Department for Business and Trade

We are the department for economic growth. We support businesses to invest, grow and export, creating jobs and opportunities across the country.



Secretary of State

 Portrait

Peter Kyle
Secretary of State for Business and Trade

Shadow Ministers / Spokeperson
Liberal Democrat
Lord Fox (LD - Life peer)
Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Business)
Clive Jones (LD - Wokingham)
Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Trade)

Conservative
Andrew Griffith (Con - Arundel and South Downs)
Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade

Scottish National Party
Chris Law (SNP - Dundee Central)
Shadow SNP Spokesperson (Business)
Chris Law (SNP - Dundee Central)
Shadow SNP Spokesperson (Trade)

Green Party
Ellie Chowns (Green - North Herefordshire)
Green Spokesperson (Business and Trade)

Liberal Democrat
Sarah Olney (LD - Richmond Park)
Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Business)
Joshua Reynolds (LD - Maidenhead)
Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Investment and Trade)
Junior Shadow Ministers / Deputy Spokesperson
Conservative
Harriett Baldwin (Con - West Worcestershire)
Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
Lord Sharpe of Epsom (Con - Life peer)
Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
Lord Hunt of Wirral (Con - Life peer)
Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
Gareth Davies (Con - Grantham and Bourne)
Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
Ministers of State
Chris Bryant (Lab - Rhondda and Ogmore)
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Lord Stockwood (Lab - Life peer)
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State
Peter Kyle (Lab - Hove and Portslade)
President of the Board of Trade
Blair McDougall (Lab - East Renfrewshire)
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Kate Dearden (LAB - Halifax)
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Chris McDonald (Lab - Stockton North)
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Baroness Lloyd of Effra (Lab - Life peer)
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
There are no upcoming events identified
Debates
Wednesday 29th April 2026
Select Committee Docs
None available
Select Committee Inquiry
None available
Written Answers
Wednesday 29th April 2026
Redundancy
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what the total number of potential redundancies disclosed in HR1 …
Secondary Legislation
Wednesday 29th April 2026
Employee Study and Training (Procedural Requirements) (Amendment) Regulations 2026
These Regulations amend the Employee Study and Training (Procedural Requirements) Regulations 2010 (S.I. 2010/155) (“the 2010 Regulations”).
Bills
Wednesday 12th November 2025
Industry and Exports (Financial Assistance) Act 2026
A Bill to Amend section 8(5) of the Industrial Development Act 1982 and section 6 of the Export and Investment …
Dept. Publications
Thursday 30th April 2026
09:30

Department for Business and Trade Commons Appearances

Oral Answers to Questions is a regularly scheduled appearance where the Secretary of State and junior minister will answer at the Dispatch Box questions from backbench MPs

Other Commons Chamber appearances can be:
  • Urgent Questions where the Speaker has selected a question to which a Minister must reply that day
  • Adjornment Debates a 30 minute debate attended by a Minister that concludes the day in Parliament.
  • Oral Statements informing the Commons of a significant development, where backbench MP's can then question the Minister making the statement.

Westminster Hall debates are performed in response to backbench MPs or e-petitions asking for a Minister to address a detailed issue

Written Statements are made when a current event is not sufficiently significant to require an Oral Statement, but the House is required to be informed.

Most Recent Commons Appearances by Category
Mar. 12
Oral Questions
Mar. 11
Urgent Questions
Apr. 29
Written Statements
Apr. 21
Westminster Hall
Jan. 27
Adjournment Debate
View All Department for Business and Trade Commons Contibutions

Bills currently before Parliament

Department for Business and Trade does not have Bills currently before Parliament


Acts of Parliament created in the 2024 Parliament


A Bill to Amend section 8(5) of the Industrial Development Act 1982 and section 6 of the Export and Investment Guarantees Act 1991.

This Bill received Royal Assent on 18th March 2026 and was enacted into law.


A Bill to make provision to amend the law relating to employment rights; to make provision about procedure for handling redundancies; to make provision about the treatment of workers involved in the supply of services under certain public contracts; to provide for duties to be imposed on employers in relation to equality; to amend the definition of “employment business” in the Employment Agencies Act 1973; to provide for the establishment of the School Support Staff Negotiating Body and the Social Care Negotiating Bodies; to amend the Seafarers’ Wages Act 2023; to make provision for the implementation of international agreements relating to maritime employment; to make provision about trade unions, industrial action, employers’ associations and the functions of the Certification Officer; to make provision about the enforcement of legislation relating to the labour market; and for connected purposes.

