Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential environmental and astronomical effects of orbital reflector satellites.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The UK, to date, has commissioned three studies related to the impacts of satellite brightness and potential mitigations. The findings from these studies, alongside discussions in international forums such as the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS), help inform policy discussions on how to successfully address the balance between accessing vital services in space and minimising the impact on scientific research and the environment.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what discussions he has had with supermarket retailers on ensuring that loose, packaged and multi-pack fresh fruit and vegetable products are displayed with comparable price-per-kilogram information.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
The Price Marking Order (PMO) requires traders to display the selling price and, where applicable, the unit price for goods, enabling consumers to compare similar products and assess value for money. The PMO was recently updated so products sold by weight or volume must show unit prices in kilograms or litres. The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 confirmed that the price displayed on the shelf must be the price the consumer pays. The Government engaged extensively with industry on these proposals and keeps them under review to support consistent pricing information for consumers.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, with reference to the UK Space Agency's press release entitled UK invests in homegrown space tech to boost national resilience, published on 20 July 2026, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential economic impact of the investment in homegrown space technologies.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The UK Space Agency assesses the economic impact of its investments through proportionate monitoring and evaluation. The National Space Innovation Programme has been under independent evaluation since 2023, with findings due to be published. The Agency is also commissioning a long-term independent evaluation covering the National Space Innovation Programme, the Space Clusters Infrastructure Fund and Connectivity in Low Earth Orbit. This will assess their contribution to outcomes including technological capability and commercialisation, private investment, contracts, employment and skills, sector growth and competitiveness, and value for money, with interim and final findings published as the evidence develops.
Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, as of August 2026, how much of the £2.5 billion steel fund has been A) spent and/or B) allocated.
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 providing up to £2.5bn to support the UK steel industry, in addition to the £500m grant to Tata Steel in Port Talbot. This is being delivered through a combination of direct support for steel companies and the National Wealth Fund.
The Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade is not running a competitive steel fund and has not sought or received applications from steel companies of this nature. Companies seeking investment can contact the National Wealth Fund.
Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, how much of the £2.5 billion Steel Fund has been spent on Scunthorpe Steelworks to date.
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 providing up to £2.5bn to support the UK steel industry, in addition to the £500m grant to Tata Steel in Port Talbot. This is being delivered through a combination of direct support for steel companies and the National Wealth Fund.
The Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade is not running a competitive steel fund and has not sought or received applications from steel companies of this nature. Companies seeking investment can contact the National Wealth Fund.
Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, how much of the £2.5 billion Steel Fund has been spent within Wales to date.
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 providing up to £2.5bn to support the UK steel industry, in addition to the £500m grant to Tata Steel in Port Talbot. This is being delivered through a combination of direct support for steel companies and the National Wealth Fund.
The Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade is not running a competitive steel fund and has not sought or received applications from steel companies of this nature. Companies seeking investment can contact the National Wealth Fund.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what engagement his officials have had with the UK Space Agency since his appointment.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Following the Government's review of arms-length bodies, the UK Space Agency (UKSA) is now an integral part of the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade. Its staff are departmental officials and engage with ministers in the same way as others in the department.
Asked by: Liz Jarvis (Liberal Democrat - Eastleigh)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what discussions he has had with relevant stakeholders on introducing legal protections preventing employers from changing (a) bonus and (b) commission schemes at short notice.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
The Department meets regularly with stakeholders to discuss a range of issues around pay and remuneration.
Entitlement to bonuses and commission will depend on the terms of an individual's employment contract and any workplace pay scheme. There is no general legal entitlement to a discretionary bonus. Depending on the circumstances, where bonus or commission arrangements are contractual, the Employment Rights Act 2025’s new fire and rehire measures will also, once commenced, introduce new legal protection in this area. In the meantime, the Code of Practice on Dismissal and Re-engagement sets out employers’ responsibilities when seeking to change contractual terms and conditions of employment.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what steps he is taking to ensure that publicly funded research which results in a commercially viable spin-out is accompanied by sufficient access to later-stage finance to support its growth in the UK.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Since 2015, the UK has grown share of global VC investment at all stages. It now matches the Bay Area at early stage, though still lags at breakout and late stages. UK companies also progress between VC rounds at a higher rate than European peers.
To improve later-stage capital, alongside wider government measures, we have increased the British Business Bank’s total financial capacity to £25.6 billion, including £5 billion for growth-stage funds such as the £1 billion+ UK S&T Scale Up Fund. Pensions reforms could unlock up to £50 billion, supported by British Business Bank programmes helping pension funds invest in venture. In parallel, Innovate UK is working with the public finance institutions to create a connected investment pipeline to support science and technology firms from innovation to capital at scale.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the availability of later-stage capital on the ability of university spin-out companies to scale in the UK.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Since 2015, the UK has grown share of global VC investment at all stages. It now matches the Bay Area at early stage, though still lags at breakout and late stages. UK companies also progress between VC rounds at a higher rate than European peers.
To improve later-stage capital, alongside wider government measures, we have increased the British Business Bank’s total financial capacity to £25.6 billion, including £5 billion for growth-stage funds such as the £1 billion+ UK S&T Scale Up Fund. Pensions reforms could unlock up to £50 billion, supported by British Business Bank programmes helping pension funds invest in venture. In parallel, Innovate UK is working with the public finance institutions to create a connected investment pipeline to support science and technology firms from innovation to capital at scale.