Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent discussions he has had with the (a) Home Secretary and (b) Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the prevention of violence against retail workers.
Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Retail crime remains a significant concern, and we are taking steps including measures in the Crime and Policing Bill and in the Safer High Streets missions to tackle this important issue.
We are increasing police spending power by an average 2.3% per year in real terms over the spending review period, supporting us to meet our plan for change commitment of putting 13,000 additional police officers, police community support officers and special constables into neighbourhood policing roles across England and Wales. In the Crime and Policing Bill, we brought in a new offence of assaulting a retail worker to protect the hardworking and dedicated staff that work in stores, and we are removing the legislation which makes shop theft of and below £200 a summary-only offence, sending a clear message that any level of shop theft is illegal and will be taken seriously.
The Minister for Policing and Crime Prevention will continue to host the Retail Crime Forum to ensure regular engagement with law enforcement and the retail sector and to discuss what more we can do to tackle retail crime, including abuse.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent discussions he has had with retailers on the prevention retail crime.
Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Retail crime remains a significant concern, and we are taking steps including measures in the Crime and Policing Bill and in the Safer High Streets missions to tackle this important issue.
We are increasing police spending power by an average 2.3% per year in real terms over the spending review period, supporting us to meet our plan for change commitment of putting 13,000 additional police officers, police community support officers and special constables into neighbourhood policing roles across England and Wales. In the Crime and Policing Bill, we brought in a new offence of assaulting a retail worker to protect the hardworking and dedicated staff that work in stores, and we are removing the legislation which makes shop theft of and below £200 a summary-only offence, sending a clear message that any level of shop theft is illegal and will be taken seriously.
The Minister for Policing and Crime Prevention will continue to host the Retail Crime Forum to ensure regular engagement with law enforcement and the retail sector and to discuss what more we can do to tackle retail crime, including abuse.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has any plans to review the length of statutory paternity leave.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government is committed to making sure that parents receive the best possible support to balance their work and home lives. The Employment Rights Bill will make Paternity Leave a ‘day one’ Right allowing eligible employees to give notice of their intention to take these entitlements from their first day in a new job.
We understand that the parental leave system needs further improvement. That is why we have committed to conducting a review of the system, to ensure it best supports working families.
The review will look at Paternity Leave and Pay, and the length of leave available to fathers and partners.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he plans to ban the import of produce from Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The UK Government has a clear position that Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories are illegal under international law. There are clear risks related to economic and financial activities in the settlements, and we do not encourage or offer support to such activity. Goods produced in these settlements are not entitled to benefit from preferential tariff treatment under the UK’s current trade agreements with the Palestinian Authority and Israel.
The overseas business risk guidance, available on gov.uk, provides information for UK operators on how goods from Israel and the OPTs should be handled.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of UK support for the Mozambique Liquefied natural gas project on the UK's international climate commitments.
Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
UK Export Finance is currently in talks with project sponsors and other lenders, including export credit agencies, and other stakeholders, regarding the latest status of the Mozambique LNG project. At present, UKEF is engaged in conducting relevant due diligence which has yet to conclude.
UK Export Finance follows internationally recognised frameworks for managing environmental, social & human rights risks and impacts of relevant projects. UKEF will take proper account of relevant factors, including international climate change issues.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what information his Department holds on the number of (a) weapons, (b) munitions and (c) other arms exported to Israel in each of the last four months.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
DBT does not hold records of final exports of strategically controlled goods, and the fact that a licence is granted does not mean that an export takes place. For specific trade goods export data, I recommend referring to HMRC.
DBT publishes data on export licences issued for military and dual-use equipment. The most recent publication covers the quarter up to December 2024. This data is available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/strategic-export-controls-licensing-data.
The Export Control Joint Unit (ECJU) has also expanded this publication to include an ad hoc statistics release relating solely to Israel licences, the most recent publication of which was up to 6 December 2024 and can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/export-control-licensing-management-information-for-israel/israel-export-control-licensing-data-6-december-2024.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
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 adequacy of (a) legislation and (b) regulations in relation to direct-to-consumer e-bike imports.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
UK product safety law requires that all consumer products must be safe before being placed on the market. Businesses, including those in supply chains for products manufactured overseas, have responsibilities to only make safe products available, and UK regulators have powers to remove non-compliant products from the market.
Government has introduced the Product Regulation and Metrology Bill to modernise regulations to reflect increasingly globalised and online supply chains. The powers in this Bill will allow us to make any necessary changes to our regulations to ensure the best protections for consumers and support for reputable retailers.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
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 adequacy of the accessibility of financial support available for sole traders.
Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Small businesses are the heart of our high streets and communities and are essential to our vision for growth and economic success.
The Government is committed to improving access to finance for small businesses, including sole traders, so they can grow and reach new domestic and international markets. Sole traders can benefit from the Start Up Loans programme, which helps entrepreneurs access the finance and mentoring advice they need to make their business ideas a reality.
Additionally, UK Export Finance offers financial support to boost export activities and helps exporters win contracts, fulfil orders, and make payment guarantees.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent discussions he has had with retailers on (a) mitigating and (b) preventing ransomware attacks.
Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is working in close coordination with law enforcement, the Department for Business and Trade and other relevant government departments to support each of the affected retailers. This includes providing technical expertise and strategic guidance which assist with incident response and recovery.
The NCSC is maintaining active engagement with the wider retail sector to share threat information and offer mitigative guidance aimed at reducing the risk from further incidents.
The Government offers free guidance, tools and training to help businesses improve their cyber resilience. This includes a new Cyber Governance Code of Practice to help boards and directors manage digital risks, and the Cyber Essentials scheme which is highly effective in protecting businesses against cyber-attacks.
Details of any Ministerial and Senior Officials' meetings and engagements can be found in the Department’s quarterly transparency returns on Gov.uk.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
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 use of AI in his Department on security.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Within the Department for Business and Trade we have produced an AI governance framework for how we use AI both internally and externally to ensure safe and effective use of AI. On our departmental risk register we have identified a number of risks associated with the use of AI in particular in relation to leakage of sensitive information or incorrect decisions being made on the back of outputs from AI outputs. Our mitigations to these risks include blocking non-approved AI tools and guidance to staff that all outputs from AI should be checked for accuracy.