Asked by: Shivani Raja (Conservative - Leicester East)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the long-term competitiveness of the UK automotive industry in the context of increasing reliance on software-defined vehicle technologies.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
This Government is supporting the long-term competitiveness of the UK automotive industry by backing the technologies that will shape the next generation of vehicles. Our flagship DRIVE35 initiative is supporting research and development in zero emission vehicle technologies including software defined vehicle technologies, accelerating commercial scale up, and attracting investment in manufacturing.
Asked by: Shivani Raja (Conservative - Leicester East)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the implications for UK supply chain resilience of increased demand for critical minerals arising from the electrification of the heavy goods vehicle fleet.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 16th June to question UIN 8641 (Written questions and answers - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament).
Asked by: Shivani Raja (Conservative - Leicester East)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment the Government has made of the potential impact of differential per capita funding levels between devolved and non-devolved regions on small and medium-sized enterprises considering business location decisions.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government’s Industrial Strategy sets out a long-term plan to support growth across the UK. Delivering the Industrial Strategy, regulatory reform and other steps will help to ensure the UK remains competitive, delivers long-term sustainable growth and that its economic fundamentals remain strong.
To assist all Growth Hubs in long-term planning, we will establish indicative multi- year core funding budgets for 2026-29 and provide flexibility to accommodate local government reorganisation. This funding will form part of the Integrated Settlement in Established Mayoral Strategic Authorities, per our commitment in the English Devolution White Paper.
Asked by: Shivani Raja (Conservative - Leicester East)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to prevent declines in manufacturing output.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Last year this government published our 10-year Modern Industrial Strategy, setting out our long-term approach to strengthening domestic capability. Alongside it, Government published the Advanced Manufacturing Sector Plan, which outlines both sector-specific and cross-cutting measures – including on energy, skills, innovation, tech adoption and access to finance - to make the UK the best place to start and grow a manufacturing business. Through this plan, Government committed £4.3 billion to support manufacturers over 5 years, including up to £2.8 billion for R&D alone, alongside £4 billion in funding available from the British Business Bank Industrial Strategy Growth Capital and £27.8 billion available from the National Wealth Fund to help manufacturing business access the finance they need to expand.
Asked by: Shivani Raja (Conservative - Leicester East)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what support his Department is providing to manufacturers.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Last year this government published our 10-year Modern Industrial Strategy, setting out our long-term approach to strengthening domestic capability. Alongside it, Government published the Advanced Manufacturing Sector Plan, which outlines both sector-specific and cross-cutting measures – including on energy, skills, innovation, tech adoption and access to finance - to make the UK the best place to start and grow a manufacturing business. Through this plan, Government committed £4.3 billion to support manufacturers over 5 years, including up to £2.8 billion for R&D alone, alongside £4 billion in funding available from the British Business Bank Industrial Strategy Growth Capital and £27.8 billion available from the National Wealth Fund to help manufacturing business access the finance they need to expand.
Asked by: Shivani Raja (Conservative - Leicester East)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to protect consumers from rogue builders.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
This Government is working to ensure we have a high-quality and professional construction industry, with consumer protection at the heart of this. TrustMark, sponsored by the Department and licenced by the Government, is the Government Endorsed Quality Scheme that covers work a consumer chooses to have carried out in or around their home. In addition, the Building Safety Act 2022 has introduced competence requirements for both individuals and businesses working in the built environment.
Asked by: Shivani Raja (Conservative - Leicester East)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what estimate his Department has made of the number of UK businesses that have relocated overseas since July 2024; and what information his Department holds on the reasons for those relocations.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Department for Business and Trade does not hold this information. We continue to support UK businesses and have many avenues through which businesses of all sizes can explore opportunities to grow internationally. We will continue to review how we can support businesses moving forward.
Asked by: Shivani Raja (Conservative - Leicester East)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that estate agents comply with existing consumer protection law; to help support effective enforcement action against rogue operators who mislead consumers; and to help ensure regulations on responsible businesses are not burdensome.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (DMCCA), protects consumers from unfair trading practices and prohibits traders, including estate agents, from omitting (or providing unclear, untimely or obscure) material information to consumers in any ‘invitation to purchase’.
The DMCCA 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.
The CMA has published updated guidance on price transparency and unfair commercial practices to help businesses comply.
Asked by: Shivani Raja (Conservative - Leicester East)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what his policy is on seeking a UK-Mercosur free trade agreement.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Mercosur countries are important partners for the UK and I am personally committed to strengthening our bilateral trading relationships to remove barriers to trade and help grow UK exports. I recently visited Brazil, where I signed agreements on customs, regulatory reform and export credit and pushed Brazil to complete the Double Taxation Agreement; and Argentina to further UK interests on whisky, financial services and air services.
The UK is not currently negotiating a Free Trade Agreement with Mercosur. Any decision to seek to negotiate a Free Trade Agreement with Mercosur would be communicated to the House in the usual way.
Asked by: Shivani Raja (Conservative - Leicester East)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to protect consumers from fraudulent business practices.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is implementing the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers (DMCC) Act which 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.
The DMCC Act also bans the buying, selling, and publishing of fake reviews, and restates existing prohibitions on misleading consumers in the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations (2008).
DBT also funds Citizens Advice to provide the consumer service which supports consumers to resolve disputes and assert their rights.