Joshua Reynolds

The Department supported businesses to deliver export wins worth £16.9bn in 2020/21, £17.3bn in 2021/22, and £19.6bn in 2022/23. In 2023/24 over £36bn and almost £24bn in 2024/25 export wins were delivered.

The Department does not provide country-specific wins due to the risk of disclosing commercially sensitive deals.

There are currently no plans to undertake such an assessment. The Competition and Markets Authority’s cloud services market investigation examined the state of competition in the market. The Government remains committed to supporting investment in high‑quality, secure and resilient digital infrastructure across the UK.

UK Trade Envoys primarily support UK exports in their respective market, but they also help identify tariff and non-tariff barriers that impede trade.

UK Trade Envoy markets are identified in discussion with HM Trade Commissioners and the trade and investment opportunities available to UK business. Trade Envoys operate within wider trading policies in support of the Government’s objectives, working closely with Ministers and officials, including the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

This is an impossible question to answer as the whole point of the UK Trade Envoy Programme is that it complements the work of UKEF and DBT’s direct export services in supporting SMEs. Trade Envoys provide high-level advocacy and market access, UKEF delivers financial backing, and DBT offers practical export guidance. Together, these initiatives form a comprehensive package to help SMEs succeed internationally.

Over the last three years, the Department has spent, on average, the following amounts on the UK Trade Envoy Programme, including DBT staff costs. We intend the overall cost of the programme to reduce during the next financial year.

* The figure in column two is lower than other years because the election resulted in the programme being paused for several months.

UK Trade Envoys must adhere to the seven principles of public life as set out by the Committee on Standards in Public Life and can be removed should they not meet such standards.

The Trade Envoy Programme is a network of Parliamentarians appointed to specific markets by the Secretary of State for Business and Trade. Membership of the programme is cross party and includes representation from both the House of Commons and House of Lords. The programme abides by all transparency and public accountability rules.

The government expects all UK businesses to respect human rights and the environment throughout their supply chains in line with the OECD Guidelines and UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. Section 54 of the UK’s Modern Slavery Act 2015 requires businesses with a turnover of £36m or more to publish modern slavery statements.

The Office for Responsible Business Conduct promotes the OECD Guidelines and provides a non-judicial grievance mechanism for complaints of non-observance by UK businesses. The government also launched a review, through the Trade Strategy, into the UK’s approach to responsible business conduct (RBC), focused on tackling human rights and labour abuses and environmental harms in global supply chains. While concerns have been raised about unfair practices, there are currently no plans to introduce a Garment Trading Adjudicator, however other measures are under consideration as part of the RBC review. We shall update the House when the review is complete.

It is not appropriate to publish individual-level personal data in a Parliamentary Question response.

HMG regularly engages British Steel and wider industry to understand the impact of the EU CBAM. UK businesses may face administrative costs providing emissions data to EU importers to support their compliance with the EU CBAM. The cost of certificates for the carbon price liability of embedded emissions is borne by EU importers.

To support business readiness, the Department for Business and Trade has compiled a comprehensive package, including webinars and an explainer on business.gov.uk. The Government is also engaging with the European Commission on emissions trading scheme linking, which is expected to facilitate a mutual UK-EU CBAM exemption in due course.

From 12 April 2025, the date HMG passed the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act, to 24 February 2026, DBT has provided approximately £370 million to BSL, to ensure sufficient working capital is maintained for the safe and effective operation of the Scunthorpe site. Of the £370 million working capital allocated to BSL, £57 million (15%) was used for payroll costs, £104 million (28%) for other operational expenses, and £209 million (57%) for raw material purchases.

This government reconvened the Steel Council in January 2025 to assist us in the development of the steel strategy. The Council has met five times and members include senior leaders from our main steel producers, trade associations, trade unions, academia and representatives from Devolved Governments.

Wider steel stakeholders, including downstream processors and stockholders, have been able to contribute to the steel strategy through a series of three Ministerial Roundtables that took place in March and April 2025, and through our public consultation, which was open from February - March 2025. My officials continue to engage extensively with individual stakeholders on specific policy areas under the strategy.

