Asked by: Lord Freyberg (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to facilitate export opportunities for Stoke-on-Trent's pottery manufacturers, particularly to high-value international markets; and whether they have considered implementing targeted export assistance programs specifically for the sector.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is committed to supporting businesses, including Stroke-on-Trent’s pottery manufacturers, grow and export. Under the umbrella of the recently announced Business Growth Service, UK businesses can access DBT’s wealth of export support via Great.gov.uk. This comprises an online support offer and a wider network of support including the Export Academy, UK Export Finance, the International Markets network and one-to-one support from International Trade Advisers.
This support is available to all UK businesses including those that manufacture and wish to export pottery. DBT’s International Trade Advisers will also continue to work closely with Ceramics UK to ensure businesses in the sector access this support.
Asked by: Lord Freyberg (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what research they have commissioned or reviewed regarding the successful revitalisation strategies employed in Jingdezhen, China's pottery industry; and how these insights might be adapted to strengthen Stoke-on-Trent's ceramics sector while respecting its unique heritage and market position.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Department of Business and Trade works closely with the sector to understand its challenges and provide support to help its global competitiveness.
Through our continued engagement with Ceramics UK and its membership, we will inquire whether the sector has any thoughts on revitalisation strategies deployed in China.
Asked by: Lord Freyberg (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of domestic construction materials production capacity, including; (1) the current proportion of construction materials used in the UK which are imported; (2) opportunities to increase domestic production; (3) strategic priorities for reducing import dependency; and (4) key materials for which domestic production could be expanded.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The government's Plan for Change milestones of 1.5 million new homes over five years and 150 decisions on major infrastructure projects by the end of the Parliament, will see a significant increase in demand for construction materials, that will provide greater certainty for construction material suppliers. Currently 75% of all construction materials used in the UK are made in the UK. The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) works closely with the Construction Leadership Council's Materials Supply Chain Group on product availability, and regularly reviews opportunities to address capability and capacity gaps, including through targeted Foreign Direct Investment.
Asked by: Lord Freyberg (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on small businesses of the requirement under the Regulation on General Product Safety (2023/988) to have a responsible economic operator established in Northern Ireland or the EU, and whether they have considered negotiating alternative arrangements for micro-businesses.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The updated GPSR largely formalises the reality of how many businesses are already operating and the measures are therefore likely to have limited impact in practice. We understand that for some businesses, the regulation will require changes, and we take any concerns extremely seriously.
The Government is providing support. We have issued guidance, will keep this under review and continue to engage businesses directly to ensure we are supporting them to trade freely within the UK and with the EU. We have regular discussions with online marketplaces and businesses that sell products online on a range of issues to hear their concerns.
Asked by: Lord Freyberg (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the cost impact on small businesses of appointing authorised representatives in the EU or Northern Ireland to comply with the Regulation on General Product Safety (2023/988), particularly for those businesses that do not currently have a presence in those markets.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The updated GPSR largely formalises the reality of how many businesses are already operating and the measures are therefore likely to have limited impact in practice. We understand that for some businesses, the regulation will require changes, and we take any concerns extremely seriously.
The Government is providing support. We have issued guidance, will keep this under review and continue to engage businesses directly to ensure we are supporting them to trade freely within the UK and with the EU. We have regular discussions with online marketplaces and businesses that sell products online on a range of issues to hear their concerns.
Asked by: Lord Freyberg (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to introduce any financial support measures to help small businesses meet the compliance costs associated with the Regulation on General Product Safety (2023/988), particularly regarding the maintenance of technical documentation for 10 years.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The updated GPSR largely formalises the reality of how many businesses are already operating and the measures are therefore likely to have limited impact in practice. We understand that for some businesses, the regulation will require changes, and we take any concerns extremely seriously.
The Government is providing support. We have issued guidance, will keep this under review and continue to engage businesses directly to ensure we are supporting them to trade freely within the UK and with the EU. We have regular discussions with online marketplaces and businesses that sell products online on a range of issues to hear their concerns.
Asked by: Lord Freyberg (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with online marketplaces about their obligations under the Regulation on General Product Safety (2023/988), in particular with regard to how these platforms will support small businesses in meeting the requirements for responsible economic operators.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The updated GPSR largely formalises the reality of how many businesses are already operating and the measures are therefore likely to have limited impact in practice. We understand that for some businesses, the regulation will require changes, and we take any concerns extremely seriously.
The Government is providing support. We have issued guidance, will keep this under review and continue to engage businesses directly to ensure we are supporting them to trade freely within the UK and with the EU. We have regular discussions with online marketplaces and businesses that sell products online on a range of issues to hear their concerns.
Asked by: Lord Freyberg (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support small manufacturers in Great Britain in complying with documentation requirements under Regulation on General Product Safety (2023/988), and whether they plan to issue guidance on preparing risk assessments.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The updated GPSR largely formalises the reality of how many businesses are already operating and the measures are therefore likely to have limited impact in practice. We understand that for some businesses, the regulation will require changes, and we take any concerns extremely seriously.
The Government is providing support. We have issued guidance, will keep this under review and continue to engage businesses directly to ensure we are supporting them to trade freely within the UK and with the EU. We have regular discussions with online marketplaces and businesses that sell products online on a range of issues to hear their concerns.
Asked by: Lord Freyberg (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that small businesses are aware of their obligations under the transitional arrangements in Regulation on General Product Safety (2023/988), and whether they plan to provide specific guidance for businesses that currently only trade with Northern Ireland.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The updated GPSR largely formalises the reality of how many businesses are already operating and the measures are therefore likely to have limited impact in practice. We understand that for some businesses, the regulation will require changes, and we take any concerns extremely seriously.
The Government is providing support. We have issued guidance, will keep this under review and continue to engage businesses directly to ensure we are supporting them to trade freely within the UK and with the EU. We have regular discussions with online marketplaces and businesses that sell products online on a range of issues to hear their concerns.