Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether animal welfare concerns relating to the Faroe Islands' grindadráp whale and dolphin hunt will be considered during the 2026 review of the UK–Faroe Islands trade agreement.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

By convening an annual Joint Committee, the UK-Faroes FTA provides an effective channel for UK officials from the Department for Business and Trade (in collaboration with other relevant government departments), to review a range of issues with the Faroe Islands. These include animal welfare, which was indeed raised by the UK at the latest Joint Committee, held on 3 June 2026 in London. The Government does and will continue to advocate for the end of all cetacean hunting in the Faroe Islands at every appropriate opportunity.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to support British cement producers with their energy costs.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Some cement businesses currently receive support under the British Industry Supercharger, which provides relief to eligible energy-intensive industries for some electricity policy and network costs. These cement businesses also benefitted from the uplift of the Network Charging Compensation Scheme, an element of the British Industry Supercharger, and now receive 90% compensation for their electricity network charges. The Government understands the pressure of high energy costs and regularly engages with the cement sector’s main trade association, the Mineral Products Association, to understand the sector’s challenges and explore how best to support it.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what the status is of the Certification Officer’s investigation into the Unite trade union and the hotel development.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)

The Certification Officer has appointed an inspector to investigate the financial affairs of Unite the Union. The inspector's work is continuing and upon its conclusion, the Certification Officer will publish the report on the Certification Officer's website.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to his Department's joint press release entitled UK life sciences attracts £3bn investment, creating jobs and faster patient treatments, published on 9 July 2026, what assessment he has made of the contribution of small and medium-sized enterprises to investment secured under the Life Sciences Sector Plan.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department has not done a specific assessment of investment secured from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The Life Sciences Sector Plan does however support SMEs through a suite of targeted interventions. The Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund remains open and its pipeline includes companies of varying sizes. The Scale-Up Support Service directly supports 10-20 high-potential companies and is open to companies of all sizes. We also offer dedicated export assistance to SMEs. UKRI and NIHR are set to substantially enhance their offerings for BioTech and MedTech SMEs and the British Business Bank continues to invest in life sciences SMEs.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions he has had with institutional investors on increasing investment in businesses located within the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Secretary of State and Ministers regularly engage with institutional investors about opportunities for investment in the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor and the Corridor’s strengths in the UK Government’s Industrial Strategy sectors, including Life Sciences, Advanced Manufacturing, Digital and Tech, Clean Energy and Defence. These discussions support wider efforts to promote the Corridor as a globally competitive location for innovation, growth and high-value business investment. The Office for Investment supports this by securing strategically significant investment projects that drive growth, create high-value jobs and strengthen the UK’s long-term competitiveness.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps the Department is taking to raise awareness among small businesses of the expanded role and powers of the Small Business Commissioner.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government is committed to ensuring that small businesses are aware of the Small Business Commissioner’s expanded role and powers. The Commissioner already provides advice, guidance and support through its website, outreach activity and communications channels, and these will be strengthened as new powers are introduced. The Department will work closely with the Commissioner to deliver a comprehensive communications and engagement programme, helping small businesses understand their rights, access support, and benefit from the stronger protections and enforcement measures provided by the Commercial Payments Bill.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether the Government has analysed companies incorporated during the pandemic against recipients of Bounce Back Loans and other Covid support schemes.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

HM Government has analysed the Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS) portfolio for indicators that borrowers received loans which were ineligible under Scheme rules. This included analysing whether businesses were established on or before 1st March 2020 in accordance with BBLS eligibility criteria.

HMG has not analysed companies incorporated before 1^st March 2020 across other Covid Loan Schemes.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for government’s most important contracts, Data for October to December 2025 for all departments, published on 31 March 2026, what the title and description are of the two social value KPIs only labelled as social value.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The table below presents the two Department for Business and Trade (DBT) Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for which ‘Social Value’ was included in the KPI descriptions within the October–December 2025 KPI Commission period

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps the Department is taking to ensure that the design of the UK’s electronic invoicing regime minimises costs and administrative burdens for small businesses.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Electronic invoicing, or e-invoicing, will become mandatory for VAT transactions from April 2029. E-invoicing will help business productivity and efficiency, reduce late payments and streamline tax administration.

DBT and HMRC ran a consultation between February and May 2025 to gather views on e-invoicing from a wide range of stakeholders, including small businesses and business representative organisations.

We are now working collaboratively to co-design e-invoicing policy, including with business representative organisations and accountancy and bookkeeping networks who champion small business interests.

The government will publish an Implementation Roadmap at Budget 2026 to update on progress and set out key milestones ahead of the mandate.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has designated a team responsible for agri-tech as a frontier industry under the Industrial Strategy.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Department of Business and Trade has expertise committed to delivering economic growth in the agri-tech sector and helping to deliver the outcomes of the Industrial Strategy.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has made an estimate of the number of businesses which have stopped trading due to the extended producer responsibility scheme.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Department has not made an estimate of the number of businesses that have stopped trading due to the extended producer responsibility scheme. The Department for Business and Trade is committed to supporting businesses to start, invest, grow and export through a range of measures, including improving access to finance, reducing barriers to trade, promoting investment, and providing practical support through the Business Growth Service and UK Export Finance.