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, goods or digital content must be of satisfactory quality, fit for a particular purpose and as described by the seller.

A trader can upgrade, fix, enhance and improve the features of, or add new features to, digital content so long as it continues to match any description given by the trader. It must also continue to conform with any pre-contract information as to main characteristics, functionality, and compatibility provided by the trader.

Consumers in England and Wales are encouraged to report any concerns to the Citizens Advice consumer service, who will pass intelligence to Trading Standards, allowing them to act upon areas where consumers are experiencing the most harm.

The government does not currently have any plans to introduce a minimum support period for smart home technology.

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, goods or digital content must be of satisfactory quality, fit for a particular purpose and as described by the seller. A trader can upgrade, fix, enhance and improve the features of, or add new features to, digital content so long as it continues to match any description given by the trader. It must also continue to conform with any pre-contract information as to main characteristics, functionality and compatibility provided by the trader.

Consumers in England and Wales are encouraged to report any concerns to the Citizens Advice consumer service, who will pass intelligence to Trading Standards, allowing them to understand and act upon areas where consumers are experiencing the most harm.

The Department for Business and Trade has integrated its support for SMEs in a single, accessible place – the Business Growth Service – making it easier and quicker for businesses to access the right support at the right time.

Business.gov.uk hosts our online export offer and is the route into DBT’s wider network of export support. Businesses can access a wealth of information on exporting, including advice on paperwork, rules of origin, customs duties, and regulations.

The support available also includes the Business Academy, which offers free online training through webinars to help businesses build market knowledge and export capability.

DBT is taking steps to reduce regulatory barriers for exporting businesses by supporting the uptake of digitalised trade processes. Through the Digital Trade Corridors programme, focused on key European markets such as France and Germany, we are identifying regulatory and policy barriers and encouraging businesses to adopt digital tools. This is complemented by an SME capability programme helping smaller firms benefit from digitalisation. Internationally, the UK works with partners, including through UNCITRAL, the WTO, and the Commonwealth, as well as bilaterally through Trade Committees and Dialogues, to promote legal and regulatory harmonisation.

On 8 May 2025, the UK Government announced a landmark economic deal with the US that included new reciprocal market access on beef – giving UK farmers a guaranteed quota for 13,000 metric tonnes of beef exports.

All food imports into the UK, including those agreed with the US, must comply with all of the UK’s import requirements, including sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) rules. Decisions on food safety standards are always made in the interest of protecting human, animal or plant life or health in the UK.

It was this government that got the first trade deal with the US, protecting British jobs and saving people money. We remain the only country to have secured a 10% tariff on cars within quota, agreed a 0% tariff on pharmaceutical exports to the US, and avoided the 50% global steel and aluminium tariff.

The Department for Business and Trade 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. UK businesses can access guidance on exporting, including to the US, via business.gov.uk.

Any final agreement will be scrutinised by Parliament in line with established procedures.

Any primary or secondary legislation required to implement an agreement will also be subject to standard legislative procedures.

In line with the commitment made between our Prime Ministers in June 2025, the UK-Canada Economic and Trade Working Group met over the course of last year in order to identify ways in which the UK and Canada can deepen cooperation, tackle market access barriers and grow our bilateral trading relationship, which was worth £30bn in the 12 months to June 2025 .

The Working Group has identified a number of priority bilateral workstreams for 2026, including updating the UK-Canada Trade Continuity Agreement’s Rules of Origin, and deepening cooperation on critical minerals, carbon border measures, economic security, and defence procurement and trade.

The joint report for Prime Ministers itself is subject to ongoing discussions with the Government of Canada, and will be finalised in due course.

In line with the commitment made between our Prime Ministers in June 2025, the UK-Canada Economic and Trade Working Group met over the course of last year in order to identify ways in which the UK and Canada can deepen cooperation, tackle market access barriers and grow our bilateral trading relationship, which was worth £30bn in the 12 months to June 2025.

The Working Group has identified a number of priority bilateral workstreams for 2026, including updating the UK-Canada Trade Continuity Agreement’s Rules of Origin, and deepening cooperation on critical minerals, carbon border measures, economic security, and defence procurement and trade.

