Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the Heavy Industry and Construction Industry about [i] the potential impacts of increases in the cost of commercial bulk purchasing of diesel and [ii] possible mitigating solutions to assist their operations.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
My Department is monitoring the situation, and is in regular contact with stakeholders, including through our partnership with the Construction Leadership Council, which I co-chair
The Construction Leadership Council’s Material’s Supply Chain Group, in March 2026, noted the main disruption to the sector from the Middle East crisis is the rapid rise in energy prices and their immediate impact on material costs, particularly for products with energy-intensive manufacturing processes or derived from oil-based raw materials
Ministers are being kept updated on the supply chain disruption (and impacts) as part of our cross Whitehall monitoring.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what [i] recent assessment he has made about levels of customer support for the increased availability of local and independent brewery products in local pubs, and [ii] whether this evidence is being considered as part of the Government's response to the Small Breweries Access to Market Review.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government recognises that breweries, particularly small and independent producers, play an important role in the UK’s brewing heritage, supporting diversity, innovation and consumer choice within the pub sector.
The Government will respond to the outcomes of the Small Breweries Access to Market Review in due course and will set out next steps once this consideration is complete. I will meet representatives from across the sector in the next month to discuss the issue before reaching conclusions.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when he will respond to the outcomes of the Small Breweries Access to Market Review and outline the next steps to determine the future market for products in local pubs.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government recognises that breweries, particularly small and independent producers, play an important role in the UK’s brewing heritage, supporting diversity, innovation and consumer choice within the pub sector.
The Government will respond to the outcomes of the Small Breweries Access to Market Review in due course and will set out next steps once this consideration is complete. I will meet representatives from across the sector in the next month to discuss the issue before reaching conclusions.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to support information sharing on supply chain issues and concerns within the vehicle repair sector, as stated in the Motor Insurance Taskforce Final Report (10.12.25).
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department for Business and Trade worked with other government departments, regulators and industry to support information sharing on supply chain issues affecting the vehicle repair sector, as set out in the Report. This included engagement through the Motor Insurance Taskforce and associated cross‑government and industry forums with insurance and motor trade bodies, including the Association of British Insurers and the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. These forums will continue to provide a mechanism for sharing information on supply chain‑related issues, including those affecting vehicle repairs, and for informing wider government consideration of automotive supply chain resilience.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent discussions he has had with motorsport manufacturers and related bodies on growing the sector in the UK.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The UK’s globally recognised motorsport cluster continues to play a vital role in driving engineering excellence and supporting investment across the automotive sector. DBT Ministers have engaged on issues affecting the UK motorsports sector, including a cross‑Whitehall F1 Ministerial Roundtable on 15 January 2024, where Ministers discussed industry priorities with F1 and government partners. The Department engages regularly with the Motorsports Industry Association (MIA) and motorsport manufacturers as part of our wider work to support the UK’s world leading high performance engineering sector. These discussions cover support for innovation, supply chain competitiveness and opportunities for growth through export support and technology‑focused trade missions.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent discussions he has had with OFCOM on a) the business challenges facing Royal Mail and (b) Royal Mail's ability to meet the Universal Service Obligation.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Ministers and officials meet with Ofcom regularly to discuss a range of issues in relation to its role as the independent regulator for the postal sector.
It is for Ofcom to oversee Royal Mail’s delivery of the universal service obligation and decide how to respond should Royal Mail fail to meet its obligations. Ofcom takes compliance with its regulatory targets seriously and this involves conducting thorough investigations where failures have been identified.
In October, Ofcom fined Royal Mail £21 million for failing to meet its quality-of-service targets and has told Royal Mail it must urgently publish and deliver a credible plan that delivers major and continuous improvement.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to support the sustainable bioethnol production sector.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Government has been in negotiations with the bioethanol sector to understand what support could be delivered to ensure its long-term sustainable future.
The Department for Transport confirmed their intention to consult on amendments to the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation, including options for increased targets. DfT also confirmed plans to convene an expert working group to explore whether ethanol blending in petrol can be increased beyond the current E10 blend.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent discussions he has had with independent SMEs on the impact of his Department's policies.
Answered by Gareth Thomas
The UK has 5.5m SMEs and we are committed to hardwiring their voice into government policy, engaging with them in various ways including through roundtables, visits and events.
Hundreds of individual SMEs have been engaged across all sectors and regions as part of co-designing our SME Strategy, including through roundtables across key areas, such as High Streets, Markets and Finance as well as specific policy events such as at Wilton Park.
Engagement with individual SMEs will continue to be a priority pre and post-launch of the SME Strategy to assess the impact of these policies on SMEs across the UK.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, If he would make an assessment of the potential merits of a licensing scheme for (a) hairdressers and (b) barbers.
Answered by Gareth Thomas
Hairdressing salons and barbers, like other employers, are subject to normal business regulations such as health and safety requirements, employer and public liability insurance. The Hairdressers Registration Act of 1964 already provides for a UK register of qualified hairdressers and HMRC will investigate evidence suggesting businesses have misclassified individuals for tax purposes and Government collaborates closely with law enforcement to monitor criminal behaviour.
The Government has no current plans to introduce further regulation of the hair industry, but we will always remain open to considering.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
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 impact of the Hospitality Sector Council on informing wider government policy towards Pubs and the Hospitality Sector.
Answered by Gareth Thomas
The Hospitality Sector Council is designed as a collaboration between government and the sector. The Council has several working groups led by business which work through specific issues and recommend policy initiatives as appropriate.
Through this collaboration, we are addressing strategic issues related to high street regeneration, skills, sustainability, and productivity. This includes expanding the Hospitality Sector-Based Work Academy Program - addressing high vacancy rates by providing jobseekers with bespoke training, work placements, and guaranteed interviews so that they are job ready. The program when piloted was highly successful with 80% of those who completed the course securing employment in the hospitality sector.