Asked by: Sarah Bool (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
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 impact of the removal of tariffs on US ethanol imports on the UK's bioethanol industry.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The 1.4 billion litre duty free tariff rate quota (TRQ) for US ethanol imports was introduced as part of the negotiation of the General Terms for the UK-US Economic Prosperity Deal (EPD).
Discussions on the EPD are ongoing, covering tariff and non-tariff barriers, including digital and services trade.
Impact assessments are completed at the conclusion of a trade agreement.
Asked by: Sarah Bool (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
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 help increase the domestic production of ammonia.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
We are constantly working with industry to monitor both the overall supply and pricing of ammonia in the UK, including the derivative products.
Asked by: Sarah Bool (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
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 ensure that (a) South Northamptonshire constituency, (b) other semi-rural constituencies and (c) rural constituencies will be affected by (i) the Strategic Sites Accelerator and (ii) other place-based investment initiatives set out in the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy, published on 23 June 2025.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Industrial Strategy is a 10-year plan to back our strengths and realise Britain’s potential, targeting government investment towards eight-growth driving sectors (IS-8). The Strategy’s place-based approach focuses efforts on the city regions and clusters where the IS-8 concentrate, to identify and accelerate the highest-potential opportunities in these places. There are clusters of the growth driving sectors across the whole country, including in rural areas, and the policy package addresses the biggest constraints to growth highlighted by these businesses.
The Strategic Sites Accelerator will prepare and accelerate strategic sites for development. The Office for Investment and Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government are working closely together to identify sites for development which align closely with the Industrial Strategy’s strategic focus and the Government’s Plan for Change.
Asked by: Sarah Bool (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of extending the British Business Bank’s Cluster Champions programme to help support high-growth SMEs in South Northamptonshire.
Answered by Gareth Thomas
The Cluster Champions programme is designed to provide up to £100 million of additional targeted investment to businesses in the eight Industrial Strategy sectors in ten clusters located in city regions across the whole of the UK. While not part of the clusters, high-growth SMEs in South Northamptonshire benefit from access to the £400 million Midlands Engine Investment Fund II, which provides debt and equity finance to businesses across the Midlands.
Asked by: Sarah Bool (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what support his Department is providing for local manufacturers in South Northamptonshire to expand their export markets.
Answered by Gareth Thomas
The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is committed to supporting UK businesses, including in South Northamptonshire, including those in the manufacturing industry, to grow and export. UK businesses can access DBT's wealth of export support via great.gov.uk. This comprises an online support offer and a wider network of support including the Export Academy, UK Export Finance, the International Markets network and one-to-one support from International Trade Advisers.
As part of our work on a new trade strategy and a small business strategy, we are looking at further proposals to help UK businesses to export more.
Asked by: Sarah Bool (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the British Hair Council's report entitled Securing the future of UK hairdressing and beauty: the economic, fiscal & societal case for VAT reform, published in February 2025, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a mandatory register of hairdressing professionals.
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 immediate plans to introduce further regulation of the hair industry, but we will always remain open to evidence