This Bill received Royal Assent on 18th December 2025 and was enacted into law.


A Bill to make provision about the marketing or use of products in the United Kingdom; about units of measurement and the quantities in which goods are marketed in the United Kingdom; and for connected purposes.

This Bill received Royal Assent on 21st July 2025 and was enacted into law.


A Bill to make provision about powers to secure the continued and safe use of assets of a steel undertaking.

This Bill received Royal Assent on 12th April 2025 and was enacted into law.

Department for Business and Trade - Secondary Legislation

These Regulations amend the Employee Study and Training (Procedural Requirements) Regulations 2010 (S.I. 2010/155) (“the 2010 Regulations”).
This Order amends the Employment Tribunals Extension of Jurisdiction (England and Wales) Order 1994 to extend the time limit for presenting complaints to an employment tribunal, in respect of employees’ contract of employment claims, from three months to six months.
View All Department for Business and Trade Secondary Legislation

Petitions

e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.

If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.

If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).

Trending Petitions
Petition Open
65,542 Signatures
(10,516 in the last 7 days)
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1,737 Signatures
(1,566 in the last 7 days)
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6,432 Signatures
(609 in the last 7 days)
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5,330 Signatures
(372 in the last 7 days)
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(237 in the last 7 days)
Petitions with most signatures
Petition Open
65,542 Signatures
(10,516 in the last 7 days)
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9,597 Signatures
(237 in the last 7 days)
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8,345 Signatures
(None in the last 7 days)
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7,885 Signatures
(29 in the last 7 days)
Petition Open
6,432 Signatures
(609 in the last 7 days)
Petition Debates Contributed

Ban the sale of fireworks to the general public to minimise the harm caused to vulnerable people and animals. Defenceless animals can die from the distress caused by fireworks.

I believe that permitting unregulated use of fireworks is an act of wide-scale cruelty to animals.

We call on the UK Government to introduce statutory paid menstrual leave of up to 3 days per month for people with conditions such as endometriosis and adenomyosis, following the model introduced in Portugal in 2025.

87,527
Petition Closed
5 May 2025
closed 11 months, 3 weeks ago

Fireworks killed our mum, Josephine Smith.
Her home was attacked using fireworks. We believe the use of fireworks after sale to the public cannot be policed.
We think all displays should be licensed and sales limited to licence holders only.

View All Department for Business and Trade Petitions

50 most recent Written Questions

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department

24th Apr 2026
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the UK's exit from the EU on the cost of energy-efficient industrial machinery.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Chris Bryant
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
24th Apr 2026
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many HR1 redundancy notices received by his Department in the last six months originated from the manufacturing sector.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Blair McDougall
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
22nd Apr 2026
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Secretary of State for Business and Trade or other ministers in the Department for Business and Trade have engaged with Apple, Google, Amazon or Microsoft about the impact of Strategic Market Status designation, or subsequent enforcement by the Competition and Markets Authority, on their investment plans in the UK.

The Government engages with a wide range of businesses on matters affecting the UK business and investment environment, including the digital markets regime. Such discussions are important for the exchange of views and the development of policy. As the UK’s independent competition authority, the CMA is responsible for all digital markets decisions, including on designations and interventions.

Baroness Lloyd of Effra
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
20th Apr 2026
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the implications for competition and market access of the integration of AI tools into digital platforms; and what steps they are taking to ensure fair competition and effective regulation in digital markets.

The Government is committed to delivering a competitive and prosperous digital economy. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is responsible for assessing and addressing competition in digital markets. The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act provides the CMA with powers to ensure the most powerful technology firms treat businesses and consumers fairly.

On 31 March the CMA announced a package of actions on business software and cloud services, in part to enable it to ensure a level playing field as AI is rapidly embedded into everyday business software tools.

Baroness Lloyd of Effra
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
24th Apr 2026
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the impact of take-or-pay clauses in commercial energy contracts on business liquidity.

