Asked by: Lloyd Hatton (Labour - South Dorset)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of low-cost imported stone on the competitiveness of UK natural stone producers; and what steps he is taking to help support the natural stone industry.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) is the UK’s investigatory body that exists to defend the UK against unfair international trade practices, including foreign subsidies.
I encourage UK industry to engage directly with the TRA if they believe they are being injured by unfair trading practices as it will be for the TRA to decide whether evidentiary thresholds to initiate a trade remedies investigation are met.
The Department remains vigilant to any reports of potential injury to industries from unfair trading practices and regularly engages with the natural stone sector.
Asked by: Lloyd Hatton (Labour - South Dorset)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the Register of Overseas Entities (Protection and Trusts) (Amendment) Regulations 2025, whether applicants who obtain trust information through this regulation will be allowed to publish this information where it is in the public interest.
Answered by Justin Madders
Under these regulations the presumption is that trust data on the Register of Overseas Entities will normally be disclosed when requested. Most applications will not require the applicant to demonstrate any legitimate interest. Legitimate interest applies where trust data involves a minor or multiple entities. In such cases, applicants must demonstrate their request relates to the investigation of possible money laundering, tax evasion, terrorist financing or sanctions breaches, make a statement it is to further their investigation and explain the information's intended use.
A legitimate interest must be shown for each new application.
The registrar will consider any appropriate restrictions on the use and further disclosure of trust information before disclosing this information to a successful applicant. The applicant may publish this information unless the registrar has imposed a restriction on its further disclosure.
Asked by: Lloyd Hatton (Labour - South Dorset)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the Register of Overseas Entities (Protection and Trusts) (Amendment) Regulations 2025, whether applicants will need to demonstrate legitimate interest for each application where relevant or whether legitimate interest will be presumed once demonstrated.
Answered by Justin Madders
Under these regulations the presumption is that trust data on the Register of Overseas Entities will normally be disclosed when requested. Most applications will not require the applicant to demonstrate any legitimate interest. Legitimate interest applies where trust data involves a minor or multiple entities. In such cases, applicants must demonstrate their request relates to the investigation of possible money laundering, tax evasion, terrorist financing or sanctions breaches, make a statement it is to further their investigation and explain the information's intended use.
A legitimate interest must be shown for each new application.
The registrar will consider any appropriate restrictions on the use and further disclosure of trust information before disclosing this information to a successful applicant. The applicant may publish this information unless the registrar has imposed a restriction on its further disclosure.
Asked by: Lloyd Hatton (Labour - South Dorset)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to The Register of Overseas Entities (Protection and Trusts) (Amendment) Regulations 2025, when applicants are required to demonstrate a legitimate interest; how this differs from information required on application under Regulation 4(1).
Answered by Justin Madders
Under these regulations the presumption is that trust data on the Register of Overseas Entities will normally be disclosed when requested. Most applications will not require the applicant to demonstrate any legitimate interest. Legitimate interest applies where trust data involves a minor or multiple entities. In such cases, applicants must demonstrate their request relates to the investigation of possible money laundering, tax evasion, terrorist financing or sanctions breaches, make a statement it is to further their investigation and explain the information's intended use.
A legitimate interest must be shown for each new application.
The registrar will consider any appropriate restrictions on the use and further disclosure of trust information before disclosing this information to a successful applicant. The applicant may publish this information unless the registrar has imposed a restriction on its further disclosure.