The joint report for Prime Ministers itself is subject to ongoing discussions with the Government of Canada, and will be finalised in due course.

In line with the commitment made between our Prime Ministers in June 2025, the UK-Canada Economic and Trade Working Group met over the course of last year in order to identify ways in which the UK and Canada can deepen cooperation, tackle market access barriers and grow our bilateral trading relationship, which was worth £30bn in the 12 months to June 2025.

The Working Group has identified a number of priority bilateral workstreams for 2026, including updating the UK-Canada Trade Continuity Agreement’s Rules of Origin, and deepening cooperation on critical minerals, carbon border measures, economic security, and defence procurement and trade.

The joint report for Prime Ministers itself is subject to ongoing discussions with the Government of Canada, and will be finalised in due course.

Businesses will benefit from better trade terms with Canada once they ratify our CPTPP accession, which should happen later this year. Canada began its ratification legislative process last September, and it is making good progress through their Parliament.

My Department is helping businesses take advantage of the opportunities offered by CPTPP through engagement, guidance, and practical support, and we will share detailed guidance on Canada at entry into force. The Government will continue to work with our Canadian counterparts to reduce barriers and enable businesses in both countries to reap the benefits offered by CPTPP.

My Department is committed to supporting British exporters, including by ensuring they can trade under CPTPP terms with Canada as soon as possible.

UK businesses will benefit from the CPTPP Customs Chapter, which promotes efficient, consistent, transparent, and predictable customs procedures, while also allowing Parties to maintain effective customs control. CPTPP members have also committed to updating and enhancing the customs Chapter, as set out within the General Review Report in the CPTPP Ministerial Joint Statement, November 2025.

These enhancements will apply to the UK-Canada relationship once CPTPP enters into force between our countries, which should be later this year.

Although we have concluded negotiations, we have not yet reached signature, let alone ratification, so this question is premature. However DBT’s Free Trade Agreement Utilisation team helps businesses understand and benefit from the UK’s new Free Trade Agreements, such as the new UK-Republic of Korea FTA, working in partnership with businesses and their representatives.

New data localisation and transparency provisions will provide legal certainty to UK firms on their treatment by Korean authorities, underpinned by appropriate enforcement mechanisms. The Republic of Korea has also agreed to publish new regulatory guidance on its domestic data rules which will give firms practical, accessible information to help navigate the Republic of Korea’s data regime and make effective use of the agreement’s commitments.

The upgraded UK-Republic of Korea FTA will include provisions to streamline import and export documentation requirements by simplifying customs declarations and allowing businesses to self-certify the origin status of their goods so that they can qualify for preferential tariffs. The Republic of Korea has also committed to publishing customs information in English, making it more accessible for UK businesses. The FTA also streamlines licensing processes by encouraging online publication of key information, eliminating unreasonable fees and facilitating electronic payments.

Steel is a top priority for this Government. The sector is facing a challenging and uncertain global landscape due to significant steel overcapacity. We are therefore developing robust new measures in light of the steel safeguard expiring at the end of June 2026.

DBT Ministers and officials regularly engage with stakeholders across the steel industry, including producers and downstream businesses. On 10 November, Minister McDonald and I met with representatives from across the downstream steel sector.

We look forward to saying more in early 2026, including publishing our Steel Strategy.

Detailed economic scoping analysis of an upgraded UK-Turkey FTA was published in March 2024. A full Impact Assessment will be published upon the completion of negotiations.

In the four quarters to the end of Q2 2025, UK-Turkey bilateral services trade was worth £7.7 billion, with UK exports comprising £3.4 billion. Despite this strong performance, Turkey is a relatively restrictive services export market, with an above-average OECD Services Trade Restrictiveness Index scoring. We are seeking to ease this restrictiveness, providing improved market access and greater legal certainty for UK services exporters, including through provisions on recognition of professional qualifications.

Ofcom is the independent regulator for the postal sector with the responsibility and powers to regulate postal services.

