools. I suggest—the Minister has it in front of her—a simple solution, which is to introduce a VAT registration threshold that is...
The hon. Gentleman made his case well in his speech earlier, and he makes it again now. The Government have carefully considered the options that he has put forward today. I have heard all of his points and they have been noted by my officials.
Private schools have steadily increased average...
The hon. Gentleman made his case well in his speech earlier, and he makes it again now. The Government have carefully considered the options that he has put forward today. I have heard all of his points and they have been noted by my officials.
Private schools have steadily increased average...
The justification for this tax given in the Labour party manifesto was to raise revenue to employ more teachers in the state sector, yet we now know that in November 2025, there were 1,400 fewer teachers than 12 months previously. Can the Minister tell us where the money has gone?
The justification for this tax given in the Labour party manifesto was to raise revenue to employ more teachers in the state sector, yet we now know that in November 2025, there were 1,400 fewer teachers than 12 months previously. Can the Minister tell us where the money has gone?
I will. I am just coming on to that, if you will bear with me. I am grateful for that. [Interruption.] Did I do something wrong, Sir Alec? I apologise.
I will. I am just coming on to that, if you will bear with me. I am grateful for that. [Interruption.] Did I do something wrong, Sir Alec? I apologise.
It is a very timely reminder. I am grateful to you, Sir Alec. I thank the hon. Member for Bridgwater (Sir Ashley Fox) for his intervention. He raises an important point. I have just skipped through my notes, and I realise that I will not be coming on to that...
It is a very timely reminder. I am grateful to you, Sir Alec. I thank the hon. Member for Bridgwater (Sir Ashley Fox) for his intervention. He raises an important point. I have just skipped through my notes, and I realise that I will not be coming on to that...
First of all, I thank the Backbench Business Committee for giving me the opportunity to speak on this issue, and I thank all Members for their contributions.
I thank the hon. Member for St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire (Ian Sollom) for his contribution; the Liberal Democrat policy on this issue is...
First of all, I thank the Backbench Business Committee for giving me the opportunity to speak on this issue, and I thank all Members for their contributions.
I thank the hon. Member for St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire (Ian Sollom) for his contribution; the Liberal Democrat policy on this issue is...
Letter dated 23/02/2026 from Lord Hanson of Flint to Lord Murphy of Torfaen regarding the Crime and Policing Bill: mandatory reporting clauses: paragraph 17, Schedule 10: definition of "activities … for the purposes of a religion or belief". 2p.
Letter dated 23/02/2026 from Lord Hanson of Flint to Lord Murphy of Torfaen regarding the Crime and Policing Bill: mandatory reporting clauses: paragraph 17, Schedule 10: definition of "activities … for the purposes of a religion or belief". 2p.