Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of businesses' readiness to operate under the Border Target Operating Model.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Border Target Operating Model was published in August 2023, setting out the timeline for import controls which will be implemented from the end of January 2024. The biosecurity and security reasons for these changes are set out in the Border Target Operating Model. The publication of the Border Target Operating Model gave clarity to businesses about which import controls will be introduced and when, and gave sufficient time for businesses to prepare.
The Government engaged extensively with stakeholders prior to the publication of the final Border Target Operating Model and in response to stakeholder feedback some of the implementation milestones were moved in order to give businesses more time to prepare. Stakeholder readiness for the implementation of the Border Target Operating Model has therefore been taken into account and prioritised throughout.
It is the responsibility of businesses who are impacted by these changes to prepare for upcoming controls. To help businesses with these changes, the Government is carrying out a comprehensive programme of engagement both in the UK and in the EU to ensure businesses understand the changes, and are therefore prepared for the new 2024 import controls.
The Government has not received significant feedback from stakeholders to suggest that they are not prepared for the introduction of new controls. The Government will continue to engage with and support business as the Border Target Operating Model is implemented from the end of January 2024.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Labour - Weaver Vale)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps her Department is taking to help small businesses train their skilled staff.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
We provide extensive business support for Small and Medium Enterprise (SMEs) to upskill their teams.
Help to Grow: Management is an intensive national training programme to improve SMEs leadership and management skills. SMEs can apply and develop their skills in areas such as financial management, innovation, and staff engagement. Help to Grow: Management provides practical support for SMEs to upskill their staff, helping lead their business to its full potential.
The Department has also developed the UK Export Academy. This is a free training programme for SMEs and their staff, designed to give businesses the confidence to sell overseas.
Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Answer of 12 December 2022 to Question 105459 on Food: Research, what progress the Food Standards Agency has made in developing dedicated guidance materials for alternative protein companies developing novel foods and processes; and when he plans to publish that guidance.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has prepared an information page for its website that will provide guidance to companies producing cell-cultivated products that wish to apply for regulatory approval. This will be published before the end of November 2023.
This page will outline information about the FSA’s regulated product application service, the regulations that apply to these cell-cultivated products, and information about labelling implications. Alongside this, the FSA has been providing pre-application support to businesses on an individual basis due to the novelty and complexity of this technology. This one-to-one engagement with business and industry has helped to inform and tailor our online guidance which will be available shortly.
The FSA is also considering producing additional regulatory guidance for alternative protein producers as part of its wider aim to support business innovation whilst ensuring that food is safe and what it says it is. In addition to this, a new UK Research and Innovation project was announced on 9 November 2023 that will work on new safety rules for the United States of America, Singapore, United Kingdom and the European Union with a focus on creating standards for cell-cultivated protein.
Asked by: Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative - Chingford and Woodford Green)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 17 October 2023 to Questions 200185, 200186 and 200187 on UK Export Finance: China, what her policy is on public funds being directed to Chinese companies involved in the Belt and Road Initiative through (a) UK Export Finance and (b) other public bodies.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
As advised in the response to the previous questions (200185, 200186 and 200187), UK Export Finance (UKEF) follows the UK government’s policy towards engagement with China set out in the Integrated Review and elsewhere.
UKEF is committed to high standards of environmental, social and human rights (ESHR) risk management. Its specialist ESHR team reviews projects for ESHR risks and impacts before any decision on support is made. If a decision is taken to provide support, UKEF undertakes ESHR monitoring of the project for the duration of that support.
UKEF’s due diligence also includes appropriate assessment of attendant risks. UKEF charges a risk-based premium to companies for its support, and has a robust recovery process in place to protect the taxpayer and offset potential losses.