The ‘Mail Integrity Objectives’, set out in Ofcom’s Essential Condition 1, seek to minimise the potential for parcels to be subject to loss, theft, damage or interference. Currently this Essential Condition is effectively restricted to Royal Mail’s services delivered under its universal postal service obligation.

Ofcom engages regularly with all parcel operators to understand their approach to implementation of, and compliance with, its consumer protection measures.

Provisions on the recognition of professional qualifications (RPQ) are an important part of the services chapters in the UK’s international trade agreements, including within the UK-Switzerland RPQ Agreement and our Free Trade Agreements with Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Australia, New Zealand and India.

DBT works closely with our overseas partners to promote the UK’s world-leading professional qualifications. Under our international arrangements DBT has committed to encourage our independent occupational regulators and professional membership bodies, including the British Computer Society, to consider pursuing RPQ agreements with international partners. DBT supports these bodies to do so.

The Government has not assessed the impacts of the practices detailed in the CMA’s Cloud Service Market Investigation.

In the Final Report published on 31 July 2025, the key recommendation was for the CMA Board to prioritise commencing investigations under the digital markets regime to consider designating the two largest providers - Microsoft and AWS - with strategic market status in relation to cloud services.

We are changing how we deliver export support in line with the Trade Strategy, and in response to the asks of businesses and our stakeholders, to provide a more accessible and easier to navigate offer that utilises technology to deliver more cost-effective and impactful support for SME exporters. For the first time, DBT has integrated its support for SMEs in a single place – the Business Growth Service – making government support for SME exporters more accessible and effective.

We will focus our resources where they can have the greatest impact, supporting businesses with the highest growth potential and targeting markets with significant economic opportunity. This strategic approach will deliver better value for taxpayers and stronger results for UK exporters. In addition, we expect UKEF to play a more substantial role in supporting SMEs to export.

We are changing how we deliver export support in line with the Trade Strategy, and in response to the asks of businesses and our stakeholders, to provide a more accessible and easier to navigate offer that utilises technology to deliver more cost-effective and impactful support for SME exporters. For the first time, DBT has integrated its support for SMEs in a single place – the Business Growth Service – making government support for SME exporters more accessible and effective.

We will focus our resources where they can have the greatest impact, supporting businesses with the highest growth potential and targeting markets with significant economic opportunity. This strategic approach will deliver better value for taxpayers and stronger results for UK exporters. In addition, we expect UKEF to play a more substantial role in supporting SMEs to export.

We are changing how we deliver export support in line with the Trade Strategy, and in response to the asks of businesses and our stakeholders, to provide a more accessible and easier to navigate offer that utilises technology to deliver more cost-effective and impactful support for SME exporters. For the first time, DBT has integrated its support for SMEs in a single place – the Business Growth Service – making government support for SME exporters more accessible and effective.

We will focus our resources where they can have the greatest impact, supporting businesses with the highest growth potential and targeting markets with significant economic opportunity. This strategic approach will deliver better value for taxpayers and stronger results for UK exporters. In addition, we expect UKEF to play a more substantial role in supporting SMEs to export.

As set out in the Trade Strategy our overseas network will increasingly focus on the markets, sectors and opportunities that will drive UK economic growth for the next decade and beyond. We will have fewer export support staff in some markets as we focus more of our resource on attracting high value inward investment and tackling the market access barriers that hold British exporters back. We are working through the specific impact in each market, but directly supporting British exporters will remain the biggest part of what DBT teams do overseas.

DBT is making use of AI tools to improve our services to business, but we are not replacing staff with AI and digital technology.

All staff in the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) were able to apply for a voluntary exit scheme, before the announcement of workforce reductions. Staff impacted in export support services and in other areas of DBT may be offered redundancy, voluntary redundancy and redeployment opportunities in line with the rest of the department.

The Department for Business and Trade’s new export structures in the UK are expected to be in place from 1 April, however the workforce reductions in teams involved in export work across the UK and overseas will be ongoing over the course of 2026.

A programme of transformation for the Department for Business and Trade’s export services is ongoing and will entail workforce changes. It is not yet possible to determine a level of redundancies that might result from that process. Any related funding needs will be addressed within the course of business planning.