Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how much (a) his Department and (b) each of its arm’s length bodies has paid to external public relations firms since 5 July 2024; and to list those firms.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Public relations activity is a subset of communication spend. As such, this data is not held. The Government Communication Service encourages the prioritisation of low and no cost public relations activities wherever possible.

It is recommended that all external communications support should be procured through approved government frameworks, with strict controls in place to ensure cost-effectiveness.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will bring forward secondary legislation under the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018 to prevent the importation of goods from illegal Israeli settlements.

Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

The Government does not comment on future sanctions measures, as to do so would reduce their impact.

The UK government considers Israeli settlements illegal under international law and goods produced in these settlements are not entitled to benefit from tariff and trade preferences under the UK’s current trade agreements with the Palestinian Authority and Israel.

We support accurate labelling of settlement goods, so as not to mislead the consumer. We routinely update our guidance to British businesses on the Overseas Business Risk website and advise British businesses to bear in mind the UK Government's view on the illegality of settlements under international law when considering their investments and activities in the region.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies on trade with illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory of the International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion entitled Legal Consequences Arising From The Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Including East Jerusalem, published on 19 July 2024.

Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

The UK government considers Israeli settlements illegal under international law and is clear that goods produced in these settlements are not entitled to benefit from tariff and trade preferences under the UK’s current trade agreements with the Palestinian Authority and Israel. This will not change with an updated UK-Israel FTA. We advise British businesses to bear in mind the UK Government's view on the illegality of settlements under international law when considering their investments and activities in the region. Our commitment to a two-state solution is unwavering, as is our commitment to international law. We respect the independence of the International Court of Justice, and we are carefully considering the Court’s advisory opinion.

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 his Israeli counterpart on a Free Trade Agreement.

Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

On 29 July 2024 the Secretary of State for Business and Trade announced the Government’s intention to deliver negotiations with the Gulf Cooperation Council, India, Israel, South Korea, Switzerland and Turkey.

The Secretary of State has spoken to Minister Barkat a number of times since the July 2024 General Election, including on the Free Trade Agreement.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of environmental, social, and governance criteria on the financing of (a) small and medium-sized enterprises and (b) other defence companies.

Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Secretary of State for Business and Trade met representatives of the defence and financial services industries on 12 December 2024, to discuss how environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles are being applied to companies in defence and the impact they are having on investment and access to financial services. The discussion highlighted that there are multiple stakeholders and issues within the sectors and within government. The Department is now following up on that discussion across government and wider to find the best way to address them, to ensure that ESG policies do not have unintended consequences for the health of the defence sector.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will take steps to (a) encourage (i) banks and (ii) investors to provide financial (A) services and (B) investment to defence firms and (b) monitor the effectiveness of such steps.

Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Secretary of State for Business and Trade met representatives of the defence and financial services industries on 12 December 2024, to discuss how environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles are being applied to companies in defence and the impact they are having on investment and access to financial services. The discussion highlighted that there are multiple stakeholders and issues within the sectors and within government. The Department is now following up on that discussion across government and wider to find the best way to address them, to ensure that ESG policies do not have unintended consequences for the health of the defence sector.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will introduce financial (a) incentives and (b) guarantees to encourage (i) banks and (ii) investment firms to support the defence sector; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of restricted access to capital on the UK’s defence (A) industrial base and (B) procurement strategy.

Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Secretary of State for Business and Trade met representatives of the defence and financial services industries on 12 December 2024, to discuss how environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles are being applied to companies in defence and the impact they are having on investment and access to financial services. The discussion highlighted that there are multiple stakeholders and issues within the sectors and within government. The Department is now following up on that discussion across government and wider to find the best way to address them, to ensure that ESG policies do not have unintended consequences for the health of the defence sector.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has had discussions financial institutions on the potential impact of environmental, social and governance policies on the provision of banking services to defence (a) manufacturers and (b) suppliers; and what steps he is taking to ensure that legally operating defence firms have full access to financial services.

Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Secretary of State for Business and Trade met representatives of the defence and financial services industries on 12 December 2024, to discuss how environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles are being applied to companies in defence and the impact they are having on investment and access to financial services. The discussion highlighted that there are multiple stakeholders and issues within the sectors and within government. The Department is now following up on that discussion across government and wider to find the best way to address them, to ensure that ESG policies do not have unintended consequences for the health of the defence sector.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, which Department is responsible for ensuring the mandatory installation of post boxes.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The government is not responsible for ensuring the mandatory installation of post boxes.

Section 29(6) of the Postal Services Act 2011 requires Ofcom, as the independent regulator, to “secure the provision of sufficient access points to meet the reasonable needs of users of the universal postal service”.

Royal Mail is currently required by Ofcom’s Designated Universal Service Provider (DUSP) condition 1.8.1 to provide a post box within half a mile, by straight line distance, of the premises of at least 98% of users of postal services.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 27 January 2025 to Question 25524 on UK International Consumer Centre, if he will place a copy of the agreement referenced in the Commons Library.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

I regret that the grant funding agreement cannot be submitted to the Commons Library. Grant letters and details are commercially sensitive for both the parties.

Releasing these details would, or would be likely to, prejudice the interests of those concerned by damaging the confidence which customers, suppliers or investors have, threatening their ability to obtain supplies or secure finance, and potentially weakening their position in a competitive environment by revealing market-sensitive information or information of potential usefulness to others such as its competitors.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many members of staff the Competition and Markets Authority employs in the communications team, and what is the total annual budget for the team.

Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The CMA currently employs 35 people in its Communications Team, which includes stakeholder and business engagement, compliance communications, digital communications, media relations and strategic communications. It has a total annual budget of £3.2m in the current financial year (2024-25). Like other organisations, the CMA is in the process of reviewing its future budgets, and expects to reduce the budget for the Communications Team by at least 10%.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, for what purposes Companies House has used artificial intelligence in the last 12 months.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is at the heart of the Government’s plan to kickstart an era of economic growth, transform how we deliver public services, and boost living standards for working people across the country. Companies House trialled Microsoft Copilot to support administrative tasks. It has deployed specific AI tools to generate tailored communications content and develop new IT services more quickly. Companies House is also developing and testing advanced analytics, machine learning and AI that detect suspicious activity and identify trends.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that regulators are accountable for their decisions and that businesses and consumers have avenues to challenge regulatory actions.

Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The ability to challenge regulatory decisions where necessary is critical to an effective regulatory system that drives economic growth. Most regulatory decisions are subject to internal appeal within regulators. This Government is committed to ensuring regulators are effective and fully accountable, as demonstrated by the Chancellor and Secretary of State for Business and Trade’s recent meeting with regulators where they scrutinised the pro-growth measures that regulators had identified to support the growth mission. The Department for Business and Trade and HM Treasury are leading the regulatory reform agenda across Government and we will set out our overall regulatory vision shortly.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many members of staff the Competition and Markets Authority employs in each directorate.

Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Competition and Markets Authority employs approximately 1,120 staff. Full Time Equivalent staff numbers have been rounded to the nearest whole number. These figures include individuals with a CMA contract of employment, irrespective of the length of contract, whether being paid or not and so includes those on parental leave, a career break or those loaned or seconded out of the CMA. It excludes agency workers and CMA Board and Panel members.

The breakdown for each Directorate is as follows:

Senior Executive Team - 11

Competition Enforcement - 131

Consumer Protection and Markets - 118

Digital Markets Unit - 70

Mergers - 76

Office for the Internal Market and Subsidy Advice Unit - 33

Office of the Chief Economic Adviser - 160

Legal Service - 176

Corporate Services - 121

Data, Technology and Insight - 133

Strategy, Communications and Advocacy - 91

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the risk that increased labour costs could cause firms (1) to hire fewer workers, and (2) to replace jobs with robots and artificial intelligence technologies.

Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

Delivering on our plan to Make Work Pay is a core part of the mission to grow the economy, raise living standards and create opportunities for all. We are committed to working in partnership with businesses to realise that ambition, enabling businesses and workers to thrive.

My department has published a set of Impact Assessments that provide a comprehensive analysis on the potential impact of the Employment Rights Bill. This analysis includes consideration of increases in labour costs for businesses and the subsequent effects. This analysis is available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/employment-rights-bill-impact-assessments

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve coordination between different regulatory bodies in the UK to ensure a coherent regulatory framework.

Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

This Government is determined to address concerns about the complexity and structure of the regulatory system by providing clear and consistent strategic direction, enabling regulators to plan effectively and deliver long-term objectives in line with the Government’s priorities. This is why the Prime Minister, in conjunction with the Chancellor and the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, wrote to key regulators asking them to provide concrete proposals to prioritise growth with the support of Government. Our overall regulatory vision, which will address these will issues, will be set out in due course.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether all new regulations are subject to impact assessments, particularly in relation to their regional impact and impact on small businesses.

Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

Where government intervention requires a legislative or policy change, departments are expected to analyse and assess the impact of the change on the different groups affected.

Impact assessments are generally required for all the Government's interventions of a regulatory nature that affect the private sector and-or civil society organisation or public services. The Better Regulation Framework requires regulatory provisions with impacts on business of greater than +/-£10 million to be accompanied by a final impact assessment which is laid before Parliament alongside the regulations. These assessments must consider impact on small and micro businesses, explore whether such businesses need to be in scope and, where appropriate, identify mitigations for the additional burden. Provisions with lower impacts should provide a proportionate assessment or estimate of the impacts in the accompanying Explanatory Notes or Memorandum.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the answer of 4 February 2025 to Question 26598 on Rules of Origin, whether he has had discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the economic impact on the UK of joining the Pan-Euro-Mediterranean Convention on Rules of Origin.

Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

The Chancellor and the Secretary of State for Business and Trade meet regularly to discuss a wide range of pertinent issues, including through relevant Cabinet Committee meetings. At this time we do not currently have plans to join the Pan-Euro-Mediterranean Convention on Rules of Origin, and we will not be giving a running commentary on specific discussions taking place. Any decisions will follow a robust and pragmatic consideration of benefits, risks and the national interest.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has plans to increase funding to the World Trade Organisation.

Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

The UK’s funding to the World Trade Organization (WTO) is, as for all members, determined by the WTO itself, as agreed to by the UK under the conditions of membership in Article VII of the Marrakesh Agreement establishing the WTO, which entered into force on 1 January 1995. The membership fees are calculated by use of an established formula based on each Member’s share of international trade (based on trade in goods, services and intellectual property rights for the last five years for which data is available).

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant of the Answer of 20 January 2025 to Question 23276 on Energy: Investment, what steps his Department is taking to help support British companies with investments in Mexico during the period of regulatory change.

Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

My Department is following this period of regulatory change in Mexico closely. We are utilising all tools available, through the British Embassy and through dialogue with our respective counterparts within the Mexican government, including encouraging engagement on the reforms with businesses.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, on what date the Incorporated Companies in the UK statistical release for October to December 2024 will be published.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Companies House aims to release the specific statistics for October to December 2024 by the end of February 2025. Further information about the reason for the delay will accompany the statistics when they are published. Updates on this matter are available on the gov.uk website:

Incorporated companies in the UK October to December 2024 - Official statistics announcement - GOV.UK

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department plans to take to help small businesses with rent increases.

Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Small businesses are vital to our high streets and communities, and an essential part of the government’s mission for economic growth.

Financial support for small businesses is available through the British Business Bank. Further advice and support are available through the Business Support Service, local Growth Hubs, and the Help to Grow: Management scheme. The Government is also taking forward a package of measures to tackle late payments, helping to improve the cash flow for small businesses across the UK.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will have discussions with his US counterpart on plans to impose tariffs on Canada.

Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

There are ongoing discussions between Canada and the US on their relationship and interests. It is not for the UK to comment on another country’s trade relationships. The UK deeply values its strong trading ties with both the US and Canada, and we will work to build on these relationships in the future.

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 help promote retail entrepreneurship in Bromsgrove constituency.

Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Government supports entrepreneurs, including those in Bromsgrove, through Start-up Loans via the British Business Bank and through programmes such as Growth Hubs in England and Help to Grow: Management across the UK. We will publish our Small Business Strategy later this year, which will signal a clear overarching ambition to promote entrepreneurship and articulate a new vision for business support, built around the new Business Growth Service. The strategy will enable scale-ups and other small businesses to grow, empowering entrepreneurs to innovate, export, and create new jobs.

Our Industrial Strategy is unreservedly pro-business, engaging on complex issues that are barriers to investment, like skills, recruitment of international talent, data, R&D, technology adoption, access to finance, competition, regulation, energy prices, grid connections, infrastructure, and planning – all through the lens of promoting investment.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what progress his Department has made on establishing the new independent appeals process for postmasters in the Horizon Shortfall Scheme; and when the process will start accepting applications.

Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

We are currently engaging with the Horizon Compensation Advisory Board and claimant representatives on a draft of the new appeals scheme’s principles and guidance, including the eligibility criteria.

My statement of 30 January (HCWS399) announced that we are committed to covering postmasters’ reasonable legal costs. Clarity about the principles of the scheme and support for appellants’ legal costs will mean that legal representatives can begin to produce cases for appeal. We are expecting the submission of the first cases in the spring.

I will provide a further update to the House nearer to that time.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Help to Grow Programme; and if he will publish the outcome for business growth broken down by the gender of business owners.

Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Longer term impacts on productivity can take 3-7 years to be measurable, however early findings show promising impacts. Over 90% of participants are satisfied with the programme and within 6 months of completion, most participants surveyed reported enhanced firm resilience, sales and cost savings. Early impact analysis on productivity is underway and future reports will address variations in productivity impacts by gender, should these arise.

Evaluation findings on the early impacts of Help to Grow: Management are available on GOV.UK and the next release will be later this year.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what plans his Department has to support small-medium enterprises in Cornwall, in the context of the proposed rise in employers' National Insurance contributions.

Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The government is reforming business rates to offer permanent reductions for retail, hospitality, and leisure properties, which represent a significant portion of Cornwall's SMEs. We have also shielded the smallest businesses and charities from the impact of increased Employer National Insurance by raising the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500.

Looking ahead, the government has announced plans to launch a Business Growth Service, designed as a national initiative with local delivery at its core, and will publish a Small Business Strategy Command Paper later this year.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will take steps to provide additional incentives to help encourage people to establish small businesses.

Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Government supports entrepreneurs with funding and mentoring through, for example the British Business Bank, via Start-up Loans.

The recently announced Business Growth Service which is due to be landed later this year, will help businesses access the support they need to grow, whether they are starting out or looking to scale up. One aim is to ensure that businesses can access more targeted support that considers their particular needs.

We will publish our Small Business Strategy later this year, setting out how the Government will encourage entrepreneurship across the UK and enable small businesses to grow, empowering entrepreneurs to innovate, export and create new jobs.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions he has had with the United States State Department on trade.

Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

The UK looks forward to working with President Trump and his administration to deepen our trading relationship with the US. The Prime Minister had a warm call with President Trump on 26 January where they discussed trade and the economy, and agreed to meet soon for further discussions.

The US Government has clear rules that preclude other governments from formally engaging with members of the US Cabinet before they are officially confirmed by the Senate. We are still waiting for both the Commerce Secretary and the US Trade Representative to be confirmed by the Senate.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to appoint trade envoys to (1) the United States of America, (2) India, and (3) China; and if not, why not.

Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

We have not appointed a Trade Envoy to the United States of America, India or China. We recognise the importance of each of these markets to the government’s growth mission, however, markets such as these already have significant diplomatic, trade and investment networks, as well as receiving regular high-level visits by Ministers.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to investigate the affairs of Avis Capital Limited (Company number 10465466), given that it has reported that it is a dormant company which filed accounts with Company House indicating it had net assets of £58,155,255,471.

Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

His Majesty’s Government takes allegations of suspicious company filings and any concerns raised seriously. As such, the Minister for Employment Rights, Competition and Markets has asked Companies House to investigate the allegations surrounding Avis Capital Limited.

Companies House are aware of concerns that have been raised about the highlighted company. Where such concerns are raised, Companies House will look into these matters further and, where necessary, take appropriate action.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what the average length of wait was to receive the result of an application for a Standard Individual Export Licence using the SPIRE system between January to July 2024.

Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

Between 1 January and 30 June 2024, the median processing time for Standard Individual Export Licence (SIEL) applications submitted on SPIRE and processed to first outcome was 16 working days.

The Export Control Joint Unit’s (ECJU) current performance targets are to complete 70% of applications for SIELs within 20 working days, and 99% within 60 working days.

The Export Control Joint Unit publish comprehensive statistics every quarter about export licence applications, which includes our median processing times. The most recent publication covers the quarter up to June 2024. This data is available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/strategic-export-controls-licensing-data.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what estimate his Department has made of the number of jobs lost in the car manufacturing sector between July and December 2024.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The government produces estimates of the levels of employee and self-employed jobs by industry sector on a quarterly basis (Mar, Jun, September and Dec). Data on the number of jobs by industry sector in December 2024 will be published on 20^th March 2025.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for Trade Policy and Economic Security of 6 November 2024, Official Report, col 71WH, whether his Department has made an assessment of the effectiveness of the US Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act in tackling the use of forced labour in supply chains.

Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

We will continue to assess and monitor the effectiveness of the UK’s existing measures alongside other policy tools to tackle forced labour in supply chains.The Government views import bans as one of a range of tools that could be used to tackle forced labour in global supply chains. The UK continues to raise issues on human rights, including China's repression of the peoples of Xinjiang.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of a free trade agreement with the Southern African Development Community.

Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

None of our partner governments in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) have requested a collective UK-SADC FTA. There are two customs unions within the SADC grouping, which our existing agreements aim to align with.

Our UK-Southern African Customs Union and Mozambique Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) is with Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia and South Africa, and our UK-Eastern and Southern African EPA is with Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles and Zimbabwe. The remaining SADC countries (Angola, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo , Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia) are not currently covered by our FTAs, but there are provisions available should they wish to join These remaining countries are eligible for duty-free quota-free access to the UK (on nearly all goods) through our Developing Countries Trading Scheme.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what the average length of wait has been to receive the result of an application for a Standard Individual Export Licence using the new LITE system since it was launched.

Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

LITE is being introduced gradually as we design, build and iteratively improve the system. It was initially introduced in 2021 for a small number of exporters and this gradual increase in cases continued through 2022. The then Government concluded a total of 384 cases in LITE over 2021 and 2022 and the median processing time was 38 days.

In 2023, the then Government paused the reporting of LITE processing times whilst new functionality was developed. The Government is planning to return to publishing LITE data during 2025 once this functionality is implemented.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many sub-postmasters in the Group Litigation Order Compensation Scheme have (a) not received any compensation payments and (b) have received above the minimum payment of £75,000.

Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

As of 31 January, the Department had received 408 completed claims from eligible GLO postmasters. 257 claimants have agreed full and final redress, of whom 153 accepted the £75,000 fixed offer. A further 229 individuals have received partial or interim redress payments, including people who have not yet submitted full claims.

The government remains committed to issuing first offers in 90% of cases within 40 working days of receiving complete claims. The same target applies to offers which are challenged after 1 December 2024.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, for what purposes the Insolvency Service has used artificial intelligence in the last 12 months.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is at the heart of the Government’s plan to kickstart an era of economic growth, transform how we deliver public services, and boost living standards for working people across the country.

The Insolvency Service has used AI for three Proof of Concepts of internal chatbots which utilise a Large Language Model.

It is working with the Cabinet Office to publish Algorithmic Transparency Reporting Standards (ATRS) on two of its services. These relate to our Director Conduct Reporting Service and our Redundancy Payments Service Calculation Engine.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Employment Rights Bill on recent trends in economic growth.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

My department has published a set of Impact Assessments that provide a comprehensive analysis on the potential impact of the Employment Rights Bill. This analysis includes consideration of impacts on economic growth. This analysis is available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/employment-rights-bill-impact-assessments

This represents the best estimate for the likely impacts, including on economic growth, given the current stage of policy development. We expect that the majority of reforms will take effect no earlier than 2026. We plan to refine our analysis as policy development continues, working closely with external experts, businesses and trade unions.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what his planned timeline is for the review of the implementation of unpaid carer's leave.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Plan to Make Work Pay set out a commitment to review the implementation of Carer’s Leave, and that work is now underway. To deliver on this, we are bringing forward the Post Implementation Review of this legislation to complete before the end of this parliament.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to monitor companies responsibilities and duties to their employees.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Director of Labour Market Enforcement oversees and assesses the work of three enforcement bodies: HMRC’s National Minimum Wage Enforcement Team, DBT’s Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate (EAS), and Home Office’s Gangmaster and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA). The DLME is required to report annually to both the Business Secretary and the Home Secretary on the scale and nature of labour market (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/673236dc0d90eee304badb89/uk-labour-market-enforcement-strategy_2024-25-accessible.pdf) to address it.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will review the list of people granted the right to take time off work to perform public duties under section 50 of the Employment Right Act 1996.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The entitlement to time off for public duties helps to ensure that unpaid roles within our public services attract a broad range of people, including those who are in work, while breaking down a barrier to participation in civic life for people who need to work full time.

The initial legislation that introduced this entitlement is over 50 years old. I have asked my officials to consider how we can ensure this legislation remains effective.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether UK Government Investments has made a request to Post Office Limited to (a) proceed with moving all directly managed branches to a fully franchised model and (b) expedite the shift of directly managed branches that have previously been earmarked to be moved to a fully franchised model since 5 July 2024.

Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Nigel Railton, the Post Office Chair, has set out his ambitions for the future of the Post Office, which involves a reduction in central costs and other ways to deliver efficiencies, plus steps to improve the commercial future of the business in order to enable real term increases in postmaster pay. No decisions have yet been taken on the future of any individual Directly Managed Branches (DMBs) as part of this plan. The Government will continue to work closely with Post Office as they develop their transformation plan. In the meantime, we expect the Post Office to fully engage and consult with the Unions and postmaster representative bodies about future options for the DMBs.

Decisions about franchising are an operational matter for Post Office Limited. The Government is broadly supportive of POL’s transformation plan, including the aim of increasing postmaster pay, however neither the Department nor UKGI, acting as the Shareholder representative on the Board of Post Office Limited, have made the requests referred to in the question.

The Post Office will continue to deliver on the 11,500 minimum branch requirement set by Government.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department plans to bring forward legislative proposals to increase the amount of bereavement leave.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Employment Rights Bill establishes a new day one statutory right to bereavement leave for employees who have experienced the loss of a loved one. The measures in the bill set a framework for the entitlement, including providing for a minimum of one week leave, with details to be set out in secondary legislation.

Due to the sensitive and personal nature of bereavement, we will be consulting stakeholders on the specifics of the entitlement to ensure that Bereavement Leave properly reflects the needs of employees and employers.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of (a) the adequacy of uptake of Shared Parental Leave and (b) how this will inform future policies to support fathers in taking early parental leave.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Information provided by employers to HMRC shows that in 2023/24 (the latest year for which full year data is available), 17,200 individuals were in receipt of Statutory Shared Parental Pay.

The government is committed to supporting working families. The Employment Rights Bill will make Paternity Leave and Unpaid Parental Leave ‘day one’ rights. We have committed to review the parental leave system, ensuring it offers the best possible support to working families. Planning work is already underway.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department plans to bring forward legislative proposals to increase access to bereavement leave.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Employment Rights Bill establishes a new day one statutory right to bereavement leave for employees who have experienced the loss of a loved one. The measures in the bill set a framework for the entitlement, including providing for a minimum of one week leave, with details to be set out in secondary legislation.

Due to the sensitive and personal nature of bereavement, we will be consulting stakeholders on the specifics of the entitlement to ensure that Bereavement Leave properly reflects the needs of employees and employers.

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 improve consumer rights protections.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Department for Business and Trade is implementing the new consumer rights introduced by the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024. The new consumer enforcement regime – which we will commence in April – gives the CMA new direct enforcement powers and introduces monetary penalties of up to 10% of global turnover for businesses that exploit their customers. The Act also updates consumers protections from unfair commercial practices and introduces new rights in relation to subscription traps and prepayments to savings schemes.

Furthermore, amid a concerning feedback from consumers struggling to access tickets for popular events, the government has launched a public consultation on a range of measures in the ticket resale market that aim to better protect consumers and support the growth of the UK’s live events sector.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the productivity of businesses where employees work a permanent four-day working week.

Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

While the government routinely monitors the impact of flexible working, it has made no specific assessment of the four-day week. Additionally, the government has no plans to mandate a four-day week for five-days’ pay. However, we are, through the Employment Rights Bill, giving employees better access to flexible working arrangements, where feasible. Not all businesses will be able to accommodate all forms of flexible working. We want to create a framework that will encourage employers and employees to explore suitable options for flexible working arrangements that suit both parties.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has made representations with the Post Office to (a) proceed with moving all directly managed branches to a fully franchised model and (b) expedite the shift of directly managed branches that have previously been earmarked to be moved to a fully franchised model since 5 July 2024.

Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Nigel Railton, the Post Office Chair, has set out his ambitions for the future of the Post Office, which involves a reduction in central costs and other ways to deliver efficiencies, plus steps to improve the commercial future of the business in order to enable real term increases in postmaster pay. No decisions have yet been taken on the future of any individual Directly Managed Branches (DMBs) as part of this plan. The Government will continue to work closely with Post Office as they develop their transformation plan. In the meantime, we expect the Post Office to fully engage and consult with the Unions and postmaster representative bodies about future options for the DMBs.

Decisions about franchising are an operational matter for Post Office Limited. The Government is broadly supportive of POL’s transformation plan, including the aim of increasing postmaster pay, however neither the Department nor UKGI, acting as the Shareholder representative on the Board of Post Office Limited, have made the requests referred to in the question.

The Post Office will continue to deliver on the 11,500 minimum branch requirement set by Government.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 19 December 2024 to Question 18963 on Nightclub: closures, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the increases in (a) business rates from the reduction in rate relief and (b) National Insurance contributions for employers on the economic viability of nightclubs.

Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

An assessment of the changes to Employers' National Insurance has been published by HMRC in their Tax Information and Impact Note, including impacts on the exchequer, the economy, individuals, households and families, equalities, and businesses including civil society organisations, alongside details on monitoring and evaluation.

The Government is creating a fairer business rate system, reducing alcohol duty on qualifying draught products and transforming the apprenticeship levy to support business and boost opportunities. This work will be supported by the publication of The Small Business Strategy Command Paper which will be published later this year. Through the Hospitality Sector Council, we are addressing strategic issues for the sector related to high street regeneration, skills, sustainability, and productivity.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of remote working and its impact on productivity levels.

Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The government continues to monitor the impact of flexible working.

According to recent ONS data, the trend in working only from home has fallen since 2021, and a hybrid working model has become the ‘new normal’ for around a quarter of workers.

Reported benefits of remote working include improved recruitment, inclusivity, wellbeing, and productivity, and reduced employer overheads. Furthermore, the ONS’ Business Insights and Conditions Survey covering 18 November to 1 December 2024 found that, of those that have adopted or extended homeworking, 43% reported that this was due to increased productivity.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help SMEs adopt digital technology.

Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

To support more small businesses' digitisation efforts, we announced at Budget 2024 that we would extend the work of the SME Digital Adoption Taskforce. The Taskforce is made up of industry experts and focuses on addressing the challenge of how to support SMEs to adopt and implement productivity-enhancing technologies, such as customer relationship management, accountancy, and resource planning software. We intend to publish a summary of the Taskforce's draft recommendations shortly and their full report will be published later this year.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the Federation of Master Builders report entitled Licence to build: A pathway to licensing UK construction, published on 2 July 2018.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government regularly reviews how standards of consumer protection within the construction sector could be improved. This includes discussions with industry stakeholders, such as the Federation of Master Builders, and with Members of Parliament on a licensing scheme to protect consumers.

There are advantages and disadvantages to introducing a licencing scheme in the domestic construction market. The advantages may include higher standards of competence and more effective consumer redress. Whilst the disadvantages may include the cost, complexity and additional administrative burden. Any action that the Government takes on licensing to protect customers and standards needs to be robust, proportionate and evidence based.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has met with the Licence UK Construction Task Force set up by the Federation of Master Builders.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government regularly reviews how standards of consumer protection within the construction sector could be improved. This includes discussions with industry stakeholders, such as the Federation of Master Builders, and with Members of Parliament on a licensing scheme to protect consumers.

There are advantages and disadvantages to introducing a licencing scheme in the domestic construction market. The advantages may include higher standards of competence and more effective consumer redress. Whilst the disadvantages may include the cost, complexity and additional administrative burden. Any action that the Government takes on licensing to protect customers and standards needs to be robust, proportionate and evidence based.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what his Department’s policy is on the continued use of imperial measures in retail and hospitality settings.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

UK law requires metric units to be used for all trade purposes, including in retail and hospitality settings, with only limited exceptions. While imperial units can be used alongside metric units, the imperial markings must not be larger or more prominent than the metric ones. Imperial units can only be used on their own (without metric units) for certain products, such as the pint for sales of draught beer, cider and milk in returnable containers.

We have no plans to change this policy.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will publish the total cost to the public purse for the provision of diversity, equality and inclusion courses for staff in her Department in 2024.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

In 2024, DBT spent a total of £1,199.93 incl. VAT on D&I courses. This is based on the assumption that EDI training refers to training where awareness of EDI issues is the main theme of the training.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending Paid Parental Bereavement Pay and Leave to those who experience a miscarriage before 24 weeks.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The loss of a child at any age is incredibly difficult. Parental Bereavement Leave is available to parents who suffer a bereavement from 24 weeks of completed pregnancy up to the age of 18.

Under existing laws, women are protected against any discrimination regarding pregnancy, including miscarriage. We expect employers to treat their employees experiencing miscarriage with compassion, and we encourage them to where possible go further to support their employees. More broadly, the Employment Rights Bill will strengthen protection for new mothers and establish a new right to Bereavement Leave for other loved ones.

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 help support businesses to compete with direct-to-consumer online retailers that are based offshore.

Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

We intend to introduce permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties, including those on the high street, from 2026-27. This tax cut must be sustainably funded, and so we intend to apply a higher rate from 2026-27 on the most valuable properties - those with a Rateable Value of £500,000 and above. These represent less than one per cent of all properties, but include the majority of large distribution warehouses, including those used by online giants.

Ahead of these changes being made, we have prevented RHL relief from ending in April 2025 by extending it for one year at 40 per cent up to a cash cap of £110,000 per business and frozen the small business multiplier.

We are also working with businesses to understand their barriers to growth and High Streets will be a key pillar of our forthcoming Small Business Strategy.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what publications are available for Invest 2035.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

“Invest 2035”, the Industrial Strategy Green Paper, was published 14 October 2024, setting out our vision for a modern Industrial Strategy. The Invest 2035 Prospectus was published alongside this, which sets out the UK’s pitch to investors and a roadmap detailing how the Industrial Strategy will help secure investment and kickstart growth across the country. The Industrial Strategy, alongside Sector Plans for the growth-driving sectors, will be published in Spring 2025, aligned with the multi-year Spending Review.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has conducted an impact assessment into Invest 2035.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Green Paper ‘Invest 2035’ set out the vision for the government’s Industrial Strategy to engage key stakeholders and invite their contributions to the consultation process. As such it does not set out individual policies which can be subject to an impact assessment. Consistent with best practice, policies in the Government’s forthcoming Industrial Strategy will have impact assessments carried out where relevant.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help SMEs adopt digital technology.

Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

To support more small businesses’ digitisation efforts, we announced at Budget 2024 that we would extend the work of the SME Digital Adoption Taskforce. The Taskforce is made up of industry experts and focuses on addressing the challenge of how to support SMEs to adopt and implement productivity-enhancing technologies, such as customer relationship management, accountancy, and resource planning software. We intend to publish a summary of the Taskforce’s draft recommendations soon and their full report will be published later this year.

We will be announcing further measures shortly.

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 support businesses which export bicycles.

Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Under the umbrella of the recently announced Business Growth Service, UK businesses can access DBT’s wealth of export support via Great.gov.uk. This comprises an online support offer and a wider network of support including the Export Academy, UK Export Finance, the International Markets network and one-to-one support from International Trade Advisers.

This support is available to all UK businesses including those that sell and wish to export bicycles.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he is taking steps with the Chancellor of the Exchequer to enable banking hubs to offer postal services.

Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Department for Business and Trade continues to engage with His Majesty's Treasury on the Government’s commitment to roll out 350 banking hubs. Banking hubs are a voluntary service which were developed by the financial services sector to protect access to cash under the Financial Services Act 2023. Their rollout is overseen by Cash Access UK and funded by the banks for the purpose of coordinating banking hub delivery.

The Government-set Access Criteria ensures that however the network changes, Post Office delivers essential services, including banking and cash services, within local reach of all citizens.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has made a recent assessment of the condition of the UK cycling industry.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

No formal assessment has been completed; however, the Department has engaged with key industry brands on issues and will continue to do so moving forward. The industry has recently faced significant headwinds, impacting growth and profitability. Despite this, the industry is stabilising with some retailers reporting positive financial performance. There are signs of recovery and potential growth in key high-demand areas such as Road, Gravel, and Electric Mountain Bikes.

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 help increase the number of workers in the construction industry.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Department for Business and Trade is working across Government to understand the demand impacts for the construction sector to deliver our built environment and infrastructure commitments.

This includes working with industry and the Construction Industry Training Board to support recruitment initiatives such as GoConstruct, and Open Doors, which aim to attract people to the industry. We are also working with DfE Skills England and the sector to improve routes to achieving qualifications and entering the industry, to ensure there are enough skilled workers to achieve our ambitions for housing and infrastructure delivery.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to help protect the chemical industry from (a) site closures and (b) job losses.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The chemicals sector underpins almost all manufacturing in the UK and is fundamental to maximising growth and productivity across the economy to drive forward the government’s missions, including delivering growth for all. Reforms are underway to address planning barriers to growth, channel finance towards growth priorities and accelerate the transition to net zero.

This will be supported by our modern Industrial Strategy which will implement targeted policy interventions to drive long-term sustainable, inclusive and secure growth.

Last autumn’s Budget announced continued support for Energy Intensive Industries – including chemical companies - through £350M of additional funding across the next two years.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his Department's polices of the Construction Industry Training Board's decision to end the use of Construction Skills Certification Scheme cards.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Construction Skills Certification Scheme Limited is the organisation responsible for providing cards to individuals working on construction sites. The Construction Industry Training Board has not ended the use of Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) cards.

Holding a CSCS card is not a legislative requirement. Most principal contractors and major house builders require workers on their construction sites to hold a valid card.

Standardising the approach to construction skills certification was made by the industry to improve standards of safety and competency on construction sites. This specifies and promotes card schemes displaying the CSCS logo with no equivalents accepted.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to ensure that social value for communities and workers is prioritised in the forthcoming Critical Mineral Strategy.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The new Critical Minerals Strategy will support the industries of tomorrow, be explicitly targeted at UK strengths, articulate the impacts on people’s lives, deliver for businesses and create new jobs across the UK.

In developing the Strategy, the UK Government is committed to the sustainable development of natural resources in the UK and overseas, in close collaboration with local communities and their workforce to ensure they benefit in turn. The UK Government places a high priority on mining and mineral processing being carried out to the highest standards.

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 the potential impact of his Department's support for advanced manufacturing within the industrial strategy on food and drink manufacturers.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Industrial Strategy Green Paper identified eight growth-driving sectors, including advanced manufacturing. All sectors can shape and benefit from policy reform through the Industrial Strategy’s cross-cutting policies alongside the broader Growth Mission. This will create the pro-business environment for all businesses to invest and employ, with growth that supports high-quality jobs and ensures that the benefits are shared across people, places, and generations.

The UK’s food and drink sector plays a significant part in the UK economy, with £146.7bn contribution to GVA. The government is engaging with the food and drink industry regularly to explore all avenues for growth.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how his Department intends to define the subsectors within Advanced Manufacturing in the forthcoming Industrial Strategy.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government committed in the Industrial Strategy Green Paper – Invest 2035 to identify subsectors within Advanced Manufacturing that meet our objectives and for which there is evidence that policy can address barriers to growth.

This includes consideration of the contribution to Net Zero, regional growth, and economic security and resilience. Input from the Sector roundtable’s and industry feedback from responses to this Green Paper to inform this programme of analysis.

The industrial strategy, alongside sector plans for the growth-driving sectors, will be published in spring 2025, aligned with the multi-year spending review.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he (a) is taking with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to encourage (i) growth and (ii) investment in food and drink manufacturing and (b) plans to take to support food and drink manufacturing through the forthcoming Industrial Strategy.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Growth is the number one mission of the government. The UK's agriculture food and drink sector plays a significant role in the UK economy, contributing £146.7bn to GVA. The UK presents many opportunities for investment right across the food and drink supply chain stages of product development.

All sectors can shape and will benefit from policy reform through the Industrial Strategy’s cross-cutting policies alongside the broader Growth Mission. This will create the pro-business environment for all businesses to invest and employ, with growth that supports high-quality jobs and ensures that the benefits are shared across people, places, and generations.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make an estimate of the potential impact of increases to employers’ National Insurance on employment in the Oxford to Cambridge Growth Corridor.

Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Prior to the Government’s recent announcement on the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor, a Tax Information and Impact Note that covers the employer NICs changes was published by HMRC on 13 November.

