Asked by: Imogen Walker (Labour - Hamilton and Clyde Valley)
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 support the growth of advanced manufacturing businesses in South Lanarkshire through the industrial strategy.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Reindustrialisation is about resilience, growth and good jobs in every postcode, including South Lanarkshire. A place-led Industrial Strategy remains our primary framework for delivering this, attracting investment and helping businesses start, scale and stay in the UK.
The Advanced Manufacturing Sector Plan sets out in detail our support to manufacturers, backed by up to £4.3bn. Businesses in South Lanarkshire can access a range of measures, from scale-up finance and R&D funding to energy relief from the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme.
South Lanarkshire also benefits from inclusion in the Glasgow City Region Investment Zone, focused on advanced manufacturing.
Asked by: Imogen Walker (Labour - Hamilton and Clyde Valley)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what progress he has made in reducing the use of animals in regulatory testing.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is reducing the use of animals in regulatory testing through the Replacing Animals in Science strategy, which supports the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods. Progress includes regulatory reforms by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency to support the use of non-animal data, work to establish the UK Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods (UKCVAM), and action to replace specific regulatory tests where validated alternatives are available. The Government is also working with regulators and international partners to increase acceptance of alternative methods while maintaining high standards of human, animal and environmental safety.
Asked by: Imogen Walker (Labour - Hamilton and Clyde Valley)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what recent discussions he has had with Royal Mail on postal deliveries in Scotland.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
Ministers and officials regularly meet with Royal Mail in its capacity as the universal service provider.
I have been frank in my conversations with Royal Mail’s leadership that its service has been unacceptable for too long, and that the pace of improvement must increase. I will continue to raise issues relating to service performance directly with Royal Mail, including the impact of delays on communities.
Asked by: Imogen Walker (Labour - Hamilton and Clyde Valley)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what support his Department provides to co-operatives wishing to scale up in central Scotland.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is committed to helping co-operatives grow and sustain, including in central Scotland.
Eligible co-operatives can access programmes including Help to Grow: Management for leadership training, mentoring and support, which BIST has updated so that there is now more information on co-operatives and mutuals, as well as The British Business Bank’s Growth Guarantee Scheme for finance to invest and grow.
Government will continue working closely with the devolved government in Scotland, including Scottish Enterprise and sector partners
Our forthcoming response to the BIST call for evidence on business support for co-operatives and non-financial mutuals will also set out further government action.
Asked by: Imogen Walker (Labour - Hamilton and Clyde Valley)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what discussions he has had with the Lanarkshire AI Growth Zone on opportunities for local people to access jobs and training.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)
The Government is working closely with the Lanarkshire AI Growth Zone partners to maximise local jobs, skills, and training opportunities. This includes bringing together North Lanarkshire Council, Scottish Government, DataVita, and local skills and education partners to build on skills, training, employment, and community benefit opportunities associated with the Lanarkshire AI Growth Zone.
Apprentices are already working on site alongside a growing local workforce, while industry partners are supporting Scottish AI start-ups and widening access to AI careers. The AIGZ is also creating wider economic opportunities, with Dell Technologies recently announcing the relocation of its Scottish headquarters to Lanarkshire because of the AIGZ.
The Government continues to work with North Lanarkshire Council, the Scottish Government, and local partners to ensure that the benefits of AI investment support local communities and skills development.
Asked by: Imogen Walker (Labour - Hamilton and Clyde Valley)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of parcel delivery surcharges on (a) consumers and (b) small businesses in rural parts of Hamilton and Clyde Valley constituency.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
Royal Mail is required under the Universal Service Obligation to provide parcel services up to 20kg at an affordable, uniform price across the UK. Outside this service, delivery charges are commercial decisions for retailers and parcel operators, which may reflect contractual terms and higher transportation costs in some rural areas. Retailers must clearly disclose delivery charges and geographical restrictions before purchase, enabling consumers and small businesses to make informed choices.
Asked by: Imogen Walker (Labour - Hamilton and Clyde Valley)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what support is available to small businesses in Hamilton and Clyde Valley constituency seeking to export goods or services.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department has integrated its support for businesses, including export support, in a single, accessible place – the Business Growth Service (BGS). Through tailored market advice to free Business Academy training and our on-the-ground network around the world, we are making it easier for businesses in Hamilton and Clyde Valley to navigate global markets and seize opportunities.
Businesses can access a range of support offers, including access to finance through UK Export Finance, bespoke advice from the Export Support Service and practical leadership insights through Help to Grow: Management.
Asked by: Imogen Walker (Labour - Hamilton and Clyde Valley)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of late payments on small businesses in Hamilton and Clyde Valley constituency.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
No specific assessment has been made of the potential impact of late payments on SME across Hamiliton and Clyde Valley.
Late payments cost the UK economy £11bn per year and cause the closure of the equivalent of 38 UK businesses every day.
The Commercial Payments Bill is the most significant legislation tackling late payments in over 25 years. It expands the powers of the Small Business Commissioner, mandates statutory interest on late payments at 8% above the Bank of England base rate and introduces maximum payment terms for larger businesses; giving the UK the strongest legal framework on late payments in the G7.
Asked by: Imogen Walker (Labour - Hamilton and Clyde Valley)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the availability of Post Office services in Hamilton and Clyde Valley constituency, including in Lanark, Larkhall and Lesmahagow.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
The Government recognises the essential role that post offices play in communities across the country. While decisions about individual branches within constituencies are operational matters for Post Office Limited, Government has committed to maintaining a minimum network of 11,500 branches and retaining all six geographical access criteria. These include the requirement that 99% of the UK population live within three miles of a Post Office outlet. The criteria is not currently measured on a constituency basis.
Asked by: Imogen Walker (Labour - Hamilton and Clyde Valley)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what recent assessment he has made of Royal Mail’s performance against its universal service obligations in Scotland.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
The government remains committed to ensuring a reliable universal postal service for users across all parts of the United Kingdom.
We have been clear that Royal Mail’s quality of service has not been good enough. The government has discussed Royal Mail’s performance with the company and Ofcom, as the independent regulator, and they know there is more to do to improve stability and reliability for customers, but it is welcome that the most recently released quality of service figures, for Q1 26/27, show an improvement.
Ofcom is investigating Royal Mail’s quality of service performance for 2025-26, and Royal Mail has published a service improvement plan alongside a £500 million investment into frontline resourcing.