Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - South Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what resilience measures protect national satellite navigation and communication assets against jamming and spoofing.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The UK does not own or operate any national satellite navigation assets and relies upon Global Navigation Satellite Systems. To mitigate any potential disruption to these Global Navigation Satellite Systems, the Government is implementing the 2023 Policy Framework for Greater Position, Navigation and Timing (PNT) resilience. This includes £13 million over the current Spending Review period to develop a UK interference monitoring programme, to monitor and react to threats to PNT signals like jamming and spoofing. The UK’s national satellite communication assets are military systems and the responsibility of the Secretary of State for Defence.
Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - South Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what oversight the Cabinet Office maintains over foreign direct investment screenings to help protect sensitive domestic assets.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
On 21 July 2026 responsibility for investment screening and the National Security and Investment (NSI) Act passed from the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (CDL) in the Cabinet Office to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade. The powers and requirements under the NSI Act – including the statutory timelines, set processes, and legal tests for using the NSI Act – all remain the same.
Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - South Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what steps he is taking to help insulate UK supply chains from structural volatility.
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 Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade has established and launched a new Supply Chain Centre. The Centre’s mission is to ensure that the UK has a secure supply of the inputs it needs and that businesses are equipped for sustained growth. That’s both for now and in a potentially increasingly disrupted and uncertain future.
The UK government is working with businesses, industry groups and partners across government and internationally to monitor impacts and respond to supply chain disruptions and volatility, including those caused by the conflict in the Middle East.
Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - South Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to increase the number of postal workers in South Shropshire.
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)
As Royal Mail is an independent business, the government is not involved in its operational matters including decisions around recruitment and workforce levels.
Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - South Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 4 June 2026 to Question 5395 on Amodil Group, whether his Department plans to hold discussions with Amodil before 1 July 2026.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
I confirm that officials at the Department for Business and Trade have contacted the company to offer them a meeting.
Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - South Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the ability of UK producers to meet domestic demand for large stainless steel rods in the context of upcoming tariffs on steel.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government has considered the ability of UK producers to meet domestic demand for stainless steel products, including large rods and tubes, and that is being factored into the trade measure design.
The measure has been designed to strike a balance between securing the future of domestic steelmaking while maintaining secure supply chains. It will only cover steel requirements that can be met in the UK. Where not feasible for technical reasons, quotas have been designed with the aim of allowing for sufficient imports to be available to downstream users without unnecessary additional costs.
To ease impacts, we will introduce a transitional arrangement where the measure would not apply to goods agreed under contract before 14 March and imported between 1 July and 30 September 2026. Further details are available on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - South Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to help support the level of footfall on high streets in South Shropshire constituency.
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)
Our Plan for Small Businesses, published in July 2025, places high streets at the centre of economic renewal, recognising them as vital centres of growth and employment.
The Plan sets out how we will help improve footfall to high streets in South Shropshire and those across the UK, by tackling high street decline; addressing retail crime and anti-social behaviour; updating our licensing regime; and promoting greater partnerships on the High Street.
The government is working with local partners and businesses to develop a new MHCLG-led High Streets Strategy that will set out how we will support communities to create vibrant high streets.
Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - South Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the ability of UK producers to meet domestic demand for stainless steel tubes in the context of upcoming tariffs on steel imports.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government has considered the ability of UK producers to meet domestic demand for stainless steel products, including large rods and tubes, and that is being factored into the trade measure design.
The measure has been designed to strike a balance between securing the future of domestic steelmaking while maintaining secure supply chains. It will only cover steel requirements that can be met in the UK. Where not feasible for technical reasons, quotas have been designed with the aim of allowing for sufficient imports to be available to downstream users without unnecessary additional costs.
To ease impacts, we will introduce a transitional arrangement where the measure would not apply to goods agreed under contract before 14 March and imported between 1 July and 30 September 2026. Further details are available on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - South Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to help improve postal services in rural areas.
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 remains committed to ensuring a reliable and accessible universal postal service for users across the UK, including in rural areas.
Ofcom’s changes to Royal Mail’s USO requirements are intended to meet customer needs, improve reliability of postal services and safeguard the long-term future of the universal postal service. We now need Royal Mail to work with its workforce and unions to deliver the service that people expect, and this includes maintaining the principle of one price to send letters anywhere in the UK.
Additionally, to support the sustainability of rural Post Office service provision, the government is committed to maintaining the minimum network of 11,500 branches and existing access criteria, ensuring continued nationwide access to essential services.
Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - South Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, further to his comments at the Second Reading of the Steel Industry (Nationalisation) Bill on Thursday 21 May 2026, whether he intends to reach out to Amodil to discuss the impact of steel tariffs on their business.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
As the Secretary for State stated on 21 May, we can look into any specific issues Amodil raises. This Government recognises the value of downstream, including stockholders, alongside a resilient steelmaking sector.
We will be in touch with the company to take forward.