Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
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 implications for his policies on workers rights of the British Hair Consortium’s report entitled Securing the future of UK hairdressing and beauty: The economic, fiscal & societal case for VAT reform, published in February 2025.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The industry plays an important economic and social role across the UK, which is why we are creating a fairer business rates system, increasing the Employment Allowance and transforming the apprenticeship levy.
We are committed to tackling false self-employment and will investigate evidence suggesting businesses have misclassified individuals for tax purposes. The Employment Rights Bill will make widescale changes to employment law that will support growth in the UK, bringing greater security at work, greater pay, better staff retention, making jobs more secure and supporting women in work in every stage of life.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he plans to take to increase the evidence base on the impacts of merger and acquisition-led FDI projects in the creative industries.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is cognisant of the increasing levels of Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) driven Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), as highlighted in the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre's (PEC) recent "FDI in the Creative Industries" report, November 2024.
A new partnership will be announced shortly between DBT, the Creative PEC and the CoStar Foresight Lab, supported by DCMS. The Creative Business Panel is a longitudinal study which will involve 5 waves of in-depth industry research, running to 2028. It will provide unprecedented insight into what drives growth in the sector, and crucially it will be able to determine for the first time how potential growth factors, including M&A, interrelate.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when the next phase of Help to Grow Management Programme funds will be available to universities.
Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
In the Autumn Budget, 2024 the Chancellor demonstrated the government’s commitment to continue the Help to Grow: Management Course throughout 2025-26, maintaining its existing scale and reach as part of our growth strategy. Help to Grow: Management will continue to help thousands of small businesses across the UK to improve their productivity and drive small business growth. Funding for 2025-26 will continue to be made available to university business schools through the Chartered Association of Business Schools from April 2025.
Help to Grow: Management is delivered by the UK’s leading business schools. DBT provides annual grant funding to the Chartered Association of Business Schools (CABS). DBT will extend its existing grant agreement with CABS once the business planning round is completed in March 2025. CABS will then contract with individual business schools to deliver the training to SMEs, allowing the programme to continue without a break in funding.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what plans his Department has to help reduce the rate of nightclub closures.
Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
We recognise the important role night-time economy business plays in supporting local economies and communities. Healthy night-time economy businesses not only support our creative industries, including musicians, DJs and performance artists, but also support tourism and bolster day economy businesses.
This Government is focused on its five-point plan to breathe life back into Britain’s high streets. This work will ensure that our high streets are great places for our businesses, supporting economic growth across the UK.
To deliver the manifesto pledge to protect the high street, from 2026-27, the government intends to introduce permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties with rateable values (RV) less than £500,000.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will take steps to extend eligibility for business improvement funding provided by her Department to the environmental horticulture sector.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
Government offers extensive business support, with over 40 accessible offers to businesses, including in the horticulture industry.
Our Business Support Helpline and Growth Hubs provide advice, guidance, and signposting. Help to Grow: Management offers practical support to improve leadership and management capability. Businesses can access government-backed financial support from the British Business Bank.
Support for the edible and ornamental (environmental) horticulture sectors is provided through Defra’s Farming Innovation Programme; all but one of its thematic competitions are in scope for these sectors. The Tree Production Capital Grant funds domestic tree seed and sapling production by supporting expansion, automation, and mechanization.