Asked by: Baroness Caine of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government which of the priority growth sectors in the Modern Industrial Strategy 2025 they have agreed sector skills plans with; and how much public investment has been committed to each priority growth sector over what period of time.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
We are developing, with industry, sector Jobs Plans for all growth-driving sectors identified by the Industrial Strategy, as well as construction. These plans will build on the Industrial Strategy Sector Plans and provide a clear direction of travel for government and industry to develop the domestic workforce together. The first of these plans to be published was the Clean Energy Jobs plan.
Firms in the eight Industrial Strategy sectors receive a wide range of investment, including via a range of sector-targeted programmes and the Public Financial Institutions, such as the British Business Bank (including £4 billion of capital specifically for the Industrial Strategy sectors), UK Export Finance and the National Wealth Fund. They are also supported by wider public investment into other policy interventions, such as skills. As part of the government's investment in skills across this Parliament, in addition to £1.2 billion of additional investment in skills per year by 2028-29, we have committed to sector skills packages including £187 million for digital skills and artificial intelligence learning; £182 million for engineering skills and £182 million to boost the defence talent pipeline.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent steps his Department have taken to ensure businesses adhere to creditors' responsibilities when debtors are under a Debt respite breathing space period.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
A breathing space gives individuals the right to legal protections from creditor action to recover debts included in the agreement. If a creditor does not comply, the regulations set out that the debt adviser responsible for the application can contact the creditor to remind them of their obligations or ultimately notify the Insolvency Service, as the scheme’s administrator, to require their compliance. Notifications to the Insolvency Service are very rare. If non-compliance persists, action taken by a creditor is invalid and they may be liable for the debtor’s costs. Repeated breaches can be considered by the creditor’s regulator, where appropriate.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the Department for Business and Trade’s press release entitled Business Secretary backs British scaleups with growth package and red tape review, published on 20 January 2026, whether he made an assessment of the adequacy of the availability of private‑sector investment for Kraken Technologies before providing funding.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Department for Business and Trade sets the overall strategic direction for the British Business Bank, which is operationally independent and carries out its own due diligence. The Department was informed by the Bank of its investment in Kraken Technologies on 7 January 2026, after the investment decision had been taken and the terms agreed.
The Department does not seek to assess the merits of individual investments within the Bank's portfolio. This includes company valuation, the position of other investors, or the other matters raised some of which are the responsibility of other public bodies.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to his Department’s press release entitled Business Secretary backs British scaleups with growth package and red tape review, published on 20 January 2026, whether his Department assessed Kraken Technologies’ financial position and capital-raising capacity prior to approving funding.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Department for Business and Trade sets the overall strategic direction for the British Business Bank, which is operationally independent and carries out its own due diligence. The Department was informed by the Bank of its investment in Kraken Technologies on 7 January 2026, after the investment decision had been taken and the terms agreed.
The Department does not seek to assess the merits of individual investments within the Bank's portfolio. This includes company valuation, the position of other investors, or the other matters raised some of which are the responsibility of other public bodies.
Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of job losses in the hospitality and tourism sectors on rural and coastal areas on (1) opportunities for young people to work and (2) the local economy; and what measures they are taking to alleviate these job losses.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government recognises the vital importance of the hospitality sector, particularly in rural and coastal areas, in providing employment opportunities for young people and supporting local economies. We have put in place a range of measures to ease cost pressures on the sector, including permanently lowering the business rates multiplier for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure properties, alongside a £4.3 billion business rates support package to protect ratepayers from increases following the revaluation.
Building on this, From April, every pub and live music venue will get 15% off its new business rates bill on top of the support announced at Budget and then bills will be frozen in real terms for a further two years. The pub and hotel sector has also raised concerns about valuation, which the government agrees need to be addressed. We are therefore launching a review into how they are valued for business rates.
To go even further, we are more than doubling the Hospitality Support Fund, providing £10 million over three years to help local hospitality businesses diversify, improve productivity, and support people into jobs.
