Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department has taken to extend sanctions to dual-use items to prevent their use in Russian attacks on Ukraine.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The UK has introduced extensive trade sanctions to prevent Russia acquiring dual‑use items used in its military operations. Since March 2022, we have banned the export of all dual‑use goods and other high‑risk technologies, including products identified on the battlefield and items critical to Russia’s military‑industrial complex.

Our comprehensive export sanctions have led Russia to pursue convoluted and costly routes to circumvent our measures. Alongside extensive guidance and outreach to UK exporters, we plan to bring forward secondary legislation to introduce new sanctions end-use controls. These new powers will help to tackle circumvention of UK goods sanctions via third countries. We work closely with international partners to close those circumvention routes and further restrict Russia’s access to sensitive technologies.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the opportunities to support the UK steel industry through public procurement policies.

Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The government wants to see more use of UK-made steel in public projects, whilst respecting our national and international legal obligations. The latest steel public procurement data shows that in the financial year 2024-2025, where all the steel required could be produced in the UK, 95% of the steel procured by central government buyers was UK produced.

That said, we continue to strengthen mechanisms to enable the public procurement of UK-made steel. Updated steel procurement guidance (Public Procurement Policy Notice 022) was introduced in June 2025 and requires all in-scope organisations for all new relevant steel procurements to consult UK Steel’s digital catalogue before making procurement decisions and encourages them to consider if the national security exemption under the Procurement Act applies.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the opportunities to mandate greater use of UK-made steel in publicly funded projects.

Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The government wants to see more use of UK-made steel in public projects, whilst respecting our national and international legal obligations. The latest steel public procurement data shows that in the financial year 2024-2025, where all the steel required could be produced in the UK, 95% of the steel procured by central government buyers was UK produced.

That said, we continue to strengthen mechanisms to enable the public procurement of UK-made steel. Updated steel procurement guidance (Public Procurement Policy Notice 022) was introduced in June 2025 and requires all in-scope organisations for all new relevant steel procurements to consult UK Steel’s digital catalogue before making procurement decisions and encourages them to consider if the national security exemption under the Procurement Act applies.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether Lord Mandelson played a role as Ambassador to the United States in the decision of HM Government not to impose tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

No.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many directors with responsibility for human resources are employed in his Department and its executive agencies; and how many of those directors hold professional HR qualifications from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development or equivalent professional bodies.

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

It is not appropriate to publish individual-level personal data in a Parliamentary Question response.

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 small and medium-sized construction businesses facing insolvency as a result of planning delays and late payment practices.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

We recognise the impact that late payment has on small and medium-sized businesses including those within the construction industry. This Government will legislate to end the scourge of late payments and will give the UK the strongest legal framework on late payments in the G7. We outlined a set of proposed measures in our Late Payments Consultation, which concluded in October 2025. We will publish our response to the consultation shortly and intend to legislate as soon as parliamentary time allows.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions his Department has had with businesses on maintaining flexible staffing arrangements in the context of the Employment Rights Act 2025.

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

The Government is improving flexibility and security for workers while supporting a flexible, responsive labour market that drives economic growth. This includes reforms on flexible working, agency work and zero hours contracts.

Across each of these areas, engagement with businesses and trade bodies has been core to policy development.

We are also continuing to gather views from businesses through our current public consultations on Improving Access to Flexible Working and Modernising the Agency Work Regulatory Framework.

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 impact of proposed reforms to zero-hours contracts on businesses whose sales are significantly affected by (a) the weather and (b) other unpredictable factors.

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

The government has published a comprehensive assessment of the potential impacts from the zero hours contract measures in the Employment Rights Act 2025. These assessments include consideration of increases in labour costs and the subsequent effects, as well as setting out the sectors most likely to be impacted by the measures.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has had recent discussions with Royal Mail on taking steps to provide timely deliveries during (a) adverse weather events and (b) periods of high staff sickness absence.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Ministers and officials have discussions with Royal Mail on a regular basis in its capacity as the universal service provider.

Royal Mail is an independent, privately‑owned business, and the government does not have a role in its operational decisions. Ofcom, the independent regulator for postal services, monitors and assesses Royal Mail’s provision of the universal service. It can take enforcement action should Royal Mail fail to achieve its obligations without good justification.

Royal Mail is required, under Ofcom’s regulations, to maintain, implement, and review appropriate contingency plans to provide the universal service in the event of an emergency or a natural disaster at the local, regional, and national level.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to support hair salons.

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

Small businesses in the hair and beauty sector play an important role in supporting jobs, high streets and local economies. We’ve introduced permanently lower business rates for retail, hospitality and leisure properties and have provided £4.3bn to shield ratepayers from bill increases.

We continue to back employers who take on apprentices, by providing £1,000 to both employers and training providers when they take on apprentices aged under 19; employers are not required to pay National Insurance Contributions for all apprentices aged up to age 25 (when the employee’s wage is below £50,270 a year). Additionally, the government pays the full training costs for young apprentices aged 16 to 21, and for apprentices aged 22 to 24 who have an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan or have been in local authority care, when their employer has fewer than 50 employees.

I will continue to engage closely with the sector, including through the Personal Care Roundtables, to ensure the industry’s long-term growth. This includes working with hair and beauty businesses as we bring forward a new High Streets Strategy later this year.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether the (a) Intelligence Community and (b) National Cyber Security Centre will have any role in the certification and auditing of companies authorised to provide electronic balloting services for trade unions.

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

This Government is committed to allowing modern, secure, electronic balloting and workplace ballots for trade unions, as political parties and listed companies already use.

We have worked with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) in our development of this policy which will require detailed cyber-security standards, independent cyber-security certification requirements, and audit principles to be met for electronic balloting to be used.

When conducting statutory ballots by electronic means, trade unions will have to appoint an independent scrutineer who meets the conditions under the Trade Union Ballots and Elections (Independent Scrutineer Qualifications) Order 1993 to assure that there is no contravention of the required standards.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when he plans to bring into force secondary legislation contained within the Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025.

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

The Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025, which received Royal Assent in July 2025, enables the government to modernise, replace and simplify regulations. The Act’s powers have already been used to update the Outdoor Noise Regulations and the Government recently confirmed it will use the Act’s powers to update the Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008, following a call for evidence. Further reviews of regulations will follow.

In particular, as announced in November’s Budget, the Government intends to publish a consultation shortly on major reforms to level the playing field between online and physical retailers, improve consumer safety and streamline enforcement powers.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he plans to publish a consultation on the measures within the Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025 in relation to product safety.

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

The Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025, which received Royal Assent in July 2025, enables the government to modernise, replace and simplify regulations. The Act’s powers have already been used to update the Outdoor Noise Regulations and the Government recently confirmed it will use the Act’s powers to update the Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008, following a call for evidence. Further reviews of regulations will follow.

In particular, as announced in November’s Budget, the Government intends to publish a consultation shortly on major reforms to level the playing field between online and physical retailers, improve consumer safety and streamline enforcement powers.

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 the introduction of a salary history ban preventing employers from asking about previous salaries during recruitment processes.

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

The government is committed to strengthening equal pay and ending pay discrimination.

As part of the 2025 Equality law call for evidence, the Office for Equality and Opportunity sought information about best practices already used by some employers, research from academics and the experience of other countries when it comes to pay transparency measures. Responses to the call for evidence will help us to understand how increased pay transparency may impact women, ethnic minorities, disabled people, and other groups in the workplace.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he plans to announce an outcome of the consultation on the provision of statutory paid leave and job protection for parents of critically ill children by the summer recess.

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

As set out in the terms of reference for the review of employment rights for unpaid carers, the government plans to consult this year. The consultation response will be published during the final phase of the review. This will be between autumn 2026 and winter 2026/27.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to reduce the use of skin lightening products.

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

As product safety regulator, OPSS is responsible for ensuring that consumer products are safe. The UK Cosmetic Regulation requires that a safety assessment be completed by a qualified assessor to demonstrate the safety of a cosmetic product before it can be sold on our market.

OPSS also provides funding to the Chartered Trading Standards Institute to highlight the dangers to consumers of using illegal cosmetics, including skin lighteners, through its “Cost Of Beauty” Campaign. The campaign includes social media, outreach with targeted groups and working with traditional media, with the aim of raising attention to the risks of these products.

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 ensure that salons operating rent-a-chair arrangements comply with employment status law where working practices may indicate worker or employee status.

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

While the Secretary of State has not held specific meetings with representatives of the Salon Employers Association, this Department regularly engages with hair salons on a range of issues such as employment status and compliance, including through Personal Care Roundtables which I chair.

The Government recognises the complexity of the current employment status framework. Bogus self‑employment is unacceptable, and employers should not deny individuals their employment rights by incorrectly classifying them as self‑employed. Responsibility for determining employment status rests on the facts of each case, and compliance activity is led by HMRC. Where operated correctly, rent‑a‑chair models are a legitimate and long‑standing business practice.

HMRC does not consider trends in business numbers and employed/self-employed numbers in the sector to be unexpected. If a business disaggregates, as in the rent-a-chair model, the number of businesses will increase but the number of employees may increase, decrease or not change at all depending on how the business disaggregates.

However, we recognise that under the current framework, many workers may find it difficult to know either what protections they are owed or how to comply with legal obligations; this is why, through collaboration with the hair industry, Government published dedicated guidance for hair and beauty businesses to help the latter better understand their employment status for tax purposes: Check employment status if you work in hair and beauty - GOV.UK.. This Government is also committed to consulting on employment status.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has met with representatives of the Salon Employers Association or other industry bodies to discuss employment status compliance and fair competition within the hairdressing industry.

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

While the Secretary of State has not held specific meetings with representatives of the Salon Employers Association, this Department regularly engages with hair salons on a range of issues such as employment status and compliance, including through Personal Care Roundtables which I chair.

The Government recognises the complexity of the current employment status framework. Bogus self‑employment is unacceptable, and employers should not deny individuals their employment rights by incorrectly classifying them as self‑employed. Responsibility for determining employment status rests on the facts of each case, and compliance activity is led by HMRC. Where operated correctly, rent‑a‑chair models are a legitimate and long‑standing business practice.

HMRC does not consider trends in business numbers and employed/self-employed numbers in the sector to be unexpected. If a business disaggregates, as in the rent-a-chair model, the number of businesses will increase but the number of employees may increase, decrease or not change at all depending on how the business disaggregates.

However, we recognise that under the current framework, many workers may find it difficult to know either what protections they are owed or how to comply with legal obligations; this is why, through collaboration with the hair industry, Government published dedicated guidance for hair and beauty businesses to help the latter better understand their employment status for tax purposes: Check employment status if you work in hair and beauty - GOV.UK.. This Government is also committed to consulting on employment status.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of recent trends in the levels of disguised self-employment in the hairdressing sector, particularly in salons operating rent-a-chair models.

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

While the Secretary of State has not held specific meetings with representatives of the Salon Employers Association, this Department regularly engages with hair salons on a range of issues such as employment status and compliance, including through Personal Care Roundtables which I chair.

The Government recognises the complexity of the current employment status framework. Bogus self‑employment is unacceptable, and employers should not deny individuals their employment rights by incorrectly classifying them as self‑employed. Responsibility for determining employment status rests on the facts of each case, and compliance activity is led by HMRC. Where operated correctly, rent‑a‑chair models are a legitimate and long‑standing business practice.

HMRC does not consider trends in business numbers and employed/self-employed numbers in the sector to be unexpected. If a business disaggregates, as in the rent-a-chair model, the number of businesses will increase but the number of employees may increase, decrease or not change at all depending on how the business disaggregates.

However, we recognise that under the current framework, many workers may find it difficult to know either what protections they are owed or how to comply with legal obligations; this is why, through collaboration with the hair industry, Government published dedicated guidance for hair and beauty businesses to help the latter better understand their employment status for tax purposes: Check employment status if you work in hair and beauty - GOV.UK.. This Government is also committed to consulting on employment status.

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 ensure audit requirements are accessible and affordable for small and mid-sized quoted companies.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The government has announced plans to modernise and simplify the corporate reporting framework and expects to publish its Modernising Corporate Reporting consultation shortly. The consultation will consider financial, non-financial, remuneration and corporate governance reporting, as well as proposals to reduce burdens on business and to simplify the preparation and audit of accounts and reports, including for quoted companies. The consultation will also consider the appropriateness of the UK’s framework for reporting and auditing by small and medium-sized companies.

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 reduce the burden of annual reporting for small and mid-sized quoted companies.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The government has announced plans to modernise and simplify the corporate reporting framework and expects to publish its Modernising Corporate Reporting consultation shortly. The consultation will consider financial, non-financial, remuneration and corporate governance reporting, as well as proposals to reduce burdens on business and to simplify the preparation and audit of accounts and reports, including for quoted companies. The consultation will also consider the appropriateness of the UK’s framework for reporting and auditing by small and medium-sized companies.

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 requiring employers to show salaries on job adverts.

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

The government is committed to strengthening equal pay and ending pay discrimination.

As part of the 2025 Equality law call for evidence, the Office for Equality and Opportunity sought information about best practices already used by some employers, research from academics and the experience of other countries when it comes to pay transparency measures. Responses to the call for evidence will help us to understand how increased pay transparency may impact women, ethnic minorities, disabled people, and other groups in the workplace.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the Statistical bulletin - Civil Service Statistics: 2025, updated on 29 October 2025 and the Statistical bulletin - Civil Service Statistics: 2024, updated on 20 August 2024, for what reason the number of policy staff in his Department has increased by 90% in one year.

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

The Cabinet Office revised the classification of professions in early March 2025. We have been instructed to substitute the International Trade profession with the Policy profession in our reporting. Accordingly, all staff previously classified under the International Trade profession in 2024 have now been reassigned to the Policy profession. The reported percentage increase is attributable to this change.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many and what proportion of staff in the Department have (a) office-based, (b) hybrid and (c) remote-working contracts.

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

As of 31 January 2026,

A) Office-based working contracts - 5,646 employees, representing 96.9% of the overall domestic civil servants in payroll.

B) Hybrid working contracts – none

C) Remoting working contracts – 179 employees representing 3.1% of the overall domestic civil servants in payroll.

DBT remains committed to flexible working and the business benefits that it offers, including supporting the Civil Service priority of ensuring continued, effective and productive delivery of the work carried out by civil servants across the full range of services.

DBT operates a ‘hybrid’ approach, led by business needs, and as a result many employees will work both from home and in the workplace on an informal basis.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of SMEs that have cut jobs since November 2024.

Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Department for Business and Trade has not conducted an assessment of the number of SMEs that have reduced their workforce and therefore does not hold this information.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he has taken to encourage McDonald's Restaurants UK to take up the offer from the UK National Contact Point to provide mediation with complainants regarding the corporation's compliance with the 2023 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct with respect to gender-based violence and sexual harassment, as recommended in its initial assessment published on 7 January 2026.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Office for Responsible Business Conduct’s (ORBC) Dispute Resolution Service, formerly the UK National Contact Point, operates independently from Ministers. In line with the ORBC’s rules of procedure, mediation has been offered to both parties to the Complaint following the publication of the Initial Assessment on the 7^th of January 2026.

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 the sustainability of post office services in rural areas.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

As announced in the Government’s recent response to the Green Paper, we are protecting the sustainability of the Post Office network by retaining the minimum 11,500 branches and keeping all geographical Access Criteria. This will ensure that communities across the UK - including rural and remote areas - continue to have local and reliable access to Post Office services.

Furthermore, the Government continues to support the rural network by providing an annual network subsidy on the basis that Post Office meets the Government-set Access Criteria. For the 2025/26 financial year, the Government has confirmed that the network subsidy will be up to £83 million.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Business Secretary fortifies UK steel industry, published on 16 February 2026, how much of the £2.5 billion fund has been (a) allocated and (b) released.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The government is committed to providing up to £2.5 billon to support the UK steel industry, which is being delivered in part through the NWF and in part through direct support for companies. This is in addition to the £500 million investment for Tata Steel in Port Talbot, bringing the total investment in the steel industry to up to £3 billion.

Funding for the sector is already being released through direct support for companies. This includes the grant to Tata Steel at Port Talbot, support for the Official Receiver’s sale process for Speciality Steels UK sites including Rotherham and Stocksbridge, and in securing the capabilities of British Steel at Scunthorpe. To date, funding of approximately £370 million has been provided to British Steel.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to Question 112100 answered on 23 February 2026, if he will provide a breakdown of the numbers approved in both (a) 2024 and (b) 2025.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Secretary of State for Business and Trade approved 67 grant awards for the Music Export Growth Scheme in 2024 and 59 grant awards in 2025.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of Royal Mail's performance in Heywood and Middleton North constituency during the past 12 months.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Royal Mail publishes quality of service reports by postcode area here: www.internationaldistributionservices.com/en/regulation/universal-service-obligation/quality-of-service/ . Ofcom does not mandate data reporting by constituency.

Ofcom monitors and assesses Royal Mail’s provision of the universal service. It can take enforcement action should Royal Mail fail to achieve its obligations without good justification.

I met Royal Mail’s CEO, Alistair Cochrane, on 3 February to press him on the action Royal Mail is taking to make demonstrable improvements to service levels as a matter of urgency. I will continue to raise concerns with Royal Mail if the company’s quality of service does not improve.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he is taking steps to help reduce levels of imports of Chinese-produced steel.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

We seek to protect our steel industry from the impacts of unfair trading practices and global overcapacity, using trade remedies such as anti‑dumping and anti‑subsidy measures alongside the steel safeguard.

We are prioritising the development of a robust, evidence-based and effective measure to ensure our domestic sector remains protected following the expiry of the safeguard at the end of June 2026.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when he plans to publish the Government’s response to the Future of the Post Office green paper consultation.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

On 25 February, the Government published its response to the Future of the Post Office green paper consultation, which is available on GOV.UK.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when he will publish the response to the consultation entitled Make Work Pay: trade union right of access, published on 23 October 2025.

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

Officials are in the process of reviewing the responses to the consultation, and the government will publish a formal response in due course.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department’s plan to ban for-profit ticket resale will apply to (a) tickets sold through peer-to-peer messaging platforms and (b) tickets sold through encrypted peer-to-peer messaging platforms such as WhatsApp.

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

The government has recently announced plans to introduce a price cap on the resale of live events tickets, which will make it illegal for tickets to be resold for more than their original cost.

Our intention is that all businesses that facilitate the resale of live events tickets to UK consumers will be obliged to ensure compliance with the price cap.

Detailed work to prepare the new legislation is ongoing, involving further consideration of how platform obligations should be configured.

The government will legislate when Parliamentary time allows.

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 restricting ticket resales via peer-to-peer messaging applications on user privacy and encryption.

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

The government has recently announced plans to introduce a price cap on the resale of live events tickets, which will make it illegal for tickets to be resold for more than their original cost.

Our intention is that all businesses that facilitate the resale of live events tickets to UK consumers will be obliged to ensure compliance with the price cap.

Detailed work to prepare the new legislation is ongoing, involving further consideration of how platform obligations should be configured.

The government will legislate when Parliamentary time allows.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what plans his Department has to reform corporate reporting requirements to support economic growth and competitiveness.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The government has announced plans to modernise and simplify the corporate reporting framework and expects to publish its Modernising Corporate Reporting consultation shortly. The consultation will consider financial, non-financial, remuneration and corporate governance reporting, as well as options to drive greater digitisation. The proposals are intended to ensure the UK has one of the most proportionate, internationally competitive and investor-focused corporate reporting frameworks in the world. An improved framework creates the conditions for well-functioning markets and thereby drives economic growth.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the answer of 28 January 2026, to Question 107374, on Cabinet Office: Public Expenditure, whether regulatory costs imposed through implementation of EU laws in Northern Ireland, and the application of EU laws through dynamic alignment across the wider United Kingdom, would score towards the administrative burden of business.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The target to cut the administrative burden of regulation by 25% by the end of the Parliament covers the burden of central UK government regulation, whether this is to implement domestic or international commitments.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they knew in November 2025, when Hive Energy Ltd secured a £60 million loan from HSBC guaranteed by UK Export Finance, that it was close to bankruptcy; who authorised the loan on behalf of His Majesty's Government; and what due diligence was performed in connection with this.

Answered by Lord Stockwood - Minister of State (HM Treasury)

This transaction was originally underwritten in 2023 and renewed in 2025 by UKEF. As with all its transactions, UKEF applied its rigorous risk criteria and continues to monitor Hive Energy. UKEF provided Hive Energy with a General Export Facility alongside Hive’s partner bank, with which it shares the risk of default.

UKEF charges a commercial, risk-based premium and operates at no net cost to the taxpayer over the economic cycle – returning £146 million in profit to the Exchequer in the last financial year.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what the value is of the financial support package being negotiated with the Jingye Group in relation to British Steel's operations in Scunthorpe.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

We continue to work with Jingye to find a pragmatic and realistic solution for the future of British Steel. Upon the end of Government intervention under the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act, a compensation scheme will be available to Jingye, which would provide for an independent assessment to determine what amount of compensation, if any, is appropriate.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what meetings his Department has had with Jingye on compensation for British Steel.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

We continue to work with Jingye to find a pragmatic and realistic solution for the future of British Steel. Upon the end of Government intervention under the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act, a compensation scheme will be available to Jingye, which would provide for an independent assessment to determine what amount of compensation, if any, is appropriate.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what methodology will be used to determine the level of compensation available to Jingye following Royal Assent of the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act 2025.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

We continue to work with Jingye to find a pragmatic and realistic solution for the future of British Steel. Upon the end of Government intervention under the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act, a compensation scheme will be available to Jingye, which would provide for an independent assessment to determine what amount of compensation, if any, is appropriate.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when his Department plans to respond to responses received on the Consultation on the implementation of the new subscription contracts regime in the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act.

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

The government is committed to protecting consumers who enter into subscription contracts. We consulted on the implementation of the new subscription contracts regime in the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act and have engaged closely with stakeholders. We are carefully considering the points raised and a government response will be published in due course.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment has been made of the potential impact of the cooling-off period provision in the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 on cultural, heritage and tourism organisations operating on a subscription model, including national museums and galleries.

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

This government recognises the significant public value delivered by the UK’s charitable sector.

The government has consulted on the implementation of the subscriptions regime in the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Act 2024. The consultation received over 70 responses including 15 from charitable organisations, and the government is engaging closely with the sector to understand the impacts on both consumers and these bodies.

The impact assessment for the subscriptions chapter in the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Act can be found here: Subscription traps: annex 2 impact assessment. Together, the subscription measures are anticipated to provide £400m of consumer benefits per year and the estimated net direct cost to businesses is £171m per year. Sector-specific analysis has not been conducted.

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 expose criminal fronts by working with enforcement bodies.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The new High Streets Illegality Taskforce is currently being established and will bring together departments and agencies to develop an intelligence led understanding of organised crime on our high streets, and a strategic long-term policy response to money laundering and associated criminality on UK high streets.

As well, Companies House works with a wide range of partners across Law Enforcement and Government to identify and disrupt economic crime. Where criminality is suspected, information and intelligence are shared with relevant partners.

The capability and capacity of Companies House’s Intelligence Hub has continued to grow, with increased use of the new data sharing powers to disseminate relevant intelligence to key partners, including the National Crime Agency, HMRC, the Insolvency Service and policing in the UK.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when he plans to take steps to tackle subscription traps.

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

The government is committed to protecting consumers who enter into subscription contracts. We consulted on the implementation of the new subscription contracts regime in the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act and have engaged closely with stakeholders. We are carefully considering the points raised and a government response will be published in due course.

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 ensure the British Business Bank supports stocks traded on AIM and Aquis.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The British Business Bank’s mission is to drive economic growth by helping smaller businesses get the finance they need to start, scale and stay in the UK.

Through its equity and debt programmes, the Bank supports privately held businesses in the earlier stages of their growth journey, helping to strengthen the pipeline of companies that reach sufficient scale to access public markets including AIM and Aquis.

Once businesses are traded on a public market, they can access liquidity from existing and new investors by issuing new equity or debt securities.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the answer of 30 January 2026, to Question 107377, on Jeffery Epstein, whether Lord Mandelson’s private office files from 2009-10 will now be cross-referenced with the unauthorised disclosures of government information to Jeffery Epstein.

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

The government is cooperating fully with the Met investigation and providing any assistance required.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has considered the potential merits of providing enhanced Shared Parental Pay relief to schools funded from the public purse to cover the cost to schools when Shared Parental Leave is taken exclusively during term time and not during pre-defined public holidays.

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

The Government recognises the specific challenges Shared Parental Leave can present for schools. The application of Shared Parental Leave in schools is covered by the Burgundy Book, which is negotiated between employers and teachers’ organisations. The Government has no authority over the Burgundy Book. The Department is currently undertaking a review of the parental leave and pay system, including Shared Parental Leave, to explore how the system can work best for families and employers.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to take ensure that any consultations with pubs include independent publicans.

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

We recognise the valuable contributions of independent publicans in the pubs consultation process.

Ministers and officials from my Department regularly meet with independent publicans and their trade association representatives at the British Institute of Innkeeping and are represented on the Hospitality Sector Council. Last month, I met with pub landlords at a roundtable organised by the British Institute for Innkeeping, attended by several of their members.

We always encourage them to engage with all consultations such as the recent ones on licensing reforms, market access for local beers, the Pubs Code Adjudicator and on the forthcoming review of the rateable valuation methodology for pubs.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if his Department will review the effectiveness of the Fireworks Regulations 2004 to help prevent the antisocial use of fireworks.

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

There has been no assessment of the effectiveness of the Fireworks Regulations 2004 on preventing anti-social use of fireworks or the potential impact of fireworks noise on the welfare of pets or vulnerable adults.

I recognise that people hold a range of views on this issue. On 19th January, MPs debated two e-petitions relating to the sale and noise of fireworks respectively. As the Minister responsible, I will ensure that all evidence gathered, including views from the debate, and experiences shared by members of the public, are fully considered. I can assure you that public safety, the impact on people, animals and property, will remain central to this work.

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 trends in the level of employers using ordinary unfair dismissals ahead of the extension of unfair dismissal rights on 1 January 2027.

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

The Government does not collect data on the level of ordinary unfair dismissals made by employers. The Government does publish data on the number of unfair dismissal claims awarded compensation at Employment Tribunal:

• 2020/21: 421
• 2021/22: 633
• 2022/23: 787
• 2023/24: 646

Tribunals statistics quarterly: April to June 2024 - GOV.UK

Note that from September 2022, the Employment Tribunal has moved to a new case management system (Reform ECM). Cases in the new system are not included in these statistics.

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 (a) monitor and (b) discourage potential increases in the number of ordinary unfair dismissals ahead of planned changes to dismissal rights on 1 January 2027.

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

The Government will undertake proportionate monitoring and evaluation of reforms implemented through the Employment Rights Act. To determine whether the policy has met its objectives, we will be monitoring its impacts and will undertake a proportionate review of this policy within 5 years following the policy taking effect.

The Government will work to raise awareness among businesses and employers so that they can modify their dismissal practices before implementation. We will also be working closely with delivery partners such as Acas to ensure that employer guidance and support is adequately updated ahead of January 2027.

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 impact of fireworks noise on the welfare of (a) pets and (b) vulnerable adults.

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

There has been no assessment of the effectiveness of the Fireworks Regulations 2004 on preventing anti-social use of fireworks or the potential impact of fireworks noise on the welfare of pets or vulnerable adults.

I recognise that people hold a range of views on this issue. On 19th January, MPs debated two e-petitions relating to the sale and noise of fireworks respectively. As the Minister responsible, I will ensure that all evidence gathered, including views from the debate, and experiences shared by members of the public, are fully considered. I can assure you that public safety, the impact on people, animals and property, will remain central to this work.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 28 January 2026 to Question 107046 on DBT: Official Hospitality, how the hosting of the reception at the offices of FGS Global on 23 June 2025 will be declared in the Departmental annual accounts; and whether his Department made a financial contribution towards the cost of the reception.

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

The Department for Business of Trade did not make a direct financial contribution to FGS Global in respect of the reception held at their premises on 23 June 2025. The total cost to DBT for the event, standing at £10,074.14 and comprising third-party costs (lease of disability equipment, audio visual equipment, lectern, and stage), agency time, and a crown commercial service fee, will be reflected in DBT's annual accounts, specifically the department's overall spend on events.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether regulations on trade union access under the Employment Rights Act 2025 will include safeguarding provisions for workplaces employing young people; and what guidance will be provided to ensure compatibility with safeguarding duties.

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

In our consultation, Make Work Pay: trade union right of access, we sought views on the operational details of the new statutory access framework, including any further matters the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC) must have regard to when making determinations on access.

Officials are carefully reviewing all responses and the government will publish a response, which will include next steps on safeguarding considerations, before finalising these details in secondary legislation.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Pursuant to the Answer of 30 January 2026 to Question 107375 on Public Appointments Commissioner: Correspondence, whether Nita Clarke made a declaration of political activity.

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

Nika Clarke OBE declared political activity for the Labour Party. This was declared at the time of announcement in line with Appointments guidance.

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 impact of the Employment Rights Act 2025 on hospitality franchise businesses; and whether he plans to provide support for employers to manage costs.

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

The Government has published a comprehensive assessment on the impact of the Act, which includes analysis of the potential sectoral impacts.

The Government recognises the vital contribution of the hospitality sector to the UK, supporting local employment, sustaining high streets and communities, and playing an important role in our cultural and social fabric.

We are delivering long overdue reform to rebalance business rates system. Over 750,000 retail, hospitality and leisure properties will benefit from permanently lower tax rates. This is a permanent tax cut worth nearly £900 million with no cash cap, benefitting all qualifying properties on high streets across England.

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 impact of the Employment Rights Act 2025 on the ability of small and medium-sized businesses, including franchises, to re-invest and create jobs.

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

The Government has published a comprehensive assessment on the impact of the Act. As per our Better Regulation requirements, each Impact Assessment includes a small, medium and micro business assessment.

The Small Business Plan also outlines how we will support small and medium sized businesses to grow and thrive across the UK through the most significant package of legislative reforms in 25 years to tackle late payments; unlock billions of pounds in finance to support start-ups and scale ups; remove unnecessary red tape; revitalise the High Street as a place to do business; and deliver growth boosting support for Digital and AI Adoption.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 28 January 2026 to Question 106743 on DBT: Public Appointments, who declared political activity; and what the political activity was in each case.

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

The following six Direct Ministerial Appointees declared political activity:

1. Nita Clarke - Departmental Board - (Labour Party)

2. Paul Lindley OBE - Board of Trade Advisers (Labour Party)

3. Mike Soutar - Board of Trade Advisers (Labour Party)

4. Kate Bell - Industrial Strategy Advisory Council (Labour Party)

5. Greg Clark - Industrial Strategy Advisory Council (Conservative Party)

6. Roy Rickhuss - Industrial Strategy Advisory Council (Labour Party)

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 impact of the guaranteed hours requirements in the Employment Rights Act 2025 on a) employees seeking flexibility, including those seeking to match schools terms, and b) employers with seasonal demand changes.

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

My department has published a robust set of Impact Assessments that provide a comprehensive analysis on the potential impact of the Employment Rights Act 2025, available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/employment-rights-bill-impact-assessments.

The Employment Rights Act is intended to improve security of income and work, while maintaining flexibility. Workers will be able to decline an offer of guaranteed hours if they wish. Employers with seasonal working patterns will continue to have a range of options, including the use of fixed term contracts where appropriate. The government will consult further before making regulations, including on how the right could apply in relation to annualised hours arrangements.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what support the Government is providing to independent brewers and local supply chains linked to the pub sector.

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

The Government recognises the vital contribution that breweries and local supply chains make to pubs and remains committed to supporting a sector that is diverse, competitive, and rooted in local communities.

Small Producer Relief (SPR) supports smaller producers by allowing those producing up to 4,500 hectolitres of pure alcohol per year to pay reduced duty on products below 8.5% ABV. At Budget 2025, the Government increased the cash discount for small producers, maintaining the value of SPR relative to main duty rates.

The Government works closely with industry and across departments to monitor risks to food and drink supply chain resilience, supported by regular engagement to prepare for and respond to potential disruptions

Additionally, we have reviewed the beer market to assess whether structural barriers are preventing small breweries from accessing pubs. The findings are being considered, and I will announce the outcome in due course.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to page 92 of the Strategic Defence Review, published on 2 June 2025, how many (a) public engagements and (b) private meetings Ministers in their Department have undertaken related to the national conversation on defence and security.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Since the publication of the Strategic Defence Review in June 2025, the Secretary of State for Business has regularly met with Cabinet colleagues to discuss a variety of measures/policies.

Disclosure of such meetings is restricted to protect the principle of collective responsibility, allowing ministers to debate policies freely in private.

The Department for Business and Trade is committed in its support for the Strategic Defence Review through a robust economic security programme, trade remedies and other defence and security aligned policy areas.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what targeted support is available to rural pubs that face higher operating costs and limited footfall compared with urban businesses.

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

The Government recognises the significant role rural pubs play in driving economic growth, employment and community cohesion across the UK. That is why we are offering targeted support for the sector.

Following the Budget, we recently announced an additional 15% reduction in the business rates bill for pubs, alongside the permanent reduction in the business rates multiplier for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure properties.

We recognise that pubs are at the beating heart of communities, providing not just a place to socialise but essential services and local jobs. 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 have announced a new Hospitality Support Fund, with £10 million of funding over three years. This fund will aim to help over 1000 pubs to diversify their business models, improve efficiency and productivity in the sector; and support people who are furthest from the labour market to move into jobs in hospitality.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will commit to increasing domestic steel production.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The steel strategy, to be published in early 2026, will set out a long-term vision for a competitive, decarbonised sector, with the aim of attracting new private investment to secure UK steelmaking and increasing overall levels of UK based production.

We’re providing up to £2.5 billion to rebuild the steel sector, delivered in part through the National Wealth Fund. This is in addition to the £500m we have invested in the transformation of Port Talbot. We have also taken direct action to protect steel production at British Steel and provided a £400 million increase to the investment at Sheffield Forgemasters.

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 impact of minimum wage changes on employment opportunities for 18-20 year olds.

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

We remain committed to removing discriminatory adult age band. From 1 April, the National Minimum Wage rate for 18 to 20 year olds will increase by 8.5 per cent, continuing to narrow the gap with the National Living Wage and moving towards a single adult rate.

The Department has published an Impact Assessment providing a comprehensive analysis of the 2026 National Minimum Wage rates.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has considered the potential merits of aligning the apprentice minimum wage with the National Living Wage, including the potential impact on (a) recruitment, (b) retention and (c) completion rates of apprenticeships.

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

We remain committed to removing the discriminatory adult age band. The latest increase to the NMW of 8.5% continues to close the gap between the minimum wage for 18- to 20-year-olds and the NLW rate, moving towards a single adult rate.

The Department has published an Impact Assessment providing a comprehensive analysis of the 2026 National Minimum Wage rates.

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 aligning the National Minimum Wage with the National Living Wage.

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

We remain committed to removing the discriminatory adult age band. The latest increase to the NMW of 8.5% continues to close the gap between the minimum wage for 18- to 20-year-olds and the NLW rate, moving towards a single adult rate.

The Department has published an Impact Assessment providing a comprehensive analysis of the 2026 National Minimum Wage rates.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to encourage inwards direct investment.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Growth is this Government’s central economic mission. We have set out a long-term Industrial Strategy and Infrastructure Strategy to give investors the certainty they need to commit capital to the UK. A stable policy environment, competitive tax system and clear long-term planning underpin that confidence.

The enhanced Office for Investment works across Government to secure high-value investment, offering tailored support, removing barriers and fast-tracking investment decisions, including through the concierge and triage services. We have also mobilised the Global Talent Taskforce to attract world-class expertise to the UK. Together, these measures are driving inward investment and growth across the whole of the United Kingdom.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether the Government plans to introduce income-based pricing of regulated (a) utilities and (b) merit goods.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) has no plans to introduce universal income-based pricing for all regulated utilities or merit goods.

Across both regulated utilities and merit goods, the Government aims to enhance fairness, reduce inequality, and improve affordability while maintaining service quality, financial sustainability, and investor confidence.

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 Secretary General of the Commonwealth about improving trade links between Commonwealth member states.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Neither the Secretary of State nor I have held discussions with the Secretary General of the Commonwealth about anything.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the Adam Smith Institute's report entitled Knock, Knock: The Effects of the New Union Access Regime on SMEs, published on 6 February 2026, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department's policies of that report’s findings of the potential impact of the proposed trade union access on the level costs for SMEs; and if he will make it his policy to implement the mitigations recommended in the report, including raising the trade union access threshold to businesses with a minimum headcount of 250 employees.

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

My officials have considered the Adam Smith Institute’s report, alongside other relevant evidence, as part of the policy development process. Our consultation, Make Work Pay: trade union right of access, proposed an exemption for employers with fewer than 21 employees, with the aim of ensuring access is directed toward workplaces where recognition is most likely to be viable, while taking account of the practical implications for smaller employers.

We are currently reviewing responses to the consultation and will set out the Government’s final approach in our formal response, which will be published in due course.

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 introducing Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence legislation as part of the Responsible Business Conduct Review.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Government is committed to rooting out human rights, labour and environmental abuses from global supply chains. To this end, the Government is progressing the Responsible Business Conduct Review at pace, while ensuring that we harness the insights of a range of stakeholders.

The review is considering the effectiveness of the UK's current approach and assessing the merits of alternative policy options to support responsible business practices, including mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence. We shall notify Parliament when the Review is complete.

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 workers in Ribble Valley constituency have the right to a guaranteed hours contract.

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

The Employment Rights Act 2025 will ensure people can have the security they need by giving eligible workers the right to guaranteed hours.

The next stage in implementation is a full public consultation on how the measures are implemented. Consultation will be key to ensure that the regulations deliver the benefits envisaged.

Ahead of implementation, the government will publish clear guidance for employers and workers on the new right to guaranteed hours, ensuring that everyone understands their responsibilities and entitlements.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme will be funded; when his Department plans to consult on how the scheme will be funded; and whether the costs of the scheme will be passed onto other consumer bills.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

A consultation will be launched in the Spring on the amendments to legislation that will be required to deliver the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme. This will include details on how the scheme will be funded.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what his timeline is for the disbursement of agreed funds to the Jingye Group.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

I refer the Member to the answer I gave on 2 March 2026 to question 115644.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what the total value is of the financial support package being negotiated with the Jingye Group in relation to British Steel's operations in Scunthorpe.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

I refer the Member to the answer I gave on 2 March 2026 to question 115644.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will take steps to investigate reports of alleged wrongdoing by UK Trade Envoys.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Any reports of alleged wrongdoing in public office are taken seriously by the Government. The Government remains committed to meeting its statutory obligations on records management, disclosure, and cooperation with competent authorities, and any requests will be handled in accordance with established procedures.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has made an assessment of the effectiveness of the United States’ Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act; and whether he plans to introduce similar legislation.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Government is committed to tackling forced labour in UK and global supply chains and ensuring that UK businesses are not complicit in human rights abuses. Import bans are one of a range of tools that could be used to tackle forced labour in global supply chains. The review launched in the Trade Strategy 2025 into the UK’s approach to responsible business conduct will consider policy options to complement responsible business practices; this includes import bans. The Government continues to engage with international partners, including the US, to support our shared goal of combatting forced labour in supply chains.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how regularly the Industrial Development Advisory Board (IDAB) meets.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Board meets monthly to review cases that are presented to them, if there are no such cases the meetings are cancelled, as was the case in February 2026. Additional meetings beyond the monthly meetings are scheduled where necessary to review exceptionally urgent cases.

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 trends in consumer satisfaction with customer service provision across key regulated sectors.

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

Access to customer service channels is not something that has been raised recently by my Department or the consumer groups and representative bodies we regularly meet.

My Department regularly reviews research, and notes that the most recent UK Customer Satisfaction Index found 83.2% of customer experiences were right first time, the highest recorded since the UKCSI has been running (2008).

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what engagement his Department has undertaken with consumer groups regarding access to customer service channels.

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

Access to customer service channels is not something that has been raised recently by my Department or the consumer groups and representative bodies we regularly meet.

My Department regularly reviews research, and notes that the most recent UK Customer Satisfaction Index found 83.2% of customer experiences were right first time, the highest recorded since the UKCSI has been running (2008).

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he will publish the minutes of the most recent Industrial Development Advisory Board meeting.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Minutes of the meetings of the Industrial Development Advisory Board are not published. The discussions of the Board and the advice they provide to the Secretary of State with respect to the exercise of their functions under sections 7 and 8 of the Industrial Development Act encompass highly commercially sensitive information.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has considered introducing minimum accessibility standards for customer service functions to ensure consumers can access a human representative where necessary.

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

Legislation provides the redress rights for consumers. Beyond this, the government does not generally intervene in how businesses choose to conduct their activities as this is a commercial decision.

Businesses have a legal obligation under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 (CCRs), when trading with consumers, to provide contact information in a clear and comprehensible manner which is easily, directly and permanently accessible. This includes the business name, the geographical address where the business is established, a telephone number, and email address to allow consumers to make contact quickly and efficiently if there is a problem. Failure of a trader to provide the information required under the CCRs is a breach of contract and can result in a claim being brought by the consumer.

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 adequacy of existing consumer protection legislation in the context of companies that provide customer support solely through automated systems.

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

Everyone should be able to benefit from the digital world – helping families save money, get a better job, and access services like the NHS more easily. But we know some people face real barriers. That’s why government published the Digital Inclusion Action Plan and launched the £11.9 million Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund, helping more people across the UK get the access, skills and confidence to get online.

Legislation provides the redress rights for consumers. Beyond this, the government does not generally intervene in how businesses choose to conduct their activities as this is a commercial decision.

However, we encourage key private sector services important to people’s daily lives – like banking, utilities and online shopping – to prioritise inclusive digital services and government remains committed to working with industry and the voluntary sector to explore opportunities to align.

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Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to review its approach to employment disputes and whistleblowing complaints.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

National Health Service organisations are independent employers and have their own policies and procedures for resolving workplace disputes, including whistleblowing complaints, which should be aligned to current employment law and relevant Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service codes of practice or guidance.

The Department for Business and Trade and the Ministry of Justice have set up the Dispute Resolution System Taskforce to consider longer-term system reform of dispute resolution across all sectors.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to support people living with arthritis and other musculoskeletal conditions to (a) return to and (b) enter into work.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Just under 18 million people in England were estimated to be affected by musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions in 2023 and improving their health and work outcomes will help deliver this government's mission to kickstart economic growth.

MSK problems were one of the leading causes of sickness absence in the UK in 2024. Early detection and prevention, including increasing access to employment advice, can support people with MSK conditions getting into and remaining in work.

The Government is committed to supporting disabled people and people with health conditions, including arthritis and MSK conditions, with their employment journey. We therefore have a range of specialist initiatives to support individuals to stay in work and get back into work, including support from Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres and Access to Work grants, as well Connect to Work and WorkWell.

The Keep Britain Working review, published in November 2025, examined how employers can support healthier and more inclusive workplaces. Sir Charlie Mayfield was appointed to work in partnership with the Department for Work and Pensions, Department for Business and Trade and Department for Health and Social Care to oversee the implementation of his recommendations. Over 100 employers and ten regions are working with us through employer-led vanguard sprints, reshaping how health and disability are managed at work.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the regulatory dashboard, published on 21 October 2025, if she will publish the letters sent to 19 regulators on enabling safe AI-powered innovation.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

On 28th January 2026, DSIT SoS wrote to 19 regulators as part of the AI Action Plan anniversary. These letters asked regulators to work with DSIT and their sponsor department to publish a plan setting out how they will enable safe AI-powered innovation by May 2026, including clear, ambitious goals to enable safe AI adoption and responsible innovation; and to report annually on how their regulatory approach has enabled innovation and growth driven by AI in their sector. A copy of the letter sent to regulators has been published on gov.uk.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of ending the ECO scheme on energy efficiency sector workers and businesses.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government recognises that ending ECO presents challenges for the supply chain. The Government will support the transition to opportunities provided by the Warm Homes Plan, including new regulations for renters and new builds treating millions of homes, and the additional £1.5 billion for upgrading low-income households. For this additional funding, the Government will use the procurement regime to support local supply chains and small businesses, working closely with the retrofit sector, housing associations and local authorities. Officials are working with the Department for Business and Trade to develop support for employees and companies in the construction sector.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate he has made of the number of SMEs and microbusinesses in the energy efficiency sector and wider supply chains that are dependent on ECO scheme funding.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government recognises that ending ECO presents challenges for the supply chain. The Government will support the transition to opportunities provided by the Warm Homes Plan, including new regulations for renters and new builds treating millions of homes, and the additional £1.5 billion for upgrading low-income households. For this additional funding, the Government will use the procurement regime to support local supply chains and small businesses, working closely with the retrofit sector, housing associations and local authorities. Officials are working with the Department for Business and Trade to develop support for employees and companies in the construction sector.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to provide support to energy efficiency (a) SMEs and (b) microbusinesses dependent on ECO scheme funding.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government recognises that ending ECO presents challenges for the supply chain. The Government will support the transition to opportunities provided by the Warm Homes Plan, including new regulations for renters and new builds treating millions of homes, and the additional £1.5 billion for upgrading low-income households. For this additional funding, the Government will use the procurement regime to support local supply chains and small businesses, working closely with the retrofit sector, housing associations and local authorities. Officials are working with the Department for Business and Trade to develop support for employees and companies in the construction sector.

Found: NHS Ambulance Services and the NHS Patient Transport Service) Regulations 2023 38 Department for Business and Trade

Found: a pro-growth, export-led economy is a central part of its ‘Plan for change’.1 The Department for Business and Trade

Found: says it will ensure its international trade network is equipped to do so, with the Department for Business and Trade

Found: closely with law enforcement and regulatory bodies to bring criminals to justice. 59 Department for Business and Trade

Found: closely with law enforcement and regulatory bodies to bring criminals to justice. 59 Department for Business and Trade

Found: may wish to get additional support from other government agencies, for example: Department for Business and Trade

Found: 2 0 0 0 0 8 0 0 0 0 7 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 Dept. for Business and Trade7 DBT

Found: and the Department for International Trade were replaced by three new departments, the Department for Business and Trade

Found: unrealised growth assets, increasingly underpinning innovation and productivity in all sectors.14 14 DBT

Found: referring to payments made through the schemes being administered by Post Office and the Department for Business and Trade

Found: globally focussed – over half of companies export more than 75% of their output.1 The Department for Business and Trade

Found: NOTES TO EDITORS:   Baroness Jones previously served as a minister at the Department for Business and Trade

Found: The TRA is an arm’s length body of the Department for Business and Trade.

Found: official guidance. 2.1 The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS), part of the Department for Business and Trade

Found: at: OPSS.enquiries@businessandtrade.gov.uk Office for Product Safety and Standards Department for Business and Trade

Found: at: OPSS.enquiries@businessandtrade.gov.uk Office for Product Safety and Standards Department for Business and Trade

Found: The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) has produced guidance where you can check which trade sanctions

Found: Behavioural Therapies include: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT

Found: Behavioural Therapies include: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT

Found: Lord Stockwood Minister for Investment Department for Business and Trade

Found: As set out in a joint DBT/FCDO/MoD Ministerial letter to you on 10 November (copy enclosed), this Government

Found: Individuals living in Scotland applying for redress through the Department for Business and Trade (DBT

Found: (“DBT”). 11.

Found: - Name of DBT official withheld – Section 38 (Personal Information)]| UK Internal Market | Department

Found: comprise copies of emails sent between Scottish Government officials and officials in the Department for Business and Trade

Found: names and contact details have been withheld are from the Scottish Government (SG), Department for Business and Trade

Found: is co-located with the UK Government in an Embassy or High Commission, often sitting close to the DBT

Found: recognises the need to work closely with UK Government departments, the Foreign Office and Department for Business and Trade

Found: The Welsh Government’s Inward Investment team works alongside the UK Government’s Department for Business and Trade

Found: CJCs, UK DBT, trade bodies) including e.g. co-ordination of sector themes, sharing of leads, and joint