It has not proved possible to respond to the Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Chris McDonald
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
24th Apr 2026
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the impact of energy costs on the survival rate of new businesses in Freeports.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Chris Bryant
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
24th Apr 2026
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to protect businesses from withdrawal of credit insurance due to rising energy liabilities.

It has not proved possible to respond to the Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Chris McDonald
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
27th Apr 2026
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he is taking steps to support take-up of green leases that share energy-saving investment costs between landlords and commercial tenants.

It has not proved possible to respond to the Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Chris McDonald
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
22nd Apr 2026
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of energy costs on business investment in the agricultural sector.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Chris McDonald
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
22nd Apr 2026
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on the energy costs of heritage businesses and listed commercial buildings.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Chris McDonald
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
27th Apr 2026
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he plans to publish key performance indicators on the impact of Government energy support on business productivity.

It has not proved possible to respond to the Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Chris McDonald
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
24th Apr 2026
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero on the long-term reform of the electricity market to decouple gas and renewable prices for business users.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Chris McDonald
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
27th Apr 2026
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent discussions he has had with the British Business Bank on the provision of low-interest loans for industrial battery storage systems.

It has not proved possible to respond to the Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Blair McDougall
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
22nd Apr 2026
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of high energy costs on the R&D budgets of manufacturing firms.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Chris McDonald
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
27th Apr 2026
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent discussions he has had with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) regarding the transparency of energy pricing in the commercial sub-metering market.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Kate Dearden
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
27th Apr 2026
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to brief UK trade envoys on the energy-related strengths of the UK’s low-carbon goods and services sector.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Chris Bryant
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
27th Apr 2026
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on business rate relief for firms that install external wall insulation on industrial units to reduce energy costs.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Chris McDonald
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
27th Apr 2026
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of recent changes to energy costs on the level of profit reinvestment by social enterprises into local communities.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Blair McDougall
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
27th Apr 2026
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of fluctuations in energy prices on the availability of professional indemnity insurance for energy consultants.

It has not proved possible to respond to the Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Chris McDonald
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
27th Apr 2026
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of business energy costs on the utilisation rates of UK-EU trade preferences under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Chris Bryant
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
27th Apr 2026
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent assessment he has made of the impact of service charge increases driven by increased communal energy costs on the viability of managed workspace providers.

It has not proved possible to respond to the Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Chris McDonald
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
28th Apr 2026
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of their plans for dynamic alignment with the EU on food and drink on (1) trade deals with other nations, and (2) the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership; and whether such dynamic alignment with the EU would take precedence over those existing trade deals.

It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Lord Stockwood
Minister of State (HM Treasury)
27th Apr 2026
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to ensure that increased energy costs do not cause carbon leakage in the UK’s aerospace supply chain.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Chris McDonald
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
27th Apr 2026
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to support the circular economy sector with energy costs related to material reprocessing and recycling.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Chris McDonald
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
27th Apr 2026
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has made a comparative assessment of the industrial energy subsidies provided by the US under the Inflation Reduction Act with those available to UK firms.

It has not proved possible to respond to the Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Chris Bryant
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
27th Apr 2026
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of energy price differentials on the volume of UK services exports to CPTPP member nations.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Chris Bryant
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
27th Apr 2026
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he is taking steps to encourage the development of insurance products to protect small businesses against sudden energy price spikes.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Blair McDougall
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
27th Apr 2026
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the impact of Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards on the availability of affordable commercial rental space for start-ups.

It has not proved possible to respond to the Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Blair McDougall
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
27th Apr 2026
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has assessed the potential effectiveness of Energy as a Service business models in reducing upfront capital barriers for UK manufacturers.

It has not proved possible to respond to the Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Chris McDonald
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
27th Apr 2026
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the reasons why British Steel has not filed statutory accounts for the year ending 31 December 2024; what discussions they have had with (1) the company, (2) its directors, (3) Companies House, or (4) the Financial Reporting Council, about the delay; and when they expect those accounts to be filed.

To date, funding of £484m has been provided to British Steel Limited under the provisions of the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act, and the full amount is recoverable as a debt due to the Crown, as set out in section 3(6) of the Act. There are no conditions attached save the requirement for the funds to be used in accordance with the purpose set out in legislation. All funding released to British Steel is reviewed and approved in advance. Recoverability of this debt is currently being assessed, and the resulting treatment will be reflected and published in the Department for Business and Trade's accounts for 2025-26.

