Asked by: Luke Murphy (Labour - Basingstoke)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will bring forward legislative proposals for statutory paid bereavement leave (a) for people grieving the loss of a loved one to suicide and (b) in general.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The loss of a loved one is one of the hardest things a person can experience. This is why we have introduced a new right to bereavement leave in the Employment Rights Bill which will be available to those grieving the loss of a loved one, including to suicide.
The Bill deals with the introduction of leave only, and we will be consulting further on the detail this Autumn. However, it will be at employers' discretion to offer pay, as many already do.
Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what records his Department holds on the (a) meetings and (b) correspondence sent by Lord Mandelson when he was Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Department for Business and Trade do not hold any records on meetings and correspondence sent by Lord Mandelson as his mailboxes from his time as Secretary of State are held by Integrated Corporate Services (ICS) on behalf of the former Department for Business Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), who inherited the records of the former Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and former Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) following machinery of Government changes.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to ban the use of the chemical trimethylbenzoyl diphenylphosphine oxide in gel nail polish, following the decision of the EU to do so.
Answered by Lord Leong - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Trimethylbenzoyl diphenylphosphine oxide (TPO) was added to the GB Mandatory Classification List (GB MCL) under the GB Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) Regulation in February 2025. As per the requirements of Article 15 of the UK Cosmetic Regulation, Government is taking steps to prohibit the use of TPO in cosmetic products in Great Britain. Full details of the amendments to the Cosmetic Regulation, including any transitional provisions, will be prepared in due course. The first stage will be to ensure no new cosmetic products containing TPO are placed on the market from August 2026.
Asked by: Lord Mott (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to introduce legislation to enact the proposed ‘Hugh’s Law’ to extend entitlement to paid leave to the parents of seriously or terminally ill children.
Answered by Lord Leong - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The government has committed to a consultation on support for parents of seriously ill children in 2026, and will continue to work closely with relevant stakeholders as it is developed. There are currently no plans to introduce legislation prior to this consultation as this would pre-empt the outcome.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the implications of the proposed merger of Anglo American and Teck Resources for jobs in United Kingdom.
Answered by Lord Leong - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
His Majesty's Government are pleased that the UK will remain as the base for Anglo Teck's incorporation, tax and primary listing, recognising London's role as a global centre for mining finance. We also welcome the news that a corporate office will be retained in London and that Anglo Teck has committed to progress the development of the Woodsmith Project (a polyhalite fertiliser mine) in North Yorkshire, a significant investment in the region.
The Department for Business and Trade will continue to engage with both companies as plans for the merger, including jobs, develop.
Asked by: Sureena Brackenridge (Labour - Wolverhampton North 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 ensure that new business identity verification rules prevent the creation of businesses at people's addresses without their consent.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The purpose of identity verification is to understand who is setting up, running, owning and controlling companies in the UK.
Identity verification will enhance the wider powers already available to query or reject inaccurate or suspicious information and addresses. These powers have enabled the Registrar to act more swiftly and decisively to the misuse of addresses. For example, up to 31 July 2025, Companies House has struck off 88,900 companies for failing to have an appropriate registered office address.
Companies House is continually iterating and developing their processes and systems, to proactively block the unauthorised use of addresses by companies.
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, whether he has made an assessment of the barriers faced by small businesses in using the tribunal system to recover late payments.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
We have not made an assessment of the barriers faced by small business using the courts and tribunal system to recover late payment.
DBT has launched a consultation on late payment which includes proposals to provide the Small Business Commissioner with powers to arbitrate disputes between small and large businesses with the intention of reducing financial and procedural burdens to resolve payment disputes. A final impact assessment will be published before these proposed measures are taken forward in primary legislation.
Asked by: Lord Frost (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch on 4 September (HL Deb col 909), at which Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) meetings the UK–EU sanitary and phytosanitary partnership has been discussed; which CPTPP members participated in those discussions; and whether any members raised concerns about the nature of the prospective partnership.
Answered by Lord Leong - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The EU-UK SPS Agreement was raised as a short item of ‘Any Other Business’ at the 7th meeting of the CPTPP Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures on July 3-4, 2025, which all CPTPP Parties attended.
The UK reaffirmed that we remain fully committed to our trade obligations under CPTPP and will not be rejoining the EU’s single market or customs union. The Committee noted the UK’s update and welcomed the UK’s offer to keep CPTPP members informed of developments.
Asked by: Clive Lewis (Labour - Norwich South)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether UK-US agreements have been made on trade in Liquified Natural Gas.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
We cannot comment on the specifics of live trade negotiations. However, we are continuing talks on a wider UK-US economic deal which will look at increasing digital trade, enhancing access for our world-leading services industries and improving supply chains.
The UK already imports liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the US under existing commercial arrangements. In 2024, US LNG imports (measured in TWh) fell 41% compared to 2023. While the US was our largest LNG supplier in 2024, Norway remained the dominant source of overall natural gas - both play an important role in supporting our energy security.
Asked by: Susan Murray (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dunbartonshire)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what strategic steps his Department is taking to protect (a) SMEs and (b) other UK exporters from the compounded impact of (i) new tariffs, (ii) customs charges and (iii) administrative burdens in the context of the removal of the US de minimis tariff exemption for small packages; and how this aligns with the Government’s broader (A) trade and (B) industrial policy objectives.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
My department is engaging with businesses to monitor impacts on small and medium-sized Businesses (SMEs) from the removal of the US de minimis exemption. We have published information for UK businesses and remain in contact with US counterparts to seek further clarity.
We remain fully committed to empowering SMEs to thrive in international markets, through our wide-ranging export support under the Business Growth Service. This aligns with our Trade Strategy objectives to help businesses navigate requirements such as customs and tariffs. Royal Mail’s new service has allowed SMEs to continue trading with the US, whilst other counterparts initially suspended services.