Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what framework his Department intends to put in place to help small and medium sized enterprises in the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency engage with Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership markets.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Department for Business and Trade provides practical CPTPP guidance for businesses via business.gov.uk market pages. This covers policy areas such as rules of origin, preferential tariffs and digital trade, as well as sector-specific guidance for CPTPP countries.
Small and medium sized businesses can access export support through our UK and overseas teams using our digital enquiry service, and tailored assistance is available on business.gov.uk to help businesses enter new markets and expand their presence in existing ones. We actively engage through events and working with the wider business community to promote CPTPP opportunities.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department will take to assess the opportunities for businesses in the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency to benefit from recent developments in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Last week, I met with other CPTPP Ministers in Melbourne, where they agreed to launch accession talks with Uruguay, held trade and investment dialogues with both the EU and ASEAN, and agreed on areas where the CPTPP Agreement can be improved.
These developments demonstrate our strong commitment to the continued expansion of high-standard, rules-based trade to benefit businesses across the UK, as outlined in the Trade Strategy.
Access to new markets, closer relations with other trading blocs and improved rules will create opportunities for businesses across the UK, including those in Bletchley and Buckingham.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what specific measures his Department will offer companies located in the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency to help them navigate any non-tariff barriers emerging from Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership dialogues.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
My officials engage extensively across the UK and overseas to assess opportunities and identify non-tariff barriers arising from CPTPP membership. This includes hosting targeted events and webinars to promote the utilisation of the Agreement, providing updates on the latest developments, and gathering feedback from businesses on how CPTPP is working in practice.
The Department’s business-facing teams are equipped with the tools and information they need to confidently engage with businesses, helping them understand and navigate non-tariff barriers, and access commercial opportunities across CPTPP markets.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
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 likely effect on regulatory alignment for UK businesses resulting from future Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership rule-reviews.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Assessment of the effects of regulatory alignment under the CPTPP Agreement relate to the CPTPP Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Chapter.
While this chapter does not require regulatory alignment, it encourages greater transparency for CPTPP members to be better informed about the development of product regulations and conformity assessment requirements. The chapter enables members to request technical discussions and provides routes to address issues.
For CPTPP to remain of the highest possible standard, the UK has engaged in the General Review process in a way which seeks to protect and promote UK interests, including on the TBT chapter.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what estimate he has made of the resources allocated to improve export advisory capacity within UK business support services.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Department for Business and Trade is putting in place the policies and support needed to drive export-led business growth.
DBT has integrated its support for SMEs in a single, accessible place – the Business Growth Service – designed to help businesses across the UK start, scale, and succeed globally. From tailored market advice to free training through the Export Academy, we are making it easier for businesses to navigate global markets, seize opportunities, and build resilience.
Our Export Champions are also sharing their experience and encouraging and inspiring new and fledgling exporters.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions his Department has had with (a) local authorities and (b) regional growth bodies on export-capability development.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Working with local delivery bodies is a central part of our Plan for Small Businesses and Business Growth Service. A core principle of the Business Growth Service is local partnership working, including working with Growth Hubs and Mayoral Strategic Authorities.
Our Plan for Small Businesses, published in July, sets out the ways in which we will work with local authorities to deliver our ambitions of supporting businesses to grow.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how his Department plans to monitor participation in trade promotion programmes by SMEs in Buckingham and Bletchley constituency.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
As outlined in our 2025 UK Trade Strategy, the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is committed to the monitoring and evaluation of its performance to ensure continuous improvement.
DBT has developed a robust monitoring and evaluation framework for its existing export promotion activities, and data on participation is published in DBT’s Export Client Quality Survey.
In 2023/24, 17,449 businesses were supported by DBT export promotion services, of which 85% were classified as SMEs. We do not monitor participation by individual constituencies, but would be happy to be advised of any suitable SMEs in Buckingham and Bletchley.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what estimate he has made of the skills support required to help UK firms expand into new export markets.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is committed to providing businesses with the support, advice and skills they need to export across the globe.
Businesses can access DBT’s wealth of export support via business.gov.uk. This includes support via the UK Export Academy, a free, comprehensive learning and development programme that boosts British businesses’ global trading capability.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
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 assess supply chain readiness for increased export activity.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The government recognises that robust supply chains are fundamental to enabling businesses to capitalise on export opportunities and drive sustainable growth. As outlined in the UK’s Trade Strategy, we are committed to working with businesses of all sizes to strengthen their capacity to compete in global markets.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
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 reduced electricity costs for employers in Buckingham and Bletchley constituency on employment growth in energy-intensive sectors.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
This Government is well aware of the pressures facing our energy intensive industries (EIIs), across the nation, including high electricity prices. Our recent announcement of the uplift of relief offered by the Network Charging Compensation Scheme from 60% to 90% highlights our intent to support UK EIIs in their decarbonisation transition. This support will deliver much needed financial relief allowing businesses, such as those in Buckingham and Bletchley, more financial headroom and the possibility to grow.