Asked by: Sarah Hall (Labour (Co-op) - Warrington South)
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 ensure that workers in the tech and creative sectors are able to organise and participate in trade union activity.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government believes that strong trade unions are essential for tackling insecurity, inequality, discrimination and low pay.
Through the Employment Rights Act 2025, we are simplifying the statutory union recognition process, establishing a formal right of access for unions to enter the workplaces, introducing a new duty on employers to inform workers of their right to join a trade union, simplifying industrial action notices, and strengthening protection from backlisting.
These reforms will make it easier for trade unions to recruit and organise in all sectors of the economy, including the tech and creative sectors.
Asked by: Sarah Hall (Labour (Co-op) - Warrington South)
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 employment law protects workers engaged in collective bargaining or union recognition processes from redundancy or dismissal.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
It is unlawful for an employer to dismiss a worker for being a member of a trade union and for dismissing or imposing detriments on a worker for engaging in trade union activity, including activity related to the trade union recognition process.
Previously it was only workers who were classed as employees who were protected from dismissal for industrial action. To ensure all workers are protected, this government has introduced new protection from detriments in s. 236A in the Employment Rights Act, which means other ("limb (b)") workers are now also protected from dismissal for taking industrial action.
Asked by: Sarah Hall (Labour (Co-op) - Warrington South)
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 increase uptake of statutory paternity leave and pay.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
This Government is committed to strengthening rights for working parents. From April, Paternity Leave will become a day‑one right, removing qualifying periods that currently prevent 32,000 fathers a year from accessing it.
We also know that more can be done to support working parents. The ongoing Parental Leave and Pay Review is examining all parental leave entitlements, including Paternity Leave and Pay.
Asked by: Sarah Hall (Labour (Co-op) - Warrington South)
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 cumulative impact of property taxes, staffing costs, food and drink inflation and energy prices on the financial sustainability of hospitality businesses.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government recognises the significant pressures facing the hospitality sector and the Government is providing support through various measures to help ease these pressures.
We aim to permanently reduce business rates for RHL properties with a rateable value of less than 500,000 and we have announced a new Zero Carbon Services Hospitality trial which aims for Pubs, cafes, restaurants and hotels to receive free energy and carbon cutting advice to slash their energy bills as part of the government’s Plan for Change.
Additionally, the Employment Allowance has been increased to £10,500, meaning 865,000 employers will pay no National Insurance Contributions enabling businesses to employ up to four full-time staff on the National Living Wage without incurring employer NIC costs.
The Department will continue to engage with the sector, including through the Hospitality Sector Council with an aim to co-create solutions to the issues impacting the sector.
Asked by: Sarah Hall (Labour (Co-op) - Warrington South)
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 tackle rogue traders and protect consumers.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Consumer legislation sets out protections for consumers.
The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 strengthens consumer law enforcement by giving the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) new administrative powers, and the CMA and courts the ability to impose significant monetary penalties of up to 10% of turnover.
DBT provides additional funding through the National Trading Standards Board and Trading Standards Scotland to prioritise and coordinate national and regional consumer enforcement in England, Wales and Scotland respectively.
DBT also funds Citizens Advice to provide the consumer service which supports consumers to assert their rights. Citizens Advice also run an annual Scams Awareness campaign.
Asked by: Sarah Hall (Labour (Co-op) - Warrington South)
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 the government endorsed Trustmark scheme protects consumers from rogue traders.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
This Government is working to ensure we have a high-quality and professional construction industry, with consumer protection at its heart. We work closely with TrustMark, which is sponsored by the Department and licenced by the Government, as the Government Endorsed Quality Scheme that covers work a consumer chooses to have carried out in or around their home.
The Government is supporting TrustMark to continue to further its ability to improve the quality of the information it has and to identify firms and individuals that pose a risk to consumers.
Asked by: Sarah Hall (Labour (Co-op) - Warrington South)
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 support the aluminium industry through its negotiations on free trade agreements.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
We have taken decisive action to support the UK aluminium industry through recent trade agreements that reduce barriers and enhance market access by removing tariffs.
Additionally, thanks to the strength of the UK-US partnership, the UK remains the only country to benefit from a 25% tariff on steel and aluminium exports to the US, avoiding the global rate of 50%. The UK is the only country to have secured this commitment, giving our companies a competitive advantage.
Asked by: Sarah Hall (Labour (Co-op) - Warrington South)
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 support the aluminium industry in the context of (a) US tariffs and (b) global competition.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Thanks to the strength of the UK-US partnership, the UK remains the only country to benefit from a preferential 25% tariff on steel and aluminium exports to the US, avoiding the global rate of 50%. The UK is therefore uniquely positioned as the only country to have secured this commitment, giving our companies a 25% competitive advantage over global competitors.
After US global tariffs were introduced in May, the Business Secretary instructed the Trade Remedies Authority to work with the aluminium industry to gather and assess evidence for possible trade protection measures.
Asked by: Sarah Hall (Labour (Co-op) - Warrington South)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department considered including policies on the aluminium sector within the Industrial Strategy, CP 1337, published on 23 June 2025.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
I refer the Member of Parliament for Warrington to the answer I provided to UIN 72881 on 17th September, which was in response to a similar question she previously tabled: “To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, for what reason the aluminium sector was not included in the Industrial Strategy.”
Asked by: Sarah Hall (Labour (Co-op) - Warrington South)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, for what reason the aluminium sector was not included in the Industrial Strategy.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Industrial Strategy focusses on the eight sectors with the highest economic potential, while supporting the Government's strategic objectives of resilient, environmentally sustainable, and regionally balanced growth. It also identifies foundational inputs for those sectors, including aluminium.
The aluminium sector will benefit from wider growth policies. The latest UK criticality assessment includes aluminium within its critical minerals list, to be used as the basis for the upcoming Critical Minerals Strategy. Some aluminium businesses will benefit from the increased network charge compensation.
We will also consult on eligibility for the new British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme, which will cut electricity bills for electricity-intensive industries by up to 25%.