Asked by: Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative - Chingford and Woodford Green)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 17 October 2023 to Questions 200185, 200186 and 200187 on UK Export Finance: China, what (a) labour standards and (b) other human rights due diligence procedures are applied to prospective UK Export Finance partner companies.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
As advised in the response to the previous questions (200185, 200186 and 200187), UK Export Finance (UKEF) follows the UK government’s policy towards engagement with China set out in the Integrated Review and elsewhere.
UKEF is committed to high standards of environmental, social and human rights (ESHR) risk management. Its specialist ESHR team reviews projects for ESHR risks and impacts before any decision on support is made. If a decision is taken to provide support, UKEF undertakes ESHR monitoring of the project for the duration of that support.
UKEF’s due diligence also includes appropriate assessment of attendant risks. UKEF charges a risk-based premium to companies for its support, and has a robust recovery process in place to protect the taxpayer and offset potential losses.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she has had recent discussions with the devolved Administrations on policies to support growth in the (a) digital technology, (b) green, (c) life sciences, (d) advanced manufacturing and (e) creative industries.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
DBT is committed to engagement with the devolved administrations in the development of policies to support businesses across the whole country and across all sectors.
For example, the Minister of State for International Trade chairs the Interministerial Group for Trade, which last met on 7 September 2023, to facilitate discussion with devolved administrations on trade policy priorities. The UK’s trade policies remove barriers, offer increased trade, and support growth for all parts of the UK economy.
DBT recently hosted the Northern Ireland Investment Summit, working closely with officials in the Northern Ireland Executive and Invest Northern Ireland to grow the advanced manufacturing and engineering, technology, financial and professional services, the green economy, and the life and health sciences sectors in Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government, with reference to the article Practice under pressure: how can the exodus of GPs be reversed published on 31 August by Dr Imelda McDermott and Dr Sharon Spooner, what consideration they have given to the introduction of new business models for general practices; and what discussions they have had with general practices about the introduction of new business models.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
General Practice (GP) partnerships, individually and through Primary Care Networks, deliver high quality care to patients all over the country. The Government continues to support the partnership model which has underpinned general practice since before the establishment of the National Health Service, and has many advantages. While partnerships holding a GP contract will continue to be in the majority, it is important that sustainable alternative models are available to mitigate difficulties in recruitment and retention.
The partnership model is not the only model currently delivering general practice. GP practices can and do choose to organise themselves in different ways to support scale and resilience, many of which cite evidence of good outcomes in terms of staff engagement and patient experience.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they will announce a decision on the proposed Common User Charge under the Border Target Operating Model.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Border Target Operating Model (BTOM) outlines a pragmatic and phased implementation approach starting from January 31 2024, designed to give all relevant parties sufficient time to prepare ahead of its introduction.
We will continue to engage with and monitor the sentiment of stakeholders across all parts of the United Kingdom, affected sectors, and our trading partners around the world to ensure readiness for the phased introduction of our new model.
The Government will run a series of in-person and online engagement events, and publish guidance detailing actions required as a result of the changes on GOV.UK. For example, we will work closely with our key trading partners to ensure the capacity and availability of certifiers for Export Health Certificates does not become a barrier to trade.
To ensure our own readiness for implementing the Model, departments with specific responsibilities will run and end-to-end operational testing, working with industry to identify any issues and support a smooth transition for each phase of the Model.
The Model represents an estimated £520 million saving for all importers compared to the Model originally planned for introduction in 2022. The actual cost to business will greatly depend on how businesses adapt their business models and supply chains to integrate the Model. As outlined in the BTOM, we estimate the costs of the Model at £330 million per annum overall, across all EU imports, which is around 0.13% of the overall value of EU goods imports to Great Britain. We estimate the measures introduced through the BTOM would have a minimal impact on consumer food price inflation of less than 0.2% in total over a 3-year period.
In contrast, an outbreak of a major disease could have a much more significant impact: the 2001 Foot and Mouth disease cost £12.8 billion in 2022 prices, £4.8 billion of which was cost to Government and £8 billion cost to the private sector.
