Asked by: Sarah Dyke (Liberal Democrat - Glastonbury and Somerton)
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 (a) export opportunities and (b) support needs for (i) manufacturers and (ii) suppliers of (A) machinery and (B) technology used by the (1) agricultural and (2) outdoor power equipment sectors.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The agri-tech sector, covering agricultural machinery and technology, was identified in the Industrial Strategy as a high-growth area with strong export potential. The sector is expected to grow with global demand increasing for technologies to support economical resilience. To support manufacturers and suppliers, a bespoke Agri-Tech Export Accelerator Programme is under development, which will match high-growth potential businesses with the most promising markets and upskill companies to build resilient supply chains.
Additionally, the Government will invest £200 million in the Farming Innovation Programme by 2030 to drive agricultural innovation. These initiatives, shaped by the Industrial Strategy, aim to boost global competitiveness for this highly innovative sector.
Asked by: Sarah Dyke (Liberal Democrat - Glastonbury and Somerton)
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 (a) introducing targeted support for small and medium-sized enterprises exhibiting at sector-relevant international trade shows and (b) establishing a successor to the Tradeshow Access Programme.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Though our Trade Strategy, Industrial Strategy, and Small Business Plan, we are putting in place the policies, support, and services needed to drive export-led growth. For the first time, DBT has integrated its support for SMEs across all sectors in a single, accessible platform - the Business Growth Service - designed to help businesses across the UK start, scale, and succeed globally.
From tailored market advice and free Export Academy training to UK Export Finance and our on-the-ground network around the world that facilitate trade missions, we are making it easier for businesses to navigate global markets. We continue to review how we can improve our support, including how we connect firms to new opportunities, and build the capability to seize them.
Asked by: Sarah Dyke (Liberal Democrat - Glastonbury and Somerton)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he expects people affected by failures in the Post Office Horizon IT system to receive compensation by March 2025.
Answered by Gareth Thomas
Government is committed to providing redress to individuals affected by the Horizon scandal as quickly as possible. We continue to seek options to speed up redress, in discussion with the Horizon Compensation Advisory Board. For example, on the Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme we have recently committed to providing offers on fully completed claims within 40 working days in 90% of cases, in line with our commitment on the GLO scheme. As of 30 September 2024, approximately £363 million has been paid to over 2,900 claimants across the available schemes.
Setting a target of March 2025 for every sub-postmaster affected by failures in the Horizon Scandal to receive compensation in full could put pressure on vulnerable postmasters who may need more time to finalise their claim with their legal representatives, or to respond to offers. It could also rule out new potential claimants, who are still coming forward.
Asked by: Sarah Dyke (Liberal Democrat - Glastonbury and Somerton)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department supports rural businesses.
Answered by Gareth Thomas
Businesses across the country, including those in rural areas, can access support through their local Growth Hubs. DBT is committed to helping rural businesses to boost exports, improve access to finance, stamp out late payment practices and compete for public procurement contracts.
Asked by: Sarah Dyke (Liberal Democrat - Glastonbury and Somerton)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what his expected timetable is for when sub-postmasters impacted by the Horizon IT System will start receiving letters on compensation entitlements.
Answered by Gareth Thomas
The Government is committed to ensuring justice and financial redress is delivered as swiftly as possible for postmasters affected by the Horizon IT Scandal, whether that is through the redress schemes that are already operating or the new scheme which we intend to launch before the end of this month for those whose convictions have been overturned by the Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Act and the Post Office (Horizon System) Offences (Scotland) Act.