Written Statements

Tuesday 16th September 2025 Written Statements

Tuesday 16 September 2025

Plan for Small Businesses

Tuesday 16th September 2025 Written Statements

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business and Trade (Blair McDougall)]

On 31 July, the Government launched our plan for small businesses, changing the status quo in order to support small businesses.

Economic growth remains the Government’s foremost priority. The UK’s 5.5 million small and medium-sized enterprises—SMEs—are the backbone of our economy and the driving force behind growth in every community. SMEs are vital to the UK economy, making up 99.8% of all businesses, employing 60% of the private sector workforce, and generating £2.8 trillion in turnover. This underscores the importance of our commitment to supporting small businesses and ensuring they thrive.

While the UK is home to many outstanding businesses across sectors such as life sciences and the creative industries, too many SMEs have faced barriers to growth. Businesses seeking to grow report challenges ranging from access to finance and regulatory burdens to declining high streets.

Developed hand-in-hand with small businesses across the UK, Backing Your Business is our long-term strategy to break down barriers and unleash SME growth and productivity. This plan aims to transform the environment for starting and running a business, while placing SME growth at the heart of our growth mission

Key actions include:

Opening up opportunities

Launching a new business growth service to streamline access to advice and support, aligned with our vision for a modern digital Government.

Supporting under-represented entrepreneurs through improved data collection and initiatives such as the Lilac Review for disabled business owners.

Enhancing SME understanding of export opportunities by integrating export advice into the business growth service and expanding UK export finance by £20 billion to £80 billion, including a new small export builder insurance product.

Making it easier for SMEs to win Government contracts through a new procurement policy, an SME Procurement Education Programme, and a Defence SME Support Centre.

Supporting innovation through improved guidance on intellectual property and security, with resources from the Intellectual Property Office and Innovate UK.

Fixing the fundamentals

Introducing landmark legislation to tackle late payments, which cost the UK economy £11 billion annually and close 38 businesses each day. This will be the most significant legislation to tackle late payments in over 25 years and will establish the strongest legal framework on late payments in the G7.

Cutting the administrative cost of regulation by 25%, freeing up time and resources for businesses.

Modernising the tax and customs system, including Al-powered tools and personalised digital services, as outlined in HMRC’s Transformation Roadmap.

Accelerating planning processes to address infrastructure gaps and support smaller housebuilders.

Helping businesses reduce energy costs and transition to net zero, with targeted advice and expanded training in retrofit and energy efficiency.

Unlocking access to finance



Expanding start-up loans to support 69,000 new businesses with finance and mentoring.

Committing to the British Business Bank’s growth guarantee scheme and increasing the ENABLE guarantee programme capacity from £3 billion to £5 billion.

Providing £340 million to boost early-stage equity finance for innovative firms.

Working with lenders to ensure fair use of personal guarantees, including a mandatory code of conduct under the growth guarantee scheme.

Backing the everyday economy

Introducing a new framework for local authorities and hospitality and night-time economy zones, following the Licensing Taskforce.

Supporting high street businesses through growth incubators, redevelopment of commercial space, and targeted investment.

Providing funding to up to 350 communities to support local regeneration.

Reforming business rates by introducing permanently lower multipliers for retail, hospitality, and leisure properties with rateable values under £500,000 from April 2026.

Banning upward only rent review clauses in commercial leases and continuing to promote High Street Rental Auctions and a new Community Right to Buy.

Supporting the growth of co-operatives and mutuals, including a call for evidence on how best to enable their expansion.

Enhancing community safety with 13,000 additional police officers, the Safer Streets initiative, and measures to tackle shoplifting and tool theft.

Future-proofing business skills

Promoting digital adoption through pilot schemes, industry partnerships, and expansion of the Made Smarter programme.

Supporting leadership development and mentoring through an industry-led Business Mentoring Council.

Encouraging youth enterprise through education, competitions, and a new Youth Entrepreneur category in the King’s Awards for Enterprise.

Ensuring SMEs benefit from the skills and apprenticeships system, including £1.2 billion of additional annual investment by 2028-29, and promoting access to T-Levels and apprenticeships via the Business Growth Service.

These measures are just the beginning. With over 200 actions, Backing Your Business will empower SMEs to grow, innovate and thrive in every corner of the UK. We are committed to delivering these actions over this parliament and will publish a delivery update in 2027. We launched this strategy in partnership with small businesses— and we will continue to work side-by-side with them to deliver real change.

One of the commitments in Backing Your Business is to increase the contingent liability for the ENABLE guarantee scheme administered by the British Business Bank to £5 billion. ENABLE guarantees are designed to encourage additional lending to smaller and medium-sized businesses. Participating institutions are incentivised by a Government-backed guarantee to support defined portfolios of debt finance in return for a fee. A departmental minute with full details of this contingent liability is being laid today.

[HCWS924]

Correction to PQ HL8160

Tuesday 16th September 2025 Written Statements

[The Minister without Portfolio (Anna Turley)]

We will issue this statement at a later date.

