Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
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 threat posed to UK interests by economic coercion by adversaries.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Secretary of State for Scotland
The weaponisation of trade for geopolitical purposes is growing. This Government recognised those risks in our National Security Strategy, and why the Department of Business and Trade announced in the Trade Strategy that we would reform our trade defence tools, including seeking views on new powers to respond to deliberate economic pressure against the UK. Moreover, through the Trade and Industrial Strategies we are working to make our supply chains and economy more resilient and secure, including through simplifying export support services to help businesses diversify and build resilience, and establishing a Supply Chain Centre and an Economic Security Advisory Service.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
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 a Bank Holiday to celebrate the victory of the England Women’s Football Team in the 2025 European Championships on the economy.
Answered by Justin Madders
The Government recognises the Lionesses’ extraordinary achievement in securing their second consecutive European title.
We regularly receive requests for additional bank and public holidays to mark a variety of occasions. While an additional bank holiday may benefit some communities and sectors, the cost to the economy remains considerable. The latest analysis estimates the cost to the UK economy for a one-off bank holiday to be around £2 billion.
The current pattern of bank and public holidays is well established and the Government has no plans to create a one-off bank holiday to celebrate the victory of the England Women’s Football Team.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to page 33 of the National Security Strategy 2025, published on 24 June 2025, what progress he has made in establishing an Office for Trade Sanctions Implementation.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Secretary of State for Scotland
The Office for Trade Sanctions Implementation (OTSI) was established in October 2024, as part of the Department for Business and Trade, to strengthen the implementation and enforcement of UK trade sanctions. OTSI has civil enforcement powers, including the ability to impose civil monetary penalties. Further information on OTSI's remit can be found at GOV.UK.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has conducted an impact assessment on the potential impact of US ethanol imports on the production of bioethanol within the UK.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Secretary of State for Scotland
We have concluded a landmark economic deal with the United States, making the UK the first country to reach an agreement with President Trump.
This is a unique deal that ensures UK industries are protected; talks with the US are ongoing.
Both the Secretary of State and senior officials from the Department for Business and Trade have been meeting representatives of the domestic bioethanol industry to discuss their concerns.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has conducted an impact assessment of the removal of tariffs from US imports of ethanol to the UK.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Secretary of State for Scotland
We have concluded a landmark economic deal with the United States, making the UK the first country to reach an agreement with President Trump.
This is a unique deal that ensures UK industries are protected; talks with the US are ongoing.
Both the Secretary of State and senior officials from the Department for Business and Trade have been meeting representatives of the domestic bioethanol industry to discuss their concerns.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to page 22 of the Plan for Change, published on 5 December 2024, CP 1210, what steps he has taken to (a) reform and (b) expand the Office for Investment.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
As announced by the Prime Minister in October 2024, the enhanced Office for Investment (OfI) streamlines and simplifies our support for the most strategically important investors. The new OfI has more commercial expertise to originate, negotiate and land investment across all regions and nations of the UK. The new OfI is a joint No.10, HMT and DBT unit, spearheaded by the Minister for Investment, ensuring investment is prioritised at the top of government.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the trade agreement with the EU of 19 May 2025, what (a) tariffs and (b) rules will apply to steel exports to the EU.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Secretary of State for Scotland
The EU applies a safeguard measure on imports of 26 categories of steel in the form of tariff-rate quotas that allow certain volumes of imports per category to enter duty-free. A 25% duty is charged on volumes that exceed quotas.
Following a recent amendment by the EU, the UK’s duty-free access to category 17 (steel sections) was restricted to below traditional volumes.
As part of the new agreement, the EU committed to correcting this in line with traditional trade flows, which will allow UK industry to double the amount of tariff-free steel sections they can export to the EU.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 15 May 2025 to Question 50961 on Trade Agreements: USA, whether he requested that the United States reduce the applied tariff of 41% for the Falkland Islands.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Secretary of State for Scotland
We have concluded a landmark economic deal with the US on 8 May, making the UK the first country to reach an agreement with President Trump. We are continuing talks on a wider UK-US Economic Deal.
The US has confirmed, as part of the deal, that it will consider UK requests to reduce the applied tariff for a UK territory such as the Falkland Islands on a preferential basis. Talks between the UK and the US are ongoing.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to help tackle the sale of illegal electric conversion kits for bicycles.
Answered by Justin Madders
Under UK product safety laws, businesses must ensure any electric conversion kits they place on the UK market are safe.
The Office for Product Safety and Standards and Local Authority Trading Standards have powers to tackle the supply of unsafe or non-compliant consumer products, including electric bike conversion kits, and to remove them from the market. The enforcement of converted bicycles that travel above legal speed limits is a matter for the police.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether the 41% tariffs imposed by the United States on the Falkland Islands were discussed as part of the negotiations for the US-UK trade deal announced on 8 May 2025.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Secretary of State for Scotland
We have concluded a landmark economic deal with the United States, making the UK the first country to get an agreement with President Trump. We are continuing talks on the UK-US Economic Prosperity Deal. In this agreement, as in all international agreements, the UK will consider the interests of those UK territories for whose international relations it is responsible.
In addition, the US has confirmed, as part of the deal, that it will consider UK requests to reduce the applied tariff for a UK territory such as the Falkland Islands on a preferential basis