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 recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of regulatory costs on the pub sector.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government is committed to easing regulatory burdens for businesses like pubs in the UK, creating the space they need to grow, innovate and thrive. We work closely with the Hospitality Sector Council to improve the productivity and resilience of hospitality businesses by co-creating solutions to the issues impacting business performance.
This is why we launched the licensing taskforce last April, a joint effort between Government and Industry with aims to reduce the administrative burdens the UK licensing regime places on our highstreets. The Government invited views to help shape these reforms and the Call for evidence ran for 4 weeks and ended on the 6 November. This attracted a significant number of responses and work is now underway to analyse these.
Additionally, to help ease cost pressures on pubs, from April 2026, eligible retail, hospitality, and leisure properties with rateable values below £500,000 will benefit from permanently lower business rates multipliers and alcohol duty has been reduced on qualifying draught products which is approximately 60% of the alcoholic drinks sold in pubs.
Asked by: Abtisam Mohamed (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department plans to conduct a review into the adequacy of fireworks legislation.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
No recent assessment has been made of the adequacy of current legislation governing fireworks. Building on the work of my predecessor, I will continue to engage with businesses, consumer groups and charities to gather evidence on the issues with and impacts of fireworks to inform any future action.
Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - South Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps the Government is taking to support community pubs.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
We recognise the vital role pubs play as social hubs within communities, fostering connections while driving local economies and supporting high streets. 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.
We are planning on introducing reforms to premises licensing to simplify outdated rules, making it easier and more affordable to run hospitality venues and to allow communities to thrive. These proposals will include a National Licensing Policy Framework. A Call for Evidence closed on 6 November. We are now analysing responses at pace.
We are also creating a fairer business rates system, including permanently lower rates for retail, hospitality and leisure properties under £500,000 rateable value and through the English Devolution Bill, we have introduced a strong new ‘right to buy’ to help communities safeguard valued community assets, empowering local communities to reclaim and revitalise empty shops, pubs, and community spaces, helping to revamp our high streets and eliminate the blight of vacant premises.
We continue to work closely with the sector, including through the Hospitality Sector Council, working together to address the challenges facing all hospitality businesses.
Asked by: Andrew Mitchell (Conservative - Sutton Coldfield)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent discussions he has had with (a) large supermarket chains and (b) representatives of independent retailers on the illegal sale of fireworks.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government met with supermarkets and representatives of independent retails in July where the illegal sale of fireworks and what measures they could take in addressing illegal sale was discussed. This includes, but is not exclusive to, supermarkets and independent retailers via the British Retail Consortium and Associations of Convenient Stores.
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 steps he is taking to improve enforcement laws for the misuse of fireworks in Poole constituency.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Enforcement powers exist for local authorities to take action when fireworks are unsafe, sold illegally or misused. Local authorities and the police also have powers to tackle anti-social behaviour caused by the misuse of fireworks. It is for local areas to decide how best to deploy these powers.
I have launched a public campaign for this year’s fireworks season. The campaign includes social media materials with information on current legislation and the penalties for illegal use, as well as the risks from the misuse of fireworks.
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 9 July 2025 to Question 64084 on Night Time Industries Association, if he will publish (a) the letter from the Association and (b) his Department's response.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Responses are issued directly to the original correspondent in line with the Cabinet Office guidance for correspondence - Guide to Handling Correspondence - September 2024
A letter has been issued directly to the original correspondent.
Asked by: Mike Martin (Liberal Democrat - Tunbridge Wells)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, under what powers the National Investigation Service was able to seize and forfeit money.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Accredited Financial Investigators from the National Investigation Service used powers under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, including s294 for seizure of cash, s297A for forfeiture of cash and s303Z9 for forfeiture of money held in accounts.
Asked by: Mike Martin (Liberal Democrat - Tunbridge Wells)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 17 September 2025 to Question 76468 on National Investigation Service: Audit, if he will publish the report into NATIS conducted by the Public Sector Fraud Authority; and what recommendations did the Public Sector Fraud authority make on the governance of the National Investigation Service.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Department is not planning to publish the report or recommendations from the Public Sector Fraud Authority’s review of the National Investigation Service at this time. Any future publication will be coordinated with the Cabinet Office and HM Treasury, who oversee the PSFA. Disclosure would risk revealing sensitive operational, policy, and commercial information, which could prejudice law enforcement activities and undermine ongoing policy development and commercial interests. The balance of public interest lies in maintaining the confidentiality of this information to protect the effectiveness of counter-fraud operations and ensure robust policy formulation.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to increase the volume of exports of a) UK buses and b) UK technology and services within the bus manufacturing supply chain.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is focused on boosting the UK bus manufacturing sector’s long-term competitiveness and advancing zero-emission vehicles. Trade agreements will open new export opportunities, remove tariffs, and introduce flexible rules of origin, benefiting automotive businesses nationwide.
According to industry figures, nearly 80% of UK automotive production is exported, with direct export support available from DBT alongside dedicated automotive export campaign support, and through UK Export Finance, with £14.5 billion allocated for UK exports from UKEF in 2024/25.
The £2.5bn DRIVE35 programme accelerates R&D and commercial scale-up in strategic vehicle technologies, unlocking investment in zero-emission bus manufacturing and supply chains, increasing competitiveness in international markets.
Nov. 20 2025
Source Page: CPTPP joint ministerial statements: trade and investment dialogues with the EU and ASEAN, 20 November 2025