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, how many (a) phones, (b) laptops and (c) other electronic devices have been lost by their Department since 5 July 2024.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
193 mobile phones and 29 laptops were reported lost in financial year 2024/25 including up to 14th April 2025. There were no other electronic devices reported lost.
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 made an assessment of the Post Office's ability to adhere to its Access Criteria.
Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government works to ensure Post Office Limited maintains a minimum number of branches and a geographical spread of branches in line with published access criteria. My Department has assessed the Post Office network meets Government-set access criteria at a national level. The Post Office publishes its annual network report which sets out their performance publicly each year and it can be found here.
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 US tariffs on the UK car industry.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
We're disappointed by the decision to impose global tariffs of 25% on auto imports and know this will be extremely concerning for our automotive sector. We will always support our automotive industry, and in the first instance we will continue to pursue a deal that works for both us and the US. We will also use our Industrial Strategy to strengthen UK automotive competitiveness and have backed the auto sector with £2 billion to support the transition of domestic manufacturing and £300 million announced in the Budget to drive uptake of electric vehicles.
This government is clear that we will always do everything necessary to defend the UK's national interest. This is why the government has launched a request for input from businesses to help shape our response to US tariffs.
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 impact of (a) employers national insurance contributions and (b) national minimum wage increases on the hair salon industry.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
For national insurance contributions, increasing the employment Allowance to £10,500 will mean that 865,000 employers will pay no NICs at all and more than half of employers see no change or gain overall from this package, including many businesses in the hair and beauty industries.
On minimum wage, approximately 40,000 workers in the hair and beauty sector, representing around half of the sector's workforce, are expected to benefit from a direct pay rise due to the increases in the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage in April 2025.
The Government is also creating a fairer business rates system, which will further benefit the hair salon industry.
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 impact of the trends in the level of cash only barber shops on high streets.
Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
There are no official statistics on trends in the level of cash only barber shops. Cash continues to be used by many people and is a legitimate means of paying for goods and services.
Businesses that primarily accept cash must ensure they meet their legal obligations, and the Government is working with the hair industry to ensure good tax compliance.
HMRC will investigate evidence suggesting businesses have misclassified individuals for tax purposes. Money laundering through cash-based high street businesses is also a known issue, and Government collaborates closely with law enforcement to monitor criminal behaviour.
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 discussions he has had with representatives from the metals sector on the trade of scrap metal.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
I have held discussions with representatives of the metals sector on the trade of scrap metal at a steel strategy roundtable on the 25 March 2025 and at the Steel Council meeting on 30 January 2025. The British Metals Recycling Association is a member of the Steel Council.
My officials have also been attending regular meetings of the Industry Scrap Working Group, since July 2022, where steelmakers and metal recyclers are working together to ensure a suitable supply of high-quality scrap is available for future requirements.
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 discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on fulfilment of the UK's commitment to the NATO Industrial Capacity Expansion Pledge.
Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Department for Business and Trade continues to work with colleagues across government to deliver new a Defence Industrial Strategy which will help us meet our NATO commitments, such as the NATO Industrial Capacity Expansion Pledge.
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 discussions he has had with Nissan on safeguarding jobs in Sunderland, in the context of the potential merger of Nissan, Honda and Mitsubishi.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
While we cannot comment on the commercial affairs of private companies, I can say that the Department of Business and Trade is in contact with both Nissan and Honda and we will work with the companies to support the future of the UK’s world-leading automotive industry.