Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the export of British luxury cars to Russia via third countries; and whether she has had discussions with industry representatives on this issue.
Answered by Alan Mak - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade) (jointly with the Cabinet Office)
The Department for Business and Trade expects and supports UK businesses to reduce their risk and comply with sanctions. We have spoken with industry stakeholders, who confirmed the sector's commitment to compliance with all sanctions.
Non-compliance with sanctions is a serious offence. HMRC undertakes an investigation into credible allegations of trade sanctions offences. In the most serious cases, breaches may result in referral for consideration of criminal prosecution.
We continue to work to prevent Russia's efforts to circumvent sanctions and recently announced the creation of the Office of Trade Sanctions Implementation to strengthen the implementation and enforcement of trade sanctions, complementing HMRC's existing powers.
Asked by: Lord Birt (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Johnson of Lainston on 16 April (HL3357), how they reconcile the data mentioned in the Answer with the independent analysis from Goldman Sachs which concluded that the UK's economy is 5 per cent smaller than it would have been if the UK had remained in the EU.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Lainston - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Since the referendum, the UK has grown faster than Germany, Italy, and Japan (Q2 2016 – Q4 2023). The International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicts that between 2024-2029 the UK will see the third fastest growth in the G7. The UK’s relative productivity performance versus the G7 has remained around the average for the rest of the G7, from 2010 to 2022; ahead of Canada, Italy and Japan.
The Department for Business and Trade is focussed on delivering the opportunities through: new trade deals, removing market access barriers, and maximising regulatory freedoms to strengthen the UK economy.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what support her Department is providing to businesses in Essex to increase the export of goods and services.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Businesses in Essex and across the UK can access the Department for Business and Trade’s wealth of export support through great.gov.uk. This includes our self-serve digital offer, the Export Support Service, which includes our network of International Trade Advisers, International Markets in overseas regions and the Export Academy.
In addition, British businesses can benefit from access to, and support from, DBT Export Champions, 9 of which are Essex based, like Wilkin & Sons.
UK Export Finance also has a network of export finance managers based all around the country, including one covering Essex, Norfolk, and Suffolk.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, how many members of staff from the (a) Department for Business and Trade and (b) devolved Administrations are co-located in UK embassies and high commissions in (i) Europe and (ii) North America; and if he will publish a breakdown of those figures by location.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The FCDO does not hold the responsibility for reporting on the numbers and location of other government department staff or those from devolved administrations co-located in UK embassies and high commissions. Each government department and devolved administration holds the responsibility to report on their own staff numbers.
Overseas, DBT (Department for Business and Trade) provide expert advice in support of UK exports and investment and the implementation of free trade agreements. DBT play an important role in delivery of HMG international priorities including promoting trade and investment and furthering economic and trade ties.
Asked by: Philippa Whitford (Scottish National Party - Central Ayrshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential financial impact of trends in the level of enrolments of international students on universities.
Answered by Luke Hall - Minister of State (Education)
The government seeks to ensure that there is a fair and robust migration policy, whilst maintaining the UK’s place as a top destination for the best and brightest students from around the world. The department remains committed to the ambitions set out in the government’s International Education Strategy to host 600,000 international students per year and to increase the value of education exports to £35 billion per year, both by 2030.
The department expects the UK to remain a highly attractive study destination. The UK has four universities in the top ten, and 17 in the top 100, worldwide. The UK has a highly sought after higher education (HE) experience, which is respected by students across the globe. The department is hugely proud to have met its international student recruitment ambition two years running.
However, the level of legal migration remains too high. As a result, on 4 December 2023, the government announced a new package of measures to reduce net migration and curb abuse and exploitation of the country’s immigration system.
The Office for Students (OfS), the independent regulator of the HE sector in England, continues to work closely with the Home Office, Department for Business and Trade, and other governmental departments to assess the impact of these changes on HE providers.
Universities are autonomous institutions responsible for managing their own budgets. The department also works closely with the OfS to understand the evolving landscape, including on risks relating to international students.
Asked by: Selaine Saxby (Conservative - North Devon)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what purchases her Department made of international carbon credits in the most recent five years for which figures are available; and what the average cost per tonne of CO2 was.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
DESNZ compensates for emissions associated with the flights taken by Ministers and their support staff by purchasing high quality international carbon credits, annually and in arrears.
The Department is close to finalising its first purchase of international carbon credits in respect of emissions from the Department’s creation to the end of last year.
In 2022, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) purchased 151 carbon credits to compensate for the emissions associated with flights taken in 2021 by BEIS Ministers and their support staff. This was at a cost of £1,394.89, making the cost per tonne £9.24.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the policy paper entitled People at the Heart of Care, published by her Department in December 2021, CP 560, what steps her Department has taken to raise awareness of Carer's Leave amongst unpaid carers.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to supporting unpaid carers to balance their caring alongside work, and to do so in a way that supports their own health and wellbeing.