[HCWS932]

Football Governance Act Consultation: Owners and Directors Test

Tuesday 16th September 2025 Written Statements

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Stephanie Peacock)]

The Government have today launched our targeted consultation on the statutory deadline for the Football Governance Act’s owners’ and directors’ tests. We have invited responses from the relevant competition organisers, clubs, the Football Association, the Football Supporters Association, and other appropriate individuals and organisations.

Football lies at the heart of our nation, and it touches the lives of so many of us across the country. Football clubs are treasured not just by their fans, but also by their local communities. That is why it is absolutely vital that only suitable owners and officers are allowed to be the custodians of these community institutions.

As the Government set out in the Act, the independent football regulator will have the power to test owners and officers to ensure they are fit and proper persons to be running a football club. As part of these tests, the Secretary of State, Lisa Nandy, will produce regulations specifying how long the IFR can take to make a determination on the suitability of new owners and officers. The responses to this consultation from key stakeholders will help us to set an appropriate deadline that works for the IFR and the industry. In particular, ensuring that the IFR has sufficient time to perform robust tests, without burdening the industry with a lengthy and bureaucratic approval process that might put clubs at risk or deter investment.

I want to thank all the fan groups, clubs, leagues, football bodies and industry experts who have engaged with the Government so far and encourage those that have been contacted to share their views.

[HCWS927]

NATO: Eastern Sentry

Tuesday 16th September 2025 Written Statements

[The Secretary of State for Defence (John Healey)]

On 10 September, Polish air space was recklessly violated by a number of Russian uncrewed aerial systems, in the most significant violation of NATO airspace by Russia since the start of Putin’s illegal full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Poland requested consultations at NATO under article 4 of the Washington treaty. The UK, alongside our allies, stands in full solidarity with Poland and denounces Russia’s reckless behaviour.

In response, I announced after the E5 defence ministerial meeting in London last week that I had asked our UK armed forces to look at options to bolster NATO’s air defence over Poland.

On 12 September, the NATO Secretary-General and Supreme Allied Commander Europe announced NATO was launching Eastern Sentry to bolster NATO’s posture further along its eastern flank.

Within days, the United Kingdom will deploy RAF Typhoon fighter jets to support NATO’s response to Eastern Sentry, reinforcing the alliance’s air defences on its eastern flank, and supported by RAF Voyager air-to-air refuelling aircraft. Operating from the UK, RAF Typhoons will conduct air defence missions over Poland, operating alongside allied forces, from Denmark, France, and Germany, to ensure the security of allied territory and deter further aggression. This activity will involve hundreds of UK personnel and I am, as always, grateful for the hard work and dedication of our armed forces for their work 24/7 to keep the UK and our allies safe.

The UK’s commitment to NATO is unshakeable. UK armed forces play a vital role in NATO’s defence, from the permanent British Army presence in Estonia as part of NATO’s Forward Land Forces to the RAF’s rotational air policing missions in eastern Europe. Over the past 18 months, RAF Typhoons have been deployed to Poland and Romania to protect NATO airspace. This deployment underscores the UK’s commitment to NATO and the security of Europe. The Government remain resolute in their duty to protect the UK and our NATO allies.

[HCWS931]

Great British Energy: Strategic Priorities

Tuesday 16th September 2025 Written Statements

[The Minister of State, Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (Michael Shanks)]

Great British Energy (GBE) is central to this Government’s mission to make the UK a clean energy superpower and will play a pivotal role in accelerating the deployment of clean, secure, home-grown energy as the UK’s publicly owned clean energy company. GBE is putting energy back into the hands of the British public, enabling the benefits of the clean energy transition to flow back into communities, households and businesses, to protect billpayers for good.

At the spending review, the Government confirmed over £8.3 billion in capitalisation for GBE and Great British Energy Nuclear. The statement of strategic priorities—"the statement”— now sets out the Secretary of State’s vision for how Great British Energy should contribute to the mission. It does so by identifying two core objectives for GBE:

Drive clean energy deployment across the whole of the UK, as a strategic developer, investor, and owner of clean energy projects.

Ensure that UK taxpayers, billpayers, communities, and the current energy workforce benefit from the clean energy transition by increasing public ownership and community involvement in the development of clean energy projects, and by supporting jobs and economic growth across the UK.

The statement provides strategic direction by specifying that GBE should focus on three core groups of activities to deliver on GBE’s objectives:

The statement outlines the key principles for intervention. Underpinning these principles for intervention is a requirement for GBE to ensure that its portfolio of activities and investments is additional. The statement also outlines GBE’s long-term goal to become financially self-sustaining, and the importance of setting a clear path towards profitability with a plan for self-financing to be in place by 2030.

Partnerships with the private sector and other public sector organisations will be critical to GBE’s ability to deliver on its core objectives. The statement therefore provides detail on how GBE should work collaboratively with private and public sector organisations. This includes local and devolved governments, the National Wealth Fund, The Crown Estate and Great British Energy-Nuclear.