We are also investing significantly in young people's skills and opportunities. This includes £820 million for the Youth Guarantee and £725 million through the Growth and Skills Levy, ensuring young people have the support they need to earn or learn. We will support 50,000 young people into apprenticeships in England by fully funding apprenticeship training costs for all eligible 16-24year-olds, expanding foundation apprenticeships to hospitality, and extending the Destination Hospitality Sector-based Work Academy Programme pilot, launched in partnership with UKHospitality.
Asked by: John Grady (Labour - Glasgow East)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to provide support for small businesses in the Hair and Beauty sector.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Small businesses in the hair and beauty sector play an important role in supporting jobs, high streets and local economies. We've introduced permanently lower business rates for retail, hospitality and leisure properties and have provided £4.3bn to shield ratepayers from bill increases.
We continue to back employers who take on apprentices, by providing £1,000 to both employers and training providers when they take on apprentices aged under 19 and employers are not required to pay National Insurance Contributions for all apprentices aged up to age 25 (when the employee's wage is below £50,270 a year). Additionally, the government pays the full training costs for young apprentices aged 16 to 21, and for apprentices aged 22 to 24 who have an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan or have been in local authority care, when their employer has fewer than 50 employees.
I will continue to engage closely with the sector, including through the Personal Care Roundtables, to ensure the industry's long-term growth. This includes working with hair and beauty businesses as we bring forward a new High Streets Strategy later this year.
Asked by: Josh Babarinde (Liberal Democrat - Eastbourne)
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 Fireworks Regulations 2004 to help prevent the antisocial use of fireworks.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
To inform any future decisions in relation to the regulation of fireworks, I will continue to engage with businesses, consumer groups and charities, alongside existing research on the impacts of 120dB fireworks and anti-social use of fireworks on animals and vulnerable groups, as well as evidence of action taken from other countries.
Following the recent Westminster Hall debate on two e‑petitions relating to the sale of fireworks, I offered to meet petition leads, campaigners and colleagues from across the House to hear feedback directly. Lived experience provides important evidence of how fireworks are used in practice and the real-world impact of prolonged, unexpected, or disruptive use, alongside data provided from local authorities, emergency services, animal welfare organisations and the fireworks industry.
The evidence will inform consideration of how best to minimise harm while recognising the role of fireworks play in cultural and community life. Public safety, and the impact on people, animals and property, will remain central to this.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what estimate has been made of the number of business insolvencies in the UK road haulage sector in each of the past 10 years.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Estimated numbers of companies with the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code 49410 (Freight transport by road) that entered insolvency in the UK in each calendar year between 2016 and 2025 are presented in the table below.
Calendar Year | 49410 – Freight transport by road |
2016 | 146 |
2017 [note 1] | 195 |
2018 [note 1] | 247 |
2019 | 285 |
2020 | 195 |
2021 | 265 |
2022 | 411 |
2023 | 503 |
2024 | 471 |
2025 | 401 |
Note 1: Numbers exclude bulk insolvencies, which occurred between April 2016 and early 2019 following changes to the IR35 rules and changes in VAT flat rate. If included, the number for 2017 would be 326 and the number for 2018 would be 256. For more details, see the Glossary in Company insolvencies, December 2025 - GOV.UK.
Asked by: Luke Akehurst (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps are being taken to prevent organisations with extreme proximity to sanctioned groups, individuals, and jurisdictions from establishing UK-registered companies.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The nature of any association with sanctioned persons or jurisdictions can vary considerably, and such links do not, in themselves, prevent an organisation or its directors from establishing a lawful UK company. Nor does the existence of such an association automatically indicate improper intent. Companies House applies a proportionate, risk-based approach and acts where there is evidence of unlawful activity. The Registrar has powers to require information, share intelligence with enforcement partners, and strike off a company if false or misleading information is included in the incorporation application.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
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 the creation of well-paid jobs in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and b) Staffordshire.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
I refer the Honourable Member to the answer I gave to Written PQ 107250 on 28th January 2026.