Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when he plans to bring into force secondary legislation contained within the Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025, which received Royal Assent in July 2025, enables the government to modernise, replace and simplify regulations. The Act’s powers have already been used to update the Outdoor Noise Regulations and the Government recently confirmed it will use the Act’s powers to update the Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008, following a call for evidence. Further reviews of regulations will follow.

In particular, as announced in November’s Budget, the Government intends to publish a consultation shortly on major reforms to level the playing field between online and physical retailers, improve consumer safety and streamline enforcement powers.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he plans to publish a consultation on the measures within the Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025 in relation to product safety.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025, which received Royal Assent in July 2025, enables the government to modernise, replace and simplify regulations. The Act’s powers have already been used to update the Outdoor Noise Regulations and the Government recently confirmed it will use the Act’s powers to update the Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008, following a call for evidence. Further reviews of regulations will follow.

In particular, as announced in November’s Budget, the Government intends to publish a consultation shortly on major reforms to level the playing field between online and physical retailers, improve consumer safety and streamline enforcement powers.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she had made of the adequacy of the benefits of the legal structure of National Highways.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

In May 2016 the Department for Transport (DfT) commissioned Ipsos MORI and Risk Solutions to undertake an evaluation of the Roads Reform programme, which included the establishment of what is now National Highways, to inform future Road Investment Strategies and other policy decisions relating to the strategic road network. Ipsos MORI published a third evaluation report in 2022, following two earlier evaluation reports in 2017 and 2019. All three reports are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/evaluation-of-roads-reform

The reports evaluated the extent to which the reforms have contributed, as intended, to a better experience for road users and better value for money for taxpayers. A fourth evaluation report has been commissioned and is due to be published this year.

The performance of National Highways is reviewed regularly, including by the Office of Rail and Road that published an annual assessment of the second road period (2020-2025), available here https://www.orr.gov.uk/annual-assessment-national-highways-performance-end-second-road-period-april-2020-march-2025

In July 2025 the Department for Transport laid in Parliament its annual report covering National Highways’ performance during 2024/25, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-highways-performance-report-2024-to-2025

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of including trade union representatives in Alan Milburn's investigation to tackle rising youth inactivity.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

DWP recognises the important role that the trade unions can play in a modern workplace, including the benefits that effective engagement between employers and unions can bring.

Colleagues working on the Young People and Work Report continue to engage with trade union representatives.

As part of the report, Alan Milburn is engaging with a range of fellow experts in the labour market, education, welfare and health spheres, as well as employers and people with lived experience to inform the findings and recommendations.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he plans to launch a consultation on introducing a single status of worker.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Government is committed to consulting on employment status as soon as possible. The consultation will seek to address issues with the framework which can enable worker exploitation and leave vulnerable workers without core employment protections.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he has taken to move towards a single status of worker.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Government is committed to consulting on employment status as soon as possible. The consultation will seek to address issues with the framework which can enable worker exploitation and leave vulnerable workers without core employment protections.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the competitiveness of the UK's refined petroleum industry.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government recognises the challenges facing the refining sector in the UK. The Government continues to engage with the fuel industry to explore what steps can be taken to further support the sector, including considering the feasibility and impacts of including refined products in the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) in the future.

The government has just launched a call for evidence to shape the UK’s long-term strategy for the downstream oil sector. This will gather industry views on the opportunities and barriers to transition, issues and risks to energy security and what Government support may be needed to promote a managed transition.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when he plans to introduce the draft code of practice on electronic and workplace balloting for statutory union ballots.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The consultation on the draft Code of Practice on electronic and workplace balloting for statutory union ballots recently closed on 28 January. Officials are in the process of reviewing the responses, and we will publish a formal response in due course.

A final draft of the Code of Practice will be laid in Parliament alongside the statutory instrument to enable these new voting methods to take effect in August 2026.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, for what reason the introduction of electronic and workplace balloting was moved from April to August 2026.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The government will introduce electronic and workplace balloting through a statutory instrument under Section 54 of the Employment Relations Act 2004. Section 54 contains strict requirements that must be met in relation to ensuring that those entitled to vote have the opportunity to do so, the risk of malpractice is minimised, and ensuring that votes are cast in secret. This means the statutory instrument is complex and must be sufficiently detailed in order to meet these requirements. Therefore, to ensure we get the detail right and to minimise the risk of unintended consequences, there will be a short delay and these measures will now take effect in August 2026.

