Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Independent - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to increase foreign investment in the North West.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Growth is the government’s central economic mission and we are currently developing an Industrial Strategy which aims to drive growth across the UK through investment in key sectors and regions. We are also hosting the International Investment Summit in October, to bring together global investors and regional leaders to advance opportunities for investment and growth across the country. Additional measures to improve the business environment and increase investment into the UK will be announced at the summit.
For the North West specifically, we will support delivery of the Local Growth Plans. We will continue showcasing investment opportunities across the North West to potential investors, and provide account management services for investors already in the region to help them build and scale.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Independent - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps her Department is taking to help small businesses train their skilled staff.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
We provide extensive business support for Small and Medium Enterprise (SMEs) to upskill their teams.
Help to Grow: Management is an intensive national training programme to improve SMEs leadership and management skills. SMEs can apply and develop their skills in areas such as financial management, innovation, and staff engagement. Help to Grow: Management provides practical support for SMEs to upskill their staff, helping lead their business to its full potential.
The Department has also developed the UK Export Academy. This is a free training programme for SMEs and their staff, designed to give businesses the confidence to sell overseas.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Independent - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of making it mandatory for lithium-ion batteries to have third-party certification in order to be placed on the market.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) is prioritising work to understand and tackle the risks presented by e-bikes and e-scooters and has commissioned research into the safety of lithium-ion batteries.
OPSS and Local Authority Trading Standards Services have powers to remove unsafe products from sale and are using data and intelligence to target unsafe products at the border.
The Government launched its Product Safety Review consultation on 2 August which explores the future of the UK’s product safety framework including consideration of third party conformity assessment requirements.
On 9 August, the Home Office published new guidance for consumers on safe battery charging practices in the home.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Independent - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the (a) safety and (b) potential fire risk of lithium-ion batteries in e-bikes and e-scooters.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) is prioritising work to understand and tackle the risks presented by e-bikes and e-scooters and has commissioned research into the safety of lithium-ion batteries.
OPSS and Local Authority Trading Standards Services have powers to remove unsafe products from sale and are using data and intelligence to target unsafe products at the border.
The Government launched its Product Safety Review consultation on 2 August which explores the future of the UK’s product safety framework including consideration of third party conformity assessment requirements.
On 9 August, the Home Office published new guidance for consumers on safe battery charging practices in the home.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Independent - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many small businesses went bankrupt in the last (a) 3, (b) 6, (c) 12 and (d) 24 months.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
Information on company insolvencies is sourced from Companies House. As Companies House does not hold information on the size of companies or all types of businesses, we cannot provide specific numbers of small business failures.
The total number of company insolvencies in the United Kingdom in the periods requested up to 31 May 2023 was:
3 Months | 7,060 |
6 Months | 12,863 |
12 Months | 24,670 |
24 Months | 44,498 |
The number of trader (self-employed) bankruptcies in England & Wales up to 31 March 2023 (the latest date for which data is held) was:
3 Months | 395 |
6 Months | 694 |
12 Months | 1,291 |
24 Months | 2,599 |
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Independent - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many small businesses opened in the last (a) 3, (b) 6, (c) 12 and (d) 24 months.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
The latest available data shows that at the end of March 2023 there were:
- 79,000 business births in the last three months;
- 149,000 business births in the last six months;
- 307,000 business births in the last 12 months; and
- 661,000 business births in the last 24 months.
(ONS, Business demography, Quarterly experimental statistics, UK, Q1 2023)
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Independent - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of giving investigatory powers to the Small Business Commissioner.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
The Government is considering the impact and role of the Small Business Commissioner as part of the Payment and Cash Flow Review. The conclusions of the review will be published in due course.