Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has made a recent assessment of the potential impact of moving to (a) single and (b) double summer time on cumulative carbon emissions.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government believes the current daylight-saving arrangements represent the optimal use of the available daylight across the UK. Therefore, we have no plans to introduce single summertime, double summertime, or other such changes. Since the Government does not intend to make changes to the existing system, we have not conducted a recent assessment of the impact on cumulative carbon emissions. The Government is fully committed to complying with the statutory duties outlined in the Climate Change Act and reaching net zero by 2050.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
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 consulting animal welfare organisations on the review of fireworks legislation.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
I have met with several animal charities in recent months, including Dogs Trust, the RSPCA and Redwings, through the fireworks working group. I continue to engage with businesses, consumer groups and charities to gather evidence on the issues and impacts of fireworks. It is important that we ensure the safe, responsible and considerate use of fireworks for business and consumers alike.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential merits for businesses of adopting Single/Double Summer Time.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government believes the current daylight-saving arrangements represent the optimal use of the available daylight across the UK. Therefore, we have no plans to introduce double summertime, permanent summertime, or other such changes which would require considerable planning and action by business. Since the Government does not intend to make changes to the existing system, we will not be conducting an assessment of the impact on businesses at this time.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of trends in levels of glyphosate in menstrual products; and what steps he is taking to (a) monitor and (b) regulate those levels.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Most period products are regulated by the General Product Safety Regulations 2005, which requires all products to be safe and for consumers to be provided with information on the potential risks of a product.
Subject to Royal Assent of the Product Regulation and Metrology Bill, the Government has committed to consult on this matter to ensure that any changes to the safety provisions of these products are robust and consistent. As part of this, we are considering further research and testing in this area to complement the consultation.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
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 the UK-India free trade agreement on levels of investment in (a) Bedfordshire, (b) the East of England and (c) the UK.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
This comprehensive agreement is expected to boost increase bilateral trade by £25.5 billion, increase UK GDP by £4.8 billion and boost wages by £2.2 billion each and every year in the long run.
This deal is expected to make trade between the UK cheaper and easier, which could encourage more businesses to expand and invest. In the East of England, science and technology hubs like Bedford will benefit from reduced tariffs on technologies such as medical devices, alongside improved customs processes.
We will set out further information on the regional impacts of this agreement in our Impact Assessment.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
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 potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to (a) improve toy safety and (b) protect children’s health.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Government is committed to ensuring that only safe products can be sold. Under the Toys (Safety) Regulations 2011, all toys placed on the market must meet essential safety requirements. Following the Government Response to the Product Safety Review, government intends to perform sector reviews of product regulation and will also consider how cross-cutting hazards may impact consumer safety.
Government recently introduced the Product Regulation and Metrology Bill. The Bill powers will allow us to reflect modern supply chains and create a proportionate regulatory framework to ensure UK consumers are protected from risk, regardless of product origin or where purchased.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
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 US tariffs on the bus and coach sector.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
Buses and coaches are exempt from the additional 25% tariffs the US is imposing on the automotive sector. However, they are still included in the 10% baseline tariffs, posing challenges for businesses. In March 2025, the Minister for Local Transport launched the UK Bus Manufacturing Expert Panel, regularly bringing together industry experts to ensure the UK remains a leader in bus manufacturing. This government is committed to supporting the automotive sector, a crucial part of our manufacturing base. While preparing for all scenarios, our priority is to strengthen our economic relationship with the US through constructive discussions.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
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 Transport on improving public transport for construction workers accessing the site of the future Universal theme park.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government worked closely with Universal Destinations & Experiences to secure its first investment in Europe, which could be worth £50 billion in economic benefits, and create an estimate 28,000 jobs in the creative, hospitality and construction sectors. The Government will continue to work with Universal and other organisations involved in the delivery of this project to ensure operations are sustainable, which will include enabling construction and other workers to access the site via public transport.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
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) protect and (b) support trade unions in (i) Bedfordshire, (ii) the East of England and (iii) the UK.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The government believes that trade unions play a vital role in ensuring that workers have a genuine voice at work and have the ability to act collectively.
The Employment Rights Bill represents the biggest upgrade to workers’ rights in a generation. Through the Bill, we will update trade union legislation to reduce unnecessary re-strictions on trade union activity, streamline the trade union recognition process, introduce a new right of access framework and enhance the rights and protections for trade union representatives. These reforms will help ensure that industrial relations are based on good faith negotiation and collective bargaining.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
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 business and trade in market towns.
Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Government values the historic role of market towns in the economic and social life of the United Kingdom and is focused on its plan to breathe life back into our high streets.
This means addressing anti-social behaviour and crime, stamping out late payments, empowering communities to make the most of vacant properties, strengthening the Post Office network, and reforming business rates. We are also working with the banking industry to roll out banking hubs, to ensure essential banking services are maintained for businesses and residents.
To drive further progress, we will publish a Small Business Strategy Command Paper later this year.