HMG has set out its policy and operational intent to British Steel’s auditors under the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act 2025. This does not constitute a financial guarantee, indemnity or underwriting of liabilities and reflects material already in the public domain.

British Steel remains owned by Jingye and HMG’s powers to intervene under the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act 2025 are designed to maintain steelmaking and avoid a disorderly closure of the blast furnaces. We continue to work with Jingye to find a pragmatic and realistic solution for the future of British Steel.

The preparation and filing of statutory accounts are a matter for the company and its directors. The arrangements for preparing and approving company accounts are a matter for British Steel and its directors, in line with their statutory responsibilities.

Baroness Lloyd of Effra
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
27th Apr 2026
To ask His Majesty's Government what arrangements are in place to enable the directors of British Steel to prepare and approve company accounts.

To date, funding of £484m has been provided to British Steel Limited under the provisions of the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act, and the full amount is recoverable as a debt due to the Crown, as set out in section 3(6) of the Act. There are no conditions attached save the requirement for the funds to be used in accordance with the purpose set out in legislation. All funding released to British Steel is reviewed and approved in advance. Recoverability of this debt is currently being assessed, and the resulting treatment will be reflected and published in the Department for Business and Trade's accounts for 2025-26.

HMG has set out its policy and operational intent to British Steel’s auditors under the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act 2025. This does not constitute a financial guarantee, indemnity or underwriting of liabilities and reflects material already in the public domain.

British Steel remains owned by Jingye and HMG’s powers to intervene under the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act 2025 are designed to maintain steelmaking and avoid a disorderly closure of the blast furnaces. We continue to work with Jingye to find a pragmatic and realistic solution for the future of British Steel.

The preparation and filing of statutory accounts are a matter for the company and its directors. The arrangements for preparing and approving company accounts are a matter for British Steel and its directors, in line with their statutory responsibilities.

Baroness Lloyd of Effra
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
27th Apr 2026
To ask His Majesty's Government whether British Steel is currently trading on a going concern basis; and if so, whether trading on that basis relies on financial support from (1) HM Government, (2) Jingye, (3) another third party, or (4) a combination of those sources.

To date, funding of £484m has been provided to British Steel Limited under the provisions of the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act, and the full amount is recoverable as a debt due to the Crown, as set out in section 3(6) of the Act. There are no conditions attached save the requirement for the funds to be used in accordance with the purpose set out in legislation. All funding released to British Steel is reviewed and approved in advance. Recoverability of this debt is currently being assessed, and the resulting treatment will be reflected and published in the Department for Business and Trade's accounts for 2025-26.

HMG has set out its policy and operational intent to British Steel’s auditors under the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act 2025. This does not constitute a financial guarantee, indemnity or underwriting of liabilities and reflects material already in the public domain.

British Steel remains owned by Jingye and HMG’s powers to intervene under the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act 2025 are designed to maintain steelmaking and avoid a disorderly closure of the blast furnaces. We continue to work with Jingye to find a pragmatic and realistic solution for the future of British Steel.

The preparation and filing of statutory accounts are a matter for the company and its directors. The arrangements for preparing and approving company accounts are a matter for British Steel and its directors, in line with their statutory responsibilities.

Baroness Lloyd of Effra
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
27th Apr 2026
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have provided British Steel, its directors, auditors or creditors with any formal or informal assurance, comfort letter, guarantee, indemnity, undertaking or other indication of continuing financial support for the company; and if so, what is the (1) nature, (2) duration, and (3) legal basis, of that support.

To date, funding of £484m has been provided to British Steel Limited under the provisions of the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act, and the full amount is recoverable as a debt due to the Crown, as set out in section 3(6) of the Act. There are no conditions attached save the requirement for the funds to be used in accordance with the purpose set out in legislation. All funding released to British Steel is reviewed and approved in advance. Recoverability of this debt is currently being assessed, and the resulting treatment will be reflected and published in the Department for Business and Trade's accounts for 2025-26.

HMG has set out its policy and operational intent to British Steel’s auditors under the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act 2025. This does not constitute a financial guarantee, indemnity or underwriting of liabilities and reflects material already in the public domain.