The scheme is led by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and is designed to ensure that producers bear the full net costs of managing household packaging waste, thereby supporting increased recycling and a more circular economy.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many Community Interest Companies registered have had Striking Off action suspended due to objections pertaining to Bounce Back Loans being received by the registrar.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

As of July 2026, there are 392 Community Interest Companies in receipt of a Bounce Back Loan which have an active objection in place.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how much public funding has been allocated through the Industrial Strategy to support agri-tech as a frontier industry; and how this compares with the funding allocated to each other frontier industry identified in the Strategy.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

In the Industrial Strategy, Government set out an ambition to drive innovation in agriculture. We committed to invest at least £200 million in the Farming Innovation Programme by 2030, with £123 million available for competitions in 2026-27. To date, the programme has supported more than 300 projects, including innovations in fruit crop protection and dairy health in Horsham. Frontier industries are supported through a range of interventions tailored to their specific growth opportunities and barriers, rather than through directly comparable funding allocations. Progress is reported through our Quarterly Updates and recent one-year Industrial Strategy delivery update.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps the Department is taking with the Cabinet Office to help innovative scale-up businesses navigate public procurement processes and secure opportunities to supply the public sector.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Department for Business and Trade is working closely with the Cabinet Office, HM Treasury and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (including the Commercial Innovation Hub) to improve public procurement of innovation.

Through the Industrial Strategy and measures announced at Autumn Budget 2025 the government is going further to support innovative UK scale-ups to access public procurement – including through the establishment of an Innovation Marketplace, expanded use of Advance Market Commitments and appointment of Innovation Champions in all departments.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the availability of angel investment for female-led businesses.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Department recognises that increasing the number of women angel investors is key to improving access to finance for female-led businesses. Evidence from the DBT-backed Investing in Women Code report shows that more diverse angel groups make a larger proportion of their investments into women founders.

Through the British Business Bank, the Government is supporting more diverse angel investment. This Diverse Angels Syndicate programme will support angel syndicates to recruit, train, and invest inclusively. The Regional Angels Programme addresses regional funding gaps and attracts co-investments; its pilot engaged 185 new angel investors, of whom 176 were women.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what estimate he has made of the economic contribution of female-led businesses to UK gross value added.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

While the Department has not made an estimate of the economic contribution of female-led businesses to UK gross value added (GVA), independent research demonstrates the significant contribution that women-led businesses make to the UK economy.

The Alison Rose Review of Female Entrepreneurship (2019) estimated that up to £250 billion of new value could be added to the UK economy if women started and scaled businesses at the same rate as men. Frontier Economics has since estimated that achieving gender parity in entrepreneurship could increase cumulative UK GVA by €825 billion (£718 billion) by 2040.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department plans to publish annual monitoring reports on the economic impact of the British Growth Partnership.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Department does not plan to publish annual monitoring reports on the economic impact of the British Growth Partnership (BGP). Instead, the British Business Bank will report the value of its stake in BGP through its public annual reporting and has commissioned an independent evaluation of BGP. An initial assessment, focusing on process and early delivery outcomes, is expected in 2027. An interim economic evaluation is expected to begin in late 2028, once sufficient time has passed for BGP’s outcomes and impacts to emerge.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to his Department's press release entitled UK to set end date for imports of Russian diesel and jet fuel via third countries, published on 12 June 2026, what monitoring and enforcement measures will be used to verify that imported diesel and jet fuel are not derived from Russian crude oil after the licence expires.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

HMRC is responsible for enforcing the ban on imports of oil products refined in third countries from Russian-origin crude oil and investigating suspected offences.

HMRC uses a variety of proven methods to detect sanctions breaches, including: risk and intelligence-based checks on goods imported to the UK, auditing businesses involved in the trade of goods subject to sanctions; and collecting actionable intelligence from domestic and international law enforcement partners and the intelligence community.

Importers of diesel and jet fuel may be requested to present evidence of a good's supply chain. In some cases, HMRC officials may require the production of further information relating to the goods.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 4 June 2026 to Question 4161 on Government departments: marketing, how much has been spent on branded goods and merchandise by the Department since the Government Chief Commercial Officer letter was sent; and on what items.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) can confirm that it has incurred no expenditure on branded goods and events.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to expand the British Industry Supercharger programme to include a larger proportion of the steel industry and related sectors, including the scrap metal sector.

Answered by Lord Leong - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)

The Department for Business and Trade intends to conduct a review of the British Industry Supercharger this year, which will include a review of eligibility criteria. However, any changes to eligibility criteria, or other parts of the policy, are subject to public consultation and ministerial approval. All stakeholders, including those in the steel and scrap metal sectors, are encouraged to engage with this review when the opportunity arises and present all relevant evidence.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government how they intend to ensure British steel is not undercut by high-emission imports when free Emissions Trading Scheme allocations are phased out.

