Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
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 contribution of hospitality businesses to economic growth in coastal and rural communities.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government recognises the significant role hospitality businesses play in driving economic growth, employment and community cohesion across the UK, especially in coastal and rural areas. That is why we are offering targeted support for the sector, such as the Hospitality Support Scheme to co-invest in projects that boost productivity and help community pubs adapt to local needs.
Whilst there has been no specific assessment on economic contribution for rural or coastal hospitality businesses, in 2024, the hospitality sector contributed £51.5 billion to the UK economy, representing 2.0% of total output.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he has taken to support hospitality businesses with cashflow pressures.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government recognises the vital role of hospitality businesses in our communities and economy, and the pressures they face, that’s why we’re taking targeted action to support them.
In April, we launched a Taskforce to consider ways to create a more balanced premises licensing system that not only safeguards communities but also supports responsible businesses. On 7 October the Government issued a Call for Evidence on Reforming the licensing system - GOV.UK (deadline: midday, 6 November 2025). These reforms are part of the Small Business Strategy, which also tackles late payments, improves access to finance, and cuts red tape. We want planning and licensing systems to work fairly for businesses and residents.
Additionally, we’re creating a fairer business rates system, including permanently lower rates for retail, hospitality and leisure properties under £500,000 rateable value and continue to work closely with the sector, including through the Hospitality Sector Council to boost productivity and resilience by working together to address the challenges facing businesses.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
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 jobs in the hospitality sector.
Answered by Gareth Thomas
We recognise the vital role hospitality businesses play in driving economic growth and strengthening community cohesion across the country.
We also increased the Employment Allowance to £10,500, meaning 865,000 employers will pay no National Insurance Contributions (NICs) next year. This allows businesses to employ up to four full-time staff on the National Living Wage and pay no employer NICs and we’re committed to introducing permanently lower business rates for Retail, Hospitality and Leisure businesses with rateable values of less than £500,000.
We have recently launched Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs), which help jobseekers move quickly into hospitality roles through flexible training and support. In addition the Hospitality Fund is backing projects that will include addressing skills gaps in the sector and boosting productivity.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent assessment he has made of the barriers to business growth in rural areas.
Answered by Gareth Thomas
Rural areas offer significant potential for growth and are central to our economy. Addressing the needs of businesses in rural areas is at the heart of our policymaking and we continue to revisit and improve our support offers. The upcoming Business Growth Service will unify existing core services nationally while delivering locally, collaborating with local and devolved governments and Growth Hubs.
All businesses, including rural enterprises, can access Local Growth Hubs for tailored support throughout their development journey. Growth hubs customise their offerings based on specific community needs, whether in towns or rural locations.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many businesses have accessed the Help to Grow programme in the latest period for which data is available.
Answered by Gareth Thomas
The Department for Business and Trade publishes data on participant enrolments and completions on the Help to Grow: Management course among transparency documents on gov.uk linked here. Up to the end of March 2025, the programme has supported 11,850 business people since its launch in June 2021.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the export credit schemes run by UK Export Finance.
Answered by Gareth Thomas
The recently-published UK Export Finance (UKEF) Annual Report and Accounts (ARA) for the last financial year show that it provided a record £14.5 billion of support for exports, supported up to 70,000 UK jobs, and contributed up to £5.4 billion to the UK economy. The report is available online, along with those from previous years, at: UK Export Finance annual reports and accounts - GOV.UK.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
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 encourage foreign direct investment.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government has launched a modern Industrial Strategy, removing barriers to investment and improving access to finance to drive nationwide growth.
The expanded Office for Investment (OfI) now offers enhanced commercial expertise and a broader regional presence, working closely with Mayors and Devolved Administrations to connect investors with high-potential opportunities across the UK.
Additionally, UK Export Finance has strengthened its support for international investment through its new ‘Invest-to-Export’ Guarantee, helping overseas firms establish UK-based exporting facilities. These initiatives aim to create a more dynamic, attractive environment for strategic investment and long-term economic development.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has had discussions with the British Blockchain Association on the potential of blockchain technology to (a) reduce fraud, (b) enhance transparency, (c) improve costs and (d) provide efficiency in cross-border trade and commerce.
Answered by Gareth Thomas
As the Chancellor set out her Mansion House Speech on Tuesday, we recognise the transformative potential for digital assets and blockchain technologies to drive economic growth in the UK and increase efficiencies across financial markets. We are proceeding with proposals to create a new financial services regulatory regime for fiat-backed stablecoins.
This will support growth in the UK by giving cryptoasset firms the regulatory certainty needed to invest here, and to help drive innovation in our financial services sector whilst at the same time including rules on regulation, safeguarding and market integrity.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
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 increased tariff-free imports of ethanol under the US-UK trade agreement on (a) the viability of (i) Ensus UK and (ii) other domestic producers, (b) wider supply chains, (c) employment and (d) levels of future investment in (A) the Tees Valley and (B) other affected regions.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Secretary of State for Scotland
Since the announcement of the UK-US Economic Deal on 8 May, the Secretary of State and senior officials from the Department for Business and Trade have been meeting with representatives of the bioethanol sector in the Tees Valley and Humberside to discuss how the quota will impact their businesses.
In parallel, DBT officials are continuing to work closely with other government departments, including the Department for Transport and the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, to monitor and assess risks across the supply chain.
We will continue to work closely with the industry to understand the impacts of the trade deal and other pressures on the UK’s bioethanol sector.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
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 the quantity of ethanol permitted to enter the UK tariff-free under the UK-US trade agreement on the UK bioethanol industry; and what steps his Department plans to take to help support domestic (a) producers and (b) supply chains.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Secretary of State for Scotland
Since the announcement of the UK-US Economic Deal on 8 May, the Secretary of State and senior officials from the Department for Business and Trade have been meeting with representatives of the bioethanol sector in the Tees Valley and Humberside to discuss how the quota will impact their businesses.
In parallel, DBT officials are continuing to work closely with other government departments, including the Department for Transport and the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, to monitor and assess risks across the supply chain.
We will continue to work closely with the industry to understand the impacts of the trade deal and other pressures on the UK’s bioethanol sector.