Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has identified international trade compliance obligations for (a) simplification and (b) removal.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
This Government's central mission is economic growth, with trade being a core part of that Mission. The Trade Strategy sets out a clear plan to maximise trade opportunities now and in the future. The Trade Strategy is grounded in the realities of the context in which we are operating and provides practical tools to support businesses to trade and drive growth both in the current context and in the future. It will primarily focus on the ways that trade is changing and how the UK can take a forward-facing approach to upcoming challenges.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
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 ensure the accuracy of its compliance cost evaluations.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
On 13 March, the Prime Minister announced that government will cut the costs of regulation to business by 25% by the end of this Parliament. First, we must fully understand these costs. To do this, we will establish a robust regulatory baseline by using data government already holds and working in partnership with business to understand their real-life experiences of complying with regulation.
Reducing these costs on businesses will allow them to flourish and to innovate, enabling economic growth.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how frequently his Department reviews initial compliance cost estimates in impact assessments.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Sections 28–31 of the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015 set the legislative requirements for the inclusion of statutory review provisions in secondary legislation, including that a report of the first review must be published within five years of the relevant legislation's commencement date and subsequent reports published at intervals not exceeding five years. In the absence of a review provision, the post-implementation review statutory guidance made under section 31 of the act states that policies should still be subject to proportionate monitoring, evaluation and non-statutory review, where appropriate.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what methodology his Department uses to identify potentially unnecessary regulations.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The government is reforming the regulatory landscape because it is not functioning as effectively as it should. Officials in the Department for Business and Trade are working with colleagues across government and have undertaken extensive engagement with businesses, think tanks and other key stakeholders to identify regulatory barriers to economic growth across the Industrial Strategy growth-driving sectors.
In particular, this work is being informed by responses to the Industrial Strategy Green Paper, so we are hearing directly from as many stakeholders as possible. These reforms will be published in due course as part of the Industrial Strategy.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what accountability measures exist for civil servants producing regulatory impact assessments.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
When producing regulatory impact assessments, the government expects all civil servants to adhere to published guidance including the Better Regulation Framework and HM Treasury Green Book.
All civil servants involved in the production of impact assessments are subject to the standards of integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality set out in the Civil Service Code and are held to account principally through their relevant performance management framework.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department plans to require routine independent assessments of regulatory costs.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Assessments of regulatory costs that departments produce as part of the options assessments for major regulatory provisions within the scope of the Better Regulation Framework are subject to independent scrutiny by the Regulatory Policy Committee. On 13 March, the Prime Minister issued a new target for the government to cut the costs of regulation to business. This target for government departments and regulators will lead to less red tape and greater economic growth. The government will bring forward its plans to meet the target and its method for assessing progress towards it later this year.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
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 net zero requirements on the competitiveness of British manufacturers in public procurement.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The transition to net zero is critical for driving growth and delivering new jobs. This government has been clear that decarbonisation should not mean deindustrialisation.
This government is working with business, including through the Industrial Strategy (IS) to secure growth, including in sectors that will help us meet our Net Zero ambitions such as in Clean Energy Industries and Advanced Manufacturing. As set out in the Industrial Strategy Green Paper published in November 2024, the forthcoming IS will support growth that is aligned with our net zero and environmental objectives by capturing the growth opportunities of the clean energy mission and net zero transition; identifying and supporting clean energy sectors with the greatest growth potential; and aligning sector plans with net zero and environmental objectives.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many public contracts awarded by his Department since 5 July 2024 have required suppliers to recognise trade unions as a condition of contract award.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
I refer the member for Isle of Wight East to the answer I provided to UIN 34002 on 4 March 2025.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether any contracts awarded by his Department have included diversity quotas since 5 July 2024.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Department has not included diversity quotas in any contracts awarded by the Department since 5 July 2024.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what proportion of contracts awarded by his Department have been to British SMEs since 5 July 2024.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Department of Business and Trade has awarded and published 185 contracts over £10,000 ex VAT since 5 July 2024; 52 (28%) of which were to UK based SMEs.