British Steel remains owned by Jingye and HMG’s powers to intervene under the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act 2025 are designed to maintain steelmaking and avoid a disorderly closure of the blast furnaces. We continue to work with Jingye to find a pragmatic and realistic solution for the future of British Steel.

The preparation and filing of statutory accounts are a matter for the company and its directors. The arrangements for preparing and approving company accounts are a matter for British Steel and its directors, in line with their statutory responsibilities.

Baroness Lloyd of Effra
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
27th Apr 2026
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the total amount of funding provided to British Steel since 12 April 2025; what proportion of that funding is classified as debt to the Crown; and whether any formal loan agreement, interest rate, repayment scheme, security or repayment trigger has been agreed.

To date, funding of £484m has been provided to British Steel Limited under the provisions of the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act, and the full amount is recoverable as a debt due to the Crown, as set out in section 3(6) of the Act. There are no conditions attached save the requirement for the funds to be used in accordance with the purpose set out in legislation. All funding released to British Steel is reviewed and approved in advance. Recoverability of this debt is currently being assessed, and the resulting treatment will be reflected and published in the Department for Business and Trade's accounts for 2025-26.

HMG has set out its policy and operational intent to British Steel’s auditors under the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act 2025. This does not constitute a financial guarantee, indemnity or underwriting of liabilities and reflects material already in the public domain.

British Steel remains owned by Jingye and HMG’s powers to intervene under the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act 2025 are designed to maintain steelmaking and avoid a disorderly closure of the blast furnaces. We continue to work with Jingye to find a pragmatic and realistic solution for the future of British Steel.

The preparation and filing of statutory accounts are a matter for the company and its directors. The arrangements for preparing and approving company accounts are a matter for British Steel and its directors, in line with their statutory responsibilities.

Baroness Lloyd of Effra
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
27th Apr 2026
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the likelihood that British Steel will repay the government funding provided since 12 April 2025; and whether any impairment, write-off or provision has been (1) made, or (2) considered, in relation to that funding.

To date, funding of £484m has been provided to British Steel Limited under the provisions of the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act, and the full amount is recoverable as a debt due to the Crown, as set out in section 3(6) of the Act. There are no conditions attached save the requirement for the funds to be used in accordance with the purpose set out in legislation. All funding released to British Steel is reviewed and approved in advance. Recoverability of this debt is currently being assessed, and the resulting treatment will be reflected and published in the Department for Business and Trade's accounts for 2025-26.

HMG has set out its policy and operational intent to British Steel’s auditors under the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act 2025. This does not constitute a financial guarantee, indemnity or underwriting of liabilities and reflects material already in the public domain.

British Steel remains owned by Jingye and HMG’s powers to intervene under the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act 2025 are designed to maintain steelmaking and avoid a disorderly closure of the blast furnaces. We continue to work with Jingye to find a pragmatic and realistic solution for the future of British Steel.

The preparation and filing of statutory accounts are a matter for the company and its directors. The arrangements for preparing and approving company accounts are a matter for British Steel and its directors, in line with their statutory responsibilities.

Baroness Lloyd of Effra
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
27th Apr 2026
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the CS01 confirmation statement filed by British Steel Ltd on 14 April 2026, stating that the company’s intended future activities were lawful, was filed with the prior knowledge, consent or direction of the Secretary of State; and whether the accuracy of that statement depended on any Government assurance, funding, direction or undertaking.

It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Baroness Lloyd of Effra
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
27th Apr 2026
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will publish all ministerial directions issued in relation to British Steel Ltd under the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act 2025, including any directions concerning access to premises, accounting records, bank accounts, management information, insolvency proceedings, funding, trading decisions or relations with Jingye Group.

It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Baroness Lloyd of Effra
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
27th Apr 2026
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Secretary of State has issued any direction under section 2(5)(d) of the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act 2025 requiring British Steel Ltd, its directors, officers, creditors or any other person to refrain from taking proceedings under the Insolvency Act 1986 or otherwise in relation to the company or its steel undertaking.

It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Baroness Lloyd of Effra
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
27th Apr 2026
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether British Steel Ltd is balance-sheet solvent and cash-flow solvent, both including and excluding Government funding provided since 12 April 2025; and whether they will publish any such assessment.

It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Baroness Lloyd of Effra
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
22nd Apr 2026
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of energy costs on the survival of high-street independent retailers.

Through our Clean Power 2030 mission we are taking action to accelerate the transition to clean, homegrown electricity helping to improve energy security and reduce exposure to the volatility of fossil fuel prices across of the UK economy. Alongside this, the government is considering and intends to consult stakeholders on a range of options to address the relative cost of electricity for non‑domestic users and to support the wider take‑up of low‑carbon heat.

We have introduced permanently lower business‑rates multipliers for retail, hospitality and leisure properties, worth nearly £900 million a year and benefiting over 750,000 premises and introduced a £4.3 billion transitional support package to protect ratepayers from large overnight increases. Later this year, we will bring forward a new High Streets Strategy, to help reinvigorate our communities. These measures will provide meaningful, long-term support to independent retailers at the heart of their communities.

Kate Dearden
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
22nd Apr 2026
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will publish a list of training programmes used by civil servants in his Department since 2020.

Over this period, the majority of the training has been delivered via the Government Campus’ Learning Framework. The listed training includes e-learning, in-person training, live virtual training, and structured programmes involving various sessions. Some sessions have been run on a closed basis, just for DIT/DBT staff and others have involved an individual member of staff going taking a place on a cross-government course.

The attached document sets out a list of the training programmes undertaken via the framework in this period for DBT staff and for staff in DIT prior to the formal creation of DBT in Feb 2023. We do not have access to pre-DBT data from the former BEIS.

If an application is made to Government Campus and they agree that the specific learning need cannot be met via the Learning Framework, alternative training can be procured, subject to commercial rules. There is no central record of what training has been undertaken by DBT civil servants under this provision as a significant amount of learning is organised and funded at the level of individual teams.

Kate Dearden
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
22nd Apr 2026
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of energy prices on the operational costs of independent breweries.

The Government recognises the pressures that high energy costs can place on independent breweries. We engage regularly with colleagues across Government on measures to support businesses, and we keep the impact of energy prices under close review.

The Energy Secretary, Ed Miliband, and the interim CEO of Ofgem, Tim Jarvis, have written to business energy suppliers setting clear expectations that customers, particularly small businesses such as independent breweries, must be treated fairly. The letter makes clear that any unfair practices will not be tolerated, and that suppliers should take a fair and supportive approach, offering maximum flexibility and transparency for small business customers.

The Government also plans to legislate on Third Party Intermediaries, including energy brokers, through the forthcoming Energy Independence Bill to strengthen protections for SMEs, including independent breweries, when they engage in the business energy market.

Kate Dearden
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
24th Apr 2026
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he plans to review the Consumer Rights Act 2015 to protect consumers from losing access to paid-for digital content when support for (a) devices and (b) platforms is withdrawn.

The department currently has no plans to review the Consumer Rights Act 2015 (CRA).

Under the CRA, goods or digital content must be of satisfactory quality, fit for a particular purpose and as described by the seller. A trader can upgrade, fix, enhance and improve the features of, or add new features to, digital content so long as it continues to match any description given by the trader. It must also continue to conform with any pre-contract information as to main characteristics, functionality, and compatibility provided by the trader.

Kate Dearden
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
27th Apr 2026
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether the One Login programme is compliant with the National Cyber Security Centre's Cyber Assessment Framework.

It has not proved possible to respond to the Hon Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Blair McDougall
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
22nd Apr 2026
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the UK’s "Clean Energy Superpower" mission reduces costs for gas-intensive businesses by 2030.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Chris McDonald
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
27th Apr 2026
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what alternatives are available for company directors unable to use One Login.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Blair McDougall
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
22nd Apr 2026
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the impact of energy costs on the government’s regional growth objectives.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Chris McDonald
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
27th Apr 2026
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of extending the guaranteed hours provisions beyond zero‑hours contracts to include low‑hours contracts on affected people; and what steps he is taking to help ensure that measures intended to tackle exploitative zero‑hours arrangements protect genuinely flexible low‑hours work.

It has not proved possible to respond to the Hon Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Kate Dearden
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
27th Apr 2026
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what evidence his Department has used to inform the proposed definition of low hours for the purposes of the guaranteed hours provisions; and whether an impact assessment will be published for the retail and hospitality sectors.

It has not proved possible to respond to the Hon Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Kate Dearden
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)