Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to prevent increases in employment costs from discouraging small salon businesses from (i) employing, and (ii) training people.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
Our Plan to Make Work Pay is supporting good jobs and helping responsible businesses grow. We are phasing in reforms and rolling out an online resource offering practical guidance on what the changes mean so that uncertainty doesn’t hold back hiring.
Our analysis demonstrates that, by making work more attractive and accessible to a wider range of people, the Employment Rights Act is more likely to help more people into work than reduce employment.
Through the Business Growth Service and Business Academy, small businesses can access government-backed advice and free training resources to help them develop their workforce and grow.
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the cumulative impact of increases in the (i) National Minimum Wage, (ii) employer National Insurance contributions, (iii) business rates, and (iv) other employment costs, on small salon businesses.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
Small salon businesses will benefit from the new permanently lower multipliers for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties. These new multipliers are worth nearly ÂŁ1 billion per year and benefit over 750,000 properties.
The Government has also published a range of analytical documents covering the policies referenced, which set out their likely impacts on businesses of different sizes. Each Impact Assessment covering the Employment Rights Act 2025 and The National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Regulations 2026 includes a small and micro business assessment.
A Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) was also published alongside the changes to employer NICs, which sets out the impacts on the Exchequer, the economy, individuals and businesses. The Government is supporting smaller employers through the increased Employment Allowance of ÂŁ10,500.
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has made an assessment of the level of prevalence of multinational companies marketing (a) beers and (b) brewery brands as being from (i) small and independent brewers and (ii) from a specific geographical location.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
The Department for Business and Trade has not made a specific assessment of the level of prevalence of multinational companies marketing beers and brewery brands as being from small and independent brewers or from a specific geographical location.
The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 prohibits unfair commercial practices, including misleading actions that are likely to impact the average consumer’s transactional decision. This could include multinational beverage companies misrepresenting where their alcohol products are produced. Misrepresentation may be taken as an unfair trading practice and constitute an offence.
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact on consumers of breweries (a) stating and (b) implying that their products are being brewed in one location when they are produced in another location.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
The Department for Business and Trade has not made a specific assessment of the potential impact on consumers of breweries misleading them on where their products are brewed.
The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 prohibits unfair commercial practices, including misleading actions, that are likely to impact the average consumer’s transactional decision. This could include breweries misrepresenting where their products are produced. Misrepresentation may be taken as an unfair trading practice and constitute an offence.
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of Investor-State Dispute Settlement claims arising from climate-related planning and regulatory decisions on public finances.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Investor State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) provides an independent means for investors to resolve disputes with states where they believe they have experienced arbitrary, discriminatory, or unfair treatment or expropriation without compensation.
An independent Tribunal determines the level of liability, if any, in any Investor State Dispute proceedings. The Government has never faced a successful ISDS claim.
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department plans to assess the compatibility of existing bilateral investment treaties containing Investor-State Dispute Settlement provisions with the UK’s (a) net zero commitments and (b) climate policy objectives.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The UK draws on the full range of investment commitments and international best practice in our international investment agreements to promote growth, deliver our clean energy goals, and continue to uphold the UK’s right to regulate.
Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) provides an independent means to resolve disputes with states where investors believe they have experienced arbitrary, discriminatory or unfair treatment or expropriation without compensation. ISDS does not remove governments’ right to regulate in the public interest, including with respect to the environment.
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department plans to undertake an assessment of the potential economic impacts on (i) Cornwall, and (ii) the wider UK economy, arising from capacity constraints in the commercial laundry sector during peak seasonal demand in areas with high levels of tourism.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
The Government recognises that commercial laundries provide an essential service that supports the daily operations of the UK’s hospitality and tourism industries.
The Department for Business and Trade has not made a formal assessment, nor does it have any current plans to, on the contribution of the commercial laundry industry to the economy.
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential contribution of the commercial laundry industry to the economy.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
The Government recognises that commercial laundries provide an essential service that supports the daily operations of the UK’s hospitality and tourism industries.
The Department for Business and Trade has not made a formal assessment, nor does it have any current plans to, on the contribution of the commercial laundry industry to the economy.
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to support local, independent coffee shops.
Answered by Gareth Thomas
Hospitality businesses, including independent coffee shops, are at the heart of our communities and play a vital role in supporting economic growth and community cohesion.
The government plans to permanently lower business rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure properties with a rateable value under £500,000 and we’ve introduced a Hospitality Support Scheme to co-fund projects which aim to help those furthest from the job market into employment and boosting productivity.
In addition, the government announced a Zero Carbon Hospitality Trial, meaning over 600 small and medium sized hospitality businesses will receive free energy and carbon reduction assessments to help cut energy costs, this will include cafes.
Our Small Business Strategy will set out further measures which will assist local, independent coffee shops.
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many claims have been (a) made to and (b) rejected by the compensation schemes for sub-postmasters impacted by Horizon IT; and what proportion of those claims have successfully concluded.
Answered by Gareth Thomas
Claimant eligibility for each redress scheme is confirmed before claims are progressed. No eligible claims have been rejected. We have made significant progress in delivering redress to victims of the Horizon scandal. The table below demonstrates the progress made as of 30 June 2025, however there is still more to do:
Scheme | Full & Final Claims received | Full & Final Offers made | Full & Final Offers accepted | Full & Final claims paid | Proportion Concluded (claims paid/claims received) |
Horizon Shortfall Scheme: eligible claims before deadline | 2,417 | 2,417 | 2,122 | 2,119 | 88% |
Horizon Shortfall Scheme: eligible late claims | 7,750 | 5,160 | 4,774 | 4,732 | 61% |
Group Litigation Order Scheme | 460 | 452 | 336 | 334 | 73% |
Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme | 416 | 410 | 401 | 397 | 95% |
A further 71 full and final payments have been made to 71 (of the 111) postmasters whose convictions were quashed via the courts.
In total, approximately ÂŁ1,098 million (over 1 billion) has been paid in redress across all schemes.