Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether (a) Section 232 tariffs, (b) digital tax negotiations and (c) IP reforms have been discussed with USA trade officials in the context of a future UK–USA trade agreement.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The UK has continued to engage across the range of issues outlined in the General Terms for the UK-US Economic Prosperity Deal agreed in May.
We're continuing talks on a wider deal which will look at addressing specific tariff and non-tariff barriers, increasing digital and services trade, and unlocking new commercial opportunities that benefit both nations. We cannot comment on the specifics of live negotiations.
Intensive discussions also continue on other sectors under Section 232 investigation towards the significantly preferential outcome provided for under the General Terms.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what the year-on-year spending has been for export-focused civil service teams since 2020.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The year-on-year spending is as follows:
Year | Total spend (£m) |
2020/21 | 52.6 |
2021/22 | 54 |
2022/23 | 63.7 |
2023/24 | 58.9 |
2024/25 | 45.4 |
All data has been taken from DBT's Financial Forecasting Tool (FFT). The current financial year has not been finalised, therefore response to end of 2024-25 provided.
Asked by: Sarah Pochin (Reform UK - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department is taking steps to prevent the sale of high-powered after-market batteries for (a) e-scooters and (b) e-bikes.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Under existing UK regulations, businesses must only place safe products, including batteries for e-bikes and e-scooters, on the market. In 2024, the Department published statutory guidelines for lithium-ion e-bike batteries, clarifying that they must protect against the risk of thermal runaway to be considered safe products. Regulators have powers to enforce these regulations. The Government has now introduced the Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025, which will enable us to modernise and improve our product safety framework for products sold online and on the high street.
E-bikes must meet legal speed and power limits to be used on the road.
Asked by: Chris Evans (Labour (Co-op) - Caerphilly)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has considered an education campaign to raise public awareness of the potential merits of low-noise fireworks.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government continues to engage with the British Fireworks Association, businesses, consumer groups, and charities to understand the issues with and impacts of fireworks.
The insights from these discussions helped to inform the campaign that I launched for this year’s fireworks season which encourages the use of lower noise fireworks. The campaign materials have been shared widely to increase their impact. The Government will continue to gather evidence, including on the impact of fireworks on animals and vulnerable people to inform any future action.
Asked by: Chris Evans (Labour (Co-op) - Caerphilly)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department plans to meet with fireworks industry stakeholders.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government continues to engage with the British Fireworks Association, businesses, consumer groups, and charities to understand the issues with and impacts of fireworks.
The insights from these discussions helped to inform the campaign that I launched for this year’s fireworks season which encourages the use of lower noise fireworks. The campaign materials have been shared widely to increase their impact. The Government will continue to gather evidence, including on the impact of fireworks on animals and vulnerable people to inform any future action.
Asked by: Chris Evans (Labour (Co-op) - Caerphilly)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department plans to review whether fireworks legislation adequately protects (a) animals and (b) vulnerable people.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government continues to engage with the British Fireworks Association, businesses, consumer groups, and charities to understand the issues with and impacts of fireworks.
The insights from these discussions helped to inform the campaign that I launched for this year’s fireworks season which encourages the use of lower noise fireworks. The campaign materials have been shared widely to increase their impact. The Government will continue to gather evidence, including on the impact of fireworks on animals and vulnerable people to inform any future action.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of on the potential impact of the domestic use of fireworks on (a) children (b) adults with PTSD and (c) domestic pets.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
No recent assessment has been made of the potential impact of the domestic use of fireworks on children, adults with PTSD and pets. Building on the work of my predecessor, I will continue to engage with businesses, consumer groups and charities to gather evidence on fireworks-related issues and inform future action.
I launched a public campaign on fireworks safety for this year’s fireworks season. The campaign features guidance for those running events to reduce the impact on the community, and social media materials that emphasise the risks from the misuse of fireworks, and the promotion of low noise fireworks.
Asked by: Cat Eccles (Labour - Stourbridge)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make it his policy to adopt a UK-wide model similar to the Fireworks and Pyrotechnics Act (Scotland) 2022, which empowers local authorities to set up fireworks-free zones.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
There are currently no plans to adopt such a model UK-wide. The Government regularly engages with its counterparts in Scotland is keen to understand the impact Firework Control Zones have made before considering if similar changes are needed for England and Wales.
Asked by: Jess Asato (Labour - Lowestoft)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has (a) implemented a domestic abuse policy for staff and (b) trained line managers to effectively respond to staff who are experiencing domestic abuse.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Department for Business and Trade is committed to supporting employees experiencing domestic abuse and has guidance in place that outlines the support available to employees affected by domestic abuse.
Line managers complete 'Manager Essentials' training, which promotes wellbeing and guidance on handling complex issues.
Employees at risk of, or experiencing, domestic abuse can access:
Once available, we will promote the take-up of the training product for managers currently being developed by the Cabinet Office.
Asked by: James Wild (Conservative - North West Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to encourage economic growth in the (a) pubs and (b) hospitality sectors.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government recognises the vital role that hospitality businesses play in local communities and the economy. That’s why we’re investing £440,000 with Pub is The Hub to help rural pubs diversify, aiming to support rural communities, create new jobs and services.
The Government invited views and evidence to aid development of a modern, proportionate and enabling licensing system. A Call for Evidence ran for four weeks until 6 November. This attracted a significant number of responses and work is now underway to analyse these. These reforms form part of the Small Business Strategy, which is designed to tackle late payments, improve access to finance and reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens.
We are also creating a fairer business rates system, including permanently lower rates for retail, hospitality and leisure properties with a rateable value under £500,000. We continue to work closely with the sector through the Hospitality Sector Council to address challenges.