Answered by Lord Leong - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)

The Government is introducing a UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) from 1 January 2027 to ensure imported carbon-intensive goods face a carbon price comparable to that paid by UK producers under the UK Emissions Trading Scheme. The CBAM will apply to imports of iron and steel and is designed to address carbon leakage. Alongside this, the UK ETS Authority has consulted on the treatment of free allocations for CBAM-covered sectors to ensure a managed transition while maintaining carbon leakage protection for UK manufacturers.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Stockwood on 13 July (HL1372), when they will publish the findings of the responsible business conduct review.

Answered by Lord Leong - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)

The review has been completed and Government is considering its findings. We will publish the review and set out our plans soon.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the water usage requirements of large-scale data centres, particularly in times of drought.

Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

The Department of Business, Innovation, Science and Trade engages regularly with relevant organisations such as DEFRA and the Environment Agency, recognising the need to ensure data infrastructure does not compromise the resilience of public water supplies.

The Government supports the adoption of efficient cooling technologies, including closed-loop systems and alternative water sources such as rainwater harvesting, and national planning policy embeds consideration of sustainable water use and resource efficiency in decision making. In 2025, a joint techUK-Environment Agency survey found that 51% of surveyed sites use closed loop cooling systems, and 64% use less than 10,000m³ of water per year.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to work with (1) trade unions, and (2) businesses, on the implementation of the Employment Rights Act 2025.

Answered by Lord Leong - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)

The Government is undertaking an extensive programme of engagement around implementation of the Employment Rights Act and the broader Plan to Make Work Pay. The Government has committed to delivering employment rights changes in partnership with businesses, trade unions, public sector employers, and civil society.

The reforms are being delivered in phases so that employees and employers have time to plan and prepare.

We will continue working alongside Acas to provide support and guidance to help businesses to get ready, and will continue to consult with businesses, trade unions and civil society to make sure we get the detail right.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of steel tariffs in protecting Britain’s domestic steel industry.

Answered by Lord Leong - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)

This steel trade measure has been carefully designed to take account of UK industry needs, and to ensure continued supply of necessary imports to meet these aims.

An Explanatory Memorandum accompanying the relevant legislation was published on 30 June, setting out the expected impacts of this measure on different types of businesses.

We have engaged with steel producers and downstream industries and will continue to do so as the measure is implemented. We will continue to monitor the measure and review it after 12 months.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the use of artificial intelligence-powered real-time translation and transcription technologies to improve accessibility for people with hearing impairments and those facing language barriers.

Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

The government understands that there is potential for artificial intelligence to support people with accessibility needs, including those who are Deaf or hard of hearing or face language barriers.

The Government Digital Service (GDS) will undertake analysis and research on how artificial intelligence and frontier technologies could improve accessibility for disabled users in digital public sector services.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government, with reference to the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice of 21 May, on Right to Strike Under ILO Convention No 87, paragraph 15, for what reason they withdrew on 3 October 2024 their written statement to the court; and whether they will place in the Library of the House a copy of the written statement previously filed on 16 May 2024.

Answered by Lord Leong - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)

The statement was withdrawn because it had been submitted under a previous administration in 2023. In 2024, the new administration wished to consider its position on these issues.

The ICJ has now held that the right to strike is protected under International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention 87 (Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise).

Given that the written statement was withdrawn, superseded by oral arguments and the ICJ has rendered its advisory opinion, the government has no current plans to publish the withdrawn statement.

We call the UK Government to introduce a British Repair Bonus: a practical, people-first discount that makes repairs more affordable for everyone. Modelled after France’s repair bonus, we want a government-backed discount applied, which is directly deducted from the repair invoice.

This law would ban the burning of used clothing or unsold stock and rather require that big companies opt for recycling schemes instead.

Mandate deaf awareness training for all employees in all businesses to allow accessibility for deaf individuals. Create an inclusive, diverse space and bridge the gap with the deaf community and the hearing world. Understanding deaf culture more could allow for better communication.

Require retailers to provide a same-day refund, payment reversal, or equivalent same-day credit when they fail to supply groceries or other essential goods after taking payment.

I propose bringing the national minimum wage for 18-20 year olds in line with 21 year olds and above.

Currently minimum wage for 18-20 year olds is £10.85 while for 21+ year olds its £12.71.

I believe it should be the same.

We call on the Government to ban alcohol advertising, including promotional displays and marketing, in petrol stations. Alcohol can be linked to addiction, poor mental health, physical illness and social harm. Yet, petrol stations display alcohol through signs, offers and promotions.

Found: Wednesday, 22 July 2026 Rt Hon Jonathan Reynolds MP Secretary of State Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade

Found: The Investment Security Unit will move to the Department for Business, Innovation Science and Trade (

Found: The Investment Security Unit will move to the Department for Business, Innovation Science and Trade (

Found: The Investment Security Unit will move to the Department for Business, Innovation Science and Trade (

Found: It follows the creation of the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade earlier this week

Found: Minister for Artificial Intelligence) jointly in the Cabinet Office and the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade

Found: Minister for Artificial Intelligence) jointly in the Cabinet Office and the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade

Found: Minister for Artificial Intelligence) jointly in the Cabinet Office and the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade