Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will publish information on (a) investigations and (b) enforcement action taken in relation to breaches involving (i) seasonal and (ii) temporary workers over the Christmas period in each of the last three years.

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

All employers must comply with their legal obligations to ensure that their staff receive the rights and protections to which they are entitled, including when recruiting temporary or seasonal staff during periods of high demand such as Christmas.

The Employment Agency Standards (EAS) Inspectorate regulates the recruitment sector and has extensive legal powers to address non-compliance and offending. Temporary and seasonal workers are also entitled to the National Minimum Wage (NMW), and NMW enforcement officers in HMRC can and do take action where employers fail to meet their legal obligations.

The Government will establish the Fair Work Agency (FWA) in April 2026. This will deliver a much-needed upgrade to the enforcement of workers’ rights and will bring together the important work EAS and HMRC-NMW are doing. The Government is committed to giving the FWA the resources it needs to do its job.

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 risks associated with non-compliance with employment law as a result of the rapid recruitment of temporary workers in the postal sector during the Christmas period.

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

All employers must comply with their legal obligations to ensure that their staff receive the rights and protections to which they are entitled, including when recruiting temporary or seasonal staff during periods of high demand such as Christmas.

The Employment Agency Standards (EAS) Inspectorate regulates the recruitment sector and has extensive legal powers to address non-compliance and offending. Temporary and seasonal workers are also entitled to the National Minimum Wage (NMW), and NMW enforcement officers in HMRC can and do take action where employers fail to meet their legal obligations.

The Government will establish the Fair Work Agency (FWA) in April 2026. This will deliver a much-needed upgrade to the enforcement of workers’ rights and will bring together the important work EAS and HMRC-NMW are doing. The Government is committed to giving the FWA the resources it needs to do its job.

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 adequacy of enforcement capacity during periods of high-volume seasonal recruitment.

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

All employers must comply with their legal obligations to ensure that their staff receive the rights and protections to which they are entitled, including when recruiting temporary or seasonal staff during periods of high demand such as Christmas.

The Employment Agency Standards (EAS) Inspectorate regulates the recruitment sector and has extensive legal powers to address non-compliance and offending. Temporary and seasonal workers are also entitled to the National Minimum Wage (NMW), and NMW enforcement officers in HMRC can and do take action where employers fail to meet their legal obligations.

The Government will establish the Fair Work Agency (FWA) in April 2026. This will deliver a much-needed upgrade to the enforcement of workers’ rights and will bring together the important work EAS and HMRC-NMW are doing. The Government is committed to giving the FWA the resources it needs to do its job.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to hold online marketplaces to account for dangerous products sold through their platforms; and when he plans to launch a consultation on the Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025's measures in relation to product safety.

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

UK product safety law is clear: all products must be safe before being placed on the market. However, we recognise that the supply of unsafe goods via online marketplaces is a significant issue. The Government has therefore put in place the Product Regulation and Metrology Act (2025), which allows us to introduce new and clearer responsibilities for e-commerce businesses, whilst promoting consumer safety and ensuring fairer competition.

Government has committed to consult on proposals to modernise and clarify these responsibilities at the earliest opportunity, building upon best practice to create an effective and proportionate regulatory framework.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to regulate online marketplaces to prevent the sale of unsafe products.

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

UK product safety law is clear: all products must be safe before being placed on the market. However, we recognise that the supply of unsafe goods via online marketplaces is a significant issue. The Government has therefore put in place the Product Regulation and Metrology Act (2025), which allows us to introduce new and clearer responsibilities for e-commerce businesses, whilst promoting consumer safety and ensuring fairer competition.

Government has committed to consult on proposals to modernise and clarify these responsibilities at the earliest opportunity, building upon best practice to create an effective and proportionate regulatory framework.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent steps his Department has taken to support publicans in the West Midlands.

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

We recognise that pubs, including those in the West Midlands, 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.

In April, we launched a Taskforce to review premises licensing and develop proposals for a more balanced system that safeguards communities while supporting responsible businesses. These reforms form part of the Small Business Strategy, which is designed to tackle late payments, improve access to finance and reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens.

We are also creating a fairer business rates system, including permanently lower rates for retail, hospitality and leisure properties with a rateable value under £500,000. We continue to work closely with the sector through the Hospitality Sector Council to address challenges.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 17 November 2025 to Question 87864 on Department for Transport: Electric Vehicles, whether he has had discussions with car manufacturers on the potential impact of the entry of electric vehicles from China into the UK market on the cost of new electric and petrol cars.

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

China plays a significant global role across the automotive sector, and this brings challenges and opportunities for the UK. We closely monitor how changes to trade flows and other issues impact UK manufacturers. While DBT Ministers, including the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, engage regularly with UK car manufacturers on a range of relevant issues, including on the entry of electric vehicles from China into the UK market, decisions on the cost of new vehicles are a commercial matter for individual companies.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment the Department has made of the potential merits of limiting the permitted dates for consumer use of fireworks in order to reduce distress to animals and to people.

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

No assessment has been made of the potential merits of limiting the permitted dates for consumer use of fireworks. However, the Government is continuing to engage with stakeholders including consumer groups and charities to gather evidence on the issues of fireworks to inform any future action.

The Government also launched a public campaign on fireworks safety for this year’s fireworks season. The campaign includes guidance for those running community fireworks events, which encourages the use of low-noise fireworks and new social media posts that emphasise the risks from the misuse of fireworks.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the Government’s Statement of Strategic Priorities to the British Business Bank, what metric is to be used to measure the target for two-thirds increase in the pace of investment; when is the baseline for this measure; and when the Government expects this target to be met.

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

The metric used to measure the targeted increase is the total amount of finance, both debt and equity investment, committed by the Bank each year. This metric excludes guarantees. The new level of £2.5 billion in annual commitments - expected to be achieved from 2026/27 onwards - is a two-thirds increase from £1.5 billion expected in 2025/26.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she will make an assessment of the potential merits of negotiating improved business travel mobility arrangements with the EU.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 1st December to question 93634 (Written questions and answers - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament).

Improved business travel mobility arrangements with the EU would benefit individuals and businesses in both the UK and EU, likely increasing trade between us and the EU and increasing our GDP over time. The UK government is committed to supporting UK businesses to trade more easily with our biggest trading partner, the EU.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what meetings ministers and officials have had with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) about (1) the decision to designate Google as having strategic market status in search and search advertising services, and (2) the plan to begin consulting on possible interventions later this year.

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

Ministers and officials regularly meet with the Competition and Markets Authority to discuss key policy issues, including the CMA’s digital markets work. Close collaboration between Government and the CMA is crucial for delivering the agenda of this Government. As the UK’s independent competition authority, the CMA is responsible for all digital markets decisions, including on designations and interventions.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 18 November 2025 to Question 89908 on Trade Agreements: Dispute Resolution, under what arbitral rules were proceedings brought in those two active case.

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

The arbitral proceedings for HMG’s two active ISDS cases were brought under UNCITRAL (Mr Mikhail Maratovich Fridman) and ICSID (Woodhouse Investment Pte Ltd and West Cumbria Mining (Holdings) Limited) arbitral rules.

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 giving local authorities the power to create firework-free zones.

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

No assessment has been made of the potential the merits of giving local authority the powers to create fireworks control zones. Building on the work of my predecessor, I will continue to engage with counterparts in Scotland to understand the impact Firework Control Zones have made before considering if similar changes are needed for England and Wales.

The Government launched a public campaign on fireworks safety for this year’s fireworks season. The campaign includes guidance for those running community events, which encourages the use of low-noise fireworks and social media posts that emphasise the risks from the misuse of fireworks.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when he plans to reply to the correspondence from the Rt hon. Member for Braintree of 13 August 2025.

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

The Department for Business and Trade aims to respond to correspondence in 15 working days but in some instances it can take longer. The response to this case has now been issued and the department apologises for the length of time this has taken and are reviewing our processes to support better transfers between departments.

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 ensure that employers recruiting large numbers of temporary staff over the Christmas period comply with employment law.

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

All employers must comply with their legal obligations to ensure that their staff receive the rights and protections to which they are entitled, including when recruiting temporary or seasonal staff during periods of high demand such as Christmas.

The Employment Agency Standards (EAS) Inspectorate regulates the recruitment sector and has extensive legal powers to address non-compliance and offending. Temporary and seasonal workers are also entitled to the National Minimum Wage (NMW), and NMW enforcement officers in HMRC can and do take action where employers fail to meet their legal obligations.

The Government will establish the Fair Work Agency (FWA) in April 2026. This will deliver a much-needed upgrade to the enforcement of workers’ rights and will bring together the important work EAS and HMRC-NMW are doing. The Government is committed to giving the FWA the resources it needs to do its job.

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 increase interoperability and competitiveness in the domestic cloud market following recent widespread outages caused by dominant providers in the industry.

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

In July 2025, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) published its final report on the UK cloud market. The key recommendation was for the CMA Board to prioritise commencing investigations under the digital markets regime and to consider designating the two largest providers —Microsoft and AWS — with strategic market status in relation to cloud services. The CMA is independent of Government and any decisions on initiating strategic market status investigations are for the CMA Board.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what update they can provide on the investigation initiated by the Grocery Code Adjudicator in June against Amazon for alleged breaches of the code regarding delayed payments, and whether this has been discussed with the Agriculture Supply Chain Adjudicator.

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

The Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) is an independent regulator and statutory office holder, appointed by the Secretary of State for Business and Trade. The decision to investigate Amazon for a suspected breach of the Groceries Code was made by the GCA, who is independent of Government. The Government is therefore unable to comment on the progress of the GCA’s investigation.

The GCA and the Agricultural Supply Chain Adjudicator (ASCA) are in regular contact as they fulfil their respective remits and enhance fairness across the food supply chain.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what information his Department holds on the number of haulier businesses that have declared insolvency in each year between 2021 and 2024.

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

Estimated numbers of companies with the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes 49200 (Freight rail transport) and 49410 (Freight transport by road) that entered insolvency in the UK in each calendar year between 2021 and 2024 are presented in the table below.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he is considering regulatory steps to encourage the fitting of fire suppression systems to agricultural equipment, such as combine harvesters.

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

The Government is not considering regulatory steps to encourage fitting fire suppression systems to agricultural equipment. This is because existing requirements under The Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008 set out that machinery must be designed and constructed in a way to avoid the risk of fire or overheating posed by the machinery itself or by gases, liquids, dust, vapours or other substances produced or used by the machinery. Many organisations also issue guidance to farmers to avoid the damage and disruption caused by accidental combine harvester fires.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to develop a regulatory framework to ensure that workplace use of artificial intelligence tools complies with UK employment and data protection law.

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

The Information Commissioner’s Office has committed to developing a statutory code of practice on artificial intelligence, so organisations have certainty on how to deploy AI in ways that uphold people’s rights and build public confidence.

Artificial Intelligence is a general-purpose technology with many applications, which is why the government believes most AI systems should be regulated at the point of use by our existing regulators.

The Plan to Make Work Pay set out the Government’s commitment to work with workers, trade unions, employers and experts to ensure rights and protections keep pace with technological change.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what meetings ministers and officials have had with representatives of Google about (1) the decision of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to designate Google as having strategic market status in search and search advertising services, and (2) the CMA's plan to begin consulting on possible interventions later this year.

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

Ministers and officials have met with representatives of Google to discuss a range of topics, including the Competition and Markets Authority’s digital markets work. Such meetings are important for the exchange of views and the development of policy. As the UK’s independent competition authority, the CMA is responsible for all digital markets decisions, including on designations and interventions.

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 reduce economic dependence on the South East of England.

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

Under the UK’s Industrial Strategy, the Department for Business and Trade is driving regional growth by supporting priority sectors and attracting investment. This includes working with partners to deliver Industrial Strategy Zones, which provide tax incentives and funding to stimulate investment in city regions such as the advanced materials manufacturing in Greater Manchester, defence in Plymouth, clean energy in Inverness and the Highlands, compound semiconductors in South Wales and advanced manufacturing, photonics, and biotechnology in Northern Ireland.

The Business Growth Service offers SMEs a streamlined, UK-wide platform to access funding, expert advice, and export opportunities, reducing administrative burdens and connecting firms with local and national support through business.gov.uk.

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 pubs with operating costs in Surrey Heath constituency.

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

The Government recognises the significant pressures facing pubs, including those in Surrey Heath, and the Government is providing support through various measures to help ease these pressures.

We’re investing £440,000 with Pub is The Hub to help rural pubs diversify, aiming to support rural communities, create new jobs and services.

The government is delivering its commitment to rebalance the business rates system in England by introducing permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties with a ratable value under £500,000, worth nearly £900 million a year, which will benefit over 750,000 RHL properties.

The Government is committed to reducing barriers to growth for hospitality businesses by rebalancing the licensing system. This is why the Chancellor announced a new National Licensing Policy Framework as part of her budget. This sets out a vision for a proportionate licensing system that supports good businesses while continuing to tackle bad operators.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to bring forward the date of launching the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme so that businesses facing problems with energy costs can benefit before 2027.

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

The Government recognises the importance of action to tackle high energy costs for businesses. The British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme (BICS) will exempt eligible businesses from indirect costs of the Renewables Obligation, Feed-in Tariffs and the Capacity Market. Implementation timelines for BICS are determined by the operating cycles of those three schemes. April 2027 is therefore the earliest that BICS can feasibly be delivered.

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 OFCOM on a) the business challenges facing Royal Mail and (b) Royal Mail's ability to meet the Universal Service Obligation.

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

Ministers and officials meet with Ofcom regularly to discuss a range of issues in relation to its role as the independent regulator for the postal sector.

It is for Ofcom to oversee Royal Mail’s delivery of the universal service obligation and decide how to respond should Royal Mail fail to meet its obligations. Ofcom takes compliance with its regulatory targets seriously and this involves conducting thorough investigations where failures have been identified.

In October, Ofcom fined Royal Mail £21 million for failing to meet its quality-of-service targets and has told Royal Mail it must urgently publish and deliver a credible plan that delivers major and continuous improvement.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department plans to review the effectiveness of the working relationship between Ofcom and Royal Mail.

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

Ministers and officials have regular discussions both with Royal Mail and with Ofcom, as the independent regulator for the postal sector.

The effectiveness of the working relationship between Ofcom and Royal Mail is fundamental to maintaining a sustainable and reliable universal postal service.

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 ensure that Royal Mail provide timely and reliable delivery of NHS appointment letters to patients in rural constituencies.

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

The government recognises the importance of timely delivery of NHS appointment letters, particularly for patients in rural areas. Royal Mail is required under the Universal Service Obligation to deliver priority letters six days a week to every UK address, and Ofcom monitors compliance with these standards.

It is for Ofcom to decide how to use its powers to investigate and take enforcement action should Royal Mail fail to achieve its obligations without good justification.

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 representatives of the hospitality sector on the challenges facing pubs in Surrey Heath constituency.

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

The Government recognises the significant pressures facing pubs, including those in Surrey Heath, and the Government is providing support through various measures to help ease these pressures.

We’re investing £440,000 with Pub is The Hub to help rural pubs diversify, aiming to support rural communities, create new jobs and services.

The government is delivering its commitment to rebalance the business rates system in England by introducing permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties with a ratable value under £500,000, worth nearly £900 million a year, which will benefit over 750,000 RHL properties.

The Government is committed to reducing barriers to growth for hospitality businesses by rebalancing the licensing system. This is why the Chancellor announced a new National Licensing Policy Framework as part of her budget. This sets out a vision for a proportionate licensing system that supports good businesses while continuing to tackle bad operators.

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 the long-term resilience of pubs in Surrey Heath constituency.

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

The Government recognises the significant pressures facing pubs, including those in Surrey Heath, and the Government is providing support through various measures to help ease these pressures.

We’re investing £440,000 with Pub is The Hub to help rural pubs diversify, aiming to support rural communities, create new jobs and services.

The government is delivering its commitment to rebalance the business rates system in England by introducing permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties with a ratable value under £500,000, worth nearly £900 million a year, which will benefit over 750,000 RHL properties.

The Government is committed to reducing barriers to growth for hospitality businesses by rebalancing the licensing system. This is why the Chancellor announced a new National Licensing Policy Framework as part of her budget. This sets out a vision for a proportionate licensing system that supports good businesses while continuing to tackle bad operators.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will hold discussions with EP Group on meeting the terms of Royal Mail's agreements with (a) the Communication Workers Union and (b) the Government on (i) workforce pay and conditions and (ii) other matters.

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

The government engaged with EP Group and the Communication Workers Union (CWU) throughout the process of Royal Mail’s ownership transition. The Deed of Undertaking we agreed with the new owner includes a commitment from EP Group that they will continue to recognise the unions and abide by the future terms of legally binding agreements they make with them.

The agreement between the government and EP Group does not give the government a role in the operational decisions of the business – it remains a private entity.

We will continue to monitor compliance with these undertakings and maintain dialogue with all parties to ensure that agreed protections and principles are upheld.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to his Department's Future of Post Office Green Paper, what discussions his Department has had with Government bodies on providing further in-person government services at post offices.

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

The Government’s Green Paper consultation on the future of the Post Office closed on 6 October. We thank all individuals and organisations for their detailed responses, including the responses related to Post Office’s role in providing in-person government services. We are carefully considering all responses in consultation with other departments, ahead of publishing the government response in early 2026.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many consultations his Department plans to hold on the Employment Rights Bill prior to its implementation.

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

Twenty-six consultations are currently planned to deliver the Employment Rights Bill and commitments made in the Implementing the Employment Rights Bill publication, across relevant Government departments. Five have already concluded and six are currently live.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment has the Government made of the financial impact on UK small and medium-sized enterprises of the adverse effects on competition identified in the Competition and Markets Authority's Cloud Services Market Investigation, specifically regarding egress fees and technical barriers to switching cloud providers.

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

The Government has not assessed the impacts of the practices detailed in the CMA’s Cloud Service Market Investigation.

In the Final Report published on 31 July 2025, the key recommendation was for the CMA Board to prioritise commencing investigations under the digital markets regime to consider designating the two largest providers - Microsoft and AWS - with strategic market status in relation to cloud services.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what reasonable steps employers will be expected to take to comply with clause 18 of the Employment Rights Bill.

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

Clause 18 of the Employment Rights Bill introduces a new right to time off following bereavement or pregnancy loss before 24 weeks. We are currently consulting on the details of this entitlement, including with employers and business representative organisations, to seek their views on the entitlement and how we can best support them on its implementation. This will be reflected within the policy design and future guidance to help employers implement the entitlement and effectively support their employees. Once published we expect employers to engage with this guidance to help guide their Bereavement Leave policies.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department plans to conduct a review into current fireworks legislation to determine whether it is fit for purpose and efficiently protects animals and vulnerable people.

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

The Government is continuing to engage with businesses, consumer groups and charities, including those supporting animals and vulnerable people, to gather evidence on the issues with and impacts of fireworks to inform any future action and review into the current fireworks legislation.

The Government launched a public campaign on fireworks safety for this year’s fireworks season. The campaign also featured new guidance for those running community fireworks events which recommends the use of low-noise fireworks to reduce the impact on communities, as well as social media materials that emphasise the risks from the misuse of fireworks.

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 adequacy of the 120 dB noise limit in protecting animals and vulnerable people from harm.

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

The Government is continuing to engage with businesses, consumer groups and charities, including those supporting animals and vulnerable people, to gather evidence on the issues with and impacts of fireworks to inform any future action and review into the current fireworks legislation.

The Government launched a public campaign on fireworks safety for this year’s fireworks season. The campaign also featured new guidance for those running community fireworks events which recommends the use of low-noise fireworks to reduce the impact on communities, as well as social media materials that emphasise the risks from the misuse of fireworks.

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) safeguard and (b) improve workplace rights for women.

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

The Plan to Make Work Pay and Employment Rights Bill illustrate the government’s commitment to supporting women at work.

Key measures include reviewing the parental leave system, making it more likely flexible working requests are accepted, ending exploitative zero hours contracts and strengthening protections against workplace sexual harassment.

The government is committed to tackling pregnancy and maternity discrimination and supporting women to stay in work. We are currently consulting on legislation which will make it unlawful to dismiss pregnant women, mothers on Maternity Leave, and mothers for at least six months after they return to work – except in specific circumstances.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the Centre for Social Justice's report entitled At what cost? Exploring the impact of forced labour in the UK, published in October 2024, whether his Department is taking steps to ensure the registration of hand car washing facilities.

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

The government is creating the Fair Work Agency, which will enhance the enforcement of employment rights across sectors, including hand car washes. As announced in the Budget, the Agency will establish a dedicated 'hidden economy' team which will target sectors with multiple regulatory breaches, starting with hand car washes.

The initiative will address employment rights violations while collaborating with relevant enforcement authorities to protect workers and support legitimate businesses operating within the law.

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 merits of increasing measures to stop the underage sale of fireworks online.

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

No assessment has been made of the merits of increasing measures to stop underage sale of fireworks online. There are enforcement mechanisms in place to tackle situations when fireworks are unsafe, sold illegally, or misused. Sales offences in Great Britain are enforced by Local Authority Trading Standards, and the penalty for retailers who sell to children is a fine and/or three months in prison.

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 negotiating improved business travel mobility arrangements with the European Union.

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

Improved business travel mobility arrangements with the EU would benefit individuals and businesses in both the UK and EU, likely increasing trade between us and the EU and increasing our GDP over time. The UK government is committed to supporting UK businesses to trade more easily with our biggest trading partner, the EU.

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 UK and EU conformity assessment alignment on the economy.

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

We are aware that UK and EU stakeholders have highlighted that conformity assessment barriers negatively impact their ability to trade since the UK left the EU. Ahead of the UK-EU summit in May 2025 we explored a number of proposals with our EU partners on manufactured goods. To inform these discussions the government assessed the potential economic impact of a range of measures, including a mutual recognition agreement on conformity assessment, which indicated that such an agreement would be mutually beneficial for both the UK and EU. What was announced at the UK-EU summit reflects the outcome of the discussions.

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 exposure to (a) glyphosate, (b) per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and (c) heavy metals in period products on public health.

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

During the passage of the Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025, the Government committed to consult on period product safety. As part of this Officials are reviewing the need for any further research and testing for harmful chemicals and heavy metals in period products to complement the consultation.

We are working closely with DEFRA who advise that studies carried out in the EU on chemicals in period products found that the chemicals identified were present only in low concentrations, with no evidence of significant risks to human health. Defra is continuing to monitor research in this area.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department will assess the economic and environmental impacts of exporting aluminium scrap to non-EU countries.

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

The Department for Business and Trade will continue to work with stakeholders to understand the role of aluminium scrap exports in terms of our economic interests and environmental responsibilities. We plan to listen to the perspectives of all involved parties.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that (a) private sector employers apply their company sick pay policies consistently and transparently, and (b) workers, particularly those who are disabled or living with long-term health conditions, are fully informed of and able to access their entitlement to sick pay.

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

Government sets the approach to statutory sick pay (SSP), providing a vital safety net to workers. Through the Employment Rights Bill, Government is ensuring SSP is available from the first day of sickness. It is for employers to decide if they wish to provide an occupational sick pay scheme that goes beyond these requirements.

Employers play a vital role in addressing health-related economic activity. That is why we appointed Sir Charlie Mayfield to lead the Keep Britain Working review, published 5 November. Following the review, Government has committed to testing new employer-led approaches to support individuals to remain in work.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what specific measures his Department will offer companies located in the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency to help them navigate any non-tariff barriers emerging from Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership dialogues.

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

My officials engage extensively across the UK and overseas to assess opportunities and identify non-tariff barriers arising from CPTPP membership. This includes hosting targeted events and webinars to promote the utilisation of the Agreement, providing updates on the latest developments, and gathering feedback from businesses on how CPTPP is working in practice.

The Department’s business-facing teams are equipped with the tools and information they need to confidently engage with businesses, helping them understand and navigate non-tariff barriers, and access commercial opportunities across CPTPP markets.

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 the effectiveness of private enforcement in competition cases in the courts.

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

The competition opt-out collective actions regime enables competition claims to be brought where many individuals have claims substantially similar in nature. This provides a route to litigation where it would otherwise be impractical or unaffordable.

The Government launched a review of the operation of the competition opt-out collective actions regime in August 2025, commencing with a call for evidence that closed on 14 October 2025. Responses to the call for evidence are now being considered and a consultation on options for reform will be brought forward in due course.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many Trading Standards enforcement officers there were in each (a) region, (b) local authority area and (c) parliamentary constituency in each year for the past 5 years.

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

Trading Standards enforcement officers are the responsibility of individual Local Authorities.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many people have been a) arrested b) charged and c) convicted in relation to (i) underage and (ii) illicit sales of cigarettes each year for the past five years.

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

The Department for Business and Trade does not hold this data.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what framework his Department intends to put in place to help small and medium sized enterprises in the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency engage with Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership markets.

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

The Department for Business and Trade provides practical CPTPP guidance for businesses via business.gov.uk market pages. This covers policy areas such as rules of origin, preferential tariffs and digital trade, as well as sector-specific guidance for CPTPP countries.

Small and medium sized businesses can access export support through our UK and overseas teams using our digital enquiry service, and tailored assistance is available on business.gov.uk to help businesses enter new markets and expand their presence in existing ones. We actively engage through events and working with the wider business community to promote CPTPP opportunities.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department will take to assess the opportunities for businesses in the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency to benefit from recent developments in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.

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

Last week, I met with other CPTPP Ministers in Melbourne, where they agreed to launch accession talks with Uruguay, held trade and investment dialogues with both the EU and ASEAN, and agreed on areas where the CPTPP Agreement can be improved.

These developments demonstrate our strong commitment to the continued expansion of high-standard, rules-based trade to benefit businesses across the UK, as outlined in the Trade Strategy.

Access to new markets, closer relations with other trading blocs and improved rules will create opportunities for businesses across the UK, including those in Bletchley and Buckingham.

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 likely effect on regulatory alignment for UK businesses resulting from future Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership rule-reviews.

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

Assessment of the effects of regulatory alignment under the CPTPP Agreement relate to the CPTPP Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Chapter.

While this chapter does not require regulatory alignment, it encourages greater transparency for CPTPP members to be better informed about the development of product regulations and conformity assessment requirements. The chapter enables members to request technical discussions and provides routes to address issues.

For CPTPP to remain of the highest possible standard, the UK has engaged in the General Review process in a way which seeks to protect and promote UK interests, including on the TBT chapter.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what the total number of calls (a) answered (b) abandoned was for each public helpline numbers provided by his Department and its executive agencies for each year from 2015 to date.

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

This information is not held centrally and would exceed the disproportionate cost threshold to estimate these figures.

Any member of the public can get in touch with the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) helplines on +44 (0) 20 4551 0011 or via our website.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps the Government is taking to help ensure that proposed changes to the Universal Service Obligation are implemented in a way that maintains service quality for customers and engages with postal workers.

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

On 10 July this year, Ofcom announced its decision to make changes to the universal postal service obligation.

Implementation of those changes are for Royal Mail’s management and the new owner in consultation with its unions. The government is aware that discussions are ongoing and encourages all parties to continue their constructive engagement to agree the best approach to reform that supports workers, delivers for customers and secures the long-term financial sustainability of the universal postal service.

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 review the regulatory framework for postal services, including the oversight of parcel courier companies and their contribution to the universal postal network.

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

Ofcom is the independent regulator for the postal sector with the responsibility and powers to regulate postal services.

Ofcom requires all postal operators to establish, make available, and comply with transparent, simple, and inexpensive procedures for dealing with consumers’ complaints about the services they receive.

The government will continue to work with the regulator to ensure that the framework supports fair competition, consumer protection and the long-term sustainability of the universal postal network.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will have discussions with EP Group on their compliance with agreements made with the Communication Workers Union on reform of the Universal Service Obligation; and whether he has assessed the adequacy of the performance of Royal Mail’s Optimised Delivery Model trials in delivering service improvements.

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

The government engaged with EP Group and the Communication Workers Union (CWU) throughout the process of Royal Mail’s ownership transition. The Deed of Undertaking we agreed with the new owner includes a commitment from EP Group that they will continue to recognise the unions and abide by the future terms of legally binding agreements they make with them.

We will continue to monitor compliance with these undertakings and maintain dialogue with all parties to ensure that agreed protections and principles are upheld.

Royal Mail and the CWU agreed to run pilots in selected offices to design, test and review the operation of the proposed delivery model in response to Ofcom’s USO changes. The government does not have a role in the operational decisions of the business.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent progress he has made on doubling the size of the mutuals sector.

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

As part of the Autumn Budget announcements, the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) launched a Call for Evidence on Business Support for Co-operatives and Mutuals. This will be open across Great Britain for 12 weeks.

DBT ensured that for Financial Year 25/26 Growth Hubs in England offer support to businesses with alternative business models – including Co-operatives and Mutuals, as a condition of funding, and included more information on Co-operatives and Mutuals through the highly successful Help to Grow Management programme.

DBT is looking at how to integrate support for Co-operatives and Non-Financial Mutuals within the government’s overall approach for supporting SMEs, including via the Business Growth Service.

DBT continues to work closely with the sector, including the new Mutual and Co-operative Business Sector Council.

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 potential merits of introducing a regionally adjusted Living Wage for major urban areas outside London, including Greater Manchester.

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

This government is committed to building an economy that delivers for working people. As part of this work, the government sets the statutory minimum rates for the National Minimum Wage (NMW) and the National Living Wage (NLW) which applies to all employers.

We have not considered implementing a regionally adjusted NLW. Defining regional economies presents significant challenges and the complexities of enforcing multiple rates would likely impact upon compliance. Furthermore, businesses consistently highlight that one of the NLW’s primary strengths lies in its simplicity and ease of administration with the same rates applying across the country.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what plans he has to include mirror clauses in future trade agreements for agricultural products.

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

The government will continue to seek fair and balanced trade deals which include new export opportunities to grow the UK’s world class agri-food and drinks sector.

We recognise concerns about production methods that are not permitted in the UK. While production practices differ internationally due to climate, disease pressures, and other local factors, we will always consider whether such differences create an unfair advantage and any resulting impacts.

We will always maintain UK levels of statutory protection in relation to human, animal or plant life or health, animal welfare, and the environment.

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 the export of domestic wine.

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

DBT is committed to helping domestic wine producers grow through exports. DBT provide tailored export support and advice for businesses via business.gov.uk. This includes access to expert-led sessions via our Business Academy and country-led expertise from our international market teams. DBT regularly provides showcase opportunities for the UK’s award-winning British wines, such as at embassy tastings, trade missions and global trade shows that connect producers directly with buyers and distributors. Vineyards and wineries of all sizes can also access UK Export Finance (UKEF), which offers a wide range of financial products to support exporters and export-ready businesses.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he plans to reduce the cost of groceries by reducing tariffs on fruit and vegetables not (a) grown and (b) processed in the UK.

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

As part of the Budget, the Government launched an application window for new duty suspensions on 26 November to help reduce import costs. Stakeholders have until 4 February 2026 to apply for the UK Global Tariff rate to be temporarily suspended on goods which are not produced, or not produced in sufficient quantities, in the UK and Crown Dependencies, including on fruit and vegetables. As a result of the previous application window announced in March 2025, the Government suspended tariffs on a range of food and drink products including fruit juices, pine nuts and raisins.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to strengthen the regulation of online food takeaway platforms to protect the payment information of local businesses.

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

Regulation when well designed and carefully implemented, is important for promoting growth and investment. It is essential for protecting consumers, supporting vulnerable communities, and providing the stability businesses need to thrive.

Under the UK General Data Protection Regulations organisations must have appropriate technical and security measures in place to protect the personal data they hold or disclose, including protection against unauthorised or unlawful processing and against accidental loss, destruction, or damage.

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 the continued availability of British natural stone for heritage restoration projects.

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

The Department for Business and Trade does not offer any specific support for British natural stone for heritage restoration projects.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport supports heritage restoration projects with several grant schemes, including those covering VAT for repairs through the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme and the Memorial Grant Scheme. Additional funds, such as the Heritage At Risk Capital Fund and the Heritage Revival Fund, provide financial support in England for repairing endangered heritage sites and repurposing neglected historic buildings for community and economic benefit.

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 of State for Work and Pensions and his counterparts in Northern Ireland on the closure of major post offices and how this impacts unemployment across the province.

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

To create a long-term, sustainable future for post offices in communities across the UK, Post Office is transitioning to a fully franchised network. All 108 Directly Managed Branches (DMBs) – including Bangor and Newtownards in Northern Ireland – are within scope of these changes.

The Government fully recognises the impact that Post Office branch closures can have on local communities. While decisions on the specific circumstances of each DMB are an operational matter for Post Office Limited, we understand that Post Office is actively advertising for an additional local branch in the town centres of both locations, complementing existing coverage in the area.

In terms of the employees of those branches, all employees were offered TUPE transfer, settlement agreements, or redeployment.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government which areas of the United Kingdom have experienced the largest decreases in foreign investment since 2023; and what steps they are taking to ensure the even distribution of foreign investment throughout the UK.

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

DBT Official Statistics on inward investment show that FDI project numbers into the UK fell from 2023/24 to 2024/25, with London seeing the largest drop and the East of England recording the biggest percentage decline. Year-on-year changes remain volatile and should be interpreted cautiously.

To attract investment, mayoral strategic authorities are delivering growth plans aligned with local strengths and clear pipelines. Our strategy focuses on enhancing infrastructure, skills, and sector clusters to make all UK regions competitive for long-term foreign investment.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what review processes the Government has in place to assess the suitability of its trade and investment treaty commitments, including those over thirty-five years old, such as the UK-Russia Bilateral Investment Treaty.

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

The UK’s International Investment Agreements (IIAs) aim to enhance opportunities for UK businesses to expand overseas, with commitments that seek to limit the barriers they face, make it easier to navigate local rules, and ensure investments are treated lawfully, and protected against unfair or arbitrary action. There is no specific review process within such Agreements.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has discussed with Royal Mail updating the international addressing systems so that Northern Ireland can be selected as a distinct region.

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

International addressing systems are operational tools, owned and maintained by Royal Mail, with their primary purpose being to ensure the accurate sorting, routing and delivery of customers’ mail. Royal Mail keeps this under review for its purposes.

Royal Mail is an independent business and therefore the government does not have a role in Royal Mail’s commercial or technical decisions.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has discussed with Royal Mail updating international addressing systems so that Northern Ireland can be selected as a distinct region.

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

International addressing systems are operational tools, owned and maintained by Royal Mail, with their primary purpose being to ensure the accurate sorting, routing and delivery of customers’ mail. Royal Mail keeps this under review for its purposes.

Royal Mail is an independent business and therefore the government does not have a role in Royal Mail’s commercial or technical decisions.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the performance of foreign direct investment in the UK compared to that of the other G7 nations.

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

Data published by the United Nations Trade and Development Data Hub show that at the end of 2024 the UK ranked second in the G7 (behind the United States) for levels of inward foreign direct investment (FDI) stock.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the United Kingdom remains internationally competitive in attracting foreign direct investment.

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

The Government has introduced a modern Industrial Strategy aimed at boosting nationwide growth by removing investment barriers and improving access to finance. The Office for Investment (OfI) has expanded its commercial expertise and regional presence, collaborating with Mayors and Devolved Administrations to link investors with high-potential UK opportunities. Additionally, UK Export Finance has enhanced support for international investment through its new ‘Invest-to-Export’ Guarantee, designed for overseas firms investing in UK export facilities.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how the British Business Bank plans to measure and publish outcomes relating to its strategic objective to Unlock the potential in people and places, including how it will track and report the number of jobs created, regional investment disparities, and when those metrics will first be published.

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

The British Business Bank measures and publishes the outcomes of its interventions and its assessment of the market for small business finance in the UK across several publications:

• The Bank’s Annual Report and Accounts
• An annual Impact Report
• Independent evaluation reports on individual programmes, such as the Regions and Nations Investment Funds
• Research reports including an annual assessment of small business finance markets and a Nations and Regions Tracker

The next Small Business Finance Markets report is planned to be published in February/March 2026, with the Annual Report and Impact Report in July/August 2026.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what impact assessment his Department has made of increased Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership membership on trade flows to and from the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency.

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

According to the published Impact Assessment, the UK’s accession to CPTPP will help boost the South East’s economy by around £450 million in the long run. However, no analysis was undertaken at a constituency level.

HMRC statistics show that 2024 trade flows between the South-East region of England and CPTPP markets (excluding Brunei) comprised goods exports worth £2.8 billion. The South-East had the third-highest goods exports to CPTPP countries in the UK.

My Department will continue to measure trade flows across the UK to ensure that all businesses can make the most of the opportunities offered by the Agreement’s expansion.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government when they intend to resume trade discussions with Israel.

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

The UK has formally paused negotiations on the upgraded Free Trade Agreement (FTA). It would take a sustained shift in the positions of the Israeli government for the UK to consider restarting the FTA negotiations.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the likely costs of the investor-state arbitration being brought against them by Woodhouse Investment Pte; and what assessment they have made of their exposure to further fossil fuel-linked investor-state dispute settlements in future.

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

Investor State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) provides an independent means for investors to resolve disputes with states where they believe they have experienced arbitrary, discriminatory, or unfair treatment or expropriation without compensation.

The UK has a longstanding track record of supporting foreign investment, including through fulfilling its obligations in the international investment agreements to which it is a party and has never faced a successful ISDS claim.

The Government maintains that it has acted consistently with domestic and international law obligations in the case of the legal challenges. In view of the ongoing proceedings, it would be inappropriate for the Government to comment further at this stage.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 12 June to Question 58286 on Trade Agreements: USA, if he will publish further detail on the quota system with respect to small volume manufacturers.

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

The preferential rate of 10% on UK-manufactured cars being exported to the US went live on 30 June. For 2025, there is a pro-rata quantity of 65,205 that can access the 10% tariff. From 1 January next year, the quota will be administered on a quarterly basis, this will give companies who make to order the flexibility to make better use of the quota.

We agreed with the US that we can review the quota model. We have consulted with industry and are looking carefully at whether there are alternative quota arrangements that could better support UK exporters. We will provide further detail in due course.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what estimate he has made of the volume of imported products that were manufactured using Russian oil in each of the last three years.

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

The Government works with international partners to constrain Russian oil revenues while maintaining global energy supply and security, protecting critical supply chains, and maintaining the stability of global markets. In December 2022, the Government banned imports of oil and oil products from Russia into the UK. On 16 October 2025, the Government announced it will extend this ban to include imports of oil products refined in third countries using Russian crude.

My department does not hold data on the volume of imported products manufactured using Russian oil.

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 potential impact of low-cost imported stone on the competitiveness of UK natural stone producers; and what steps he is taking to help support the natural stone industry.

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

The Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) is the UK’s investigatory body that exists to defend the UK against unfair international trade practices, including foreign subsidies.

I encourage UK industry to engage directly with the TRA if they believe they are being injured by unfair trading practices as it will be for the TRA to decide whether evidentiary thresholds to initiate a trade remedies investigation are met.

The Department remains vigilant to any reports of potential injury to industries from unfair trading practices and regularly engages with the natural stone sector.

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 (a) international trade practices and (b) foreign subsidies on the competitiveness of UK natural stone SMEs.

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

The Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) is the UK’s investigatory body that exists to defend the UK against unfair international trade practices, including foreign subsidies.

I encourage UK industry to engage directly with the TRA if they believe they are being injured by unfair trading practices as it will be for the TRA to decide whether evidentiary thresholds to initiate a trade remedies investigation are met.

The Department remains vigilant to any reports of potential injury to industries from unfair trading practices and regularly engages with the natural stone sector.

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 arrangements that will apply from January 2026 for the import of raw cane sugar; and what steps he is taking to provide continuity and certainty for consumers and businesses.

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

The Government has decided to increase the raw cane sugar Autonomous Tariff Quota (ATQ) to 325,000 tonnes from 1 January 2026. This will allow imports of up to 325,000 tonnes to enter the UK annually at a 0% tariff. It is intended to be in place until 31 December 2033 and will be subject to review ahead of this date. This is the first increase in the quota volume since its establishment in 2021 and will expand the UK’s access to a greater volume of more competitively priced raw cane sugar, providing further relief in import costs for traders, and longer term certainty in the domestic market. The Government does not expect this increase in the ATQ volume to have a material impact on the domestic sugar beet industry.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the importance of the secure supply of (1) critical minerals, and (2) industrial metals, to the delivery of the industrial strategy and net zero strategy.

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

The Government is committed to safeguarding the UK's economic security and delivering on our industrial and net zero strategies. Critical minerals and industrial metals are essential for clean energy, green jobs, and future prosperity. That is why critical minerals were identified as a foundational industry to the Industrial Strategy's growth sectors.

Through the UK Critical Minerals Strategy, we are taking decisive action to strengthen domestic production, reduce overreliance on imports from any one country, and work with global partners to build resilient UK and global supply networks. We are also developing a Steel Strategy to create a competitive business environment to secure and expand UK steelmaking capability and capacity which is aligned with our Net Zero goals.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, to what extent the Critical Minerals Strategy will align with the EU’s Steel and Metals Action Plan.

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

While there are certain industrial metals in scope of the new Critical Minerals Strategy (such as aluminium), the strategy focuses on securing the critical minerals the UK needs rather than directly addressing the challenges of decarbonisation and trade in line with the EU Steel and Metals Action Plan. The Government is also bringing forward a Steel Strategy that will set a long-term vision for a revitalised and sustainable steel industry in the UK.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many staff in their Department have been on mental health leave for six months or more; and for what reason.

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

Civil Service sickness absence reports (which provide statistics for sickness absence by organisation and sickness reason, including Mental Ill-Health) are publicly available at: [https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/sickness-absence]. The next release of data is likely to be on Thursday 18th December 2025.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many sub postmasters have had claims (a) settled and (b) not settled related to the Horizon issue.

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

As of 31 October 2025, around 9,300 claims have been settled across the Horizon redress schemes, with around 3,000 claims received not yet settled.

The total number of settled claims includes 71 full and final settlements made under the former Overturned Convictions scheme prior to its closure on 2 June 2025. The 40 Overturned Convictions claims not fully settled are now being administered through the Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme (HCRS).

The table below illustrates the progress to date across the schemes and is available on GOV.UK. The Department only reports on claims received, as there is not a fixed cohort of claims across these schemes.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to his Department's publication entitled DBT: Workforce management information October 2025, for what purpose the Department's non-payroll staff consultancy costs increased to £4,345,742.86 for October 2025.

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

Spend on Consultancy does vary month to month dependent upon which projects are underway through the year. An even spread is not expected. While consultancy costs for October 2025 are broadly in line with July and August 2025, they do appear as being significantly above those in September 2025. However, in September 2025, a correction exercise was undertaken whereby costs were removed and correctly reclassified having the effect of artificially lowering the September consultancy costs.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will review the dates set out in the Employment Rights Bill Implementation Roadmap to account for the time taken for the Bill's passage.

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

There will be several phases of delivery following Royal Assent of the Employment Rights Bill. For many measures, Government will consult on the detail of policy and implementation. As set out in the Implementation Roadmap, we will provide more detail on these policies and our timelines for implementation following consultation, with a clear commitment that we aim to work at pace to deliver these benefits to millions of working people.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department plans to review the (a) definition of micro-entity and (b) level of support available to mico-entities.

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

The Government uplifted the monetary thresholds for determining a company is a micro-entity, for the purposes of audit and accounts by 50% in legislation that came into force in April this year. The Department does not plan to revisit this definition.

As part of "Backing Your Business - our Plan for SMEs", the Government is making thriving micro, small, medium-sized businesses a reality through a package of legislative reforms to: tackle late payments; unblock billions in finance to support investment; remove unnecessary red tape; revitalise High Streets; and deliver support for digital and AI adoption through a new Business Growth Service.

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 enforcement action by the Competition and Markets Authority on consumer protection.

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

The Competition and Markets Authority's decision-making is independent of government. Each parliament the government issues a Strategic Steer to the CMA setting out its priorities. Earlier this year the government encouraged the CMA to use its range of tools, including consumer enforcement, “to grow the economy through promoting consumer trust and confidence, while deterring poor corporate practices.”

The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act, which we brought into force in April of this year, strengthened consumer law enforcement by giving the CMA new administrative powers, and empowering the CMA and courts to impose significant monetary penalties of up to 10% of turnover.

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 adequacy of access to finance for pubs in Surrey Heath constituency.

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

The Government recognises the significant pressures facing pubs, including those in Surrey Heath, and the Government is providing support through various measures to help ease these pressures.

We are supporting pubs by expanding Start-up Loans to offer 69,000 new businesses the chance of finance and mentoring, boosting access to finance by committing to the British Business Bank’s Growth Guarantee Scheme for the longer term, and expanding the capacity of the ENABLE programme by £3 billion to £5 billion helping lenders unlock more finance options for small businesses.

We are also offering £340m to help boost the availability of early-stage equity finance for innovative businesses across the UK, and working with private lenders on the appropriate use of Personal Guarantees, including a mandatory Code of Conduct for loans issued under the Growth Guarantee Scheme, to ensure their use is fair and transparent.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to review the regulatory requirements applying to AI-enabled toys for children.

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

Government has committed to reviewing product regulations including the Toys (Safety) Regulations. These reviews will examine whether changes are needed to detailed safety requirements to reflect modern challenges, such as the use of AI in toys.

Following an appropriate consultation as required under The Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025, Government will decide whether to implement any changes to the Toy (Safety) Regulations to ensure they address modern safety issues and technological developments, harness opportunities to create economic growth, and continue to protect people and places from product-related harm.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department plans to meet with fireworks industry stakeholders, such as Fireworks Impact Coalition, to discuss the potential merits of a comprehensive review of current fireworks legislation.

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

The Government has made no assessment to determine if the 120 dB noise limit is sufficiently protecting animals and vulnerable people from harm. The Government is continuing to engage with businesses, consumer groups and charities, including those supporting animals and vulnerable people, to gather evidence on the issues with and impacts of fireworks to inform any future action and review into the current fireworks legislation.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department conducted to determine if the 120 dB noise limit is sufficiently protecting animals and vulnerable people from harm.

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

The Government has made no assessment to determine if the 120 dB noise limit is sufficiently protecting animals and vulnerable people from harm. The Government is continuing to engage with businesses, consumer groups and charities, including those supporting animals and vulnerable people, to gather evidence on the issues with and impacts of fireworks to inform any future action and review into the current fireworks legislation.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have undertaken on the impact of regulatory burdens on the confidence of foreign investors, and on the UK's competitiveness.

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

This Government has recognised that the administrative burden of regulation is too high. We have now established a baseline for the administrative burden of regulation on businesses of £22.4 billion a year. This is why we have committed to reduce this administrative burden by 25%, or £5.6bn, by the end of this Parliament. The Government is working to make the UK the best place to start and grow a business and this approach is designed to create a regulatory environment that is proportionate, transparent and internationally competitive, enabling businesses to innovate and invest with confidence.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the Competition and Markets Authority's (CMA) document entitled Improving Trader recommendation platforms: consumer law compliance advice for businesses, published on 12 November 2024, if he will list the enforcement actions the CMA has taken since the publication of that guidance; and what steps the CMA is taking to monitor compliance with the guidance.

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

The Competition and Markets Authority's decision-making is independent of government. Each parliament the government issues a Strategic Steer to the CMA setting out its priorities for the CMA and the wider policy objectives to which it should have regard. Information about the CMA's enforcement activities is available on its website.

Under the Digital Markets Competition and Consumers Act 2024, trader recommendation platforms must take reasonable steps to ensure consumer reviews on their sites are genuine. The CMA has published separate guidance for businesses that publish reviews to help meet their legal obligations.

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 of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the impact of payment structures under the extended producer responsibility scheme on the cash flow of small producers.

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

The Secretary of State for Business and Trade continues to have regular discussions with all Cabinet colleagues, including the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

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 trends in the number of self service check outs at supermarkets and convenience stores on the number of jobs in those sectors since 2015.

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

The Department for Business and Trade has no plans to assess the impact of self-service checkouts on employment levels in the retail sector since 2015.

Decisions about in-store services in supermarkets, including provision of staffed and self-checkout tills are rightly a matter for individual retailers. The Government recognises that the retail sector continues to be an important employer in the UK economy and while technological changes may alter the nature of some roles within the sector, they can also create new opportunities and job types across the retail industry.

The Government continues to engage with the industry, including through the Retail Sector Council, which brings together employers, unions and other stakeholders to address challenges and opportunities.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what is the timetable for publishing the secondary legislation following the enactment of the Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025.

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

Powers in the Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025 have already been used to introduce secondary legislation. The Noise Emission in the Environment by Equipment for Use Outdoors (Amendment and Transitional) Regulations 2025 was the first statutory instrument to be laid (13 October). Other secondary legislation will follow, after appropriate consultation, as is required by the Act. As announced in the Budget, this includes consulting in early 2026 on proposals to tackle the prevalence of unsafe products sold online and streamline the processes for enforcement.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether there has been a Government response to the 'Common charger for electrical devices: call for evidence', launched on 9 October 2024; and what his policy is on chargers for electrical devices.

