Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions he has had with Trading Standards on the enforcement of rules pertaining to misleading use of certification logos, accreditations and compliance labels.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
All products placed on the UK market must be safe and comply with relevant rules regarding certification, accreditation, or compliance. For example, for products that require UKCA marking, it is an offence to apply a mark that misleads or wrongly claims to show legal compliance.
The Office for Product Safety and Standards, in my Department, and Local Authority Trading Standards have powers to enforce the rules and work together to protect consumers from unsafe or non-compliant products.
In addition, the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 also prohibits unfair commercial practices, including misleading consumers by falsely describing products or omitting material information.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
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 Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential impact of her budget on the pubs and brewing sector.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Chancellor will make decisions on Budget in the round and these will be announced in the usual way. The government does not comment on speculation outside of fiscal events.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
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 businesses to offer work experience placements to recent university graduates.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The government encourages work experience through various initiatives spanning various departments. The Department for Business and Trade published the UK’s Industrial, Trade and Small Business Strategies, which were developed in partnership with business, with positive feedback from leading business organisations. For example, 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 strong network of partnerships with external training providers, universities, and graduate employment platforms to enhance graduate employment opportunities.
DWP are reforming Jobcentre Plus to create a new, more personalised employment support service across Great Britain. This new service will move away from a one-size-fits-all approach and recognise that individuals – including graduates – have different needs. It will provide tailored help to find good, meaningful work and support progression in employment, with a stronger focus on skills and careers.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether her Department plans to review the use of (a) confidentiality clauses and (b) NDAs in consumer redress agreements involving alleged (i) harm or (ii) injury to animals.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
DBT does not currently have any plans to review consumer redress agreements involving alleged harm or injury to animals.
The MoJ recently introduced an amendment to the Victims and Courts Bill which ensures that confidentiality clauses or NDAs used in any context cannot be legally enforced to the extent that they purport to prevent victims and direct witnesses of crime (including those who reasonably believe they fall into these categories), from making allegations of, or disclosing information relating to, relevant criminal conduct. This could include any animal cruelty which constitutes criminal behaviour.
Earlier this year, DBT also announced reform in the Employment Rights Bill to address the misuse of NDAs in cases of relevant harassment and discrimination. The government will be consulting on this reform in due course.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of consumer protections for customers whose animals are injured during paid (a) grooming or (b) veterinary services.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) has not made any recent assessments specifically related to consumer protections for veterinary and grooming services. However, consumer legislation sets out protections for all consumers.
Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, traders must carry out a service with reasonable care and skill, and within reasonable time. Where a trader fails to meet the standards required, this could be a breach of contract.
DBT also funds Citizens Advice to provide the consumer service which supports consumers to resolve disputes and assert their rights
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how much of the £10 billion investment pledged by private firms at the Regional Investment Summit on 21 October 2025 is new investment; and how much had been previously pledged.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
All of the £10billion of investment commitments pledged by private firms at the Regional Investment Summit on 21 October 2025 is new investment. Previously pledged investments were not included in this figure.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
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 prevent the fraudulent registration of companies using private residential addresses through Companies House.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 strengthened Companies House’s powers to query or reject inaccurate or suspicious addresses, enabling the Registrar to act swiftly and decisively against misuse of residential addresses.
Many fraudulent or misused registered office addresses have been removed and replaced with default addresses and companies without appropriate addresses are struck off, protecting those whose details were used without permission.
Companies House’s systems improve continuously to detect and prevent unauthorised address use. The Government is considering the Public Accounts Committee’s recommendation for increased powers to verify new and existing company addresses and will respond in November.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
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 impact of the Mental Health Goals programme on growth in the life sciences sector.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The government expects the Mental Health Goals programme to support growth in the UK life sciences sector by creating a strong environment for precision psychiatry research, therefore attracting new industry investment. By fostering collaboration between industry, academia and the NHS, the programme contributes to the Life Sciences Sector Plan’s ambition to grow the sector to £150 billion by 2030 and position the UK as a global leader in health innovation.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what criteria were used by his Department to determine eligibility for funding under the Pub is the Hub scheme.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government recognises the important role rural pubs and those in deprived areas can play in supporting their communities and the work of Pub Is The Hub in helping them improve their resilience by providing additional community services. That is why the Government has provided £440,000 to help Pub Is The Hub continue this important work.
In its 2025 report: PiTH-Social-Value-of-Pubsfinal.pdf, Pub Is The Hub highlighted over 40 diversification projects that could not be delivered due to a lack of funding. Eligibility for funding is determined by Pub is The Hub, which administers the scheme.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, which organisations have been awarded Pub is the Hub funding to date.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government recognises the important role rural pubs and those in deprived areas can play in supporting their communities and the work of Pub Is The Hub in helping them improve their resilience by providing additional community services. That is why the Government has provided £440,000 to help Pub Is The Hub continue this important work
In its 2025 report: PiTH-Social-Value-of-Pubsfinal.pdf, Pub Is The Hub highlighted over 40 diversification projects that could not be delivered due to a lack of funding.
Data on which organisations have been, and will be, awarded funding is held confidentially by Pub is The Hub.