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 merits of making the Fair Work Agency a prescribed body under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Fair Work Agency will be established in phases. Initially, in April 2026, we will focus on bringing together the current enforcement bodies, delivering a single set of enforcement and investigatory powers, establishing the Advisory Board and ensuring there are clear routes for workers and businesses to get in touch.

Once established, the Agency will expand its enforcement role and we will consider any additional functions, such as whether it should become a prescribed body for whistleblowing disclosures.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when he plans to introduce consultation on the reduction of membership threshold from 10% for statutory union recognition ballots.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Government will implement in April the power in the Employment Rights Act that enables Ministers to issue secondary legislation to vary the 10% recognition application threshold, within parameters of 10% to 2% membership of the bargaining unit.

We intend to consult on varying the threshold later this year.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when he plans to set out the timelines for the introduction of a (a) consultation on and (b) implementation of secondary legislation contained in Section 24 of the Employment Rights Act 2025.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Section 24 of the Employment Rights Act 2025 will address the misuse of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) by employers who want to silence workers about harassment and discrimination in the workplace.

The Government will consult on the conditions under which NDAs can still be validly made (known in the legislation as 'excepted agreement'). We will also consult on the individuals that a worker with an excepted agreement can speak to (e.g., police or medical professionals).

We will bring forward the consultation shortly. The consultation will inform the policy detail in order to draft regulations and commence this measure in due course.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when he plans to take steps to tackle subscription traps.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The government is committed to protecting consumers who enter into subscription contracts. We consulted on the implementation of the new subscription contracts regime in the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act and have engaged closely with stakeholders. We are carefully considering the points raised and a government response will be published in due course.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of including trade union representatives to the Youth Guarantee Advisory Panel.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Youth Guarantee Advisory Panel is made up of young people aged 18-24 from diverse backgrounds who bring valuable lived experience of overcoming barriers to accessing and participating in education, employment or training. Its purpose is to provide direct insight from young people with lived experience of not being in education, employment or training, ensuring their voices shape policy development.

The panel has been established jointly by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and the Department for Education (DfE) in collaboration with our partners, Youth Futures Foundation (YFF) and Youth Employment UK (YEUK), who are responsible for recruiting and safeguarding young people involved.

DWP recognises the important role that the trade unions can play in a modern workplace, including the benefits that effective engagement between employers and unions can bring. The Department continues to engage regularly with trade unions on a range of areas of policy development.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what evidence and compliance assessments the Environment Agency relied upon when permitting the continued operation of the Stanlow refinery, including in relation to BAT 52 obligations.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Environment Agency (EA) assessed the Stanlow refinery BAT 52 derogation against known pollutants such as non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOC) benzene. The EA confirmed there would be no increase in emission concentrations from the White Oil Docks vent or other site activities as a result of the derogation. [assets.pub...ice.gov.uk]

The operator’s impact assessment followed the EA’s established methodology in ‘Air emissions risk assessment for your environmental permit’, which evaluates potential effects on sensitive human health receptors. The operator submitted dispersion modelling in accordance with this guidance, and the modelling and assessment report is available on the EA Public Register. [consult.en...ncy.gov.uk] The EA concluded that long‑ and short‑term impacts from these known pollutants under BAT 52 are not significant.

Submit Evidence (by 10 Apr 2026)

In this inquiry, the Business and Trade Committee will scrutinise the Government’s approach to economic engagement with China. In particular, it will assess the potential net benefits to the UK of deeper economic integration with China, and how these benefits compare to the risks that closer ties with China may bring.

Submit Evidence (by 12 Apr 2026)

Demand for critical minerals has grown rapidly in recent years. New technologies, including turbines and data centres, require more minerals than the older systems they replace. At the same time, global trade in these materials has become more fractured and competitive.

Submit Evidence (by 3 Apr 2026)

The Business and Trade Committee is launching an inquiry into Artificial Intelligence (AI) in order to better understand the opportunities and costs for businesses and the workforce, and to make recommendations on Government priorities.