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

The Call for Evidence sought views on whether standardised charger requirements, similar to those adopted by the EU under Directive (EU) 2022/2380 and applying in Northern Ireland under the Windsor Framework, would benefit businesses, consumers, and the environment. Many manufacturers already use common chargers to meet the EU rules and have indicated they will extend this approach across the UK to avoid supply chain complexity.

The Government will publish its response in the new year, setting out policy direction. Meanwhile, businesses may continue using either UKCA or CE marking to sell common charger radio equipment in Great Britain.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, steps he is taking to support community-owned and co-operative businesses to have a leading role in high-street renewal.

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

Our Plan for Small Business, published in July, places high streets at the centre of economic renewal, recognising them as vital centres of growth, employment and local identity. This plan, alongside MHCLG’s Pride in Place Strategy, reflects the role of communities and local leaders in shaping their high street environments.

Co-operatives, Mutuals and the wider social economy combine entrepreneurial drive with a commitment to supporting workers and communities. That is why we are committed to doubling the size of the Co-operative and Mutuals sector; benefitting both high streets and other business environments.

At Budget 2025, DBT launched a Call for Evidence on business support for Co-operative and Non-Financial Mutuals that runs until 18 February: Business support for co-operatives and non-financial mutuals - GOV.UK.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the answer of 1 December 2025 to Question 93633, if he will publish that assessment.

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

To protect negotiation-sensitive information the Department for Business and Trade will not be publishing a full assessment of the potential economic impact of mutual recognition agreements on conformity assessment between the UK and EU. This Government remains committed to tackling barriers to trade with the EU, addressing areas of mutual benefit to both the UK and EU.

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 impact of leaving the EU single market on graduate employment opportunities.

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

The government is committed to ensuring graduates have the skills and support needed to succeed in the modern economy, which is why the Industrial Strategy will provide an additional £1.2bn of investment in the skills system by 2028-29.

The Department for Work and Pensions has an established network of partnerships to enhance graduate employment opportunities. DWP are reforming Jobcentre Plus to create a new, more personalised employment support service across Great Britain to recognise that individuals - including graduates - have different needs.

However, the Department for Business and Trade has made no specific assessment of the impact of leaving the EU single market on graduate employment opportunities.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will publish a list of the countries from which electric vehicles are currently (a) eligible for a zero per cent import tariff and (b) not eligible for a zero per cent import tariff when entering the United Kingdom market.

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

Such a list is already available as the list of electric vehicle tariffs by country can be found on the Government’s Online Tariff Tool here (https://www.trade-tariff.service.gov.uk/find_commodity), which provides the most up-to-date details on import tariffs for every country.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government, following the recent findings from Which? that nearly 800 products for sale on online marketplaces were similar or identical to items already flagged as unsafe by the Office for Product Safety and Standards in the past year, whether they plan to introduce a duty for online marketplaces to tackle unsafe products sold on their platforms; and if so, when.

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

UK product safety law is clear: all products must be safe before being placed on the market. However, it continues to be too easy for non-compliant goods to be made available to UK consumers online. The Government has therefore introduced the Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025. The Act allows us to introduce clear and proportionate obligations on online marketplaces to improve consumer safety and ensure fair market competition.

We have committed to consult on proposals to modernise these responsibilities in early 2026. This will build upon best practice to create an effective and proportionate regulatory framework.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the answer of 27 November 2025 to WPQ 92058, whether he has had discussions with manufacturers who also sell products in China on reluctance to engage with the Trade Remedies Authority because of the possibility of retaliatory action by that country.

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

No, neither the Secretary of State nor I have had any such discussions.

However, the Government and the Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) regularly engage with UK manufacturers to understand their concerns, and they may always submit applications anonymously to the TRA.

Trade remedy investigations should be undertaken on the basis of evidence, pursuant to the WTO agreements, and available to all WTO members. My Department will always challenge actions taken outside this framework.

The UK and China are deepening its dialogue on trade remedy matters through the UK-China Joint Economic and Trade Commission.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how much his Department has spent on software licences from Microsoft in the last 12 months; and what proportion this represents of his Department’s total technology spend.

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

The Department for Business and Trade has spent £4.8m on software licences from Microsoft in the last 12 months, December 2024 to November 2025. This represents 5% of the Department's total Digital, Data & Technology spend.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will take steps to reduce the rate of pub closures.

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

The Government recognises the significant pressures facing pubs and we are providing support through various measures to help ease these pressures.

We've introduced permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality and leisure properties with a ratable value under £500,000, worth nearly £900 million annually, benefitting over 750,000 properties. The new relief rates are permanent, giving businesses certainty and stability, and there will be no cap so all qualifying properties will benefit.

The Chancellor announced a new National Licensing Policy Framework as part of her budget. This sets out a vision for a proportionate licensing system that supports good businesses while continuing to tackle bad operators.

We're also investing £440,000 with Pub is The Hub to help rural pubs diversify, aiming to support rural communities, create new jobs and services.

Change the law to allow for imitation firearms to be painted black, if the owner has a valid defence to the ban on owning them such as membership of a genuine airsoft skirmishing club or site.

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Found: Phytosanitary (SPS) Standards, Technical Regulations and Conformity assessments , which will require DBT

Found: Restricted: Parliamentary Privilege Sir Chris Bryant MP Minister of State for Trade Department for Business and Trade

Found: a single, cross-government lead for the August Show and beyond, mapping 18–36 months of FCDO, MoD, DBT

Found: level of service from the Crown overseas, we are still able to provide that across ourselves and DBT

Found: Sir Chris Bryant MP Minister of State Department for Business and Trade

Found: Department for Work and Pensions, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Department for Business and Trade

Found: MP Minister of State for Trade Department for Business and Trade

Found: relationships is a key priority.5 However, the Committee raised concerns about proposed staff cuts at DBT

Found: Minister for Small Businesses & Economic Transformation Department for Business and Trade

Found: Industry Department for Energy Security & Net Zero 55 Whitehall London SW1A 2HP Department for Business and Trade

Found: November 2025 17 Department for Business and Trade - Electricity bills to be slashed for over 7,000 businesses

Found: billion is the biggest R&D budgets that are held by other Departments, namely MoD, DHSC, DESNZ and DBT

Found: Including a commitment in the Bill would also align with work by the Department for Business and Trade

Found: Correspondence to the Department for Business and Trade relating to its approach to rural proofing policies

Found: Including a commitment in the Bill would also align with work by the Department for Business and Trade

Found: Department for Business and Trade, and Department for Business and Trade Oral Evidence

Found: Q84 Mr Joshua Reynolds: DBT has said that this agreement delivers India’s first stand-alone chapter

Found: Originally founded with Government support, it is now independent but works closely with FCDO, DBT and

Found: Amanda Tickel: I would hope so, but they need the support of the Department for Business and Trade in

Found: We are getting good support from DBT to try to resolve that.

Found: Response from Department for Business and Trade on Multi-Party Interim Appeal Arbitration Arrangement

Found: In March 2021 EAC wrote to the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) proposing a Garment Trade Adjudicator

Found: DBT is conducting a review of Responsible Business Conduct, highlighted in the government’s Trade Strategy

Found: What action is needed While some Ministers now hold portfolios across two departments, such as DBT and

Found: new approach with upcoming strategies on the circular economy (Defra-led) and critical minerals (DBT-led

Found: We also call on the Department for Business and Trade to explain within six months, either in a written

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 9 September to Question 70699 on UK Defence and Security Exports, where UK Defence and Security Exports is based.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

Responsibility for defence exports moved to the Ministry of Defence on 31 July 2025.

Security exports were not in scope of this Machinery of Government change and responsibility remains with the Department for Business and Trade.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions the Department has had with the police on improving protection for retail workers experiencing abuse or violence.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office has regular discussions with the police and other partners on protecting retail workers and tackling shop theft.

The Home Office and Department for Business and Trade recently held a joint meeting of the Retail Crime Forum and Retail Sector Council, attended by representatives from policing and the retail sector, which included discussion on the ‘Tackling Retail Crime Together Strategy’. The strategy was jointly developed by the police and industry and aims to provide a collaborative and evidence-based approach to preventing retail crime, including abuse and violence against retail workers.

Through the Crime and Policing Bill, we are bringing in a new offence of assaulting a retail worker to protect the hardworking and dedicated staff that work in stores. We are also removing the legislation which makes shop theft of and below £200 a summary-only offence, sending a clear message that any level of shop theft is illegal and will be taken seriously.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the staffing requirements needed to support expanded UK engagement in Indo-Pacific economic initiatives.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Building strong relationships in the Indo-Pacific is crucial to the UK's long-term economic growth. The global economic centre of gravity is already shifting - by 2050 the Indo-Pacific region will generate over half of global growth.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office continues to work closely with the Department for Business and Trade, and other colleagues, to ensure that our work in the Indo-Pacific supports the delivery of the UK's Industrial and Trade Strategies, including securing the UK-India Free Trade Agreement and finalising UK accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. UK Diplomatic Posts in the Indo-Pacific incorporate relevant regional strategic priorities into their country plans, and all Posts provide twice-yearly updates against the objectives set out in those plans.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what mechanisms she uses to evaluate the performance of UK posts in delivering Indo-Pacific strategic priorities.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Building strong relationships in the Indo-Pacific is crucial to the UK's long-term economic growth. The global economic centre of gravity is already shifting - by 2050 the Indo-Pacific region will generate over half of global growth.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office continues to work closely with the Department for Business and Trade, and other colleagues, to ensure that our work in the Indo-Pacific supports the delivery of the UK's Industrial and Trade Strategies, including securing the UK-India Free Trade Agreement and finalising UK accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. UK Diplomatic Posts in the Indo-Pacific incorporate relevant regional strategic priorities into their country plans, and all Posts provide twice-yearly updates against the objectives set out in those plans.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that UK Indo-Pacific policy is aligned with domestic trade and investment objectives.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Building strong relationships in the Indo-Pacific is crucial to the UK's long-term economic growth. The global economic centre of gravity is already shifting - by 2050 the Indo-Pacific region will generate over half of global growth.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office continues to work closely with the Department for Business and Trade, and other colleagues, to ensure that our work in the Indo-Pacific supports the delivery of the UK's Industrial and Trade Strategies, including securing the UK-India Free Trade Agreement and finalising UK accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. UK Diplomatic Posts in the Indo-Pacific incorporate relevant regional strategic priorities into their country plans, and all Posts provide twice-yearly updates against the objectives set out in those plans.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with the Department for Business and Trade on resourcing UK participation in Indo-Pacific market-access programmes.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Building strong relationships in the Indo-Pacific is crucial to the UK's long-term economic growth. The global economic centre of gravity is already shifting - by 2050 the Indo-Pacific region will generate over half of global growth.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office continues to work closely with the Department for Business and Trade, and other colleagues, to ensure that our work in the Indo-Pacific supports the delivery of the UK's Industrial and Trade Strategies, including securing the UK-India Free Trade Agreement and finalising UK accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. UK Diplomatic Posts in the Indo-Pacific incorporate relevant regional strategic priorities into their country plans, and all Posts provide twice-yearly updates against the objectives set out in those plans.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps are being taken to help support the maritime sector.

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

Defra, including arms length bodies such as the Marine Management Organisation, supports maritime industries through a range of policy and operational activities. This includes the marine licensing system, work to support growth in offshore wind, our Marine Spatial Prioritisation programme and other marine, fisheries and environmental policies. In doing this we work closely with other Government Departments including Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Department for Transport, Department for Business and Trade.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether businesses moving goods from Great Britain to Northern Ireland will be required to meet additional requirements as a result of the introduction of the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism on 1 January 2026.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) does not apply in Northern Ireland.

Business in Northern Ireland, like all businesses in the UK, may need to provide information to their EU-based importers to help them meet their requirements under the EU CBAM.

To support business readiness for the EU CBAM, the Department for Business and Trade offers a comprehensive support package, including the Export Support Service, webinars, and an upcoming digital explainer on business.gov.uk, signposting to relevant European Commission resources.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the likely impact on Northern Ireland and its participation in the Single Electricity Market of the introduction of the European Union's carbon border adjustment mechanism on 1 January 2026; and what discussions they have had with the European Union about an interim arrangement for Northern Ireland.

Answered by Lord Whitehead - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) will enter its definitive regime from January 2026 applies to imports of electricity and certain goods into the EU.

The EU CBAM does not apply in Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland-based power generators are already part of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme in order to maintain the arrangements underpinning the Single Electricity Market. Electricity sent to Northern Ireland from Great Britain is not affected by the EU CBAM.

If businesses are moving electricity to Ireland or elsewhere in the EU, they may need to provide information to their EU-based importer to help them meet their requirements under the EU CBAM. The UK will continue to engage closely with the EU as it finalises the CBAM.

UK businesses should stay informed about developments regarding the EU CBAM, the Department for Business and Trade offers a comprehensive support package through business.gov.uk.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many (1) individuals and (2) organisations have been (a) investigated and (b) prosecuted for fraud in relation to COVID-19 funds since 2020.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

HMRC have interpreted ‘COVID-19 funds’ as the ‘HMRC administered COVID-19 support schemes’, including Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS), Eat Out to Help Out (EOHO), the Self Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS), and the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) (previously the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy until 2023) administered Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS), Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS), and Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CLBILS).

Although you have requested the data be broken down into individuals and organisations, HMRC do not hold the data at that level of detail. SEISS claims relate to individuals, whereas CJRS involves payroll, however, CJRS may also fall within the Income Tax (IT) or Corporation Tax (CT) regime. To add complexity, all charges for recovery of overpayments on the HMRC schemes are raised under IT legislation.

By the end of March 2025, HMRC had opened 53 criminal investigations into suspected fraud within the schemes and made a total of 99 arrests. There have been 4 convictions so far. Further ongoing criminal investigation activity has yet to be concluded within the criminal justice system and is subject to those timescales.

In this timeframe, HMRC also carried out more than 47,000 compliance checks using civil powers, where the amount claimed was out of step with other information. The risk that the claim was incorrect may have been due to a range of reasons from an honest mistake through to fraud.

DBT has worked with enforcement partners to tackle fraud linked to COVID-19 loan schemes. This includes the National Investigation Service (NATIS) and the Insolvency Service (INSS). To date, the Insolvency Service has obtained disqualifications against 2,595 directors, bankruptcy restrictions against 381 individuals and 82 successful criminal convictions in respect of COVID-19 financial support scheme misconduct. The Agency has also helped to secure more than £6 million in compensation related to COVID-19 financial support scheme abuse. Since 2020, NATIS has opened a total of 254 investigations covering both individuals and organisations. NATIS has secured 14 convictions up to November 2025.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the drivers of food and non-alcoholic drink price inflation and what steps are being taken to tackle them.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government monitors food prices closely. As outlined in the UK Food Security Report (December 2024), food price drivers are complex: global commodity prices influence domestic markets through trade and are affected by energy, labour, manufacturing costs, harvest quality, and Sterling exchange rates.

On 19 November, our Secretary of State announced Defra’s collaboration with the Department for Business and Trade to launch a Food Inflation Gateway. This tool will assess the impact of new regulations on food businesses and prices, helping government coordinate and sequence policies to reduce costs, unlock investment, and apply downward pressure on prices.

Alongside this, the Department’s Food Strategy aims to ensure access to affordable, nutritious food and strengthen resilience against short-term supply shocks and long-term risks, reducing the likelihood of future price spikes and supporting fair, stable prices for households.

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Found: The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) established the Dissolution Objection Process (DOP) to prevent

Found: The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) established the Dissolution Objection Process (DOP) to prevent

Found: HM Treasury, the Department for Business and Trade, the Home Office, the NCA and OPBAS also attend.

Found: assures compliance with government reporting obligations, such as the steel origin data return to DBT

Found: fewest number of days on average (117 days), followed by the Department for Business and Trade

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Found: incentive schemes and support for individuals reporting economic crime (HO, JACU, SFO, HMT, FCDO, DBT

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Found: DBT will publish a full Impact Assessment in early 2026.

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Found: scrutiny of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) by providing advice to the Department of Business and Trade (DBT

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Found: scrutiny of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) by providing advice to the Department of Business and Trade (DBT

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Found: contents Annex A: Briefing note Annex B: Note of the previous meeting Annex C: Letter from DFM to DBT