As indicated in People at the Heart of Care in 2021, the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) are the lead department for carer’s leave. DBT has carried out a range of activities to raise awareness of Carer’s Leave, including producing associated guidance available through GOV.UK, working closely stakeholders such as carer and business representative organisations and promoting Carers Leave through the ‘Help to Grow’ website.
The Department for Health and Social Care continues to seek and use opportunities to raise awareness of support services and relevant legislation, including carer’s leave, amongst unpaid carers. This includes through our ongoing engagement with carer representative organisations, the use of GOV.UK and engagement in events such as during Carers Week, which this year takes place in June 2024.
Asked by: David Evennett (Conservative - Bexleyheath and Crayford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department are taking to encourage businesses to invest in skills training.
Answered by Luke Hall - Minister of State (Education)
This government is committed to delivering a world-leading skills system which is employer-focused, high-quality, and fit for the future. The department’s reforms are backed with an investment of £3.8 billion over the course of this Parliament to strengthen higher and further education to help more people get good jobs, upskill and retrain throughout their lives and to improve national productivity.
Over 5,000 employers have been involved in the development of nearly 700 high-quality apprenticeships to meet their industry skills needs. To support employers of all sizes offer apprenticeships, the government has increased investment in apprenticeships to over £2.7 billion in the 2024/25 financial year. This includes investing a further £60 million to meet overall increased employer demand for apprenticeships and encourage small-medium enterprises (SMEs) to take on young apprentices.
From April, the department pays 100% of training costs when SMEs take on new apprentices aged 16-21. Additionally, larger employers can now transfer more of their levy funds (50% increased from 25%) to support businesses of all sizes, which will help more employers to invest in apprenticeship training.
Skills Bootcamps offer free, flexible courses of up to 16 weeks, giving people the chance to build sector-specific skills with an offer of a job interview on completion. Training providers work with employers to ensure training is designed to teach the skills employers need. To date, over 1000 employers have been involved in Skills Bootcamps. Employers play a range of roles from supporting the design and delivery of the training, to recruiting learners that complete training into a job, or an apprenticeship. Employers can also use Skills Bootcamps to upskill their existing employees, subject to a 10% contribution for SMEs and 30% contribution for large employers.
Institutes of Technology bring education and business closer together, creating unique collaborations between colleges, universities and industry which deliver higher-level technical education with a clear route to high skilled employment. The department has provided £300 million of capital funding for infrastructure and industry standard equipment to increase capacity to deliver level 4/5 technical skills. In addition, employer partners were encouraged to provide additional support (monetary and in kind) which for the wave 2 competition was set at 35% of value of capital expenditure.
In October 2023, the department launched a new website called Skills for Careers that provides a single digital front door to information about skills training options and careers. A link to Skills for Careers can be found here: https://www.skillsforcareers.education.gov.uk/pages/skills-for-life. From Skills for Careers, users are guided through government’s skills offer from apprenticeships to Skills Bootcamps, A levels to Multiply. The website provides an overview of each option along with information about writing job applications and CVs.
Across all areas of England, employer-led Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs) have helped engage thousands of local businesses and have brought them together with local providers and stakeholders to collaboratively agree and deliver actions to address local skills needs. By giving employers a more strategic role in the skills system, LSIPs are helping to drive greater employer investment in skills and ensure businesses are more actively involved in the planning, design and delivery of skills provision.
Departmental officials are also working with the Office for Investment and Department for Business and Trade to provide support for investors to navigate the skills system at a national and local level and encourage take-up of government funded skills programmes and employer investment in skills, as well as build strategic partnerships with local education and training providers. Whilst it is not a core part of their role, some of the designated employer representative bodies leading the LSIPs have engaged with inward investors as part of developing and implementing their LSIPs.
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Garston and Halewood)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether her Department plans to have further engagement with the businesses that accompanied the Minister for Trade on his visit to Ukraine in April 2024.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Yes.
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Garston and Halewood)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions her Department had with the businesses that accompanied the Minister for Trade on his recent visit to Ukraine while preparing that visit.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
In preparation for our recent trade mission to Ukraine, the Government engaged in extensive discussions with all participating businesses. Notably, during the mission, BAE Systems successfully negotiated a contract with the UK Ministry of Defence to maintain and repair L119 Light Guns directly in Ukraine. This arrangement not only speeds up the return of these crucial assets to the frontline but also significantly bolsters Ukraine’s defence capabilities. Moreover, the department facilitated numerous discussions to help businesses align the capabilities they offer with the urgent demands of Ukraine's defence efforts, ensuring their contributions are both timely and impactful.