We have protected small businesses from the impact of the increase to Employer National Insurance by increasing the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500, meaning that 865,000 employers will pay no NICs next year, and more than half of employers will see no change or will gain overall from this package.

We are considering ways to drive business growth and build on our world-leading strengths in the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, for what purposes UK Export Finance has used artificial intelligence in the last 12 months.

Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is at the heart of the Government’s plan to kickstart an era of economic growth, transform how we deliver public services, and boost living standards for working people across the country.

UK Export Finance (UKEF) is currently exploring various scenarios and use cases where AI can assist the department. This involves conducting internal trials and learning
exercises to better understand AI's potential. Throughout this process, UKEF remains committed to adhering to the government's AI policy and guidance.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 9 January 2025 to Question 19680 on High Streets Task Force, what discussions his Department had with retailers on the impact of the reduction in retail, hospitality and leisure business rate relief from April 2025.

Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Across Government, Ministers and officials meet with a range of retailers to understand the challenges they face. I have met with the Retail Sector Council where I heard members’ views about the impact of the Budget. More recently, I attended a roundtable organised by the British Retail Consortium, attended by CEOs and Senior Executives from leading retailers, with discussion points including the impact of the Budget and Business Rates.

More broadly, HMT are conducting engagement on future business rate reform and are open to receiving written evidence from stakeholders on the priority areas, prior to March 2025. This will provide retail businesses of any size the opportunity to share their concerns directly with HMT.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of creating an ombudsman for home owner property extensions.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Government continues to consider ways in which consumers can be supported in accessing redress and regularly reviews how standards of consumer protection within the construction sector could be improved.

The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 contains measures to improve Alternative Dispute Resolution in consumer markets by raising standards of consistency and quality, and encouraging business take up.

The Government-funded Citizens Advice consumer service offers free advice to consumers on their rights and how to take complaints forward. A list of Alternative Dispute Resolution bodies and their related sector is available on the Chartered Trading Standards Institute website.

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Found: the House of Commons to examine the expenditure, administration, and policy of the Department for Business and Trade

Found: The Department for Business and Trade and the Government Office for Equalities should establish a roadmap

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Found: Department for Business and Trade (2023). Shared Parental Leave: Evaluation Report.

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Found:  Only 1% of eligible mothers and 4% of eligible fathers have taken up SPL (DBT/BEIS 2023). 1 Working

Found: The DBT/BEIS (2023) reported that access to enhanced pay was a ‘direct facilitator’ for taking up SPL

Found: Report, p 95. 10 ibid, p 96. 11 ibid, p 63. 12 UK Parliament, ‘Parental Pay: Question for Department for Business and Trade

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Found: That said, the DBT evaluation report found that a greater proportion of SPL mothers (73%) report returning

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Found: companies for fraudulent means.6 recommendation Companies House should work with the Department for Business and Trade

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Found: Guarantee Scheme 1 (SCGS) launched in July 2023, with costs fully rechargeable to the Department for Business and Trade

Found: of making sure that the industrial strategy council exercises influence over other Departments and DBT

Found: Regulation—I know DBT is the lead Department. Yet, the regulatory office is in DSIT.

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Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to monitor companies responsibilities and duties to the environment.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government makes full use of the comprehensive and wide ranging environmental regulatory framework in England.

There are many regulators involved in delivering Government environmental objectives, and the Environment Agency (EA) is the largest environmental regulator for England.

The EA regulates a wide range of industries and activities, in diverse fields such as nuclear power, waste and resources, the water industry, climate change, flood protection. Its regulation brings about significant improvements in protection of the environment, adapts to emerging challenges and supports sustainable growth.

The Government also supports voluntary environmental due diligence approaches adopted by UK businesses across their operations and supply chain relationships, in line with the OECD’s Guidelines for Responsible Business Conduct. DBT also oversees the UK’s National Contact Point for Responsible Business Conduct, an independent unit tasked with promoting the OECD Guidelines and managing a non-judicial grievance mechanism to resolve complaints through mediation.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 22 January 2025 to Question 24225 on Conditions of Employment: Departmental Responsibilities, whether her Department has plans to recruit individuals to advise on (a) employment law and (b) industrial relations.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Strengthening employment rights is a key priority across Government. The Deputy Prime Minister is the Chair of the Future of Work Cabinet Committee, which is responsible for considering and taking decisions on matters related to the Make Work Pay package of reforms to the Employment Law framework. The department, alongside the Department for Business and Trade, and other Government departments will ensure the Deputy Prime Minister has the necessary support to carry out that role.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to his Department's guidance entitled The Approvals Process for the Creation of New Arm’s-Length Bodies, published on 15 March 2018, which of the three tests in Chapter 2 the Industrial Strategy Council meets.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Department for Business and Trade is currently working through the approval process to establish the Industrial Strategy Council as an Arm’s Length Body.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what role the Global Centre of Rail Excellence will have in supporting offline testing of new trains.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department of Transport continues to engage closely with the Global Centre of Rail Excellence (GCRE) in developing its proposal for world-class research, testing and certification site in South Wales. Department for Transport officials contribute through the cross-government GCRE steering group, which also includes representatives from the Department for Business and Trade and Welsh Government, to discuss options for Government support for the proposal and to ensure alignment with Government Industrial Strategy and other priorities.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions her Department has had with the Welsh Government to ensure that the opportunity of the Global Centre of Rail Excellence is maximised as part of its Industrial Strategy.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department of Transport continues to engage closely with the Global Centre of Rail Excellence (GCRE) in developing its proposal for world-class research, testing and certification site in South Wales. Department for Transport officials contribute through the cross-government GCRE steering group, which also includes representatives from the Department for Business and Trade and Welsh Government, to discuss options for Government support for the proposal and to ensure alignment with Government Industrial Strategy and other priorities.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the Government is taking to help the Welsh Government ensure the Global Centre of Rail Excellence facility in South Wales is being supported to project completion.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department of Transport continues to engage closely with the Global Centre of Rail Excellence (GCRE) in developing its proposal for world-class research, testing and certification site in South Wales. Department for Transport officials contribute through the cross-government GCRE steering group, which also includes representatives from the Department for Business and Trade and Welsh Government, to discuss options for Government support for the proposal and to ensure alignment with Government Industrial Strategy and other priorities.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to use rail industry procurement to support the Global Centre of Rail Excellence opportunity.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department of Transport continues to engage closely with the Global Centre of Rail Excellence (GCRE) in developing its proposal for world-class research, testing and certification site in South Wales. Department for Transport officials contribute through the cross-government GCRE steering group, which also includes representatives from the Department for Business and Trade and Welsh Government, to discuss options for Government support for the proposal and to ensure alignment with Government Industrial Strategy and other priorities.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to fund operational trials of zero-emission aircraft.

Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

As a private sector, the introduction of new forms of aircraft is primarily a matter for industry. The Government is however supportive of new forms of zero-emission aircraft being brought into commercial use.

The Department for Business and Trade is co-investing with industry through the Aerospace Technology Institute Programme in R&D on aerospace technology, including projects focussed on zero emission aircraft. The budget confirmed a five-year extension to the programme with nearly £1bn funding.

In addition, the Civil Aviation Authority’s Hydrogen in Aviation Regulatory Challenge is being supported by a £0.9m grant from the Government’s Regulatory Pioneers Fund. Future government funding will be considered within the ongoing Spending Review.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what comparative assessment she has made of trends in the level of investment in (a) operational trials and (b) infrastructure development for zero-emission aviation by (i) the UK and (ii) other countries.

Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government is supportive of new forms of zero-emission aircraft being brought into commercial use.

The Department for Business and Trade is co-investing with industry through the Aerospace Technology Institute Programme in R&D on aerospace technology, including projects focussed on zero emission aircraft. The budget confirmed a five-year extension to the programme with nearly £1bn funding.

In addition, from January 2025 the use of low carbon hydrogen as an aviation fuel is eligible for reward under the SAF mandate where it meets sustainability criteria. The Civil Aviation Authority’s Hydrogen in Aviation Regulatory Challenge is being supported by a £0.9m grant from the Government’s Regulatory Pioneers Fund. Future government funding will be considered within the ongoing Spending Review.

The Jet Zero Taskforce Expert Group, convening representatives from government, industry, and academia with an interest in aviation decarbonisation, have agreed to establish a dedicated group to unlock barriers to the commercial operation of zero-carbon hydrogen aircraft.

The Department for Transport has not made a comparative assessment of trends in operational trials nor infrastructure development.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to facilitate the commercialisation of hydrogen-powered aircraft for passengers; and whether she is allocating additional resources for that process.

Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government is supportive of new forms of zero-emission aircraft being brought into commercial use.

The Department for Business and Trade is co-investing with industry through the Aerospace Technology Institute Programme in R&D on aerospace technology, including projects focussed on zero emission aircraft. The budget confirmed a five-year extension to the programme with nearly £1bn funding.

In addition, from January 2025 the use of low carbon hydrogen as an aviation fuel is eligible for reward under the SAF mandate where it meets sustainability criteria. The Civil Aviation Authority’s Hydrogen in Aviation Regulatory Challenge is being supported by a £0.9m grant from the Government’s Regulatory Pioneers Fund. Future government funding will be considered within the ongoing Spending Review.

The Jet Zero Taskforce Expert Group, convening representatives from government, industry, and academia with an interest in aviation decarbonisation, have agreed to establish a dedicated group to unlock barriers to the commercial operation of zero-carbon hydrogen aircraft.

The Department for Transport has not made a comparative assessment of trends in operational trials nor infrastructure development.

Found: 69 Cluster Munition Coalition, Cluster Munition Monitor 2024, September 2024 70 Department for Business and Trade

Found: authorities will also take part in bilateral strategic partnership forums with the Department for Business and Trade

Found: the work of the Independent Sentencing Review 2024 to 2025.1 • In November 2024, the Department for Business and Trade

Found: money Crime, justice and law Department for Business and Trade

Found: money Crime, justice and law Department for Business and Trade

Found: Department for Business and Trade will account for this Estimate.

Found: Department for Business and Trade will account for this Estimate.

Found: 1,267,253 Non-Budget Expenditure 10,000 4,500 Net Cash Requirement 7,841,378 3,814,185 Department for Business and Trade

Found: 1,267,253 Non-Budget Expenditure 10,000 4,500 Net Cash Requirement 7,841,378 3,814,185 Department for Business and Trade

Found: Executive Officers 330 [c] 20 [c] 65 5 60 345 80 375 1290 835 Department for Business and Trade

Found: investment flowed into the sector including UKRI ISCF programmes1, the EPSRC UK RAS Network2, DfT/ DBT

Found: www.hepi.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Student-Academic-Experience-Survey-2023.pdf 74 Department for Business and Trade

Found: OSCB (DBT) Interest Calculator: Assists small business owners to calculate the amount of interest due

Found: From: Department for Business and Trade, Welsh Government, The Scottish Government and Northern Ireland

Found: From: Department for Business and Trade, Welsh Government, The Scottish Government and Northern Ireland

Found: Organisations AGO Attorney General’s Office GLD Government Legal Department SFO Serious Fraud Office DBT

Found: From: Department for Business and Trade and Post Office Published 9 January 2025 Last updated

Found: sector’ was published today (13 February 2025) by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and the Department for Business and Trade

Found: Referral of the proposed subsidy to Post Office Limited by the DBT

Found: departments including the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), the Department for Business and Trade

Found: of State in the Cabinet Office, in addition to his role as Minister of State in the Department for Business and Trade

Found: OSCB (DBT) Interest Calculator: Assists small business owners to calculate the amount of interest due

Found: Climate-related Financial Disclosure) Regulations 2022 Policy 2022 Department of Business and Trade (DBT

Found: broader‑based impact and support wider policy goals • Expand our collaboration with the Department for Business and Trade

Found: delivering a customised version of the Academy in their departments: Cabinet Office Department for Business and Trade

Found: There are 3 licensing bodies in the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) responsible for administering

Found: including the Number 10 Data Science (No.10 DS) and i.AI teams; Department for Business and Trade

Found: Further support and advice can be sought from the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) subsidy control

Found: sector and the wider UK economy, as defined in the National Space Strategy and by the Department for Business and Trade

Found: HMRC and the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) are publishing a joint consultation to understand

Found: Office for Product Safety and Standards Department for Business and Trade 4th Floor, Cannon House

Found: RPC-DBT-25025-IA(1) 1 03/02/2025 The National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Regulations 2025 Lead department

Found: functions relating to fire safety currently exercised by MHCLG, the Home Office and the Department for Business and Trade