The statement also sets out the Secretary of State’s expectation that GBE put in place a robust corporate governance framework which adheres to corporate transparency principles.

GBE is foundational to this Government’s mission to bring energy security, protect billpayers, create good jobs and help protect future generations, and will be a key player in establishing the energy system of the future. In doing so, Great British Energy will demonstrate how modern public ownership can deliver a dynamic state which works with industry, workers, unions and local and devolved Governments to accelerate the clean energy transition and deliver benefits for citizens across the UK.

[HCWS925]

Pandemic Preparedness: Exercise Pegasus

Tuesday 16th September 2025 Written Statements

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Ashley Dalton)]

I am today confirming that, on 18 September, Exercise Pegasus, the national tier 1 pandemic preparedness exercise set to assess the UK’s ability to respond to a pandemic, will commence.

A pandemic remains the top risk of the UK’s national risk register, and experts are clear that it is a case of when, not if, the UK will experience another pandemic. We cannot be prepared if we do not actively look for opportunities to test the country’s capabilities, plans, protocols and procedures in the event of another major pandemic. Exercise Pegasus is a prime opportunity to do just that.

Exercise Pegasus will be the largest ever simulation of a pandemic in UK history and will involve participation from every Department, the devolved Governments and representation from arm’s length bodies and local resilience fora.

The exercise is due to take place from September to November 2025, led by the Department of Health and Social Care and delivered with the UK Health Security Agency. Core exercise days have been confirmed for 18 September, 9 October and 30 October, simulating the first phases of a pandemic: emergence, containment, and mitigation. A fourth phase—recovery—is also planned for 2026. The UK Government have committed to communicating the findings and lessons of the exercise as recommended by the covid-19 inquiry and a post-exercise report will be delivered in due course.

[HCWS926]

Home Office Science Advisory Committee: Renaming

Tuesday 16th September 2025 Written Statements

[The Minister for Policing and Crime (Sarah Jones)]

The Minister of State at the Home Office, my noble Friend Lord Hanson of Flint, has today made the following written ministerial statement:

I am pleased to announce the formal name change of the Biometrics and Forensics Ethics Group to the Science and Technology Ethics Advisory Committee.

The name change has sought to accurately encompass the full remit of this scientific advisory group, which works to provide Ministers with independent advice on matters relating to broad ethical issues in science, technology and data.

I would like to thank the group for its ongoing advice across many sectors of the Home Office, and I am pleased that this name change reflects both the breadth and depth of expertise held by all the members of the group. Continuous support has been provided to the Government by our members in matters ranging from the national DNA database to ethical advice on using large datasets and machine learning.

For a list of publications and information regarding the ongoing advice that this group provides, please see its website:

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/science-and-technology-ethics-advisory-committee

[HCWS929]

Provision of False Evidence by MI5: Investigatory Powers Commissioner

Tuesday 16th September 2025 Written Statements

[The Prime Minister (Keir Starmer)]

In July this year, the High Court and the Investigatory Powers Tribunal handed down judgments following MI5’s provision of incorrect evidence to the courts in relation to the case of agent X.

On 2 July the High Court concluded that the High Court, the Investigatory Powers Tribunal, the Investigatory Powers Commissioner and the associated special advocates were misled by MI5. It also concluded that—once it had been determined that the evidence given to the courts was incorrect—the subsequent investigations carried out suffered from serious procedural deficiencies. As such, the High Court ordered that a “further, robust and independent investigation” should take place and recommended that this should be led by the Investigatory Powers Commissioner.

In its judgment of 30 July, the Investigatory Powers Tribunal agreed with the High Court’s conclusions and set out further specific issues on the provision of false evidence. The tribunal requested these were answered via further investigation and again recommended this be taken forward by the Investigatory Powers Commissioner’s Office. Both courts will use the outcome of this investigation to determine their next steps in relation to the case of agent X.

Exercising the power conferred by sections 230 & 234(3) of the Investigatory Powers Act 2016, I have now issued a direction to the commissioner to commence this investigation immediately. In accordance with my obligation to publish such directions under section 230 of the Investigatory Powers Act 2016, I am depositing a copy of the direction and terms of reference in the Libraries of both Houses.

[HCWS928]

Machinery of Government: Skills

Tuesday 16th September 2025 Written Statements

[The Prime Minister (Keir Starmer)]

I am making this statement to bring to the attention of the House the following machinery of government change.

I am today confirming that responsibility for apprenticeships, adult further education, skills, training and careers, and Skills England, will move from the Department for Education to the Department for Work and Pensions.

Responsibility for higher education, and further education, skills, training and careers for those aged 19 years and under will remain with the Department for Education.

Baroness Smith of Malvern, the Minister for Skills, will serve jointly across the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Education.

This change is effective today, 16 September 2025.

[HCWS930]