The Government ran a consultation on charges for Government owned Border Control Posts from 12 June to 9 July, including a call for views on our intention to administer a single Common User Charge for eligible Sanitary and Phytosanitary consignments at government-run Border Control Posts. The outcome of this consultation will be published shortly.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of their readiness to introduce the Border Target Operating Model.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Border Target Operating Model (BTOM) outlines a pragmatic and phased implementation approach starting from January 31 2024, designed to give all relevant parties sufficient time to prepare ahead of its introduction.
We will continue to engage with and monitor the sentiment of stakeholders across all parts of the United Kingdom, affected sectors, and our trading partners around the world to ensure readiness for the phased introduction of our new model.
The Government will run a series of in-person and online engagement events, and publish guidance detailing actions required as a result of the changes on GOV.UK. For example, we will work closely with our key trading partners to ensure the capacity and availability of certifiers for Export Health Certificates does not become a barrier to trade.
To ensure our own readiness for implementing the Model, departments with specific responsibilities will run and end-to-end operational testing, working with industry to identify any issues and support a smooth transition for each phase of the Model.
The Model represents an estimated £520 million saving for all importers compared to the Model originally planned for introduction in 2022. The actual cost to business will greatly depend on how businesses adapt their business models and supply chains to integrate the Model. As outlined in the BTOM, we estimate the costs of the Model at £330 million per annum overall, across all EU imports, which is around 0.13% of the overall value of EU goods imports to Great Britain. We estimate the measures introduced through the BTOM would have a minimal impact on consumer food price inflation of less than 0.2% in total over a 3-year period.
In contrast, an outbreak of a major disease could have a much more significant impact: the 2001 Foot and Mouth disease cost £12.8 billion in 2022 prices, £4.8 billion of which was cost to Government and £8 billion cost to the private sector.
The Government ran a consultation on charges for Government owned Border Control Posts from 12 June to 9 July, including a call for views on our intention to administer a single Common User Charge for eligible Sanitary and Phytosanitary consignments at government-run Border Control Posts. The outcome of this consultation will be published shortly.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will publish (1) their full modelling on the inflationary impact of the Border Target Operating Model, and (2) modelling on the additional cost to be incurred by businesses as a result of the Border Target Operating Model.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Border Target Operating Model (BTOM) outlines a pragmatic and phased implementation approach starting from January 31 2024, designed to give all relevant parties sufficient time to prepare ahead of its introduction.
We will continue to engage with and monitor the sentiment of stakeholders across all parts of the United Kingdom, affected sectors, and our trading partners around the world to ensure readiness for the phased introduction of our new model.
The Government will run a series of in-person and online engagement events, and publish guidance detailing actions required as a result of the changes on GOV.UK. For example, we will work closely with our key trading partners to ensure the capacity and availability of certifiers for Export Health Certificates does not become a barrier to trade.
To ensure our own readiness for implementing the Model, departments with specific responsibilities will run and end-to-end operational testing, working with industry to identify any issues and support a smooth transition for each phase of the Model.
The Model represents an estimated £520 million saving for all importers compared to the Model originally planned for introduction in 2022. The actual cost to business will greatly depend on how businesses adapt their business models and supply chains to integrate the Model. As outlined in the BTOM, we estimate the costs of the Model at £330 million per annum overall, across all EU imports, which is around 0.13% of the overall value of EU goods imports to Great Britain. We estimate the measures introduced through the BTOM would have a minimal impact on consumer food price inflation of less than 0.2% in total over a 3-year period.
In contrast, an outbreak of a major disease could have a much more significant impact: the 2001 Foot and Mouth disease cost £12.8 billion in 2022 prices, £4.8 billion of which was cost to Government and £8 billion cost to the private sector.
The Government ran a consultation on charges for Government owned Border Control Posts from 12 June to 9 July, including a call for views on our intention to administer a single Common User Charge for eligible Sanitary and Phytosanitary consignments at government-run Border Control Posts. The outcome of this consultation will be published shortly.